Oh my gosh! I'm updating! No way! Sorry about the last chapter. I was going to hold off but... I guess I'm getting my inspiration. And thank you for your reviews in the last "chapter". I sincerely appreciated them. I'm in a major rush, because I'm going out of town so I didn't look over this to much. I'm sorrry if Alexi's character annoys anybody through the next little bit. So without further ado, I hope you enjo this chapter! It's a long one!

Love asks me no questions,
And gives me endless support...
by William Shakespeare

http: / / www . youtube . com / watch ? v9VoFc-VFp2c

"Well? Where is he?"

"Sir, we have yet to find him."

A man rose from his chair and walked towards the grunt. "Don't you have some sort of locator?"

"Well, yes. But-"

"But?"

"He…He sabotaged it."

"Impossible." The man hissed through clenched teeth. "You told me it was impossible."

"Um. A-Apparently not." The grunt muttered.

The man paused in his stride and turned his gaze away, apparently working out something. "And where is the boy?"

"Which-"

"Obviously you don't know where he is, so it would be the one placed there wouldn't it?" the man whispered acidly.

"Oh. Uh- yes sir. Um…" the grunt pulled a clipboard into his line of vision. "School. I-I think."

The grunt's superior turned to him and turned his neck slightly to the side sharply in a questioning manner. "Tell me something. Are you a grunt or a test subject?"

The grunt blinked in confusion at the obvious question, but wisely chose to answer it. "Um. I'm a grunt… sir."

"Then why do you sound like a test subject on his way to a deadly operation?"

The grunt stiffened considerably.

"Is there something you would like to tell me?"

The grunt shook his head, and then quickly straitened his posture. "No sir."

"Then get yourself a spine… or what's left of it will be removed. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now leave. I want the child by tomorrow. Make sure that everyone in your department knows that."

"Yes sir."

Makaila retired to her bed, tired but not yet ready to fall asleep. She sat on the edge of her bed for few minutes, staring strait ahead. And then her mind wandered to the curious lump on her neighbor's window. Would it still be there? She rose and walked to her window. The lump wasn't there. She had imagined it.

A very audible scrape caught her attention and she looked out her window, to the side of her own roof.

Her eyes widened at the face staring strait back at her. A very familiar face.

Wide blue eyes stared back at her. "You're that boy…." She muttered in shock. "What are you doing on my roof?"

The boy backed up slightly, but did not leave. Then again, where did he have to go?

Makaila started to crawl onto the roof but saw his hands lift from beneath him, as if he was going to reach out to her, but then his hands went back down. She hesitated, and then dropped back to the safety of her room. "Who are you?" she finally asked. "Where do you go to school? Why are you on my roof? Who are you?"

The boy just stared innocently at her, and it was at this point she realized that he had never said anything to her. She looked at his neck, surprised to see a wound unattended to. "Those boys today. They hurt you."

The boy stared at her for a moment then nodded.

"Why did you run when my parents came?"

His gaze flitted to his feet, supporting to himself on the gentle slopping roof, then went back up to her as he shrugged slightly.

She let out a small huff of air, slightly frustrated with him. "So why are you on my roof?"

He smiled lightly but the smile looked forced, as if he weren't used to putting it on his face. He blinked and then reached into his pocket, bringing out a necklace and handed it to her.

Makaila took it and squinted her eyes to see it in through the dark. The necklace was clear as if it were made from glass. It was round, roughly two and half inches across, and had a small design on it that she couldn't see in the dark. She looked up at him in confusion. "What's this for?"

He opened his mouth, but a noise cut him off. His eyes widened and he turned away, embarrassed.

"Oh! You're hungry!" Makaila declared happily. He didn't look at her but that was just more proof to her. "Give me a second. Don't leave, ok?"

He nodded softly as she ran down the stairs. A couple minutes later, Makaila came back up the stairs with a small basket in hand. She pulled herself onto the roof, missing his look of anxiety. He seemed to be slightly distracted by the basket as she sat next to him.

