Serena POV

"Yeah," Ash answered, slightly leaned forward, placing his fingerless hands flat on top of counter for support, close to the man who was behind the glassed counter and lowered his voice, loud enough for me to hear. "I just got diagnosed with an inoperable aneurysm and I'm trying to live out the rest of my days doing the things I always wanted to do. And eating all the original flavors of Walls- that's one of the things." Ash pasted a miserable look on his face as I narrowed my eyes curiously. Inoperable aneurysm? All for ice cream?

Counter girl gasped in shock, clapping a hand over her gaped mouth as she looked at Ash. "That's so awful, I'm so sorry," she breathed. "My granddad had an aneurysm, too."

"Thanks," Ash said to her, moving back with a nod, then focused on the supervisor. "So, can't you let a guy's wish come true?"

I swear, Ash gave the two Walls employees a puppy dog expression and just like that, counter girl was sold in a flash.

"Please just let them buy the ice cream, Mr. Frost," she pleaded to the supervisor, performing her flat hands stick together like she was praying for forgiveness.

With a sign. Mr. Frost flicked his white ice-coloured shoulder length hair back, sucking air through his white teeth and closed his eyes dramatically. "Oh, alright."

"Thanks," Ash said, grinning triumphantly at me over his shoulder.

Supervisor sighed. "I must be getting soft in my old age. You can pay here. Enjoy your ice cream and good luck with your list."

With that final saying, He left through the 'employees only' door and counter girl stepped up as soon as he left.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your aneurysm," she said as she rang up the cash register and took the money from Ash's hand. "You know what; I'll just bring the ice creams to you."

Wow.

"Really? That'd be great, thanks!" Ash said effusively with a little laugh in his voice. I bet he loved how he was taking advantage of this poor, naive girl.

"Give me just a few minutes," counter girl said, turning around to the ice-cream machine with her back facing at us.

"You wanna go sit down?" Ash asked me, gesturing at a empty booth behind me.

I nodded in response and we walked over to a nearest seat and I sat down first on a empty small comfy chair, feeling the shot of coldness coming from my hamstrings as I sat down, taking off my bag from my back and place it under the table. When I did, I took my hat off from my head and rest it on table.

I was on one side while Ash sprawled directly opposite me. He still looked very pleased with himself, a Cheshire cat like expression on his face.

I brushed a loose strand of short hair out of my eye and fixed him with a look as our eyes meeting directly for the first time that day. "That whole inoperable aneurysm story- that was not cool." I pouted.

Ash grinned smugly, giving me a view of his white teeth. "It worked though, didn't it?"

A valid point, but not one I had wanted him to make. Boys and their logic. "Yeah, it worked, but now that girl thinks you could die any second." I glanced over at the counter, where counter girl was feverishly scooping ice cream into soft serve cups. "I mean, you've actually got her bringing us our ice cream to our booth! They don't usually do that!"

Ash shrugged like it was nothing. I guess to him it was nothing. He was probably so used to people being at his beck and call that he didn't realize how rare it was that someone who worked at a place like this would offer to bring an order to the customers table. It had never happened to me before.

"That's why I'm going to tip her," he explained with an amused look on his face at my annoyance. I subsided. Well, if that was the case...

"Oh. Okay, then." There was an awkward silence which I decided to fill with one of my silly questions. "Did you end up beating Halo?"

With a shook of a head. "Nope. I didn't even try after you left," Ash replied, playing around with a small plastic spoon someone had left lying on the table. "As soon as I got home, I had to try on a stupid tux."

Hmm. Ash in a tux. That would be a sight. "Oh, you're going to the gala, aren't you?" I remembered.

"Uh huh." Ash nodded and completely unzipped his blue short sleeved jacket, placing it on a chair behind leaving him only wearing a black top. "You know about it?"

"Well, yeah. Dawn's going. She told me about it." Because just thinking that I knew about the gala because I had been invited- that was just dumb. A nosy question formed in my mind. "Who're you going with?" I questioned. Narrowing my eyes suspiciously at him In a steady position while sitting down in my seat.

