Oh, you guys are going to LOVE this one.
So, this ended up being a SUPER LONG chapter. Because it's all fluff and newborn baby love and tons of Ash cuteness. That's right, it's a chapter with little to no misery! Hooray! Plus, you'll all finally find out what the baby looks like, and what her name is. So...let's see what's going on with the new baby!
"Wake up, Misty."
"Hmm…I don't wanna."
"Come along now, darling. You can't spend all day sleeping."
"Of course I can."
Misty snuggled her face deeper into the soft…pillow? Mattress? Truth be told, Misty had no idea where she was. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and lifted her head, staring down at whatever she was resting on. It was white and fluffy, very soft and airy. Was it…a cloud?
"Wh…where am I?" Misty mumbled.
"I can't tell you that, dear!"
Misty gasped and whipped around. She had been dimly aware that someone was talking to her, but it just occurred to the gym leader that she wasn't sure who it was. Peering up, she was met with eyes quite similar to her own: a dark, piercing green that could easily be compared to emeralds.
The eyes belonged to a woman, who was clearly older looking, but still very beautiful. She had light brown hair with natural red highlights, wavy and ending right at her shoulders.
"G…Grandma?" Misty stammered, her eyes growing wide in disbelief.
"Yes, dear, it's me," Amy smiled at her granddaughter.
"B…but…how?" Misty looked around. "You're not…" She stopped and let out a quick gasp, jumping to her feet. She lowered a hand to her stomach and found that the bump was no longer there. Misty shrieked and immediately became more frantic than she already had been. "Am I dead? Did I die during-"
"No, my love, you're just fine!" Amy grabbed onto the younger woman's face. "Everything is okay."
"Where's my baby?" Misty whispered, tears filling her eyes. "Is she okay?"
"Yes, she's just fine," Amy reassured Misty. "Absolutely beautiful, as well. But you can't see her just yet."
"Why?" Misty straightened out her shoulders.
"You'll just have to wait until you wake up," Amy patted Misty's cheek.
"Wake up?" Misty blinked as her grandmother strolled past her. "You mean…I'm just asleep?"
"Yes dear. Just asleep."
Mulling it over for a few moments, a huge grin soon broke out onto Misty's face as she turned around and charged towards her grandmother, engulfing the older woman in a tight embrace.
"Oh, Misty!" Amy laughed as she hugged back."What ever was that for?"
"I haven't seen you in so long," Misty breathed out. "And I know this is only a dream…but still. Everything seems so real…and I just love you, is all."
"Aw, well of course I love you too, Miss Misty!" Amy brushed through Misty's long red hair. The gym leader giggled, loving to hear her grandmother use that beloved nickname for her once more. "But…there is something I need to discuss with you."
"What is it?" Misty leaned forward ever so slightly.
"You have to forgive your mother," Amy responded simply.
"Oh, no," Misty shook her head and lowered her arms down to her sides. "No, no, no."
"Misty…"
"Not ever."
"But dear…"
"How could I ever forgive her?" Misty finally looked up at her grandmother, tears filling her eyes. "She and Dad…they both knew that the baby could've been born at any time! I know she wasn't due for another three weeks, but they also know that my body doesn't deal well with this kind of stuff!"
"I understand your anger towards them, believe me I do," Amy held Misty's shoulder. The red head let out a sharp breath, but didn't pull away or become defiant. She loved and respected her grandmother far too much to do such a thing. "But if they knew that you would go into labor and that such a bad thing would happen to your daughter, there's no way they would've left you."
"But they did. And that's all that matters."
"Think about your little girl, Misty," Amy continued. Smiling gently, she added, "my little great granddaughter." Clearing her throat, Amy looked Misty in the eyes and resumed, "she needs her grandparents. You can't deny them from her or her from them. A family sticks together no matter what."
"Clearly my parents never got that message," Misty huffed as she rolled her eyes.
A sympathetic expression overtook Amy's face as she ran her fingers through Misty's hair. "Will you at least consider it, sweetheart? For me?"
Misty sighed and once again looked into her grandmother's eyes. She could see so much of Michelle in them…Misty wondered if she would be able to see the same thing in her new daughter. Smiling softly, she nodded and replied, "Alright. I'll think about it."
"Excellent," Amy grinned boldly at her favorite granddaughter. "Now, let's catch up, shall we?"
