Blaze Of Glory
PikaDarkness
Chapter 8
Gary Oak.
"Now now Jeff." Said a very stern nurse as Emma helped Jeff pack up the few belongings he had there. "Do take it easy and avoid stress."
"I will ma'am" Jeff turned and gave her a sincere smile and nod. The nurse didn't find that convincing. She was the nurse that stabilised the dying Jeff from the motorbike accident he had years and years ago, and he promised then that she wouldn't find him in there again from any more self inflicted accidents. It was much like that occasion except instead of a motorcycle it was a phone and instead of his wife and mother helping him out it was his daughter who had been in there with him almost around the clock. A lot had changed since Jeff was 20.
The nurse had told him to keep his shirt off for a while as the newly removed stitches recovered, any material brushing against it or the bruise he still had from the accident would irritate it and constantly hurt him for hours on end.
"Well until next time ma'am." Jeff joked, the nurse shook her head with a chuckle. "If I had a hat I would take it off to you."
"Yeah yeah… get going Hardy…"
Jeff and Emma laughed and walked out the door and out of the hospital. Jeff breathed in fresh air his lungs had been craving. Emma had been in and out of the hospital, she was following Jeff's orders because she needed to get out and live her life outside the hospital. But he'd see her again in an hour or two and she never came back without an excuse. The weirdest one was seeing a "Dog hit the bus" instead of "The bus hit the dog".
Jeff flagged down a taxi almost as soon as they got outside the hospital. Emma helped him get into the passenger seat before climbing into the back.
Giving the taxi driver the information on where they'd like to go they were speeding, not over any limits, home.
Jeff took in the sights he hadn't seen for so long. And he quickly gave the death stare to his old workplace.
Emma had to help Jeff out of the taxi as well, she didn't mind though. Getting inside his house Jeff was thrilled. But before he could savour the fact of himself being home, he walked to the kitchen and grabbed the steel phone.
"Please tell me your not going to throw it" Emma moaned, didn't he learn his lesson the first time?
Jeff gave her a cheeky grin. Then walked upstairs into his room with Emma following, getting into his room Jeff opened his window and flung the phone out of it. It was weird, the phone smashed, mustn't have been a particularly strong piece of steely crap.
"Good to get rid of that." Jeff commented airily. Emma grinned.
"And its good to know your not going to hurt yourself with it now." Emma humoured getting a tap to the head by a smirking Jeff.
"Come with me to visit someone?" Jeff asked, Emma raised her eyebrows knowing exactly who he wanted to visit.
"You want to visit Delia don't you?" Emma asked, Jeff looked at her with amazement.
"How'd you know?"
"Your like reading a children's book… you know what's coming." Emma smirked at the insulted face Jeff pulled, then she awed his puppy dog eyes and his pout. "Come on dad don't get upset! Don't pout please!" Emma always fell for the pout. She hugged Jeff who giggled.
"Come on lets go!" Jeff pushed Emma out the door, then picked her up as she was going to slowly for him. Emma shrieked as her upper half dropped alarmingly but Jeff had a strong hold on her. When he put her down she gave him a what-the-hell?! kind of look that made him giggle again. They were in full blown high spirits.
"Don't do that again!" Emma warned. Jeff knew she meant business and raised his hands in the air, Emma nodded and walked past Jeff tickling his ribs as she passed, making him leap away with a laugh.
Jeff climbed cautiously into the car by himself, giving a sigh as he dropped into the seat, he was definitely staying away from cord phones if they did this kind of damage.
Jeff backed cautiously out of the driveway, Emma decided to play a nasty trick on him. She kicked the back of the drivers seat making Jeff immediately stop the car.
Emma broke out into laughter, Jeff gave her an angry look.
"Never! Ever! Do that again Emma Maree Hardy!" Jeff said seriously using Emma's full name to show how angry he was.
"Sorry dad…" Emma gave her best sad look and directed her gaze to the floor of the car.
Jeff sighed and shook his head, then lightened the desolate mood. "Scared the shit out of me…" Jeff broke out into light laughter, dragging Emma into it. Jeff reversed the car and Emma didn't dare play the crude trick on him again.
It was a good hour before they reached Pallet Town.
Emma directed him to Delia's house. She remembered the way even though it had been quite a while since she'd stepped foot in there.
