A/N: Okay, so here's part 2 to my oh-so exciting pokemon fic. By the way, thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!!! Christmas Miracles Part 2 I could see myself running back to my parents as some strange lady tried to hold me back. I was crying so hard I could barely see straight. I could see that my parents also had tears in their eyes. Why were they leaving? Didn't they love us anymore? I watched as they walked out the door, not even bothering to look back... "Hey Mist!" My head snapped up instantly at the mention of my loved nickname. I immediately knew that it was Ash. He was the only one that ever called me that. I can still remember the first time he started calling me that, at the pokemon league. "You okay? You look like your in a daze." Ever since that dreadful day so many years ago, I would constantly have tiny flashbacks or visions of what had happened to me and my sisters. They would keep reminding me of what I didn't have...and of what I really wanted. What I really wanted...was to have a family...a real family. Sometimes, I envied Ash and Brock for having such wonderful families. Although Brock's mother passed away, he still had his father, as well as his brothers and sisters. And, from what Ash had told me, his father left his mother when he was first born. He keeps telling me that he's better off without him and that's probably true, besides, who would want a father who didn't even love their own child? But at least he had his mother; caring, sweet, loving Mrs. Ketchum. I loved her almost as much as I would love my own mother...if I had one. That's right. You heard me. I don't have a mother...or a father. I've been without parents for most of my life so you can try to imagine how hard that must be on me. I know that they're out there somewhere, but I just don't know where. If they really loved us, then why did they leave? "Misty? Did you hear me?" I again tried reverting my attention back to the two confused boys. "Huh?" I said looking at them. "Ya know, you've been doing that a lot lately. Are you sure your okay?" Ash asked me, worried. "Yeah, I'm fine." If only he knew... "Sorry, what was the question again?" Ash smiled at me and pointed to a tree in which Brock was examining. "How do you like that one?" I walked up to it and looked at it in complete awe. It was beautiful. There were no other words to describe it. "Its perfect..." I said thumbing its gentle branches. "Okay! What about you Brock?" Ash asked Brock eagerly. "Well, it gets a thumbs up from me." "Great!" Said Ash, enthusiastically. "Ash Ketchum? Is that you?" We all turned around to see a middle aged man smiling at us. "Mr. Hikari? Hi! How are you?" Said Ash, shaking his hand. "I'm just fine. I haven't seen you since you were a little kid. Look how much you've grown. How have you been?" The man asked. "I've been great." Ash answered back. Whoever this guy was, Ash seemed to know him pretty well. "Dear, I already have the car started. What have you been doing?" A middle aged woman walked up to our group. "Honey, you remember Ash Ketchum, Delia's son?" Asked the man. "Oh, of course I do! How are you dear?" Asked the woman cheerily. "Great!" He replied back. "And your mother? How is she doing?" Wondered the woman. "She's been doing just fine." "So, what have you been up to all these years?" "Well, I've been traveling here and there trying to become a pokemon master, but its easier said than done." Ash replied rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I'm sure you'll accomplish your goal." Said Mrs. Hikari, smiling. "I still can't believe how much you've grown and how handsome you've gotten. I bet the young ladies are lining up for you." Ash laughed a bit then put his arm around me. "Actually, I told the line of girls to wait elsewhere. I already have myself someone...and I wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled at me as I smiled back. "Aww, how sweet." Cooed Mrs. Hikari. "Mr. Hikari, Mrs. Hikari, I'd like ya to meet my girl, Misty." He said, introducing me to the couple. I shook their hands and smiled."Its nice to meet the both of you." "Its a pleasure to meet you too dear." Said Mrs. Hikari kindly. "They used to be our next door neighbors when I was younger." Ash told me. "I see. I'm sure Ash caused lots of trouble for you two." I smiled. "Very funny." He said sarcastically. "Hey Ash! Could you give me a hand with this