Warning: This story will have Yaoi (BoyxBoy love). If that isn't your fancy or you just hate this couple Kindly either:

A. Hit the back Button

B. Be brave, read the story and try your best to ignore the yaoi-ness

C. Understand it's my story and that no matter what you say, I won't change my story to match your views

D. Have an awesome day and NOT flame/troll

E. Do all of the Above but A

Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm sure you're all surprised (or not), to see a chapter! I am always going to apologize because I'm a very infrequent updater! And I do apologize! Being an adult sometimes is rough! And the next thing you know,it's been forever since you've updated and you're like, "Shit"! I know many of you understand and I am forever grateful for your guys understanding! I feel I don't deserve it sometimes though, if I'm being honest!

I do hope you enjoy this chapter! I also appreciate the words of encouragement you guys leave in your reviews! Really, it brings such a bright smile to my face and makes me so happy, that after all theses years, people still like my story! I do wish I was better at updating at a better rate tho! x.x! Anyways, Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

Reviews are always appreciated!

Ending of a King's Reign

Chapter 22- Burnt: Month 3 of 4

Much time had passed. Maria's hair had gotten about half an inch longer, and her back wound healed – but it left a nasty scar. Whenever she had an opportunity to see it, she'd roll her eyes and feel frustration bubble up inside her. That night was almost perfect. She almost got out without a mark – but she ended up nicking herself in the back by being an idiot. Maria wasn't too worried about being found out as the killer. She had gotten her revenge and that was enough for her. Any time of jail time or punishment she'd get, she'd take it with a smile. She got her revenge and no one could take that from her.

Ofcourse, Maria just didn't want to receive it from Red. She'd feel slightly defeated it the man she sought revenge on was the one to take her down. But at the same time, no matter what Red did to her, it wouldn't bring back Green.

Maria felt her heart skip a beat and a frown forced itself upon her lips. She really did like Green, especially how kind and loving he was to her. He was the only person in years to actually genuinely care about her and her well being. It was just such a shame that he had to be the one Red loved and cared for so much. But that wasn't her fault. In the end, this was all Red's fault and Maria knew that Red was well aware of that. Or at least she hoped he was aware of it. That man was great at pretending to be a victim while victimizing others and destroying families.

Maria sighed, sitting down in the nearby chair. She was mauling over all this while in a nearby Pokemon Center. She was lodging there for a few days due to bad weather coming up, and she knew it'd be dumb to try and continue ahead in bad weather.

Maria slouched in the chair and huffed. While staying in her kept her out of the elements, she absolutely hated how long it was taking her to Vermillion City. That was the city Maria had determined to be her place to restart her life at. There was a port so if anything turned sour, she could just jump on the next ship outta there and head to Johto region. Maria had thought about just going straight to the Johto region, but she loved Kanto so much. Johto was her backup plan.

Maria's eyes shifted towards the large map of Kanto. She was currently in Cerulean City. It had taken her about a month or more to get here. Pewter city wasn't crawling with rocket members, but with her back being infected, she had to spend time down tending to her wound. Maria hated being down, but at the same time, she knew it'd be incredibly dumb to try and continue forward with her wound. She just couldn't wait to be in Vermillion City. Her new life was within reach and calling her name.

Maria yawned, stretching her arms out. Man, was it exhausting sitting around here. She sighed and stood up. She could at least take a nap, it'd help past the time. Maria dragged her feet as she made her way to the room she was staying in. All she had to do was buckle down here for a few more days and then it's back on the road. The road to a new life. Maria smiled to herself as she opened her room door and made herself at home, launching herself onto the soft, plush bed.

Maria re positioned herself on her bed and was looking out the nearby window. It was such a dark night. It was like the moon decided to do a no show. She was slightly amused at how dark it was outside. If it wasn't for the rain, Maria would probably be sitting by a fire, enjoying some fire roasted berries. But at the same time, this bed was nice as heck. Maria turned back into her bed and sighed in relief.

Things were looking great for her.

(POV Change: Jessie)

Jessie was ready to deliver this baby. How much longer until her bundle of joy would be here? Jessie was laying in her bed, next to a deep sleeping James – and she was envious as heck. James didn't have a big baby belly to get in the way of his slumber and definitely wasn't sleep deprived as her. Jessie sighed. She knew what she was signing up for though. When James and her started trying to get pregnant, she knew what came with being pregnant – she just wish it'd go faster! This big belly was doing nothing, but get in her way.

Jessie pushed herself out of her bed and made her way to the en suite bathroom. She clicked on the light and looked at herself in the mirror, taking note of how bad her eye bags were and how swollen her face was. This baby really was taking a toll on her body – but she knew it'd be worth it all as soon as she got to hold her baby. Jessie sighed and slumped over the sink, resting her hands on the sides of the sink, letting her head hang.