Ash, Brock and Misty were out the front talking. They looked weirdly at Jeff's car as it parked infront of the house. Jeff and Emma got out they immediately rushed to greet them.
"Hey Jeff how are you?" Ash asked excitedly, shaking Jeff's hand.
"Hey Ash.. Better then I was in the hospital."
Ash noticed the marks on Jeff's stomach. He pointed at it and asked, "Is that what you did to yourself."
The way he said it made Emma laugh. Jeff nodded with a sigh, glancing down at it.
"Was it painful?" Misty asked. Emma answered for Jeff.
"Are you kidding? He was practically screaming in pain… burst his appendix…" Emma laughed again. Jeff lightly pushed her.
"Ash Brock Misty? Who are you talking to?" Delia's voice came, Jeff looked up. Delia came outside and snarled at him. "Come back inside… Now!"
Ash looked at his mother with incredulity.
"What have you got against Jeff?" He asked turning fully around to face her. "He has done nothing to wrong you!"
Emma looked at Delia with anger that radiated.
"Look Ash its none of your concern… I am your mother you do as I say!" Delia was avoiding looking at Jeff. Jeff was wondering why he had bothered coming to see her.
"Mum your acting like an idiot!" Delia had enough by then and marched up to Ash grabbing his upper arm in a pincer like grip. "Ouch mum stop it!… your hurting me let me go!"
Delia ignored him.
"Mum that hurts let me go!" Emma had enough of Delia's attitude. She walked up to Delia and wrenched Ash from her grasp. Ash stood behind Emma not wanting to face his mother.
"How dare you?!" Delia shouted at Emma, before pushing her down. Jeff ran and stood infront of her as Delia beared down at her.
"I suggest you not touch my daughter." Jeff warned rigidly. Delia looked angrily at Jeff before pushing him, connecting with his stomach.
"Dad!" Emma cried as Jeff roared with immense pain. He stumbled backwards then collapsed, rolling around in agony. Emma crawled to Jeff, trying to stop him writhing, she managed to get an arm around his chest and force him to lie down.
Jeff was so hard to rid himself of the pain, it wasn't working. Emma though had successfully made him lie down she couldn't bear him choking up sobs of pain.
"Shh.. Just stay still it'll be alright if you just keep still!" Emma felt Jeff's hand grasp hers Emma grasped his hand equally tight. She vaguely heard Ash shouting at Delia.
Jeff's cries of pain gradually settled to whimpers. Emma pulled him up gently and into a hug. Jeff couldn't return in as much as he wanted to, but Emma didn't seem to mind.
"Oh god…" Jeff choked, he didn't think he'd feel pain like that since the phone accident. Emma hugged him tighter.
"Come on… lets just go home." Emma said. "It was pointless to come here. Delia doesn't care about you… she's made that quite clear."
Ash stopped the fight with Delia and walked inside shaking his head. Delia walked up to Emma and grasped her shirt and hoisted her up.
"Get off my property before I call the police!" Delia threatened. Emma didn't seem frightened.
"Fine, we'll leave. Come on dad lets go… we wasted our time with her." Emma bent down and helped Jeff to his feet, he was unsteady but remained standing.
"I don't know what I saw in you Delia." Jeff shook his head in disgust then allowed Emma to help him away, leaving Delia standing open mouthed in her front yard.
***
Jeff was driving his eyes set firmly on the road Emma could see his eyes and cheeks glisten, but she made no comment about it, she knew Jeff wanted a bit of privacy.
When they pulled into the driveway and Emma got out, Jeff sat back and sighed. Tears streaming down his face, he wiped them off quickly, realising he should get into the house. He couldn't mope around, he had more important things to do.
When Jeff locked the car and walked into the house Emma had gotten herself a drink and was watching TV. Jeff timidly walked up and sat beside her, hands deep in his jumper pockets. Looking over at Emma he found that she was looking back at him.
"Emma look I-" But Jeff was cut short.
"Don't try to explain you don't need to… I already know." Emma smiled and received a mild grin back, they embraced in a tight hug, Emma was trying hard not to spill her juice onto Jeff or the lounge.
When they let go, they smiled at each other again, widely and sincerely.
