My head turned so fast I got a kink in my neck, but that paled in comparison to seeing Ash for the first time in two years. My eyes widened as I took him in, flickering over every detail. The slight smile on his face. The way his hair was blowing in the stiff breeze.

Stepping closer and taking advantage of my utter shock at seeing him in living color even though I had been expecting him, Ash continued, "Where's your faith in me, Sere? Your trust? I can't believe you were going to just open it alone!"

"Well, considering that you're almost half an hour late, do you blame me?" I countered smartly, my verbal paralysis breaking as I stood up, almost carelessly dropping the capsule on the bench. I was trying to act cool and seem like I was annoyed at him showing up late, when in reality I was so ecstatic to see him that if he had shown up two hours late, it would still be worth it. My heart skipped a beat as I looked up into Ash's familiarly handsome face. "You never used to be late for anything, so I-."

"Thought I wasn't going to show?" he cut in, smirking as his eyes held mine.

Grudgingly, I nodded, my lips twitching. "Precisely."

"My plane got delayed." Ash spread his hands palm up as he explained earnestly. "I tried calling you but I kept going to your voicemail. So as soon as we landed I jumped in a cab and came straight here."

I've got to admit, I wasn't really paying much attention to what he was saying. My focus was on his face, the way his lips moved when he talked, the way his eyes were filled with honesty as he spoke. He looked good, healthy and fit. In other words, gorgeous.

Sighing, I shook my head, fighting back a smile. I could never stay mad at Ash for long. It was just an impossible task. Just one puppy dog look from those green eyes and I melted. "Alright, you're forgiven for being late," I said, rewarded by a big grin as he rubbed his hands together.

"You damn right I am," he said smugly, like he could tell that I was just pretending to be pissed at waiting for him. Right again, Ash. My breath hitched as he stepped closer, his eyes on my face as he looked down at me. "Now, do I get a hug or something?"

That old, familiar feeling of comfort wafted through my body as Ash wrapped his arms around me, his breath warm against my neck. I hugged him back, feeling his heartbeat through our clothing as I inhaled the subtle scent of his cologne.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I whispered, "I missed you." More than you'll ever know.

"I missed you too," he whispered back, pressing a kiss against my forehead as he stepped back, sliding his hands down my arms to clasp my hands in his. His eyes raked over my face, releasing a flurry of butterflies in my stomach. "You look really pretty with that hair." I giggled as he breathed in, knowing exactly what he was up to. "And it still smells like strawberries. I love you for washing your hair with that shampoo!"

My heart jumped in my chest as he said 'I love you'. Don't get me wrong, I knew what he meant, but some whimsical part of me couldn't help hoping that maybe, just maybe, he meant it differently.

Wishful thinking at its best.

Swallowing nervously, I reluctantly took a step back, trying to put a little bit of space in between Ash and I. "Thanks."

"Do I look different?" he wanted to know, tilting his head to the side.

Nodding, I replied, "You look a little more mature but overall, you're the same old Ash in my book."

"I had a lot of growing up to do," Ash said, biting his lip, lost in thought. The wind picked up speed, whistling through the leaves and he hugged himself. It was a chilly day, especially on the island, but Ash was simply dressed in a light blue long-sleeved top and grey tight jeans. If I was cold in my jacket, just how cold was he? As if reading my mind, he went on to say, "Damn, it's cold here. I left my jacket in the cab."

Suddenly remembering that we were here to open the capsule, I said, "Do you want to open the capsule before it gets any colder?"

Maybe Ash had someplace to be. I definitely didn't want to be the person who made him late for whatever plans he had later on. We were here to do just one thing, no matter if I wanted to prolong it. It was high time we got a move on.

"Well..." Ash started, his voice trailing off as he slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Looking uncharacteristically nervous, like he was sure I was going to say no to whatever he was suggesting, he continued. "Sere- do you have any plans for tonight?"

Now that was an unexpected question.

I shook my head slowly, wondering if laying on the couch, watching 'Teen wolf' with a big bowl of popcorn was considered 'plans'. Because that was what I intended to do after we left Lumiose Tower. I never said my life was interesting. "No. I'm free all evening."

Well done. Now Ash knows what a sad life you lead. Seriously, it was Saturday and I didn't have a date. Well, I had a date with my PVR but let's face it, TV is a poor substitute for a red-blooded male.

Seeing Ash's face light up with my answer suddenly made me glad that I didn't have plans for tonight.

"Sweet! I was thinking that we could go for dinner and catch up, then head to the Lumiose tower and open the capsule up there." An eager expression flickered onto his face as he looked at me. "I don't know about you, but the lumiose tower holds a special place in my heart."

