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2005- Chapter Six

The next morning Ash did his best to map out how their trip was going to go from this point. "We're going to be walking in open-air for a day or so. That's when we'll be the most vulnerable to blizzards or other kinds of inclement weather. Luckily, I know of a lot of small caves dotted along this part of the area. After that, we'll hit another two-to-three-day trip through the Crimson Forest, which is basically just a collection of evergreens clumped together in the middle of a mountain range. Even at this time of year, the quicker streams won't have frozen over quite yet, so we'll have running water and forest shelter. After the forest there's a short expanse of barren land, not even a full day's hike, and then... well, the valley, I guess."
"So we're talking four-to-five days, more than one where we could easily be subject to ice storms," Gary summed up.
"Exactly."
"When you put it that way, I can't believe I considered not coming," Brock said, his voice dripping sarcasm.
Jessie did her best to look on the bright side. "At least it's not a cross-country trip through tundra. That would be hell."
"Oh, and this isn't?" Tracey countered.
Misty sighed. "Could we please not get into a fight, not now. We have bounty hunters on our tail, blizzards just lying in wait, and who knows what kind of animals in the forest... the last thing we need is to debate on how bad the trip is."
"She's got a good point," James agreed. "I wouldn't mind getting under some cover as soon as possible. This IS winter in the mountains, remember?"
No one could argue with the voices of reason, so they grabbed their supplies and started off,hoping to heaven that nothing too terrible would occur.
A good portion of the day was more-or-less uneventful, and the travellers welcomed the calm.
"Enjoy it while you can. Karl and his gang have probably been moving night and day, and will more than likely be raining laser shots on us by the time we reach the Crimson Forest." Mariko, the only one not doing their best to enjoy the quiet, sent the painful reminder out shortly after lunch.
"Why do you feel the need too keep reminding us?" Gary asked somewhat irritably.
Mariko smiled with her eyes. "I can't let you enjoy yourselves too much, now can I?"
Gary muttered something that involved a lot of cursing under his breath. Surprisingly, Tracey came to Mariko's defense.
"She's right; if we let our guard down they could catch us unawares," the artist said.
"Who's side are you on?" Jessie teased. "Even though she is right, we can't spend the entire trip jumping at the smallest sound." She put her hands behind her head. "Besides, James, Mariko and I are the only ones who need to worry. Karl and this clique of his don't have any reason to kill the rest of you."
"I wouldn't be surprised if he did, though, just for fun," James said bitterly.
"Mm-hm, that would be something the weasel would do," Mariko added.
With lack of a better subject, Brock decided to ask a question he'd been curious of. "You keep referring to him as just Karl, but all the others call Mariko Midnight- even James- but he always gets called Jake, or Carol. How do you get up to nickname status?" He blushed. "I know it sounds stupid, but I don't know much about assassins."
"They call me Midnight because I prefer it to my real name," Mariko answered. "It sounds more like a bounty hunter's name. Mariko," she said the name with slight distaste, "means 'desert flower' in my country."
"Yeah, that doesn't really say, 'I can kill you dead,' does it?" Ash asked rhetorically.
Mariko continued. "I don't mind you all calling me that, of course, or I would have said something. Now," she shot James an unreadable look, "our friend over there has earned the nickname 'Rookie,' though not of his own accord. It's a demeaning thing; I don't use it, but Karl and his cronies do. As for Karl," she paused, to remember, "I don't believe he has a nickname, or not one used widely. I often refer to him as the weasel, or, as a cohort of mine once said: 'the back-stabbing two-faced greedy power hungry weaseling racist pig.'"
James chuckled. "Aria, right?" Mariko nodded. "I haven't seen her in years, how is she?"
"Dead. Someone hired Karl to kill her," there was a harsh edge to the female assassin's voice that the others had never heard before. "Which is one reason I treasure this excuse to take his life."
They walked on in silence, unsure of how to respond to something like that. An icy wind whipped around the group, sending sprinklings of snow at their feet.
Jessie pulled her cloak tighter. "A storm on the way? I didn't notice any warning signs."
"There rarely are any in the mountains. You can't see many clouds; it's probably coming from our blindside," Ash explained. "We had better hurry. I know of a cave further up; if we hurry we should reach it before the blizzard hits."
"A blizzard?" Misty shivered. "How can you tell?"
