Author's note: Sorry about the ridiculously late posting of this - I've been very busy for several months! I will be continuing this, but may be posting chapters sporadically. I hope those of you who are enjoying this will stick with it :)

GARY

Back at the lab, everything seemed so normal. The professor's desk was an eruption of academic papers and half-written haiku, while everything else was clean and tidy. He wasn't sure if it was the situation with his grandpa, or that he was becoming increasingly flustered by Tracey's presence, but the usually calming atmosphere was not having the planned effect. He had to admit though, he did feel significantly better since being able to see him in the hospital, even if he was still weak. He opened one of the desk drawers to find an old, dog-eared photograph, its edges covered in fingerprints. It had been from when his grandmother had still been alive – many years ago, now. It was nice to see that his grandfather still kept this close.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Tracey ventured shyly, his voice barely breaking through the heavy silence, "I'm...not really sure what I'm supposed to say or do in circumstances like these, but tea always seems a good idea."

"Thanks, but...you don't have to do that. You've been up for hours, don't you want to get some rest?"

"But...what if the hospital calls?"

"I doubt that'll happen today, but if it does I'll wake you," Gary promised.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep, to be honest."

"Okay then, but let me make the tea. I kind of owe you after spilling coffee all over you anyway." Tracey nodded, and grinned slightly.

Once he was in the kitchen, Gary boiled the kettle and selected a green tea for himself. For Tracey, he decided on an herbal tea with lavender and oat flower. Despite what the he said, he needed to sleep. Although he still felt bad, perhaps it was for the best that he'd managed to knock over the coffee in his haste. In his experience, the stuff did a great job of keeping him awake, but little for his nerves. While the tea brewed, he glanced over his shoulder into the small living area – often used as the break room for those working in the lab. Umbreon had come back inside and was lounging on the armchair, while Tracey was slumped on one of the sofas, eyes still wide open, his dark hair falling across his face in spite of his signature red headband.

"Here you go." Their fingertips brushed as Gary handed him the teacup, hoping that the unnaturally observant older boy didn't notice the awkwardness of the touch.

"Thank you. I suppose I forgive you for the coffee now. Sorry if I seem like I've been fussing, it's just that I've spent most of the morning walking back and forth in the hospital, and now that I've stopped I don't know what to do any more."

"Trace..."

"But it wasn't really me. I guess I've been...holding all of this in all morning. I was scared. Really scared." Gary sighed, and sat down next to him.

"I wish I could have taken you in there with me, Trace. You'd have seen how much better he is." Tentatively, he reached over to move the stray strands of hair from the other boy's face. Hiding the whole truth left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he had promised his grandpa. Don't let Tracey worry, he'd told him, it's best that as far as he knows, I'm fine. The look in the watcher's eyes gave him the feeling that perhaps his grandpa was right.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's his usual self, fretting about everyone else. He's looking forward to seeing you tomorrow." Before the operation.

"Heh...that does sound like him," Tracey gave a weak smile, and paused after sipping his tea. "I appreciate the thought, but this isn't going to help me sleep."

"Turn around," Gary sighed, setting his own cup down on the coffee table. "No, Umbreon! That's not for you."

"Why?" he asked, watching the dark Pokémon being gently nudged away from her master's tea.

"Just do it," was the other boy's restless response, as he also shifted to a more comfortable position. "And try to relax a little. I'm not exactly in the mood to play a prank on you or anything." As Tracey eventually turned his back towards him, he realised he wasn't entirely sure how he should proceed. But Gary Oak was not someone who hesitated.

He felt Tracey's shoulders tense under his touch. Perhaps this hadn't been a brilliant idea. Brock might have shown him how to give Umbreon a massage, but there were many significant differences between her physiology and Tracey's. Remembering the way his hands had moved over her fur was little help to him currently, and actually touching another person this way was a strange experience in itself. The silence between them lasted, but somehow developed into something less awkward as the movements became more natural.

"That...was nice. Not something I was expecting, but nice." Tracey resumed his former position, facing Gary and learning back into the sofa. "I've only massaged Pokémon."

"Heh, me too. Before today, at least. Feel any better?"

"Actually, I think I do." Tracey paused and just as he was about to speak again they heard the front door burst open. Neither one of them had to look up to know who was responsible for entering so noisily. "Hi, Ash."

"Tracey! Oh, and Gary."

"Yeah, it's nice to see you, too." So much for peace and quiet then. Ash, besides Delia, was the person he least wanted to see just now. Perhaps it was not conscious on his part, but the boy managed to make turn around any situation to make it about himself. It had been irritating enough when they had been children, but now it was especially so – Gary had no idea what his grandfather saw in him, other than his being Delia's son.

"Hey, Ash. No Misty?"

"It's not like we're joined at the hip you know!" Gary noted the slight acidic tone with which he'd uttered the words, but he wasn't particularly interested in whatever argument had occurred between Ash and his fiancée. Anything that annoyed Ash was entertaining, and he was pretty sure Misty could take care of herself.

"Oh, I know," Tracey said, appearing to be choosing his words with care, despite his easy laughter. "I just thought she would have wanted to come with you to see the professor."

"Yeah, she's with Mom," he muttered in reply, looking down at the ground. "Anyway, how're you holding up, Trace?"

"I guess about as well as can be expected... Gary saw him this morning," Tracey said, turning to him. "You said he seemed better, right?" He appreciated the effort to include him in the conversation, but somehow he got the impression Ash wouldn't feel the same way. His feelings were confirmed when Ash opened his mouth before he had the chance.

"You were allowed to go in and see him?" It was more an accusation than a simple question.

"Yes, to both of your questions," he replied, looking from one dark haired boy to the other. "...And he is my grandpa, Ash."

"So? You're never here! Mom sees him every day. Hell, even I see him more often than you do-"

"Ash, don't," Tracey said, sternly and softly all at once. "I know you're upset, and you're angry that this happened. We all are. Don't say something you'll regret later." Ash bit his lip and rolled his eyes, but remained quiet until he stormed out of the lab as noisily as he'd come in, muttering something about going to check on his mother. Gary's encounter with his rival, brief as it may have been, was as tempestuous as usual.