XXX
Dr. Aaron and his assistants were still busy stitching up Misty, so Ash was left to wait by her side. He rested his head next to her own, watching his beautiful wife as she slept. Sure, the sleep had been brought on by anesthesia, but she looked pretty none the less. Ash could watch her like this all day, especially knowing that she wasn't feeling any pain.
"Mr. Ketchum…"
Ash sat up and turned around, finding himself staring at a kind looking, middle aged nurse. She was smiling brightly at the Pokémon master, and it took Ash about a minute to realize she was holding a little pink bundle in her arms.
"Is that…?" Ash slowly trailed his eyes up from the blanket to the nurse's face.
"Yes, this is your daughter," the nurse nodded. "She's a perfectly healthy little thing; passed every single physical exam."
"And she's breathing okay?" Ash exhaled.
"Just fine! She was born at 1:05 AM, and weighs 5 pounds, 3 ounces." Smiling down at the baby once more, the nurse looked back at Ash and asked, "Would you like to hold her?"
Ash knew exactly what he wanted to say, but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. It was terribly frustrating. So, instead, Ash just nodded, eagerly holding his arms out for the little girl. Giggling, the nurse walked forward and carefully handed the baby over to her father. The tiny newborn let out a few sounds of discontent as she switched arms, but once she was settled in Ash's hold, she grew quiet once again.
The Pokémon master cast his eyes downward to finally look at his baby daughter. As soon as he saw her face, a gasp escaped from his throat.
The newborn girl had a light but warm skin tone, the same as her older siblings. It was the perfect mix of Ash's light, glowing tan and Misty's ivory complexion. Also like her siblings, the baby had been born with a full head of thin, wispy hair, but the color was very unique; something Ash was convinced he'd never seen before. It was a dark red, not at all brown but certainly not as bright as Misty and Michelle's tresses. Ash assumed it was a result of his black hair darkening Misty's fiery red locks, and he loved it. The color was so inimitable and stunning; it was absolutely perfect for his baby girl. The only thing he couldn't see yet was the color of her eyes, for the newborn had her eyes shut as tightly as possible.
Glancing up, Ash realized that the nurse had left. Smiling, he turned his attention back down to the baby and greeted in a near whisper, "hi baby girl. I'm your Daddy! Do you recognize my voice?"
The newborn cooed quietly, which surprised Ash. She turned her head into Ash's chest and nestled it there, her warm breath tickling Ash's skin through the material of his shirt.
"I love you," Ash murmured, tears clouding up his otherwise bright russet eyes. He looked over his shoulder and set his eyes on Misty. Chuckling softly, he turned around and returned to his spot, all while keeping the baby in his arms.
"This is your Mommy," Ash informed the infant, holding her next to Misty's head. "She's sleeping right now. You were a little rough on her. But don't worry, she'll be just fine! I bet she's having a nice dream right now."
The baby pursed her lips and rolled her head to the side so she and Misty's cheeks were touching. Misty let out a long, peaceful breath at the contact, and Ash wondered if she could feel it in her sleep.
"I have three beautiful girls," Ash put his head back down, on the other side of the baby's. "Two right here and one back home. And I have a handsome little guy, too. I'm definitely a very lucky man, don't you think?"
XXX
Once Misty was all fixed up and put in a normal hospital room to recover, Ash reluctantly put his newborn daughter in the bassinet that had been left in the room, making sure to kiss both her and Misty before he left the room. As much as Ash wanted to spent all of his time with those two at the moment, but both were asleep, and Ash had promised to call Brock and the twins as soon as he could after the baby's arrival.
But first, he'd have to face everyone in the waiting room, which Ash knew would be an interesting experience.
As soon as he walked through the doors, silence fell on the waiting room, where everyone just seconds before had been talking and moving about. The sight of Ash settled them all down in an instant, however, and no one dared asked the question that was circling in all of their brains.
"Well?" Ash asked as a big smile crept its way onto his handsome face. "Isn't anyone going to ask me about my beautiful new daughter?"
At this, everyone took a sigh of relief, and it all came together as one loud, joyful sound. Ash chuckled as everyone began speaking again, throwing questions out at him as their eyes shined with curiosity.
"She's healthy, right?" Delia asked, a somewhat nervous infliction set in her voice.
"Yes, she is," Ash beamed.
"What color hair and eyes does she have?" Dawn clasped her hands together.
"She has really pretty, dark red hair," Ash answered happily. "And I don't know what color eyes she has. She hasn't opened them yet."