tree?" Yelled Brock. I had almost forgotten about him and by the look on Ash's face, I could tell that he did too. "Yeah, I'll be right there." Ash yelled back at him. "No, you stay here and talk. I'll go help him." I smiled. "Thanks." He said, kissing my cheek. "No problem." I said, walking away. "So, what project are you two working on now?" I could hear Ash ask as I walked away. "Who are they?" Asked Brock as he lifted one side of the tree. "Ash's old neighbors." I replied, lifting the other side of the tree. "I see." "So, where are we taking this thing?" I asked, feeling the weight of the tree upon me. "Over there. The people are gonna net it up for us." He said while directing me. "How are we getting it home?" I asked. "We're carrying it home." He replied and to be honest, that was not the answer I was looking for. "Carrying it?! Are you crazy!? This thing weighs a ton!" I yelled setting it down. "Well, if ya have any better ideas, let's hear them." He said tiredly. "That's quite a tree." We both turned to see Mr. Hikari, Mrs. Hikari, and Ash. "It sure is." Stated Brock. "By the way, how did you kids get here in the first place?" Mr. Hikari asked. "We walked here." Said Brock. "Actually, we ran." Stated Ash, staring at me. "You ran? Now why in the world would you do that in this kind of weather?" Asked Mrs.Hikari concerned. "Well--" Ash started, but I beat him to it. "Its a long story." I said interrupting him. "Well, we'd be more than happy to give you kids a ride back if you want." Offered Mrs. Hikari. "Really?" We all said in unison, our eyes lighting up. "Of course." She confirmed. And with that said, Ash and Brock strapped the tree to the top of their car as we all piled in the back seat. Once at Ash's house, the boys took the tree off from the top of the car and set it on the porch. Mrs. Ketchum opened the door and greeted the Hikari's, who, in turn, walked inside. "Thomas, Caroline, how are you? I haven't seen you two for years." Exclaimed Mrs. Ketchum, sitting on the couch next to them. "Well, we're holding up. How are you Delia?" Asked Mrs. Hikari. "I'm just wonderful!" She replied cheerily. "How did you two meet up with these kids?" "Well, Caroline and I were looking for a Christmas tree when I saw Ash. I wasn't too sure it was him because we haven't seen him in years. Taller, muscular...definitely not the Ash Ketchum we remember." Mr. Hikari finished. "Well, yes. He has grown up a bit, hasn't he?" Said Mrs. Ketchum looking at Ash, smiling. "Yes, he has. Your a very lucky woman, Delia. Ash is a fine, young man." Replied Mr. Hikari. A young man? Wow...has it really been that long? He still seemed like that little kid I fished out of the river so many years ago. I never thought of him as a man, but I guess he was. I looked over at him and smiled. He wasn't that little kid anymore, but something still told me that he still had a heart of a child. "Well, we better be going. We have lots of kids to watch." Said Mrs. Hikari, standing up. "Kids? But I thought--" Mrs. Ketchum was cut off. "Oh, they aren't our kids. You know we can't have any, but we treat them like they are part of our family." Replied Mrs. Hikari. "Did you adopt them?" Asked Mrs. Ketchum. "You could say that. We run an orphanage." Said Mrs. Hikari. I could feel the color in my skin instantly drain from my face. The orphanage...it was a word that I didn't think too highly of. It made me remember...that day. "Oh, how nice!" Said Mrs. Ketchum. Nice? How could she think that this was nice? It was the place where kids were taken, knowing that they would never see their real parents again. There wasn't anything nice about it. I suddenly stood up. "Excuse me...it was nice meeting the both of you." I said, showing no emotion as I walked up to my room. