The Pocus Towne Tavern was as lively a place as Addison had ever been to. Though it was more of a casual place than most of the other places they could have met her Aunt Caitlin, she found herself enjoying the upbeat nature of the establishment. There were singing servers and bartenders playfully tossed about mugs of beer and shots of various drinks with such little effort that she could easily believe they had been a part of the circus at some point. Every now and then, the patrons would break off into a rowdy and raucous drinking song that everyone would clap along to. Though she knew it would be more enjoyable when she could partake herself, she was content to drink her soda and sample the appetizers her mother and aunt ordered while the two sisters sang along to the songs and drank glass after glass of wine.
Finally, after the two slipped and landed hard on a table to the uproarious applause of the other patrons, Caitlin brought her sister back to the table and made sure the two of them would be done drinking for the night. When the waitress came by to refill them, she covered their glasses. "No can do. Just give us some Soda Pop like my angel of a niece over here."
Caitlin, despite coming from the same bloodline, did not gain the immeasurable beauty of her sister or her sister's daughter. She was quite a lovely girl, but she was also shorter and a touch on the stockier side. But she made up for that with plenty of personality and spunk that made the men flock to her just as much as they ordinarily would her sister. She had short, chestnut-colored hair like her niece, but also had bright pink cheeks and a a sleek pair of glasses that had affectionately earned her a unique nickname in the Lilycove Library: the Hot Librarian.
Addison laughed. "You two are good at that."
"Making asses of ourselves?" her aunt joked. "Yeah, I'd say your mother and I are good at that."
Deidre rolled her eyes. "I think she meant to say dancing, sis."
"It can count for both" Addison giggled.
"There you go" Deidre spat out before her head crashed hard into the plate of appetizers they had ordered.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Caitlin asked as she made to check for a pulse in her wrist.
"She usually does that for a few minutes when she drinks" Addison explained. "Just let her be and she'll spring up in a minute."
Caitlin spun around the ice in her otherwise empty glass as she tried to keep herself from sharing the same fate as her sister. "So, tell me Addy Pie."
"Do you really have to call me that?"
"No matter how old you get" Caitlin grinned, "you will always be my Addy Pie. Remember that! Anyway, tell me. How is this special boy of yours? The Champion of Arcana?"
Addison shrugged. "He's doing good. He was acquitted of those crimes Claude's men accused him of. And now, we're just hoping to get things back to normal somehow."
Though Addison had tried to hide her woes to her Aunt, Caitlin saw right through the ruse. "So if things are going so well for you, why are you here and not at Jon and Annie's wedding?"
"Because I wanted to see you" Addison insisted. "Besides, he has plenty of cousins. If I miss one wedding, it can't be the end of the world." Addison frowned a bit as she thought of how she had simply abandoned him to take on the wedding by himself, but did her best to once more keep this inside. "I mean, there's only one Aunt Cailtin in the world."
"That is true" her Aunt giggled. "But you would have been able to see me anytime over the next few days. After all, I'm staying for the week. I'm gonna help you two move back in to your homes then they get the approval from their inspections." She eyed her niece and realized exactly what it was. "So, just because you and he are doing well, that doesn't mean that you and he are doing well, if you catch my drift."
Addison, though not interested in bringing this up to yet another person, decided she had no other choice. "We...we aren't in the best shape, if I'm being honest. I mean, I love him. I really, really do. And at the same time, I can't help but fear something is going to happen to him."
"How so?"
"He's been going through a lot of things" Addison explained. "All this while, we haven't really gone back to iron out how we feel about each other. He's losing it and I'm afraid that when he falls apart, that I would dive into after him. And now-"
Her Aunt waved her off. "Let me first get this in, Addy."
"What in?"
"If you really love someone" Caitlin went on, "when they're falling and sliding, you jump right in after them and pull them back out. And if you can't, you go in with them."
"That doesn't make a whole lot of sense" Addison answered.
"Are we talking about the same boy who let Mewtwo brand him because he couldn't fight you anymore? The one who fought his own brother to save your life? The one who has worshipped the ground you walk on your entire relationship?"
Addison blushed a bit. "Longer than that."
"You've got a keeper there" her aunt told her. "He seems to be the one who would take my advice. He's done everything to show you how he feels. If I were you, I'd be less afraid of how he's struggling in a bad mental place and losing him that way and be more afraid of losing him in another way."
Addison laughed. "Come on. Ryan would never-"
"Ah ah ah" Caitlin interrupted. "Your mother was sure that she and her own first love were going to marry for the longest time. And you're proof that those feelings didn't make it in the end." She put her hand on top of her niece's. "Addy, boys like that do not stay unclaimed for long. And what do you think is going to happen the longer you keep him at a distance? If you don't make a move for him, someone else will, and you're going to regret it every day for the rest of your life."