"Here." She sat the picnic-like basket down and opened the top, seeing his eyes widen at the contents. Food, most of which could simply be eaten without being cooked.

"So…what's your name?" Makaila asked.

The boy shrugged and pulled the basket closer to him, starting to go through it.

"You don't talk very much." she said, sounding slightly annoyed that he didn't want to answer her questions.

Again he shrugged.

Makaila sighed and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, placing it on the cut on his neck. "They hurt you…."

The boy stiffened but didn't pull away until she had soaked up the blood. She missed his steady stare as she finished and pulled away putting the handkerchief in the basket.

"Can't you at least tell me your name?"

The boy looked cautiously at her, and then opened his mouth.

"Makaila! What are you doing up there?! Get off the roof now!"

"But mommy! I was just…" Makaila turned back around but saw no one. She blinked then looked at the ground. "He was just…"

"Makaila!"

"I'm coming mommy. I just wanted to talk to the boy."

Misty let out an uneasy breath as her daughter crawled back to her. "What boy…?"

Makaila pulled herself in, holding onto the basket.

"Honey, what were you doing?"

"It told you. I was talking to the boy."

"Are those my rolls?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah well… he was hungry."

Misty sighed and shut the window. "I don't mind you sharing my rolls with your friends. But don't you think you should ask him to… come inside?" she asked uneasily.

Makaila shrugged. "Yeah…. That might've been a good idea. I'll do that next time!" she grabbed the basket and ran happily down the stairs to put the food back.

Misty put a hand to her forehead and locked Makaila's window before sitting on the edge of her bed. She moved her hand to her mouth, resting her head in it. And that was when she saw it. Misty's eyes squinted in confusion. She leaned forward and pulled a handkerchief from the floor. She gasped as the handkerchief was brought closer. It was completely covered in a red liquid. "Makaila?"

"Yeah mommy?" Makaila asked, reentering the room. She looked from Misty to her hands and back up again.

"What's this from?"

Makaila paused. "He was hurt." She whispered.

Misty closed her eyes for a moment. "Makaila I need you to tell me how this happened."

"I-I did." She stuttered.

Misty sighed and rose. "Alright." She whispered. She picked Makaila up and sat her down on the bed, kissing her on the forehead. "Goodnight sweetie."

"Night mom."

Misty left the room, shutting the door behind her, and made her way back to her own room.

"Ash." She whispered shaking him. "Ash."

Ash rolled onto his side and looked up at her. "Yeah Mist?"

"I-I'm worried about Makaila."

Ash raised himself with one elbow, trying to shake off his sleep. "What's wrong with her?" he muttered sleepily.

"Well, nothing but…. You know that boy she said was there earlier?"

Ash nodded.

"I just found her on the roof. She said she was talking to him. And then I found this on the floor." She handed him the handkerchief.

Ash was feeling much more awake by now and took the handkerchief from her hands. "Is this…" Ash paused and stared at it, before setting it on the cabinet beside him. "Let's sleep now."

"Ash…"

"Misty there's nothing we can do right now. Let's talk in the morning. Okay?"

Misty sighed and nodded her agreement before climbing in beside him. "Alright."

A ways away, in a different house, a girl situated herself upon her bed, pulling her covers around her and holding a mug to her lips while going over memory after memory in her head.

"Hey." She whispered softly. The boy below her whimpered and pushed away. "What's your name?"

The boy could have easily been five years old, so why was he so scared of her?

"Y-You're new? Aren't you?" she whispered in disbelief.

Tears ran up to his eyes and he shuddered holding himself as if he were very cold, despite the almost barbaric heat in the room.

"I can't believe it. You're a child, and they just took you. How…" She stopped talking as his shaking increased and kneeled down to his level, holding out a hand. "I'm Alexi…. What's your name?"

The boy looked up and wiped the side of his nose on his sleeve. "Z-Zachary."

She smiled softly and sat beside him, wrapping an arm around him in a comforting gesture. "Don't be scared. I'll take care of you."

The boy stiffened, but after a few minutes relaxed into her and closed his eyes.