Ash glanced at the black edge of a cloud just peeking across the mountain peak. "That's not a flurry cloud. Hopefully it's just snow, and no ice, or we could be in a mess of trouble. Could we all move a little faster? I'd hate to lose someone now."
They quickened their pace, forcing sore body parts to work harder. They had only been speed- walking for a little over a minute when the first chunks of snow hit their path.
"How far off is the cave?" Tracey asked, raising his voice to be heard over a whistling wind.
Ash seemed unsure. "Not too far, I'm positive. It would be a lot more helpful if I'd been this far up recently. It's been a over a year."
"Comforting," Tracey muttered, but the remark went unheard against the north wind.
Before long the large, dark blizzard cloud had filled the sky, making it almost impossible to see, what with the whirling snowflakes, bits of ice here and there, and dim light the sun managed to produce through the overcast sky. Ash put a hand on the wall, telling the rest to keep up with him and he'd do his best to find the cave he knew was there.
Somehow or other, Misty wound up at the back of the crew. She kept Brock and Mariko, the two closest to her, in sight at all times, but was unable to see anyone else through the haze. As they were nearing a curve in the path, her foot hit an ice-covered rock. Misty slipped, landing hard on the already snow-packed ground. She closed her eyes, cursing slightly at her clumsiness. When she glanced back up she couldn't see a soul.
Misty's breathing quickened. 'No!' she screamed inwardly. 'They couldn't have left me! I can't be alone... I can't...' She looked down, feeling hot tears on her cheeks. 'God,no, I'm by myself. No, no, no!'
Someone touched her shoulder. The young woman jumped, her head snapping up.
"You okay? Did you hurt something?" It was Brock.
Misty rubbed a hand across her eyes, hoping he hadn't seen her nearly break down. "I think I'm okay. I slipped, and when I looked back up everyone was gone."
"You're lucky I happened to glance up," he told her. "I tried to tell Mariko to call everyone to a halt, but I don't think she heard me over this storm."
Brock held out a hand to help her up. Misty took it, using the rock wall as balance so as not to get blown over. "Thanks." She brushed off her jeans, shivering. "So, now what?"
Brock held up a Pokéball. "Any chance we'll dig into a hot springs again?"
Misty laughed, remembering the childhood memory in a snowstorm similar to this one. "We can only hope."
In a moment Brock's giant Onix was quickly tunneling a spacious cave for the duo to wade out the storm in.
"Why didn't you mention this earlier, to Ash?" Misty wondered.
Brock shrugged. "I was going to, but he never gave me a chance. Then I wound up near the back of the line and he wouldn't have been able to hear me anyway." He followed the rock snake it, saying to his friend, "Lucky for you I was at the back, huh?"
She nodded, glad to have someone with her. "More than you know, Brock."
Onix had curled the cave around slightly, so that when they got to the back the wind and snow barely reached them. Brock recalled the Pokémon, looking around. "It's not the Ritz, but I guess it'll work for the night."
Misty hugged her cold body. "Too bad there's no heater." She realized she could barely see Brock, who was only standing a few feet away. "Or a lighting system." Her companion rummaged in his bag for something. After a moment, he pulled out what resembled another Pokéball in the dim light. In moments a red fire lizard appeared. "A Charmeleon?"
He grinned. "Bet you didn't know I had one of those."
Using their rolled up sleeping bags as seats, Brock and Misty roasted a small meal across the lizard's tail. Surprisingly, the plan worked very well. They had light, heat and cooked food. It was still chilly in the cave, so they shared a blanket Brock had, enjoying the quiet evening.
A little after nine the whistling of the wind and flakes of snow that peeped around the corner slowed, then stopped altogether.
"I think the storm's slowing down," Brock observed. He stood up, going to the entrance of the burrow. Misty followed. Sure enough, the snow was now coming down softly, without an edge to it. Brock nodded, confirming his guess. "I think I'll go look ahead a little ways, to see if I can find the others."
Misty's heart pounded in her chest. "I'll come with you," she said immediately.
Brock protested. "You'd better stay here. If it speeds up again, it'll be easier for one person to get back then two. Besides, I don't want you to get hurt. The ground's probably covered in ice."
"You shouldn't go either," Misty warned. "Why not just wait until morning? They can take care of themselves."
"I'm only going to go a little ways, I promise," he told her. "They're probably worried about us, so if I can find them we'll come back and get you. Charmeleon will keep you warm, and nothing would attack you in this weather."