"Regret?" Deidre spat out as she drunkenly rose from sleeping in her plate of cheese sticks and spicy wings. "I regret drinking all of those shots."
Caitlin sighed. "Come on, Dee. I'll get you to the toilet." She took her sister's hand and led her away towards the Tavern restrooms.
Addison was left to reflect on what her Aunt had said. There's no way that I could lose Ryan like that. I mean, he said it himself. I'm to him what Julia is to Michael. There isn't a prayer in the Realm of Arceus that he would choose someone else. Knowing she was right, Addison decided to pay attention to what was on the TV just above their table. The channel was airing ArcNet's coverage of what was being dubbed the Great Regal Wedding at Kingston Castle. She watched as the camera panned up and around to Kingston Castle, as hundreds of people and countless limousines began to pour into the Outer Walls of the Castle. Dylan and Amber would be hosting this, with Corey and Morgan Augustine showing the close up shots of those who were arriving for the wedding.
"This is an extraordinary event in all of Arcana, Dylan" Amber exclaimed. "Hundreds upon hundreds of Arcana's most famous people are going to be here to celebrate the marriage of Jon Kingston to his longtime fiancé Annie Tress and the ultimate union between two of the Thirteen Families in Arcana. There hasn't been this big of a celebration since the last Wedding Anniversary party of Lady Bonnie and James Kingston."
"That's right, Amber" Dylan grinned. "And we'll get to see some of the finest and most beloved of all of Arcana come out in their glitz and glamour to celebrate one spectacular night. In fact, one of our very own is going to be there directly in the spotlight, won't she?"
"Yes she will. Hopefully Jasmine has a good time."
"We now go live to the Outer Gates of Kingston Castle to Morgan and Corey as they get to see the first of the Limousines reveal the Groom and his family. Oh, Morgan?"
The camera shifted to Morgan, who stood at the gates of Kingston Castle, in her own gown to enjoy her time at the wedding. "That's right, Dylan. The Groom and his family have arrived. The Kingstons will be coming out in the next four limos, including Jon and his immediate family, Virbank Studios starlet Katrina, Lord Michael and Lady Julia, and of course, the Champion Ryan." She ensured that Corey got the best camera shots of Jon getting out of the limousine. Jon escorted his mother Joy, already bawling her eyes out at the idea of her son marrying. He waved to the camera and the celebrators who had gathered outside of the Castle before making it straight for the chapel. The Minister of the Wedding, Byron Kingston made his way in, escorting their daughter and Jon's sister Madeline next, with the limo carrying them moving on to bring in the next one. The second limousine sped up and it's doors opened to usher in the next batch of Kingstons, including Lady Erin and Anthony, Victoria and Greg, Jeice and Shannon, and walking without escorts of their own, Renee and Cameron. The third brought with them Alison and Robert (with Alison holding the fidgeting flower girl in Kayleigh), Doug and Janine, and James Junior and his wife Lauren. The fourth came in right afterwards, bringing in Jenna and her escort in her boyfriend Joshua, Billy escorting a strange looking redhead who was revealed to be Olivia Novren, the glamorous Katrina Jackson and her husband Carson, the shy yet adorable grouping of Arya Kingston and Olivia's son Michael, and last but not least, Michael and Julia, with the latter carrying their son James.
"And now we've come to the fifth and final limousine carrying Kingstons and the first of the Tress Family" Morgan exclaimed,
Addison nodded. Here it comes.
The limo slowly pulled to a stop and the doors opened. Tommy led the way, with Annie's adorable niece Sara holding the boy's hand. Though Tommy looked absolutely miserable to be taking part, he nevertheless followed the procession as he realized how far Michael and Julia were ahead of them. Lucas and Dawn exited next, with Addison having to admit to herself that the two did make quite the cute couple. Though Dawn was the one wearing makeup, Lucas's face was the one that showed the most color as they followed Tommy and Sara down the aisle. Matthew leaped out of the limo and gently took the hand of a gorgeously dressed Jasmine Augustine.
"Aw, there she is" Morgan cooed. "She's looking so beautiful. Rock that outfit, Jasmine!"
Finally, Ryan stepped out of the limo, at first on his own, but was soon followed by one of the last people Addison hoped Ryan would have chosen to bring as a date to the wedding.
Apparently, even Dylan and Amber were perplexed. "Uh, Morgan? Isn't Ryan supposed to be here with Addison?"
"What are he and Holly doing together like this?"
"Addison was unable to make it to the event tonight" Morgan explained. She raced over to Ryan and Holly to interview them as the couple stepped out, arm in arm. "Ryan! Holly! Quick questions. The two of you chose to go to this wedding together. Why is that?"
"Neither of us could be here with the person we wanted to" Ryan explained, "thanks to Jeremy being trapped on Mirage Island and Addison being unable to attend, so we figured we'd go to keep the other's spirits up."
Addison stared blankly at the television as the interview continued.
