DARK REFLECTION

@->->-

The flower. A living contradiction, if ever there was one.

There is nothing so beautiful, so delicate, so sensually delightful as a flower...yet at the same time, nothing so deadly.

Like the red rose my James always compares me to. The rose is the most beautiful, the most fragrant, the most romantic of flowers, but beneath the beauty, its sharp thorns lie in wait to rend the flesh of all who come too close...of all who aren't careful.

And so many other flowers -- the vibrant oleander, the cute, clustering lantana, the graceful angel's trumpet...deadly poisons, one and all.

Such is the case, not just with flowers, but with all of nature -- beauty often means danger. Just look at the patterns on my Arbok's hood, the iridescent sheen of her purple scales -- she's lovely...but have a care, or the snake will strike!

Plants, animals, pokemon, humans, earth, air, fire, water...all things beautiful have a hint of danger.

So, all things considered, I shouldn't be surprised that when I stopped to smell the flowers one day, it turned out to be one of the most disastrous things I'd ever done....

@->->-

The whole misadventure started out typically enough. James, Meowth, and I had been pedaling our Magikarp sub around the Orange Archipelago, and we'd come to a small, secluded island with no sign of civilization. The three of us were exhausted, and we hadn't had a break since we escaped from those Gyrados on Rind Island a couple of days back.

So, once we'd reached land, we decided it was time for a little vacation.

According to our map, there was a Team Rocket safe-house somewhere on the island, but after over forty-eight consecutive hours of pedaling a submarine (most of it at full speed, trying to lose a school of angry Gyrados), the last thing we wanted to do was tromp around in the dark, trying to find that cabin. So, we just parked our submarine in the bay and made camp on the beach.

Meowth and I gathered some driftwood and built a fire. Then, James boiled some water and made vegetable-flavored ramen noodles for dinner. Not the fanciest arrangements, but we were so tired and hungry that it didn't matter. At the moment, those instant noodles and sleeping-bags were just as good as a five-diamond restaurant and hotel on Kumquat Island!

Normally, James, Meowth, and I are night-owls -- we like to stay up until the wee hours of the morning, just talking about stuff and enjoying each other's company...and then, we like to sleep late the next day. But once we were done eating, all we had the energy to do was go to bed, even though it was only about nine o'clock.

@->->-

That night, we slept more deeply and peacefully than we had in a long time, and even though we'd been completely exhausted, James and I were both awake before dawn. The two of us opened our eyes at the exact same moment and found ourselves staring into each other's face. I couldn't imagine a better sight to wake up to!

"Good morning, beautiful," James muttered as a smile crept across his lips.

"Morning, handsome," I echoed, returning his smile.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

I nodded. "You?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I feel like a million bucks!"

"Me, too," I said.

James propped himself up on his elbow as he continued to gaze lovingly at me. "In that case, why don't we go for a walk along the beach and watch the sunrise?" he suggested.

"Sounds great!" I told him.

With that, the two of us joined hands and left our campsite, where Meowth remained in peaceful repose. The sky was still a deep purple color, but there was a tiny smudge of pink on the eastern horizon, and it was casting its dim glow onto the dark blue ocean. The waters were as smooth as glass, and everything was silent.

That smudge of pink in the east slowly crept its way higher and higher into the sky, and the dark purple of night became paler and paler as James and I continued to make our way along the beach. Before long, the sun began to peek above the horizon.

The two of us stopped in our tracks and embraced as we watched the fiery, red orb rise out of the sea, filling the world with the soft, pink glow of morning.

"Wow! That's really something," I remarked.

James nodded and smiled at me. "I feel like the luckiest guy in the world right now...to be surrounded by so much beauty."

I looked at the way his emerald eyes were sparkling when he said this, and I knew that he was talking about more than just the sunrise.

And as I gazed into his eyes, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. If a more perfect man than James exists, then I sure don't know about him. He's the only man I've ever known that has such a gentle demeanor and caring nature. He's also the only man I've ever known who isn't afraid to show his sensitivity or his emotions. Some may think him a wimp for that, but to me, it just shows how strong he really is. And all of that sensitivity, kindness, intelligence, and talent is wrapped up in such an attractive package! God, James has to be, without a doubt, the most beautiful man I've ever seen! I could stare into those emerald-green eyes...run my fingers through that silky blue-violet hair forever! And my heart always races when I hear his smooth, sexy voice in my ear or feel his lean, muscular body next to mine.

James is about as close to perfection as a human can be. And to think, I'm the one he's chosen to spend his life with...I'm the woman he loves!

