DISCLAIMER: Don't own Pokémon. That's about all I can be bothered with tonight.

A/N: Wow, that disclaimer was rude, I'm sorry! Anyways, the prologue was by Geodude and this one is by me, and it's kinda long. Got carried away, cringe…well here it is, read on everyone!

Chapter One - A Prelude To Pain

I woke up one autumn morning with Ash still sleeping contently next to me and peace surrounding every inch of my being. Andrea was still asleep, the phone wasn't ringing, no one had knocked on the door. It was bliss, and, grateful for the sleep in, I closed my eyes to resume some sort of half-slumber.

But I suddenly shot up as a thought ran through my mind. Andrea should've been up by now, so what if…what if something's happened to her? My throat clamped up at the thought, my mind raced with the possibilities of cot death and suffocation and before I knew what was happening I had sprinted down the hall to her room.

"Oh God, please let her be alright" I muttered before I threw open the door. My fears dissolved as I heard her light snores and I involuntarily let out a breath of relief. If something ever happened to her, I would never forgive myself. I lightly stroked a finger across her cheek with a smile adorning my face.

"Mist?" I turned my head at the sound of Ash's voice behind me. "What's going on?" he asked sleepily.

"Nothing, I just thought…" I trailed off and eyed him sheepishly.

"You thought something had happened to her?" Ash raised an eyebrow. I silently nodded and watched him sigh with a small smile on his face. "So how many times has that been now? I think I've lost count."

I confess, I worried about Andrea a lot. Sometimes maybe too much. The first week she was with us I continually stood over her crib while she slept to make sure she was still breathing. I would lie awake in bed and strain to listen to her exhale and inhale. Sometimes her cries in the middle of the night were reassuring as much as they were disrupting. Ash found it somewhat amusing but I knew that he couldn't help feeling the same way. This was our daughter and we had struggled for the sake of her. To lose her in any way at all would be a pain too big to bear.

"But she's so small and vulnerable, she could easily just…" That was a sentence I couldn't finish. Ash immediately drew closer to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, an action that almost instantly washed away my reservations.

"Yes, but she's got two parents who love her and look after her in the best way they can. She's healthy and happy and for that we should be eternally grateful" Ash said seriously. He kissed me briefly but assuredly and twirled a stray strand of my hair around his finger. "Fate couldn't be so cruel as to make things worse than they already have been. Just relax."

So I believed him. I smiled and assured him I was fine and let him hold me close just because I loved the feeling of him near me. He was right - how could fate possibly be crueler after all we had been through? It had to be almost scientifically impossible.

We were both sixteen years old but we had been through more than some people do in a lifetime. It wasn't exactly something we were proud of but at the same time we were proud at how our lives had turned out, at how we had managed to pick ourselves up after every downfall to come out with a daughter we loved and a life we couldn't imagine not living.

I always said I would show my mother and I did, even if I never spoke to her after Andrea was born. I recall her saying something about Ash leaving me the minute he felt pressure. Well the pressure was most definitely on us the moment we found out I was pregnant and Ash hasn't left my side since. I guess I'm excluding some of the spats we went through but come on, surely they had to be expected. A baby at sixteen is no picnic.

At this particular point in my life, with Andrea aged just a couple of months old, I thought I was going slightly mad. Not as in I should be in an asylum due to the public's safety, but there was definitely an air about me that wasn't there a year ago. I sung songs from the Teletubbies instead of tunes on the radio. I spoke in a high-pitched squeal that would cause any bystanders to wince as their eardrums took a hold of the pain.

But I loved it. I truly loved it because it was the result of Andrea.

She stirred as I was locked in Ash's embrace and I had to find the motivation to move away and comfort her before the real cries started up. She could be a wailer when she wanted to be.

"Good morning sunshine" I greeted her chirpily. I'd had a good night's sleep which was rare but never taken for granted. Usually this time of the morning I'd be half-asleep, complaining about what little energy Andrea drained from me. Good old optimistic Ash would tell me that things could be worse, that I could be living in Cerulean City with my mother and sisters and not have any contact with Andrea at all. I'd smile at his words and go through the rest of the day on fatigue and the hope of rest at the end of the day.