Misty's voice held a tone of desperation, though Brock couldn't figure out way. "But, like you said, it isn't safe. What about the ice?"
Brock tapped his shoe. "These things get great traction." He jerked his head at her tennis shoes. "Those don't. I'll be fine, Mist. Really." He turned to go.
Misty's grabbed the back of his shirt. "But what if I won't be fine?!" she snapped.
He looked back at his old friend; there were tears in her eyes. "Misty, what's-"
"I'll tell you everything," she said, barely able to control her anxiety. "If you'll please, please not leave me alone."

Brock handed Misty his canteen. She took it, taking a couple sips and wiping away her tears, even though she knew more would come before the night was over. "Thanks, I needed that." He tucked part of the blanket around her trembling body- more from emotion than chill air- taking the other half for himself. "Even better."
She took a deep, long breath to gather all thoughts. "I've tried to block all the details from my mind, so this'll be brief. When Cerulean got bombed- five months ago, though it feels like twenty years- my entire family went down with it. I'd been visiting some people in Saffron when it happened, and we were all devastated by the news. Things went by well enough, for a while, until all the sympathetic visitors decided they'd paid their debts. And I was left alone. I started to, you know, contemplate my existence, and wondered if I wasn't supposed to die with the rest of them. A couple months later, I decided the best way to solve the problem was too be dead myself." She rolled up the sleeves of her sweater, showing Brock the thin pink scars; self- explanatory markings of her suicide attempt. "But I chickened out of letting it go all the way. I was completely terrified to be by myself after that. Everytime I was alone I'd start thinking about it again- I couldn't stop myself. But, when I was with other people, I didn't have to worry about it. I had the evidence that I shouldn't be dead all around me." She shuddered at the memories. "I was on my way up to the Indigo Plateau, thinking I could stay with an old friend for a while. There were hardly any people there, and no one I knew... I was about to do it again, when Ash found me."
The soft crackle of a sleeping Charmeleon's tail was all that could be heard. A light wind reached their location, breezing by and causing Misty to shiver involuntarily. Brock put his arm around her shoulder. "I'm so sorry. If I'd only known-"
"Well, now you do. Lucky me: I get to be the emotionally unstable one," it was a pitiful attempt at humor, but she felt like she had to try and lighten it up or she'd burst into tears again.
"Does anyone else know?"
"Ash does. Knowing Tracey, he probably does too. I tried to hide it, and I did a decent job. It's only when I'm alone, you know."
Brock remembered the few moments when the weak side had shown. That first night they had come to town, when Ash left in a rage, Misty had stayed at his house, claiming, "she didn't like walking dark strees alone;" when Tracey and Gary had first come, Misty had rubbed her wrists together and commented that she didn't like being by herself. It all made sense, now. "Why didn't you tell us? It would have stopped moments like this."
"Would you want to go around telling everyone that you're a suicidal autopath?" Misty questioned. "I didn't want to get special treatment. It was easier to just make sure I was with someone. And, with our group, it ended up being pretty simple. But I guess fate is making me face this." She looked up at him. "So, what do you think of me now? Still want to be seen in public with the crazy girl?"
Brock gave her a gentle squeeze for comfort. "You're still the same person. And believe me, in this day and age you aren't the only one who's considered suicide."
"Who else?"
"Oh, Jessie and James, no doubt. Ash and Gary, probably. Maybe Tracey." He paused, then said softly, "Me."
Misty couldn't believe it. "You?" How could Brock, always so stable, have flirted with suicide!?
"When you lose your mom at age thirteen and have to raise nine siblings on your own, there are very few solutions you don't think of to get out of it," he explained. "I never did anything, but I thought about it several times. I guess I just came to terms with that fact that you get a lot more out of life than death." He handed her his water bottle again. "But forget about me- are YOU okay?"
She sniffed. "I am, now. It helps a little, getting it off your chest. But, if it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to change the subject." She leaned against him, closing her eyes. "You've been real sweet about this." Her voice turned harsh. "When I explained it to Ash he just told me to get over it and that other people in the world had worse problems."
Brock frowned. "Is there any chance we could NOT talk about Ash, just this once?"
Misty's eyes came open fast. She moved them upwards so she could see Brock's face. "Oh,sure, sorry." She hesitated. "I do that a lot, don't I?"
"I got used to it after a while," he said, just the slightest edge to his voice. "You know, Mist, if you like him that much you ought to just say so-"
"Ash!?" Misty yelped, turning bright red.
