Hi all! Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who is still reading this fic! I hope y'all are enjoying it C:

Chapter 9

"Ash!"

No sooner do the doors to the Lumiose Gym slide open than a brown and blonde blur speeds out and throws itself at Ash's waist, encircling arms squeezing in a tight hug.

"Bonnie!" Ash exclaims, eyes going wide with surprise. He looks down at the young girl clinging to him and then at the Pikachu in his arms, before sending a pleading look in Clemont's direction. "Clemont, could you –?" the robot asks apologetically, gesturing for him to hold Pikachu for him for a moment. Clemont hurriedly puts down both the umbrella and box of sandwiches to take Pikachu gently from Ash. With Pikachu now safely taken care of, Ash sinks to his knees and wraps Bonnie in a tight hug of his own.

"Ash, you're back!" Bonnie says, her voice muffled by Ash's shirt. There's a pang in Ash's chest when he realises how teary her voice sounds. It's worse when she leans back to look at him with worry – it's the same expression Clemont had worn when he had seen Ash for the first time after their fight.

"I'm home," he agrees, smiling at her. The guilt in his chest lightens when he sees a small answering smile flicker to life, relief washing away some of the worry from before.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Bonnie beams. "We were really worried about you! Everyone looked, but we couldn't find you anywhere."

Ash winces, remembering again how exhausted and anxious Clemont had been when he had shown up at his father's shop, that he'd been so worried about him that he'd gone searching out in the middle of a storm for him, without an umbrella or any of his inventions to keep him dry. "I'm sorry," he says again, looking at Bonnie but speaking to the both of them. "I didn't mean to make you both worry so much, I wasn't thinking. I'm really, really sorry."

"Don't do it again," Bonnie scolds him and wraps her arms around Ash in another tight hug. Ash doesn't see the pointed look Bonnie shoots her brother when Bonnie continues, "I'm sorry Clemont was mean to you! Did he apologise properly?"

"Bonnie!" Clemont protests, trying to keep his voice quiet to avoid waking Pikachu.

Ash huffs a laugh. "We both did. Don't be mad at your brother, Bonnie, the whole thing was my fault. It was just a misunderstanding." Bonnie eyes them both and then nods. Ash ruffles her hair, a fond smile on his face. I didn't realise just how much I could end up hurting them. I'm sorry, guys, I never meant to hurt either of you.

Bonnie looks down at the ground and Ash's hand stills. "Bonnie? What's wrong?" he asks, setting his hands on her shoulders.

She fidgets for a few moments, fingers twisting in the sleeves of his shirt as she stares at the ground. Ash darts a questioning glance at Clemont behind him, but he can only shrug helplessly. Eventually though, a mumble escapes. "You promised you wouldn't go away again, but you did."

Ash blinks, taken aback. When did I…? Realisation strikes. The workshop, after his redesign. He had meant it then; still meant it, in fact. He didn't intend to go anywhere soon. Ash just hadn't thought his leaving the Tower unannounced for a short time would count as actually 'leaving'. Still, I did promise that, didn't I? He glances towards Clemont again, wondering if his friend has any advice, but Clemont just looks sad. When he notices Ash looking at him however, the sadness disappears and he gestures towards Bonnie frantically. Talk to her!

I hope I don't mess this up… "Bonnie, I'm sorry," Ash says, prepared to say it as many times as it takes for his family to stop looking so sad. "I was angry before and I thought it might help if I wasn't around anyone for a while. There are times when you just want to be alone, right?"

Bonnie nods. Ash gives her a reassuring smile and continues in a serious tone. "But no matter how angry or sad I get, even if I want to be on my own for a bit, I'll always want to come back to where you both are. Always, no matter what," he adds fiercely. "Don't think for a moment that I'll ever leave either of you behind. The Tower is my home and the two of you are my family. I love being here, with you both." Ash hesitates for a second before continuing. "I may be only a robot, so I dunno how real it is, but…" He trails off with a self-conscious laugh, ducking his head and rubbing the back of it with a hand. "I – I love you both."