I smiled at the force of his enthusiasm. "Me too," I admitted.

"Do you want to have dinner with me?" Ash asked, an endearingly shy smile on his face as he scratched his cheek anxiously.

The uncertainty in his voice tied my stomach into knots. "Do you even have to ask?"

Of course I want to have dinner with you, you idiot!

"Never assume anything because you just never know," he said loftily, wagging his finger in my face.

Giggling, I swatted it away. "I would love to have dinner with you, Ash," I gushed, my voice tinged with sarcasm. "It would be an honor, my pleasure, the most exciting thing-."

Ash's finger pressed against my lips was more than enough stimulus to stop me from talking, right in the middle of an extremely sardonic monologue. My breath stuttered in my throat as he looked down at me, smirking.

"I thought as much. I always could shut you up by doing this," he snickered.

-----

"So how long are you staying in Kalos for this time?"

Ash and I were seated in an upscale fancy restaurant. The music was low, the atmosphere was relaxed and best of all, it was just me and Ash. No Mokoto, as I had originally assumed.

I had nothing against Mokoto but every time Ash had visited, she had been stuck to him like glue. This was the first time in years that I was having some one-on-one face time with him and I was surprised at how quickly the conversation slipped into easy bantering mode, just like old days.

I guess some things never change.

Ash glanced up from his steak and wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering my question. "Indefinitely," he replied casually, not knowing how close I was to jumping from my seat and doing a fist pump. Wait, how long was indefinitely? Please be forever! Even though I knew that I wouldn't be seeing Ash every day if he lived in Lumiose city, at least he would be living in Lumiose and not in Kanto. "I'm here to launch my new foundation."

"Really? Good for you!" I caught myself smiling dotingly over the table at Ash and, mortified, stabbed at my salad. "Um- what's the basis of your foundation?"Man, I needed to quit with the Ash adoration. Hopefully he didn't notice. Yeah right. Ash noticed everything, especially me, when I was making a fool of myself over him.

"Well, we're dealing primarily with Medecins Sans Frontieres to provide better quality of life in places which have been hit hard by natural disasters. We want to make sure that people have access to clean water, food, clothing, basic medical care and shelter." Watching him speak, I realized that his vision meant a lot to him and I smiled. I guess he was no longer the shallow guy he never really wanted to be. Ash had definitely done some growing in the past few years. Running a hand through his spiky jet hair, he grinned at me. "I figured I've got to use my trust fund money wisely. What do you think?"

Speaking from the heart, I said, "If anyone can see this through, it's you, Ash."

After all, I had witnessed firsthand the drive and determination he had shown while working on his bucket list. If anything, his foundation should be a walk in the park for him.

"Thanks, Sere," he replied gratefully, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. "I think it's about time I started setting good examples for Leaf. You know, since I'm her father figure and all." His face grew thoughtful. "Although, I think she's the one setting examples. You know what she did last week? Tossed all of her toys into boxes and asked Hope to take them to 'that place I played when Ash was in hospital'."

My eyes widened. "The daycare?" I asked. Now I knew where all those almost new toy's and cars came from! The new daycare administrator told me the box of toys had been a gift from a 'mysterious benefactor'.

"Yeah." Ash nodded in responce, grinning widely at me. "I've got a feeling that the new Ketchum generation is gonna prove to be beneficial in the charity sector."

As if just realizing that his hand was still covering mine, Ash hastily removed it, a flush staining on his Z-marked cheeks. Chewing thoughtfully on a tasty strip of salad, I wondered why he looked so flustered. "How is Leaf doing these days, anyway?" I asked, remembering the last time I had seen the little girl at her father's funeral. Her big brown eyes had been filled with tears as she solemnly told me that her daddy wasn't coming back. Her acceptance of the inevitability had nearly made me cry. Even at a young age, Leaf had proved to be wise beyond her years.

"She's such a sweetheart. She just turned eleven a couple weeks ago and she's the tallest kid in her class. I thought she was going to be a tiny terror for her entire life, but she just shot up all at once." His eyes shone as he talked about his much loved little sister. "It was hard for her to deal with the fact that dad was gone at first, but she's adjusting really well. She's participating in the spelling bee. I'm really proud of her."

"I know she's probably excited that you're coming back home. Are you going to move back into the penthouse?"

Ash shook his head. "Na, I want to get a small apartment. I've gotten so used to living by myself that moving back into the penthouse would probably drive me stir-crazy. Obviously, Hope would rather have me move back in, but I told her that I'm a grown man now and I want my freedom. Leaf knows she'll be welcome at my place whenever she wants." He chuckled. "She's waiting for me to pick a place so that she can come over and decorate her room."

