A/N: Hey, you guys, been a while. Sorry, but I haven't had any Internet whatsoever!:( I'll be publishing 2 chapters today, partly because I've gotten that much done, pertly because I feel kind of guilty for not posting sooner. These 2 chapters haven't been seen by anybody, and I've had no opinions to go by other than my own. But I do hope you enjoy these next 2 anyway, it's been so much fun writing this! Oh, and the peanut butter pancakes? True story:P Don't forget to R & R please!:D

Chapter 11: Storm Warning

"Do you not want to tell them, Ash? You know Iris will if we don't, and May or Dawn will be sure to notice the ring…"

"Mist, it's not that. I just…don't think it's best that they know about it so soon. Wouldn't you rather wait until the baby is born?" She nodded reluctantly, understanding the possible implications of getting engaged so soon after breaking off with Gary. All heck would break loose.

"So what do we do? About the ring, I mean."

"As much as I'd love for you to wear it, I really don't know what to do about it." He paused, clearing his throat as Iris walked into the kitchen.

"Wear it if you really want to, but try to make sure they don't realize what it actually is. At least, that might help," she answered, crossing over to meet Ash's gaze.

"Have you been listening this whole time?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Birdbrain, I just woke up," she replied sarcastically. "Of course I have. I promise not to tell them, just don't be surprised if they figure it out before they leave. Dawn's an absolute blonde, and so is May, but I wouldn't put it past either of them. Or Brock. Especially not Brock."

The chink in the armor. Brock would definitely figure it out the moment he saw the two together. And they could not afford to let that happen. "Well, we could always act like it never happened. Iris and Delia are the only two who know," Misty pointed out. Iris sighed.

"I really don't see the point in hiding it. Everybody knew you'd end up together someday, anyway. It just took about twelve years for you two to realize it." Misty rolled her eyes. Of course everyone knew that.

"I don't know. I guess we'll just see what happens then," Ash sighed in defeat. "They're only going to be here one more day anyhow." True enough, Misty realized.

Before they could say anymore, Brock and Cilan rounded the corner sleepily, both still incredibly exhausted from the work they had done the night before. Cooking and cleaning up after fourteen people sure took a lot out of them. "Please tell me Mrs. Ketchum made a wonderful breakfast for everyone to eat?" Brock mumbled, slumping into the nearest seat. Cilan followed suit, muttering something about a Psyduck.

"You guys look beat," Ash remarked, pulling up a chair beside his best friend.

"Sure feels that way," Brock answered, dozing off once again. "We didn't exactly get much rest last night." Ash raised his eyebrows at Iris and Misty, who just shrugged their shoulders in confusion.

"What kept you up so late?" They seemed to avoid the question, instead pointing out how the party went last night.

"Umiko seemed to enjoy it," Brock said, staring off dreamily.

"Yeah, she seemed really infatuated by a certain Brainiac," Iris recalled dryly. Brock rolled his eyes at her mock enthusiasm.

"Did you have fun, Iris?" Cilan wondered, looking down at the Dragon Tamer pendant he'd given her.

"Of course, Cilan! Why wouldn't I have fun?" she asked rhetorically. Before he could decide whether or not to answer, Delia walked into the kitchen, as bright and peppy as ever to start a new day.

"Who wants pancakes?" she asked, clasping her hands together. Everyone nodded, aside from Brock, who was dozing still, so she eagerly started making breakfast for the bunch.

"What about May and Dawn and the others?" Misty wondered, noticing they still hadn't shown up yet.

"Ah, yes, about them. May, Drew, and Max are staying the rest of the day, but unfortunately, Dawn and Kenny will be leaving as soon as they've said good-bye. Johanna is also having a Christmas party for the family, so they have to leave early in order to make it back on time." Well, that prevents one family from figuring out about the engagement. But still, Iris and Misty were sure May could be much more perceptive than Dawn on such things, and knew it would be harder to hide it from her to begin with.

Pikachu stumbled in shortly after, looking as drowsy as Brock and Cilan had been. "Rise and shine, little buddy!" Ash exclaimed, letting Pikachu climb up his arm and perch on his shoulder.

"Pi pi pi," Pikachu sleepily remarked, curling up and shutting its eyes. It couldn't sleep for very long though.

"Morning everyone!" Dawn exclaimed as the kitchen door burst open. Crickets in reply. No one was up to the perkiness Dawn always seemed to radiate, no matter the time of day. Even Delia didn't bother to answer, which came as quite a surprise to the young Coordinator. "I said 'Morning everyone!'"

