Chapter 8

AN: Well, here it is guys. The last chapter for this story. It might be a bit boring because it's dialogue heavy, but it wraps up everyone's feelings nicely I think. It was really hard for me to write because A) I didn't want this to end and B) I wanted to write this exchange as well as I could. This is probably the most mature I will have these two, but I think it ends nicely, don't you think? Anyway, I can't thank all my supporters enough: Pinkrangerfan, Resting Deeply, Manbearpig01, .delicious and of course, my wonderful friend Epicocity who made this story what it has become. On another note, I'm hoping to begin writing another story at the beginning of next week, so stay tuned. But please, enjoy this final chapter and as always, cheers to you!

Serena felt her feet ache with the determination to reach her destination as fast as they could carry her. Looking ahead, the path she ran breathlessly on was eerily similar to the same path she had taken years ago on that fateful day at summer camp, when Ash had become her knight in shining armor. Only this time, it was heavy with darkness and overgrown, like not a single soul, Pokemon or human, had tended to the thick trees in years. Serena noticed that despite the very real possibility of tripping over an exposed tree root or getting caught haphazardly on the sharp branches that threatened to knot her hair, she seemed to float effortlessly.

"Serena!" Ash's voice sounded out to her, seemingly carried on the thin moonlight that snaked its way through the dense treetops.

"Ash!" Serena called back, her voice feeling trapped in her throat, wrong. It was as though she had forgotten how to speak. "Ash, where are you?"

"Serena, won't you come with me?" Ash's voice called to her, taking on a haunting echo quality that reverberated into her chest. "Look how much time has passed, Serena. It waits for no one."

Serena was painting now, running with urgency deeper into the dark woods, shadows flitting by her that if she looked hard enough she could have sworn looked like Poliwag. Ash's voice drew her farther and faster. She was desperate to reach him, a small part of her screaming that if she didn't, she would be lost. "Ash, I can't see you! You have to stop so I can find you!"

"I'm right in front of you, Serena." Ash's voice swept through the air, but it seemed to be fading now, dying on the dead forest floor that littered the ground under her feet.

Suddenly, as quickly as the forest had threatened to envelop her, a clearing appeared, accompanied by two paths, one veering to her left while the other curved to the right. Serena stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding and eyes wild, moving quickly back and forth between the two paths. She strained her vision to peer down each, attempting to make out anything that might be at the end of them. Instead, she noticed a small wooden placard nailed carefully to a tree that marked the beginning of each path.

Squinting, she approached the left path first and leaned close to the faded placard, just able to make out the words that read back "SAFETY." Confused, Serena seemed to instantly appear in front of the path to the right, directly in front of the placard signifying the path that read "CHANCE."

Serena if possible felt more befuddled. Neither of these paths seemed to lead to Ash, who was still conveniently out of sight, while his presence was heavy all around her. "Ash, just tell me where you are!"

His voice echoed once more, and this time, Serena definitely noticed it had gotten significantly weaker while the forest around her began to fade into nothingness. "I can't stay in one place, Serena; I'm everywhere at once. But you'll find me wherever you need me to be."

Serena's eyes flew open, her chest heaving and forehead damp with a cold sweat like she had really been running through the unknown forest wildly and not nestled in her soft bed. Her mouth felt dry and she brought a tongue out to run over her lips which threatened to crack with being chapped. Slowly becoming more aware of her surroundings, she exhaled heavily.

"It was just a dream…" Serena whispered quietly, bring a hand to her eyes to cover them and rub them gently, bringing herself slowly to reality.

With that realization she had been dreaming, Serena suddenly remembered she had not gone to bed alone and had a moment of reliving Ash's fingers gently twining with hers as she floated into unconsciousness. She smiled, her stomach dropping at yesterday's events. She thought about the sweet sensation that had been Ash's forgiving lips on hers, his soft hands sweeping up her spine to reach around and cup her face. That had certainly not been a dream, as hard as it was to believe.

Gently rolling onto her side, being careful to not wake her sleeping partner, Serena gasped slightly when she was met with the blankets turned down beside her, a definite indent of where Ash's head had rested on the pillow, but Ash was no longer there.

