Ash's POV
Looker arranged for us to be put into a witness protection programme. Temporary mind until they caught up to Gio.
They found a house on the outskirts of a small town. The house was three stories high, modern, furnishings to a high standard to be practical and comfortable. Jenny is tasked with staying with us 24/7 the only exception was that Looker stayed with us in between her days off.
Three weeks into leaving the hospital with Se after her being shot by Giovanni; surprisingly she has been recovering really quickly. Her wound as was said by the doctors wasn't as deep as it would have been if the bullet had been directly aimed at her; Where she'd jump in front of me, the angle of the bullet caused her to bleed out more than anything. That's why her heart had given up. The bullet was pressing down into some sort of vein and that's what caused it.
She had recovered most of her strength after being on strict orders from the doctor (and myself) that she wasn't allowed to leave her bed or be unsupervised. (Much to her dismay)
An on call doctor came round with supervision from Looker to keep an eye on her and to change her dressings etc. Once the 4th week had hit. The wound had almost closed fully, which the doctor was really pleased in Serena's recovery progression. In the third week she was allowed to be moving about and doing light duties. Like for example being able to leave her bed, and go for a walk around the house. As soon as she had the go ahead she as been pushing herself daily to get stronger everyday. Eventually in the fifth week, she had been signed off completely with her only instructions to take it easy and not over do it.
Almost 2 months later
There has still been no word from Looker into Gio's whereabouts; it's like he has vanished into thin air. He has been on the case night and day trying to find him. The 4 of us. Yes that did include Calem. As much as I didn't want him there, Looker said it would be better if we all altogether to draw Gio out of hiding.
The police searched high and low at the house where Se and I were held hostage. There was evidence of us being there and DNA showing the gun shot being fired at us. Calem had told Looker and Jenny everything, he held nothing back, his motives and reasons why.
With Serena recovering well, I wanted to say that she is the most inspirational person I have met, after all she has been through, she still keeps going.
What makes me proud is that to me the trauma inflicted on her hasn't affected her the way I thought. I set up professional help just in case she needed help, but it's not needed. She is still herself. Serena has been doing things around the house, cooking meals for all of us, inventing fun games to keep us entertained. Just trying to make the best of a bad situation.
Serena was thrilled for some board games, I had arranged with Jenny to buy some for us all to play. Everyone got involved, when they tried to get out of playing, she would do her adorable little pout at me and I would give in. I would do anything to make my girl happy. In the end I just bribed Gary to play and Calem... well he didn't have much of a choice, he played anyway and he did appear to have a genuinely good time.
As for Calem, we were on civil terms with each other as far as we both knew, we have 2 common interests keeping Serena safe and finding Giovanni.
As much as I wasn't thrilled with the idea, she gave Calem a chance to apologise to her being the dick that he knew he was. Much to my surprise, he was happy that she had me and now they seem to be getting on better than before, according to her.
Today of all days, I have Serena begging me to let her go with Gary to get the groceries for us to eat for the week. She is desperately trying to get out of these 4 walls up until now Calem, Gary and I have been taking it in turns to go with Jenny to get the essentials; leaving Serena to fully recover.
"Come on Se! You can't go with Gary, it's just too risky for us... what if something happened to you and I'm not there to protect you?..."
"Ash! I can't stay here much longer! All I wanna do is go to the shops with Gary! We will be with Officer Jenny anyways... please Ash... I just need to get out of this house! How come your allowed to leave and I have to stay here? Come on, I promise I will not leave Gary's side!?" She finished with her signature adorable pout that I am struggling to resist again.
"Seriously Ash, she will be safe with me mate, all we are doing is going to get some food shopping and then to the station to see Looker about us heading back to Kalos." Gary said causally, finding this situation amusing for me to handle. I haven't had anyone argue back with me other than Se.
"Gary." I said firmly with my forefinger and thumb squeezing my eyes in frustration. "I appreciate the input, but the answer is no." I glanced down to my girl's eyes getting glazed over with tears. It broke my heart to see her like this. I couldn't look at them... closing my eyes to keep myself calm, I explained my reasons.
