Author's Note: I would like to start off by saying this story is rather personal, and I hope my lovely readers will be gentle with me when submitting comments. This story is loosely based on real life, so I hold this story close to my heart, even if this is a fanfiction story for a family-friendly franchise marketed towards children. Althea is based on a real-life whom I am related to, so I will be protective of her.
Additionally, I would love to proudly say that I dedicate this story to Alorah! Thank you so much for being my pretty princess and for giving me your childhood Nintendo 3DS Lite, I promise to cherish her! I am almost done completing the game Pokémon Black! I just need to defeat the Elite Four, meet Cynthia, and all that!
Although it has been published later...This is my first ever Ikarishipping fanfiction in eight years! The last time I wrote about this couple was in 2016, I've grown and changed since then! I hope I can do all of the canon characters justice and may the Ikarishipping community still be active should I retire from writing Ikarishipping and I decide to come out of my retirement once more!
While most people in their twenties and thirties did not have the privilege of meeting their great-grandaunt, Paul and his older brother, Reggie, certainly did. Althea was their great-grandaunt, their maternal grandmother's aunt through marriage. Although they had no biological relationship, Paul liked the older woman well enough. Sure, she could be annoying sometimes with the constant yapping of her past, and she gave way too many hugs and kisses, much to Paul's irritation, but she was a kind-hearted woman who always meant well.
However, these past couple of weeks, Althea was not being her usual self. Normally, she would start her mornings with a hearty breakfast, feed all ten of her pet cats, and tend to her garden while Paul helped around the house. This time around, she would quietly look through all photographs and videos of her and her late husband, Soren, who was Paul's biological great-granduncle. Paul and Reggie would have to make breakfast for her as she would only have tea and a few biscuits while her cats were well-fed, as always. Her garden was maintained, and the rest of the house did not seem to be neglected, but it was irregular to see Althea not have her usual cheerful countenance. She did not stop to greet them with hugs and kisses. She would only give small, unfeeling smiles to them. Overall, there was something wrong and neither brother knew what to do.
"What do you think is up with her?" Paul asked his older brother, the latter of whom was washing the dishes while Paul swept the kitchen.
"I don't know, Paul, but I really hope she comes back to being herself once more." Reggie let out a sigh of pity, "We're all that she has left for a family, and I do not want to see her like this another second."
"Me either," Paul muttered before walking to the living room, where he found Althea sitting alone on the upholstered sofa that's been around for as long as Reggie can remember. She had several photo albums scattered around, and she was currently watching something on the television. Paul sat down next to her and watched what was on the screen.
In the video, there was Althea, but several decades younger, with her long, vibrant lapis lazuli blue-colored hair and glittering eyes that were not surrounded by wrinkles. Since before Reggie was born, Althea's thin gray hair was always kept short, and Paul used to tease her for having eyeballs that looked like blueberries. But this video proved to Paul that she was naturally born with those eyes and that her hair was once so long, thick, and full of volume which made him realize that she wasn't always this old and frail woman but she was previously a young and beautiful woman full of good health and untold stories.
"Wow, Ma! No matter how many times I see you in your younger days, I still can not believe what a beauty you are," Reggie complimented Althea, bending down from behind the sofa to plant kisses on both of her cheeks. "Seriously, you are absolutely stunning! No wonder our Soren fell for you."
A shy smile appeared on her face, "You really think so?" She was then quiet, pondering for a minute before adding, "He used to call me Vexatious as a nickname because Veilstone City used to be called Vexing Veilstone, and I moved there from Twinleaf Town. He said that I was the reason why his hometown is vexing now. Of course, we hated each other back in the day and would constantly pull pranks on each other…It wasn't until we were in university that we saw each other in a different light."
She pointed to the screen in which Soren appeared, who bore a striking resemblance to Paul and Reggie, respectively. In the video, Soren embraced Althea from behind and planted kisses all over her face, and Althea could only blush and squeal at his antics.
"The age of adulthood is twenty-eight, but we got married at twenty-five…Sure, it was considered to be a marriage between minors, but everyone knew we'd have spent the rest of our lives together even if we waited until both of us were twenty-eight. We did have a proper legally-recognized wedding on Soren's twenty-eighth birthday."
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about being underage," Reggie teased, causing Paul to raise his hand, his eyes threatening Reggie to continue.