"Morning Dawn," Misty mumbled, hoping to shut her up. Some even attempted to wave at her. Seemingly satisfied, she crossed over to hug everyone's necks, starting with Delia's.

"I hate that I have to go so soon, but we can't be late for the party. You know how Mom is about being late!" Kenny stood in the doorway, holding the sleeping twins in his arms. It was hard to believe they got any sleep with the peppy, perky Dawn as their mother. But it figured. Kids could sleep through anything.

"Well, Dawn, have a safe trip, and please call to let me know you made it home so I won't worry," Delia told her, letting her motherly intuition shine.

"Of course, Mrs. Ketchum! You'll be the first to know!" Dawn answered, hugging Misty's neck. "Let me know when the baby comes, Misty! And I'll be expecting pictures!"

Misty face-palmed. Dawn was always so excited over the craziest of things. That was like a slap in the face to Ash, who consequently hated the daily reminder that she'd known Gary in such an intimate way. He was to blame, of course, for not telling her the truth sooner, but it never failed to make his skin crawl slightly at the thought of it.

"Of course, Dawn," Misty muttered as she turned to head for the door.

"Well, it was wonderful to see everybody again, but I guess we should get going. See you again soon, hopefully!" she exclaimed, waving to everyone as the door shut behind her.

"Hm, if that wasn't enough to wake everybody up, I don't know what else to do," Iris remarked, pointing out that Brock was still asleep.

"We could always try my mallet…" Misty trailed off, making Brock jump up in alarm.

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary! I'm fully awake!" Misty laughed. She knew that would do the trick.

"Nice to know you've decided to join us for breakfast," she remarked, rubbing her belly out of habit.

"Did I hear somebody say breakfast?" May asked, slamming the door behind her and narrowly missing Max's face.

"Hey, watch it May! I don't want my face as flat as a Stunfisk's due to an unfortunate accident involving a door to the face!" he exclaimed, entering the room beside Drew, who was pushing Mine in her little red stroller.

"Well, you shouldn't have been behind me then." Max sighed.

"Oh no, here comes the Munchlax," Iris remarked as May flashed her daggers for eyes.

"Good morning to you too, Iris," she smirked playfully.

"Why it is lovely, isn't it?" she answered sarcastically, making May roll her eyes.

"I smell pancakes! Please tell me I'm right!"

"Yeah, May, you're right," Misty muttered, rubbing her temples in an attempt to rid herself of the headache Dawn and May had so graciously given her. She didn't know how much longer she'd last before the two drove her completely insane. Delia started setting out the plates, and the ones who weren't already seated sunk into the nearest chair they could find. May snatched the syrup and Ash grabbed the butter before anyone could bat an eyelash. Misty, however, had the urge to try something else.

"Is there any peanut butter, Delia?"

"Well, there should be some in the cabinet…" Delia replied, going to get it for her. "Ah, here it is." She handed the smooth peanut butter to Misty, curious as to what she would do with it.

"Thanks," she smiled weakly, spreading it across her pancakes as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"That good?" Ash wondered, trying to make sure she hadn't lost a few marbles after Dawn and May's outbursts.

"Yeah, my sisters got me to try it. I know it looks weird, but it tastes great! Here, take some," she answered, pushing the peanut butter across the table toward him. Ash looked at it warily, trying to decide what to do.

"Er…" he began. "Sure. Why not?" He spread it over a single pancake, and soon after the first bite became just as enthused as Misty had been. "This really is good!"

"Told you so," she answered, tossing her plate in the sink. "I'll wash dishes if you want me to, Delia."

"Are you sure you're able?" she wondered, eyeing Misty precariously.

"Of course! Even a pregnant lady needs to be able to wash a few dishes!"

"I'll help, Mrs. Ketchum!" May exclaimed, throwing her hand in the air voluntarily.

"Oh, alright. But please don't tire yourself out, Misty. You are still sick, you know."

"I know, I know," she grumbled carelessly, waving off the worried mother. After everyone had finally finished and left the dining room, May and Misty started on the cups. Misty, realizing she couldn't get the ring wet, slipped it off, and May seemed to finally notice it.

"Is that the present Ash got you?" she asked, eyeing it carefully as Misty laid it on the counter beside her.

"Oh, the ring? Yeah…" she trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"Can I see it?"

"No! I mean, uh, sure. Here," she replied, handing it to May. Please don't read inside of it, she prayed, staring up at the ceiling as May looked it over.

"It's hard to believe Ash could pick out something so nice," she commented, laughing. "But I love the shooting star idea. Really unique." Apparently she hadn't seen the inside, and didn't really bother to check, because she gave it back without another word. Misty let out a sigh of relief.