Ash answered with a yet another shrug, "I don't know. Miette wanted me to take her but she has a boyfriend and I value my life."

Smart. Brendan wasn't the type of guy anyone wanted to cross. He had a faintly menacing air around him.

"You could take her platatonically," I suggested helpfully, then scratched my nose in thought. "If platatonically is even a real word."

I'm pretty sure it's not a real word, Serena.

"I don't think Brendan would like the idea that the guy who's hooking up with his girlfriend is taking her to a party," Ash evenly said.

My, what candor. Even though it was common knowledge that Ash and Miette were friends with benefits, Ash had never acknowledged the fact that he was still hooking up with Miette. Until now.

"I guess," was all I could think of to say.

Leaning further back in his chair, Ash suddenly asked, "Who is Dawn going with?"

My eyes widened like hoola-hoop as I instantly looked up at him. "You want to take Dawn?" I asked as a strange feeling lurks in the pit of my stomach.

"Yeah, I suppose," Ash said unenthusiastically, sliding his eyes away from my face then back. "I mean, we're always at these things together so we might as well go together as a couple."

It made sense, but I couldn't stop the feeling in my stomach from intensifying. There was no way that Ash would ask me to the gala, I knew that much. So why did I feel so jealous that he was planning to take Dawn?

"She's going with Paul." Impulsively, I added, "Her boyfriend."

Ash's bored expression didn't change. "Dawn has a boyfriend?" Raising an eyebrow. "How long have they been dating?" he asked, not sounding like he even cared to know.

"About a week." I simply said.

Ash snorted derisively and I glowered at him. Only May and I were allowed to poke fun at Dawn's short relationships. "Don't you think it'll be over by Friday?" he asked with his arms folded against his chest.

Bristling visibly, I said, "No. They like each other. They'll last." I retorted.

Ash shot me a quick look under his bangs, realizing that I was rather ticked off. "I was just joking," he said with a cheeky grin.

I sighed by letting out all the anger within me. There goes Serena, overreacting again. "I know, but-," I started, not sure how to explain myself.

Thankfully, the arrival of the ice cream was brought to our booth by counter girl and another 'Walls' employee, saved me from digging myself deeper.

"Thanks," Ash and I said in unison as the girl set the trays carrying the cups on the table between me and Ash.

"No problem! Enjoy!"

With that, They took off and I stared at the array of 31 flavours of ice creams. Swallowing down my throat. I picked up a small plastic spoon from the tray. "It looks so good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Ash stared at the ice cream and took a deep breath. "Sere?"

I tensed. This was it. He was getting ready to tell me that the reason he was acting so distant was because he didn't think we should hang out anymore due to Alain. At least I have ice cream to tide me over. Small consolation. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?" He questioned. Sliding his hazel eyes straight at me.

I blinked a few times. Huh, What happened to the 'breakup' speech? "Sure." I nodded.

Ash stuck his spoon into a peach colored ice cream, but he didn't take a bite. Meanwhile, I was on my fourth spoonful, on a mission to try every last flavor on the table. "Your friend- Alain, right?"

Oh, the 'breakup' speech was coming, alright.

I nodded in response. My lips straight and parted. "Yeah, his name's Alain," I answered, swallowing another spoonful of ice cream which tasted like vanilla that melted in my mouth making my brain cooler, but not enough for a brain freeze. I hope that I didn't get any on my clothes.

That's the ultimate mark of a greedy person. But if he was going to give me the cut direct, the quicker I ate, the better.

"Why'd he go off on you like that?" He questioned.

Again, not expected. I ran a hand through my short hair, staring at Ash, who was staring back at me. "He's just- he's overprotective," I said, surprised to find myself defending Alain. I guess blood is thicker than water, after all. I just didn't want Ash thinking that Alain was a huge jerk and that he was always like that. He is a huge jerk, and he is always like that, Serena. Sure, he was. But Ash- he didn't have to know that. But I had a feeling he already did.

