- N - = Nicky's part

- J - = my part

Chapter 007 - Riley's motives!

- N -

There was something marvellous about Roark shirtless, especially since he'd never taken off his clothes in front of her before. There wasn't anything on him that she didn't already know – pectoralis major, abdominal muscles, the works. Still, she couldn't help herself from admiring his figure – mining had done wonders for his abs, she realised.

Serena paused, watching Roark's expression cloud over. He was chewing his lip, looking anxiously up at the ceiling. What was he thinking about? Was he doubting Riley now? Or was he starting to hate her for suggesting his friend was a villain?

"If the full moon days pass on and I don't let people see me, he'll think nothing has happened, so I guess he'll forgot about the issue..."

"That sounds like a plan," She agreed. "We could try to convince him it was just a Luxio or something,"

Even as he faced her, she noticed, Roark's expression seemed troubled.

"I'm such a jerk," She sighed. "I know Riley's close to you, and… and that he's a friend and all… and I shouldn't be trying to come between you lot and-"

She stopped, suddenly aware of her hand in Roark's. In the dim nightlight, she hoped no one could tell she was blushing.

"Oh," She gasped, glancing down at his hand grasping hers, "Roark, I…"

Unable to help herself, Serena rested her head above his collarbone, just under his chin. She closed her eyes, breathed, feeling his heart thud, the way he smelled. Heaven. Her lip was trembling, her shoulders shook – this was all too sudden, too emotional, too… too… too something.

She'd spent all her life pushing people away from her – love was never her stronghold – but all she wanted to do was to hold him close to her. She wanted to pull him against her, to feel his warmth against her side, to feel like he would never let her go either.

"W-wr-wRoark, you're an idiot. I'll a-aw-always be here for you," She stammered, her head still on his clavicle, trying not to cry. "We'll work this out, you'll see,"

Finally noticing she'd dripped tears onto his chest, she pulled herself upright, wiping her face with the back of her hands. "Sorry," She snivelled, her face bright red as she tried not to look at him. "I don't usually do that – I'd better go get changed."

Leaving the bed, she looked at the man tenderly. When did she start loving him? When did it finally dawn on her that all she ever wanted was this man, holding her in his arms, rocking back in forth, promising her they'd be together forever... All she needed was him and his stupid fossils to make her feel happy.

Was she staring at him? Oh, gosh, she was! Hastily, she grabbed her usual chemise from the dresser and darted out to the bathroom to change.

Outside, the teenaged girl was asleep on the couch, snoring in time with her Raticate. Serena tiptoed back to her room, hoping not to wake her.

"Issat silk?" Brown's voice murmured. So much for not waking her.

"None of your business," Serena said curtly.

"Kind of skimpy, don't you think, Pinky?" The girl inclined her head to look at Serena in her tiny nightgown. "My mom used to wear something like that to sleep too. Then again, she was a size 22…" The girl visibly shuddered. "Ugh."

Serena noticed the girl was sleeping in the same clothes she'd worn for dinner. Didn't those stupid kids ever change? Did they wear the same ugly outfit all day? For days?

"Case in point – I like it." Brown yawned dreamily as she went back to sleep. "Bet he'll like it too…"

"Who?" Serena's voice rose, but the girl was already half asleep. Pensively, she went back to the room, vaguely aware her outfit might've been too revealing for company.

"Sorry I took so long." She pulled the bottom of the tiny nightgown, trying to make it seem longer. "That kid is a nuisance." She gave Brown one last annoyed glance before shutting the door, wondering if Roark had overheard their conversation from the room.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Amethyst, I…"

It wasn't like he'd wanted to read her mind. He opened his mouth to protest, but decided it just wasn't worth it.

"I wasn't trying to read your mind," He whispered softly, perhaps even too soft to hear. "Aura… Aura is like radio waves, and I can pick them up like a radio antenna… but I have to concentrate to make it work. This time, I didn't even have to try, it just… came to me… I didn't mean to."