"God aren't I lucky to have you." Jeff said happily, shaking his head and placing an arm around Emma's shoulders bringing her into a one armed hug.
"That's right and don't forget it!" Emma stuck her tongue out at Jeff. Jeff's eyes widened and began to tickle her, Emma rolled away from Jeff laughing.
"Why doesn't Delia care?" Jeff suddenly asked a few minutes later, Emma looked up at him weirdly. "I mean… what did I do?"
"Nothing" Emma answered simply, "You didn't do a thing to her and she probably reckons you did… don't think for a second you wronged her because you didn't."
Jeff smiled at her. "I just wish she knew that."
"She will… someday"
There was no more talking after that, they watched television with full focus. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Emma said to Jeff with annoyance. "I'll get it."
Opening the door with a smile which instantly dropped at the visitor. "What do you want?"
Jeff looked up at the door then got up.
"Haven't you caused enough trouble?" Emma asked, Jeff placed a hand on Emma's shoulder as he appeared right behind her. His face immediately darkened.
"What are you doing here and what do you want?"
"To speak with you."
Emma laughed in almost pure anger, it was more of a scoff but you get what I mean. "Why do you want to speak with him?"
"That really doesn't concern you." Delia looked at her with ominous superiority. Emma glared back with a look that plainly spelled how much she wanted her death to be painful and very slow.
"So Jeff can I speak to you?" Delia asked, looking at him. Jeff looked down at Emma who looked up at him with a look that told him not to do it.
"Fine… Emma could you please go upstairs?" Jeff asked kindly. Emma threw off Jeff's hand and spun to look at him.
"Dad! You cant possibly-"
"Please?" Jeff asked then pulling off his pout.
Emma huffed. "Fine…"
"Thank you." Emma gave Jeff a quick hug then bounded up the stairs, they heard the door open and shut not long after.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Jeff asked his voiced spelled out that he wanted the conversation quick.
***
Emma hit the play button on her Ipod she wasn't going to snoop on the conversation, it hardly interested her, Jeff was either going to forgive Delia or kick her out. She really didn't have a say in the matter.
Emma lay looking out at the darkening sky, the day had gone so quickly… where had today gone?
The sunset was beautiful, much better then sunrise that's for sure.
Emma was feeling tired and dropped off to sleep with the music playing in her ears. She was listening to 'fall to pieces' by Avril Lavigne.
Jeff came in not long after, he knocked on the door lightly a few times before taking the liberty of letting himself in. Jeff smiled at his daughters peacefully sleeping form. Pulling the earphones gently from Emma's ears and the Ipod from her hands he then unlaced her shoes and took them off and tucking her in before crossing to the other side of the room and closed the curtains, shutting the door quietly behind him as he left Emma to sleep.
Delia heard him come downstairs and turned to face him.
"How's Emma?" Delia asked with minor concern.
"Sleeping." Jeff replied. He lowered the blaring TV to a volume so low you couldn't hear it.
"Well…?" Delia asked she bowed her head but kept her eyes on Jeff, he sighed and turned away from the TV.
"Well what?"
Delia rolled her eyes. "Are you going to tell her?"
"I'm not going to wake her up and tell her… I'll tell her tomorrow." Jeff put the remote on the coffee table and sat on the lounge next to Delia.
"How do you think she'll take it?" This was the question burning inside Delia, how was she going to react to this?
"I dunno… hopefully she wont take it hard." Who was Jeff kidding? There was a 90 percent chance she would take it hard.
"Ash didn't take it hard when I called him. Let's wish Emma doesn't." Delia had called Ash while they were ending the conversation, when Jeff had gone upstairs.
"Well that's good… I think." Jeff put a hand to his mouth for some reason; he bit down on one of his knuckles.
"Well its getting late I think I should go…" Delia announced suddenly. Jeff nodded; Delia got up and walked out the door without saying goodbye or glancing back.
Jeff went up to bed not long later.
Next morning Emma woke up warm and snug. What-The-Hell? She definitely had her Ipod playing and her shoes on… and she didn't have her blankets on her either. Emma figured it was Jeff's doing.
Speaking of Jeff he was down in the kitchen with his stomach in knots making him feel queasy, he wasn't looking forward to telling Emma.
Emma drowsily made her way downstairs rubbing her eyes and running a hand through her tangled hair.