All she wanted to do was sleep well for once night.

Jessie stayed there for a few minutes, mauling over her misery. She started humming and lifted her head, trying to lift her spirits. She left the bathroom and headed to the living room. She sprawled out on the couch and ripped the blanket off the back of the couch, covering herself. She grabbed the remote off the nearby coffee table and started to mindlessly channel surf, trying to bore herself into sleeping. It was seeming to work until she all of a sudden felt like she was being watched. She ignored it at first, until the feeling started sinking into her.

Jessie popped her head up over the couch and looked into the kitchen. Maybe James had gotten up? No one was in the kitchen though. Jessie gut started to twist. Something was up. She stood up and glanced around the living room and kitchen – and still nothing. She tossed the remote onto the couch and made it to the bedroom. James was sound asleep in bed. Jessie rolled her eyes, but then it hit her. A type of horror started to eat her way. Jessie's skin started to tingle and she could feel her body tensing up. Something was watching her, but what? Who was it? What was it?

Jessie headed back into the living room, deciding not to wake James. She was starting to frantically pace around the room. Her mind was skipping from one thought to the next until she thought of Maria. The room got cold. She froze on the spot. A sense of doom was falling upon her quickly. Her knees buckled and she fell down. Her throat tightened and grew dry. Was she paranoid about Maria? Maria should be far away and safe now from Team Rocket. Jessie was panting and crawling towards the couch. She forced herself to get up and jumped. There was a sudden knock at the window. It was faint, but she heard it loud and clear.

Jessie held her breath and her knees were threatening to buckle again. Her eyes were froze onto the window. The curtains weren't drawn back. She couldn't see what had knocked on her window – and she wasn't sure if she wanted too see what it was. But there was another knock. A bit harder this time. Jessie took a breath and forced herself to go to the window. She reached for the curtains and peaked out of them.

But she saw nothing. Jessie started to squint and pulled the curtains further back. Absolute blackness was engulfing the other side of her window. A shiver went down her back, but she kept her nerve. She continued to look out the window until she heard another knock, closer to her knees. Her eyes shot down and were greeted by red eyes looking up. Jessie fell back and landed halfway against the couch and floor. Another knock happened and Jessie scrambled to her feet, back at the window looking out. She focused on the eyes that were staring at her. They were calling to her, despite her fear.

The eyes turned their gaze from her to her front door and it knocked again against the glass. Jessie thought for a moment, but went to her door. She was starting to panic again. What was that thing? Was she okay to be alone? She thought about getting James, but as soon as the thought entered her mind, it knocked harder on the glass. Jessie bit her lip and unlocked the front door and walked outside.

Jessie was terrified. Standing before her was an Absol. It was just staring at her, with such a blank stare. She didn't know what to think. The Absol cocked its head sideways. Jessie raised an eyebrow as it approached her. It stopped right before her belly and tapped its horn on Jessie's belly. Jessie defensibly shooed the Absol away from her belly, but it persisted. Jessie backed into the house as it kept pressuring her. Jessie gazed into its eyes and the feeling of doom reemerged. She held her stomach tight. The Absol was telling her something. Was something wrong with her baby? Was something bad going to happen? Jessie's eyes stung with worry and tears.

The Absol backed off. It gave her one last look and then retreated back into the darkness that was engulfing the environment. Jessie stared into the abyss for a few seconds before turning back and going into her house. She closed the door behind her and slid down, sitting down. She pulled her legs in, crossing her arms over them and rested her head on top of her knees. Why was an Absol at her house? What was it trying to say? Jessie knew that Absols were known for their apparent ability to tell when natural disasters were coming, but that didn't seem like the case.

It was trying to tell her something. Something bad was going to happen. Jessie felt a shiver race up her spine. She held her stomach. It kept touching her stomach with its horn – the current home for her unborn child. Jessie's breath hitched and tears were forming. She was scared. Was something wrong? Should she go to the hospital? She could always go to the emergency room and get an ultrasound done to show her the baby. To make sure her child was safe. Jessie forced herself to do a few deep breathing exercises. The first thing she had to do was calm down. She was too frantic and upset. She pushed herself up from the floor and started back to the bedroom.

When she opened the door, she peered in and saw that James was still asleep. He looked ever so peaceful. Jessie sighed. She could drive herself to the hospital. She was on maternity leave and James still had work in the morning. If anything happened on the way, she could call for an ambulance and call James too. She walked in front of James and bent down, kissing him on the forehead. Jessie made sure his cellphone was on his bed stand table and she changed. She made her way to their car and started it up.