"I miss Twinleaf Town; I haven't been there in years…I wonder if Johanna is doing well. The last time I heard from her, she called me to let me know that she had a daughter."
"Who's Johanna?" Paul asked, flipping through the pages of one of her photo albums, "Is she in here?"
"Johanna's my older sister, Clovisera's granddaughter," she answered. "She's younger than Daphne, your mother, but her daughter and Paul are born in the same year though."
"Maybe we can bring them here? I'm pretty sure Maylene can pull a few strings," Reggie suggested.
At this, Paul groaned, "Why must you always involve your ladylove in our family's affair? You two won't be married until next spring…Can't you give the poor woman a break? She won't be legally our family until then but you've dragged her into our mess for years!"
"Nonsense, Paul," Reggie argued, "you say this but you still end up helping out her family on multiple occasions…She'll be my wife so those are my in-laws but you still are sweet on them."
"Whatever, I'm going home." Paul glanced at Althea before looking at Reggie before going back to Althea. With a defeated sigh, he leaned forward to ruffle Althea's hair, "I hope you'll feel better soon, Ma."
Afterward, he left Althea's house and walked his way home, stopping on the way to feed a few of the stray cats. Ever since the age of ten, Althea has made Paul carry a can of cat food in his pocket should he ever run into a stray cat and it's been happening every time he's coming home from visiting Althea.
It's been a week since Reggie promised Althea that he would bring over Althea's relatives, and Paul doubted they would come to visit her in Veilstone City within the next month or so. While Paul would never admit it, this left him in a sour mood whenever he saw Althea's melancholic face whenever he visited. He even took her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant and it still did nothing to change her expression. Just when Paul was beginning to lose hope that Althea would ever be back to her usual sweet, smiling self, they appeared.
Clovisera was long gone; she died shortly after his parents were married, but her granddaughter, Johanna, arrived at Veilstone City. Immediately, Paul recognized the uncanny resemblance the woman had with Althea. They could pass off as grandmother and granddaughter with their shared hair color plus texture and eye color, but Twinleaf Town was in the southern part of the country, so Johanna was tanned while Althea was fair. Additionally, Johanna was taller than her grandaunt, but southerners were still short in comparison to northerners like those in Veilstone City. Still, no one could deny that Althea and Johanna were biologically related.
Paul and Reggie's mother, Daphne, was the one to graciously invite Johanna over to stay with Althea, and she was the one to call for catering. "Thank you so much for coming over, Johanna," Daphne beamed, "I can not tell you just how delighted we are to have you! I've only ever met your grandmother Clovisera when she came to our wedding. I wish we could have spent more time with her, she's got a one-of-a-kind sort of character! I can see why our Althea is the way she is."
"Indeed," Johanna nodded, "but, just wait until my daughter comes. She's with her father right now. But, my husband told me they bought tickets so they'll be coming over the day after tomorrow. If you loved Clovisera, my Dawn will certainly remind you of her."
"Oh, well, then, I can't wait to meet her!"
Reggie shook his head lightheartedly, "Ma, by the time you and her exchange eye contact, you'll probably claim her as one of the family!"
"So, what if I will? I mean, Johanna's already my sister since she's Althea's relative and any relative of Althea is a relative of mine."
Brandon, Paul's father, chuckled at the statement; he turned towards his younger son, who already left to where Althea was. Althea was at the corner of the dining room, petting Paolina, Daphne's pet parrot, who was named after Paul because when Paul was five, he claimed that the baby bird would be his loyal subject.
"What's the matter with you?" She said nothing to this, so he continued. "Seriously, I want to know why you are like this. If there is anything I can do for you…Please, let me know."
"This is something that a youngster such as yourself won't understand," was all that she said before going to the kitchen to fetch something to feed Paolina.
He stared at the rainbow-colored parrot, "Do you ever think she'll smile again?"
True to Johanna's word, Colin and Dawn arrived in Veilstone City two days later, and the two of them came bearing gifts, more than Johanna did when she first arrived in town. Colin was a shy, quiet sort of man, choosing to let his wife and daughter do all of the talking similar to Brandon and Daphne except that Brandon chose to be withdrawn and brooding while Colin was just demure.