"How big was she?" May grinned.
"Just a little over 5 pounds," Ash thought back to holding the baby in his arms for the first time. "She's really small, and adorable."
"Do you know what you're going to name her yet?" Lily leaned forward in her chair.
"Not a clue," Ash rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"And how is Misty doing?" Daisy posed this question.
"I think she's just fine," Ash gave a single nod. "They had to give her anesthesia, because she was going berserk when they were preparing her for the surgery, so right now she's still asleep. I'm hoping she'll wake up soon, though. I really want her to see the baby!"
"That's wonderful, Ash!" Professor Oak praised the younger man. "Are you going back to be with them, now?"
"In a little bit," Ash looked back at the doors before turning his eyes back to everyone in the waiting room. "I have to call Brock and tell him about the baby!"
"Of course he'll want to know all about her!" Iris giggled airily. "He is her godfather, after all!"
"Right," Ash chuckled. "I'm going to do that right away! I can't spend too much more time away from my little girl."
Ash ran all the way to the video phones, but it felt more like he was floating on air. He was just so happy; it was absolutely wonderful! Ash was a happy person by nature, but at the moment, he was overjoyed. The man could only remember three other instances in which he was this happy: the day he became Pokémon master, his and Misty's wedding, and the birth of Aiden and Michelle. Smiling giddily to himself, Ash decided he never wanted this bubbly feeling to go away.
Sitting down at the same exact video phone he'd used before, Ash grabbed the phone and held it against the side of his head, dialing the number to his house and bouncing up and down in his seat as he waited for Brock to pick up. A slightly older man was walking by at that moment, and upon noticing Ash squirming in his seat like a bug type, instantly became alarmed and hurried away as quickly as possible.
When the screen came to life, Ash chuckled and moved in closer to the camera, his eyes blinking rapidly as Brock came into focus. The Pokémon doctor was smiling, but when he realized how close Ash was to the camera, he shrieked and nearly fell off his own chair.
"Gah, Ash!" Brock held onto his heart. "Man…"
"Ha, I'm sorry Brock!" Ash laughed as he finally stopped blinking. "But I can't help it! I'm sooo happy!"
"I'm guessing everything is okay with the baby?" Brock settled himself back in his seat.
"Yes, and more!" Ash's whole face was glowing. "She's beautiful Brock! And healthy, and adorable, and just awesome!"
"That's great, Ash!" Brock was now grinning from ear to ear. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks," Ash finally managed to calm down a little and sit still in his chair. "I can't wait for you to come here first thing in the morning and see her! You're going to love her, Brock."
"I already do," Brock chuckled. "She's my goddaughter, how can I not?"
"That's true," Ash laughed.
"DADDY! DADDY!"
Ash jumped at the sudden cries, and so did Brock. Before either could react, the twins were climbing Brock like a human jungle gym, settling themselves on his lap as they locked frantic eyes with their father.
"Aiden? Michelle?" Ash looked between his older children. "I thought I told you two to go to bed!"
"No, you said try, Daddy," Michelle shook her head.
"Yeah, we tried, and it didn't work," Aiden folded his arms. "See? We listen, Daddy."
"Guess you've got a point there," Ash shrugged. He found it useless to argue with the twins. They were pretty good with rebuttles anyway.
"Is baby sister here?" Michelle squealed.
"Yep, and just wait until you guys see her! She's wonderful."
"I want to see her now!" Aiden beamed.
"It's too late to come visit now, little guy," Ash laughed. "But, first thing in the morning, you'll see her! Mommy already told me she wants you two to be the first ones to see the baby."
"Did you tell her what we said? About bein' brave?" Michelle tilted her head as an innocent little smile graced her lips. "You promised you would, Daddy."
"Yes, and I did tell her! She was very happy to know that you two thought she was so brave."
"Is Mommy okay?" Aiden pulled his shoulders back.
"Yes. She's sleeping now! And she wasn't in any pain when the baby was born. Everything is just fine!"
"Good," Michelle yawned, leaning back onto Brock's chest as her eyes began to close.
"See how tired you two are?" Ash leaned his head on his hand. "Now that the baby is here, and you know that Mommy is okay, will you guys finally go to sleep?"
Aiden and Michelle looked at each other, but eventually nodded and chirped, "yes Daddy."
"Awesome," Ash straightened his back out and grinned boldly at both of his children. "I love you two very much."
