Ambezua: I know I know! *groan* I really need to be better at updating all my stories... Well, cheers, and enjoy the next few chapters I will be uploading!

Chapter 6: Awaiting Death

(Misty's POV)

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"Misty?" I felt someone shaking me.

"Huh?" I looked up right at Ash's face. He seemed to be fighting back laughter.

"You fell asleep." Ash grinned.

Just then, I realized that I had dozed off while using Ash's chest as a pillow. Great, Ash had caught me napping. He's going to start teasing me about it for the rest of my brief and humiliating life.

"I was tired and I needed something to keep me warm, okay?" I replied defensively. "Got a problem with that?"

"No." Ash replied.

I started to push myself off of Ash but he held me firmly around the waist.

I looked up at him, shocked. Did he want me? No…he just needed a source of heat, that's all. Ash couldn't love anyone or anything but Pokemon.

"Uh..." Ash looked into my eyes. "You know, when you're not yelling at me or hitting me with your mallet, you aren't so bad."

WHAT? My heart began to race. Ash, Ash Ketchum, had actually given me a COMPLIMENT? I had thought that such an event would create a rift in the space-time continuum... apparently not, however.

I looked into his eyes, unsure if this was the proper time to confess my feelings. Here in an ice cave? Well, it was now or never...

"Well..." I paused, unsure what to say. "When you're not being a complete dolt, you're not so bad yourself."

"You really think so?" Ash blinked. "I mean you don't hate me?"

Ash thought I hated him? Well...perhaps it seemed like it at times but I was really quite fond of him. His irritating antics and dense nature were, ironically, quite cute. I wouldn't have him any other way. Well, not exactly an accurate statement since I would prefer that he'd be significantly less dense...

"Of course not…!" I punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Do you think I would have followed you around all those years just to make you pay me back for a bike? Seriously, Ash...no bike is worth that!"

Ash gave me a puzzled look, unsure whether to be annoyed or offended. "Hey, what do you mean by that?"

"I mean, Ash, that I didn't just follow you because I had to. I followed you because I wanted to." I explained, my eyes filled with hope and desire.

Come on; how obvious did I need to make it? Could even Ash Ketchum be THAT dense?

"You mean..." Ash began. "You followed me around because you actually ENJOYED-"

"Yes?" I prodded him, my heart beating faster.

"...yelling and hitting me all the time?" Ash finished with a sad look on his face.

Apparently, he WAS that dense.

"No!" I yelled at him, my patience wearing thin. "That's not it either!"

Honestly, though...it WAS a bit fun. But that wasn't the point I was trying to get across.

"Then..." Ash mumbled sheepishly. "What is it?"

"ASH…!" I took hold of his collar and brought my face up next to his. "I fell in love with you from the start!"

Ash's eyes widened but said nothing. He didn't love me. He didn't want me. I couldn't blame him, either. I had abused him, yelled at him, and pounded him. I had ridiculed him and mocked him. How COULD he love me?

I quickly pushed myself away from him, breaking out of his grasp. I pulled myself a few feet away from him and let my gaze fall down towards the floor, afraid of his response. I felt regretful that I had decided to come along with Ash. I wished I had never met the young man who had stolen my heart and turned my life upside down. I wished I had never been born...

"Really…?" Ash's voice was low and calm.

"Yes." I replied, closing my eyes tightly. "Go right ahead, Ash--laugh. I know you want to. After all I have put you through I don't deserve to be loved."

Ash didn't say a word.

I began to softly sob, my pain and shame almost too much for me to bear. Why didn't he laugh at me? His lack of words was almost as bad as anything else he could dish out. I imagined that he simply stood there, fully enjoying my moment of weakness.

"Misty, for a while now, I have felt things whenever I'm around you...or even just when I think about you." Ash finally spoke.

I felt a glimmer of hope return and I peered over at him. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I waited for him to continue.

"Oh PLEASE don't hate me..." I thought.

"Um..." Ash paused. "You're important to me, Misty, and I don't want you to be sad."

A typical Ash response...

Wait a sec...WHAT DID HE SAY?! Could it be possible that Ash Ketchum isn't a complete idiot?

"That was one of the cheesiest lines I have ever heard." I mumbled, hiding my smile. He DID care about me! I felt my heart skip a beat. Unable to suppress my joy, I let a slight giggle escape.

