A knock on the door to the place startled all of its occupants.
Most of the time people in the low-income side of Petalburg City just barged in and did whatever they wanted.
Drew found the door opened and a barrel of a black finished pistol stuck out. Behind it was a rather burly man that passed as hired muscle.
"What do you want?" He coldly asked.
"I'm here to see Harley." Drew tried to mask his nervousness, something that wasn't easily concealable with a gun to his face.
"Who's Harley?"
"Relax," Another voice rang out from somewhere behind, "I know who he is."
The man tucked the gun back into his jacket and stood aside.
Harley was bigger than Drew expected, tall and lean, nearly six and a half feet and his malicious face could set even the most cynical players in shivers.
"What can I do for you?"
The voice dripped with raw malice and contempt making him wonder what kind of childhood had to be traumatic enough to turn a man who looked to be barely thirty into a twisted, evil human being. He was responsible for murders all across the country as his Syndicate firmly gripped Hoenn's growing underworld.
For once he actually felt a little appreciative for Ash and his team in their part of gradually kicking these dirtbags out.
But now here he was, ousted from his inheritance from taking the mantle of Maple Software because his fiancée began to fuck with some low life soldier! She owed him! Norman owed him! He had worked all these years to ascend to the throne and it was snatched away just when it was inches within his grasp. He knew that once he started down this darker and more treacherous path that it was a point of no return. Her fantasy of a perfect boyfriend was the beginning of the undoing and destruction of all he had worked for. The humiliation was almost embarrassing when people offered sympathetic looks to him, believing that he was the true loser.
This was why he was here in the first place, to exact his revenge and make sure that Norman and May were hurting.
At least the head of the company was still in rather good terms with Drew. Norman was left depressed and it continued when it was clear that May had no intentions of returning back home.
There was even a time where he was ready to embrace Ash in their relationship. Then Drew stepped in and reminded him that losing May was completely the Commando's doing and while it couldn't bring her back, it highlighted the problem front and center. This was enough to cast off the thought of reconciliation and focus on Ash again.
Drew saw it as the perfect opportunity to step right in and claim his rightful place as the inheritor of Maple Software. Norman was in talks to sell the company when he retired and the former deal he had signed with his "protégé" was no longer on the table.
He couldn't kill off Norman because that would instead relay control to May, his eldest child. She had the free will to name the successor and he knew he would be the first one fired. So now it was time to take the matter into his own hands and set up a path that would lead Drew right to the front office and to the top.
But he knew that once he crossed the threshold, there was no turning back.
He held out his arms as one of the thugs gave him a pat down. They seemed to take their security seriously despite his multiple claims that he had no weapon.
Harley led him through the seedy building and he tried his best not the make a face at the looks of it. The fact that an acrid smell seemed to permeate his body didn't help. He tried his best not to cough or take deep breaths.
"Why don't we sit at a table?" Drew requested. That way he would get the least amount of foreign things on his rather expensive suit. He was hoping to meet Harley somewhere else, but after receiving directions on the road, he had no idea it would be here of all places.
"Fair enough." He sat at the far side of a table next to a bar. The surface looked wooden, although someone had carved things into it and it was revealing rather thick layers of residue on its surface.
"So the greatest wedding of the year was called off." Harley studied him for a moment, "So I've heard. I imagine you are here because you want to do something about it?"
"I have some work that needs to get done and I feel that you and your group are the only ones that can do something like this."
"What's in it for me?"
"Name your price."
He raised an eyebrow, "I take it this is something you don't want to get your hands dirty with? Then let's go with something like five million with additional expenses if necessary."
Drew nodded, knowing that he was willing to dish out quadruple that and once he was the head of Maple Software, a five million payment would be like a church donation for him, "Done."
"That easy huh?" He mused before leaning forward, "I'm listening."
"Good," Drew smiled for the first time since meeting the man, "I have some interesting work that you and your men are experts at and it'll keep you guys on the street for a long long time."
Brendan brought the food inside as Zinnia and Aster began to set the table, the latter of the two humming a child's tune. Her mother hummed along as she put placemats and plates down before accepting the little girl's handfuls of forks. There were four adult sets and one bright orange smaller plate with a salad fork instead.
Dinner was served and everyone happily ate, keeping conversation cheerful. In the end, they all ate their fill and settled for Ash's brownie pie with some ice cream.
