(Gladion POV)

After we moved into Ashley's bedroom, she began explaining everything from how she got the note to what it said. We were horrified.

'They're took Matt and Liz, because they want Megan?!' I snarled, my fists clenching further and my face tightening from anger. Megan sat on the bed behind me, silent and tense from the information. She's blaming herself, knowing her.

'Yes.' Ashley answered simply.

'Why would they-'

'Who cares why?' Sun cut in, pushing away from the wall he was leaning against 'What matters is they have, and Megan may be in trouble. We can't take her safety lightly from now on.'

'We already know that but what're we supposed to do? Never ever leave her side?' Hau asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, as he held his hands up in a questioning manner.

'We'll think of something.' Ashley answered

'Why can't we just give them what they want?'

We all turned to Megan, shocked she would even suggest such a thing. She stared back with no emotion visible on her face.

'Why would you even suggest that?!' Lillie cried.

Megan shrugged 'It seems like our best option.'

'How?!' Sun yelled.

'They get me, and the pain will stop.' She answered.

'We don't even know for certain if they have Matthew and Lizzy!' Ashley blurted 'And even if they did, there's no way we'll ever hand you over to them!'

'Why not? Don't you want to see Matt again?'

'Of course I do! But he wouldn't want you to give yourself up for him! And the note just said they'd end the pain, not that they'd let them go!'

'Still, I-'

'Will you just stop!'

Megan's eyes focused directly on me, but her expression didn't change. I continued 'There's no way we'll ever give you up to these scums, especially when they know who you are! We have no idea what their intentions are, but from what the note says it can't be good! If you run blindly into them you could risk the baby getting hurt!'

Megan kept her eyes on me, and visibly placed a hand on her stomach. Her face finally showed emotion as her brows arched downwards. I sighed, before relaxing my muscles which were tensed this entire time. However my face remained in a scowl.

'You can't be so careless about this! If these people actually have Matt and Liz we know they could hurt all three of you to get what they want! I'm not going to let you take the easiest way out of this. Not without putting up a fight! That's probably gonna be the most r*tarded thing you've ever done!'

The girl averted her gaze so she was staring down at her lap. 'I just don't want anyone to be hurt because of me...' She whispered.

She really is blaming herself...

Before I could say anything she stood up, and stormed out of the room with her head down. Everyone followed her with their eyes until she was completely out of sight. Lillie turned to me with a frown.

'You could've been less harsh with her.' She quietly hissed.

'She was going to put herself in harm's way. I had to get it through her stubborn head that it would make the situation worse rather than better.' I explained with a low voice, as my anger hadn't subsided.

'You could've at least used a softer tone of voice.' Hau shuddered 'I felt your infuriation from here!'

'Hau and Lillie are right!' Sun chimed in 'Yelling at her wasn't the right approach in this situation! In fact, I think you made her feel ten times worse!'

'My aim was to stop her from doing something stupid, not to make her feel less guilty about something she has no control over!' I fumed.

'Well maybe that's what you should do. Or at least apologise for your careless use of words.' Ashe suggested sternly.

'Careless?!' I scoffed 'I'm trying to protect her!'

'By yelling at her?'

'I-' I paused to think only to realise I was in fact in the wrong. 'Oh crap... She must feel terrible.'

'Really? We hadn't noticed, Sherlock.' Sun mocked, rolling his eyes.

'Well, aren't you gonna go after her?' Hau urged, pointing at the door with his thumb. I shook my head.

'No, not now. This is Megan we're talking about. She needs space when she's like this. Give it an hour and she'll be approachable, that's when I'll talk to her.'

'You'd better.' Sun barked.

I shot him a glare. I know he cares about Megan, but he really has been acting like a jerk recently. And thing is, it seems to be directed entirely on me!

'Okay what the hell is your problem with me?!' I suddenly blurted 'You've been acting different these past few weeks!'

Sun scoffed 'Oh yeah? Since when?'

'Uh, since you closed the League to look for Matt and Liz? Also you've been hanging out with your boyfriend more as of late, which seems to have given you an attitude problem!'

He scowled at my words 'What the hell has Leven got to do with this? I'm stressed, alright!? Alola is currently a mess with possible kidnappers on the loose, and everyone wasn't exactly at ease when the league was closed down for the time being! I don't know why they look to me for guidance but they do, and because of it I haven't been able to rest! Leven seems to be the only one who cares about that, while all of you are worried about our missing friends and Megan's condition! Yeah, I'm worried about that too, but looking after Alola isn't exactly something I can put aside! So yeah, I've been hanging out with Leven because he's been helping me through this! And if you think he's been giving me an attitude problem, you are sadly mistaken! In fact, I think you guys are the problem, not him!'

All eyes were now on him. Ashe clamped her hands over her chest, and at some time during Sun's outburst she had backed away against a wall. Lillie had her hands over her mouth and was staring at the boy in fear, while Hau had his arm around her and was glaring at his friend. Glaring wasn't something Hau would do often. And me, I was frozen. There was no way this was the same Sun who saved Alola four years ago. He looked so different. Scary, even.

