They lay there for about a minute before they stood up, still staring into each others eyes.

"Dawn I can't believe it," Ash smiled, "I never thought I'd get to see you in person again."

Dawn mirrored his smile as she wrapped her arms around Ash once more. Delia returned from the kitchen with the tea kettle, she had heard the commotion from the kitchen and even though she knew what had happened, she couldn't help but smile too.

"Tea's ready Dawn." She butted in.

"You know what," Dawn said turning away from Ash for a second, "I'll skip the tea I'm gonna spend my time with Ash." Delia understood and sat down at the coffee table.

"Alright then."

Dawn followed Ash to his room which to her surprise was not very cluttered and messy as she assumed. "Wow this is your room?"

Ash grinned and sat down on his bed. "It sure is, my mom always kept it nice and clean when I'm away."

Dawn walked over to Ash's modest collection of mostly baseball caps. "You sure love your hats don't you Ash?"

"Yeah when it comes to clothing, the hat's my pride and joy," Ash said, then picking up the first one in the group, "this one especially, my Pokemon League Expo hat. I've had this long before my journey even started, I don't even know if it still fits me."

Dawn quickly grew bored of Ash talking about his hats, she wanted to talk about more serious things.

"Our good friend Jer tells me you were pretty down before I came along here." Dawn said, changing the subject.

Ash's smile diminished into a small frown and he sat down on the bed. "Yeah I was really mad at myself when I came home,"
Ash replied, "about losing to Kenny and you going with him."

Dawn nodded, sitting down next to him. "Keep going, I got all night."

"I was trying to cheer up when I got home by helping out my mom and stuff but the more I thought about you, the harder it got to keep my head high, and I started isolating myself in my room. I stopped talking to people cause I was so mad I hated everyone and everything about them. I wouldn't even let Pikachu in my room."

"I think you were overreacting a little bit." Dawn remarked, thinking of Ash's timonian lifestyle.

"You're right Dawn," Ash sighed, looking out the window, "I've dealt with this kind of thing before but this hit me pretty hard and couldn't bounce back."

"Hmmm..."

"When I heard that you had disappeared after that one contest I became more worried about you then angry at anything." Ash went on.

Dawn began to listen with more understanding rather then pity when she heard he was worried about her. "Worried about me?"

"Yes."

"Why on this earth would you be worried about me?"

"Because I love you!" Ash blurted out.

Dawn gasped at what he had just said. "R-r-really?"

"Absolutely," Ash confirmed, "it's true, I've always liked you from the day I met you. But it was really only when we parted was when I realized I truly loved you."

"Oh Ash!" Dawn cried happily, "I love you too!" Having said that she promptly jumped into his arms locking lips with her long haired lover.

Ash was stunned for a moment as he felt a hydrogen bomb of happiness explode within his heart and returned the kiss. They sat there for a full 2 minutes with their lips together before they broke to catch their breath. Ash's eyes studied Dawn over, she looked exactly the same as he remembered except a little more 'developed'.

"What are you staring at?" Dawn quizzed innocently.

Ash shook his head and tried to remain calm. "U-uh nothing..." Ash sputtered, clearly not doing a very good job at hiding the fact that he was looking at her chest.

Dawn rolled her eyes and smiled again. "Oh boys..." She giggled.

"I'm sorry..." Ash said, sheepishly.

Dawn continued smiling and wrapped her arms around Ash once more. "It's fine, really," She assured, "you're just curious and you haven't seen me in a while."

Ash shrugged and reached to grab Dawn at her waist but his fingers brushed up against her stomach, a part of her body which was very ticklish causing her to squeak and jump.

Ash pulled his hands back in confusion then grinned evilly.

"Uh oh..." Dawn thought before being relentlessly tickled by Ash.

He was soft at first, soaking in Dawn's coos and giggles before kicking up the intensity.

"AHASH! PHAHA-LEAHSE STOP!" She shouted in between breaths.