Speaking of demure, Dawn was far from that. If Paul were to ever publish his very own thesaurus, he'd have Dawn as the picture example for the antonym of the word demure. If she were a word, brazen would be what she was. Shockingly but not unreasonably, she was the spitting image of Althea in her youth. While Althea once had long, flowing blue hair that reached the floor, Dawn's hair reached to her fingertips, and since she was on the shorter side, just like Althea, it meant her hair went to her thighs. Just like Althea, she had the exact pair of blueberry eyes, and they sparkled the same way Althea normally would. To make matters worse, she had identical few freckles dusting her nose and cheeks along with the signature grin that Althea would sport. Paul was not a poet, but when she smiled, it was like experiencing the light after being in the dark for so long. However, why did some distant relative who was the same age as him have to have what he wanted? He wanted nothing more than to see Althea smile; it was as if the light had vanquished once she no longer kept up her warmth. It was like rubbing salt to the injury whenever Dawn smiled. And, she happened to smile more than Paul's lungs could breathe and his heart to beat.
"What's that on your face?" Althea asked Dawn out of the blue, watching Dawn come down from her temporary bedroom, which used to be Paul's designated bedroom whenever he stayed over at Althea's house.
Dawn had changed into one of Althea's unused nightgowns since she left her pajamas at home. Her hair was tied back into a bun, and she had a pink rubbery paste placed all over her face.
"Oh, this?" Dawn pointed to her face, "It's a modeling mask or a rubber mask! This one's got collagen in it. It restores your skin by making it firmer and plumper, which is helpful if you're aging…I turned thirty not too long ago, so I thought this would be great for my skin."
"Is it like a spa treatment?" Maylene asked, "I like treating myself by going to the spa every month."
Dawn nodded, "Yes, precisely just that!" Dawn pulled out from her pocket a few packets, "I've got more of these packets if you'd like to try them out. My parents always forget that you need special skincare whenever you're traveling so I bought extras with me. I've got more than enough to share, by the way!"
"Really? That would be great," Maylene said, her excitement palpable. "I run a martial arts dojo that I've inherited from my paternal grandfather, and on weekends, I help out at the family auto repair shop. Being an instructor and mechanic leaves you always needing to up your hygiene game, am I right?"
"I hear you! I've worked multiple jobs in my life. I was a nanny, receptionist, and personal assistant, among other things! Now, I'm an electronic engineer and an electrician at the Sunyshore City Space Center! I got my PhD and I've been working there ever since. Let me tell you this, the uniform I'm wearing and the environments I'm in have me needing to shower daily! At least they pay well, I love being in the industry, and I've got cute company."
"Cute company?"
Dawn giggled, "They've got cute sheep scattered around, they're emotional support animals. I just love to cuddle them!"
A voice interrupted them, "Oh, this takes me back to when I was younger!" It was Althea who spoke up, "My older sister and I used to take the train from Twinleaf Town to Sunyshore City every month. The Space Center used to have a public spa and we'd get all sorts of treatments done there. My hair, skin, and nails were all taken care of. Whatever they did to us, it was working, and that was my beauty secret."
Dawn gave her a wistful smile, "My grandmother used to take us there once a month, too. They closed ten years ago, but I will never forget how pampered I've felt there. No other place does beauty like they do."
"Yes, you're right about that, my child." A forlorn sigh escaped from Althea's mouth, "I miss those days…Alas, I will never be young and beautiful again." Gesturing to herself, "I suppose this is the appearance I will have to live with until my last breath."
"Hey, don't say that!" Dawn shook her head furiously, "You look just like my great-grandmother, so it was a blessing to see my mother's grandmother in you. If I can age as well as you do, then I can welcome aging with open arms! You are beautiful! Beauty does not have an age limit. My grandfather would tell my grandmother that he loves her more with each and every passing day because that's another day he's shared living with her. Not everyone is blessed to live a long life like you are…Every wrinkle you have tells a story. Growing old is a privilege, and chasing after youth won't do you any favors. Your physical appearance is a reflection of the lifestyle that you've lived, and in you, I see a warm, kind, loving soul who opens her home and heart to anyone and everyone. Your outer world is only a mere reflection of your inner world. And through this, I see a beautiful woman who's got lots of stories to tell and share with the world!"
A tear fell down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it off. Seeing the earnestness in Dawn's eyes made Althea choke out her words, "All of that…Do you really mean what you say?"
"Yes, I do," Dawn declared, walking forward. "Daphne Auntie told me that you've been down and I don't suppose that being stuck in the past has something to do with it, does it?"
