Okay so if you are reading this chapter right after it has been published I would like you to know I made an editing mistake on the last chapter and deleted half of it without realizing before publishing it. So go if you want to understand what's happening you might want to go read that, but you could just not and be confused the rest of the story.
Chapter 19

Ash's POV

My hands went to my lips while I still looked at Serena. I was shocked, speechless, and many more emotions were swirling in my body. Serena had just kissed me.

Serena had just kissed me...

Serena, one of my closest friends...just kissed me.

The smile that had been etched on her face as she confessed to me had vanished. She now looked like she wanted to run, but was having trouble moving her legs. It took another few seconds before I realized why she was quiet. I had to respond.

"Serena..." I started. It wasn't much, but at least she knew I hadn't loss the ability to speak by her actions. I licked my lips before continuing. I was nervous. I never had a problem with talking with Serena before, but now I was aware of what my words could do. Suddenly Gary's question from the roof came to my head.. He knew about Serena's feelings... That's why he asked me.

"Serena, I can't.." I repeated, this time going a bit further with my answer. I honestly had no idea how to voice my answer without hurting her feelings. That was the last thing I wanted to do.

Luckily Serena held out a hand signaling me to stop. "Ash..I'm not expecting you to return my feelings."

Her words brought little comfort. Now I felt horrible, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Serena, she was beautiful..But I just never saw her in that light. I had believed that the feeling was mutual, but once again I was to dense to see what a girl was truly feeling.

"Serena.." I said once again this time my words earned a small giggle from her.

"Ash, I know my name is Serena. You can stop saying it now." She said in a sweet tone as she closed the gap between me and her.

My face got even hotter, I had never felt so aware of Serena's beauty. My eyes instantly struggled to meet hers, I just wanted to go inside to escape this feeling, but I knew I couldn't.

"I don't know what else to say.." I responded honestly. "I...Just never knew you felt that way.."

Serena nodded as if that were obvious. "Well I do."

I tried to back up, but the only thing behind me was a closed door. "I'm sorry..." I knew it was a horrible response, but what else could I say? I had only been focused on May, for Serena to suddenly drop this bomb on me...

The smile came back to Serena's face. "Ash, do you know why I chose to tell you this now?"

I slowly shook my head.

Serena closed the gap between us and placed her forehead on my chest and looked down. Once again the blush returned to my face, but I didn't move her. I was frozen.

"I wanted you to know that..." She paused for a few seconds. "Even though you love May...There is somebody else here who loves you...somebody who would never hurt you." Serena words were so soft I could barely hear them, but when I did I instantly calmed down.

I had to control myself, Serena was being extremely brave right now and if I started to treat her differently it would only hurt her more than my rejection.

"When you told me May broke up with you I felt guilty, because I had told Gary I hoped that your relationship ended...It was a horrible thing to do I know, but I couldn't help myself from thinking like that." Serena continued.

I listened intently. I didn't feel anger at her confession of wanting me and May to broke up, but I didn't tell her that.

Suddenly Serena turned her head up towards me and once again I struggled to maintain my composure as her blue eyes stared into mine. "Ash, whether you want it or not...My heart is yours... and it has been for a long time...Even if I didn't know it."

"Why.." I asked. I didn't know if I should ask since it would just prolong this moment, but I needed to know...Why had Serena fallen in love with me..She hadn't even seen me in years..

Her smile grew as I continued to look into her eyes, she was probably happy that I didn't break eye contact this time.

"Ash..For years I've thought of you as the brother I never had.."

So there was a point in time where we were both on the same page. That thought eased my mind, at least I hadn't been completely wrong.

"In fact I didn't realize just how much I loved you until...my first serious relationship.." Serena continued her eyes leaving mine. I could tell she didn't really want to talk about this.

I kind of knew what she was talking about too... I used to see her and some guy on the cover of plenty of famous publications. What was his name... For once I cursed my inability to remember things I didn't see as important.

"Calem.." She muttered as if she had read my mind.

Oh yeah..That was his name.

"Calem was a sweetheart, it reminded me so much of you...Maybe without even realizing it I used him to replace you, but..." Serena paused and her breathing intensified. I could tell that whatever she was about to say had really effected her.

"He wasn't like you at all...He was just another famous person wearing a mask and I didn't realize it until it was to late." Her hands squeezed the fabric of my shirt.

I looked at Serena with sympathetic eyes, I had a feeling what she was trying to say, but I had to confirm it.. "What do you mean..to late?"

