Warning: This story will have yaoi (BoyxBoy love). If that isn't your fancy or you just hate this couple Kindly either:

A. Hit the back Button

B. Be brave, read the story and try your best to ignore the yaoi-ness

C. Understand it's my story and that no matter what you say, I won't change my story to match your views

D. Have an awesome day and NOT flame/troll

E. Do all of the Above but A

Author's Note – Hey everyone! It's a pleasure to be back! I have to say, I'm quite the shitty author. This story has been on my brain the last few years and I keep wanting to update it and continue it – but then real life hits me. I've decided to take time to write each night as I do have a dream of one day publishing my own book. It's been a long hot minute since I've sat and written anything, and I'm so sorry. Thanks for reading and your eternal patience.

I had to go back and reread what I've written in past chapters. Was interesting to see my writing change a few times and cringe at some moments. Some parts make no sense or older me just isn't impressed. Need to clarify some stuff as well.

Also, some chapter titles I'm like "?" lol! Perhaps once this is complete, I'll rewrite or edit it. Who knows? Being a parent of two beautiful boys keeps me busy, especially one of them being special needs. But as I've said, I'm going to be writing some each night. I miss my hobbies and almost being thirty years old is making me take a step back. I love being a parent, but I am not taking time to be 'me'. It's time to start back into the things I love!

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think.

Ending of A King's Reign.

Chapter 24– Burnt: Month 4 of 4

The sky was a deep gray, threatening to burst at any second. James was standing in front of the grave site of Jesse, holding their darling daughter, whose hair resembled Jesse's beautiful magenta hair. James' face was stoic – no tears, nor frown adorned his face. The moment he had been told of Jesse's death was the moment his emotions had left. He beat himself mentally and physically for not being there for her. He could only imagine her last moments were terrifying – would she or the baby make it? Would she live and the baby die? If only Jesse had woken him up. He could have been there at the hospital. Maybe it would have made a difference. Maybe Jesse would still be here. She could see how beautiful their daughter was.

The baby started to fuss, and James sighed, patting her bottom and trying to soothe her back to sleep. He didn't want to leave. If he could, he would have buried himself in the ground alive to be with Jesse. The thought of suffocating on dirt and gravel didn't sound half bad when the love of his life was to be in it for the rest of eternity. A harsh gust of wind swept through, and James tightened his grip on his daughter – if that wasn't Jesse from beyond telling him to take the baby in, he didn't know what that was. James turned and started making his way out of the graveyard, when he felt tears streaming from his face. He forced himself to keep walking and held his daughter closer.

Once he was at the car and had his daughter buckled in, he got in the front and started driving away to his house. He really needed to get home and finish the paperwork he'd been putting off. He still had to submit paperwork for his daughter and finalize a few last things with Jesse's funeral. He wasn't sure what headstone to pick when it came to the design of it and what it said. His mind couldn't settle, and he could not pick. He wished Jesse was here to tell him what to do. Like she always did.

Once he arrived home, he saw Red at his door waiting for him, seemingly downcast.

"Red? What are you doing here?" James asked as he walked forward towards Red. Red didn't move. Not a single muscle. He didn't even seem to be breathing. Concerned, James gently patted his shoulder, and Red raised his head ever so slowly, catching James off guard. The way he was acting anymore was off. The last month had been off since Jesse's death – James just assumed his odd behavior was from that.

"Did you pick a name yet?" Red's voice was hoarse. Red's eyes were heavy, blood shot and darkened from lack of sleep. James shook his head. He had not picked a name yet for his daughter. So many different names had been suggested to him and he even went through the list he and Jesse made – but nothing ever spoke to him. Nothing seemed to fit his daughter. Why couldn't Jesse be here and tell him what to name her? He was lost anymore.

Red didn't say anything else, and James went back to the car and got the baby out. He walked up and showed her off slightly to Red, trying his best to force a smile. He should be happy. He should be the proudest dad on the block with how adorable she was – but looking at her and how much she resembled her mother hurt James' heart in so many ways.

"She's got her mother's hair I see," Red said as he looked at the baby. "Her eye color is still dark. Wonder if she'll have yours or Jesse's eye color," James turned his baby back towards him and cuddled her against his chest.