"Se, you know I'm doing this for your own good, you still recovering from the gun shot wound and I am just concerned for your safety, you can understand can't you?" I begged back with my reasons. Averting my attention to her alluring, big blue eyes, she looked heart broken. I keep remembering that amazing night when I promise to make her happy. I wasn't. Serena did her cute pout of her lips, Every time I try to resist the urge, but I couldn't help it, she got me succumbed to her every desire.
"Ashton Ketchum. You can't put that move on me today. I have every right to get out of this house for one hour! Everyone else has... its only fair! Plus I really didn't want to say... I have been needing something that is a necessity. So you can't stop me, I'm going. end of... hmph!" She stood there arms folded over each other turning her head to the side.
'Well fuck me. I have just been told.'
I knew I was fighting a loosing battle. She has this certain flare on her nose when she puts her foot down. She did it all the time when something wasn't going her way.
Holding my hands up in surrender "Fine! Say no more, here is my card, I'll text you the PIN number, just PROMISE me that you won't leave Gary or Jenny's side. If they tell you to hide, you hide. If you feel anyone following you or you don't feel right, you tell Jenny and Gary straight away. Yes?" She stood there with a big grin spread across her face nodding in agreement heeding every word I said "Take this phone, you can't be tracked on this but if you get separated you call me. Deal?"
Mission accomplished she beamed her beautiful smile at me and said "Deal and I promise you, I will never leave Gary's or Jenny's side"
Nodding in agreement she pulled me into her beautiful, alluring lips and planted a kiss. The kiss lasted longer than expected as the familiar spark ignited between us. I pulled her in closer by wrapping my arm round her tiny waist and using the other to intertwine my fingers through her gorgeous honey blonde hair.
"Uhhmm... care to do that when we get back here?" I heard Gary say mockingly.
Reluctantly I broke the kiss, and glanced down to her slightly blushed face wanting to see her gorgeous bright bluest of the ocean were no where to be seen. Clearly looking at her feet, clearly embarrassed by the tiny audience in the room.
Refusing to let her go, I locked my stare with Gary as close to a warning as I wanted to express, and said "if anything happens-" "then I will call you, I promise you Ash, she won't leave my sight." His voice spoke with certainty and the reassurance that I needed to hear.
Time Skip Gary's POV
I can see why he likes her. She is very much his double in terms of stubbornness. Her simplicity and optimism is something I have become to admire.
It reminds me when Ash used to tease me non stop about a girl called Misty. He said I didn't have the balls to ask her out. Which was true. I was terrified so we like remains friends for years through school. Funny Ash said I had friend zoned myself with her. So it was shocking when she agreed to go out with me.
She was a red head fired up to bite back at me every time I stepped outta line. When we were young teens around the ages of 13/14 years old. I got up the courage to ask her out. Amazing it was.
I had arranged a picnic of all her favourite foods, secluded in a section in the woods where we wasn't going to be disturbed. I text her earlier that day to meet me there and her face to say otherwise was a sight I would never forget. Her smile was a sight to be behold.
I had arranged fairy lights around the part we were in. It was sunset, and the colours of the fiery red that followed just made her looked perfect. I had brought everything to the camping gear to the food, if she got cold I had blankets to use so we wouldn't be cold. The evening we spent together was magical. It turns out the she really liked me but she didn't want to ask me out, she just knew eventually I would ask her out. I'm so happy she waited.
Afterwards we were a couple, and we were happy, until that fateful day when I got word that my best friend's dad was just shot a few streets up from where I lived. Ash was due to be coming over that summer and staying with us., of course after that I never saw him again for 3 years.
However during those three years things with Misty was amazing. She helped me get through the rough times, and when I found out she was pregnant at 17 I was bricking it. I wasn't ready to be a father, I had made a mistake and one of the biggest regrets I faced.
Things seemed to be sorted after my grandfather told me about what it would be like to be a father, and as a joke he would be a great grandfather! He told me I had to man up, and take responsibility. He was right.
I was eventually succumbing to the idea that it would be okay to be a father, I had fucked up big time with Misty. She was living with her parents who had no choice but to help within the first 6 weeks. I begged and begged Misty to take me back, I had to prove to her that I wanted to be apart of this baby's life. And luckily she did, she let me come along the the first scan.