"Just watch, she'll be moving in before you know it," I pointed out.

Ash heaved a mock sigh. "I know, right?" He grinned. "Oh, well, I can always invite you over too, right? Have a play date or something." As I tried to stop my mouth from falling open in surprise at his random way of inviting me over, he continued. "She would totally love to see you again. You were her hero after my aneurysm thing, taking her to the daycare."

"I would love to see her again, too. We always had a bond." I grinned cheekily across the table at him. "I guess it's because we both had to deal with you."

Ash stuck his tongue out at me childishly. "So how about you? You settled into your new apartment yet?"

"Yeah. It took a while to get used to the new hood. I grew up in that building, my neighbors were like my family, so it was a difficult change to make."

"Wasn't easy for your mom too, huh?" Ash asked, tapping his chin.

I nodded. "She didn't want to leave our old apartment, but I wasn't going anywhere without her," I told him, smiling slightly as I remembered how difficult it had been to get her into the cab to drive over to our new place.

"How's she doing?"

Tucking an errant wisp of hair behind my ear, I said, "She's good. Doesn't work that much these days, which is good. So she has more time to catch up on her movies and soapies."

"That's good. You're pretty awesome, taking care of her like that." I glowed at the compliment from Ash as he continued. "How about Mark? You still talk to him?"

I quickly filled Ash in on my strengthening relationship with my father. "And it's all thanks to you," I enthused, gazing at Ash while trying to keep my admiration of him in check. "If you hadn't found him for me, things would have been so different."

"You deserved to know him," Ash shrugged self-depreciatingly, like he hadn't done anything special. "I mean, he needed to know that he had a daughter and after what you went through with Alain..." His voice trailed off and he looked at me musingly. "Speaking of Alain, what happened with him?"

Letting out a deep breath, I stared at the spotless cream tablecloth. "Well, after his six month stint in jail, he went to rehab for a month. Court ordered. After that, he was on probation for three years. Went to college and got a diploma in Community Counseling. He works at a garage now."

Surprise mingled with admiration flitted onto Ash's face and I had to smile. Doubtless he was expecting that I would say something negative about how Alain had managed to run his life into the gutter after his prison release. In all honesty, sometimes I was surprised that Alain had dusted himself off, turned over a new leaf and was now helping people with the same problems as he had once had. After I got back from my summer vacation in Hoeen, Alain had requested to meet with me, talk and apologize for everything, including blaming me for Maria's death. It took me a while to forgive him but after seeing how intent he was on turning his life around and making things better, I started rooting for him. He went back to his old girlfriend, Mairin, who was now pregnant with his child.

"Wow," Ash said appreciatively, nodding. "I'm pretty impressed."

We continued to chat, our coffee getting cold as we kept finding other subjects to chat about, both of us unconsciously trying to extend our time together. It was as if we knew that after we opened the time capsule at the coumarine park, the magic would be over.

"Will Mokoto join you here once you get settled?" I asked Ash, trying to keep the rank jealousy out of my voice. All I wanted to know is if she would be okay with me going to visit Ash from time to time, I promise. I mean, since he's invited me over and all.

Ash popped a red fresh cherry from his fruit salad into his mouth before replying. "We broke up," he said casually, like it wasn't a big deal.

Meanwhile, my hand froze with my fork en route to my mouth, eyes bulging with shock.

"You what? When?" I spluttered.

Shrugging, Ash said, "About three months ago." He shot me a lopsided grin. "I guess I found out that she wasn't the one and I didn't want to keep leading her on."

My heart jumped in my chest at the way he looked at me when he said 'she wasn't the one' but I tried to stay cool.

"I thought you didn't believe in soul mates," I quipped, relieved that my voice sounded normal. Inside I was a mass of conflicting emotions, none of them making sense. I still loved Ash, had never stopped. Was there a possibility for us to rekindle what we had once had now that he was single or was I just reaching.

Ash's grin widened. "I learnt from the best, Sere."

-------

It was windy on top of the almost deserted skyscraper and I shivered in my lightweight jacket. Ever gallant, Ash shrugged off his jacket and slipped it onto my shoulders, ignoring my feeble protests.

"You never did know how to dress for the weather," he chuckled, squeezing my shoulders lightly as he walked me to a quiet corner. I pouted playfully, remembering the times when Ash had forfeited his jackets and hoodies because I got cold. Ah, the good old days.

Quick to defend myself, I said, "I thought it would be warm tonight."

"Why would you think that?" Ash snickered loudly. "It was raining yesterday!"