He looked at her, the curve of her back, her thick brown hair spread out on the pillows, a vision of petit perfection. Probably out of courtesy, she maintained a good distance between the both of them.

It felt cold in the bed. Riley shuddered despite himself.

Amy wanted him, hadn't she? She'd thought about it so hard and so strong her thoughts went straight to his head? Was he wrong? He began to doubt himself. Maybe it was time to move on, find someone else, stop worrying about the girl he'd refused all those years ago and finally, finally be free of those feelings he kept harbouring in his heart…

He looked around the room, trying to make sense of it all. His eyes moved from the small cabinet of fossils hanging on the wall, to the toy Cranidos he remembered giving Roark for his birthday, finally, His eyes fell on the photos hanging from the wall across the bed. Roark had been busy all these years – pictures of him fishing, sitting on a Ferris wheel, running on a beach – most of them featured the pink-haired Serena scowling by his side.

Riley eyes them enviously, it was obvious enough what the two of them had… why couldn't he and Amethyst be the same?

…Why did he want her so badly? Why couldn't he ever be free from wanting her hands around his waist, her gorgeous purple eyes looking into his?

He shivered again. It was pointless, the bed – or Amethyst for the matter – would never get warmer.

He staggered to his feet, holding onto the wall for balance as he made his way to Roark's desk. He turned to the young woman, her back still to him – was she still asleep? As he flicked on Roark's desk lamp, he wondered whether it would wake her.

Better make this quick.

Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out the book he'd been reading, shaking its contents onto the desk. Little clippings of newspapers began to fall out of The Brown Effect, all with the same conclusion:

BLACK BEAST SIGHTED NEAR OREBURGH.

He accompanied the clippings with his map, tiny red dots marked on it to indicate all the sightings: most of them in Oreburgh mine, some in the field just before Cycling Road. He had witness reports, theories, even blurry photographs, the works. But still, he hadn't seen it himself.

He rested his chin on his hands, tapping a pen against the desk.

"Where are you hiding…?" He whispered to the darkness.

He knew the myths – Zoroarks. Wily, cunning bloodthirsty beasts, fabled for their ability to change forms. It was the reason why no one had suspected a Zoroark in the area yet: they didn't know that it was hiding in plain sight… As another pokemon? As another neighbour?

Riley frowned, his pen-tapping growing more and more furious as he concentrated.

- J -

Roark smiled, amused. Definitely, Serena didn't know Riley at all.

"Convince him? Yeah, sure." He said. "He's not the easy guy who will believe everything."

Roark looked directly at Serena, slightly frowning.

"And don't forget he has the power of Aura." The miner added.

He smiled with sorrow when Serena apologized. Why was she being so sweet? Maybe nights changed her personality...

"It's okay..." Roark said. "Whatever happens, our friendship will be stronger than anything, I'm su-"

The ginger wasn't able to finish his sentence. Serena was resting on his collarbone, and she stayed like that for a while. Roark didn't understand anything...

Serena, a stubborn woman who liked to get offensive at almost everything was being... kind? Loving? She was acting more like... a woman? Or at least that's how Roark was starting to see her as.

"Wh-what's happening to her?" Roark thought, gulping. "She's all warm all sudden..."

He didn't know a lot about Serena; in fact, they only knew each other because she knew his secret, but Roark didn't know anything about her past, or such... Maybe she had a reason for being so stubborn. Maybe a past love? A... broken heart?

Serena's stuttering interrupted Roark's thoughts.

"I'm glad." He said, smiling. "I knew I could count on y-"

It was then when Serena stood up and turned her back on him for a few seconds. Roark noticed something strange on her. Was she crying? Nah, she was too strong for that.

"Does she have a reason to cry anyway?" Roark thought. "Is she THAT worried about me?"

He looked at Serena as she got out from the bed. It was all in darkness, but he could notice she was staring at him.

"Okay." Roark thought. "I think she NOW wants me to turn back so she can change her clothes..."