"I think she's going to be a mini me of her mom" James cooed out, hugging her a bit tighter. James handed Red his key "Do you think you can open the door for me?" Red nodded and opened the door, motioning for him to go in first. James and Red made their way to the living room. James laid the baby in her swing and adjusted the settings as Red made himself comfortable on the couch. James sat on the other end of the couch. "So why did you come here today Red? I didn't know you'd be coming, or I would- "

"You should get a good name for your daughter. Don't you think it's time?" James was taken aback at Red's comment. Red wasn't the first person to say this to him. His daughter was a month old now and still not named – but this was the second time within the span of ten minutes Red mentioned it.

"I-I just can't seem to find a name that fits her.. I don't want to mess this up…" James trailed off, feeling a wave of guilt wash all over him. He had been dealing with the death of his true love and learning to be a single parent – and learning to bond with what killed his wife. What could he do other than make sure the girl had a good name that wasn't created out of spite?

"You need to name her. Do you think Jesse would be okay with this? Red spat out, seemingly annoyed at James. James felt emotions starting to bubble in his stomach. He couldn't tell if he was getting sick or if he was angry at Red. James looked down at the ground and took a few deep breaths before looking over at Red – only to be surprised at the distance that was between them was gone. Red was right next to James, staring him down. His eyes were shining with an intense glare, making James move away from Red, but keeping his gaze locked on him.

"It's a shame Jesse died," Red spoke, refusing to look away from James "I can tell you're lost just like me. Green's been in a coma for almost four months now. I keep telling myself he'll wake back up but part of me fears he won't." James felt the back of his neck prickle as Red refocused his gaze onto his daughter. "Do you want me to help pick a name for her?" James really didn't want that but didn't want to anger Red – he could feel Red was off and didn't want to upset him more in front of his daughter.

James pulled out a list of names he and Jesse had made from a nearby end table and laid it out on the coffee table in front of them. Red leaned forward, scanning the list over. Red bit his lip hard causing blood to draw.

"R-Red? Is everything alright? You've been acting strangely and I'm worried. I know I'm going through a lot right now, but if you nee-"was all James got out, before Red put a finger up, shushing James.

"I am perfectly fine. Let's get a name for this baby."

Red and James went through the list twice. James even picked his daughter up and held her up and said each name they both considered. The tension that had been built was slowly crumbling away as the two came down to a few names out of the whole list for the baby. James looked over the list, seeing the final few left.

Juniper, Jun for short. Daisy. Ruby. The final three. James was contemplating the names hard as Red held the baby. The baby started to fuss, breaking James' concentration – and James held his breath while looking at Red. Red was intently staring at the baby, his grip seeming to get tight and be the reason why the baby was crying.

"H-Here, let me take her," James grabbed the baby from Red, and got up and headed to the kitchen to get a bottle of formula made up for her. He laid her in the bouncer he had in the kitchen for her. He mixed the bottle up and was getting her out of the bouncer when Red came out.

"Did you pick a name?" Red asked, fixating a cold glare on the baby. James turned away from Red.

"I was thinking maybe Ruby," James frantically said, trying his best to not sound nervous. James thought he and Red had broken the tension from earlier. He wasn't understanding Red's odd behavior. James fed the baby her bottle in silence, burped her and laid her down in the nursery and went back to the kitchen where Red sat at the table, facing away from James.

"Ruby huh? That's a beautiful name…" Red said. James slowly approached the table and sat across from Red. Red's gaze was fixed on the table. James wasn't sure what he could say or even do to improve the mood again. James sat quietly with Red for what seemed like forever till Red spoke up.

"I'm glad you finally picked a name out. I didn't want to have to do it," James' face contorted to confusion as Red continued to speak. "I told Giovanni to spare you, you know? I had to get down on my knees and practically eat the shit off his boots." James felt a knot twist in his throat. He had a million things to ask but couldn't bring himself to say anything – he was afraid of what was going to happen.

"Giovanni wanted to kill you and Jesse. He was going to raise the baby as his own and make it a slave. Make it live a terrible life – but I begged on your behalf James. I made sure at least one of you would be around for her." Red's eyes were burning a hole through James. He was sweating, almost foaming at the mouth as he spoke. "I thought about what Green would do. I thought if maybe I thought like him and tried to make the best out of a shitty situation, he'd come back to me. But he's still in a coma!" Red slammed his hands off the table, causing James to flinch. Red rose from his seat and leaned onto the nearby counter.