"That wasn't over protectiveness, it was just plain evil!" Looking annoyed, Ash rested his elbows on the table, leaning forward, setting his eyes on me. "I'm an overprotective big brother, but if my sister was with a guy, I wouldn't talk all that smack, especially in front of the guy."

Nice line, but you're sister is 4, Ash.

Still, despite my cynical thoughts. I couldn't help feeling cheerful that Ash Ketchum was getting incensed on my behalf.

"He just wants to look out for me," I said lamely.

Ash's eyes narrowed, scrunching his nose. "By calling you a slut?" He said as I opened my mouth to reply, but he continued talking, knowing what I was about to say. "Okay, I did too. I mean, I insinuated it. And I'm not making excuses; I know I was wrong for it. But this guy who's calling you names- he's your friend!" He shook his head, disgust curling his lip. "There's no way he should be talking to you like that. You don't deserve it."

I ran a hand over my face, slumping in the empty booth. "Maybe I do, Ash."

Ash shook his head, still looking irate, disgusted and pretty damned sexy. "Nobody does. Especially not you, Sere," he said, sounding so compassionate that I felt tears come to my eyes. I blinked them back. I wasn't going to cry. But knowing that Ash cared so much about me that anger was flushing his z-mark cheeks- I felt so appreciative for it. It was nothing to him whether he did or didn't care, but he did.

Propping my chin on my upturned palm, I stared out of the clear window in Distance. Watching the trees with green leaves swaying and the sun's ray gleaming down at the park. It was a beautiful sight. "He wasn't always like that," I said softly, remembering a time when Alain was a nice guy. Even though he was just 9 years older than me.

"Really?" Ash sounded unconvinced, spooning some ice cream into his mouth. Swallowing it down his throat. "I find that pretty hard to believe."

I shook my head, no longer sure why I felt the need to defend Alain. I guess I just had to let Ash know where he was coming from. "He used to be ordinary. Normal." I let out a breath, turning from the window to find Ash's brown eyes on me. "Like a brother to me."

"So what happened?"

Ash still had a skeptical look on his face and I bit my dry lip, deciding to explain so that maybe he could see why Alain acted the way he did and draw his own conclusions. I really didn't know exactly how Alain had changed so much, but I had an idea why.

I looked down at the table alongside my hat, wondering where to start. "When My mom took me in, Alain was great. He treated me like a little sister." I smiled to myself, memories of Alain taking me to the Zoo when I was a little girl, and to the corner store for candy still fresh in my mind. "Everything I wanted, he would get me, just to try to get me to forget that my dad- that he abandoned me." Ash's eyes narrowed and I belatedly remembered that I had never told him about my dad just leaving me at my mom's and never coming back. I was already on my way to revealing so much and I didn't want to start with that story too, so I hurriedly continued. "He was a good brother."

"Uh huh."

Ash seemed so dubious that I smiled despite myself. "You don't believe me."

He shrugged. "I do, I just have a hard time picturing the guy," he said, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. "So what changed?"

"He met a great girl and when she found out that she was pregnant, she moved in with us and Maria was born."

I closed my eyes shut only to see filled darkness, remembering how excited Alain and Marin had been about the baby. Alain held down two jobs to ensure that Maria got the best crib, stroller and clothes he could afford.

"Your niece?"

"She was a little angel, Ash," I said, tears springing to my eyes again as I heard Maria's infectious laugh ring in my head. "Sweet, adorable- Alain doted on her." Opening my eyes and willing the tears not to fall, I continued "You know how you go through life hearing about children being kidnapped, getting into accidents and things like that?"

Ash nodded in response and with a strong urge, he reached across the table to put his warm hands over mine making me blush at my pale cheeks, but I ignored it. "Yeah." He softly said.

"And you think 'that couldn't happen to me and my family'?" I blinked back more tears. I didn't want to cry in front of Ash. Keep it together, woman! But this was the first time in ages that I had talked about Maria and it was still so painful to know that I would never see her beautiful face again. "That's what Alain thought about Maria. Me too. She was just- too harmless, too special." I didn't know how to explain how we all thought that there was nothing that could take Maria away from us, but I saw from the look on Ash's face that he understood. "Everything Alain did was for Maria."

