(A/N: Hey everyone! I was able to get this chapter done relatively fast since it's quick. It hit pretty close to home for me with my relationship with my Dad...;c The next chapter is going to be longer and focuses around Team Dad and May. c; The one after that has more focus on Brendan than May. I had a lot of fun with this chapter, and to the reviewer who wanted to see over protective Archie, I hope you're satisfied!)
"Annual Father Daughter Picnic huh?" Archie asked as he skimmed through the crumpled pamphlet May had pulled out of her backpack. "The perfect day for father and daughters, filled with fun activities and contests! Sounds like a blast!"
"I know!" May gushed. Both Archie and May were reclining on the couch and Maxie had his nose buried in a newspaper, drowning out the conversation. "We've gone every year since I was three, and I'm sure this will be no different! We've always had a blast. It's always the one day that Dad sets his gym aside and dedicates the entire day to spending time with me!"
"That's great, Scamp." Archie was smiling, but it was visibly strained. The girl was too excited to notice.
"I mean...ever since my Dad started getting really serious at the gym we haven't had a chance to really...do anything together! He always bails on me." Her morose expression brightened immediately. "But this is his chance to make up for it! I'm sure we'll have a really great time!" She paused and stood back to frown at her regular and casual clothes. "I just wish I had something prettier to wear."
Maxie, who had otherwise remained uninterested in the conversation until now slammed down his newspaper, his eyes lighting up with interest. "Well that settles that then. We must find you something more formal to wear when you see your father. Wearing something like that is simply...unacceptable."
Archie snorted. "Why do you care?"
"Because I have an adequate taste in fashion and she wants to look nice when she greets her father. Finding her good dress will be easy to do. I'll even pay for it myself."
"Would you really Maxie?"
"Of course, it'll be my pleasure." He pushed his glasses up on his nose. "We'll go to the boutique tomorrow."
"Let this be known on my gravestone: The noble leader of Team Aqua dies an excruciating death by...fashion."
"Don't be so over dramatic, Archie... Come out now, child," Maxie called into the dressing room as timid blue eyes poked out from behind a curtain. He nodded encouragingly at her.
"This is so embarrassing," May whispered from between her fingers as she spun around for both men in a short and elegant green dress. Archie clapped for the girl but Maxie made a face.
"No, no, no..." Maxie tsked in disapproval as May played with the fabric. "This won't do at all."
"What are you talking about?" Archie griped. "She's gone through like a hundred dresses already! Just pick one, this is tedious!"
"Yes but look at that bow around the middle. It's too much and makes the dress look too bulky. We want something simple and yet elegant for this event."
"Maxie, we're going to be diving in the water and doing tug of wars and stuff," May reminded him, but he ignored her.
"Try the blue one I chose for you," he ordered and waved his hand dismissively towards the dressing room. May emerged a few moments later in a simple, yet frilly dress with a white trim and puffed sleeves. It came with a ribbon choker, which Maxie fastened around the child's small neck. She daintily gripped the edges of the fabric and bowed adorably to Archie.
"Aww Scamp!" Archie crooned. "You look adorable!" Even Maxie finally gave an approving nod. "Indeed," he agreed and smiled lightly.
"You think so?" the child asked, examining the fabric subconsciously. "Do you think my Dad will like it?"
"He'd be insane not to," Archie chuckled as she smoothed out the frills. "Bell of the ball, I'd say! Aye, Maxie?"
"It's an adequate dress," Maxie agreed with him and looked at the apprehensive girl, a smile tilting his lips as he said what she wanted to hear. "It is quite...cute, on you. I'm sure your father will love it." He surveyed the child with scrutiny and fixed her collar and wrinkles until he was satisfied. "You need to make sure your hair is perfect too. A bun perhaps, or maybe even curls."
May beamed as she patted at her brown locks. "With a blue bow even! Oh I can't wait for this! Thanks Maxie! You're the best!"
The man blinked a little and nodded, smiling slightly. "You're welcome, child."
"Great," Archie sighed in relief as he hefted up another shopping bag full of shoes and accessories Maxie bought previously. "Can we go get some lunch now?"
Evening fell in Hoenn, but the cave of Aqua and Magma's base stayed as dim as it always had, unaffected by the darkness. Although the team was exhausted by a mission half of them went off to at Kanto that day, the base remained energized by May. May, who danced blissfully through out every room of the base and around both Magma and Aqua's leaders.
"My, you're certainly energized," Maxie commented, blinking as the girl slid her ribbon around his neck like a scarf "I suppose it's to be expected. Excited?"
"Like you wouldn't believe!" Both Archie and Maxie watched as the child skipped through the room, doing little twirls and giggling like a little fairy.
"That's understandable," Maxie agreed and found himself both endeared and worried about how energized the child was. It was very unlikely she'd be settled down by her bedtime. Maxie tried to have the girl go to bed at a strict nine o'clock regiment but Archie and the girl seemed to teeter that to nearly eleven most nights.
"We're going to have the best time ever tomorrow!" May squealed. "And I'm finally old enough to participate in the diving contest! I bet I'll out-dive my Dad easily! I've got so much practice just over the last year!"
"Yeah, and Hoenn is nearly completely water," Archie snorted. He smiled at the excited girl, finding it hard to not find her happiness infectious. "Better get a good night's sleep then little scamp!"
Maxie nodded to the girl. "To bed within the next hour child. You want to be energized for the picnic. Why don't you go get your dress and everything ready for the morning?"
The door closed and from even behind her door Archie and Maxie could hear May's blissful singing. Maxie gave a small amused smile, but Archie suddenly looked even more tense.