Holly seemed to be tightly wrapping her arm around Ryan's, causing Addison to begin to seethe on the other side of the television. "And after all, it wouldn't be prudent of two of Arcana's highest profile young stars to go to such a wedding on their own, now would it?"
"So there's nothing the rest of Arcana should know about?" Morgan teased.
"Not unless we find out Jeremy is really relaxing on a beach in Alola" Ryan joked, before he took Holly's hand and led her in after his brother and Jasmine.
Addison, who had been holding her glass containing soda pop, didn't even notice that the glass had shattered in her hands from squeezing it too tightly. As soda got all over her hand and the the glass fell to the ground before her, Addison continued to stare at the TV as Morgan followed into the Castle in order to give a commentary of the wedding itself.
Addy, boys like that do not stay unclaimed for long. And what do you think is going to happen the longer you keep him at a distance? If you don't make a move for him, someone else will, and you're going to regret it every day for the rest of your life.
Apparently, Holly wasn't as "over" Ryan as she said she had been. And even after the waitress sent a bus boy to clean up the mess and her Aunt and mother returned, Addison could continue to stare at the TV, the image of her apparent best friend and the love of her life going to the biggest ball Arcana had seen in 20 years arm in arm haunting her for the rest of the night.
{}
Surrounded by nothing but pomp and circumstance the likes of which he had never been privy to in his life, Ryan knew he was not going to remember a thing about the more rigid and traditional wedding ceremony Jon and Annie had in the Chapel, as it more or less closely followed the roots of Michael and Julia's from two years earlier. It dragged on for a bit, with both of Annie and Jon's vows being taken from an old medieval Arcanan History Book that was written in ancient text that took time to be scribed, but it was about as normal a ceremony as it could be. Beyond that, the wedding of Arcana's newest wedded power couple was one of the zaniest and wildest parties Ryan had ever participated in. There was endless trays of food being brought out, with juggling fools and bands performing music from the medieval times and all the way to more modern rock and pop songs. This would no doubt go down in history as the most fun and bouncy party he had ever sat in for.
Actually, he did barely any sitting.
It turns out, it was customary for the most important male members of both the Bride and Groom's family to have a dance with the bride. Once Jon and Annie had danced together, with he in his coal black tuxedo and her in her fluffy cloud-like gown, her father Wendell Tress joined in a Father-Daughter dance. This was followed by Annie's Grandfather on her mother's side before Michael and Ryan were urged to take their parts next. Fortunately, once Michael had stepped onto the ballroom floor, so too did all of the partygoers. Everyone gathered into a ring around Michael and Annie as they danced and clapped along to the more bouncy and playful song, with Annie beaming and laughing as they went along with the dancing.
Without warning, Ryan received a playful shove forward from Julia and took the place of Michael as the bride's dancing partner. The two spun around, with Ryan desperately trying to keep his feet up with the more experienced dancer in Annie.
The bride, however, took no notice of this and simply laughed alongside him. "You're quite the dancer, Ryan. No wonder all the girls adore you."
Ryan shrugged. "Guess I get that from my Mom's side."
Annie laughed. "Fantastic!"
The two came apart and thus, did the ballroom open to the others to dance. Before Ryan could get a moment to rest, he was whisked into another dance, this time with Annie's sister Alana, whom had been the Bride's matron of honor. His feet were beginning to tire, but he knew he would be in for a long night of dancing as he was playfully tossed from Alana to little Sara Tress and then to Jeremy's older sister Emily Lockhart, both of the Augustine Twins, a distant cousin of Annette's, his own mother and the excitable Arya, who had been screaming about dancing with "Wywy" since she spotted him on the dance floor.
"Arry dance!" his niece shouted.
Ryan spun her around playfully as his cousin's daughter cried in delight. "You enjoying your first wedding, Arya?"
"Wywy swing Arry!"
Ryan held the girl in his hands as he spun around one last time, before he finally became dizzy and lowered her towards his chest. "Have you had enough?"
"Oh, I think she has" Julia giggled as she had took her daughter and handed her over to Michael before she took her own turn to dance with the Champion of Arcana. She curtsied before him before she offered the boy her hand. "Don't worry, Ryan. I won't have you swing me."
"Thank Arceus" Ryan exhaled, before bowing and taking her hand. After all of the wild moves and spinning he had been doing, he and his cousin's wife began a much more tame and slower dance, thanks to a softer and more gentle song was being played on the stereo system.
"Michael is impressed with you" Julia told him as they moved back and forth with the slow tempo of the song.
"What did I do?"
"Everything you've done since the ceremony began" she answered. "All of the dancing, the politeness. You've made the both of us proud of you, sweetie. Not that that was much of a challenge, considering how fond of you we both are."
"Well, I figured it would be expected of me."