"You do, don't you?"
She sighed. "I did, once. But he's so different now. And after that scene in the bar, I'd really prefer to have as little to do with him as possible. " She faked a small laugh, trying to hide the stress. "I thought you didn't want to talk about him."
"I wasn't. I was talking about you," he answered quietly.
She smiled. "Always looking out for me."
"Who else would?"
As another stray wind whipped through the tunnel- the storm had quickened its pace again- Misty pulled the blanket closer around herself, snuggling next to Brock. He stiffened a little, but relaxed after a moment. "You know, this didn't turn out to be such a bad evening after all," Misty commented sleepily. "It's so easy to talk to you, about anything. One of the many reasons I love ya."
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, the flicker of firelight playing across the cave walls and the duo's faces . After a moment, Brock said, "Love you too, Mist."
There was no response, but he didn't expect one. Brock knew his companion had already fallen asleep.

~
Misty woke up slowly, blinking steadily and trying to remember where she was. The flood of events from the night before filled her mind, and she looked up. Brock was still sleeping, leaning against the cave wall for support. She sighed happily, comfortable in her position and wishing time would stop. She hated waking him up, but the nagging feeling of solitude forced her to. "Brock? Hey, Brock? It's morning."
He opened one eye, then the other, glancing around. He yawned. "Guess it is."
They ate a quick, cold breakfast, then packed up the few supplies they'd gotten out. Brock sent his Charmeleon in for a long, well-deserved rest, shouldering his backpack in the process. "We need to find the others. I hope they aren't too worried about us."
As they got to the cave entrance, Misty stopped walking. Brock came to a halt as well, asking her what was wrong. Misty rubbed her arm nervously. "I, well, about yesterday..."
"It was nothing. Really," he assured her. "And now that I know I'll be sure to keep you company if the others decide to go off."
"Yeah. I know. It's just... oh, hell," Misty leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "You deserved that. Thanks." She flicked a shoulder, to balance the weight of her bag out, then started up the trail. Brock still hadn't moved. Misty looked over her shoulder. "You coming?"
He shook his head to clear it. "Yeah, yeah. Right... right behind you."
The soft sunlight, shining through a fairly overcast sky, made the snow sparkle in the morning light. It was almost impossible to tell that a storm had even come by this way. Brock, however, didn't seem to be enjoying the view as much as his friend was; he was having an inward battle with himself. Finally, the breeder got up enough nerve to speak. "Say, Misty. I was thinking, well, when this is all over, the war and everything, and things have sort of settled down..." Brock knew he was rambling, so finished fast. "I thought maybe you and I could, you know, maybe go to a movie or something."
Misty raised an eyebrow while a smile played on her lips. "Brock Harrison, are you asking me out on a date?" He nodded sheepishly. "Don't you think that'd be a little weird?"
Brock shrugged. "They say the best couples start out as friends. So...?"
Misty's half smile turned into a full one. "I'd love to." She stopped suddenly, listening for something. "I think I just heard someone call my name."
Dimly, as if blocked by something, came the shout of, "Misty!" followed shortly by, "Brock!"
"See that? They're worried about us," Misty cupped her hands melodramatically. "It warms my heart. Let's not keep them waiting." She trotted up ahead, looking back to make sure he was coming. After a moment's pause, Brock followed, still trying to let all that had just happened sink in.
It didn't take the duo long to find their friends, or find out why the calls had been muffled. Their other companions had taken refuge in a cave surrounded by rock mounds- from a long-ago earthquake- and the noise hadn't been carried as far. As they rounded a corner, the distinct voices of the others could be heard, discussing Misty and Brock's fate.
"Lay off the yelling," Gary told the two shouters (Jessie and Tracey). "It's just reverberating around this spot, and giving us all headaches."
"I don't see you thinking of any better ideas," Jessie growled.
"I hope they're okay," Tracey commented.
The next dark words came from Ash. "For all we know they're human icicles by now. That was one hell of a storm."
"That's hardly what we wanted to hear!" a few voices said in unison.
Mariko sounded, as usual, not in the least bit phased. "I have no doubt that they are perfectly safe. Brock is a resourceful person, and Misty is no fool. If they didn't find a cave then they at least found some sort of shelter. If we wait long enough, I have no doubt they'll find us."
James couldn't mask the worry in his voice. "Still, maybe we ought to send out search parties. I'm sure they're alive, but if one of them is hurt..."