"You'll be ok." She muttered more to herself. She looked down at him and frowned.

Sometime later…

"No please!" Alexi dropped to her knees, forcing down the emotions surfacing so she could lay a convincing "argument", though it wasn't much more than a pathetic plea. "I'm sorry! I-I'm so sorry! I-I… he wasn't… I did it! Not him! He's a child! Please! I'll take my own punishment! Please!"

"He's already left."

"No! N-No! Please, I'll take whatever punishment you give me! Just don't… p-please." She shut her eyes against the flow of tears. "He's a child. H-He's just a little boy. He shouldn't have to pay for someone else's mistakes."

"You make it sound as though you have a choice. You will pay for your actions. He's a test subject. What he's doing now has nothing to do with you. You're not his mother." The man turned to leave, in Alexi's mind, fully prepared to put the death of an innocent child behind him.

Alexi clenched her teeth, the tears slowing ebbing, and hissed beneath her breath. "Thanks to you he doesn't even have a mother. I'm simply filling the void you people made."

The icy tone stopped the man's progress. This girl should have been punished long before now. He had been merciful, but he was getting tired… and his patience was running out.

Alexi exhaled in shock as the back of her head met the floor. Before she could figure out exactly what had just happened, the man neared and kneeled down to her level. "Did you feel that?"

Alexi shook her head vaguely, trying to clear her vision of the black spots trying to spread.

"No matter what they've put into your system, I am quite sure you felt that. You've been here long enough to know that that pain was nothing compared to what I could do to you. Be thankful." He rose. "And be on your way."

Alexi blinked to clear her vision and stood, giving a short bow before turning to the doors, meeting a boy who grabbed her arm and led her away.

Another innocent child would be killed, and the knowledge that she could do nothing when she promised to protect him, was almost more than she could bear. And who knew what would happened when he told her superior how she had been "behaving…"

The boy led her to another room full of young teens and left. Alexi sat down once he had left, barely glancing at the people around her.

"Alexi?"

Alexi looked up to see a boy, Jason, standing over her. Her eyes filled with tears and she turned away.

"He didn't make it…? Alexi, you're bleeding!" He kneeled down to her level and put a hand behind her neck, pulling it back with a red liquid on it. "It was Leuche, wasn't it?" He asked, referring to the man she had been "talking" to.

She nodded numbly and pulled away from his hand. "Look, just let me help you with that cut and I'll go away, okay?" She didn't show any sign that she had heard him, but he took that as a yes.

He glanced briefly over the room. "Shoot. Oh Skye! You got anything?!"

Alexi stiffened and looked in the direction of said boy. Skye stared at the two for a moment, then looked back down, scooting back on the floor towards the wall.

"Skye!" Jason called again, feeling slightly annoyed.

Skye pushed himself from the floor and walked to them, dropping a rag silently on his way past.

Jason took the material and held her hair up, pressing it to the cut on the back of her neck. Jason was one of the few children that had been trained in medics ever since he had been very young. And though this was definitely good for his friends, later on this meant that he would be placed to preside over a section of test-subjects. They weren't likely to be as excited to see him then. "Is that… Is that better?"

She shrugged lightly.

"I don't have any of my stuff. Sorry. This is the best I can do without it."

"Why are you helping me?" she muttered.

He paused. "Why shouldn't I? You helped my brother."

Her eyes widened and she looked up at him. "He-He was your… and you didn't do anything…. He-he was so alone… and…"

Jason stayed silent, concentrating on her neck, but he fell back in surprise a moment later, not expecting the hand that flew across his cheek.

He stared at her in surprise as she stared back, and then she rose and ran, pulling the cloth from her hand and throwing it roughly to the ground in the process.

Jason stared after her, and then looked at the cloth on the floor and sighed, pushing himself back up to his feet.

Alexi shook her head vigorously, trying to block out the memories that followed. It only got worse. It was the way every child taken from their home was expected to live until being taken away to die. She was free. Perhaps the first test-subject to really be free, and the only thing she could think about was all the pain of her past.