"Hey dad" Emma smiled blearily at him, Jeff returned the smile. Emma slumped on a seat and put her head down on it.
"Whoa someone's tired even though they went to bet at seven" Jeff raised an eyebrow at Emma.
Emma looked up at him. "You should know by now I am not a morning person."
Jeff chuckled. "Yeah I should know." then his face fell into anxiety, making Emma concerned.
"Dad what's wrong?"
Jeff looked up, now was the time to tell her. Walking to the seat next to Emma he sat down. Emma watched him fidget impatiently.
"Emz you know when Delia came over last night?" Emma nodded with growing confusion. "Well we decided that-that were going to try and work things out again. Are you gonna be ok with that?"
"Yeah I will." Emma said truthfully. "As long as you're happy with it then so am I"
Jeff smiled and hugged Emma who wearily returned it.
"Emma I think you should go back to bed if you're that tired." Jeff said, it was 8 in the morning and he couldn't blame her. She nodded and walked upstairs. Why did people knock on the door when she got halfway up?
Emma sighed and walked down, opening the door revealed Delia Ash Brock and Misty.
"Hey guys."
"I see Jeff told you then?" Delia asked a bit nervously. Emma nodded then held the door open invitingly. Everyone walked in.
Brock kept glancing back at Emma, with specks of drool climbing down his chin.
Emma noticed Ash and Misty looking at each other occasionally smiling slightly when they caught the other staring. They could be a cute couple.
Jeff walked out of the kitchen and smiled widely.
"Hey, hey!" He said, Ash and Brock shook his hand, Jeff hugged Misty who seemed to blush slightly, Emma couldn't blame her, and Jeff wasn't ugly. His bright blue eyes that stood out immediately and light brown hair that was like Ash's: all over the place gave him a beach-boy look. Emma inherited her bright blue eyes from him but had darker hair, a mesh between his light shade and Andrea's black hair.
That was probably why Brock liked her: her looks. That was a sad prospect, but it must be true, all the other boys that liked her went for her looks not personality and tried to get inside her, but Brock isn't like that… right?
"So Whatcha doing here?" Jeff asked lightly.
Delia shrugged. "Once they found out we were working things out they insisted on coming."
"Oh… well I was planning on going out for a bit…" Jeff cringed; Delia's mouth formed an "O"
"Hey I have an idea" Ash spoke up. "Why don't you guys go out and we'll stay here with Emma?"
Jeff considered that, these kids were rambunctious and leaving them alone in the house for hours wasn't something he liked. "Alright" Jeff caved in as they gave him pleading looks.
"Yeah!" Ash and Brock threw their fists in the air while Misty did this little jump.
Jeff walked up to Emma and muttered. "Make sure you guys don't destroy the house."
Emma gave him a cheeky grin. "Don't worry we will!" Jeff chuckled and passed a hand across her head.
"Alright well I have to get a few things then me and Delia will be off," Everyone nodded.
"And I have to change out of my pj's" Emma ran upstairs into her room.
When she came back down Jeff and Delia had gone and Ash Brock and Misty were sitting on the lounge looking uncomfortable in the surroundings they weren't used to.
"Hey guys" They seemed relieved to see Emma, they must've thought if they moved the ground would break. "Don't be so unnerved consider it as a second or third home" They nodded.
Within an hour they were out in the backyard kicking footballs and soccer balls around. When one went flying over the fence Emma went to get it.
Some spiky brown haired kid picked it up and walked to the fence.
"Well well look who it is, Ashy-boy." The kid had a sly voice.
"Gary.." Ash looked mad. Emma couldn't see why. Ash walked up to the fence and gazed determinedly at Gary. "What are you following us or something?"
Gary laughed, "Why would I be following you? I was here looking for Pokemon to catch… see I'm training and it looks like humph you aren't"Emma now understood why Ash didn't like this Gary person, he was a stuck up jerk! "Give us the ball Gary."
"Ha Ha yeah right… like I would." Gary tucked the ball under his arm securely.
"I'm warning you Gary give back the ball now."
"I saw what happened at Ash's mums house yesterday" Gary said, Emma and Ash's windpipes felt constricted just reminiscing the events that had occurred the day before "your father is pathetic a pathetic excuse for a human being."