"Love you too, Daddy," Michelle smiled sleepily.
"See you tomorrow?" Aiden asked, as if making sure that was still set in stone.
"Yes, buddy," Ash laughed. "See you tomorrow!"
Once the twins left, Ash talked to Brock for a little while longer before the Pokémon doctor told Ash to go back to his wife and newborn daughter. Ash was more than happy to oblige, so he hung up the phone and raced back through the waiting room, leaving behind a very confused batch of friends and family.
"Did he just have a baby, or did he just drink several cans of soda?" Drew scoffed.
"Be nice," May sighed as she flicked Drew on the forehead.
XXX
As soon as Ash walked back into the room, he was met by the crying of his newborn daughter, and a nurse hovering over the bassinet.
"Is my daughter okay?" Ash cried, running over to the nurse. He quickly noticed it was the same woman who had first brought the baby to him, and she looked just as happy as she had before.
"Oh, yes, there's nothing wrong!" The nurse giggled. "She's just hungry is all. But I'm afraid your wife is still asleep."
Ash glanced towards the bed, and realized that Misty was, in fact, still out of it. "Oh. I gotcha."
"If I brought you a bottle, could you feed the baby on your own?" The nurse asked.
"Sure I can!" Ash beamed.
"Alright, I'll be right back with it," the older woman nodded. When she was halfway towards the door, she turned back around and laughed, "oh, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Claire. I'll be your wife's nurse."
"Nice to meet you," Ash grinned. "I'm Ash."
"I know who you are, of course!" Claire giggled joyfully as she walked out of the room and down the hallway. Ash blushed slightly after she left. He sort of knew that it didn't make a lot of sense to introduce himself, but Ash liked to do it anyway. It was almost a habit at this point.
Turning back to the baby, Ash lifted her out of her bassinet and began to gently bounce her up and down, walking around the room as he tried to comfort the newborn.
"The nice lady is going to bring you a bottle," Ash whispered to the baby. "Don't cry, sweetie. Daddy is going to feed you, yes he is!"
Surprisingly, the little girl managed to calm down slightly, although she was still sniffling and occasionally letting out a little sob. Just then, it occurred to Ash that he hadn't checked if the baby had the right amount of fingers and toes. It sounded completely stupid, but Ash had done the same thing with Aiden and Michelle. It was just some kind of natural need he had with his newborns.
As gently as he could, Ash pulled one of the baby's arms out of the blanket. As soon as it was free, she shrieked yet again and grabbed onto Ash's index finger.
"Yes baby, that's my finger," Ash chuckled softly. He shook it gently and asked in a baby voice, "Will you let go of me, pwease?"
The infant gurgled and ended up squeezing Ash's finger more tightly. Ash was quite surprised that the barely hour old baby was so strong. She was holding onto him for dear life!
"You're not gonna let me look at your hand, are ya?" Ash smirked. The baby pursed her lips again, something that she had done when Ash first held her, but otherwise made no other noise or movements.
"I'm back!"
Claire came skirting back into the room, a little plastic bottle held in her hands. Approaching Ash, she smiled sweetly and held the bottle out for him to take. Laughing playfully, Ash reached out, causing the baby to let go of his finger and whine once again. Taking the bottle, Ash went to sit down in the chair in the corner of the room. Once seated, he carefully cradled the baby in one arm and held the bottle in his other hand. As soon as Ash put the bottle in front of the baby's mouth, she began to eat, which caused a huge grin to break out on Ash's face.
"Hey, look at that," Ash sniggered, "you've got my appetite already!"
"You're very good with the feeding," Claire commented as she moved over to Misty in order to check on the still slumbering gym leader. "Most new fathers aren't even able to hold the bottle!"
"Well, I've already done this before with my two older kids," Ash just kept watching his daughter eat. "So I'm used to it. It's been a few years, but I guess I haven't forgotten anything."
The baby ate until the bottle was empty, at which point she pulled away from it and gurgled quietly.
"All full?" Ash asked the little girl. Once again she pursed her lips, causing Ash to coo softly. He found it adorable that the baby kept doing that.
"Nice work," Claire smiled. "Now all you have to do is pat her back and wait for her to get the air out."
"Right," Ash nodded. He held the baby against his chest, patting her back and watching her little face all the while. He was hoping that her eyes would slip open, if just a little bit, but they remained shut the entire time. She did, however, reach up with one of her little hands and touch it to the side of her father's neck. Ash took the opportunity to turn his head and count her little fingers. One…two…three…four…five.