She smiled down at him. "No, I have a feeling not much was expected today. But you've overachieved, even if it was." As the dance came to an end and the two came apart, she bent Ryan's head down and kissed him on the the crown of his head. "Keep up the good work, Ry. We're all rooting for you." As she departed, Ryan was at first relieved that no one was being put upon him as his next dancing partner. But it soon became clear that it was awkward for him to be the lone guy on the dance floor by himself and decided to find a partner. It didn't take long for him to find a familiar blue-haired maiden as she herself also looked for a partner.
"Well, well" Ryan grinned. "Look who's here."
"Guess I'll have to see just how versed a Champion is on the dance floor" Dawn winked as the two came together. He expected himself to have to be the gentleman in their dance, and did his best to follow through with his ballroom dancing training he did with Addison. He bowed as he had to many of his other dance partners, and took Dawn's hand in preparation for their time on the dance floor.
To his surprise, Dawn not only took the lead in their dance, but she was utterly dominating the floor. He could barely keep up with her as the two spun each other around along with the quick tempo music. Wanting to show off just a bit of what he had learned from being Addison's partner for her Pokémon Contests, he bent Dawn down on the floor. To his astonishment, she lifted her leg to show off her poise and dexterity.
"Gotta say, I'm impressed."
"Mom was a Contest superstar in Sinnoh before I was born" she explained as the two continued a more slower and traditional dance. "I have the blood of a Contest Queen in me. I just chose the art of the battle." As the tempo began to pick up, Dawn eyed Ryan with a wry look and pulled him into another frantic and frenzied technique until Ryan had to toss his friend in the air just to get a moment away from her. As Dawn let out a cheer from the move's success, many around them paused to look and clapped politely. Ryan finally brought her down and two bowed and curtsied to the other.
"I see you have some moves of your own outside of battle" Dawn winked.
Ryan was about to respond, when he saw both Holly and Lucas coming apart from their own dance, both making quick but subtle glances their way. He bobbed his head towards them. "It would seem our dates would like to claim us back."
"Oh really?" Dawn giggled. "Maybe it's time we got to see if they have two left feet or not."
Ryan already knew the answer to his own. Dancing was the one spot in the Contests where Holly had Addison beat. The two were either even or Addison slightly edged her out in other levels. Nevertheless, as Ryan could get the sense in the air that a slower and more romantic song was coming on, he knew it would be smarter for them to be with their dates instead of with each other. Arm in arm, he and Dawn made their way over to Lucas and Holly, who both came apart and waved nervously at their dates.
"Having fun?" Holly asked the duo. "I know I am."
"Who would have thought that something so rigid and formal would be so fun?" Lucas remarked.
Dawn winked at him. "It's only getting started. Time for me to show you a Sinnoh Star's moves." She took her beaming friend's hand and the two vanished onto the dance floor.
Ryan then turned to Holly. "Well, here we are again."
"Here we are again" Holly echoed. She let out a sigh of both reminiscing and sorrow. "Who would have guessed things would come full circle?"
"Hmm?"
She shook her head. "We'll talk later. Let's let our feet do some of the talking." She brought herself to Ryan's side and the two began their dance as the orchestra began to play.
Ryan and Holly soon found themselves surrounded by dancing couples. Though they had lost sight of Dawn and Lucas, there were still plenty of dancers they did recognize. Annie's sister Alana was trying hard to get Billy to notice her, but he simply went through the motions of their dance. Jenna and her boyfriend, Matthew and Jasmine, Victoria and Greg, Katrina and Carson, Michael and Julia, and of course the Bride and Groom, were all on the dance floor and enjoying the slower and more melodic tones of this new piece being played.
A part of him felt that, despite all of the nerves and worry he was enduring, this was right. All that was going on in the world. After all, here he was with one of his closest friends in the world, both intent on keeping the other as cheery and optimistic as it could be. Two who had become much closer than they used to be since the War began. Two who genuinely needed the other. Holly had steered him through some of the darkest moments of the last few weeks and he had been the shoulder for her to cry on since Jeremy was taken from her.
But there was another part of him telling him that this was wrong. There was no rhyme of reason for him or Holly to think the other could replace their absent love. He didn't even know if Holly was feeling the same way he was. What if she was just thinking this was them reaffirming their years of friendship and not potentially having feelings for the other? Would he make an already tense and nervous situation with Addison even worse? And what about Jeremy? His whole world revolved around wanting to be with Holly. And coming from his own humble beginnings, would that world not fall apart if Holly and Ryan were too...
DON'T BE RIDICULOUS! Ryan shouted in his head. We're just cheering each other up!
The two moved side to side, swaying like the currents of the ocean. Despite not being able to sense the thoughts of the other, they could not disconnect their eyes. It was as if they were so ensconced in their dance, nothing else around them seemed to matter.
"Who would have guessed it?" Holly smiled. "After all we've been through and all the things we've done, we'd be right back where it all started. Right here, on this very floor at the Queen's Ball."