"I've never seen the child so happy before," Maxie commented.
"Yeah but...will it last?"
Magma's leader blinked. "I assume it'll last through-out the picnic and then she'll be bursting to tell us all about the day's activities when she comes home."
"That isn't what I meant," Archie sighed and scratched the back of his head nervously. "What if her father-"
"Mail for the team!" An out of breath Matt and Tabitha suddenly came running down the halls. "We've got...bills for the electricity for Maxie." Maxie made a face, but took the letter. "And the newest copy of the Sea Caper magazine subscription for Archie!" He yelped as the magazine was practically torn out of his hands.
"Anything for you?" Maxie asked as he scanned through the bills.
"Maybe, somewhere in here..." The man poked at the large pile of mail, which spilled onto the table. He at last pulled out a case consisting of a small CD. "The newest copy of the Bro CD: Volume 3!"
"Bro CD?" Tabitha snorted and Matt scowled at him.
"Hey, I don't make fun of the subscriptions you get! Like, that there-is that a contest magazine?" Tabitha flushed and tucked the thing behind his back. "Of course not! It's this week's Battle Mansion's results!"
"Haha, sure Bro!" Matt laughed. Tabitha swatted him at the back of the head and Matt smacked him back. The cat fight went on for a while until Maxie rolled his eyes and waved his hand to dismiss them.
A single letter that fluttered from the pile caught Maxie and Archie's attention. They eyed it like a poisonous snake and exchanged looks. It was a letter addressed to May...from her father. Archie looked sick.
"You don't think..."
"Don't jump to conclusions, Archie. Perhaps the man is simply confirming their outing?" He picked up the letter and scanned over the handwriting. For some reason it seemed...ominous, and almost detached. 'May' seemed to be hastily scribbled across the envelope with little care. There weren't even any illustrations of hearts or pokemon like Archie would often do with her.
"I want to burn it..."
"You cannot burn someone else's mail, you fool!"
"I don't want her to see it!" He snatched the envelope away and looked like he wanted to tear it open with every fiber of his being. "Why would he send her a letter a day before their big outing?"
"For clarification maybe?"
"How could he possibly think she'd even forget it?"
Maxie chewed at his lip nervously and set the letter down. He adjusted his glasses and winced. "I don't know, but we have no right to read this letter. It's the child's and she reserves the right to read it."
"Fine, but if that jerk makes her cry again teeth are gonna fly..." Maxie didn't say anything, but for once he didn't look as if he disapproved the idea. They were well aware of how May's father was and Archie especially detested the man. It took a lot for Archie to hate anyone.
"Archie, Maxie!" The two men froze and Archie grappled with the letter to hide it. Maxie snatched it right back. The girl, oblivious to their panic, bounded up to them. "How do you think I should wear my hair tomorrow? Down as usual? Maybe up in a bun? A ponytail? A..." It was only then she realized how worried they both looked. "...Something wrong?"
The men exchanged looks and after a moment of contemplating, Maxie handed the child the envelope. "This came for you, child."
May blinked as she gazed at the writing. "Oh, it's from my Dad!" She grinned and tore it open. As they expected and feared, Archie and Maxie watched the joy increasingly drain from the girl's face. By the time her tear filled eyes had read the last line, they were both certain they could hear her heart breaking.
"Scamp..." Archie began very gently. Maxie didn't say anything, but his face reflected his concern.
May's throat closed up before she could say anything, and all that was intelligible was a thin little warble. The letter fluttered down from her trembling fingers and Archie reached out to the girl. With a sob, the child turned and fled from the room, slamming her door. Silence echoed for a long stretch, the air reeking with tension and regret.
"...You were right," Maxie finally murmured. "I should have let you burn it."
"I don't even want to know," Archie sighed and scooped up the discarded letter. "But I may as well..."
Dear May,
I hope you've been doing well, your mother worries about you every day. I know the annual picnic we go to every year is tomorrow but I'm afraid I'm going to have to do a rain check on it. They need me back to the gym first thing tomorrow for an important evaluation. I hope you understand, and I promise you that I'll find a way to make it up to you. I'll talk to you soon!
Dad
"Despicable," Maxie said, his usual emotionless tone replaced with anger and his eyes flashing. "To just cancel on her like this..."
"Low life bastard," Archie seethed. "I oughta..."
"The girl was looking forward to this too." Maxie shook his head in disappointment. "She must be so upset." Archie looked like he was debating whether or not to leave the couch and comfort the child or let her be. "I guess I may as well return that dress. She won't be needing it now..."
Archie was looking over the pamphlet to the picnic and Maxie could easily see the gears turning. "What are you thinking of?"
"Ya know...this picnic doesn't really have any restrictions," the man mused as he dropped it on the table and grinned.
"It's for fathers and daughters."
"Doesn't say it has to be a blood relative, does it? I doubt they'll be checking ID cards and birth certificates. Doesn't say anything about two dads going with their kid!"
Maxie did a double take. "Are you saying..."
"Honorary Dads for the day! How about it?" Archie grinned. "We're adopting a kid tomorrow! Why not? With her Dad being such a neglectful jerk we're the closest thing the kid's got to one! She was so excited for this picnic, we can't just let that be for nothing!"
"Indeed," Maxie agreed. "I didn't spend nearly three hundred dollars on that dress for it to go to waste either. The child has done quite a lot for us, we at least owe her this."
Archie grinned at the man. "So honorary Dads for the day?" He held out his hand to the smaller man. Maxie stared at it for a moment before hesitantly gripping it.
"...Honorary Dads for the day," he agreed.