"Who's a perfect little girl?" Ash murmured to the baby against her chest. She let out a tiny burp, leading Ash to chuckle as he lowered the girl back into a cradling hold. "I guess you know that it's you, huh?"
"Do you want to stay with the baby, or shall I take her to the nursery?" Claire asked.
"Oh, I'll stay here with her," Ash slowly rocked the baby back and forth. "It's no problem."
Claire smiled and nodded before leaving the room. Once again, it was just Ash, the unnamed baby, and Misty, who was still asleep in her hospital bed.
"I wish your Mommy would wake up," Ash began talking to the baby. He liked having conversations with her, even though he knew she wouldn't respond. "We need a name for you, baby girl! Maybe, for now, I could just give you a nickname. Let's see…your Mommy, to me, is "angel." Aiden, that's your big brother, is "champ." And Michelle, your big sister, is "princess." What can I call you?"
Ash studied the infant, trying to come up with a good nickname that wouldn't sound out of place with the others.
"I could call you "sleeping beauty" because you're really pretty, and all you do right now is sleep," Ash smirked. "But that seems a little too long, doesn't it? Everyone else's nickname is just one name."
The baby continued to purse her lips and gently squirm in Ash's arms. Sighing, Ash softly began to stroke her dark red hair. He loved the way it felt, and even more, he adored the unique color of it.
"Your hair is so dark and orange," Ash chuckled. "Like a pumpkin." Gasping, Ash held the baby a little closer and beamed down at her little being. "A pumpkin! That's it! What a perfect nickname!" Rubbing his nose against the little girl's, Ash cooed, "Okay baby, your nickname is going to be "pumpkin"! Do you love it? I think it's perfect!"
The infant let out a high pitched squeal and sneezed right in Ash's face. Ash pulled back up and shook his head, raising one arm to clean off his face.
"Guess that's your way of saying yes," Ash smiled.
"Mmmm…"
Ash grew wide eyed and began to look around the room, holding his newborn daughter as close to his chest as possible without hurting her. He was afraid that someone had snuck into the room, or was trying to. What if they wanted his baby? Ash would never give her up, not ever!
When his eyes landed on the bed in the middle of the room, Ash saw Misty's eyes slowly opening, and her body beginning to move as she awoke from her slumber.
Oh, it was just Misty…Ash mentally smacked himself in the head. He really was too overprotective. He beamed down at the baby in his arms and whispered, "Mommy is waking up, cutie pie! She's finally going to hold you, and get to know you, and-"
"Ash?"
His heart nearly stopped. That was Misty's voice, he knew it. She sounded weak, and tired, but it was still her. Grinning, he stood up and walked over to the worn gym leader, who still had her eyes half shut as she moaned softly.
"Good morning angel," Ash greeted warmly. "Well…it's like…3:30 AM. But that's still the morning, right?"
"Where's my baby?" Misty mumbled. She clearly had no interest in Ash's jokes at the moment.
"I have her right here," Ash assured his wife. The baby cooed, as if telling her mother that her father wasn't lying.
Right away, Misty's eyes snapped all the way open and she threw herself up, eyes sparkling at the sight of the pink bundle in Ash's arms.
"I want her," Misty held her arms out, "please, let me hold her!"
"Okay, just relax!" Ash laughed. "You've been sleeping for a couple of hours now, and you sprang up kind of suddenly. I don't want you passing out or anything."
"You're right, jumping up like that wasn't a very good idea," Misty sighed as she leaned back against the pillows in her bed. Turning her eyes on Ash once more, she showed off a charming little smile and asked, "Could I hold her now?"
The baby began to whimper and unhappily squirm in Ash's arms. She managed to free her arms from the blanket and wave them in the air, her cries only increasing in pitch with each passing second.
"Yeah, I think she wants you…" Ash sounded rather nervous. He knelt down and passed the baby off to Misty, who quickly took hold of the infant and held the little thing close to her chest.
Almost instantly, the baby stopped crying. She wasn't entirely sure of who was holding her, but it felt incredibly safe, for some reason. She hiccupped and lowered her arms, brushing one little hand against her cheek.
"What do you think?" Ash asked quietly.
"I love her," Misty beamed as she shook her head. "She's so perfect. And she's healthy. That's all I could ask for."