But this morning I was surprisingly awake and happy. Not that I wasn't generally happy living with Ash and Andrea, I loved them both so much, but my temper tended to hit breaking point when lack of sleep came into the picture. Whenever this happened, Ash would demand that I take a nap straight away, no matter what time of the day it was or how many things I had to do, and he would take over by himself. It worked wonders and I was a much nicer person to be around afterwards.

Andrea locked her sleepy eyes with mine and yawned, almost asking with her eyes why she had been disrupted from her slumber. I gave her the involuntary smile she almost always caused to spring to my face and kissed her forehead to be replied with a blank stare. She still hadn't smiled but I'd been told that took a couple of months. Just another milestone for us to look forward to, like when she would take her first step or say her first word.

I then handed her over to Ash after mumbling something about getting dressed. I was freezing in my robe and longed for the warmth of a shower, and Ash had no protests about having Andrea to himself for half an hour or so. I left him cooing her promises of warm clothes and gratefully headed for the shower.

Oh for hot water. It didn't come cheap but like they say, you get what you pay for and this morning I had absolutely no qualms about the bills that came in every month demanding our thinning money in exchange for warmth or electricity. It had to be worth it on a day like today.

We didn't have that many problems with money. That account Ash had still earned interest while it was sitting in the bank and he was going to get a job. He swore he was. It wasn't like it was a big deal, the account had a very stable amount and no major expenses had hit us yet. In fact, it was a relief to have him at home. I don't think I could've coped with Andrea by myself. Sometimes love isn't enough to keep my temper, even my sanity, in check.

The water drifted over me and I sighed in relief. I gradually began to thaw out, stretching my arms, returning elasticity back to my limbs. Now I was properly awake. I stepped out of the heavenly shower, grabbed a towel and proceeded to stare back at the face that greeted me in the mirror.

The girl who gazed at me wasn't a girl. She was a woman. One who had grown up too fast and too suddenly to truly understand what that term meant. Her eyes bore a wisdom beyond her years and her face showed a maturity that most people her age lacked.

Was that…me?

I had this debate with myself nearly every morning. It's not like I could look back on old photos and see a remarkable difference, but I could transport myself back a year or two and know that I was a different person to the one ogling eyes with me in the mirror. I was a mother. The familiar thought hit me so quickly I shuddered, as I still wasn't used to the term. And my mother was a grandmother, my sisters were aunties, my father was a grandfather (and the only one out of them with any right to call himself related to Andrea, or me for that matter).

I wrapped the towel tighter around myself and made my way down to our room. So many layers of clothing needed for such a chilly day, I struggled to find something warm enough. It was only autumn, how did I expect to cope with winter? Christmas would probably see me through - Andrea's first Christmas.

Dressed and with the sun starting to melt the frost into dew, I walked into the lounge to find Ash holding a now clothed Andrea in his arms, whispering words into her ears that only she would ever hear. He noticed me standing in the middle of the room and directed a smile to my ever-watchful eyes.

"She's so quiet this morning" he pointed out as I walked over to them. "And don't go getting ideas about how that's not normal" he said quickly when I opened my mouth to speak. "She might just be tired."

"Yeah, and she might have a cold or something too" I sighed. "It is cold, and she has been a bit quiet lately, maybe I should run her to the doctor, just for -"

"Misty" Ash interrupted me sternly. I gazed into his eyes for what must've been multiple seconds, transforming into minutes until he broke the silence. "You can't run her to a doctor until she gets a fever. She feels fine now. You need to stop worrying, for her sake and your own."

I smiled sheepishly at the only guy I'd ever loved and ever would love. He cared about Andrea, don't get me wrong, but he knew the difference between being tired and being sick. Unlike paranoid little me. He smiled back at me in understanding and handed her to me so she could have her morning feed. She was all for routine - wake, dress, feed, play…over and over throughout the day.

"So what's on today's agenda?" I asked casually. Usually we'd go for a walk or Delia would just happen to be walking by and drop in, which we both saw as a watery excuse to check up on her granddaughter. We loved her visits though. She had been the most supportive person anyone could be in the darkest of our times - I think letting me into her home aged fifteen and pregnant saw to that. Plus Andrea's middle name was in her honour, which just went to show how much the both of us adored her.