Misty had enjoyed spying on the camp, but now decided to make herself known. "I feel so loved!" She and Brock stepped out from behind the rock pile. "It's nice knowing that I have friends who care if I live or die." She raised an eyebrow in Ash's direction. "Human icicles? What a lovely thought."
Ash shifted uncomfortably. "Er, sorry about that." He checked his watch. "Good, it's only nine. We still have plenty of time." He waved a hand down the path. "Come on, we still have a long way to go. I think the forest isn't too far off, though- despite the storm we made good time."
James and Mariko shot the other a look.
"And we know exactly what will be waiting for us," Mariko said softly, so no one would hear.
"Karl and his gang, hoping to catch us by surprise," James announced needlessly.
"Catch US by surprise," Mariko's eyes flashed dangerously. "It's a shame he doesn't know us very well."
~
As Ash had predicted, they hit the Crimson Forest by noon, still travelling slightly north-east. A wide, worn-in path led through the forest, lined by rocks to keep plants from covering the trail.
"Where did this road come from?" Misty asked curiously.
"It's been here for over a hundred years, used by the members of the Elite," Ash explained, not minding giving a small history lesson. "Typically, where we're headed is used as the summer getaway, where they escape the paparazzi and can get some peace. It just also happens to be ideal in the middle of a war, since no one but members know about it."
"So, this is one of those top secret things?" Tracey asked. He chuckled. "Are we going to have to take a blood oath never to tell anyone of it?"
"Not if Lance feels he can trust you," Ash said, sounding completely serious. Tracey let it drop.
James and Mariko, covering both sides of Jessie, watched the forest around them with attentive eyes and tense bodies. Jessie, unable to resist, fell back a little and pinched James' neck. He jerked, whirling around and pointing the gun straight at her head. Jessie's breath caught in her throat- having a laser gun set on Level Five cocked directly at you is never pleasant.
Seeing who it was, James lowered the weapon slowly. "Don't EVER do that again."
"Sorry," she apologized, and meant it. "But you just looked so tense. Like every slightest noise is going to be an assassin."
Mariko's golden eyes darted across the shaded pine trees. "It very well could be. They have good cover in this place. Though, with the road as wide as it is, to get within an accurate range would be hard without exposing yourself."
"Is it really hard to aim those things?" Jessie wondered. "I mean, the road can't be more than ten feet wide."
"It isn't hard for Jake and myself. Karl and his own tend to have a worse bark than bite," Mariko explained.
"As long as you don't make him mad," James muttered.
Mariko echoed the remark, seeming to be enjoying the entire thing. There was no doubt in Jessie's mind that this was the Yumaran's element- she was only truly happy when wielding the laser weapons.
A large object zipped through the air. James pushed Jessie down, in fear that it was deadly. All traffic on the road stopped, watching as Mariko bent over and picked up the rock. A small note was tied to it. "How creative," she said dryly, unfolding the message and reading it out loud. "'Hand over Anita Lockheart, and we'll let all but the bounty hunters leave unharmed.'" Mariko tossed the message into the air. In a split second she whipped out her gun and burnt the paper to a crisp. "That, Karl, is what I think of your idea."
A laser shot flew above all their heads, more like a warning then a real shot. Mariko pivoted to her right, aimed and fired all in one fluid motion. She cursed in Yumaran under her breath. "Barely missed him."
James felt someone on his left rather than saw them. He turned, just in time to see a female bounty hunter- one of Karl's crew- trying to decide whether to kill him or Jessie. Not skipping a beat, James pulled his own weapon out and shot the woman head on. She was dead before she even hit the ground.
Something inside James went off. He jerked up, startled by the odd sensation and unsure of what had happened. By the time he had managed to shake off a part of it and ignore the rest, Mariko had already killed another member of the gang. The others disappeared quickly into the woods, with Karl yelling something along the lines of, "expect another visit tomorrow. We won't be taking prisoners."
The forest went eerily silent again, save for the soft whistle of wind through the tops of the trees, and a cawing Murkrow. After a moment's pause, Gary uttered a single word that voiced everyone's opinion: "Damn."
Mariko helped Jessie up. She had been pushed down twice by James, and had decided that he meant her to stay there. The others, who had been caught completely unawares, shook off their shock.
"I'm glad we've got you and James on our side," Ash complimented after another gap of silence. "They didn't get a single one of us, and we took down two of theirs."