On the way to the hospital, her mind kept thinking of the Absol. What was it trying to warn her of? Was it really a natural disaster warning? Or something else? Jessie was humming as she was on her way to the hospital, trying desperately to stop thinking of that Absol. That whole experience was terrifying. Jessie hummed louder and turned the radio on, switching it to a random station. It landed on a new station, but she wasn't paying attention to it. Her humming was apparently helping distract her more. She couldn't wait to get to the hospital and see her baby. That'd help relieve her anxiety. Plus, seeing her baby always brightened her mood.

Jessie eventually made it to the hospital and parked outside the Emergency Room side. She was exhausted feeling, but forced herself to the entrance. She pushed the heavy doors open and was greeted by a silent waiting room. There were a few people sitting and pacing around the lobby, but she didn't pay any attention to them. Jessie slouched onto the receptionist's desk and smiled. The receptionist returned the smile.

"How may I help you today?" the receptionist asked, putting her pen down onto of some paperwork she was working on. Jessie stood back and put her hands on her belly, rubbing it.

"I was having some pains and wanted to get the baby checked. You know, just to make sure things are okay. I'm hoping that it'll be early signs of labor." Jessie said. She really didn't have any pains, but that Absol made her far too anxious. She had to see her baby was okay. The receptionist nodded and quickly produced a wrist band, after getting her info, and slapped it onto her left wrist. Jessie winced at the lady's force.

"Opps. I sometimes get a little vigorous when putting on wrist bands. I'm sorry, Ma'am." Jessie shrugged it off.

"It's okay, no harm done." The receptionist motioned for Jessie to sit in the lobby and Jessie obliged. She picked the closest seat and slumped down in. Maybe she should have brought James with her. She was bored out of her mind and wouldn't mind hearing on of James' long winded stories right now. She was fiddling with her wrist band when she noticed that some of the ink was smeared on the writing. The lady's forceful smack must have broken some of the ink capsules in it. Jessie just shrugged and continued to slouch, bored and alone, in her chair. She started to hum again and a nurse emerged from the back room, holding a clipboard. The nurse scanned the papers and popped her head back up.

"Mrs. Jessie? We're ready for you back here." Jessie stood up and she could feel herself doing the famous pregnancy waddle. She tried to straighten herself up, but she was just too exhausted at this point. Screw proper walking etiquette. Jessie followed the nurse past a few examination rooms and was lead to a room with ultrasound tech. She sat on the nearby examination table. Once Jessie saw her baby was okay, she could head home and go to bed. The nurse hooked Jessie up and started the process.

The baby's heart rate was fine. No signs of early labor. Nothing out of the ordinary. Jessie sighed in relief. The nurse rambled on, saying that the pains could have been from the baby moving to get in potion to come or just because of regular everyday stress. Jessie was totally fine with the nurse rambling – it was all good news to her.

Jessie was dismissed from the hospital with the nurse instructing her to get more rest and just watch her stress level until she labor. She wondered why she hadn't gotten a doctor, but didn't bother to ask. There could have been an emergency holding the doc up. Jessie made it back to her car and slouched in the drivers side. Exhaustion was really eating away at her. She leaned her head onto the drivers wheel and sighed, closing her eyes. She sat there for a few moments until something caught her eye. Something was blinking, very faintly. Jessie raised her head slowly, and looked at her wrist with the band. The ink had spilled out further than before and there was a incredibly small bump in the band. It was emitting a very faint light.

Jessie stared at the wrist band until someone tapped on her window. She jumped and glanced over.

It was Giovanni.

Jessie's heart sank. She quickly locked the doors and her eyes froze onto him. He was omitting a horrible presence. She started the car and went to drive, but her car was surrounded by Team Rocket Members, some branding guns. Jessie froze up, shifting her gaze back to Giovanni. Giovanni had his hands in his pockets, rummaging around from something. Once he found whatever he was looking for, he pulled it out and held it up for Jessie to see. Jessie recognized what it was immediately. It was one of their latest developed bugs for listening in on people.

Giovanni smiled and clicked a button on the bug. The sound was muffled, but Jessie knew exactly what was on that bug. Jessie's head hung and tears welled within her eyes.

"...just spit it out, Jessie, please?"

"...Found Maria... Told her we'd … help her..."

Giovanni clicked another button and leaned his head against Jessie's window. Jessie raised her head slowly, meeting Giovanni's glare. Jessie felt tears run down her face as Giovanni cracked a wicked smile. He tapped the glass, motioning for her to wind it down. Jessie hesitated, but did it. Giovanni leaned in and whispered into her ear.