"Well I didn't really have anything in mind, unless you did" Ash replied. It always went like this. We worked by each other's schedules, not that either one of us had particularly demanding ones.

"I dunno. I'd love to go for a walk but it's freezing out there."

"It'll be warm soon enough. A walk with you, my dear, is a pleasure whatever the weather" Ash grinned. Delight almost instantly flowed throughout me at his words. I loved him so much that the smallest of compliments from him sent my heart into a frenzy of ardour, flattered by such words, no matter how often I heard them.

Everything was still quiet around us. The neighbors were minding their own business for once, not knocking on the door to make sure it really was true, that we really were this young with a child. You'd think one utterance of confirmation would be enough, but no, the Jamesons' in the apartment beside us had this fascination with us. A knock on the door was customary for them at least twice a week, nervously offering help or recommending great babysitters. They were smiled at, nodded at, and then promptly ignored as soon as the door closed.

"Mist? What's on your mind?" Ash asked quietly, stroking my cheek and looking down at Andrea with that special look he reserved only for her.

"You always know when something's on my mind" I sighed. "I was just wondering…why does anyone give a damn about what we do or who we are? You're not the master anymore, I'm not part of the Cerulean gym and yet we still get hassled."

"You thinking of the Jamesons'?" Ash asked, meeting my eyes with concern scrawled all over them.

"Who else" I groaned. "If it's not the media it's my mother, if it's not my mother it's the neighbors, who next? And why, why do they care?" I hated crying, I truly did, but there were days when I just couldn't control my emotions, such as today. I had woken up so happy, so optimistic and bright, and one mere thought had sent my emotions into a whirlwind. A single tear unwillingly traveled down my cheek and Ash gently wiped it away.

"Because they've got no lives" Ash replied simply.

"They should have. They should mind their own damn business." I don't know why Ash put up with this. I constantly complained about one thing or another and yet he was so patient with me. This day was no exception, as he laid an arm around my shoulders and held me close, Andrea still nuzzled against my breast.

"How about we get Mom to look after Andie today and we just do something together. You and me. You need to stop worrying about so many things when everything has finally settled down" he pointed out.

"I can't ask that of Delia" I said quietly.

"Are you kidding? You know she loves it. She relives her motherhood through Andie. We'll catch a movie or go out for lunch or something. I just want to make you happy."

I think right then and there I melted on the spot with love for him. He wanted to make me happy? Didn't he see how happy he made me every day? He wasn't the subject of my worries and frustrations, it was the outside world, a world that had betrayed me so many times before, that I feared and fretted over. And yet here he was, almost blaming himself for the constant downer in my mood.

"Ash, you already make me happy every day. You sitting here next to me makes me happy beyond words. Me and my moods has nothing to do with you so you don't have to try and rectify them" I told him. I planted a kiss on his lips to prove it and watched him nodding as I pulled away.

"I'm still calling Mom" he announced, suddenly jumping up and sprinting for the phone. He knew I couldn't follow to stop him and I sat on the couch, helpless with Andrea in my arms.

Ash returned no more than five minutes later with a broad grin occupying his face. "Mom'll be over in half an hour. I better get ready."

"I can't believe you" I sighed with an uncontrollable smile forming on my lips. "Fine, go." I waved him away with my spare hand and watched him retreat to our room. "As you for" I said, reverting my attention back to Andrea, "you have to promise me you'll be a good girl for Grandma. Okay?"

Tears suddenly filled my eyes as she sleepily looked at me like she understood my words. Of course I trusted Delia and knew she would be a great babysitter. But a day without my precious Andie D…could I bear it?

Ash re-emerged about two seconds before Delia knocked on the door and let herself in, as we had told her to do ages ago. By this time I was slowly walked around the lounge with a very sleepy Andrea Ketchum in my arms. Her morning nap happened right on time, and her head hadn't even touched the mattress of her crib before her eyes were closed and she was off in a dreamland reserved especially for her.

"Now Mom, when she wakes up give her one bottle. She usually doesn't like bottles but persist and she'll take it. Then change her and give her some play time. She likes to lie on the mat and watch that mobile" Ash instructed. Delia intently listened with a warm smile at her son. He definitely knew his stuff.