Ryan nodded. "Back when I was just that annoying friend of yours from down the block?"
Holly laughed. "Of course not! I mean, part of me always liked you. But until we were here on this dance floor, it felt too weird for me, if you know what I mean. It'd be like if I was dancing with my brother. Once we were out here, and we both got to see each other in our element, I think it all clicked for me."
"What a journey it was" Ryan recalled. "With all the craziness that's been going on, it's nice to have a memory to a time when the worst thing we had to worry about was taking part in a Gym Battle or winning a Contest." He lowered his eyes. "I wish things could be that easy again, but I guess that's just wishful thinking at this point."
"Not necessarily. I mean, things are simple now, right?"
"I suppose so."
"And there's nothing we'd want to do to make things harder on us, is there?"
"Not on my mind."
"So, I see no reason why things can't be the way they were" she said optimistically. The two continued their dance as the song reached it's emotional climax. The friends looked towards their fellow dance partners, their eyes widening in embarrassment and emotional worry. It began with Jon and Annie taking each other into their arms and kissing, to the applause of their friends and loved ones. Jenna and her boyfriend followed in suit. Greg bent his own wife down and planted a kiss on her. Julia took the initiative and spun her husband around on the floor and kissed him. Matthew smartly took Jasmine off of the dance floor to avoid making an ass of himself by being compelled to kiss his date. When Katrina performed one of her patented "leading lady" kisses on her husband, Ryan knew it was time for him to get himself and Holly off the floor as soon as possible.
"I think we need some fresh air" he nervously sputtered. "How bout you?"
Doing her best not to look at the unashamed romance around them, Holly nodded in agreement, though the two lingered around for a moment to see if anything would happen with Dawn and Lucas. But the two had followed in Matthew and Jasmine's footsteps and moved over to their table with Cynthia and the trio was talking as Lucas seemed to be wiping an ocean of sweat off of his brow. Ryan and Holly moved from the Ballroom and towards the antechamber for a moment's peace, but found Tommy being peppered with questions from little Sara Tress, who was no doubt in the middle of her first crush. They moved from the antechamber out to the gardens that sat on the side of the castle.
The skies were a royal shade of blue above them, with uncounted numbers of stars twinkling in the heavens. The only sounds besides the occasional booming coming from the castle walls and the loudspeakers playing music came from the water fountains in the garden and the occasional sounds of chirping Kricketunes in the night. Neither Ryan nor Holly found the right words to say to the other, simply choosing to walk together in silence and enjoying the late night atmosphere. The two came to a stop on a wooden bridge that looked over a small brook of water that flowed into the various ponds and fountains on the luxurious Kingston property. The two stood side by side, looking into the dark water below.
"I meant what I said, Holly" Ryan finally spoke up. "When we were at my Dad's before the trial."
Holly eyed him curiously. "You mean when you said you were happy it was just the two of us?"
Ryan cleared his throat nervously. "Well, that. And also, well, because I do love you. I really do."
Holly smiled faintly. "I-well, you know me. It's the same on my end."
"With all this chaos that's been going on for the last several months" he continued, "you've been the only constant thing in my life." He rested his upper body on the railing. "Kayleigh already picked which of her brothers she likes more. Dawn and Lucas have been getting so close lately that I feel like a third wheel with them. And...with all that's been going on...Addy and I...we're-"
Holly nodded. "I know what you mean." She inched closer to him as they both leaned on the railing. "Jeremy being gone has thrown me for such a loop. Addison and I have been best girlfriends since we were all little kids, but I only feel like I can talk about how lonely I am with you. Because you understand it." She let out a mournful sigh. "I really thought she would have come around by now for you. The same as I thought that we would know something about Jeremy. But I guess it was just foolish optimism to think that."
"I don't think it was foolish" Ryan responded. "Yeah, it stings that we can't be with the people we want to be, but...I don't know...maybe these things are happening for a reason?" He tried to come up with the right words to tell her. "I mean, everything I've tried to get Addy and I back to where we were before the World Tournament has ended in failure. She didn't even try to get out of seeing her Aunt today. She just said it was something she had to do." He chuckled sadly. "At least we know Jeremy is somewhere on Mirage Island dreaming about you."
"That's the only comfort I have" Holly admitted. "In my dreams. Where there isn't such darkness surrounding us."
"I don't even have that luxury."
"Well, what was the last thing you dreamed about?"
"That's the hard part to explain..."
"Come on, I'm sure it's not that bad. Don't tell me it was that bad dream from before-"
"I dreamed about you" Ryan admitted.
Holly's face went red. "Oh. I see."
The two stood in silence for a long moment, until they heard the songs inside the ballroom changing. Holly and Ryan were now only separated by less than an inch. Neither had the courage to look the other in the eyes as they knew the words that they would need to speak. Ryan scratched the back of his head and Holly giggled nervously. Ryan noticed, in the skies above them, what he thought was a shooting star fly just overhead. All of this seems too perfect...maybe...
