Chapter 9

A month later, Professor Oak was going through his normal morning routine. He had just finished releasing the last Pokémon from its Poké ball into the fields surrounding his laboratory. As the Sandslash sped away, Professor Oak sighed and sat back on a large rock under the huge Pokéberry tree. It was a beautiful September morning, clear and sunny. But he couldn't enjoy it. He hadn't been able to enjoy much of anything lately. If it hadn't been for his research, and his daughter Sasami who was to the age of 10 again and his Pokémon, he probably wouldn't have been able to go on. He had thrown himself into his work; anything to forget the past month's events. As he sighed and leaned against the tree's massive trunk, he started to doze off. The warmth of the sunshine on his face was making him drowsy.

He opened his eyes. It wasn't a dream.

Delia and Sasami where coming up the hill. Her face was serious.

"We need to talk."

"All right."

He moved over and she sat down next to him on the rock with Sasami.

"Why haven't you been by to see me?"

The pain in her voice was evident.

"Under the circumstances, I didn't think it was a good idea. Three's a crowd, you know," he said with a bitter laugh.

"It won't be that way for much longer."

Surprised, he whirled around to face her.

"Will's leaving."

"Oh," he said, cautiously optimistic.

"I tried. For Ash's sake, I really tried to make it work. We both tried, but we've changed so much in these past four years. Will and I are two different people now," Delia said sadly.

Professor Oak said nothing. Delia continued.

"We're going to get a divorce. I hate to think how Ash will take it, but I think he sees that we're not getting along. But Will promised that he would try to be there for him." She smiled. "Now that Ash is a Pokémon trainer, Will said that he would take him with him on his next Pokémon journey."

"Ash will like that, I'm sure."

"There's another thing, too," Delia said quietly, looking down at the ground. "Two days ago I had a miscarriage."

"What?!" Sasami shout look at her Aunt Delia (Sasami out of the blue one day start called Delia Aunt Delia and Delia like it on some level her find it funning)

"Oh God, Delia! Are you all right?"

"The doctor says I'm okay physically, but emotionally..." Her voice trailed off as she started to choke back tears. "The baby... it was yours. Ours." She started to cry.

Professor Oak felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of him.

"I... I had just figured out that I was pregnant the day before it happened," she cried. Sasami yell out make her powers out with a rage. Then stop out of the blue.

"Oh, Delia," he whispered as he took her in his arms but Sasami had to orb out of the away but to later she was catch in between them.

As she sobbed against his shoulder, he found himself also shedding a couple of tears for the child they had lost. They remained there for a long time, holding each other and mourning the loss of their baby. When she finally stopped crying, Delia slowly pulled away from his embrace.

"I really liked the idea of Ash having a little brother or sister to play with, but then again Ash as some what of a little sister." she said with a small, sad smile look at Sasami.

"Don't give up hope, Delia," he said as he wiped a tear away from her eye.

"You don't know how long I've been wanting you to hold me, to touch me," she sighed as she put her hand atop his.

"I even dreamed about it. Every time Will tried to touch me, all I could think about was you."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Sasami said try not to look at Delia or her Father.

"Tried to?" With joy, he realized what she was saying.

"Then that means that you and Will didn't..."

"No! How could I make love to another man when it's you that I love?"

"Somebody... Please just kill me... NOW." Sasami look down at her feet.

"I love you so much, Delia. I've loved you for years," he said as he kissed her.

"I thought I had lost you forever... first on the plane, and then when Will turned up again."

"I wish I could forget everything that happened this past month and start over," Delia said as she leaned back against the tree and put her head on his shoulder.

"We can start over, Delia. A new beginning for both of us." She closed her eyes and relaxed against him.

"I wish we could make love now, but I'm still healing from the miscarriage."

"That's all right. I'll wait until you're ready. I'll wait as long as it takes."

"Darklighter Row..." Sasami hold out her hand try to get a DarkLighter's Row. Samuel held out it hand and call for the DarkLighter's row and break it in his hand. She turn around to her father.

"Sasami... I love you to much to let you kill you self in front of me and don't think you can orb somewhere else and kill you self I've stop you ever time." Sasami laid back on both Delia and her father legs. "I love you Daddy... But you can be a Payne sometime." "I'm your Father, and it my job to take care of you."

Together they watched the sun peek out from a stray cloud overhead. It looked as if it would be a beautiful day after all.


THE END