James' heart was pounding. He kept repeating the words Red had said – Red had spared James from death and his daughter from being a slave. He knew that meant Jesse's death wasn't from childbirth – she had been offed for helping Maria. James covered his mouth and ran to the bathroom, throwing up. Red walked into the bathroom as James threw up. James wiped his mouth and looked up at Red, who was towering over him. The light from the bathroom was causing Red's figure to be shadowed out and he couldn't see his face.

"I don't understand why I did all that just for him to still be in a coma!" Red yelled out and kicked James. James gasped and Red kept kicking him, each kick harder than the last. James started begging for mercy, but Red's ears were not listening to any requests. "I can't believe you, who helped that fucking monster escape, can't even say thank you! I am suffering here while you act as if life is all dandy!" Red bellowed out, landing one final kick before turning away, tears streaming down his face.

"So Jesse is dead? Big deal! You still got your daughter! I have nothing – only the shit I ate to save your ass!" Red crumbled to the ground, bawling and yelling out Green's name. James was a bloodied mess and had lost consciousness. Red continued to cry until he felt sick. He stood up and walked out of the bathroom to the kitchen where he wiped his face. He flushed his skin with water before drying it off. He then went back to the bathroom. James was still out cold and losing blood. Red sighed.

"Another mess to clean…" Red trailed off as he turned on the shower. He picked James up and uncaringly tossed him into the shower. James' body crashed hard into the shower – and Red chuckled. He really kicked the shit out of James. Literally. Red stripped James and cleaned him up. He wrapped him in a towel and threw him on the bed in the master bedroom. Then he heard the baby crying.

Red walked into the nursery and stared at the baby. Her hair was the exact same color as her mom's, and he was assuming her eyes would end up like her mother's as well. Red reached down, and gently caressed the baby's face.

"I can't wait for Green to meet you. He's going to love you." Red picked the baby up, rocking her back to sleep and then laying her down gently. As angry as he was at the baby for looking just like her traitorous mother, he would never take it out on her. She was innocent.

Red left the nursery before poking his head back into the master bedroom. He made sure James was still breathing before he left. He had to get back to the hospital. He had only gotten to lie with Green for a few hours earlier. He needed to smell Green some more. Touch his skin. Know he was alive. As Red made his way to his car. His phone buzzed. He checked it and his eyes widened. His grip on his phone cracked the screen.

A grunt had sent him a photo of Maria in Cerulean City.

(POV Change: Dylan)

It had been a while since Dylan had visited Green in the hospital. After being discharged at the beginning of the month and working on overcoming what happened through therapy and working on reopening his bakery, Dylan had been too busy to stop in. Dylan hadn't been able to speak much after the incident. He was traumatized more than he thought. He spent about two months in the hospital and worked on speaking again.

Maria didn't hit his throat but mentally he was unable to speak. He slowly was able to break down the wall of trauma that was holding in his voice. While still in the hospital, he was able to communicate it was Maria who had attacked him and Green that fateful night at his bakery – which then proceeded the police to question him endlessly it seemed. The rest of his hospital stay after that felt like he was staying at a police station jail. When Dylan wasn't being questioned by the police, he was left to lay in his room with Red on Green's side of the room, whispering sweet nothings to the comatose man.

The day Dylan was discharged from the hospital, Dylan was incredibly thankful. He wanted to get back to his bakery, fix it back up and get back to 'his normal'. He had spent the last month getting everything set back straight for a grand reopening at the end of the month. He also was making great strides with his therapist, who recommended him to stop in and see Green – even if Green couldn't appreciate the visit personally himself.

Dylan was in the elevator with a simple vase of flowers. When he reached the floor Green was on, he mentally prepared himself to see Green. Green was breathing on his own and technically not on life support, but it had been 4 months. Some said he probably would be in a coma for the rest of his life. Dylan shook his head, as if to shake that thought out of his head.

Dylan peaked into the room and saw Red lying next to Green. Dylan knew they were in a relationship – but the past four months had really seemed to exacerbate Red's declining mental health. When Dylan shared a room still with Green, he noticed the time Red spent with Green increased a little each day. He could only imagine how long Red was spending with Green now. Dylan cleared his throat and walked in. Red didn't move from his spot, but instead huffed as if he was annoyed Dylan was there.