"I…I know you must be upset about not being able to see her when she was first born," Ash bit his lip. Misty sighed and looked up at Ash, shrugging as a small smile appeared on her face.
"I am, I guess. But…we have a healthy baby. I see her now, and I see how wonderful she is. Of course I wish I had been able to be awake when she was born, but if I had, she might not be as healthy as she is right now." Stopping to think about it, Misty added slowly and unsurely, "she might not even be in my arms right now if I hadn't been put asleep for it."
"That's true," Ash nodded. He grinned carefully at Misty and continued, "I'm glad you're not beating yourself up over it. You're still very much her mother, no matter how she was born."
"Thanks Ash," Misty blushed slightly at this. She turned her attention back onto the baby, watching as the little girl went back to her habit of pursing her lips. "Oh, sweetie," Misty smiled tearfully as she stroked the baby's hair. "You are so, so beautiful. You know who I am, don't you?"
The baby groaned in a quiet, infant like fashion. It was cute, and made both Ash and Misty laugh. Turning her head closer in to Misty, the baby slowly opened her mouth, and then, for the first time, her eyes.
"She's opening her eyes!" Ash cheered quietly.
"She hasn't yet?" Misty glanced at Ash. Her raven haired husband laughed just once and shook his head, leaning in to eagerly watch the reveal of their newborn daughter's eyes. When they were fully opened, both Ash and Misty gasped.
The newborn had big, wide eyes. They were sparkling and full of curiosity. The color of the tiny thing's huge orbs is what stood out the most, however. Just like her mother and sister, the little girl had dark but bright green eyes.
"Emerald," Ash breathed. "Emerald eyes."
"I like your eyes little lady," Misty giggled, bringing the baby up closer to her face so she could touch noses with the little infant. "They look a lot like mine, huh?"
The baby closed her mouth and began to look around the room, making no noise as she observed her new surroundings. When they landed back on Misty, the baby began to let out some eager cries, bouncing up and down in Misty's arms.
"Do you know who I am?" Misty gasped playfully. The baby shrieked happily, causing Misty to laugh joyfully. "Yes, I'm your Mommy! And I love you very much, baby girl."
"She needs a name," Ash reminded his wife as she kissed the newborn's face. "I keep calling the poor thing by the most generic terms. Although, I did already come up with my special nickname for her, so there's that."
"What's her special nickname?" Misty finally took her face away from the baby's.
"Pumpkin," Ash beamed. "Because the color of her hair reminds me of one."
"That's cute," Misty smiled. "But, you're right. She does need a real name."
"Should we do that now?"
Misty twisted her mouth in thought before slowly shaking her head. "No, I don't think so. I want to wait for Aiden and Michelle to come see her tomorrow. They should help us pick out her name. Besides, she's gone nearly 9 months without a real name, what's four or five more hours going to hurt?"
"Good point," Ash agreed. He wanted to give the baby a name more than anything, but having the twins help them out with such an important task was something Ash wanted as well. He climbed up onto the bed to lay down next to Misty, and took the baby out of her arms.
"Hey, I wasn't done kissing her!" Misty whined.
"You can still kiss her," Ash smirked. "Just lay back down."
"Why?" Misty huffed.
"Just do it," Ash laughed.
Misty sighed and rolled her eyes, but did as Ash asked. Gently, Ash laid the baby down in between them and gently tickled her cheek. The little girl squealed before sneezing once again, this time the strange action frightening her a little bit. She started to wail, but Misty was quick to hold the child's head in her hands and sing a lullaby; the same one she used to put Aiden and Michelle to sleep.
The song seemed to do the trick, for after a few short minutes, the baby yawned and closed her eyes again, falling into another deep sleep.
"Good girl," Misty breathed, leaning over to kiss the sleeping infant's nose.
Ash smiled to himself and reached over, placing a hand on Misty's back. She looked up at Ash with bewildered eyes, quickly understanding as Ash moved his face closer to hers and kissed her lips.
"I love you," Ash murmured with their lips still touching.
Misty giggled softly and pressed her forehead against Ash's, closing her eyes in bliss. "I love you, too."
XXX
"I'm so happy they finally let me change out of that stupid, uncomfortable hospital gown."
Ash smiled at his wife, who had put on her own pair of pajamas: a sky blue tank top and pink and white shorts. Misty hadn't gotten much sleep, since she'd been too busy fawning over and feeding the baby all night.
