Written: November, 2000

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just borrow for a little while. :)

Rating: G, unless you consider tossing flashlights off balloons as "violence".

Summary: James is afraid of the dark, and Jessie takes his flashlight. It's short, it's pointless, and I'm tired. Thank you. :)

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"Hey Jess?"

"Yeah James?"

"Um...I was just wondering, um..."

"James, just spill it already!"

"How come Team Rocket members aren’t allowed to date each other?"

This was one thing Jessie was definitely NOT expecting. Why did he want to know, anyway? Did he like someone from the team? Maybe Cassidy? I’ll kill her, she thought to herself. She wanted to tell him off, to let him know that if he had even the slightest thought about Cassidy, that she’d make him sorry he was ever born. However, the only words she was able to utter were, "I don’t know James. That’s a very good question."

"Yeah." James stared down from the hot air balloon at the passing field below. A slight breeze blew his hair into his eyes, and his vision was blurred for a few seconds. "Hey Jess. It’s getting late. I’m gonna get some sleep."

Jessie looked at him with what almost looked like compassion. He did look pretty pathetic, with his hair all tangled and his uniform all dirty from their encounter with the Twerp Trio that afternoon. Her heart went out to him, although she’d never admit it, not even to her diary. "Sure, James. It’s Meowth’s turn to watch the balloon anyway."

After kicking Meowth to let him know his sleeping time was up, Jessie turned in for the night. She pulled her sleeping bag out of her backpack and positioned it so it was closer than usual to James’. Jessie went behind a curtain to change (curtains in hot air balloons? Hey, this is my story here, plus, it’s just a damn cartoon!), she climbed into her sleeping bag and tried to sleep.

Five minutes passed, and still Jessie wasn’t asleep. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Jessie looked over at James, who was sleeping contently with his flashlight held tightly against him.

"It’s probably the light that’s keeping me up," Jessie said to herself. "He’s sleeping now; he doesn’t need it anymore." Reaching over, she pushed the button to turn off the flashlight.

Almost instantaneously, James woke up crying. Jessie rolled her eyes. "James, what is it NOW?"

James sniffed. "You turned off my flashlight! Jessie, you KNOW I’m scared of the dark!"

"You don’t need it when you’re asleep! Plus, the light’s keeping me awake!"

"I can’t help it Jessie! I need my flashlight on or I can’t sleep!"

"So I should just not get any sleep tonight just because you’re afraid of the dark?"

"Exactly!"

James’ last comment was answered with a big whack in the face.

Jessie was now even more determined to hold back the flashlight from her best friend’s grasp. "James, I want to sleep. Therefore, you will not get your flashlight back."

"But Jessie..."

"BE A MAN, JAMES. It’s time to get over your fears. Do what you know is right, stop acting like a stupid little kid and think about how it’s time to act like a grown-up!" I should practice what I preach, Jessie thought, contemplating her hidden romantic feelings for her partner.

James sniffed. "But Jessie, I’ve never ever slept without a light before!"

"Well then, there’s no time like the present!" Jessie grasped the flashlight firmly in her hand, and, getting up out of her sleeping bag, walked over to the side of the balloon and held James’ precious light source over the edge.

James looked at her with horror. "Jessie, you wouldn’t!"

"Say goodbye James. It was never meant to be." And with that, she let go of the flashlight and let it fall the long way to the earth below.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" James tried to jump out of the balloon to rescue his poor, helpless flashlight.

Jessie held him back. "No James. It’s too late. It’s gone."

"Jessie, I...I never got a chance to say goodbye!"

Smacking him, Jessie replied, "James, get a hold of yourself! It’s just a flashlight!"

James sat down on his sleeping bag and started to cry. "Now I’ll never get to sleep..." he bawled.

"Yeah, neither will I." Jessie sat down next to him and let him rest his head on her shoulder. She kissed James’ forehead and whispered soothing words into his ear. After a few minutes, he was sleeping.

Jessie got into her sleeping bag, and finally, was able to get some sleep.

Meanwhile, Meowth was sitting in a corner of the balloon with a video camera. He had recorded everything, from the flashlight escapade to the semi-romantic moment. "Dis would make da purrfect movie!" he said to himself, wondering how much money Jessie would give him to destroy it.

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Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Email me at TRChloe@hotmail.com!