Or at least that's what she had told him. Roark couldn't help but start imagining (again) Serena in a tiny pajamas (he was a guy, he had a pervy side, after all), and blushed. Thanks goodness she couldn't notice. She would have kicked his ass!

"Oh, okay." Roark said, trying to hide his disappointment. "I'll be waiting here."

As soon as Serena left the room, Roark started thinking about which kind of pajamas she would wear. A nightdress? Maybe a top and shorts? Or something sexy?

Roark felt a bit guilty for thinking about such things. He was a serious guy, dammit! But then again, he worked so much he needed some fun once in a while...

Then, Serena came back. Roark flinched and opened his eyes totally at the vision.

"Oh, God..." He found himself thinking.

"Oh, it's okay." Roark said, trying to take his eyes off Serena's tiny nightwear. "That kid isn't asleep yet? Haha, she's so funny..."

He felt his blood warming up. No, Roark -he thought- she's just a friend who is helping you with your issues, nothing more, nothing less.

Oh well, but at least he would compliment her for her looks. Women liked that, after all.

"You look very gorgeous in those pajamas." Roark said, finally. "I must admit I'm surprised... You always wear dresses or long jeans, so I never can see your figure really...!"

Oh, God. Just what the fuck HAD he said?

"Er... I mean." Roark suttered. "Not that I was trying to see you in light clothes, it's just th-that... well, I'm surprised, that's all."

Roark scratched his head. Since when he felt so attracted to Serena? It wasn't only for her clothes, though. Maybe he had always liked her, he just didn't know it...

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Amethyst was so angry that she didn't want to listen to Riley's excuses. Well, she actually wanted... No! She didn't want! She knew he would end up hurting her in any way...

However, she ended up listening to him. His voice simply enchanted her... His words made sense, as she would have expected from him.

"Yeah... I know that..." She thought, sad. "I had forgotten it... Aura is like radio waves... I was too fast to judge him... I'm sorry, Riley..."

Amethyst felt the urge to apologize. To turn back, hug him tight and tell him how sorry she was. But she was too proud and, anyway, Riley was the one who had to apologize first!

She might have been too fast to judge him, but he'd had her waiting for EIGHT years! Her mistake was so trivial compared to his...

The chestnut-head noticed that Riley was suddenly very quiet. Maybe he had got tired of apologizing? Well, at least that meant that he didn't hate her...

But wait! Shouldn't she be the one to hate him after all those years waiting for him? No, she loved him. She really did... And she wanted to shout to the world that she loved Riley and would do anything for him.

But, as always, Amethyst didn't do anything to show her feelings.

She started to feel sleepy. She felt Riley moving sometimes, but she didn't mind. She was so tired...

"I'm sorry..." She thought, again, as her eyes started to close.

While she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted. She thought about Stephanie and Serena, and felt somewhat envious...

Stephanie was 16, the age Amethyst was when she met Riley. Amethyst was obsessed with him, she wanted him, his love... But Ms. Brown seemed so happy without a man. She simply didn't need it!

And Serena was a beautiful woman who really seemed to have a thing for Roark, and Amethyst was sure that it was mutual. Just like her and Riley, Serena and Roark were sharing bed, and maybe... maybe having some fun? Amethyst tried not to think about that, or her jealousy would get too huge for her to handle.

When she was almost asleep...

"Where are you hiding…?"

Amethyst was so sleepy that she thought Riley was asking her that.

"I'm not hiding." Amethyst muttered, sleepy. "I'm still here, silly..."

Then, she closed her eyes hard. How DUMB could she be? Riley was obviously talking to himself...

Amethyst stayed quiet, wondering if he had heard her. Just in case, she didn't make any noise, and maybe Riley could think she was talking in her dreams...

- N -

"That kid? Funny?" Serena laughed. "More like annoying – I think she put my Audino back into its ball, not that I blame her…"

Maybe she didn't seem as annoyed as she should have been, because Roark was awfully quiet. Then again, he cared a lot for all his pokemon, seeing someone recall them without his permission would have more than annoyed him.