"We?" Mariko queried, sending a sharp look his way.
Ash recoiled under the stare. "Well, 'we' as in the assassins in the group."
"How many more do you think there are?" Brock wanted to know.
Mariko holstered her guns, sure that the immediate area was clear of bounty hunters. "Normally he keeps five other than himself, so that would be my best guess."
Tracey looked over at James, who was still standing where he'd been when he killed the female assassin. He had a hand to his forehead, as if he had a headache. "James? You okay?"
James glanced up, seeing the others looking moderately concerned. He shook his head slowly, saying as he did. "I'm fine. Is everyone else all right?"
"A little shaken up," Misty admitted. "I've never been in the middle of a shootout before."
Jessie, Mariko, and the ever watchful Tracey knew that James was definitely not fine, but didn't bother pushing the matter, especially in front of the others.
"Now what?" Ash asked.
Mariko picked her satchel up again; she had let it fall from her shoulders at the beginning of the battle so it wouldn't slow her down. "We continue. Hunted or not, you still have to finish this little quest of yours. We will merely be, shall we say, sidetracked a bit from time to time."
Gary looked off into the woods. "You think they'll be back again today?"
"No. Karl said to expect him tomorrow. He may be a liar, and a sneak, and a back-stabber, but he keeps his word when it involves killing. To him, this is something like a sport, and it would be unfair of him to try and cheat us." Mariko took off down the path at a swift lope, forcing the others to keep up. She looked up; the sun was already beginning to sink behind the mountain tops. "Perhaps we had best find a suitable spot to spend the night. Unless you enjoy cooking in complete darkness."
Brock agreed whole-heartedly with the Yumaran. He and Misty went into the forest a little way, then came back, saying they'd found a nice clearing near a quickly flowing stream. Despite the cold, the brook had refused to be covered over with ice just yet, and would be ideal for getting some fresh water.
As the odd bunch of travellers followed Misty and Brock to the campsite, James lagged behind, as if chained to leaden weights. Jessie kept in step with her old partner, snatching glances at his thoughtful face from time to time. Though his facial features gave almost nothing away, his eyes seemed troubled. There was no question in her mind now: something was without a doubt bothering her companion.
~
James, having escaped the rest of the group as soon as camp had been set, stood by the brook watching the water flow across the pebbled bottom. He picked up a smooth rock, throwing it out. The stone didn't even skip once; just fell into the stream with a soft splash.
James sighed. "The story of my life."
A rock whizzed by along the water surface, skipping all the way down the creek until coming to a landing on the shore. James whirled, cursing himself. He'd been so wrapped in his own thoughts that he hadn't paid attention to what was going on around him.
Jessie stood about ten feet away, smiling. "I used to spend hours doing this. I've had a lot of practice."
She walked up and took a seat by the shore, looking up expectantly. Glad that his error hadn't cost him his life, James sat next to her, keeping his eyes on the small rippling waves.
"Something bugging you?" Jessie asked after a couple minutes. He shrugged, chucking another rock into the stream. Still no skip. "James? I know something's wrong, so don't bother giving me that crap that everything is perfect. What is it? Trust me, you'll feel better afterwards."
He ran a hand through the powdering of snow that had penetrated the treetops, not meeting her eyes. "Today, after I killed that woman... I know this sounds odd, but I felt something."
"Must not be good, from the way you're acting," she assumed. "You mean, different than what you normally feel?" A nod. "Well, what normally happens after you kill someone?"
"Nothing," came the quiet reply.
"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" Jessie questioned. "Everyone feels something. Serial killers are supposed to get a sort of sick joy out of it, most police officers hate it, and I always figured assassins had some measure of satisfaction. Not actually liking it, but knowing you completed your job. So, what about you?"
"Exactly what I said. Not a thing," he flicked another pebble into the water, not even bothering to try and skip this one. "I don't like it, and I don't hate it. It's just... nothing at all."
Jessie sucked in air quietly. Somehow she knew that wasn't right. "How can you have no emotion?"
"Believe it or not, it really isn't that hard." He closed his eyes, head turned upwards. "The only way I can describe it is that you leave the real world. Almost like you're watching it through someone else's eyes. It doesn't really matter what happens, because as far as you're concerned you aren't a part of it. You just happen to be there." He ran a hand through his lavender hair. "I guess... no, I know I retreated after you supposedly died. I don't think I've really fully been here in almost five years. But then, when I met you back in Viridian..." He sighed again. "Things have just gotten more and more complicated since."