"Don't you worry about a thing, just enjoy yourselves, enjoy the break" Delia said. I was planning on enjoying it, even if it was fringed with worry about leaving Andrea for the first time. Ash and I hadn't been out by ourselves since she'd been born and he had been the first to recognise that we needed to be alone and out of the apartment.

"Thank you, Delia" I said gratefully, hovering by the door.

"Don't mention it. Now go!" she teasingly ordered. I smiled and followed Ash out.

There was a breeze that ran fingers of ice over our faces and through our hair but there was also a brilliant sunshine that deceived this aspect in the weather. I don't think either of us had any real idea where we were walking to, nor did we care, just as long as we were together. His fingers were entwined with mine and my head rested against his shoulder as we slowly meandered along. For once we didn't get stares, we didn't feel uncomfortable being with a crowd because today we fitted in.

Not that I would have that in exchange for Andrea. No way.

"Where exactly are we going?" I finally asked after twenty aimless minutes of walking.

"Um…" Ash trailed off and I laughed. Neither of us could come up with an answer.

"Well it's nowhere near time for lunch, so you wanna catch a movie or something?" I asked casually. I hadn't seen a movie in so long. I didn't care what was on, just as long as there was something I could sit through for a couple of hours without demands or obligations. Still, it was sadly strange to be walking along without pushing a pram and rearranging toys to make Andrea happy. She didn't have to smile to tell me she was happy, I just knew.

"Yeah that sounds good" Ash agreed. To most people this wouldn't have been a big event, but for the two of us, stuck in an apartment all day with a young child and responsibilities we shouldn't have had, this was such a privilege. I now had something else to thank Delia for on top of the thousands of other things.

I don't even remember the name of the movie or who was in it or the basic plot even. I just remember laughing my way through fictional characters on a massive screen in front of me, delving into an unreal world for two hours and leaving the theatre in total gratitude to Ash. I wrapped my arms around his waist which probably made it difficult for him to walk but I just wanted him to know how much I appreciated this.

"Thank you" I said softly.

"It was only a movie" Ash said, kissing the top of my head.

"No, it was more than that. It was…it was…"

"An escape?" Ash supplied. I nodded. Exactly the words I was looking for. "I know what you mean. It seems strange to not be around Andie but at the same time it's a good break. We should probably do this more often. Not every week or anything like that, but once a month or two months."

"Yeah. But Andie -"

"Would be fine" Ash interrupted. "She loves Mom and we'll always be close in case something happens, which I highly doubt. Mist, we struggled so much to get this life and the last thing we deserve is to struggle further. We knew it would be inevitable but at the same time we have the opportunity to leave it every once in a while. Other parents do it and it makes them better people, not always wrapped up in everyday jobs and duties. We didn't get that opportunity when you were pregnant because someone or other was always on our backs about something." He eyed me seriously and I nodded at his words.

"I know. I just get worked up about so many stupid things and they all pile up" I sighed.

"Which is exactly why we need to do this more often. Come on, let's grab lunch, I'm starving" Ash announced. I grinned at his attitude towards food which seemed to be the only thing that hadn't matured about him and we walked to a small café across the road. I wasn't as famished as he was, so settled for a caesar salad while he went for the pasta dish with fries and some sort of teeth-rotting fizzy drink.

"You need to eat more" Ash said worriedly as I chomped on a piece of lettuce.

"Oh and you tell me to stop worrying" I teased.

"Misty really, get something else, salad isn't enough" Ash replied.

"Okay." With that I swiped a handful of his fries and sprinkled them on some spare space on my bowl. "There, something else to compliment my salad" I grinned. Ash laughed and picked a fry off his plate. He then held it towards me and I held it between my teeth before it was all in my mouth with a small kiss on his fingers to finish the action.

"And something to compliment your mouth" Ash laughed.

"Mmm, yummy" I mumbled after my lips detached from his fingers. He smiled, took my hand and kissed the back of it before running his fingers over it. I almost shivered at the mere touch that I should've been used to by now. No words transpired between us for about a minute, we only communicated with our eyes. He loved me, I loved him, God I can't describe how much I loved him. I finally let out a nervous laugh at the intensity that was flowing between us and the rest of the lunch flew by with words and small kisses here and there.