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but I just kept on walking. I walked straight up to my room and shut the door. I sat myself down on my bed and put my head in my hands. Just thinking about it sent shivers down my spine. I turned to put my legs up on my bed and looked out the window at the snow that was still falling. I laid my head down on my pillow and folded my hands on my stomach. Just then, I heard a knock on the door. "Come in." I said, not looking towards the door, but I knew who it was. "Hey." I heard Ash say softly as he closed the door. I remained silent. I know it might have seemed a bit rude, but I really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. He came over and knelt down on the ground beside me. "What's wrong?" He asked me, worried. I really didn't want him worrying about me, because I knew that he would never let me out of his sight. But, I guess that's what I loved about him. He always knew what I was feeling. It was like he had this sixth sense. I shook my head at him as I continued to stare out the window. "Misty...ya know, you shouldn't act like this around Christmas." He said suddenly. I don't believe he had just said that. He was treating me like a five year old. He suddenly stood up and headed for the door. "How dare you come in here and tell me how I should and shouldn't act. You have no idea..." I said sitting up, tears starting to well up, but I wouldn't let them fall. "Not unless you tell me." Of course, I had fallen into another Ash Ketchum trap. He knew how I was gonna react and I fell for it. I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door. He put a hand on my shoulder. My back was to him. "Misty..." I heard him whisper. I looked up at him, my eyes watering. Not being able to take it anymore, I ran out. I raced downstairs and out the door, getting strange looks from everyone. I ran as far as I could. I didn't know where I was going...I just ran. Finally stopping to catch my breath, I had found myself in the main part of Pallet Town...the shopping district. The one place I didn't want to be in. I raced out of there as fast as my legs would take me, but with all the people around, that was quite a large task. I finally found the park and sat on a bench next to a small pond that had been frozen over. I looked out across the park and saw parents watching their kids playing in the snow. Just then I saw a little girl with shoulder length red hair and a little boy with black hair. They were playing by the pond, happily. All of a sudden, they both walked up to me. I looked around, wondering where their parents could be. "Hi there!" Chirped the little girl, happily. "Hello." I replied. "Why do you look so sad? Don't you know that its almost Christmas?" Asked the little boy. "Yes, I know." I said smiling at them. "Don't you have a family to go to?" Asked the girl. "Where are your parents?" I asked, changing the subject. "Oh, there shopping somewhere over there." Replied the girl. "Are you guys lost?" I asked. "Nah, we know where we are." Said the little boy. "You sound brave." I said smiling at him. "Thanks! No one better mess with me or I'll have to hurt them." Said the boy in a strong voice. "Well, what about me?" Asked the girl, timidly. "Don't worry, I'll protect you too." He said. "Thanks!" Exclaimed the girl. This little boy reminded me so much of Ash. From the jet black hair to the courage he held in his voice. It was as if I was looking at a younger version of himself. "Are you two brother and sister?" I suddenly asked. "Nope. We're best friends! See! Look at this!" She handed me her locket and I opened it up. Inside was a picture of the little girl and the little boy hugging each other. The picture made me smile. It was as if I was looking at Ash and I. 'Best friends forever...always.' That's what we promised each other before we became an item. And it still stuck with me. "That's very nice. Have you two been best friends for a long time?" I asked, returning the locket. "Yup. We've been best friends forever and we always will be, right?" Asked the girl. "Yup!" Exclaimed the boy as they put their arms around each other. Just then the little boy started digging at the ground. The little girl joined him. I had no idea what they were doing until they both popped up with tiny cherry blossoms in their hands. They handed them to me. "Here ya go. Hope you feel better." Said the boy. I accepted the gifts and stared at the flowers. They were beautiful. "Thank you." I replied, surprised at what they had just done. "I hope you find your family." The girl suddenly said. "No one should ever be alone on Christmas." I couldn't believe it. It was the same exact thing that Mrs. Ketchum had told me earlier that day. The boy's eyes then shifted behind me. The girl also looked behind me. "Hi there Mister!" Said the boy. "Hi there." I heard a voice say. I froze as I heard the voice. I slowly turned my head to see Ash standing there smiling at me. How had he found me? "Hi!" Greeted the girl. "Hello there." He said. He then took a seat beside