Truth be told, she was beyond lucky. Not only had she escaped (and lived), but she had friends to back her up and help her through it. Not only friends, but a boyfriend… or close to one…. But that couldn't all just be luck.

She pulled the blanket closer to herself. She suddenly felt very cold.

A moment later, the mug crashed to the ground.

Ring. Ring. Ring. (That works right?)

Skye pushed himself from the couch and picked up the phone, setting his herbs for Taylor on the counter. "Hello?"

"Skye, is that you?"

"Keagan? Yeah, it's me. What do you want?"

"Alexi's sick."

"…So?"

"So, I need your help."

"Why? Keagan, I'm no doctor."

"Look, this isn't normal. She doesn't have a fever. No throwing up. She doesn't even look like she hurts. She just passed out and won't wake up. And before you make a sarcastic comment that I really don't need right now, no. She's not dead."

Skye groaned. "I don't know what you want me to do."

"Skye, I'm worried about her."

"Well, that's sweet." Skye muttered sarcastically. "Nice to know you're looking out for your girlfriend, but there's nothing I can do."

"She's not my… oh never mind. The thing is I think she needs somebody who… knows what she went through…."

"Why?"

"She's been scared lately. She keeps on having nightmares. I think it might be one of those depression things."

Skye sighed and glanced up the stairs. "Fine. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks."

Skye set down the phone and glanced at the herbs on the counter. After a moment of steady pacing he glared at the herbs and dumped them down the sink before leaving through the front door.

A few minutes later, Skye was knocking on Alexi's front door.

Keagan opened it with a surprised expression. "You were… fast."

"Whatever. Where is she?"

"Upstairs."

Skye followed Keagan to Alexi's room and then kneeled next to her bed. He felt her forehead, and then checked both her wrists. "You're right." He said in surprise. "There are no symptoms." After a moment he turned to Keagan. "Did she tell you about any cuts or bruises? Something similar to that she might've had?"

Keagan's eyes widened and he ran to the bed before flipping her onto her side and pulling up the bottom of her shirt.

"Great." Skye said sarcastically.

There was a cut spreading across her lower back, and though it looked painful, there was no sign of infection or anything of the sort.

Keagan sighed. "That's not it."

"Yeah it is." Keagan looked to Skye in confusion as he started pulling things from a bag at his side.

"But there isn't…"

"Before the first time she ran away they gave her a sort of warning….She was harassing the grunt assigned to guard her at the time after her most recent… thing. I don't know what she did, but she had to be guarded. Well anyway, he got so annoyed with her that he… did that." Skye gestured lazily at the cut on her back.

"But… that happened before she even ran away. That was…" he paused trying to figure out exactly how long it was, then realized that he didn't know her age let alone the date of her first escape. "Well, a long time ago. It looks new."

"That's because Team Rocket was experimenting with some new chemicals. He was supposed to use them on a test subject, but not her. They were in vials on his belt. He got mad and the vials broke and spilled into the cut. I was… a grunt. I was passing by and saw it. She just started screaming … The vials were filled with some kind of micro organisms. The organisms prevent it from healing."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"So she's had this cut since then?"

"Basically. But even with the cut on her back she's not the type to go down easily. She kicked and screamed and hit and bit for about five seconds before I decided to step in."

"You should have stepped in sooner."

"Well, at the time I didn't know that. I didn't even know that she was being hurt. It just felt… weird. So I stepped in. Probably only the second time I did anything like that."

"The second time? When was the first?"

Skye suddenly froze. He stared at his bag numbly for a few seconds, then pulled a few items out and walked to Keagan. "Pour this on her cut. It'll help to kill the organisms." He handed Keagan a small green vial. "And make sure you get this down her stubborn throat." He handed Keagan another vial, but larger and filled with clear liquid.

"This is it?"

"Yes."

"This will help her get over it?"

"No. Not really."

"Then-"

"Keagan, she's been through a lot. This happens sometimes, just usually not out of a Team Rocket base. She can't handle it, so her body shut down. What she needs to get over it, is you. Talk to her. Encourage her through it. If you do it right, she'll get sick."