Finally, Holly broke the silence. "Ryan? Are things...okay between us?"
Ryan scratched the back of his head. "I wish I knew. One minute, I'm hoping Addy and Jeremy run over to us to check on why we were feeling so down. The next minute...I think we're the only people who can cheer the other up."
"Almost like this is something we're supposed to be feeling?"
"Ye-yeah."
"I don't want to forget about Jeremy" Holly admitted. "He did something for me that got me out of one of my otherwise darker moments. He got me-got me to stop...you know...liking you the way I used to. But with him not here..."
"And with Addy being so distant...do you think...?"
"Only one way to find out" she said as she put her hand on top of his. The two moved towards one another, until their lips met for the first time. Ryan thought his heart leaped out of his chest for a moment and could feel his friend shaking in his arms. When the two came apart, they were both slightly red in the face, but Ryan more so than Holly. If anything, the look Holly was wearing was one not of admiration or acquired emotion, but of satisfaction and a sense of being content with her world. She nodded to herself.
"I did it."
"You did what?"
"I passed the test" Holly explained, lightly giggling. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to kiss you. To be the one who got your love the way Addy does." She folded her hands and beamed. "But finally getting to do so now, under all of this pressure of returning feelings and an unknown future, makes me only want Jeremy more than I ever have before. He truly is the one for me."
Ryan shrugged. "You could have just said I was a bad kisser."
Holly burst into laughter. "Of course not!" She held her friend's hand for a moment. "That was something I will never forget, Ryan. But I know now, where my heart belongs. Maybe I always have. I always used to dream of being the Queensbury that finally marries a Kingston, but I know my future. And if it isn't with Jeremy Lockhart by my side, it's in whatever hellscape Mewtwo has in store for us." She took Ryan's face in her hands. "But know this. I will always care about you. You're one of my best friends in the whole world. And I still love you." Not waiting for another word, Holly pulled Ryan into another kiss. And though this one was perhaps more passionate than their first one from her end, he knew he agreed with her. When they pulled apart, she had a bright smile on her face until she realized what she might have just done. "Oh no. I didn't just flip the script, did I?"
Ryan shook his head. "No. I think-you opened my eyes again, Holly. If I haven't been able to win Addy back, I just have to try harder. And I have you to thank, Holly."
Holly smiled. "And don't worry. If you don't want her to, we won't tell Addy we did this."
Ryan sighed. "I don't want any secrets. I think we should tell her."
"You should" Holly winked. "I'm going to be on the next flight to Kalos before she can catch me!" The two laughed on the bridge and stood arm in arm, their friendship not only solidified, but strengthened despite the line now permanently dividing them as simply close friends and never more as lovers.
{}
The wedding was finally beginning to die down inside the ballroom and halls of Kingston Castle. Some remained on the dancefloor, but it was generally just the close family and friends of the Bride and Groom. Jon and Annie sat at their special table designated for them, arm in arm and humming along to the song they had danced to upon entering the ballroom. Katrina and her husband Carson were on the dance floor, so completely enamored with the other that they wouldn't even stop when the songs were changing. Michael and Julia were talking with a distant cousin Olivia at a table, with Michael and Olivia cracking jokes at the expense of someone named "Big Betsy". And both Robert and Alison were sitting beside one another, content to simply be in the presence of the other.
Matthew and Jasmine were at their own table now, with Ryan and Holly having disappeared some time earlier and Tommy desperately trying to squirm out of the grasp of his deeply enamored partner in Sara Tress. After a night of dancing, eating, conversing and laughter that kept their minds off of the agreement they had made, the two now sat together in silence as the music played around them. Jasmine's face wore a smile, a good sign for Matthew. It wasn't wide to show that she was as enamored with him as she had been before, but it was enough to show that perhaps Matthew had earned a second chance. The two were watching as her sister danced with the late arrival to the wedding in her own suitor in Ethan Clarke.
"Morgan is going to have her fill to catch up on all the dancing we got up to" his date laughed. "I mean, I lost count after I danced with your friend from Sinnoh."
"You mean Lucas?" Matthew smirked. "He's Ryan's friend. We tolerate each other."
Jasmine giggled. "Oh stop it. You aren't the big hard-shelled one people said you could be, Matt. I have to say that I am very impressed with you today." She turned to face him. "I mean, you've done it all today. Been a gentleman and introducing me to all of your family and friends, dancing with people besides me and just having fun for yourself. You deserve it, Matt. After all we both have been through to get to this day, it's nice to see that we can enjoy something beyond what we had before."
Matthew nodded. "Oh, I know what you mean. I used to dread weddings like this, but I can't say I've had more fun at an event like this in my life." He raised a champagne glass to Jasmine. "To a night well spent."