"Never!" Ash laughed.

"NHOOOOO SHEERIOUSLY AHSH!" she panted, "I GHAHTTA PEHEE!"

Ash blew this off as an excuse to make him stop and kept tickling.
Dawn was not lying however, she hadn't used a restroom since she left Twinleaf town so she need to go. Dawn was trying to keep cool but Ash's relentless tickling was too much. Just before she thought she'd lose it she pushed out of Ash's grip and hopped off to the restroom.

A moment later Dawn emerged from the restroom.

"Ahh..." she sighed contently, "that almost ended in tragedy."

She sat back down on Ash's bed, Ash looked down shamefully.

"Sorry about that." He whispered.

"Don't worry your pretty little head Ash." Dawn said, "You're lucky I got out of your grip before anything bad happened. You really gotta learn to stop when I say 'stop' okay?"

Ash nodded in agreement.

"Now," Dawn said taking off her hat and taking the hairclips out of her hair, "it's getting kinda late, I'm going to change into my PJs so could you maybe give me some privacy please?"

Ash got up and out so Dawn could change, and figured that he might as well do the same and quickly changed leaving only his white t-shirt and boxer shorts.

"Okay Ash you can come back in now." Dawn called from inside Ash's room.

Ash walked inside and lay back on his bed. Dawn dressed in her pink Pyjamas stood at the edge of the bed.

"You're gonna stay with me in my bed?" Ash asked.

"Well where else can I sleep?" Dawn answered trying to reason with him, "I'm not sleeping on a couch, and I'm definitely not sleeping in your mom's bed."

Ash scratched his chin. "Good point. It's okay you can stay with me." Dawn smiled brightly and jumped on the bed and cuddled up next to Ash.

Ash smiled and ran his fingers through Dawn's silky blue hair.

"You like?" She giggled.

"Yeah, it's beautiful," Ash responded, "you look much better without the hairclips in there"

"Oh stop," Dawn sighed, a small blush appearing on her cheeks, "if you let me I'll make your hair as silky as mine."

"No thanks." Ash said, and pulled Dawn a little closer. Dawn's cheeks turned redder, wrapping her free arm around Ash.

"Good night Beautiful." Ash smiled.

Dawn giggled and said "Good night" too. They started moving in to give each other a good night kiss when a commotion was heard outside the door. They sat up looking in the direction of the door. A voice belonging to a young man was heard yelling at Ash's mom amongst the sound of things being thrown around. Dawn recognized the voice and she froze, her skin went pale and the hairs on her arms stood up.

"Oh no..." She shuddered.

"What's the matter Dawn?" Ash asked.

Dawn turned to look at him, he could clearly see the terror in her eyes. "It's Kenny! He's here!"

Ash jumped out of bed, Dawn clinging to him. The noise outside the door stopped, silent footsteps approached the door, then the door comes flying open and in comes exactly who Dawn feared.

"HEEEERE'S KENNY!" He shouted

Kenny's gaze quickly fixed on Dawn. "So... you thought you could pull a fast one? Run away like the coward you are. Well,
guess what, you've failed at that just like everything else."

"How did you find me?" Dawn said.

Kenny nodded. "You're so predictable, I knew you would come here because I knew this guy was the only other person who could help you."

"Only other person?" Dawn growled, "Since when did you ever help me with anything? NEVER! If you want me to follow you around like a slave then GO FUCK YOURSELF!"

Kenny laughed sinisterly. "Oh no Dawn, I have no intention of keeping a whore like you along with me." Kenny drew a 9mm handgun out from behind him, "In fact, I have no intention of letting you live either."

Ash impulsively kicked Kenny and grabbed his arm attempting to disarm him, Kenny dropped the gun and engaged in hand to hand combat with Ash. Dawn could only watch as the two fought on as if their lives depended on it. About a minute into the fight Ash threw Kenny to the ground.