"I know. Makes me wonder just how oblivious he really was back in the old days," she answered, passing May a soapy cup ready to rinse. May snorted.

"Yeah, he really had us fooled, didn't he?"

"Just a bit," Misty remarked, rolling her eyes. "I wonder what else he kept hidden all these years."

"Obviously his love for you," May commented, with an arbitrary tone of nonchalance. "Even though everyone else knew it was meant to be." Misty was momentarily caught off guard. She'd just said almost what Iris had said earlier. Were they really that fated to end up with each other?

Sure, it was nice to think about, but it brought on an uneasiness inside that she wasn't quite used to. Why did it make her feel so strange? She couldn't quite understand it, nor did she really want to. "Yeah…that…" she trailed off, dropping the conversation and hastily finishing up the dishes.

She quickly put the ring back on and followed May into the living room where the others were happily chattering away. About the party the night before, nonetheless. Misty's nerves were a wreck, hoping against hope that Ash would be able to keep his mouth shut about the ring. Thankfully, he did. But she couldn't say the same for Iris. Or Delia.

"The ring he got her last night was so beautiful! Completely unlike the kid to get her something like that," Iris commented dryly. Misty gave her daggers for eyes, knowing full well what she was trying to imply to the others. That something was up between Ash and Misty that no one else knew about.

"Oh yes, Ash really searched for the perfect ring for the longest time. I can't believe he kept it after all these years of not seeing her." Wait, he'd had it for years now? This was new to Misty; she'd thought he'd gotten it specifically for the previous night, but apparently he didn't.

Had he really planned on proposing before then? That's what it seemed like. She looked over at him questioningly, and he just shrugged his shoulders, sporting his sheepishly innocent grin that seemed to explain everything and nothing all at the same time. She elbowed him in the side, causing him to wince slightly. "Thanks for keeping such a big secret all this time. Why in the world didn't you just…forget it. Just forget I even said anything," she remarked, shaking her head as she buried it further into her hands.

"Why didn't I what? Give it to you sooner? Well, in case you haven't realized this, we haven't exactly spoken since we were sixteen, and God knows I couldn't do it then! And it only would've let you down in the end, like I did. And like I probably will again," he sighed, standing up to leave. "In fact, I probably shouldn't have done it. All I'll do is mess everything up again. I just…wanted you to have it now, since I couldn't give it to you all those years ago, and maybe it would finally give me a reason not to leave, not to let you down again. Like it would bind us together like nothing else can."

Everyone except Iris and Delia looked at them quizzically, not quite understanding the whole situation. As far as they knew, it was just an ordinary ring. But it had so much more meaning than that. "Ash…"

"I'm going for a walk. Maybe a bit of fresh air could help clear up a few things in my head. I'll be back soon, I promise." He kissed her forehead, and without another word, grabbed his coat and walked out the door, Pikachu following closely behind. Tears swelled in her eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to cry in front of the others.

Iris saw the pain reflected in them, and knew her idea of bringing up the ring was probably the biggest mistake she could've made. "Misty, I—"

"I'm fine, Iris," she interrupted, her voice cracking slightly. "I'll be in the guest room if anyone needs me." Choking back tears, she nearly ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her as she started to sob.

She wasn't quite sure how long she'd cried, nor how long she'd been sleeping, but the earsplitting clap of thunder was enough to disorient anyone, as far as she was concerned. It was storming outside, like it had been a few times already, but this was by far the worst yet. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked over at Iris, who'd been waiting on her to wake up this whole time. "Is Ash back yet?" The storm disturbed her in an oddly ominous way that she wasn't quite able to put her finger on, and her primary concern was to make sure he'd made it back safely.

"Not yet, Misty," Iris replied, shaking her head. "Brock, Drew, Max, and Cilan went out to look for him earlier, but came back with no luck. They have no clue where he could've run off to, or why he hasn't made it back." Yet somehow, Misty knew where he was. And she had to go find him.

"The river," she gasped, jumping up. "I have to go!"

"River? What river? And Misty, you can't go! You're pregnant and sick, remember? A storm isn't exactly the best place to be right now!"

"Iris, I have to! No one else knows where he is!" She pulled on her shoes and ran out of the room, Iris chasing after her.

"Misty, you better not walk out that door!" she threatened, waving her fist in the air.

"I'm sorry, Iris! But this is something I have to do!" Misty exclaimed, grabbing one of Delia's coats and stepping out into the pouring rain.