"It does," Althea answered, caressing Dawn's cheek, "I'm just getting older and older while my loved ones are no longer with me to share these last remaining years with me. I miss Clovisera. I miss Soren. I miss everyone who I've loved but lost. Through you, I see my older sister, but I also see myself…I see the young and beautiful woman who adores her older sister and who was fortunate enough to find a loving husband. I see myself but in the time where I thought that life was rosy."
"Life is still rosy, though," Dawn interjected. "With every loss, there is something to be found. And, are our loved ones truly gone if they've left parts of themselves behind, and it's up to us to keep their memory behind? I mean, Paul looks like Soren and even acts like him, too…I honestly do not know how you were able to get him to soften up and settle down with you…But that does not matter…You have a great-grandnephew who is so fond of you that he hates me because I am your duplicate…I am happy and you are not, this bothers him a lot! So much so that he's called me Troublesome for being all sunshine and rainbows. Through Paul, Soren is alive. Through me, Clovisera is alive. You are alive right now. Sure, you've grown up a lot but you are beautiful. We can not bring them back but they're always with us. We do not have to die to be with them. Of course, we will properly reunite with them in the afterlife but that's another thing…Our loved ones wouldn't want us to mourn for them. They would want us to spend the rest of our lives living it to the fullest, don't you think?"
Althea allowed Dawn to wipe her tears. "Yes, you're right about that. I suppose I have been so miserable that I've been blinded to this truth." Grabbing Dawn's hand, she walked to the living room where everyone else was. "Come on now, let's share those rubber masks with everyone! It's a Sunday so this means we need to welcome the new week with only positivity. A Self-Care Sunday is one way to end the week, wouldn't you agree?"
Upon seeing Althea and Dawn holding hands, Paul dropped the cracker he was feeding Paolina…There stood Althea, except that she was smiling, full-on grinning, with her smile going from ear to ear and her eyes wrinkling as she did so. Her freckles pop out whenever she smiles so happily. Even in her frumpy nightgown and bonnet, she was nothing short of being the vision of a guardian angel. The warmth of her smile alone would be more than enough to melt all of Snowpoint City's snow and ice. Oh, how had he missed seeing her so delighted like that? How long did he have to suffer seeing her all in low spirits, but now, the Althea he has known and loved returned. Althea has come back.
"We should have a Self-Care Sunday, everyone!" She declared, handing out a packet containing the collagen face mask treatment to Daphne who willingly accepted it.
Reading the contents, Daphne's eyes widened and she chirped, "Oh, I do love a good collagen treatment! It's been a long while, thank you, Naniapa!"
"Don't thank me, thank Dawn for bringing them!" Althea handed a packet each to Brandon who awkwardly accepted it, and Colin, who thanked her, already opening the all too familiar packet.
"What are you hiding underneath that nightgown?" Paul questioned. His random out-of-the-blue inquiry resulted in everyone stopping and staring at him, Dawn included. Dawn had a dumbfounded expression on her face, tilting her head in confusion.
Reggie sighed deeply, facepalming before telling her, "Um…I think what my younger brother means to say is where are your wings?"
"What wings? Last time I checked, I don't have a tail so I doubt I will have wings either," Dawn said, glaring at Paul. "You're not calling me a monkey, are you? Or, are you calling me a silly goose instead?"
This time, it was Daphne's turn to answer. Letting out a lighthearted chuckle, she told Dawn, "No, no, my dear…I think what my son means to say is that you must be an angel…Our guardian angel, to be precise!"
"Now why would I be your guardian angel?"
"You made Althea Ma smile," Paul confessed, "I thought we'd never get to have our Althea back because she's been depressed for so long that I thought it was all over for us."
"Is that how you really feel, Paul?" Althea walked to Paul, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace, "Why didn't you say so? Oh, I am so sorry for making you feel this way. The truth is that I have felt so alone…You all love me, and I love you all, but I miss Clovisera, Soren, and everyone else who's been with me from the very beginning. I've also felt very insecure about myself as well…I've raised you and your brother since you were born…Watching you two grow up made me realize that I was once a young girl with an older sister to look after, and with Reggie marrying Maylene very soon, I couldn't help but remember my marriage with Soren…We had fifty beautiful years, and I would not have found another like him. I was young and beautiful, in peak condition with the greatest of health. I had so much ahead of me, and now, here I am…I am over a century old, and 105 years old to be more exact, and I've lost so much…But, I should realize that I have found and gained so much in the process. I am still beautiful and full of potential, but I am also very much loved, and my story isn't over yet." She kissed Paul's forehead, "Can you ever find it within your heart to forgive me for taking this long to find the light?"