Ash looks up, beaming, only for his smile to falter when he realises that there are tears in Bonnie's eyes. He twists round in a panic, looking to Clemont for some kind of clue as to what he's done wrong… except that Clemont is looking suspiciously watery-eyed as well. "W-whoa, woah, why are you both crying?!" Ash says frantically, bewildered. "Was it something I said?! I'm sorry!" What did I say wrong? They're crying, that means I hurt their feelings, right? I need to fix this somehow, they're not supposed to be sad –

His frantic thoughts are cut off abruptly when Bonnie throws her arms around his neck and hugs him with all of her might. "Ah – Bonnie?" Ash asks, still bewildered. He feels Clemont step closer and then the older blond is kneeling down beside him to wrap an arm around him in a careful hug that is nevertheless just as strong as his sister's. "Clemont…?"

"We love you too, Ash!" Bonnie tells him, a wide beaming smile on her face when she pulls back. Clemont makes a noise of agreement, his face buried against Ash's shoulder.

"But…you're crying?" Ash says uncertainly. "That's… not good, right?"

Bonnie giggles. "We're not crying 'cause we're sad, silly! These are happy tears!"

"Happy… tears?" the robot repeats slowly, nonplussed. His brows furrow as he thinks this over, clearly not quite understanding. Clemont decides to help him out.

"We're just really happy that you're a part of our family," Clemont explains, flashing Ash a brilliant smile when the robot glances toward him.

"And we're happy cause you love us and we love you!" Bonnie adds, her smile just as bright as her brother's.

Ash blinks, looking between the two of them before he brightens, an answering grin spreading across his own face. "Oh, okay, I get it!" With a laugh, he wraps one arm around Bonnie and reaches blindly behind him to wrap the other around Clemont's waist, hugging them both to him happily. He can hear Bonnie's joyous giggle as she and her brother return the hug; feels Clemont's chuckle against his shoulder as his friend rests his chin there.

My family, Ash thinks, feeling warm.

The three of them stay tangled up in their hug for a while, drawing comfort from each other after the scares of the day. None of them want to let go, although Clemont does so reluctantly when he feels Pikachu shifting around in his other arm. He doesn't want to risk Pikachu waking up and loosing a Thunderbolt on all of them just because the wrong person is holding him. Ash stands up, accepting Pikachu back into his arms and the electric Pokémon snuggles into the robot's chest almost immediately. Ash huffs a laugh; he and Clemont share an amused look before Ash looks down at the Pikachu in his arms fondly.

"Ah! A Pikachu!" Bonnie's eyes light up at the sight of the small yellow Pokémon cradled in Ash's arms. Ash and Clemont both make shushing noises, waving frantically for her to keep her voice down lest she wake the sleeping Pokémon. Chagrined, Bonnie lowers her voice to a whisper. "It's a Pikachu! Can I hold it?"

She's practically bouncing on her toes in excitement as she asks and Ash feels bad for having to refuse her. "Sorry, Bonnie, but you can't at the moment."

Bonnie pouts, folding her arms across her chest. "Why not? I'll be gentle, I promise!"

Clemont crouches down beside her. "Bonnie, you remember the Pikachu we met in the flower garden, right?" At her nod, he continues. "This is the same Pikachu; Ash rescued him from some bad people during the storm. But Pikachu is hurt and he's scared and he doesn't really want anyone but Ash touching him at the moment."

"Oh…" Bonnie looks upset. "Is Pikachu gonna be okay? You can make him all better, right, Clemont?"

Clemont smiles, laying a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "With a few days of rest, Pikachu should be fine. Papa helped patch him up, after all."

Bonnie breathes a big sigh of relief. "Thank goodness!" She stands on tip-toe to see Pikachu better; Ash leans down a little bit so that she can get a better look. It's easy to see how much she wants to pat Pikachu's fur, but she doesn't reach out. "Do you think I can hold him when he gets better then?" she asks hopefully.

Ash and Clemont share a glance. "I don't know," Clemont replies honestly. "That depends on how Pikachu feels about it." Bonnie's shoulders slump, but she nods in acceptance.

"Cheer up, Bonnie!" Ash tells her, ruffling her hair. "I'm sure you guys will be great friends soon enough!"