'S-Sun, I-'

'No, Gladion! Don't even try apologising!' He stopped, before letting out a rather irritated sigh 'You know what, I don't want to go through this right now. I just want Megan to stop feeling guilty, so see to it that she feels better. Got it?'

I hesitantly nodded.

'Good. Now, I'm gonna take the note to professor Burnet. Maybe this logo or whatever is something she'll recognise.' He took the note from the bedside table and made his way towards the door, only to stop right in front of it 'But you know... It is kinda unsettling these guys know of Megan's pregnancy...' He muttered before leaving. It sounded kinda accusing.

Finally, Lillie broke the silence 'W-Why is everyone changing?'

Hau glanced at her 'Everyone?'

She nodded 'Sun would never lash out at his friends... Ashe always used to care about her health, Megan isn't her usual chill self, Gladion's too harsh with everyone... And you, you don't smile as much as you used to. I-I just want everything to go back to how it was before.' She choked out.

Hau's face softened, as he pulled the sobbing girl into a comforting embrace. I wanted to step in, but a shake of Ashe's head made me pause in my spot.

'Leave them be.' she mouthed.

I pursed my lips my lips together. I didn't like it, but she was right. I should let Hau take care of Lillie. I know how much they liked each other, and I had to accept that my didn't always need me. My head drooped, and I quietly left the room with my hands stuffed in my pockets.

'Guess I'm alone again...' I chuckled bitterly.

(Leven POV)

'Hey.'

The male snapped his head in my direction as soon as he heard my voice, raising an eyebrow at my sudden appearance 'What?'

I shrugged, leaning against the wall across from him 'So I see you delivered that note to the Aether house.'

'Well technically Ampharos did,' He pointed to the electric type next to him with his thumb, before crossing his arms 'But yeah, it was delivered.'

'Good.'

Silence fell upon us for a few moments, not awkward but still silence, until he spoke again. 'Why exactly did you want me to mention the pregnancy again?'

'Because then they'll think someone among them is giving us information.' I stated.

'Isn't that... a bad thing?'

'Not necessarily.'

'...I'm confused.'

I sighed, pushing up my glasses and making eye contact with the blonde 'If they think there's a spy, they'll start turning on each other. And I know for a fact I won't be accused, thanks to my wonderful Sunny boy who is convinced I couldn't do anything bad like that.'

'Wow,' he snorted 'And here I thought the champion was smart.'

'He's a child, we can't really put that against him.'

'... We're not that much older than him, Leven.'

'That's not my point, Isaac. What I'm saying is, give it a few days. A week at most, and that house will be full of conflict. Or at least enough for us to snag Artemus without her friends noticing straight away. It should be easier now that Pastel is 'keeping an eye on her'.'

'And if this doesn't work?' Isaac raised an eyebrow.

'Then we're going to have to come at them with more force. Knock the entire place out if we have to.'

'Alright, but I call dibs on electrifying their a**es off.'

'Deal.'

(Lillie POV)

After my little meltdown, Hau had sat me down in the living room and insisted we watched some Netflix. It was really sweet that he was trying to cheer me up, but I still felt a bit upset about the note.

'You alright?' Hau's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

'Mhmm...' I hummed 'Still just trying to wrap my head around the situation.'

Hau sighed before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me up against him 'Don't think about it right now. Stressing about it won't end well for any of us.'

'I know that...'

'Hey.' He planted a gentle kiss on my forehead 'These are difficult times, trust me I know. But none of us are going in this alone. Remember that, okay?'

I nodded slowly and cuddled up to him, draping my arm over his stomach.

Megan soon walked in without a word, and literally flopped onto the other couch with her arm hanging off the edge. She groaned into one of the cushions which made me stifle a giggle.

What? It was random, even for her.

'Uhhh... Megs are you okay?' Hau blinked, raising an eyebrow at her.

'I'm good.' She replied in a muffled voice 'My head just hurts.'

'Did Gladion apologise to you yet?'

'No?' She lifted her head up, giving the two of us a confused glance 'Was he supposed to?'

I nodded 'Yeah, he felt really bad for snapping at you and was going to apologise once both of you had cooled down.'

'Oh...' She dropped her head back into the cushion.

'You tired?' Hau smirked.

'A little...'

'Well feel free to take a nap right there. Lillie and I don't mind.'

Megan didn't say anything after that, and I found out why as tiny snoring sounds came from her. Hau and I smiled at each other.

'Guess she really was tired.' I whispered.

'Yeah.'

Hau got up, grabbing the blanket on the arm of the couch and draping it over her. He rubbed her back in a brotherly way before once again sitting next to me.

'Hopefully she won't still think this is her fault...'

'Mhmm.'

(A/N: I DO NOT LIKE THIS CHAPTER!)