Gary was lucky he finished that sentence as Emma gave Gary a roundhouse kick to the face, Gary stumbled and fell backwards into the garbage disposal.
Brock and Misty laughed while Ash cheered.
"Never! Talk about my father like that!" Emma thundered, jumping over to get Gary her ankle landed wrong and she fell ankle turning a way it wasn't supposed to before she got up again and began to hurt Gary. She punched, kicked and stomped. Ash and Brock jumped over as well and holding Emma back by her arms and Misty grabbed the ball.
"The kick was awesome the fight was spectacular but I wonder how Mum and Jeff would react seeing Gary dead on the lawn." Ash cringed at the thought.
"Well I bet dad wouldn't care about the body, more the blood." Emma shrugged. "That would be more evidence his daughter murdered an asshole."
Ash chuckled. "True but Mum is supposed to be making it up with Jeff and how do you suppose she'd react to someone dead on the lawn and you responsible?"
"Good point."
Emma noticed just then that her ankle was hurting from jumping over the fence, she limped back inside and elevated it.
"What's wrong?" Brock asked, looking weirdly at Emma.
"Twisted my ankle."
They spent the next two hours either watching TV or chasing each other around the house, Brock had apparently 'hidden' in Emma's room and received one hell of a telling off.
Emma had then barred the bedrooms, anyone who found themselves in there would spend a lot of time outside. No one dared enter the rooms because Emma meant business.
Emma managed well on her twisted ankle, she limped but used her toes to move around better. Brock had offered to help her around a little bit, but declined, independence seeing through his proposition.
Jeff and Delia returned an hour later, smiles a mile wide. Jeff walked out the back to the shed when he got out the back he cried "Emma!"
Emma limped out there, oops she hadn't realised planks of wood had been kicked out from the fight. Jeff's first question was why she was limping. When Emma told him he buried his face in his hands, he figured out what happened to the fence now.
"Ok regardless if he insulted me, you shouldn't have responded." Remarkably Jeff wasn't angry, for some reason he could never get angry at Emma.
"I'm sorry" Emma looked down at the ground.
Jeff waved away the apology. "Don't worry about it. Just don't retaliate to him again."
"I wont" Emma promised, then turned and limped back inside feeling Jeff's gaze on her as she left.
***
After helping Jeff repair the fence, Emma was feeling tired, but she ignored the feeling. Delia Ash Brock and Misty had left not long before they started to fix the backyard fence. No-one saw Gary again in Viridian City or Pallet Town. That suited them fine, thinking he went to Fuchasia City or walked to Lavender Town.
As soon as Jeff and Emma entered the house out of the blazing hot sun they rushed to the kitchen and got a drink.
"Dad just in case you're a little mad at me…"
"Emma, I am not mad at you alright? I would've punished you already, although that heat might've been enough punishment."
"Yeah… I guess that's my punishment complete." Emma smiled with happiness knowing she wasn't just being let off.
Jeff nodded.
"Come on it's the rest of the house we have to clean"
"What?!"
"Aw come on wasn't it you who said I had to take it easy because I'm an asthmatic? If you help me I wont have an attack."
Jeff had her there.
"Fine" Emma grumbled.
To Be Continued….
Alright somebody please give me the definition of an hour because seriously this took three days to write and only 10 minutes to read! Not even that! Grr
Well FemaleSpock you might not like what I did to Gary but at least he is in the story now! To tell you the truth this isn't the last time he'll appear, he has another part in chapter 12 but don't skip ahead you might miss the emotional chapter 11! I decided to twist the story from lovey dovey to emotional suspense! Hope you like it!
And once again reviews are a bare minimal! Doesn't anyone like me? Honestly I spend every night on these stories and can barely stay awake in class, not to mention I am constantly forming idea's in my head, thank goodness for the weekend!
As for Jeff's appearance who doesn't like light brown haired crystal blue eyed guys who look beachy? I sure as hell love them! But I also like the not-so-bad boys who are or were bad but have the biggest heart and a sensitive side… but guys I wont be single for long Haha!
Doesn't anyone want Team Rocket in this story? I could make this story huge if you wanted them in it. Gary's one thing but Team Rocket are BIG! But if you don't want them then neither do I.
Anyways this is getting way too long.
Keep Reading
PikaDarkness.