Serena furrowed her brow and pushed herself up on her elbow, her hair falling to brush her hand clenching the wrinkled sheets. She stifled a yawn as she squinted around the room, noticing that the digital clock on the nightstand on the side of the bed where Ash had slept was blinking, signaling the power had returned sometime in the night. Blinking, Serena looked to her window where sunlight, dimmed, but welcome, was pouring in through the glass.

Serena reached her arms above her head, clasping her hands together in a long stretch. She followed by throwing the blankets off of her body, suppressing a shiver as the cool air hit her bare legs. Swinging her legs over the side, she stepped down lightly onto the floor and padded across the room where she stuck her head around her bedroom door.

"Ash?" Serena whispered, looking around the room. It was dimly lit by the early morning light, but the sun's rays hit Delphox, deeply asleep, attempting to fit her tall form on the couch and failing magnificently. Pikachu had assumed his position at the top of the couch as he had the day before, his lightning bolt shaped tail curled close to his nose as he snored. Serena smiled at this, bringing herself fully into the room. Serena brushed her hair away from her forehead, running her fingers through it quickly to make it look like she hadn't just woken up flushed from her dream. As she did, she looked towards the sliding glass door that led to the back of her bungalow where she caught sight of him.

Serena moved herself to be just inside of the door, hesitating to open it. From behind, he looked relaxed, his sweatpants slung around his hips, leaning heavily to his left side. His arms were crossed, looking out to the now calm seas; Serena blushed heavily as she was met with his bare back, his well-toned muscles still and quiet but strong. She took a moment to remember the words he spoke to her while she was nearly asleep, stuck in her unconsciousness and paralyzed. Come with me, Serena.

"Where do you want me to go?" Serena whispered to herself. Her mind raced back to the strange dream she had, her hand coming to rest over her heart remembering her heavy breathing as she woke up.

Taking a deep breath, Serena gripped the handle of the door and slid it open, her hair instantly blown back by the salty sea breeze.

Immediately, she regretted the choice to open the door because she had never seen Ash jump as high as he did, a split second of panic in his eyes before he saw her and realized she had found him. Her face turned scarlet and her heart sunk, feeling terrible that she had frightened him so much before he relaxed almost instantly.

"Serena…" He breathed, a smile reaching his eyes as they locked onto hers. He reached out to her and she took it, feeling his fingers gently meet hers as he pulled her into him. "You're up early."

Serena curled herself into Ash's body, warmed by the sun that was slowly announcing its presence over the horizon. "I could say the same for you." She stole a glance up at his face, decorated with a small, crooked smile and staring stoically out back to the sunrise. His arm wrapped around her and she could feel Ash's hands making small, soothing motions on her upper arm.

They stayed silent for a moment, Serena feeling her stomach rising and falling with each breath she took. Yesterday morning, she could barely stomach the idea of facing Ash in her own home and fled, seeking safety away from him. By the end of the day, she heard him say that he loved her as she melted into him, malleable in her undisputed happiness. She was eager to bend to him as he kissed her, pleasantly surprised at how sweet and perfect it was.

"Did I wake you?" Ash interrupted her thoughts, and she paused for a moment to recollect them before she answered.

"No," she began. Both of their eyes were focused on the sunrise. "I didn't expect you to be up before me, actually." Serena laughed lightly, tearing her eyes away from the orange and red stained sky to look up at Ash, who was already looking down at her.

"I guess that's something I picked up after watching Wailmer for a while." Ash rubbed under his nose, a tick Serena recognized. "They tend to be hungry before the sun comes up."

Serena brought her hand to rest on his stomach, her tone accusatory. "That sounds like someone else I know."

Ash proceeded to rubbing the back of his head now, laughing out loud. "Hey, life is better with a full stomach." He paused, the smile playing softly on his lips, his eyes deep and serious. "And with you. Life is better with you, Serena."

"Ash…" Serena trailed off, letting his words hit her like a ton of bricks. It was jarring and welcoming all at once. Serena felt herself feeling the same now that she wasn't spending every night typing out messages that were too honest and long to send, or mornings looking at the superficial conversation that passed between them. Serena was absorbed with how wonderful it felt to hear her name slide off of his lips with enough tenderness to melt her.

Look how much time has passed, Serena. It waits for no one.

"I'm happy to be with you, too." Serena finally said, choosing her words carefully. Her slow thinking had gotten Ash's attention which surprised Serena. She had been counting on his denseness to shield her own hesitation but instead he had caught on, looking concerned.