We finally had to admit that Delia probably deserved a break by now and we slowly walked back to the apartment. It was a fair hike away but we didn't mind. The sun was shining at last and there was no real hurry - it wasn't like Delia had called Ash's cellphone in a panic or anything.

We walked through the door, radiating happiness but keeping quiet unless Andrea was sleeping. We soon discovered that she was in her grandmother's arms, watching some sort of pre-school show that she seemed absolutely fascinated with. Delia turned to us with the absolute biggest smile on her face.

"Your daughter is so so clever" she gushed. I raised an eyebrow and Ash bit his lip to keep from laughing. Delia would see Andrea as clever if she had an I.Q of 51.

"What makes you say that Mom?" Ash asked.

"Guess what she did today. Go on, guess!" Delia urged. I giggled a bit before answering.

"I don't know, I don't see what she could've done to prove her intelligence."

"She smiled!" Delia suddenly announced. I gasped and took a fleeting look at Andrea, who was staring dumbfounded at the television that had her spellbound with its images and sounds.

"Are you sure?" Ash asked hesitantly. "She doesn't look any different to when we left her."

"I'm positive! Look, I'll show you." Delia grinned and turned Andrea around to face her, before she suddenly started whistling, a melody of random notes that, sure enough, caused Andrea's face to break out into a broad smile. I couldn't help shrieking at the sight, which caused her smile to drop as she faced me with wide eyes of shock.

"Oh sorry darling" I apologised, striding over to her and lifting her up in my arms. "I didn't mean to be so loud." Instead of bursting into tears as I was sure she would do, she instead lit up in another smile and reached to grab my nose which, admittedly, hurt a bit but that was the last thing on my mind.

"Look at her! She's so smart" Delia praised. Ash then took his turn to hold her and, once again, that smile shone through and even a small giggle escaped while she was in her father's arms. Ash laughed at the small sound and let Andrea pull his hair, ignoring any sort of pain she might have been inflicting.

"Thanks so much, Delia. We really needed that break" I said gratefully.

"Oh sweetie, you know it's no problem at all. Look at him" Delia sighed, her eyes fixed on her son. "I can't believe he's standing there holding his daughter. You know Misty, there was a time when he wouldn't be able to even hold a baby, let alone make one so happy."

"I know" I replied. Ash had matured a lot through all this and the sight of Andrea giggling in his arms warmed my heart and dissolved the worries that constantly plagued my mind.

Delia left half an hour later and I set about changing Andrea and taking every moment to make her smile. She was even more beautiful when she smiled, she exuded sunshine with one tiny grin and I fell more in love with her every moment I was with her. How could anyone not? Wait, I better take that back. Mom was an exceptional example of not loving her at all.

The day drifted into the evening in no time. Andrea went down for her night's sleep at 6.30, a little earlier than usual but no biggie, and I collapsed on the couch while Ash made hot dogs. Yeah, he was cooking. Well, sort of. Heating up frankfurters and placing them in tomato sauce covered buns counted for cooking, didn't it? Either way he was making some sort of dinner, which was something I hadn't even thought of all day.

"Voila, hot dogs a la Ash Ketchum" he announced with a grin as he sat down beside me with two plates. I was suddenly famished and grabbed one off him, promptly taking a huge bite out of the simple meal. "Man, I guess I really didn't have a reason to be worried about your eating habits" Ash commented lightly.

"I told you so" I mumbled with my mouth full. I gulped the mouthful down and decided to act a little more dignified. "Sorry. I didn't realise I was so hungry."

"Don't be sorry" Ash shrugged. He emphasised this by taking an even bigger chomp out of his but, of course, this was nothing but the norm for him. I was about ready to devour another bite of the quite good hot dog when naturally the phone had to interrupt me.

"Goddamn" I muttered, standing up and walking towards the kitchen where the phone was situated. "Hello?" I answered politely. I betrayed any sort of frustration I felt at having my dinner interrupted but the frustration quickly evaporated when the caller identified himself.

"Hi Misty. You're not having dinner or anything, are you?"

"Dad! Hi, no I'm not having dinner" I lied. Let my hot dog get cold, my father was on the phone.

"Oh good. How are things with you?"

"Great, everything's fine. We're all good, Andie and Ash are fine, I'm fine, it's cold though" I laughed slightly. "How are you?"