"My Audino's a pain in the ass," She explained while brushing her hair. "My parents gave him to me – they thought it'd help me 'get in touch with my inner nurse' and all that bullcrap. I already had my Deerling at the time, so I really didn't need another stupid pokemon, but they made me keep it anyway. Really, I could've done without an Audino - Sawsbuck was awesome…"

Her voice was wistful as she remembered the old grass-type pokemon she'd grown up with. He really was the best Pokemon she'd ever known – strong, brave, independent… And dead. Realising she'd been talking about one of Roark's victims in front of him, she promptly changed the subject.

"Sorry," She stiffened. "That's my folks for you: they've been trying to get me back to nursing school since day one. I pay my own college fees because they can't be bothered to. It's just as well – I don't need their help, I don't need anybody's help… I can handle… fine… on my own…"

Her nose has started feeling blocked, and she realised she was on the verge of crying again. This was terrible! Why was she such a wimp tonight? What was it about Roark tonight that made her want to pour out her heart to him?

Still brushing her hair absentmindedly (which by now had gotten quite silky) she sat on the bed, just as Roark complimented her outfit.

"You look very gorgeous in those pajamas." Roark said, finally. "I must admit I'm surprised... You always wear dresses or long jeans, so I never can see your figure really...!"

She blushed bright red. Had he really liked the way she looked? She shifted on the mattress, slightly afraid. Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe they were getting too close for comfort…

As she moved, her leg brushed Roark's and she felt her face redden even further, a smile creeping onto her face. She was suddenly aware of just how little the tiny gown covered her legs but, oddly enough, didn't quite care.

Maybe… Maybe this was what she'd always wanted?

"Er... I mean. Not that I was trying to see you in light clothes, it's just th-that... well, I'm surprised, that's all."

You and me both, Serena thought as she put the brush back, surprised as how much she wanted to pull Roark close to her, to let him hold her, feel his fingers running through her hair, let him know that she needed him.

"T-thank you," She finally managed, feeling slightly raw to be so intimate with someone – she didn't need anyone, she'd told herself, why did she want him so badly?

Suddenly, she realised just how she'd been lying down on the bed – right next to him, her side brushing his. Her arm was against his stomach, feeling the muscles on his abs; her legs were intertwined with his.

Hastily she pulled herself away. "I'm sorry," She admitted. Dammit, why didn't she have any self-control anymore?

"You're not so bad yourself," She couldn't help herself as her eyes took in the gentle curves of his face, the way his red hair settled down on the back of his strong neck, the chiselled shape of his muscles…

"I mean, I've never seen you so… so stunning…" She bit her lip. "It's amazing,"

…Wait, what? What had she just said?

DAMMIT WOMAN! She thought, CONTROL YOURSELF!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"I'm not hiding. I'm still here, silly..."

Riley blinked. Had she… talked in her sleep? He couldn't remember whether it was a thing she used to do on Iron Island, then again, he'd forgotten a lot about her. Were they strangers now? Could they ever be together again?

Still, it made him pleased to know she was still talking to him, even subconsciously. He got up from his chair, leaning over the bed to see if she was really asleep. She seemed dreamy enough, her eyes closed, her breath coming out gently and steadily… She probably wasn't awake.

Chuckling he turned off the light, collecting his materials and putting them into the Brown Effect and back into his pocket – wait. One of the clipping was gone. He checked under the table, but found nothing. Maybe it'd slipped under the bed.

He'd get it in the morning.

Remembering where Roark kept his blankets, he made his way slowly to the cabinet and fished out a duvet. He made sure not to take out more than one – he didn't need a blanket himself. Leaning on the wall again, he limped back to the bed and laid himself down. Amethyst still had her back to him, her body rising and falling rhythmically with her breathing.

He spread the blanket out, letting it fall, gingerly, on her tiny body. Gently, he tucked her in comfortably, making sure she wasn't too cold.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Riley rested himself on the bed, closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to come back to him.