His Coca Cola eyes not leaving my sorrowed face, Ash slowly stroked his thumb over my wrist, sliding on my smooth skin which gave me a ticklish sense. "What happened?" he asked slowly.

I swallowed heavily, a knot in my stomach. "It was a Saturday and I was at home with Marin and Maria. Marin was supposed to be looking after Maria because I had to go to work, but she was sleeping, so when it was time for me to leave, I put Maria down for her nap." I remembered that day so clearly, it was the worst day of my life.

Maria hadn't wanted to go to bed, I had to bribe her. I told her I would buy her Pringles if she went to sleep like a good little girl. She loved Pringles, so she finally agreed to take a nap.

And when I came back home with the tube of chips... A tear squeezed out from bloodshot eyes and slid down my cheek as I went on. "When I came back, M-Marin was still sleeping. I-I went to check on Maria."

I couldn't stop the tears from coming as I recounted the events of that awful day. My lip shake unsteadily and I held my head in my bare hands, not looking at Ash. Why did he have to see me crying?

I heard him mutter, "Oh," and suddenly in a flash. He was right beside me, his arm around my shoulder, pulling me against his warm body as he handed me a napkin. "You don't have to continue, Sere, I'm sorry-," he murmured softly, his lips moving against my forehead.

But I couldn't stop. "She was so still- it was the worst thing-."

Shaking, I sobbed into Ash's blue jacket as he wrapped both of his arms around me, squeezing tight like he never wanted to let me go.

Which was fine with me. And if I hadn't been crying, I would have really enjoyed how his hands were gently rubbing up and down my sides or how he was simultaneously kissing my forehead while murmuring soothingly into my short hair, but I couldn't focus on that.

"Wow... she was-," Ash started, smoothing my hair from my teared face.

I really hoped that counter girl wouldn't choose this moment to walk past our booth. We were in a rather intimate embrace and if she saw us, she'd probably fling the ice cream into Ash's face.

Sniffling, I nodded into Ash's chest. His hard, muscular chest. "She was- she was dead, Ash. She suffocated with her own pillow." I cried in a low tone.

"I'm so sorry," Ash said, picking up another napkin to wipe away my tears.

Suddenly. He leaned forward and gently kissed my soft cheek making me blush even more, his nose against my skin. Just a few more inches to the right and he'd be at my lips! I shivered again, but that had nothing to do with the crying and everything to do with being so close to Ash.

"I just went nuts. I woke Marin up, called an ambulance but it was too late." The feeling of utter desolation that had swept through me upon finding Maria in her crib- it still haunted me till this day. And what had happened next only made things worse.

"When Alain heard, he went crazy." I sniffed again, raising my head from Ash's chest with regret. He didn't let go of me. "I never saw anything like it, Ash. He smashed the dishes, broke a window and just threw things around." My mom had screamed at him to stop, but it seemed that breaking things was the only way for Alain to vent his rage. And he was truly angry. Unfortunately, he was angry at one person- me.

"He blamed me for what happened to Maria."

"Really? Why?" Ash sounded disgusted as he rubbed his cheek against my hair, sending tingles rushing through my body. I was going into sensory overload.

Tears seeped out of my eyes as I sighed. "I put her to bed," I explained simply.

"****," Ash breathed. I felt him swallow. "Damn, I'm so sorry, Sere."

"I loved her so much. I wouldn't have done anything to hurt her," I cried, running a hand over my face. "But Alain wouldn't listen to reason, it was my fault and he wanted me to pay. The neighbors- they called the cops on him but before they arrived, he took off." I took a deep shuddering breath. "He wasn't at the funeral."

I didn't want to think about the funeral, about Maria's tiny pink casket, about how Marin just went to pieces seeing her beloved daughter being lowered into the grave. Because if I thought about the funeral, I wouldn't be able to stop crying.

"What?" Ash sounded livid. "Are you serious?"