"I brought Green some fresh flowers," Dylan said placing them down on the nearby windowsill. Red didn't say anything. Dylan sat down on the chair next to the bed and felt uncomfortable. Red was cuddled next to Green, forcing Green's arm to be a pillow for his head. Red was under the same blanket as well. If there was a line that could be crossed, Red definitely had crossed it a long while ago.

"Any changes in his status?" Dylan asked, trying his best to not focus on Red in Green's bed. Red didn't respond right away, and the silence was becoming unbearable to Dylan. It was as if Red was trying to 'be in a coma" with Green and be there for him in a weird way.

"They've noticed his brain waves increase whenever people talk to him. So, I've been trying to stay here and talk to him as much as possible," Red said as he snuggled closer into Green's body. Dylan felt a bit disgusted at this point. Talking to someone did not mean climbing into the bed while they're unconscious. Dylan looked around the room a bit before deciding to excuse himself. He'd try to visit Green again when Red wasn't here – if that ever happened.

"I'll text you if anything changes, Dylan…" Red whispered out as he gave Dylan a thumbs up. Dylan said thanks and rushed out of the room. He had always supported them. He thought they were an absolutely adorable couple – but this just felt wrong. Something was off with Red. He knew Red had always been in love with Green since childhood, but this obsession he was expressing lately couldn't be healthy. He wasn't sure when he'd be able to, but Dylan was thinking of sharing his concern for this behavior to Red. Maybe all Red needed was a helpful hand to get connected to someone who could help him deal with the loss he was experiencing.

Dylan was down in the Lobby when he noticed Diasy and Prof. Oak were coming in to visit. Dylan shot them a shy smile and waved, and Daisy waved back as she walked up to him, a slightly concerning look plastered all over her face.

"How are you feeling Dylan? Where you here for a checkup?" Daisy looked Dylan up and down, her face full of concern. Dylan kept smiling.

"I'm feeling fine. I was here to check in on Green. I brought him some flowers to freshen up the room hopefully. A hospital room can only be so homey, you know? Daisy nodded in agreement and smiled.

"We really appreciate how thoughtful you and Red are to Green. He couldn't have a better friend and, uh, boyfriend" Daisy trailed off the end of sentence quietly. Dylan raised an eyebrow. Daisy's face was red with embarrassment. Dylan patted her on the back and laughed.

"I'm going to have to charge him double my rate once he's back up and moving! Being a friend to him is hard work, you know?" Dylan teased. Daisy laughed and flashed a warm smile.

"I know! I'm his sister! I understand the pain, trust me," the two continued to laugh until Prof. Oak finally came over to get Daisy. Prof. Oak and Daisy were making their way to the elevators when Red lying in Green's bed, popped in his head.

"Hey, uh, the nurses were in there changing Green when I was leaving! Make sure to do a courtesy knock!" Dylan yelled out to them. Daisy gave him a thumbs up and yelled 'thanks' back. He watched as the two disappeared and sighed. He had lied but he was sure he was saving them from the uncomfortable sight he had to bear witness to. He started to leave the hospital and headed back to his house. He didn't have anything to do at the bakery today and was feeling exhausted from coming here.

Dylan sighed and forced himself forward out the front door of the hospital. He wasn't sure when he'd visit again and he hoped that next time, Red would be too busy with work to be there.

(POV Change: Maria)

Maria's eyes were covered, and her mouth was gagged. She wasn't sure where she was, but she definitely knew who had done this to her. Team Rocket. Maria was mentally kicking herself. She had gotten too relaxed, too haughty. She had thought she was in the clear but in reality, she was far from being in the clear. She had been walking back to her shack one night to get some sleep and before she knew it, she was hanging somewhere due to her lackadaisical behavior.

The air wherever she was at was intensely humid, making her sweat and breathing was hard being gagged. She felt as if she was going to slowly suffocate to death – and she didn't mind that thought at all. She had gotten the revenge she wanted. She had enjoyed a few months of freedom and basking in what she had accomplished – death only meant she'd see her mother and father again. No need to act like a dumb orphan girl. Just go back to being their daughter. A door in the room swung open roughly and Maria tensed up.