"Yeah, you're much happier now," Ash laughed. He was the one holding the baby now, although she was still sleeping at the moment. Ash hoped she would at least wake up for when Aiden and Michelle came to see her.
"When do you think they'll be here?" Misty turned her eyes up to Ash.
"Brock just texted me a few minutes ago that they just got to the hospital," Ash shrugged. "So they should be here very soon. Everyone in the waiting room is probably holding them up."
"Good point."
"Do you think the baby is going to be able to handle seeing so many people today?" Ash asked worriedly. "Because you know they all want to see her, and of course I want her to meet all of them too! I'm just afraid of her getting scared, or too tired, or-"
"Ash, don't you remember when I was pregnant with her?" Misty interrupted Ash with a smirk.
"Yeah, like it was yesterday," Ash teased. "Oh wait, it was!"
"Not funny," Misty smiled as she shook her head. "Besides, I don't mean literally. I mean what she used to do when I was pregnant with her."
"No. What?"
"Every time someone touched my stomach, or started talking around me, she would start kicking and moving around like crazy!" Misty laughed. "This little one likes to be the center of attention. She'll handle today just fine."
"You're right!"Ash chuckled.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, causing Misty to gasp and grin boldly at her husband. "That must be them! Hurry, Ash, open the door!"
"I can't, I have the baby in my arms," Ash motioned towards the sleeping bundle he was holding.
"Then give her to me!" Misty cried. Ash sighed and walked forward, Misty snatching the baby from him before he could do a thing. This disturbed the baby somewhat, as she unleashed a gentle howl. "Oh, Mommy is sorry, cutie pie. She didn't mean to scare you." Upon hearing Misty's voice, the baby pursed her lips and buried her face in her mother's chest, earning a little smile from Misty.
While his wife was busy watching after the baby, Ash opened the door to her room. As soon as he pulled it back, he was jumped on by two small figures, who were excitedly shrieking and holding onto him for dear life.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
"We missed you, Daddy!"
"Aw, I missed you guys, too!" Ash laughed. He managed to pry both children off of him and put them by his feet, chuckling at their bright faces and wide smiles. Brock was standing in the doorway, beaming at the sight. He reached out and patted Ash's shoulder, causing the Pokémon master to look up in mystification.
"I just came to hand them off to you," Brock informed his best friend. "I think, right now, it should just be them with you guys. I'll be in the waiting room until you're ready for me to see the baby as well."
"Thanks Brocko," Ash showed off a toothy grin to the Pokémon doctor. Brock left, and Aiden and Michelle were still staring up at their father with big, curious eyes.
"Don't you guys wanna meet your baby sister?" Ash asked. They both nodded. "Okay, well, she's right over there!"
Ash pointed at the bed, and the twins first noticed their mother. She looked much better than she had the last time they'd seen her. She still seemed rather tired, but now the color had returned to her face, and she was out of the ugly hospital gown. The biggest change was her stomach. Misty still had a slight bump, but it was nowhere near as big as it had been the day before, or even in the past few months.
"Hi, you two!" Misty greeted softly.
"Mommy!" They both squealed and raced towards the bed. Their loud shrieks awoke the baby, who instantly began crying and reaching up for Misty's shirt.
"Huh?" Michelle blinked, and Aiden recoiled slightly. They had finally realized that the baby was being held by their mother, and that her little hand was now visible. It was as if it had just hit the twins that their baby sister was real.
"You guys should probably be a little more quiet," Ash advised the twins. "The baby has very sensitive ears, so she'll wake up or get upset really easily."
"Sorry," they apologized simultaneously.
"You don't have to be sorry, you didn't know," Ash smiled sweetly. "Here, I'll put you guys on the bed so you can get a good look at the baby." Ash bent over and gathered the children in his arms, carrying them over to the bed. He put them down next to Misty, and watched as they set their nervous eyes on the pink bundle in her arms.
"Aiden, Michelle, this is your baby sister," Misty held the little girl out to the twins. By now, she had stopped crying, and was staring up at the two older children with her wide, green eyes.
"She's got the same color eyes as me, Mommy," Michelle commented.
"Yes, she does," Misty giggled.
"She's really tiny," Aiden just kept staring at the baby. "Can I touch her?"
"Of course you can," Misty smiled. "Just be gentle with her."
Aiden reached out and gently stroked the newborn's hair. She let out a little coo, and reached up with one of her hands, grabbing onto Aiden's finger and gripping it as tightly as she could.