Paul's lips quivered, "You vexatious old woman! Why are you apologizing to me? You're allowed to have emotions; it is not a sin to be in a pathetic state…Don't talk to my great-grandaunt like this!"
"But, I am your great-grandaunt," she chuckled.
He grunted, "That's precisely why you can't demean yourself like this."
"Oh, Soren! You might have left this earth too soon, but you've given me someone who's your exact replica. He even treats me just like you did," Althea cried out. Beckoning Dawn over. She pulled Dawn into a hug, and she kissed her forehead as well, even if it was covered with a collagen paste. "Oh, Clovisera, thank you so much for marrying Cayetano, otherwise, how else would I have been graced with meeting your Dawn?" With one hand, she held onto Paul, and with her other, she held onto Dawn. "You two are my guardian angels."
"I am going to cry," Reggie said, his already sniffling. "Hey Paul, you didn't get a rubber mask, did you?" He grabbed a packet from Maylene and handed it to Paul.
"Whatever," was all that Paul said before shoving the packet down his pocket.
"Does everyone have a rubber mask?" Althea looked around and nodded in confirmation, "Good, well, let's get started on pampering ourselves then!"
Paul was not one to pay particular care to his skin much to Dawn's dismay so it was up to Daphne to forcefully apply the collagen paste onto his skin. "Why is it cold?"
"Because I placed them in the fridge," Dawn explained.
He rolled his eyes, "What's next, cucumbers on my eyes?"
"Hmmph," she thrust a glass of cucumber and mint water at him, "I don't know why I even bothered to make sharbat-e-sekanjabin for you."
"You made this for me?"
"Duh, Althea told me it was your favorite. Consider it a peace offering!"
She left before Paul could say another word to her.
It's been a week since Johanna came to visit and five days since Dawn and Colin arrived, but it was time for the three of them to go back to Twinleaf Town. Dawn was in the bedroom, packing up the remainder of her things. They were taking the night train to go back home. She was too engrossed in organizing her items to notice Paul's presence.
"Thank you," he murmured, loud enough for her to hear.
She turned around to face him, "What was that?" Giving him a teasing smile, she placed her hand to her ear, "Could you repeat that, I couldn't quite hear it…Did you really just say thank you to me?"
"Damn it, I said thank you," he shouted. He pondered for a moment, hesitant to say what's next. "I thought we lost her in her misery for good. Thank you for bringing her back to us. She raised me and Reggie, so she's my third parent…I couldn't forgive myself or live the rest of my life if she never smiled again."
She shook her head. "Please, don't thank me; it was nothing really." Her bright blueberry eyes met his dark steel gray eyes. "I bet she's had some regrets and was homesick, among other things. I could relate to her, you know…I mean, I am thirty, but I miss my youth too…I've recently started gaining more weight and developing more, so I guess my curves are finally kicking in…Yay, second puberty! But, placing my beauty aside, I miss my grandmother. She died too young…I'm glad that Althea lived a long life, though. I see my grandmother in her and my great-grandmother, too. I don't blame her for being in the slumps…Imagine losing your older sister and husband…Living far away from your relatives to where your husband's family is. She and Soren have no children, so to her, you all are her descendants. I would be all down too if I was the only one within my immediate circle to still be alive and to raise my descendants, watching them grow up and notice that I am aging and losing my health and beauty…But, we've got to move on from all of that…How can you live your life if you're not going forward… Life has its ups and downs but you will always find happiness. Honestly, seeing her made me excited to grow old! I'll have all these laugh lines from laughing all the time and the crow's feet because I've got plenty of reasons to smile. I am pretty sure you two have stressed her out and caused her hair to gray out more but she's loved and been loved…It's a wonderful life that she's living. I am just glad that I helped her to see it that way. This is all that I've done."
He nodded his head, "Well, I couldn't have done it myself so I'll give you credit where it's due, Dawn." A small reluctant smile appeared on his face when he said her name.
Her eyes widened, "Hey, did you just call me Dawn? Finally, it's about time that you call me by my name! Stop calling me Troublesome!"
His smile only began to grow as he added, "But you are troublesome, Troublesome."