That's when it happened. She was waiting to hear a heartbeat. But nothing came. The nurse tried everything but nothing.
Not to sugarcoat anything Misty had what was called a miscarriage. It's someone's way of saying 'not yet, it's not time for you yet' I was gutted, I was looking forward to seeing our baby together. The nurse said that this happens a lot; the first 12 weeks were crucial. Eventually Misty was so upset even I couldn't do anything To console her.
After that day, my Misty had changed. We were together for another 4 months until she dumped me. She said she wasn't happy with me anymore. I understood, I broke her heart, I abandoned her when she needed me the most, I couldn't man up and be there when she cried. I felt so bad making her think that this would be her life, a single mum raising a kid. I was ashamed of myself.
In a way I never wanted her to change, I wanted to be the reason who made her day, made her smile when she was down, doing little treats for her like buying flowers, chocolates, teddies that sort of thing. However after loosing our baby, it broke her. She didn't want to let me down. So she ended things with me. And for me to take it as how she would be happy again, I did it.
And I never saw her again.
So I can totally understand why Ash is doted on this girl. She is pretty, and her optimism is amazing to say the least, I mean she was shot by Gio, yet she is standing beside me looking at clothes while Jenny did the shopping, she said it's good to let her get out of the house.
I never knew this woman can shop, I mean 2 hours later she had tried on every clothe possible, and she was buying herself a complete new wardrobe. Ash did say to her to use his card. But I don't think he meant this.
Jenny had to remind her that we still needed to go to the bureau and get the weekly updates to Gio's whereabouts and see when we can go back home to Kalos.
As we made our way out of the store, and head towards the car. I saw in the corner of my eye a familiar black SUV, it was here the last time that we came.
Suspecting the worst, I said to Jenny, "Hey Jen have we got a spare vehicle following us at all?"
"What? No I don-" she paused "Shit, both of you get down! Don't get up till I tell you." Jenny hurriedly said to both Serena and myself.
"Whats going on? Gary?" A small voiced asked while her body was crouched forward doing as she was told. I was fumbling around to get my phone to give Ash a call. "Gary? What's going on?"Ash asked
"Ash! We are being followed! A black SUV has been waiting for us to leave the shops! I saw it when we got here earlier..."
"Is everyone okay Gary? Serena she isn't hurt is she?" Ash asked him again trying not to let himself get upset. Hearing the panic in his voice.
"Gary! Tell Ash to get their stuff prepared, tell him to get all your stuff ready we need to leave here now! I'm taking you both back to the bureau now! Jenny yelled to me so that Ash can here.
"NO!" Serena shouted "we can't leave Ash and Calem!" Serena pleaded with Jenny
"Gary? What the fuck is happening?!" Ash was starting to panic now, I can hear it in his voice. I replied back sternly saying "Ash we coming back to get you, get all our stuff, leave nothing behind! We are going to loose this vehicle meet us in half an hour, wait till our vehicle is outside and we have flashed our headlights 3 times Okay?"
"Okay we will be both waiting for you."
I grabbed Serena's hand and made a run for it with her. In the far distance We heard the gunshots and wheels skidding off into the distance. Serena and I hid in some shop, about half a mile from Jenny. We remained hidden until we saw Jenny coming round with the vehicle. As soon as it was safe, we both made our way outside and met Jenny in the agreed safe spot for such an emergencies.
Jenny and myself was much more vigilant on the way back to the house. We pulled up in the driveway and flashed the lights 3 times as I said we would do. We saw the front door opening slowly, to my relief and Serena's we saw Ash making his way outside with our luggage and Calem followed quickly behind.
Within the space of five minutes, Jenny had got out, did one quick swoop over the house, making sure we left nothing behind that would show where we were. During the 5 minutes, Ash got in the back and held tightly onto Serena whispering to her 'it's okay, your okay, we're okay' comforting her as the evident sounds of crying can be heard. Jenny had hurriedly got back to car, pulled out her phone and started to dial Looker.
An hour later, we were all sitting in the waiting room at the bureau in silence, waiting to be told what happened and how did whoever find us.
All 4 of us were sat wondering who can we trust?