"There's… something you're not telling me." Ash said, relaxing his arm that was around her shoulders to fall at his side. He brought it back up immediately to brush her knotted hair gently behind her ear with so much care Serena couldn't tell which way was up or down. "Something is on your mind."

Serena's breath came out all at once as though she had been holding it without realizing it. She had been right about the feeling that was hidden beneath the passion of the kiss they shared yesterday. There was maturity etched in Ash's face and reverberating in his voice that made her feel… special. Like every moment they shared together was receiving Ash's full attention. On the outside, he was still the same, hot headed powerful Pokemon trainer she fell in love with that couldn't tell you a storm was raging around him in the middle of a battle, but the seriousness with which he handled their fledgling relationship moved her.

"I was woken up by… a very interesting dream I had." Serena said, leaning into his touch by tilting her cheek into his hand where his thumb brushed her lips.

"A dream?" Ash dropped his hand and pulled her back to him again. "What kind of dream?"

"I don't know if I can describe it very well, but I was running. Fast. In a forest that was dark and overgrown but if you squinted, it looked a lot like the forest where we first met." Serena continued, letting herself be supported by Ash's body weight. "I was looking for you."

Ash stiffened at this, just slightly enough that Serena could feel him tense, but he let it roll off of him quickly. "For me? Too fast for you, huh?"

Serena laughed lightly before continuing. "Well, yes. I couldn't actually see you. Just your voice… calling to me," Serena trailed off, thinking about how it echoed across the canopy of the dense forest. "I never did actually see you, but your voice brought me to this clearing with two paths… I never… chose."

Ash was definitely tense now, as if he was hiding something from her now. She bit her lip, knowing it most likely had to do with what he whispered to her while she hung between sleep and being awake. She thought about how open Ash had been with her since he had been the first one to tell her that he loved her and understood the surprise at his maturity; as happy as she had been to hear him say all of the things she longed for, there was a certain level of cautiousness that fell between them, a wall put up by herself. In the back of her mind, the vision of a distraught Ash wrenching himself away from her blurred vision kept her from fully experiencing the totality of which Ash was handing himself to her. His words echoed in her head then, again. Nothing we do is a waste of time. Slowly, it was time to tear those walls down.

"Ash, last night, you must have thought I was asleep…" Serena trailed off, swallowing.

Ash felt his shoulders tense and quiver ever so slightly, attempting to control it to avoid jostling Serena who was pinned to his side. She heard him, he thought, his thoughts frantic. He had not been planning to have this conversation quite so soon, although at this rate, it seemed unavoidable. Ash held his breath and braced for impact.

"You asked me a question," she asked him, looking up at him slyly from beneath her lashes. It made his heart beat faster and he could do almost nothing but stare at her dumbly and began to direct his gaze back to the brilliant sunrise being reflected in her blue irises. "My dream showed me two paths. One was marked with the word 'SAFETY' and the other marked 'CHANCE.'"

Ash actually tilted his head at this, curious. "What do you suppose that means?"

He heard Serena take two normal breaths, thinking about what she was going to say next. The breaths seemed to drag on as he waited, anxiously. Just yesterday morning he had woken up on her couch, barely understanding how he had gotten there. By the end of the day, Ash had kissed her in the torrential rain, feeling the softness of her lips beneath his. It had been so comfortable and perfect it felt like they had been doing so for years.

"I think understanding what you asked me before I slipped into dreamland last night will help me understand what they might mean." Serena said to him, the words tumbling out all at once, but Ash understood. He stayed silent for a few moments, deciding how to continue.

"Serena…" He began. He looked pointedly away from her and she did the same, the two continuing to gaze out towards the waters of Coumarine City. "I told you, after I lost Kalos, I got so frustrated with myself, and I left far too quickly. I was just as confused as you were when I did… I've never felt so out of control like that."

Ash felt Serena nod into his side, coaxing him silently to continue. The breeze ruffled her hair and tickled him but he didn't dare move his arm that was slung around her waist.

"You've always been different to me. A good different, a different that made me want to work harder." Ash put a smile on his face. "I'm lucky enough that I've got a lot of great friends in a lot of different places, and each of them has always cheered hard for me. But you stand out, Serena. When you first came back to me after I lost to Viola… it's like a new chapter started for me. I'm pretty oblivious, I'll admit, but even a dense lug like me could see that you were something special, Serena. You still are."