Bonnie brightens. "Yeah!" she replies happily and looks back towards Pikachu. "Pikachu, get better soon, okay?" Pikachu mumbles something in his sleep and curls in further towards Ash's body. Bonnie giggles, settling back down on her feet.

"I'll introduce you guys properly when Pikachu wakes up," Ash promises.

"Yay!" Bonnie cheers, throwing her hands into the air in excitement, only to clap hands over her mouth sheepishly a second later. Luckily, Pikachu seems to be in a deep slumber and doesn't wake up. "Sorry!" she whispers.

Ash chuckles. "It's okay, Bonnie, no harm done."

Clemont retrieves the umbrella and box of sandwiches he'd set down earlier and the three of them head towards their apartment above the Gym. "Oh, Papa says hi, by the way," Clemont tells Bonnie as they walk. "Were you okay on your own? Have you had lunch yet?"

Bonnie's stomach rumbles at the mention of food and the three of them laugh. "I'll take that as a no," Clemont chuckles. "Papa gave us some sandwiches to bring back for you. Sorry it took so long to come back though…"

"It's okay!" Bonnie chirps, skipping up the stairs. "Running around in the rain isn't good for you or Ash!"

Almost right on cue, a sneeze escapes Clemont instead of the reply he was about to make. Ash hides his quiet snickering behind the back of a hand; Bonnie doesn't even bother. Ash's eyes are bright with laughter when Clemont glances towards him and even though the inventor shakes his head in bemusement at the two of them, he can't help the quiet grin spreading across his own face.

My family.

/\/\/\

Once upstairs, Bonnie refuses to let Ash out of her sight for the rest of the night and drags him around by the hand when she wants to go somewhere. Ash doesn't mind; after all, he knows he gave his family quite the scare today and frankly, it's comforting having them nearby. He notices Clemont is hovering more than usual as well, although he's not as obvious as his sister about it. Clemont keeps sneaking glances at him when he thinks Ash isn't looking, as though checking that the robot is indeed still there. Ash gets a bit worried around dinnertime when Clemont still seems to be concentrating more on him rather than the knife he's using to cut up vegetables, so much so that he ends up shooing Clemont to a different part of the kitchen and takes over cutting up the food himself. I may not be able to cook, but I can at least chop stuff up!

They introduce Bonnie to Pikachu when the electric Pokémon wakes up just in time for dinner – ' Pikachu, this is Clemont's little sister Bonnie; she's really good at looking after Clemont's Pokémon. Bonnie, this is Pikachu. He's a bit wary of people at the moment, so make sure you give him some space, alright?' – and predictably, Pikachu spends most of the introduction using Ash as a shield, although he waves hesitantly over Ash's shoulder. That seems good enough for Bonnie, who grins widely and waves back enthusiastically.

Despite the events of the day, dinner is much the same as normal – full of conversation and laughter – with the exception of the newest addition to their small family. Pikachu maintains a careful distance from the siblings throughout dinner and stays close to Ash's side, although he eats the food that Clemont sets out for him readily enough. When the last crumb of food is gone, Pikachu curls up in Ash's lap and falls asleep almost instantly, despite the chatter going on over his head. Ash runs a hand over Pikachu's fur gently, pleased that his newest friend seems to be doing alright after such a harrowing battle earlier.

"Is Pikachu asleep?"

Ash looks up, to find that Clemont has finished eating and pushed aside his plate to lean on the table. "Yeah," he replies. "It looks like a pretty deep sleep though; I don't think we'll wake him up."

Clemont nods. "Pikachu took a lot of damage in the battle you both had, so it makes sense," he reasons. "He'll probably sleep a lot for the next few days while his body recovers."

"Oh…" Ash looks down at Pikachu and sighs. "A few days, huh?"

"Don't worry, Ash!" Bonnie pipes up cheerfully. "With all three of us looking after him, Pikachu will be better in no time!"

Ash chuckles. "Thanks, Bonnie. I'm sure Pikachu will appreciate it." You see, Pikachu? he thinks, looking down at the small Pokémon nestled in his lap. You don't need to be afraid of these guys. They'll take good care of you, just like they take good care of me!