Keagan raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Getting sick is getting better?"

Skye nodded. "Right now she's giving up, and her body is in the process of shutting down. Completely." Keagan gulped. "But if she gets sick, it means she's fighting. It means that her body is fighting against itself and her mind. Just stay with her. She's strong. She can get through it." Skye walked back and slung his bag over one shoulder before heading for the stairs.

Keagan stared at the vials in his hand and then walked to the chair beside the bed.

"I'm going outside! Bye mommy!"

"Be back in an hour!"

"Okay!"

Misty sighed as Makaila shut the door and glanced up the stairs. With a small smirk, she filled a cup with drinking water and started up the stairs, taking small sips.

"Ash!" she cried as she entered their room. "Rise and shine." She leaned over the bed and shook him slightly. Ash groaned and rolled away from her, muttering something inaudible in his sleep. "Ash wake up."

"Ugh…. Misty…."

"Get up. Up!"

"No…." Ash rolled away, pulling the covers higher over himself, and causing Misty to laugh at how childish he was acting.

"Come on Ash. Up."

"Mist…."

"Please?"

"No."

"Get out of bed."

"You come to bed. Ow…." Ash laughed slightly, eyes shut as Misty hit a pillow over his head.

Misty smirked and pulled the cup to herself, dumping it over the top of his head. Ash gasped and sat strait up, glaring at her.

"Good." Misty started with a smile. "You're awake."

Ash grew a small smirk on his face.

"What's that look for?"

"What look?"

A smile spread over her face. "That look." Misty stood and ran from the room, followed quickly by Ash.

They continued to chase each other round the house until finally Ash tripped, pinning Misty beneath him. They both laid for a moment, calming their laughing and breathing, until Ash leaned down, laying a short kiss on her lips.

"Remember the last time we did this?"

Ash smirked. "Yes. As I remember, you threw a decorative plate at my head."

Misty slapped him on the shoulder and leaned to the right, pushing him onto the floor.

"Oof. Nice…."

"Hungry?"

"Depends. Who made breakfast?"

Misty pouted. "I did. And I worked very hard on it. So you are going to eat it, and like it."

"Yes ma'am." Ash said, completely strait faced, and exaggerating on the "ma'am" with a hand to his head.

Misty rolled her eyes and stood, making her way to the kitchen.

"Where's Makaila?" Ash asked, standing up.

"She went outside. She's playing with Drake."

"What did she have for breakfast?"

"Ash…"

"Kidding!" he said, raising his hands in submission.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Eggs." She said simply. She pulled a plate from the counter and handed it to him. "Eat up."

"What are we doing today?" Makaila and Drake were lying on the side of a grassy hill, staring up at the sky. They had been playing all day since it was a Saturday, and they seemed to have run out of things to do.

"I don't know." Drake answered in a bored tone. "Let's play tag."

"But I'm tired."

"Lazy…."

"Am not!"

"Whatever."

Makaila sighed and rolled onto her stomach so she could face him. "How come we're so bored?"

He shrugged. "'Cause we're not doing anything?"

Makaila sighed again before a smile split her face. "Can you keep a secret?" Drake became interested and rolled onto his stomach as well so he could face her, before nodding. "I met this boy..."

Drake groaned. "This better not be some stupid girly secret, like he kissed you or something like that."

"Ewe! No!"

"Okay. You can tell me then."

"Well… that's it I guess."

"Great. That was really interesting."

"It's weird. Cause he never talks. And yesterday Eitan and his friends were kicking him and I stopped them and no one believed that I stopped them. They said he wasn't there."

"They're just liars."

"Yeah…. He was on my roof last night."

"Wha? He was on your roof? Isn't your roof really high?"

"Yeah."

"How'd he get up there?"

Makaila paused. "I… don't know."

"You're weird."

Makaila glared at him and rolled back onto her back. "Well, he was nice. I wanna see him again."