I nodded. "He came back home about two weeks later and he'd changed. He started drinking heavily, being loud and unreasonable." Living at home started to become nightmarish. But that was something Ash didn't need to know. "Marin left him and he just got worse. He was so- bitter. He started hating me even more because I was a constant reminder of what happened to Maria but- it wasn't my fault, Ash! I never meant to hurt her."

"You didn't hurt her, Sere. How could it have been your fault when you weren't even there?" Ash asked as another wave of tears took over me. Crying in public is never pretty. Especially when I'm the only one crying.

"To Alain, it's my fault," I said when I could finally speak again. "If my dad had never left me at their house, Maria would still be alive."

Maybe that was true. I was just bad luck to everyone around me. The Serena Yvonne curse.

"I don't believe that. Don't say things like that, Sere, you know it's not true. Your friend is a jackass if he doesn't realize that it was just an accident." A pause. "Sere, does he- does he hit you or anything?" He Sounded uncertain.

I pulled slightly back to look up at Ash properly. He was staring down at me with a distracted look on his face, almost as though he was seeing something that he'd been after for a long time. In me.

I glanced down at floor then back up. "Well, he's violent when he's drunk," I admitted.

"He hits you?" Again, Ash sounded angrier than I would have expected.

I shook my head quickly. "No, he just throws stuff. Not at me, though. Just at the walls," I lied.

"Sere," Ash breathed against my forehead, running a hand absently through my hair. My stomach did a back flip.Wasn't he supposed to be comforting me, not turning me on?

"I'm used to it," I said honestly, finally mustering the nerve to pull out of Ash's embrace. I leaned against the backrest of the booth but Ash just scooted closer to me, putting an arm around my shoulder and pressing me against him again.

"And even if I wasn't, I don't have anywhere else to go."

"How about your uncle, or your aunt?" Ash asked, giving me a sideways look.

"I never knew them," I replied emotionless.

"Damn, I'm on a roll today, aren't I? Just bringing up painful subjects," Ash sighed. "I'd invite you to come live with me, but my dad's as bad as Alain."

I stared up at him; he had a perfectly serious expression on his face. "You're joking," I said.

He shook his head, grinned wryly. "I wish I was." He said.

We sat in a comfortable silence for a long while, Ash absently playing with my short hair and humming a song under his breath. Which I think it was 'scared to be lonely'.

I rested my head on his free shoulder with impulse and he slipped his free hand in mine. You've come a long way from concentrating on not looking at me, haven't you, Ash.

"Thanks for listening, Ash, I needed that." I said finally, my voice small. I felt ashamed that I had cried so much, but I was glad that I had confided in someone. Not even Dawn and May knew exactly how I felt about Maria, and how deeply the accident had affected me.

"Anytime. After all, you're there for me, I needed to return the favor."

"I thought you were gonna tell me that we shouldn't hang out anymore," I admitted. Ash glanced down at me in surprise.

"Why'd you think that?" he asked, trailing a thumb across my red cheek. I tried not to tremble. Obviously Ash had no idea what he was doing to me.

"You were acting- odd. Kinda distant. So I thought..." My voice trailed off and I shrugged.

"Oh" he soon realised on what I was saying and signed. "Sorry about that. I had- stuff on my mind."

"It's okay. We all do," I told him, smiling up at him. He stared down at me, biting his lip.

"You're brave," he said softly.

"I am?" I squinted.

I thought I was the biggest wimp to ever walk the earth, but he was entitled to his own opinion.

Ash nodded. "Yeah. If I was dealing with your issues, I'd be a wreck. But you- you always have a smile on your face and you're helping me, the biggest screw-up on the planet. So that makes you- brave."

I shook my head. "I don't think you're a screw-up.'

"Then you're the only person who doesn't." But Ash appeared to be pretty pleased by that, judging from his smile.

"I bet the charity you donated to doesn't think you're a screw-up either," I told him.

His smile widened. "Dude, they had a story about that in the news! Did you see it? 'Mystery benefactor gifts struggling charity'. It was pretty sweet."