I narrowed my eyes suddenly, raising one eyebrow as I looked at Ash. "How do you know?" I asked suspiciously. "Weren't you in Sinnoh yesterday?"

"Weather Network," Ash explained in a 'duh' tone, but I was positive he was blushing as he tried to turn the subject back to my dumb statement. "Don't try to change the subject."

Rolling my eyes, I said, "It was raining and science proves that when it rains, the next day will be sunny-." I stopped talking, stalled by the amused expression on Ash's face. He's laughing at me again! "Okay, you win."

"You're still as cute as hell when you make things up," he chuckled, pinching my cheek playfully.

"I wasn't making anything up," I lied, keeping a straight face.

Smirking at me, Ash twisted open the capsule with a flourish as my heart thudded with excitement. I watched as he reached into the capsule and scooped out the zip locked contents. How I remembered that day we had put our treasured items in there. Five years on, we were about to revisit that day.

He immediately located my locket and walked behind me to fasten the necklace around my neck. I ran my finger over the heavy heart shaped locket, shivering as Ash's fingers brushed the nape of my neck.

Ash was staring at me, a mixture of awe and incredulity on his face. "Teach me."

"Teach you what?" I frowned, not understanding. For such a cutie, Ash sure wasn't making any sense.

"How to come to terms with things that easily."

I smiled bitterly. "I only make it seem easy," I admitted, staring unseeingly at the Lumiose skyline. "But at the same time it was for the best. If I had stayed with her, I would have ended up dead." I gave Ash a twisted smile. "And we wouldn't have met, which would have sucked."

"I know," Ash said, nodding in agreement.

We went through the rest of the items in silence, each wrapped up in our own memories, recalling what the treasures we unwrapped meant to us.

I grinned when we finally turned to the letters Ash had made us write.

"Read yours first," I coaxed Ash, who picked up my letter to him, opened it and started reading out loud, a big grin on his face.

He cleared his throat. "'Dear Ash, if you're reading this it's five years later and life has changed. You overcame your aneurysm, made headway with your bucket list and you're probably thinking that you're the man. And you're probably right.'" He chuckled as I listened, ears smarting at how corny but true the letter was. "'I just want you to know how proud I am of you overcoming all these obstacles you've had recently. And I'm even prouder of you for doing it all with a smile on your face and a positive attitude.'" I flushed harder as he read the last part of my stupidly embarrassing teen love letter. "'Love, Serena Yvonne, aka Sere.' You're so sweet! Come here!"

Ash wrapped his arms around me, hugging me to his body in a super squeeze. He kissed my warmed flushed cheek, sending tingles up and down my spine.

"I just spoke the truth," was all I could splutter once he let go of me, grinning happily.

He handed me his note to me. "Now read mine," he pressed.

"Okay," I said, taking the surprisingly heavy letter from him. I started unfolding it, my eyebrows rising with disbelief as the piece of paper grew larger, like some kind of origami trick. "What the hell." It was one of those ginormous pieces of paper. "How many times did you fold this?" I asked Ash. "Do you have a life?"

He chuckled from the other side of the paper. "Trust me, it was hard work," he replied simply.

I could only see Ash's feet but the rest of his body was blocked by the massive sheet of paper, as creased as it was. "This better be worth it," I said, wondering what the hell kind of essay Ash had written me. But how come I couldn't see any writing on the paper. He better not have written in invisible ink!

"It's so worth it," Ash said softly.

Finally I finished unfolding the piece of paper, which was almost as tall as me and twice as wide. Ash's small, neat handwriting was written in all caps in the middle of the huge sheet of paper and I squinted, reading the words out loud.

"'Serena, will you marry me?'" I let out an exasperated groan. Classic Ash. Should have seen that one coming. "Very funny," I drawled. "I actually took the time to write you a heartfelt letter and you play this joke on me?" I stomped my foot in fake tantrum mode. "Ash!"

"Who said it was a joke?" Ash said from behind the paper.

Chuckling reluctantly yet appreciatively at Ash's impressive timewasting skills, I said, "Well, it can't be anything else!" I started to crumple the 'note' into a huge ball as I spoke, shaking my head in despair. I wasn't going to fall for yet another one of Ash's 'marry me' gags. He kept trying that on me though. "I know you're not really asking me to-."

A gasp tore itself from my throat as I stared at the sight that the paper had been hiding. He planned this. He planned everything!

Ash was on one knee, an open box in the palm of his hand and a hopeful yet nervous expression on his face as he looked up at me. And for a moment, I was sure my heart stopped as my body went cold.

It can't be... It can't be.

"It's not a joke. Will you seriously marry me, Serena Yvonne?"