Night began to fall and soon enough in mid conversation, Aster had tried to get May and Ash's attention several times before she slowed movements and fell soundly asleep. Brendan stood up and quietly carried her to her room.
They both chuckled, "Aster's been doing good in breaking the habit of sucking her thumb." Zinnia claimed.
"She takes after her father," Brendan sheepishly grinned, "And somehow I think the other three are going to do the same?"
"Planning for four children?"
"Yup," Zinnia scooted closer to Brendan to hold his hand, "We're in this together, all three of us right now."
"Zinnia, it's been bugging me," May said, "But you told me you couldn't have four kids. Why's that?"
Both husband and wife looked at one another before he spoke up. "I'm partially infertile."
"What?"
"You heard right,"
"Why do I feel like I'm at a gynecologist session right now?" May asked.
"It's probably the beer," Ash answered, causing the four of them to laugh.
Decker turned serious, "She is not the problem…I am." He took a deep breath, "Six months after Zinnia and I got married, she was pregnant with Aster. I was deployed with the Navy to rescue a cargo ship stranded off the coast of LaRousse with armed insurgents aboard in a hijacking. It was a simple raid, kill or capture all the tangos and secure the cargo. However as we're boarding, the terrorists had been buying themselves time negotiating by loading the air filters with nerve gas. As soon as we were onboard, it was released and we had gotten our masks on in time, but it was too late to save anyone else."
He drank his beer, "So we fought our way up to the bridge, the last room that wasn't cleared and we get into a heated gunbattle with at least four targets. In the middle of that, I was struck by a chair."
"A chair?"
"One of the tangos tossed it to distract us and it hit me directly in the face. The impact took the mask right off and I was exposed to the gas for about ten seconds before someone else had put on my spare. I was rushed to the hospital and eventually made a full recovery, but the gas had done permanent damage already."
He took a deep breath, "The exposure partially sterilized me and instead of a full fertility rate, I have about a forty percent chance of conceiving successfully."
"I see."
"I told Zinnia that I might not be able to live up to what her destiny had entailed, but she has refused to leave me."
"Draconids mate for life," She leaned into her husband, "And he's still my husband. We'll have kids, or die trying."
"The thing that worries us both is the fact that my job is dangerous." Brendan added.
Zinnia nodded, "It's not easy being married to someone who uses guns for work every day, but we just have to get through it day by day," Absentmindedly, she looked over at Aster's room, "For her sake."
"It's getting late," Ash said, "May has class tomorrow and we," He looked over at Brendan, "Have work."
The four of them stood up as the host and his wife escorted them out the door.
"May," Zinnia breathed, "Here's my number, if you ever need anything…just call me or Brendan. If Ash can't help you…we can."
"Thanks," May said, feeling grateful that more of Ash's friends were warming up to her. In all, they seemed like a loosely put together family and they were close.
As they drove off, Brendan and Zinnia waved, waiting outside on the cool night until the car turned the corner to disappear from their sight.
"They're good for each other," She said. Looking up at him, she only saw him nod in agreement.
"He's very protective of her…kind of reminds you of us. Yes?"
"Very much. Still does." She chuckled and nuzzled close to him, "How about we go upstairs and get ready for bed."
"I'm fine with that," Brendan raised an eyebrow, "Why you have something in mind?"
"Let me show you." He was grabbed by the shirt and didn't resist as his wife pulled him back inside their house.
"May, are you sure you don't want to go back to your house?" Ash asked as they pulled into his driveway.
"No. I don't think my father is going to support me anymore."
"He still does. After all the only people he has left in his life are you and Max."
"But he hates you,"
"Some people are driven by hate despite all evidence," Ash explained, "And they can be hard to persuade otherwise, but May, he's still your father."
She nodded.
"So," He said brightening the subject, "Skydiving tomorrow?"
"I thought you said you have work?"
"I do," He smiled, "But one of the trainers in a HALO course called in sick and I'm replacing him."
"So we're going to jump out of an army plane?"
"Yes, is that alright?"
"What if I don't want to do it?"
"I'll stand with you May. Although I think you want to see this through. Am I right?"
"Yes," She confidently said, leaning into him for a kiss, "I'm here to follow you anywhere."
I've always wanted to go skydiving, so maybe that's what I'll do for my bachelor party...maybe.
Thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.