me as I continued to stare at him. "Hello Miss." He greeted. I looked at him strangely. "Hey Mister, this pretty lady doesn't have a family. Maybe you could help her." Blurted out the boy. "She doesn't have a family? Well, I find that hard to believe. She must have someone...a best friend...or a boyfriend perhaps, one that's worried about her." He said smiling. "A boyfriend? Maybe." Said the girl. "I never thought of that. Do you have a boyfriend?" My eyes started to fill with tears. "Well?" Asked the boy. I looked to Ash. "Yes, I do." "Really? Cool! But I bet he's really worried about you." Said the boy looking at me. "Yeah..." "Well, why don't you tell him what's wrong? I bet he could make it go away." Said the girl, hopeful. "Yeah, why don't you tell him what's wrong. He could help." Added Ash. I opened my mouth but no words would come. "See! This guy agrees with me." Said the girl happily. "You need to talk to him." "Maybe I do need to talk to him, ya think so?" I asked the two kids. "Yeah!" They both screamed in unison. "Oh yeah! Talk to him! Talk to him!" Yelled Ash, acting like a five year-old. I small smile crept onto my lips as I rolled my eyes at him. "But, what would you say?" Asked the boy. I thought about his question and replied. "I'd apologize first for my behavior lately then I'd tell him what's wrong. And then I'd tell him how much I love him." "You love him?" Asked the girl. I nodded. "Then don't you know what that means? It means your a family!" She finished. "A family..." I whispered. "She's right, ya know." Ash agreed. I shook my head, smiling. "So, how did you two like my speech?" I asked them. "I liked it!" Cried the girl. "Me too! What about you Mister?" Asked the boy. "I loved it too, but I don't think the apology is necessary. If he really loves her then he should realize that something's wrong with her, right?" Ash asked the two kids. "Yeah, your right!" They both exclaimed. "There you two are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" I turned to see a young couple with their hands full of bags. "Thank you so much for watching them." "Oh, no problem." I said. "Hi mommy! Hi daddy!" Exclaimed the girl. "Hi there sweetie." Said the father picking up the girl and hugging her. That's exactly how I wanted my family to be. I wanted my children to grow up with both their parents. I wanted my family to be full of love, just like this one. "Thanks again." Said the woman. "No, thank you." I replied. "Bye Miss. Bye Mister." They both said in unison. "Bye." We both said. "Oh, and Mister?" Asked the girl, turning around. "Yes?" "Make sure this nice lady finds her family, okay?" "Got it." Ash said as the two kids walked away. There was silence for a few moments after that. I smiled at the events that had just taken place. "So, you've resorted to tricking five year-olds into thinking that your someone your not?" I asked, smiling. "Hey, it worked. Now, are you gonna tell that desperate boyfriend of yours what's wrong?" He asked. I looked up at him and smiled. "I'll never get rid of you, will I?" "Nope. Besides, you don't want to. You love me too much." He said, confidently. "Oh please..." I said rolling my eyes. "Don't give me that. What about your speech? I liked the part about how you were gonna tell him how much you love him. Well? Were you just making it up?" He asked, seriously. I looked at him again and saw his serious expression. But under that expression, I could see fear. "Of course I wasn't making it up. I love you so much. You mean everything to me." I could tell by what I had said that it was the answer he was looking for. He embraced me in a tight hug. Small tears started to form in my eyes and for the first time today, I let them fall. They stung at my face, but Ash gently wiped them away. "I love you too. You know that, right?" I nodded at him as he gently held my face. I had never felt so loved in my whole life. The feeling I was getting was amazing. He made me feel so happy, like I was his whole world. He made me feel beautiful, like I actually had some kind of meaning. But above all...he made me feel loved. And that was a feeling that stuck with me forever. A/N: Well, there ya go. Sorry its so late. I know I said that I would have it done by New Years, but my computer was down. Sorry about the delay. Hope ya liked it. I'll try to get Chapter 3 up ASAP, but no promises. Neways, hope you all had a good Christmas.