"Mommy, help!" Aiden cried, trying to get out of his baby sister's hold.
"Buddy, it's okay, she's not going to hurt you," Ash chuckled. "She just likes to do that to sometimes. Especially to me. I think she knows that the men in this family will protect her."
"So full of ourselves, aren't we?" Misty smirked at her husband, who was sticking his chest out in pride.
"Mommy, what's her name?" Michelle looked at her mother.
"Well…she doesn't have one, yet," Misty giggled sheepishly. "Your Daddy and I weren't exactly sure what name was good for her. We thought maybe you two could help us pick out a perfect name!"
"Yeah!" Aiden cheered, pulling his hands back to himself once the baby finally let go of his finger.
"Oh, I know!" Michelle excitedly raised her hand. "What about Mimi? I like that one!"
"No, it sounds too similar to your name, princess!" Ash laughed. "I still like the name Kate. Or Delaney."
"I don't think she looks like a Kate," Misty twisted her mouth. "Or a Delaney. I do like the name Caterina, though."
"Ew, that's ugly," one of Ash's eyebrows twitched.
"Well who asked you?" Misty snarled.
Aiden, who had been sitting there quietly listening to the rest of his family's suggestions, suddenly smiled sweetly and piped up, "I think she's Elizabeth."
"Huh?" Ash looked up at his son. "What did you just say, champ?"
"Elizabeth," Aiden suggested again. "She looks like Elizabeth!"
"Elizabeth…" Misty repeated softly, glancing down at the baby girl in her arms. The newborn was staring back up at her mother, her eyes still sparkling and her lips somewhat tugging at the corners, as if she was trying to smile. Beaming, Misty added, "Actually, I can see that. I think she looks like an Elizabeth, too!"
"Elizabeth Ketchum," Ash tried out the full name. Grinning, he nodded and agreed, "I like it! I think that's a great name for her!"
"What do you think, Shelly?" Misty turned to her older daughter. "Do you like that name?"
Michelle thought about it for a moment before jumping up and down on the bed. "I love it, Mommy! It's so cute! And her nickname could be Lizzie!"
"Great, she finally has a name," Ash happily pumped his fist. "But what about her middle name? I still think Lyla is cute."
Misty turned her face towards Ash, and if looks could kill, he'd be dead ten times over. She did not at all look amused with his idea of a middle name.
"Or not…" Ash nervously rubbed the back of his head.
"I think her middle name can wait, for now," Misty huffed. Smiling down at the baby, she continued more happily, "she's got a first name, and that's all that matters."
"Yeah, Elizabeth," Aiden smiled and leaned down to kiss the little girl on her cheek. "I love Elizabeth."
"Aww!" Misty squealed, absolutely adoring the scene her son was creating. "That is so cute! Do you want to hold her, Aiden?"
Aiden looked up at Misty with concern set in his russet eyes. "I'm afraid of hurting her."
"You won't, I'll show you how to hold her," Misty shook her head. She instructed Aiden on how to fold his arms, and once they were set, she gently placed Elizabeth in his hold. Aiden gasped nervously at first, but once Elizabeth was settled, he began to relax and smile down at her. "What do you think?"
"She's cute," Aiden giggled. Elizabeth cooed quietly as the tug in the corners of her lips was pulled up even more. "Look, Mommy! She's happy!"
Misty examined Elizabeth's face and beamed at the sight. "Yeah, she's smiling! How sweet!"
"Good Lizzie," Aiden commended the baby.
"So, champ, where did you get the name Elizabeth from?" Ash asked his young son.
"The book!" Aiden replied proudly. "I thought about my favorite book that Mommy always reads us! The girl in the book, her name is Princess Elizabeth. And she's brave, and pretty, and loves to have fun, and she loves Pokémon, too!"
"Oh right, your little fairy tale!" Misty giggled. Glancing towards her husband, Misty teasingly joked, "See, Ash? Reading does get you somewhere!"
The ending was meh. I couldn't come up with anything else XD The chapter was already almost 7,000 words long. I had nothing else left in me! Next chapter, everyone else who's still stuck in the waiting room will get to meet the baby :D And more will be revealed...about stuff.
Last chapter got an awesome number of reviews, you guys rock! And I'm shocked that you think I would actually kill off a poor little baby XD If I did that, I wouldn't be able to read my own story. In fact, I would HATE my own story :P Everything is all happy here! Well...usually :P