Chapter Two:

Narrator: Two hours had long past since Misty and May had wondered away from the group fighting. Now, they could no longer hear Ash, Brock, Max, or Pikachu.

"This is serious! I think we are lost!" exclaimed May to an equally frightened Misty.

"I think so too, May. Maybe we should run around and shout for a while. Then, they might find us. Or even until something looks familiar to us!" Misty was searching the back of her mind for ideas and survival skills.

"Misty, that's a good idea! Let's do so!" May was overjoyed that Misty had not panicked like she had.

At the Camp

"Hey, it's getting dark, guys. And I am worried about Misty and my sister." Max truly was worried for May. She didn't like the dark.

Ash said to nobody in particular, probably to his first companion on his long journeys, Pikachu, "Where's Mist? She could be hurt… or worse…"

"DINNER! COME AND GET IT!" Brock yelled out as loud as he could. Secretly hoping the girls were within ear shot and would come running.

A little later

"Ash, you have to eat. I know you're worried about the girls, we are too, but you have to eat. You have to get some food in you for energy. Hey are you even listening? Ash? Ash?" Brock looked up and saw Ash wondering away.

Ash wandered way from the group to a small, nearby pond, with a pencil and paper, to write down and to read things to himself that nobody should really know, sometimes he wasn't even so sure of them.

"I love you so much it hurts to breathe

I love you so much it hurts to eat

I can't live life without you."

Brock interrupts Ash's self meditation "Deep Ash, you should tell Misty all that. And that you love her."

Ash dries his tears and turns to the elder of the group. "Oh, hi there, Brock. I guess you knew all along didn't you?"

Brock shook his head and sat next to Ash. "It was kind of obvious. Though, I can't believe that you two don't know it yet. Misty loves you too. She just don't want to tell anybody that she cant trust, she trusted me enough to tell me before she left, we were both up that morning and I needed to make breakfast, and she couldn't sleep, so we talked." Brock would have kept rambling on about the morning that she left, but he saw the fear and love in Ash's eyes, so he paused.

"Wow, I guess she really did miss me then! We need to find her, Brock! She doesn't like bugs and there could be a million of them out there!" Ash remembered Misty's fear of bugs, not because he liked to tease her, but because he felt the need to protect her.

Ash and Brock got up and continued talking as they headed to the camp.

Max soon joined in on the conversation when the older two came into view and earshot.

"Please guys, we really need to find them. We need all the help we can get!" Ash knew that begging wasn't going to do anything for them now, but he had to try.

Brock stopped and thought a moment. "Okay, Ash. We are worried about them too, but it won't do us any good to just wander off in the dark of the night."

Max agreed that this was the simplest and best solution. "Yea. We can look first thing tomorrow morning!"

Ash clearly not pleased with the answer simply lowered his face from view. "Okay. I guess you two are right."

Back with the girls, who were walking around talking and searching for familiar scenery.

"May, I am sorry. I should have known you wouldn't be interested in Ash like that. We really shouldn't be fighting each other, you know? We should be helping Ash fulfill his dream. That's why I came back you know? That, and I missed him." Misty hoped that the apology would set the girls straight and that she could start a new friendship.

After all, there are hardly any girls that she can befriend and stick around with.

May noticing the look on Misty's face agreed. "I know what you mean."

"You do?" This came as a surprise for Misty. She never would have expected such a young girl to understand the need to be with others.

"Totally. If I left my boyfriend in the middle of traveling, I would want to come back too…but I don't have a boyfriend." May knew this would get Misty to argue.

But to both girls' surprise, not a single argument started.

"Ash is not my boyfriend…yet. I would like him to be, but I guess I am kind of old fashioned with my ways. He has to love me and ask me out first." Misty couldn't believe that she herself was opening up to May. Especially considering a few hours prior they were at each others' throats with insults.

"So, will you tell him? That you love him, that is. To see what happens with…"

May would have finished her sentence when they stumbled upon a campfire, and the boys getting ready for bed.

"Misty!" Ash jumped up from the log he was sitting on and ran towards her. "I am so glad you're safe! Oh, you too May, of course."

May did her best to hide the smile on her face as she joked with Ash. "Yea, sure you are!"

Misty couldn't hold back her giggles. "Now, now, May, be nice!"

"Let's eat, there's still plenty left over!" Brock was so glad to have the group back together.

"I am glad your back, big sis." Max sat down next to May and watched her eat her food slowly.

May paused from eating and smiled down at her brother. "Me too, Max, me too."

N: So they ate and slept. Misty taking her place next to Ash, and May between Brock and Max