DISCLAMER: Sadly I do not own Tabitha or Courtney or anyone else associated with pokemon, or Nintendo, or any Bands/Lyrics/books or anything else mentioned in this Fan Fiction. (If only I did…. *evil smile*)

….

Tabitha Morris and Maxie Eton had always been best friends, but to this day Tabitha couldn't understand his sense of humour. Courtney's expression when she'd found out she and Tabitha would be sharing a room in the new Team Magma base had been a picture. Although she didn't actually dislike him, she didn't really wan to be subject to him every night. Tabitha had only ever been subjected to the extent of just how bad Courtney's PMT could be, and had almost lost his head in the process. Not exactly an experience that he wanted to repeat every month. Added to this the fact that He had the biggest school-boy crush in existence on her and you'll get a recipe for disaster.

The set up had been on purpose, and mostly Maxies idea, only with a little help from his newly employed young head of the science research and development department at TM. Clarissa Suoh was reasonably tall, ginger haired and a total hippie, so just why she was interested in TM's plans nobody knew, but she was clever, so Maxie didn't actually care. He knew Tabitha like Courtney, and from what the female grunts were saying the love was defiantly not unrequited.

However, it had been about three months, and the only thing this bright idea had brought to light was how much the two adults annoyed each other. Tabitha and Courtney would do nothing but complain about each other, and tonight was like any other Saturday night in Tabitha's mind. He'd been out drinking with some of the other male team members, was now rather too drunk than was good for him and was probably about to get yelled at for appearing at three in the morning and disturbing Courtney.

Light was seeping from under the half open door when he arrived, it was obvious she wasn't asleep; she always complained she couldn't sleep with the light on. Gently pushing the door open and slipping in he somehow gathered the confidence to say something:

"Courtney? Hey?" His words were answered by the sound of someone crying, and noticing the girl curled up on the floor. Tabitha stood for a moment, frozen to the spot and just looking down at her. Seeing her this helpless was strange, she was usually the one mothering the younger grunts, always someone to go to if something happened and you couldn't cope. But here she was crying on the floor in nothing but her nightgown, Tabitha couldn't help but blush slightly from thinking about how amazingly pretty she was. Managing to get the slightly inappropriate thoughts out of his head he stepped closer and tried to talk to her again:

"Hey… whats up?" Okay, so maybe it was the most stupid line possible but she looked up suddenly, her pale cheeks stained with mascara and tear trails, a sudden blush creeping across her face.

"Oh… Tabby, its you…"

"No. It's an evil monster, of course its me, whats wrong honey?" Had he dared call her that any other time then she'd have immediately smacked him and given him a mouthful about how much she disliked him, not almost smiled up at him.

"It… it doesn't matter…"

"Yes it does. Come on, explain? And we should get you off that floor…" Tabitha gently took her arm and helped her to stand, gripping it tighter as she suddenly wobbled, landing on his bed with him beside her. Courtney didn't protest to where she'd ended up, just rested her head on his shoulder and put her arms around him.

He blushed, watching her actions and being almost felled by the smell of that beautiful perfume she always wore.

"Tonight's my parents wedding anniversary, and I miss them so much. I want my mummy tabby…" And she was crying again, he gently pulled her closer and wiped at the tears with his hand as he stroked her hair.

"I know you do, I miss my mum sometimes. But you've got people that love you just as much here…" He hadn't meant to say that, and attempted to correct himself: "I mean… as a friend… like me, Maxie and Clarissa do. Probably Brody too but nobody knows what he's thinking at the best of times anyway…"

Whatever the rest of that sentence was Courtney honestly didn't care, he'd finally almost said he loved her, and tonight that was all she'd needed to hear. Closing her eyes she nuzzled up closer to her friend, reaching over to take his hand in hers and hold it tight.

He'd never expected her to do that, and just watched in silence as Courtney fell asleep in his arms. She looked like an angel, calm and peaceful for the very first time since they'd known each other. Sighing, Tabitha closed his eyes, muttering one last thing before letting the sleep take over:

"I love you Courtney…"