Serena could hardly hide the deep scarlet that came rushing to her cheeks. She wanted to say she felt the same way, because she did. She wanted him to know that a part of her had always belonged to him and that hadn't changed over the years they had been apart; that the goodnight texts she had sent him week after week were a terrible disguise for the words 'I love you'. Yet her lips stayed shut as she felt the beginnings of tears welling up in her eyes, unable to respond.

"I always knew I had to come back to you, to tell you how I felt. I didn't know when, and I knew it wasn't going to be easy. How could you forgive me, or feel the same way after the selfish way I acted?" Ash said thickly, pausing for a moment to collect himself. "I really screwed that up, and I'm sorry. But then I was led here by Wailmer, and I knew it wasn't just a coincidence. Maybe I was meant to go, grow up a little bit. Time slows down for no one, and it's not the way I imagined us happening, but I know that nothing we do…"

"Is a waste of time." Serena finished for him, so quietly Ash almost didn't hear her speak. He caught it though, and heard the emotion in her voice as thick as smoke. He only gripped her waist tighter as he pressed on, determined.

"I threw myself into training when I wasn't studying Wailmer. I wanted to be stronger so I could finally fulfill my dream of becoming a Pokemon master." Ash released Serena's waist and turned to face her now. She refused to turn to him and held her chin up, staring resolutely at the rising sun. "I didn't want to do this to you, not yet. I wanted to wait, and stay in one place for a while, to be with you. I know now I'm being selfish again, but… after working so hard, I can't stay in one spot again, I want to fulfill my dream. I want to enter Kalos again. I feel it's the place to do it. And then I want to keep traveling, and seeing all that I can see for just a little longer. But I don't want to be alone. I want you with me, Serena."

Serena was not surprised by this, but all the same, her stomach plummeted. She knew how she wanted to respond. She wanted to tell him yes, that after years of being in the same place too, she was ready to go with him. But the wall inside of her deflected his question like a well-timed Protect.

"Serena." Ash said, this time firmly. Serena was once again surprised by this, and caught off guard by his seriousness. She felt his hand reach out and take a gentle hold of her chin, but didn't move her face, waiting for her to make the move on her own. She turned towards him and was met with his brown eyes. "I know how selfish I'm being. I don't expect you to answer right now."

Serena shook her head, wanting to back away from his touch because it had taken her breath away for a moment. Just as suddenly as she wanted to tell him how much she loved him and yes, she would go with him, there was a part of her that looked down towards her path marked with the giant letters that spelled out SAFETY.

"I know I'm being selfish, and really I should have done this differently. This life that you've set up for yourself here is…" Ash trailed off, and Serena heard the subtle sadness in his voice. Quickly, her racing mind threatening with whiplash, she broke away from his touch and marched back through the sliding glass door, leaving Ash dumbfounded. She paused just inside the door and looked back at him, an invitation which he took, crossing the threshold after her.

Serena's vision became a tunnel towards her front closet where just a few days ago a vivid flashback was at the forefront of her memory. Reaching the closet with several large steps, largely ignoring Delphox and Pikachu who began to stir at the sudden commotion, she flung the doors open. Without hesitation, Serena reached towards the far end for the black garment bag that until recently rested untouched and hidden. She aggressively unzipped the bag and for the first time in a long time, looked at the dress her mom had bought her for her very first performance. A moment passed as she stared at it, her lips parted as she felt Ash's eyes on her back. Finally, she wrenched the stiff dress off of the hanger inside the bag and turned to face him.

Ash was staring at her with such a tender expression it nearly knocked Serena backwards. He looked… guilty. As if he was waiting to be chastised for coming home too late, or forgetting her birthday. Serena's felt the wall inside her crumbling as her words came out.

"After you left, I was confused. I didn't understand, the way you pulled yourself away from me wasn't like you." Serena started off whispering, but as she began to speak she grew more confident and louder. "You were the one that helped me realize my dream of wanting to become Kalos Queen. I didn't know who I wanted to be before we came back together, only that I was running far away from what I didn't want: to be a Rhyhorn racer, like my mother."

"You were always so beautiful on stage, Serena." Ash interjected, taking a step towards her.