"I couldn't be better" Dad replied. I heard it in his voice too. Since leaving Mom, he was happy with freedom and it showed in everything he did. Why on earth had I been so worried about them splitting? It was probably close to the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Well that's what I like to hear" I smiled.

"I'm not gonna hold you up peachpie, I know you're busy, I just thought I'd ask you something."

"Go for it."

"I'm thinking of taking a trip up there to see you all. How would you feel about that? I don't want to get in your way or anything."

The moment he spoke those words I, for some reason I can't explain and wish I could, found myself scrambling for a lie. I was going to lie to him? Why? Why didn't I want him coming up to see us? I loved him so much, he was the only member of my family who had stuck by me, and here I was, thinking up excuses to keep him away. What perfect timing, Ash decided to walk into the kitchen at this point.

"Uh, Dad, now's probably not a good time. Andrea…she's been, um, just a little restless lately. I want to keep everything low-key around here for a while." Now okay, that last sentence wasn't entirely false. I did want things to be quiet for just a while longer. I don't know why I wanted it that way, maybe I was just catching up for the months where everything was hectic and full-on. We had wanted peace for so long and visitors, no matter how much we loved them, might've been a bit much for us.

Ash raised an eyebrow at me when he heard my pitiful lie and then proceeded to shrug without explanation. I gave him a warning look, I didn't need him distracting me, and turned back to my father on the phone.

"I'm sorry Dad, we were just so frantic the months before Andie was born, I think we still need a bit of time to chill out."

"No that's fine, I totally understand. Trust me, I know what those horrible months were like, your mother was the reason for most of them" he reminded me. I laughed in relief. He didn't sound upset, he sounded more understanding than anything else.

"You'll definitely be staying with us soon enough, I promise Daddy. Andrea started smiling today, it's a sight you have to see. She gets more beautiful every day" I told him.

"I didn't think that was possible, she was gorgeous when I saw her. Misty it's okay, it was just a suggestion and I had a suspicion the two of you might be burnt out enough already. A baby is demanding, isn't it?" Dad said wisely.

"God yeah" I groaned. "I knew it was hard work but I didn't realise it was this much hard work. She drains me a lot but I love her and she's got a routine so it's not too bad."

"Okay, well look after yourselves and that stunning daughter of yours" Dad said.

"I'll give you a call as soon as we can get you up here, I promise. Who knows, we might even come down there and see you" I suggested.

"Either way Misty, you know anything suits me."

"Okay. Love you Daddy" I said, guilt invading my system. I really did want him up here, but I was so tired all the time. I probably wouldn't be much company.

"Love you too. Take care" Dad said worriedly.

"You too, bye." I hung up and eyed Ash's inquisitive form. "Dad wanted to come and see us. I said no" I told him flatly.

"What? Why?" Ash almost spluttered in disbelief.

"Because I just want some time to chill out. I know it's been a while since everything happened but I'm still feeling the aftershocks of it. I want Andie to settle down a bit more, she still gets a bit restless" I explained.

"Well fair enough, I don't want you tiring yourself out" Ash said. I rubbed my temples in confusion. Maybe I should've just let Dad come up anyways. I missed him heaps, and he was so good about everything and - shock horror - he actually approved of Ash. Unlike a certain other parent I won't mention…

By the time I went to bed I had thought it through and through. Dad couldn't come up until I felt a bit more settled with myself and my still new surroundings. I loved my life but I didn't want to do anything in the slightest to jeopardise it. What if Mom found out Dad was visiting and got all huffy? I definitely didn't want that.

"Don't worry about it" Ash said softly as he held me close in the dark at about 11 o'clock. "He still loves you and he'll visit us soon enough. I know how you feel, I'm exhausted every day." I nodded and smiled at him, believed him in everything he said.

We were happy. We were safe. I didn't want anything else from life and I didn't think we deserved anything less than those simple traits.

A/N: Okay, I wrote that kinda quickly. Just sat there and typed, lol. Well I've said this in my bio, but both me and Geo would like to say a massive thank you for the reviews this early on - fourteen for just the prologue! We were honestly blown away, so thanks a lot (if you want more thanks just check out my bio!) and more to come soon!