I shook my head with a smile on my face. Ash's enthusiasm was intoxicating. Almost as intoxicating as the fresh scent of mint that hung about him.

"I didn't see it. You should show me tomorrow," I replied.

He shook his head. "Can't. I got a check up tomorrow."

"Oh," Was I could say, feeling vaguely disappointed that I wouldn't be hanging out with him tomorrow. Oh, who are you kidding, Serena? You wanna cry again, don't you? Admit it!

"But we can get together later on in the week," Ash said hurriedly, looking at me. "That is, if you don't mind."

I had to will myself not to shake my head before he finished his sentence.

"Sounds like a plan," I said as my heart beating a little faster. Another afternoon to look forward to. Hanging with Ash was always eventful. "What's next on your agenda?"

Ash cleared his throat, giving an embarrassed laugh. "You'll laugh at me," he said.

I shook my head, puzzled. "Me? Never!"

"Well, I've never been to the top of the lumiose tower-," Ash started.

I couldn't contain the laughter bubbling up in my throat and I collapsed in a giggling fit. Laughing felt good after all that crying.

Ash waggled his finger in front of my face. "You see? I knew you'd laugh," he said in a gentle manner.

"Sorry, but- really?" I snickered.

"Yeah."

"We should definitely go. 17 years in Kalos and you've never been to the top of the tallest building here?" I grinned. "What kind of kalosion are you?"

"Not a really good one. I haven't been to Snowbell city, either," Ash admitted, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Just awful. We have to go to both those places," I said.

"We will, don't worry,' Ash said, looking down into my Sapphire eyes. "Hey, is that your real eye color?" he asked suddenly.

Nodding, I answered, "Yeah." And sighed. "Everyone else in my family has brown eyes."

"It's what sets you apart. They're a really gorgeous color," he said, squeezing my shoulder.

"Thanks," I replied with a blush increasing at my cheeks making my face a little red. my pulse jumping in my throat. I swear, if he doesn't stop with the sweetness...

Grinning wickedly, Ash added, "Even though you've been crying."

"And you claim to be on my side," I joked and he laughed.

"Sorry."

Soon, My cell phone alarm rang, vibrating in my pocket which got my attention and I sighed as Ash looked around.

"That's my alarm. I have to go," I said reluctantly, not wanting to leave. "Work calls."

"Aw!" Ash exclaimed, sounding remarkably like Leaf. "Now I'm gonna be so bored. I hate being alone, so you'll have to stay." His eyes gleamed. "I'll call your boss and tell him you're sick."

Feeling chuffed that he didn't want me to leave, I shook my head. "Nuh-uh. I have to go or he'll fire me."

"But who's gonna keep me company?"

"Your friends," I pointed out.

Ash wrinkled his nose, avoiding my eyes. "They're all- busy."

"You are so lying," I said, folding my arms over my chest.

"Guilty," Ash said, grinning sheepishly.

Curiously, I asked ,"Haven't your friends wondered about you lately?"

Because mine certainly have. Like when I blew May off today when she wanted us to go to the bookstore. She was not impressed. I'll have to make it up to her.

"Nope, but I guess they will. Soon."

"Are you gonna tell them?" I asked.

"No." A crafty smile. "That's why I need you to hang with me coz you're the only one who knows and I feel comfortable around you."

Nice try, Ash. Unfortunately, I didn't think that Clemont would understand. Much to science. "You'll get me fired," I told him, reaching under the table to get my bag then my hat resting on table. Ash removed his arm from my shoulder.

"Okay, I get the hint,' he said in a mock upset tone. "I'll finish all this ice cream, then I'll go home and work on my list alone, even though it's more fun when you're around." He looked at me, just as I was getting to my feet. "Hey, was it you that marked 'bring sexy back' on my list as done?"

"I really have to go," I hurried, quickly backing away from the booth. He saw that? Uh oh! "I'll see you at school, bye!"

And With that final sentence. I almost ran out of Walls as my face flushed crimson in embarrassment.