"This that girl they're rantin' and ravin' 'bout?" a gruff voice scoffed out, smacking a weapon off her, making her body move in the air slightly. Maria tried to steady her breath. Even though she was mentally prepared to meet her end, she was still scared.

"I can't believe this little girl was able to piss off Giovanni! She attacked Red's lover or something, and almost killed him!" Another grunt spoke up, walking up the nearby staircase to get to a lever that was keeping Maria suspended in the air. "Caused a lot of plans to get put on the backburner! We're behind a couple of months and Giovanni is so damn angered he's been unreachable the last week, you know?"

'Almost?' Maria kept thinking over again and again she kept listening to the two grunts talk – but the rest of their chatting fell on deaf ears. She was sure she had killed Green – even the news report she had seen shortly after reported one death, and she knew it couldn't have been Dylan! She barely left a mark on Dylan! Maria felt sick. Did she fail to exact revenge? Maria's mental fortress she had steeled finally broke. Maria started to cry.

"Aw come on," the gruff voice spat out, smacking Maria's leg with his weapon. "We ain't even touched ya yet! Can't cry before a beatin'. Makes no sense!" The grunt scoffed as Maria finally reached the ground. Maria collapsed and started to cry even harder.

"She is just a young girl, cut her some slack," the other voice said, coming down the staircase. Maria continued to weep and spoke up.

"H-He didn't die?!" Maria wailed out, throwing her body forward onto the ground, thrashing about. This whole time she had thought she dammed Red to feel her pain – when in reality Green was still alive and Red barely experienced a fraction of the pain she had been through! Maria was suddenly desperate to escape. She tried to pull free from her restraints, bit at her gag and kept thrashing on the ground.

"Lift 'er the fuck back up! She's freakin' out!" the gruff voice hollered out. The other grunt sighed and went back up the stairs and hit the lever again, making Maria go airborne – a mistake on the gruff grunt's part. Maria kept thrashing about and wailing, smacking against the nearby wall and then bounced off the grunt, causing him to hit the ground and huff out.

"Ey you bitch! Settle the fuck down!" The grunt scrambled up and grabbed his weapon and proceeded to hit Maria. Maria yelled and screamed louder, continuing to thrash around. The other grunt hit the lever again hard, causing Maria to hit the ground hard and she ended up getting knocked out. The gruff sounding grunt huffed loudly and grabbed Maria's chains, unhooked her and started dragging her away.

(POV Change: Green)

Green was standing in a blank space. He couldn't tell the time. He wasn't sure where he was. He kept hearing a familiar voice continuously whisper I love you, but he wasn't sure where it was coming from, and he was trying so hard to remember who was saying those words.

He started to lift away from where he was standing and floated to another area. This area is lit and had familiar faces all around, but he couldn't name a single person there. He stared at all their faces. Who's face matched this voice? Green felt frustrated until he realized the voice changed from saying 'I love you' to a name. 'Maria'. Green felt his heart start to race, and he dropped to his knees. That name scared him – and he couldn't remember why. Green started to beg loudly for the voice to go back to saying 'I love you' but it didn't work.

Suddenly, he felt the wind leave his chest and a bright light enveloped him. His eyes flashed open. Green proceeded to gasp, and he lunged forward in bed. His eyes stung and he blinked multiple times while still gasping. His ears were ringing but he could hear familiar voices in higher pitches. Suddenly hands were all over him. Red was hugging him bawling. Daisy was crying joyfully and even Prof. Oak had shed a few tears.

Green's ears still rung as all of them were rambling too quickly for him to follow.

"I-I can't believe you're awake, Green! It's been a whole four months since you were put into a coma. I've been so scared this whole time that you'd never wake again," Red cried out, rubbing his eyes and trying to stop his tears. Green blinked and a faint warm smile tugged at his lips.

We're just glad you're safe now, Green," Daisy whispered as she pulled away. Oak fixed his tie and looked down at his watch. Daisy raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Do you got to go back to the lab, Grandpa?" Daisy asked, unhappy at Oak. Oak huffed and turned his back to them all, waving. Red waved and focused back on Green. He walked over and sat down next to Green on his bed. Daisy excused herself from the room and headed out the door to the nurse's station to let them know Green was awake.