"I'm glad I didn't have to use that tracker and you're as slow as ever. Saved me from chasing you. So, tell me, Jessie. If you had to chose, who would you spare? You or your unborn child?"

(POV Change: Red)

Red was laying in Green's hospital bed with him. He wanted Green to be up and about so badly. He missed Green's love and attention, even if Red didn't deserve any of it. He knew that Green's affections on him were a true blessing from Arceus and Red wanted to better protect the man he loved. Green didn't deserve any of this. Red snuggled into Green more, inhaling his scent. Such a strong masculine smell, even while in a coma. Red was absolutely enveloped in the smell. He couldn't wait to have Green's body all over him again, just like before.

Red couldn't help it and started to day dream of him and Green being intimate once he awoke. Red was craving Green's touch and just his scent alone was turning him on a bit. Red had to snap himself out of his thoughts and calm himself down. He knew getting himself worked up like that would only result in him being let down. Red just couldn't get himself off anymore. He needed Green's touch.

Red forced himself from those thoughts. He couldn't stand being so perverse with Green, especially with him being in a coma. But Red was so deeply in love and attracted to Green. Red sighed hugged Green's body.

Red was at peace. Until his phone rang.

Red glanced and rolled his eyes. What did Giovanni want at this hour? Red answered the phone.

"Red, I need you to come to the office. There's be an interesting development in the case involving Maria." Red sighed and rolled his eyes again. Red couldn't wait to get his hands on Maria and dispose of her, but at the same time, this was ruining his time with Green. He rarely got to see Green due to working all the time, and the hospital sometimes would refuse to let Red back to see Green. They'd claim they'd have tests to do or that they just didn't want him having visitors.

"Sir, can this wait until tomorrow at a decent hour?" Red whined, closing his eyes and nuzzling into Green more. Giovanni stayed silent. Red was waiting for a response, but Giovanni kept his silence. Red sighed. This sucked.

"Okay, what do you need me to do, sir?" Red heard Giovanni take a deep breath. Something was up. The boss never acted like this. Red sat up, pressing the phone closer to his ear, waiting for Giovanni's response.

"I need help in disposing of a traitor. And you will be responsible for damage control." Red's eyes widened. Red was struggling to come back with something and Giovanni just kept talking.

"It's Jessie, if you're wondering who the traitor is. We're dealing with her first, and then-" Red gasped, almost dropping his phone. He manged to keep hold of his phone and brought it back to his ear.

"G-Giovanni, Jessie's pregn-"

"So? Do you know how far along she is? The baby can survive on its own outside the womb. We're disposing of its traitorous parents, not the baby." Red's eyes grew in horror. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be. Red jumped up, and rushed out of Green and Dylan's hospital room. He had to get there and save Jessie.

"Sir, please wait before acting out so irratio-"

"I have undeniable proof that they helped Maria escape. You know, that little shit that almost killed your precious Green? They helped her."

Red froze up. That couldn't be true. They wouldn't be dumb enough to risk their lives, and especially their baby's life, for a wanted person of Team Rocket. Red started to panic.

"A-Are you sure your proof is hundred percent accurate? You don't wanna jump the gun and punish them for someth-" was all Red got out before he heard a click. Over the phone played Jessie and James' conversation about helping Maria out of the forest – and Red's stomach turned. In one instant, he didn't want to believe it. Even though Jessie and James annoyed him, he did love them to an extent. But then, they helped Maria. The same Maria that almost took his precious Green away forever. Red lowered his head. He felt spite surging through his veins. James, and especially Jessie, knew how much he loved Green. Green was Red's everything. Red felt anger roaring through him.

They helped Green's attacker. If it wasn't for them saving Maria in the first place, she wouldn't have been around to hurt Green. Maria would have been dead for a long time, and Green would be by him, unhurt and loved dearly. Tears streamed down his face, but not for Jessie and James. He wanted everything and everyone that helped that monster of a girl burnt down and blown away as ash in the wind.

"What would you like me to do, sir?"

End of Chapter 22: Burnt: Month 3 of 4

Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know some of you are going to be like "Surprised Pikachu Face" at the ending, but, let's be real. Red's a bit of a psycho. Getting all worked up over Green's comatose body was a bit weird for me to write, but, at the same time, it's just how Red is so obsessed with Green. I wasn't going to include it at first, but then I was like, "Fuck it".

Also, writing the scene with Jessie and Absol actually freaked me out a bit in real life. I kept thinking of a spooky place while writing that all out and caught myself a few times felt like I was being watched and then looked around my shoulder a few times. Lol. I got so into it I scared myself!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed and let me know what you think! Thank you all again for always following and supporting me! I appreciate it so much!

- Much love, Twisted List.