Serena shook her head before her eyes met mine once again.

I knew the look she was giving me. I had seen it plenty of times back before Gary met Dawn. How many girls had given him the look that showed how badly he broke their heart. It made me angry that Serena was now showing the same look.

"You don't have to say it Serena.." I said as I wrapped my arms around her. Briefly her confession was forgotten about as I comforted her.

Serena wrapped her arms around me and pulled me closer. "After that he broke up with me...God Ash I felt horrible, and the media didn't make it any easier.."

I nodded in understanding not knowing what else to say.

"But.. I started finding comfort in watching you play online...I kept up with everything you were doing Ash while you slowly advanced through the rankings..I daydreamed about all of the good times we had...and finally when I met you again I realized it.. I fell for Calem because he reminded me of you, but he can never be you Ash..Nobody can replace you to me..." Serena's words reminded me how we had gotten to this topic.

Without warning Serena removed herself from my chest although she kept the palms of her hands planted on me firmly. A deep blushed covered her face. That should have warned me that her next words would be embarrassing, but of course I didn't take notice.

"What I gave to Calem Ash...I should have given to you... To me your irreplaceable, you brought me out of the dark when my mom died, you brought me out of the dark when Calem hurt me even if you didn't know it...Whenever I'm in trouble Ash I know that you'll be the one to help me through it..If that's not love then I'm scared to know what is.." Serena spoke with confidence although the blush on her face showed she was still shy about voicing her thoughts.

I didn't even want to imagine how red I was from what Serena had just implied.

"That's why I love you Ash...and I had to tell you...If there is even a small chance I can get you to look in my direction then it's a chance worth taking..I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I settled for a man I didn't love because I was to afraid to tell you.." Serena finished.

Serena had always been good at finding the right thing to say, and this was no different. I actually understood why she was doing this. I also understood how brave she was being. I had already told her that I wanted May, but she still opted to confess to me just so I could finally look her way..

"Wow.." I muttered once again my brain was failing me. What was I suppose to say.

Serena sensed my inner turmoil as she quickly planted another kiss on my lips. It was chaste once again, but I didn't even have enough time to process it before she had backed up further away from me. "Ash Ketchum from this moment on I'm going to work to show you that I'm the girl for you...Not May."

Her words were laced with confidence, but I knew she wasn't being cocky. I knew Serena well enough to know that this was just who she was. If she chose to do something she put in her absolute best effort.

"I hope you don't hate me for doing this.." She said after a slight pause. This statement was lacking the confidence her previous one had held.

I shook my head. "I could never hate you Serena...I'm just surprised...I don't know what to say..Your feelings..I just didn't know I meant so much to you." I said honestly.

Serena smiled. "You mean so much more to me than what I just told you Ash."

Damn it, I had blushed way to much in the last 10 minutes.

Serena sighed. "Well..I should get home now."

"You mean a lot to me too Serena..." I blurted out. She had been spilling out her heart to me and I hadn't said anything. I couldn't let her leave on that note.

She was surprised.

"I won't lie...I've never thought about you in that light... You've always been like a sister to me just like Gary was my brother... I would do anything for you...But I do like May a lot I may even love her...The feelings she gives me is something I've never felt with you.." I knew I was being blunt, but I owed her this much. I couldn't lie.

I expected Serena to frown, but she didn't instead she just raised an amused eyebrow. "Really Ash? You're telling me things I already know."

Now it was my turn to be surprised. That wasn't the response I had predicted.

Once more Serena approached me. I was tempted to cover my lips just so she couldn't steal another kiss, but I didn't think now was the time to be joking.

"I know that right now the feelings you have for me are only friendly..But I want to change that and now is my only chance. If you were dating May I would have never done this, but since your single...I'm willing to work to make you look at me...and only me." Serena words came out of her mouth softly, but there meaning hit me hard.

For the third time she caught my lips, but this time the kiss lingered. I didn't kiss back, but I didn't push her away. Her hands were behind her back and she had gotten on the tips of her toes in order to reach my height. My eyes stayed open I was observing how happy Serena seemed to be as she kissed me.

Finally she removed her lips from mine. "Sorry.." She muttered. She must have noticed my lack of action.

I sighed. "Am I going to have to start covering my mouth from you to make sure you don't steal any more kisses from me." I said my joke out loud just to ease her thoughts. I wasn't mad that she kept kissing me, I couldn't be. Had it been any other girl I would have probably pushed them off and looked at them as if they had lost their mind.