Clemont waves Ash away when the robot makes a move to help him clear away the dishes, pointing out that Pikachu will likely wake up if Ash gets up. Instead, Bonnie retrieves a pack of cards and tries to teach Ash a new card game as Clemont washes up. They play a few rounds with much giggling; Clemont joins them once the dishes are done and proves himself to be a fairly decent player.

When Clemont notices Bonnie starting to yawn, he suggests they call it a night and resolutely does his best to ignore the double pout directed his way in response. Ash trails behind the two of them as they get ready for bed, Pikachu curled up safely in his arms.

"I think there's a spare blanket in the linen closet," Clemont tells him, gesturing in the direction of said closet with his toothbrush. "For Pikachu, that is," he adds when Ash looks at him blankly. "It's best to keep him warm, especially after being out in the rain all day."

"Ah, right!" Ash disappears out the door, Pikachu still cradled in his arms. A second later, however, he pokes his head back inside. "Make sure you stay warm too then, okay, Clemont?"

"I will," Clemont promises, hiding a smile. Ash nods, satisfied that Clemont is looking after himself, and disappears again.

Beside him, Bonnie finishes cleaning her teeth and looks up at him. "Clemont, can I stay with you tonight?" she asks softly. "I don't want to be by myself."

"Of course," Clemont replies instantly, blinking in surprise. I probably should have seen this coming… it's still storming outside and Bonnie hates thunder. Not to mention that we all had a big scare today. If Clemont was being honest with himself, he could use the comfort of company tonight as well.

"It's not because I'm scared or anything!" Bonnie insists. "But someone's got to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get sick overnight after getting so wet!"

Clemont chuckles, ruffling her hair. "Thanks, Bonnie."

Ash barely blinks when he returns with the extra blanket wrapped around Pikachu to find both siblings curled up under the covers of Clemont's bed – it's not the first time Bonnie has been too upset to sleep on her own, after all. Clemont is sitting up, leaning against the headboard as he flips through a book spread open on his lap, while Bonnie is already snug under the blankets with only her eyes and nose visible. She pokes her head up out of her cocoon of blankets when she spies Ash at the door. "Ash!" she says enthusiastically and pats the bed on the side not currently occupied by Clemont. "Clemont's gonna read us a story! Come sit here!"

Ash eyes the space between the wall and Bonnie dubiously. "I'll wake you both up trying to get off the bed later though…"

Bonnie giggles. "Of course you won't, silly! You can sleep here with us!"

"Huh?" Both Ash and Clemont say at the same time, startled.

"But Bonnie, Ash doesn't need to sleep…" Not that Clemont minds sharing, of course – even if three really will make a crowd – but surely Ash will get bored staying here while they sleep.

"Doesn't matter!" Bonnie insists, a stubborn look on her face. "Please, Ash?"

She turns pleading eyes on Ash, who falters slightly. It seems Bonnie is still afraid of letting him out of her sight,on the off-chance that he'll disappear again. He looks to Clemont; it's his bed, after all. Staying put while Clemont and Bonnie sleep will be kind of boring, but Ash is willing to put up with the boredom if it helps comfort Bonnie and convince her that he isn't planning on leaving any time soon.

Clemont makes a face at his stubborn sister and then sighs. "Sorry, Ash, I don't think we can talk her out of this…" He shrugs a little at the robot, trying to convey 'I don't mind if you do, but it's up to you' in response to Ash's unspoken question.

Ash's face brightens and he laughs. "Ah, it's okay! I don't mind." Sudden enthusiasm lights up his eyes. "I've never slept before! I've always wondered what it's like…"

Clemont hides a smile as Bonnie cheers at achieving her goal. "It's very refreshing?" he offers. It's always rather endearing to watch Ash get excited about mundane human things – first food, now sleep. Ash always looks a little disappointed that he can't eat things the way they do, like he's missing out on a valuable experience, so Clemont tries to think of a way to explain sleep to the robot in a way that Ash will understand. "It's mainly a chance for the body to recover and recharge."

Ash's eyes light up in understanding. "Ohhh, like how I have to recharge my batteries sometimes?"