"Makaila's in looove."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are! You wanna kiss him!"

"You're gross."

"You're a girl."

"So?!"

"So we're both gross."

"Then why do you play with me?"

He shrugged. "Cause you're not very good at being a girl, I guess."

She punched him on the shoulder and he flinched and pulled away. "Ow! See?!"

"Whatever." Makaila huffed and turned around staring into the pathway that led into the forest. A smile split over her face. "I'll play later."

"What? Why?"

"I just wanna do something. See ya later Drake!"

Makaila jumped and ran towards the forest, leaving Drake to sigh and walk off.

As soon as Makaila reached her destination, she began looking through the bushes. "I know you're there! I saw you! You're not very good at hiding! Have you been spying on me? Ah!" Makaila tripped over something, causing her to land rather roughly on top of something. She opened her eyes with a smile, to find a boy lying under her. The same one that she had seen the night before. "Oh! There you are! Ow!" She rolled off of him rubbing her nose. "You know if you had just told me where you were then I wouldn't have fallen on you and hurt my nose."

The boy sitting beside her rubbed his nose as well and looked at her, with no emotion on his face as she looked back.

"Why do you look so sad?" she asked.

He blinked and stared at her as if he didn't hear her, but finally he smiled lightly.

Makaila stood, brushing herself off, and stuck out her hand. He looked from her hand, to her face, and then used it to haul himself up. But Makaila did not fail to notice how he didn't seem to need the help. He almost seemed to humoring her. In fact…

…she barely felt his hand.

"You're-You're strong."

He nodded with a shrug as he began brushing himself off as well.

Makaila backed up a little. "What's that?" She asked slowly, pointing to his plain black belt.

The boy looked down. A small sliver of metal was peaking from off of his belt and beneath his shirt. His eyes widened and he quickly hid it before looking back up at her with a small smile, as if to tell her that it was okay.

Makaila stared at him for a moment, and then turned and ran out of the bushes and back up the hill.

The boy gasped and ran after her. Within seconds he was in front of her, holding onto her shoulders.

Makaila's mouth fell open as she looked from him back to the bushes. Hadn't she been ahead? "When did you…? How did you…?"

He nodded at her in a calming gesture, and loosened his hold on her shoulders, before reaching one hand into his pocket and pulling out the sliver of metal. He raised it to her gaze and gestured as if to say, "See what it is?"

She shrugged his hands off rather roughly and took a sharp intake of stubborn air. After a moment of staring at his frowning face, she reached forward and placed her index fingers in the corner of either edge of his mouth, turning them up.

The boy stumbled back, eyes wide.

"Will you smile already? It's driving me crazy! You-You just stand there staring, like you're going to eat me! Smile! Have some fun!"

He continued to frown at her and she growled and jumped forward, pinning him down. She was sure that he could get her off of him, but for some reason he didn't. But a moment later, he wished that he had.

Makaila leaned down and started tickling him in all the usual places: under the arms, the neck, on the sides, a little bit over his stomach. His eyes widened, and he squirmed slightly before smiling and laughing, trying to swat her hands away.

Makaila was surprised. She hadn't expected this strait little boy to be so ticklish. She hadn't heard him speak yet, but his laugh was lower than Drake's. And with the way he was acting, he looked like the little boy he really was.

"C'mon. Tell me to stop." He shook his head and pulled roughly from her, as her fingers attacked his sides. "Say something!" Once again he shook his head. She paused suddenly and rose, sitting beside him. He stayed lying down and staring at the sky with his dark eyes, still smiling, before he looked up and sat up beside her.

"You can't talk… can you?" she asked suddenly.

His eyes widened, for the third time, though he seemed much more relaxed, and he nodded.

"You can't talk?" she asked to clarify.

He shook his head.

"How come?"

He blinked and looked down, a smile still on his face and shrugged before looking back up.

"Weird…. You're still smiling you know? That wasn't to hard right?"

He blinked, as if he had just realized it, and the smile began to leave his face.

Makaila leaned forward with her hands outstretched, fully prepared to tickle him again.