But no Serena was different..I didn't know how, but she was.

She smiled. "Maybe." She replied.

I sighed once more. "Serena, I know that you say you want to show me that your better than May, but I don't want this to become a situation where you become my second option..You don't deserve that."

Serena shook her head. "Ash, I won't settle for being your second option. It's either you love me or you love May, but until you and May get back together...I have a chance."

I looked at Serena for a few seconds before putting my hand through my hair. "I guess there is no stopping you.." I said in an unsure tone. It was all I could say. I didn't want to hurt Serena by telling her she had no chance, but I also didn't want to see her get hurt if I got back together with May... It was a lose lose situation.

Serena nodded before patting my shoulder. "Don't stress yourself Ash. In the end even if you never come to love me we will always be friends right?"

Those words eased my heart a little. "Of course."

Serena moved in to kiss me once again, but this time I placed my hand on her face and stopped her from advancing any further. "I think you've gotten enough freebies. Only if my feelings change for May can you get more otherwise that wouldn't be fair to you." I said it in a joking tone just so the tension wouldn't return, but I was serious.

Serena laughed as she moved my hand off her face. "I suppose I got a little greedy."

I rolled my eyes. "A little? I'm pretty sure your on the borderline of sexually harassing me."

"You wouldn't report me now would you?" She asked as she batted her eyelashes in a joking manner.

I chuckled. "Not this time, but next time I might have no choice."

Serena backed up a little as she giggled signaling that she was about to leave. "I doubt it because next time you'll be in love with me too. Goodnight Ash." and with those words Serena turned around and began walking back to her car.

"Goodnight Serena." I replied choosing not to acknowledge her statement. I was a bit relieved though that even though our feelings were completely serious we still manged to joke around. Hopefully that was a sign that nothing was going to change between us.

With one last sigh I pulled out my key and unlocked my door. My head filled with May and Serena.

Gary's POV

"So Ash seemed a bit..." I heard Dawn say. We were both sitting on the couch I had come over after she had dropped May home. It was obvious that she didn't know how to describe Ash's behavior during the game. Hell I barely had a word for it.

"Ash will be fine. Serena is probably talking to him right now. Hopefully she can get into that thick head of his to find out whats bothering him because it's obviously more than May just breaking up wit him." I responded in a positive tone.

Dawn hesitated briefly before speaking. "You mean you don't know?"

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow as I placed my elbow on the couch's arm. "Is there something that I should know?"

Dawn looked down at her lap for a few seconds. "Maybe Ash found out that May got back together with Drew..."

Her words came out softly and I almost didn't hear them. And even though I did hear them I was certain that there was absolutely no way I had heard them properly.

"She what?" I asked my voice showing a bit of my growing anger and I could tell that Dawn heard it as she moved in her seat uncomfortably.

I made a mental note to control myself, whatever was going on had nothing to do with Dawn.

"Before you get mad Gary...She has a good reason."

"A good reason? She has a good reason to leave Ash, who is crazy about her for DREW?! What reason could possibly justify that?!" I tried not to yell, I really did, but from Dawn's reaction I could tell that I had failed.

"I-I can't tell you.." Dawn stuttered out. I instantly calmed down. Scaring Dawn was not my intention.

"Sorry..I loss my temper a bit.." I muttered as I leaned back into my seat. Now Ash's actions made sense. Of course he couldn't focus on the game, the girl he had spent all summer falling for had left him to go back to her scumbag ex. Ash was probably having just as hard of a time digesting this information as I was.

Dawn didn't speak, It looked like she had been about to say something multiple times, but in the end she choose not to.

"So May left Ash to get back together with Drew.." I repeated making sure that I had understood the situation properly.

Dawn nodded. Her hand was nervously tapping on her thigh. I could tell I was making her uncomfortable.

I sighed. "Damn.." I let out a deep breath mostly to show Dawn that I wasn't going to get angry again. My actions worked since I saw her hands slowly calm down.

"May is really sorry.." Dawn said in hopes that it would change the opinion of May that was slowly changing in my head.

I shook my head. "I'm sure she is...While she's hugged up with Drew Ash is going to have to deal with the backlash for this game."

"You can't blame May for Ash playing badly!" Dawn defended. She probably knew I wouldn't be happy about hearing about this, but she didn't want me to start thinking badly of May.

I looked at my girlfriend before closing my eyes. "Yeah your right. It's Ash's fault for falling for a girl that stupid.."