Jessie leaned against her old partner and long-time friend. "That explains a lot of things, really. I never saw you as a bounty hunter, because I knew you would have absolutely hated killing someone. But, if you bottled yourself up like that, it wouldn't matter because in your mind you weren't the one doing the shooting." She poked his shoulder lightly. "I've been having a hell of a hard time pulling you out, and it's good to know I'm doing well. I like you a lot better when you feel bad about taking a life."
He shook his head violently. "No, you don't understand. Jess, when that building fell on you, it was the worst thing that ever happened in my life. In a lot of ways, I died when you did. I retreated because if I hadn't, I would have completely lost it. If I lost you again, I don't think I'd be able to just close up like I did the first time." He met her eyes. Jessie was surprised; there was real fear behind that look. "Which is why I have to stay holed up. I know I act like I'm not scared of anything, but... Jessie, I'm terribly afraid of getting hurt like that again."
Jessie's mind raced. 'No!' she screamed inwardly. 'I have worked too hard at breaking that apathetic wall! I am not going to let him build it up again!'
Jessie started speaking, knowing what she was about to say and helpless to stop herself. "James," she said, sharper than she meant to, "stop it. You think you're the only one out of the two of us who had a hard time with this? Think again. You want to know what I did when I found out you deserted, and were probably dead at that very moment? I broke down. That's right: big, tough Jessie cried like a baby. The pain from knowing you involuntarily sent the only person you ever cared about to their death is much worse than anything you'll ever know. Ever since that day I've been one step from going over the edge, desperately clinging to anything I could to keep from dropping off." She tried desperately to stop the flow of tears, but they came on relentlessly, along with her words. "Then, when a miracle arrives and I find the one person who can help me back up, I discover they're so carefully surrounded by indifference that even I can barely reach them. And why? Because I was in that damn building! I blame myself for everything that ever happened to the two of us, did you know that James? You talk about being afraid of getting hurt. How about living every minute of your life in emotional pain, hiding it under a thick mask of good-nature, knowing the single person you love has pulled himself almost completely out of the real world, and it's all your fault!?" Unable to remain composed after letting all her anguish out, Jessie put her head between her knees and cried hot, angry tears.
She felt a warm hand close around her own. Jessie looked up through a veil of water. James put an arm softly around her waist, holding her close. Jessie noticed that tears rimmed his eyes as well. He repeated her name a few times, waiting patiently for the cascade of sadness to run itself dry.
"I'm sorry I did this to you," she whispered. "None of it would have happened-"
He shook his head. "You had as much control over it as I did. There wasn't a thing either of us could have done. I just wish you had said something sooner. Carrying all of that around for so long... I should be the one apologizing. I was too wrapped up in keeping myself safe that I didn't even think about how you felt."
She brought her head up so she could look him face-to-face. "I can't blame you. If I could pull myself out like that, I probably would have too. But I still feel like-"
He silenced her with a gentle kiss. "It wasn't your fault. Discussion closed. And Jessie?"
"Hm?"
"Next time you have something on your chest, tell me. The last thing I want to do is lose you; whether it be to physical or emotional pain."
She put her head on his shoulder, breathing in the crisp, cool air. "I know, James. Oh, Lord, do I know."
~
Mariko's sharp eyes picked up the two ex-Rockets through the murky shadows the moon cast in the forest clearing. She sat on a rock, hidden by a pine tree, knowing she was safe from being spotted by anyone.
She watched the couple stroll into camp, eyes picking up every detail with incredible sharpness. Jessie's red-rimmed eyes showed that she had been crying, and James looked as if he had been on the brink of tears as well. The male assassin's arm was slipped around her waist, and they talked quietly to each other. James whispered something that made Jessie smile. Jessie brushed a strand of hair out of her face, replying to James' comment and making him grin as well. James gave her a comforting squeeze, and Jessie leaned against him, eyes half closed in contentment. They disappeared into their tent, as the light call of a Noctowl echoed through the sky.
Mariko nodded sadly to herself. "Just as I expected. It was bound to happen sooner or later. And yet..."
No one but the lone bounty hunter and the stars above were aware of the single tear that ran down Mariko's face, landing on the snow-covered ground at her feet.

Chapter Seven: Final Steps

Chapter Index