"To a night well spent" Jasmine echoed, both tapping their glasses together and drinking. Despite a casual look of concerned parent coming from his father, Matthew waved him down and mouthed the words: "it's only one." This placated Robert, who went back to talking to his wife.
Matthew looked to Jasmine, but found his smile fading a bit. "Here it comes..."
"Here what comes?"
"But" Matthew said.
Jasmine imitated his frown. "We couldn't delay it, Matt. No matter how much we may want to." She grasped his hand for a moment. "Matt, I am truly impressed with who you showed me you were tonight. A gentleman, a truly noble young man and someone I know will make Lord and Lady Kingston as proud as Ryan has someday. All those fears I had of you being a monster were unfounded. I look forward to seeing how you keep this up. But, as your friend." She let go of his hand.
"Did I do something wrong?" Matthew gulped.
Jasmine gave him a pitying smile. "Oh, Matt. You didn't mean to. I know you didn't."
"What was it? I can correct it, if you want."
"It makes me feel a bit better knowing you would want to" she continued. "But this isn't something I think you have the power to correct." She rose to her feet and gestured for him to do the same. Once he was up, she went about fixing up his jacket and the rose in his breast pocket. "I can see it in your eyes. You're trying so hard to think of me. And it's so sweet knowing you want to try that much. But, I can't be her to you."
"Who?"
She put her hand on his cheek. "I'm going to be a woman one day, Matt. The same way you're going to become a man. It's not fair for two people to be in a relationship when one of them is longing for someone else. I wouldn't want to put someone through that if I still felt something for you. And knowing who you are becoming, I don't think you'd want to do that to me."
"I would never try to do that" Matthew assured her. "Jasmine, I'm-"
She put her hand to his mouth to quiet him and politely shook her head. "Matt, I can't be the girl for you if you're still in love with Addison. You may not have said her name tonight, but I know she was on your mind. Almost as much as I know she was on your brother's mind tonight, too. You're stuck on her the way I was to you. And until you can learn to let her go, I can't see a future for us beyond being just friends." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "I want to thank you for a wonderful night. And to tell you that there's a girl out there for you. One that I know you will find and fall for. Let's just hope that by the time you two meet, we can both be free from the spells of the people we're in love with." With that singular rejection, Jasmine departed from the ballroom and left Matthew staring blankly at where she had been standing.
Still in love with Addison? How can I control who I care about? But no matter how much he wished do deny it and run after Jasmine, he kept his feet planted there on the floor. Because deep down, she was absolutely right. Deep down, he knew this would be the most difficult hurdle for him to get over. It was at the core of his conflict with his brother and what drove him to want to become a strong Pokémon Trainer to begin with. It had caused him to join up with the Syndicate and commit truly reprehensible and unforgivable acts to someone he claimed to love. And yet, every time she looked his way or spoke to him, he felt himself dizzy and lightheaded. No matter how much evil he had once done, he still loved her and prayed to one day be able to make her forgive him. If he could finally get the fair Addison out of his head, he might be able to move on with his life. But it was proving to be a task far easier said than done. She was in the shadows of every thought he had and in every dream he endured at the end of each day.
Somehow, he needed to put her aside. To show himself and those who still may have their doubts about him that what Jocelyn had taught him was truly making him a better person. That he wouldn't go down the same path if he was spurned the affection of the girl of his dreams again. It would be in a moment like this, where he was in his doubts, that he would turn to the only person in the world who ever kept faith in him. But Jocelyn was still on Mirage Island. Waiting for him to come back to her.
I promise, Jocelyn. I haven't forgotten about you. I will come back for you. You're just as much family to me as Ryan and Kayleigh are. Just...give me a little more time. He knew she would be proud of him and how he had progressed without her. But until he heard it from her, he wouldn't be able to move on. And, as it would have to be with Jasmine, it was just not meant to be right now that he could get what he wanted. Maybe someday, but not now when he needed it.
He sighed and sat back down, putting his hands on his head and began to mope. To his surprise, someone stood behind him and patted him on the shoulder.
"You can't win them all, son" Robert told his son.
"She said she just wants to be friends" Matthew repeated.
"I think you can benefit from this" his father replied. "Maybe not in a way that feels good now, but one day in the future. It was the right thing to do after what you and she went through a few years back."
"I know it was right. I just wish it didn't have to hurt."
His father gave him another reencouraging pat on the back. "Think of it this way, Matt. Now that you've crossed Jasmine off your list of people to make up to, you'll have more time to focus on other things. You've got a family who loves you and needs you." He leaned in to whisper to his son. "Just do me and your mother a favor and keep the fighting with Ryan to a minimum. We don't want Kayleigh to get any of your bad habits."
Matthew chuckled. "My bad habits?"
"Your brother is just as complicit" Robert laughed.