I regretted closing my eyes. Because had they been open I could have at least defended myself from Dawn's slap. I put my hand against my ear in an attempt to stop the ringing that was now piercing to my brain. God damn I would have never thought that my little girlfriend could hit so hard.

"What was that for?!" I finally asked as I pulled myself together. Dawn looked at me with an hard expression.

"Don't talk about my best friend like that!" She shouted.

I was going to argue back, but I lost the will. There was no point. "Sorry." I muttered.

Dawn gave a huff. Yeah she was pissed at me now, but because I am who I am I had to make it worse.

"To think I actually tried to support her more than Serena." My words instantly made Dawn stop.

Her head snapped towards me. "What do you mean by that?" She asked. There was no anger in her voice instead it seemed to hold a bit of fear that my answer was what she expected.

"You know what, I'm glad that May got back together with Drew because now Ash has a chance to be with a girl who has honestly loved him since we were kids!" I knew I was sounding like a completely dick to Dawn, but I was angry. I had seen Ash tear himself up over May on top of the roof and I had also witnessed Serena bare her heart out about how she wished she could have Ash's affection. Just to find out May wanted somebody else. It was enough to my usual calm interior flare up.

"Serena loves Ash?" Dawn questioned her voice low.

I shrugged not giving a verbal reply.

"Why are you just now telling me this?!" Dawn snapped this time completely catching me off guard.

"I didn't see a need to!" I replied making sure to keep my voice down something that Dawn seemed to not care about doing.

"What do you mean! May trusted you guys to hang out with Serena alone thinking that all of you are just friends and it turns out she is in love with him!" Dawn continued her anger rising.

"Are you serious? May is the one who broke up with Ash so why are you trying to paint him as the bad guy!" I snapped back.

"So Serena confessed to Ash and you guys just saw it fit not to tell us?" My girlfriend continued.

I groaned. "When did I ever say that Serena confessed to Ash? She told me she loved Ash! She also told me how she wouldn't make a move on Ash as long as he dated May so don't try to make Serena this bad person because she isn't! She's obviously a much better person then YOUR friend." I was starting to lose my temper.

Dawn paused for a few seconds. "May is your friend too right?" She asked in a light tone completely ignoring everything else I had just said.

I scoffed. "Hell no. She used my best friend as far as I'm concerned! Ash helped her pick a career path and got her on her feet, without Ash who knows what May would be doing! God I judged her wrong!"

Dawn opened her mouth to speak.

"I hope Serena tells Ash how she feels. At least then I'll know that he will have somebody that doesn't have to use him for his fame!" I continued, I was mad and my anger wasn't even directed at Dawn, but I couldn't help but take it out on her. The more I thought about it the angrier it made me.

"Gary..It isn't like that.."

I held up a hand signaling that I didn't want to hear it. "Whatever Dawn, I gotta get home, I'll call you tomorrow."

I knew that she didn't like ending the night with a fight, but she didn't say anything as I got up and headed towards the door. The moment she opened it for me I headed out to my car not bothering to say bye. I would apologize tomorrow, but I was just to angry at May and even myself.

I was mad at myself because I could have told Ash Serena's feelings. Maybe if I had done that it would have spared him the heartache he was feeling now.. Deep down I knew that it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference, but that knowledge didn't help me.

Dawn's POV

I watched as Gary pulled away. His anger had surprised me, but I guess when you were as close as he and Ash they both felt the same pain. I didn't have time to dwell on it though I knew Gary would be fine he just needed to calm down, he would probably call me tonight and apologize. But for now I had to call May. I had to tell her what I just learned.

I ran inside not bothering to speak to anyone. I got to my room and pulled out my cellphone and dialed May's number. I tapped my hand on my bed impatiently as I waited for her to pick up.

"Hello."

"May! I have horrible news you have to abandon your plan with Drew!" I shouted unable to contain my voice. I hadn't even cared to ask if she was sleeping or not. It was a tiring day.

My thoughts were proved correct as I heard May stifle a yawn. "What are you talking about Dawn..." Came her tired voice.

"You have to get back together with Ash!" I continued to yell, hoping that May would understand just how urgent this was.

"Dawn...I really don't want to talk about this right now.." Her voice was laced with sadness and I knew she still hadn't gotten over it, but still I had to let her know.

"May! You have to because if you don't Ash might move on!" I prayed that my words would make May realize just how serious this was.

The phone was silent for a few seconds before May spoke. "Why do you think that?" She asked, she sounded nervous now.

I took a deep breath.

"Because..I just found out that Serena loves Ash.."