"Dawn get out of here!" Ash shouted. Dawn promptly ran towards the door. Kenny looked over his shoulder and saw the handgun, he reached for it and fired two shots through Ash's abdomen, one of the bullets piercing through Ash and striking Dawn in the leg.

Dawn fell against the wall when the bullet struck her and slid down to the floor. Kenny stood up dropping Ash to the floor and walking over to Dawn.

"Awww... did little Dee dee fall down?" He mocked.

Dawn looked on helplessly, tears welling up in her eyes. Kenny put the barrel of the gun to her head.

"Here let me help you with that."

Dawn's eyes shut tight waiting for the end when a loud bang rang out followed by a thud. She opened her eyes to find Kenny slumped down on the floor,
his head blown apart. Dawn shuddered and looked up and saw Jeremy holding a 12 gauge shotgun with Delia standing close behind. Jeremy ejected the spent shell from the chamber and set the weapon down and rushed to the aid of his injured friend.

"You kids alright?" He asked.

Dawn looked down at her leg. "Not really." She replied weakly, "why are you here?"

"I followed you on board the boat over here," Jeremy explained, "I was worried something like this would happen to you two."

"Oh," Dawn whispered, "thank you Jer." She looked around at the blood spattered walls she hated the sight of blood and felt sick to her stomach but was hard to look anywhere without seeing blood. Delia looked into the dark room and saw Ash on the ground and went hysterical and turned her eyes away. Both turned in her direction and saw Ash as well.

"Oh Jesus..." Jeremy breathed, taking the nearest phone and calling for paramedics.

"ASH!" Dawn screamed and stood up despite the pain from the bullet wound and limped over to his side. She dared not touch him fearing she'd hurt him more then he already was.

Ash opened his bloodshot eyes weakly, he tried to speak but he was so weak anything he tried to say was almost unintelligible.

"Don't move Ash," Dawn warned, "you're hurt pretty bad."

Ash grimaced and lay his head back down. Despite the infernal pain he managed to say something. "Dawn... I... don't think... I'll... make it."

Chills ran down Dawn's spine as he struggled through his sentence. "Don't talk like that!" She cried, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, "you'll make it I swear!"

Ash smiled faintly then the pain had become too much and fainted.

Dawn knew that he had only passed out but for some reason this triggered a panic for her. "Stay with me Ash!" She sobbed hysterically, "please wake up! I need to know you're still here damnit!"

The medics arrived a moment later and rushed both to a hospital, where Ash was put immediately under intensive care. Dawn was the first to get released only after the removal of the bullet, treatment and bandaging of the wound but was advised not to walk for a few hours. Dawn looked herself over and at her bandaged leg.

"How's Ash?" She asked a nearby nurse assuming she knew his condition.

"He's still in critical condition," She answered, "but he's stable now. You should be glad you got him here when you did, if he hadn't gotten here sooner he's likely be dead."

Dawn sighed softly in relief but felt uneasy still, thinking of Ash dying. "Thank god. When will he be released?"

The nurse replied. "Somewhere between a few weeks to about a month. You should be out in a day or two."

Dawn lay her head back on the hospital bed feeling somewhat guilty that she wasn't suffering as much as Ash was. "This only happened because I chose to follow him around and not Ash. I'm so stupid..."

When Dawn could safely walk once again she stuck around the hospital building as long as Ash was there. Often times she'd even sleep in the hospital even though the staff didn't really appreciate this. She stayed for about a month and a half until she was told that he was going to released very soon. She stayed at Ash's house when she heard this, cause she didn't want him to come home and see her all dirty so she sat there waiting for him to come home and when he did she greeted him in the same manner she did when she saw him a month ago.

When they embraced eachother for the first time since his recovery, for both of them it was the best thing they ever experienced together. "Don't ever leave me again Dawn." Ash said.

"No need to worry Ashy," Dawn smiled, "you're all I need."

End