He quickly pulled away and smiled widely, pointing to his face as if to tell her that he was already smiling.

She laughed and pulled back, then looked up at the sky. "Oh no! It's getting dark! I have to go! Will you see me here tomorrow?"

He nodded softly and she smiled, before running back home.

"Mommy! I'm home!"

"Makaila, you're late!" Misty came around to the door and hugged her. "Where were you honey?"

Makaila shrugged. "Just playing."

"With who? I called Drake to look for you and he said you were in the forest."

"Oh well…. I only went in for a second. Then I came right out!"

"Sweetie, I'm glad that you were careful. But I don't want you going into the forest without your daddy. There are some… scary things there."

"Nu-uh! The boy's the only thing I've seen there, and he's not dangerous." She moved around Misty and started running. "Daddy!"

Misty let out a breath of anxiety and shut the door behind her.

"Daddy!"

"I'm in the living room!"

Makaila ran down and jumped on top of the couch next to him. "What're you watching?"

"Sh."

Makaila looked at the screen and smiled. What else would he be watching other than Pokemon battles? They were all her father seemed to care for, other than her and her mom. Apparently he had never had a chance to go on his journey. But he had never really explained to her why. "Wow!" her train of thought was cut off as she slowly became as sucked into it as her father was.

"Dinner!"

"Coming!" Ash and Makaila called simultaneously without moving a centimeter.

"You're food's getting cold!"

"Coming!"

Misty sighed and set down the towel she had been holding. She walked to the couch and picked up the remote, turning off the T.V. on her way back to the kitchen.

"Oh!"

"Mommy!"

"No. Dinner. Both of you. Now." Short and sweet.

Ash sighed and stood, with Makaila walking as they reached the table and sat down. Misty brought out some food, and most of it looked pretty good. Then she sat down a tray, covered in something brown and crispy. The dish was clear, and the condiments were less than desirable.

Makaila and Ash glanced at each other, quickly looking away when Misty turned back around, setting down a salad. "That's it! Dig in!"

"Thanks." Ash and Makaila said simultaneously again.

A few minutes later, the three were sitting and laughing talking about there days and other things that made no sense at all.

When Ash finally tucked Makaila into bed, she remembered what she had been wondering before she had lost her train of thought. "Daddy?"

"Yes?" he asked, pulling the covers up.

"You like pokemon right?"

"Of course."

"How come you didn't go on you pokemon journey then?"

Ash stopped for a moment, then finished pulling up the covers and looked at her face. "You know how much I love you right?"

"Uh-huh."

"You and you're mother, are the most important people in my life. But…" he sighed and kneeled, placing a hand on the side of her face. "I love you so much."

"But you didn't answer."

"I… I didn't get a chance to go on my journey."

"But why not?"

"No matter what happens. Remember how much I love you. And I promise to tell you someday."

Makaila's looked at him in confusion. "I love you too daddy."

"Good. Good night."

"Night."

Ash stood and went to the door, turning off the light on his way.

"Daddy?"

He turned halfway. "Yes?"

"Will I move away someday?"

"…Yes."

"But… can I come back sometimes?"

"Of course."

"Will you still love me when I'm big?"

"I will always love you."

"Okay. Night daddy."

"Good night."

"C'mon Alexi. Wake up."

She hardly flinched and he sighed.

"I need you to get sick. Isn't that weird? This morning I was worried about you getting sick and now I want you sick. Well, I don't really want you sick. But for some reason it's supposed to help you get better and I… Never mind. I'm just talking because there's nothing else to do."

He sighed and looked down at her. "Alexi, you have to make it through this. I know it's been hard. But you have to be strong. I need you to wake up. I know you're strong. I know you can make it. I need you to try." He slipped his hand into hers; trying not to flinch when he felt how cold it felt. Alexi… I love you. Please wake up."

He looked down at the vials then back up when he heard a soft groan. "Alexi?" He placed a hand on her forehead and smiled lightly as he felt the heat. "That's right Alexi. You can do this. You can do this."