"I felt like I could do anything with your support, and I loved doing it. When you left, I felt like no matter how much I still loved being out there, I felt… strange, knowing you weren't there with me, out there watching. I felt like I did something wrong." Serena pushed through, gripping the dress tightly in her fist, looking down at the fabric.

"You've never done anything wrong." Ash's voice sounded far away. "I'm so sorry, Serena."

Serena shut her eyes tightly, squeezing out the tears that had formed there. "I built this life here because I wanted to keep that love for performing alive somehow, by making Pokemon feel their best. It's been rewarding, but its felt fake, Ash. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to tell you how angry I was at you when you left me but the part of me that has always felt so strongly for you held me back."

Ash's voice cut her off sharply. "Don't hold back."

This stopped Serena as she looked away from the fabric running between her fingers. Ash's eyes were just as bright as hers and her heart felt torn.

"Don't hold back from me. I spent years being a fake to myself and to you. It's never been fair, and it won't be until you stop holding back." Ash held a determined look on his face, one she had seen many times on the battle field. "I can feel the wall you're putting up Serena."

Serena almost had to laugh at how much Ash sounded like Juliette in the moment but held back, putting on the same determined expression on her face. "I was angry when you left me. Angry with you, but mostly angry with myself for not going after you and beating some freaking sense into you, Ash Ketchum."

Ash had closed the distance between them slowly, almost unnoticeable until now that he stood directly in front of her. His hand covered hers over the dress and brought it to her chest where she could feel her own heartbeat. "Well, I'm here now."

Serena took a deep, calming breath, feeling the tears slipping down her cheeks. Ash made no movement to brush them away but simply waited for her to respond. Serena's eyes flitted around the room, making eye contact with anything but Ash's eyes. In doing so, she was met with the faces of Delphox and Pikachu who were peeking out from behind the couch. Serena hid a disappointed pout from Ash, narrowing her eyes minutely at them. Delphox brought her paw out and made a circular motion, as if telling her to go on while Pikachu nodded in encouragement.

"I think I know what my dream was telling me." Serena said to him, her voice sure. "That the safe path would be to stay here, to keep the life I've had without you here. But, I'm strong. I don't need the safe path. I want the path that told me it held chances. I want the chances to see things, to compete again and to meet new people."

Ash felt the corner of his mouth turn up into what he was sure was a goofy, crooked smile. "You should do what you want to do, Serena."

"I want to take the chance path. I want to take the chance to build a chance life with you." Serena finished, the hand not gripping the dress to her heart lifting to his cheek to brush his cheek bones. "I don't want to go with you, and I don't want you to go with me."

Ash tilted his head, confused. "Okay, that is not where I thought that was going."

Serena giggled as she moved her hand down to hold the back of his neck. "I want us to go together. From now on, we are a team. We don't have to be two halves of a whole, because we're strong apart, but we can be a team, because we're stronger together. I'm ready to take the chance path again, but I don't want to go with you, I want to go together."

Ash brought both of his hands to the sides of her face, so affectionately and with the most sincere kindness that Serena felt the dress slip through her fingers and fall into a heap at their feet. "I have a really bad case of wanderlust, Serena. But you just might be able to still that in me."

Serena lifted her face to his, her eyes closing lazily as his breath mingled with hers. "Well that hardly seems far, does it?"

"What?" Ash's voice was a whisper against her lips.

"If you have a bad case of wanderlust, then I guess so do I." Serena said quietly. "I can be everywhere at once, but you'll find me wherever you need me."

"Together?" Ash said, his breath coming quickly in anticipation.

Serena responded, quickly opening her eyes and furrowing her brow. "We don't have to leave like… tomorrow? Do we? Because I think Juliette would kill me if I didn't let her rub this in my face for at least a week, or two."

Ash laughed as he held her, shaking his head. "I don't know who that is but I would be remiss if I didn't let them rub this in your face."

Serena rolled her eyes at him, huffing heavily but with a smile. "You aren't funny, but yes, together."

Ash felt Serena push herself onto her toes and press into him, their kiss creating starlight behind his closed eyes. For the first time, he felt like molten glass in her hands as she brought them across his shoulders and her lips dictated the movement against his. The kiss felt like it lasted an eternity, but when they broke apart, he felt as still as he had been in years.

FIN

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