Ash, of course, didn't notice.

"I think I love you too, Misty." Ash smiled.

"Ash..." I looked up at him and let myself become lost in his dark eyes. "You dolt!"

A thousand different voices shouted out in my mind. Some demanded that I hit him; others called out for me to show him my love. Others...well, I would rather not go into that...

Without warning, I reached forward pushing Ash over onto his back and laid myself down on top of him. Without waiting for him to protest, I took his head in my hands, lifted my lips up to his, and kissed him. His lips were dry and a bit cracked most likely due to the arctic air. I didn't care though. I was in heaven with my one true love.

As our lips parted, Ash blushed and looked around the cave nervously.

"Um…does this mean you forgive me...for this morning?" He asked sheepishly.

I glared at Ash, fighting a strong desire to pound him with my mallet in retaliation. Why did he have to go and do that? He completely ruined the mood!

Ash did not seem to notice my anger. "I wonder what Brock and Pikachu will say..."

That's something I hadn't thought about before. I quickly thought of a way to lighten the mood.

I closed my eyes and deepened my voice, trying my best to imitate Brock. "I told you so!"

"Yeah…" Ash laughed.

"Speaking of Pikachu, where is he?" I looked around, not seeing the yellow Pokemon anywhere.

"Pika…Pikachu!" Pikachu hopped over to us, pointing towards the cave's entrance.

"Did you see something, buddy?" Ash turned his head towards Pikachu.

"Pika…!" Pikachu nodded.

I looked back down at Ash, blushing a bit when I realized the position I was in.

"Hey, Misty..." Ash grinned evilly.

I decided to get off him before he got any funny ideas.

"Let's go figure out what Pikachu wants us to see." I suggested.

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Outside, the wind had gotten significantly colder and the sky had become much darker. The Sun was setting on the arctic world and with it the temperature was dropping quite rapidly. The frigid winds carried bits of snow with them, forewarning us of an imminent danger.

"We better head back in." Ash turned back. "It looks like we have to spend the night here."

"Wait…!" I grabbed Ash's shoulder as I saw a faint figure in the distance. "I see something..."

"Huh?" Ash turned around to take a look.

"It's..." I began as the unmistakable form of Articuno flew into view. Its signature cry could be faintly heard over the whistling wind. It hovered for a moment, apparently not noticing the three of us standing in the cave entrance.

"Whoa..." Ash stood paralyzed. "You don't think that means..."

Brock's brief discussion about Articuno's stories came to my mind.

"ASH…!" I cried, burying my face in his chest. "I don't want to die! I want to stay...with you..."

Ash wrapped his arms around me, whispering words of comfort into my ear.

"Don't worry, Misty. You're my best friend in the world. I won't leave you for anything."

I didn't reply. I simply let myself melt in his arms, finally enjoying the embrace I had longed for.

Ash led me back into the cave, back to our place of safety...even if it was but a temporary retreat from our eventual fate.

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Misty (with stars in her eyes): That was heavenly...

Ash: Misty...?

Misty: (Sigh)

Brock: Uh...give her a sec, I think she fazed out.

Ash: Misty?!

Misty: (Blinks) Huh?

Ash: You're such a romantic...

Misty: Have a problem with that, Ash?

Brock: Be careful how you answer that...

Jonz: Hey, guys! What's up?

Ambezua: Welcome to the backstage room, Jonz...where we get to discuss the last few scenes. Come on guys, say hello.

Ash: Hey!

Brock: Take a seat.

Misty: What's he got to do with this story?

Ambezua: He's the beta reader: he looks over the script and makes some minor changes before I submit it.

Ash/Misty/Brock: Oh...

Ambezua: You might say he's my assistant director.

Ash: Nice...hey, I got an idea!

Brock: I have a bad feeling about this...

Ash: How about we spring for a mate-out scene? No, wait...perhaps we could go for a bit of a lime...

Jonz: Eh...

Misty: (grips her mallet)

Brock: Ash...

Ash: What? (Gets pounded by Misty)

Jonz: Ok, guys...next scene.

Ambezua: Places, everyone!

Ash: If Misty keeps this up, I think I'm going to need a transplant...

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Summary: More Ash-and-Misty action! They finally profess their love for each other... but will their love survive Sub Zero? Will Brock come to their rescue?