Red leaned against Green and hugged him tightly again. Red started to cry again, and Green hugged him back. This is the love he felt all that time he was trapped in the dark, blank space. This is what he wanted to feel and see – and how he could. He squeezed Red tightly, causing Red to yelp. Green chuckled and loosened his grip. Red smiled and wiped his tears away, trying to calm down once again.

"Green, I'm just happy you're no longer in that coma. I never left your side unless I had to go to work or deal with the cops on what happened to you and Dylan. I love you so much, Green," Red blurted out as he tried to keep calm. Green tilted his head and smiled.

"What happened to Dylan. Is he okay?" Green asked, as he let go of Red and stretched his arms out.

"Yes, Dylan's okay. He didn't need to be put in a medical coma like you, but he did have to get surgery for his wounds. You did as well but you had many more than Dylan," Red said, looking grim. Green frowned. He didn't want Red to be sad and forlorn over what happened. He wanted Red to go back to smiling and being happy. Green gently caressed Red's face and Red touched his hand and held it, smiling brightly.

"I'm glad he's okay," Green said as he kept caressing Red's face. Red closed his eyes and sighed happily. Green smiled, leaned over and kissed Red on the lips. Red was startled and yelped. Green chuckled and grabbed hold of Red's body and pulled him in closer to him. Red blushed a little and started to push himself away from Green.

"I'm sure you're still injured, and you just woke up from your coma so that can wait," Red mumbled out, embarrassed. Green sighed and let Red go. Green felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and he held his stomach – and then his eyes shrank, and he felt himself gasp. He turned towards Red and Red raised an eyebrow, questioning Green. Green reached over and grabbed Red's shoulders. Green's mind started to run wild with questions about Maria and what she did.

"What happened to Maria? Was she caught?! Why did she attack us?! Why did she keep saying about someone not having a happy ending?! Why did her parents need to be avenged?!" Green rambled out all at once, as he tightened his grip on Red. Red's face paled and he averted his eyes. Green went quiet and let go of Red. Red bit his lip and turned towards Green. He started to rub the back of his neck, and he looked sorrowfully at Green.

"It's because of me, Green. I killed her parents."

Green just stared blankly at Red. This had to be a dream. An alternate reality. Maybe he was still in the coma. Green slowly laid back down and closed his eyes. This had to be a terrible nightmare in the coma. There was no way Red could kill anyone. Green felt Red jump up onto the bed with him, and he opened his eyes and was startled. An intense guilt radiated from Red's eyes and he hovered over Green.

"I didn't personally kill them… but I did order their deaths… I can explain," Red trailed off, tears falling from his eyes again. Green didn't know what to say. This was a lot to take in, especially after just coming out of a coma. Green looked to the side as he sat up and pushed Red to sit down in his lap. He brought Red's head to his chest and patted his back.

"You can tell me that stuff later. I've missed you," Green forced out. As if on que, Red stopped crying and fully embraced Green tightly, slightly grinding himself into Green's lap. Green ignored it and kept patting Red's back. He didn't know what Red had gone through the years he was locked up in prison and surely there had to be a misunderstanding happening right here.

A knock came from the door and Red scrambled off the bed and quickly sat down on the nearby chair. A few nurses came in alongside a doctor to check Green out. After a lengthy checkup, they left Red and Green alone. Green smiled at Red, feeling a pit of uncertainty rise in his chest. He was concerned at what Red had said and wanted to know what happened – but he was exhausted from the last hour. Green laid down and Red stood up looking at his phone. Green noticed it was cracked on the side some.

"Everything okay, Red?" Green asked. Red's face fell and he sighed.

"Everything's okay. I just have to leave for a few days for work. I'll hopefully be back by the time you're discharged from here so I can help you get home," Red whined out, as he walked over and gave Green a peck on the cheek. Green turned his head, brushing his nose against Red's and kissed him on the lips. Red returned the kiss.

"Sounds good, Red. I'll be waiting here for you, okay? Green smiled and Red blushed and left the room. As soon as Red was gone, Green's smile fell from his face. He didn't want to hear anything bad about Red' past as he was afraid it would change how he saw Red and his love for him. Plus, Red still loved him for years even after what he had done. He needed to be rational and hear Red out and be open-minded.

The past was the past. People change and surely Red had changed for the better.

End of Chapter 24

Author's Note – I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please let me know what you think, and thanks again as always for your continued support over the years.