{}
Julia nervously waited outside of the antechamber for the ballroom. She had warned Lady Erin not to press her son's buttons this evening. But once she got her moment to, she went in and began to pester her son about being allowed back to see her grandchildren. Not wanting to explode in front of guests, Michael brought his mother to the antechamber to talk, but Julia knew that her husband's fuse was low enough as it was with a woman with whom he has never had a truly easy relationship. Now that she was downright demanding things from him, it could only mean an apocalyptic showdown was imminent.
"This is why I told her she needed to keep her head down" Anthony spoke up as he made his way to Julia's side. "But Erin's a headcase. She always has to think she's right about things."
"It's been too quiet" Julia whispered to her husband's step-father. "I'm worried."
"You have every reason to, Jules" Big Mike pointed out as he approached the situation. "Those two being in a room together is basically asking for a powder keg to explode."
"I just can't imagine what could have driven that big of a wedge between a mother and her son" Anthony acknowledged.
"Let me put it this way" Erin's ex-husband told his replacement. "Of the four of us, my beloved daughter in-law included, you're the only one who hasn't really done much to make Michael the man he is today. We all did something to hurt him and he has every right to be angry with us. I just wish he would be willing to hash it all out so we can be a family again."
Julia blinked nervously at her father in-law. "You mean to tell me he's said you can't see James and Arya too?"
"No, but I don't like how Michael always feels like he has to do things without us. It's almost like he feels we aren't people he can depend on."
Anthony was about to converse further, but the trio suddenly silenced when the fuse they had been waiting to go off went off. Erin went absolutely ballistic on her son in the other room, no doubt setting herself up for receiving an equally brutal barrage back at her. "And exactly how long are you going to deprive Arya and James of the only grandmother they will ever know?!"
"How damn dense can you be?" Michael snarled. "You nearly lost my daughter to one of Claude's thugs and expect me to let you anywhere near her?!"
"How many apology baskets do we need to send?!"
"How about you send one that you actually mean and not cower behind Anthony?"
"You're unbelievable! You act as if I wanted Arya to be taken!"
"I'd say you were the unbelievable one, but this is basically how you've always been. And I will not endanger my daughter by putting her in the hands of someone I do not trust with her wellbeing! Now, unless you have something you need to say, get out of my way!"
"Oh, I have plenty I want to say!"
"I said need! Use your ears for once and LISTEN!"
The group quickly tried to disperse as the doors burst open. Erin stormed out of the room, her eye makeup smudged from tears. She glared at her ex-husband and Julia for a moment before running off to be on her own. Anthony did his best to follow her, leaving Big Mike and Julia to go in and check on Michael. He was seething, red-faced and shaking with anger after the feud with his mother had exploded into a loud and bombastic confrontation.
"Look, bud" Big Mike said sadly, "I know she can be a pain in the ass, but she's still your mother."
"Let me ask you something, Dad" Michael turned bitterly. "If something nearly happened to my daughter on your watch, would you apologize for it?"
"Profusely" his father insisted. "That little angel is everything to me. James too."
"And that is why you get to see Arya and she doesn't!" He then turned his attention towards Julia. "And did you hear that crap about being their only Grandmother? Trying to guilt us about what happened to your parents?!"
Julia sighed. "I'm sure she didn't mean for it to-"
"That's how she operates" Michael fumed. "That's how she's always done it. Trying to manipulate her way back into your life." He sat down in frustration. "Things would be so much easier if Aunt Jane were here."
Big Mike looked to Julia and sighed. "I'll see myself out."
Julia sat beside her husband as Big Mike closed the two in the antechamber. "Honey. I wish I could get these feelings away from you. And no one was more livid with your mother than I was when I found out. The only thing that kept me from banishing her was how apologetic Anthony was." She rubbed his back. "But she is still your mother. You need to have some kind of relationship with her."
"You're wrong" Michael said, almost in a whisper. "That woman may have given birth to me, but she is not my mother! Jane Kingston raised me. Jane Kingston taught me my morals and ethics, even when Grandpa was gone. Jane Kingston was the only one who stood up to Claude and Giselle for me. The only person in the world that believed me about the branding! Jane Kingston-"
"And Jane Kingston is gone, Michael" Julia snapped, slightly more sharply than she had intended. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I know how much she meant to you. And I know how much of that love you two had passed down to Chris and Cam. But we have to accept that some things are beyond our control. No matter how much we may want things to be, Honey, they can't be. My parents aren't coming back. Jane Kingston isn't here. I promise you, so long as we're standing here, James and Arya will grow up and be as loved and cherished as you and I should have been." She rested her head on his shoulders. "You've been carrying this anger inside of you for so long. Is there a way I can help take that load off your shoulders?"
Michael sighed remorsefully. "You've already done everything I've asked of you, Jules." He took her hand and let out a silent tear from his left eye. She continued to rub his back and sat with him long into the night.