Clemont nods. "It's much the same. Humans can't recharge off electricity though, so we have to sleep when we're tired instead… but you always feel good after a good night's rest!"

"And sometimes you dream!" Bonnie adds. Ash looks confused, so Clemont tries to explain the concept of dreams to the robot as well. Does Ash dream? Clemont wonders as he talks. He doesn't sleep like we do, and I don't know if recharging really counts as 'sleep'… but then again, he has hopes. Dreams for the future. Imagination. Ash is already so much like a person, who's to say he wouldn't dream if he slept?

"Huh, sounds like fun!" Ash comments when Clemont finishes explaining, looking interested. "I'm gonna try it!" The robot starts to climb onto the bed before remembering Pikachu, still held in his arms. "Ah, I have to keep an eye on Pikachu though…"

"There's enough room for Pikachu too," Clemont tells him kindly. He might be stretching the truth a bit – the bed is only barely going to fit the three of them – but he doesn't want to dampen both Ash and Bonnie's excitement.

Ash glances over the bed, hesitates, and then holds Pikachu out to Clemont. "Sorry, could you…?"

"Of course!" Clemont lays down his book to accept the small bundle of blanket and Pikachu from Ash. Pikachu twitches in his sleep and Clemont freezes, worried that he's woken him, but Pikachu just grumbles quietly and tucks his tail closer in towards his body. Clemont breathes out a quiet sigh of relief.

With Pikachu safe in Clemont's arms, Ash is free to kick off his shoes (he's noticed that neither Clemont nor Bonnie seem to wear shoes to bed, but socks seem to be alright). He hesitates a moment, realising he doesn't have anything like the special clothes Clemont and Bonnie seem to sleep in, but ends up mentally shrugging and yanking his shirt over his head, leaving his undershirt on. I guess that'll do.

"Won't you get cold?" Bonnie asks curiously as Ash climbs carefully onto the bed, doing his best to avoid crawling over the top of any stray limbs and settles down between Bonnie and the wall. Ash laughs in response, stretching his arms out to Clemont to take Pikachu back.

"Thanks, Clemont. Bonnie, I'm a robot, remember? Cold doesn't bother me," Ash grins. Clemont passes him a spare pillow; half of it is immediately claimed as Pikachu's bed as Ash sets the sleeping Pokémon down softly. "Sleep well, buddy," he says quietly, running a hand over Pikachu's fur before looking at Bonnie expectantly. "Now what?"

"You get under the covers and Clemont reads us a bedtime story!" Bonnie says, enthusiastic. At that, Ash scrambles under the blankets and Clemont has two pairs of eager eyes staring at him expectantly. Clemont can't help the indulgent smile that spreads across his face at the sight and he rifles quickly through the pages of the storybook in front of him to hide it.

"Once upon a time, in a faraway valley…"

As Clemont reads on, Ash feels small fingers curl around one of his hands. He blinks in bemusement, only getting a wide grin for explanation, but he lets Bonnie keep a hold of his hand. She's captured one of her brother's hands as well, not that Clemont seems to mind at all. Her grip on his hand never wavers, even as Clemont finishes up the story and Ash realises with some surprise that Bonnie has fallen asleep, a smile on her face as she hugs their hands to her chest. Her brother smiles softly, leaning down to give her a good night kiss on the forehead.

When he straightens, he sends a look of concern in Ash's direction. "Are you going to be alright?" Clemont asks as he places the book on the bedside table. "I'm not sure if you'll actually be able to sleep…"

"It's okay, I don't mind staying here anyway if I can't," Ash says with a shrug. Clemont looks like he wants to say more but a large yawn cuts off anything he might say quite effectively. Clemont nods instead, reaching over to turn off the bedside lamp and shuffling down under the covers.

"Goodnight Ash," he hears Clemont mumble, the words fading into the slow and steady breathing of deep sleep. Ash's mouth twitches in a small smile.

"'Night, Clemont. 'Night Bonnie. 'Night Pikachu," he whispers, closing his own eyes. Ash has no idea either whether he's even capable of sleeping, but if not, Ash is quite happy to watch over his family as they sleep and recharge.

Thanks for reading! C: