….

Eighteen

Anthea's room was much...fluffier than Touko thought it would be she liked to be comfortable and she had a rather large collection of stuffed animals she liked to sleep on. She only said that she'd be damned someone was going to tell her when to give them up they were better than pillows and she could keep as many as she liked. Like her usual fashion, her room was lightly colored and bright fairly happy compared to the dark abyss of the hallway right outside.

While they talked Touko had a distinct feeling that Anthea liked Maxie, really liked him she wasn't going to say anything in case she was reading it wrong. Though it was funny to picture the look on Ghetsis's face when he found his daughter could like his coworker...business equal, whichever.

They looked up as there was a knock.

"The door is open Connie."

"Connie?"

She grinned as Concordia opened the door she smiled seeing Touko and closed the door behind her.

"I've always called her that...you know when we're just relaxing no dropping your guard around the Grunts."

"That's why we have locks to our doors, it's not meant to be a prison just safe what were you talking about?" she asked sitting on the bed behind her sister.

"Anything I hear about in the gossip mill."

"So what's new?"

"I've dropped the 'Ms' from Touko's name but we could be dropping that too she's interested."

Touko sighed as even Concordia bounced a bit, causing Ro to jump out of his hiding spot among the stuffed animals. She didn't squeal but she did scoop him.

"Oh Teddiursa where'd you come from?"

"Father gave him to Touko."

Touko laughed as she bounced him he seemed delighted by the attention, he could really distract anyone, she tapped her chin thinking if that was why Ghetsis picked him out. He's cute yes but not all cute pokemon have that calming vibe she smiled slightly it was sweet either way.

"Oh did he now? I'm glad to see you getting closer, father likes to spend time with us but even when we were younger we could tell when he got lonely. Sometimes a kid can't fix that, family time can be incomplete." Concordia said handing off Ro to her.

Touko's smile widened though she remained silent.

"...Don't read too much into it, things are just a little different..."

Anthea shook her head and told her sister what Touko told her if anything some sort of past made it all the better. She shook her head cuddling Ro.

"Ah Touko it's not your fault you lost your memories, maybe if you spend more time with him it'll come back faster."

"I don't know thinking about him seems to work too."

"But don't you want to?" Concordia asked, her tone teasing.

"Well..I guess...I don't know my mind is in too much of a fog." 'I don't know' was all she could say thanks to how she felt Anthea and Concordia watched her.

The elder patting her leg.

"Don't stress okay, it won't be any good for you."

She only nodded pausing as there was another knock.

"N you come in too."

"I don't want to interuppt your time or whatever just wanted to say that father isn't coming back tonight things ran over. They still have training to do too."

Concordia hopped up to go open the door and pull him in, Touko couldn't help but feel disappointed but she wasn't going to say anything for now. At least she wasn't alone.

…..

Ghetsis sighed heavily as the car pulled around so he could get out, two days of bull, Archie was worked up over a threat on his life and he was exterminating Grunts left and right to find the spy. They had to attempt to calm him down, then there was a loss of money, more moved than there was supposed to be which hurt supply lines, there was another three days. A blizzard left some of the pokemon agitated as four more days screwed them out of work, they couldn't go out and train effectively. Archie didn't have a gym for them Ghetsis wasn't sure why he wasn't prepared for this but he was hopeless.

Which he seemed to know and only pissed him off more, there was a lot more training at least between him and Ghetsis.

They didn't want pokemon destroying anything.

He was irritated but he had some sort of respect for whoever targeted them, it took guts.

Still he was glad to be back, he walked in and got on the intercom to wake up the Grunts it was time to look through his own staff. Mars came with the Grunts under her he knew from Cyrus that she was sniffing around Jupiter again, and he didn't appreciate it. Simply put Mars wouldn't be going back, he just wanted to sleep peacefully he would grab a nap but he didn't sleep when he stayed around the others. Maxie he trusted enough but the others he kept at arms length, though his exhaustion would make it easier to punish anyone who wouldn't talk.

"There have been some missing funds among other issues and before I tear into you like you know Archie would I suggest you consider if you want to work for free. So who knows something?"

Seeing the sea of confused faces he could tell it was going to be a long day.

…..

"Father?"

Ghetsis sat up hearing Anthea calling him after a few pointless hours he didn't have any information though they were all going to suffer until he did. Though with everyone still asleep he didn't think to bother them and announce that he was home.

"Come in Anthea."

She opened the door and smiled at him he smiled then too seeing N and Concordia with her.

"Welcome back father."

He nodded.

"How were things while I was gone?"

"Fine, Maxie told us about the missing funds, though we haven't really noticed anyone acting supiciously. They know they're recorded everywhere here." Concordia said.

"I see, I don't know how they got past the systems even Ivy and Colress aren't sure what happened."

"Maybe it wasn't completely malicious and someone with clearance typed too many zeros." Anthea offered.

"Or tried to sneak a promotion." N said.

"It's possible."

"Father you look exhausted shouldn't you be in bed? It'd be easier to think rested." Concordia watched him as he rubbed his free eye.

"I'm fine, where is Touko?"

"With Ro."

"Who is that?"

"The Teddiursa you gave her." Concordia said with a smile seeing the jealous look on his face for a moment.

It softened.

"Right I'd nearly forgotten, is she alright?"

"Sure she said she was having trouble sleeping so she should be napping now, why don't you go check on her?"

"I don't want to bother her..."

"She missed you though, she asked if we heard from you every day."

He glanced up and watched as they returned the same look he almost didn't want to believe it.

"She did?"

"She wouldn't have if a certain someone had checked in with her." Anthea said with a waggle of her finger, he sighed at the thought of being chastised by his daughter.

"Well I suppose can at least see if she's awake."

"That's right, so scoot we'll have breakfast together in her room."

"Since we do we have meals in bedrooms...?"

He never cared if they wanted to snack in their bed but meals were for the table.

"Since this isn't home and we only relax in our rooms." Concordia said with a shrug.

He sighed as they nodded to head to the kitchen, he stood up to go to her room. Knocking on her door he felt a bit of nerves crawling up his neck he thought he might just go back to his room. He wasn't sure she even wanted to see him though when she opened the door he sighed to himself and turned he grit his teeth looking at her smaller frame, he had missed her more than he thought he would he frowned at the thought it wasn't like she was in any sort of relationship with him. Though he felt like she should have been it wasn't just her fighting memory loss.

She fidgeted a bit only wearing cotton shorts and a tank top she felt a little more exposed, still she figured rather than fight with herself as though she didn't miss him she'd go with the easy choice. He stared down as she hugged him, it was already very different from her grateful hug he blushed remembering those hated uneasy thoughts that crept up. He hugged her back that felt normal, how she managed to have that effect on him he'd never know...as far as he knew.

"So you really did miss me then?"

"Don't sound so surprised, I'll be forced to close the door on you."

He chuckled then reminding her of her dreams.

"Well now that wouldn't be very nice considering N, Concordia and Anthea want us to eat together."

"I'd still let them in." she teased.

Ro walked over to tug at her sock, she looked down as he waved his arms at her, he liked to play in Anthea's room but he did like when Touko carried him at random throughout the day. Touko smiled and bent to pick him up, Ghetsis smiled watching her cuddle the little bear.

"I'm glad you really enjoy him."

"How could I not? He's so cute."

For a moment he thought of a different image, her with his blood child...he shook the thought from his head, she only hugged him it didn't secure anything for the future yet.

…...

(Yes after somewhat taking my sweet time it's...well time to shift gears more..finally right? Ha stay tuned.)