"Misty! Get back here!" But it was hopeless. And there was no way she'd be able to chase after her in that thunderstorm. Still, she had to do something. "Delia! Misty just left!"

"What?!" Delia wondered, wide-eyed with confusion and worry. No surprise though. She saw it coming. "Did she say where she was going?"

"She said something about a river, whatever that means," Iris mumbled, scuffing her foot against the floor.

"The river she fished Ash out of the first day of his journey. Of course that's where he'd be! Why didn't we think of it before?" Delia asked, looking over at Brock expectantly.

"Well, I didn't exactly know where it was, and neither did Cilan. You don't either, do you, Mrs. Ketchum?"

"Very vaguely, but there's no way I'd be able to find it out in this mess."

"But we can't just sit here while a pregnant girl is out there trying to save your son!" Iris growled, frustrated by the whole situation.

"There isn't much else we can do either, though, Iris. At least, not at the moment," Delia pointed out. "I'll call Professor Oak. Maybe he's heard something we haven't."

"Mrs. Ketchum!" Iris exclaimed, clawing at her hair as she tried to get a grip on everything. "I can't wait that long! I'm going to find her!" She went to grab her jacket, and was startled to feel Cilan's warm breath in her ear. She turned to face him.

"Please, don't try to stop me," she muttered, not wanting to make eye contact for fear of what she would find in those bright green orbs.

"I'm not, Iris. I'm coming with you," he answered, wrapping his arms around her. "Sitting around and hoping for them to come back isn't going to help anyone. And as much as Delia acts like it's a bad idea, I'm sure she'd be doing the same thing you are if she was able to. But we're just going to have to do it for her. For everyone."

"But…we don't even know where to look," Iris realized, breaking the embrace and burying her face in her hands. "How in the world can we help like that?"

"You didn't think you were leaving me behind, did you?" she heard a voice ask from across the room.

"Brock!"

"And me!" Max exclaimed, walking over to her. "Drew would come to, but May's asleep and he's taking care of the baby."

"Understandable. Besides, we already have a wonderful mixture of a search party! Now, we'd best get going before the storm picks up anymore," Cilan remarked, handing everyone their coats and heading for the door. "We'll be back soon, Mrs. Ketchum!" And, without waiting for a reply, they rushed out into the eye of the storm.

"Pika! Pi pi pi!" Pikachu was in a panic. Ash had been swept away by the river, and there was simply no way to reach his trainer without suffering the same fate. He wanted to run for help, but there were no houses or people around for miles.

And even if he could find someone, without any equipment or Water Pokémon to rescue him with, there wouldn't be very much they could do. "Pikachu! Go get Misty!" Ash had screamed, but his voice was drowned out by the violent waters he was currently captive of. He'd managed to grab hold of a lone branch, but there was no telling how much longer it could hold him before he would be swept away again.

Time was slowly ticking away, precious time that was vital to saving Ash's life. "Pika!" Pikachu shrieked, praying that someone would hear his desperate pleas for help. "Pika pi!" Pikachu ran around frantically, shouting as loud as a little electric mouse can, searching for any possible way of helping its trainer while it still could.

"Ash!" he heard a voice scream in the distance. It couldn't be who he thought it was…could it? What was she doing out here in the middle of a hurricane?

"Pi!" it called out in reply.

"Pikachu? Pikachu! Where's Ash?" she screamed back, running as fast as she could toward the Pokémon.

"Pi pi pi!" it replied, pointing at the river that had almost completely engulfed his poor trainer, his best friend.

"Ash! Ash, I'm here!" Misty gasped, rushing over to the water's edge.

"Pi pi pikachu!" Pikachu shook its head, tugging at her to come back before the current swallowed her up too.

"Pikachu, let go! I can do this!" But she knew she couldn't. Not in the condition she was in. Not without sacrificing her own life, not to mention her unborn child's.

And she probably wouldn't make it anyway. She crumpled to the ground, feeling more helpless and defeated than she ever had in her entire life. Pikachu nudged her, pulling at the only Poké Ball in her belt loop. Staryu. She almost forgot about it.

Maybe all hope wasn't totally lost. "Staryu, I choose you!" She tossed it in the air, releasing the only Pokémon her mother had ever owned for the first time in years. She prayed that Staryu could still handle the currents like it used to when she was little, when her mother was still alive. The Starshape Pokémon faced her expectantly, awaiting its trainer's order.

"Staryu, Ash got swept away in the river! Do you see where he is?" Staryu looked over at where Misty was pointing, and nodded for her to keep going. "I want you to go get him for me! That branch isn't going to hold him much longer, I'm afraid!"