He expected Dawn to have something to say back to him but all that she could do was to stop and stare at him. "Dimples," she said to herself out loud.
"Excuse me?"
"Dimples," she repeated, "I didn't know you have dimples like Reggie and your mother." She pointed to the indentations on both of his cheeks.
"Of course, I would…Soren gave them to us. Everyone from my mother's side has them."
"They're cute...I mean, they suit you well. The dimples make you look kind."
"Well, I am not kind," he told her. "Let me know when you're done packing, I'll take them to Reggie's car."
"Thank you."
"Whatever."
It was half past seven, and everyone was exchanging their final goodbyes. Johanna and Daphne were crying, full-on sobbing, as they promised to call each other daily to keep in touch. Reggie and Maylene handed invitations to their upcoming wedding to Colin, who gratefully took them, promising them that Dawn, Johanna, and Colin would all come to attend the event. This left Althea alone with Paul and Dawn.
"Here, take this," Paul said, thrusting a small pink gift bag to Dawn. "Don't you dare even think about returning it," he threatened.
"Oh my, what's this?" She opened the bag to reveal a beautifully decorated ornamental wooden hair comb.
"Didn't you say that your hair suffers from static shock? Wooden hair combs don't cause any static," was his response to her inquiry.
"He's right, you know," Althea interrupted, "Wooden or bone hair combs are much better than plastic ones. Veilstone City is known for its timber industry, and Veilstone wood is the highest standard of wood there is in Sinnoh. A long time ago, there was a foreign businesswoman who capitalized on making hair combs and brushes. She told everyone about how hair combs were prized in her country…There's even an idiom for it…It translates to something like a happy couple will always be together until their hairs turn white. That foreign idiom was so well-received that gifting hair combs has been a romantic tradition in Veilstone City for over a thousand years. I mean, gifting a comb to a lover signifies that you want to be with them even in old age." With a knowing smile, she added, "When I confessed to Soren, I didn't expect him to hand me a custom-made wooden hair comb afterward and for him to reciprocate my feelings back by telling me that he felt the same."
"Aww, that's so romantic," Dawn squealed, "I hope to one day receive a gift as romantic as that."
"I'm sure you will. It'll happen sooner than you'd like to believe."
"Whatever," Paul grunted.
Giving one last hug to Dawn and planting as many kisses on her face as she possibly could, Althea let her go. "My dear, I think it's time for you to get on the train now."
Dawn nodded, "Yeah, you're right."
"She's always right…It's better this way," Paul muttered, causing Dawn to giggle.
"What was that, Paul?" Althea raised an eyebrow, placing her hands on her hips.
"Nothing, don't worry about it."
Quickly, Dawn, Johanna, and Colin ran to their train. Paul, Althea, Reggie, Maylene, Daphne, and Brandon watched as the train started moving. Dawn waved at them and what surprised everyone else was seeing Paul wave back at Dawn, a small content smile appearing on his face as he did so. Once she was finally out of his line of sight, he placed his hands inside his pockets. Feeling everyone's stares, he rolled his eyes at them.
"If you are thinking about anything crazy stupid lovey-dovey, then quit it! You are pathetic to think that this means anything special." Paul barked, before walking back to where the cars were parked.
"For a moment, I thought I saw you and Soren," Reggie confessed. "I remember seeing an old video of you waving at Soren while your train took you back home to Twinleaf Town for a cousin's wedding. It's so strange seeing how much Paul and Soren look alike and you and Dawn look alike…It's like getting a glimpse of you and Soren eighty years into the past."
Althea giggled, "I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks so. If Paul is anything like Soren, he'll come around to welcoming romance with open arms. Believe me, when I say this, Dawn will be legally a part of the family soon enough!"
"Well, I certainly am looking forward to seeing their love story," Daphne gushed, her purple hair bouncing as she jumped up and down. "This means more grandchildren for us to dote on. I want ten, one for each finger! Actually, make it twenty so that we can count my toes too!"
"Ma, you are impossible," Reggie said, shaking his head.
Maylene blushed, almost stuttering her words. "We will see what the future holds in store for us."
Brandon glanced down at his watch. "I think we should head back home now…Let's hope that Paul hasn't started Reggie's car and gone off already without us."