And no sooner than she said that did the branch finally snap. "Hurry, Staryu!" It spun into the water, skidding and dancing across the waves with an ease that comes from years of hard practice and a lifetime at sea. Misty slumped against a tree nearby, begging with everything inside of her for him to be okay. Pikachu jumped into her lap, letting her act as a sort of shield from the storm slowly enveloping them, swallowing them whole.

"Pi pi pi," Pikachu murmured, nuzzling against Misty's neck. She could feel his tears glistening against her skin, and knew she was on the verge of shedding quite a few herself. She cradled Pikachu close, unable to watch the events unfolding before her any longer. Hearing Staryu's cry, she turned to face the Pokémon, and saw that it was at the shoreline, grasping a limp and completely unconscious Ash. She stood, running over to Staryu and laying his frail body gingerly onto the ground.

"Ash, Ash, wake up!" she screamed, but already knew it was no use. She'd have to do CPR if she wanted him to live. "Pikachu, I'll take it from here. Go back to the house; make sure they know where we are! And make sure Mrs. Ketchum knows to call 9-1-1, ASAP!" As much as Pikachu hated leaving its trainer's side, it knew that it was no time to ask questions or push a single button of Misty's.

It ran off, using what sense of direction it had to guide itself back through the woods. Misty had become radioactive; naturally intent on saving the one person's life that mattered more to her than life itself, working relentlessly until she was certain he'd make it. Two breaths, thirty compressions, check for pulse, repeat. After nearly six minutes of repetition, she finally heard him stir. She pushed down once more, and didn't even have to look up to know he'd regained consciousness.

He coughed up excessive amounts of water, choking on it as it tried making its way back down his throat. "Ash! You're okay!" she exclaimed, tackling him in an Ursaring-hug as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Slap! He rubbed his cheek, wondering what exactly he'd done this time to deserve such abuse.

"You had me scared half to death, Ash Ketchum! Don't you ever do that to me again! You almost died, Ash!" His eyes widened in disbelief, but there was no denying the truth of the matter. She smiled, thankful that he'd survived such insurmountable odds yet again, and captured him in another ferocious Ursaring-hug.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes briefly met his, and the passion in them was undeniable. His lips crashed into hers, touching with spark and force the likes of which she'd never felt before. Gary's sweet caresses and loving touches couldn't even hope to compare to the fire she was feeling. Just being with Ash was enough to set her soul aflame, but this was enough to engulf her entire sense of self, had they not been fleetingly interrupted by their incoming rescuers. "Ash! Misty!" Iris called, and she immediately broke away from their kiss.

"Over here!" she replied, waving her arm in the air.

"Oh, thank Arceus we found you!" Iris exclaimed, running over to meet them, Cilan, Brock, Max, and Pikachu following closely behind. She hugged Misty and slapped Ash's other cheek, scolding him for leaving like he did and not coming back. "You know better than that! Don't you ever do that again, Ash Ketchum! Your mother is worried sick!"

"Nice to see you too, Iris," Ash answered, rubbing his cheek.

"Oh please, you're such a kid," Iris retorted, glaring back at him.

"Hey, you are who your friends are, right?" he smirked, shrugging his shoulders. Iris raised an eyebrow, and if looks could kill, he'd have already been six feet under by the time she turned away. The loudest clap of thunder interrupted their reunion, letting them all know that it was time to head back home.

"Staryu, return!" Misty called as the Pokémon went back inside its Poké Ball. "Come on, you guys! We've got to get going!" The others nodded, following her lead as they ran away from the river and back toward his house.

"Oh, Ash, I was so worried about you! Where have you been?" Delia asked, hugging her son as he walked through the door.

"Well, Mom, I uh, had a little accident," he replied, staring down at his feet.

"An accident? What kind of accident?"

"Oh, nothing really…" he trailed off, scuffing his foot against the floor. Delia raised an eyebrow, letting him know she meant business. "I kind of…fell."

"Mhmm?" she murmured, gesturing for him to go on.

"Into…the river." Mrs. Ketchum stared up at him, wild eyed in disbelief.

"You what?"

"I fell in the river, Mom. It's no big deal. I came out just fine."

"Says the boy who almost died tonight," Iris muttered, glowering over at him.

"No need for any reminders, Iris," he scowled, saying her name slightly more acidic than he'd intended. She rolled her eyes and glanced over at Misty, who looked like she was on the verge of passing out.

"You okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Misty.

"Oh, me? Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel kind of tired, I guess," she replied, yawning. Right before she fainted straight into Ash's arms.