At Althea's house, Paul was feeding the cats. Once they were fed, he decided to sit down on the sofa in the living room. He noticed that there were still photo albums lying around. Feeling bored, he decided to turn on the television, and what he saw left him stunned and speechless. In the video, there stood a younger version of Althea and Soren except that they looked like Paul and Dawn just wearing vintage clothes instead. They were at Twinleaf Town and they were surrounded by children, presumably at a festival.
"How many kids do you two want?" Clovisera and Cayetano asked the couple simultaneously.
Dawn pondered for a moment, contemplating her answer. Paul glared at them, taking time to consider his words.
"I want six," she answered.
"Six wouldn't be so bad," he answered.
They said their answer at the same time, causing the two of them to look at each other, blushing upon the realization that they both wanted the same amount of children.
With the remote, Paul turned off the television. "Six children? That's so troublesome! Imagine having to deal with all of those brats at the same time…I would never be pathetic enough to even father one." He rubbed his eyes, "I must be seeing things…Yeah, that must be it." He turned the television back on and instead of Paul and Dawn, it was Althea and Soren.
"How many kids? Hmm…" Althea turned to Soren, giving him a look of adoration before answering, "One or one hundred, I do not mind. Even if we are childless, it is okay. I have my husband and that's all that really matters."
"I wouldn't mind either of those choices, one, one hundred, or none; I just need my wife here with me," Soren declared.
Paul sighed in relief, "Something must be wrong with me to imagine me and Dawn instead."
He decided to turn off the television, this time for good. Just as he was about to step outside, Althea came inside the house.
"I just knew that you'd be here! Are you going to spend the night?"
He shook his head, "No, I'll be at home."
"All right, if that's what you want."
He hesitated, "Actually, you know what, I'll stay."
"I'll brew you some tea then."
"Thanks."
"Of course," she placed a hand on his shoulder, "I love you, Paul. Truly, I do. I couldn't have loved you and I couldn't have loved you less. I may say that you and Soren are alike but I love that you are not. You are Paul. He is Soren. I am glad to have you both in my life. I hope you know that."
"Duh, I know." He rolled his eyes before planting a kiss on her forehead, "Thank you for coming back to us. I suck at words but you mean so much to me…I may not show it or tell it but I do love you."
"You are so loveable…I am sure everyone else feels the same way as well."
"Yeah, sure, whatever."
"Perhaps Dawn will learn to love you too?"
"Do not say that pathetic nonsense to me. Nobody needs to learn to love me, certainly not a wife or one hundred kids."
"One hundred kids…Now, where did that come from?"
"Shut up, I'm going to take a shower," was all that Paul said before he ran to the bathroom, no longer wanting to continue the conversation.
"I wonder where that came from," Althea said to herself. She shrugged her shoulders and went to the kitchen to prepare them both tea. "Perhaps only time will tell."
Maybe it was just wishful thinking on a few people's end, but Paul and Dawn did end up getting together eventually. After ten years of knowing each other, they finally tied the knot. Dawn certainly kept Paul on his toes for the past ten years, but it was all worth it. Maylene and Reggie had four kids during this time, and all four of the children attended their uncle's wedding. While Daphne did not get her wish of twenty grandchildren, Paul and Dawn still welcomed six children, leaving Daphne and Brandon as the proud grandparents of ten grandchildren. Althea was there to welcome each and every child. Although she knew her time was coming to an end, she was thankful to have lived her remaining years feeling fulfilled.
The End.
Author's Note: Shoutout to Alorah, she was my beta reader and editor! There is still more polishing that needs to be done, but I shall worry about that some other time! I am honored to have made you my very first reader! The Ikarishipping drawing you've made for me catapulted me into a creative frenzy, and I've been publishing Ikarishipping fanfiction left and right! One of these days, I will write my very original stories, but that's for another time!
I hope my readers enjoyed this story! I love Althea so much! She may be biologically related to Dawn, but she's a part of Paul's family as well. Fortunately, Dawn and Paul and their many children all get to share Althea together! Since Brandon has brown hair, we can guess that Paul and Reggie get their handsome good looks from their mother! Soren is the first precursor to Paul, the prototype type of Paul, if you will! Since Paul's mother has no name, I love using different names for each of the stories that I've written! I must say though, Daphne has to be my favorite! Daphne goes well with Dawn, and I love to believe that the men on both sides of Paul's family all have a type!
If you would like for me to expand upon this story, please do let me know in the comments section down below! I would love to write extra short stories with Althea and Soren, Paul and Dawn, etc.