The thought of it overwhelms me sometimes, that after all of the trouble and all of the pain I've faced in my life, I've finally found someone who makes it all worthwhile. True, our relationship hasn't always been smooth-sailing -- it's even been downright turbulent at times! But no matter what we've been through, no matter how many fights we've had, we've always found a way to work through it...together. Every hardship and adversity we face seems to teach us something new about each other. But instead of driving us apart, the bad times always seem to make us grow, change, learn, and bring us closer together than ever before. And the good times are just our reward for having what it takes to make our love last forever.

At that moment, as James and I held each other and watched the sun rise, I knew that nothing would ever be able to tear us apart. After all, nothing can ever break the bond of true love!

But unbeknownst to either of us, the shadow of doubt was lurking nearby...and once again, our love was going to be put to the test....

@->->-

"You know, we really should get up early and watch these things more often," James remarked as the sun continued to rise out of the ocean. "This is spectacular!"

"It sure is," I agreed. "And romantic, too."

He smiled.

"I know I can't imagine a better way to begin the day than by being with the one I love," I continued.

"Neither can I...and I love you, too," James whispered as he cupped my chin in his hand and touched his lips to mine.

There was just something about the way he kissed me at that moment...something that set me on fire! Kissing him back wasn't going to be enough for me -- I wanted to get this day off to the best start possible by being as close to him as possible.

My knees turned to jelly as he continued to kiss me, but I didn't resist. I just melted and let James lay me down in the soft, white sand.

"Jessie...do you want to....?" he whispered as he laid down next to me.

"Yes, James. More than anything," I whispered back.

(I never say no to James when he wants to make love -- and half the time, I'm even the one who starts it -- but he always asks permission before doing anything to me. Yet another thing that makes him so perfect -- he's a gentleman!)

My heart fluttered as I watched him remove his jacket and his t-shirt. I swear, the only thing I like more than looking at that gorgeous body is touching it...and being touched by it. The fluttering of my heart gave way to pounding when I removed my own clothes, and James caressed my body with his loving hands.

But nothing was more delightful than the feeling of his warm, bare flesh pressed against my own...the feeling of his body joining with mine.

I'm not normally the kind of person who trusts easily, and I don't like sharing either. But when I'm with James, it's like I become a different woman! I trust him with every aspect of my being, and I trust him so completely that I'm able to share my most valuable posession with him -- my body. Placing my trust in him (and knowing that he'd never do anything to violate my trust) gives me pleasure, and that's something I thought I'd never experience. It's funny what true love does to a person.

The morning progressed quietly and peacefully as James and I laid together, making love on the beach. The only audible sounds were the rhythmic beating of our hearts, the breath in our lungs, and the tender words that James whispered to me with each slow, gentle movement he made.

When it finally ended, the sun (which had barely been peeking above the horizon when we began) was already halfway to its zenith. But even though the morning hour was late, the two of us remained where we were. James held me in his arms and caressed my bare skin with one of his velvety red roses, and I whispered, "I love you," at least a thousand times as I showered him with soft kisses.

We probably could have stayed like that forever, but we soon remembered that we were naked...and that it was now broad daylight. The realization that we'd be in plain view if a ship or an aircraft passed by abashed us, so we quickly brushed the sand off of ourselves and got dressed again. And besides, Meowth was probably awake by now and waiting impatiently for us to return. (Even though he knows that James and I are lovers, and he couldn't be happier for us...and he probably knows exactly what we'd been doing all morning, I still wouldn't put it past that cat to give us both a good Fury Swiping if we made him wait too long for his breakfast!)

Well, the last thing we wanted was to have him yelling at us and ruining our perfect morning, so we decided to get back to camp as quickly as possible. Besides, we were hungry, and it was way past our usual breakfasttime.

As James and I started making our way back, however, I suddenly got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something told me that we weren't alone...and that we were being watched. But by whom?

Oh, just relax, Jess. It's probably those twerps again, I said to myself. They always seem to show up, whether we're looking for them or not!

Boy, what an unsettling idea that was!

If those kids really were here and they really were watching us, it meant that they'd probably seen me and James making love...or at least seen us cuddling afterwards. And I tell you, the thought of them witnessing something like that is enough to make me want to die! Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm embarrassed to be seen with James -- far from it! I just don't like the idea of our enemies catching us in the middle of such an intimate...such a vulnerable moment. They never take us seriously to begin with, so imagine how they'd act if they could picture the two of us naked! There'd be no end to the ridicule -- they'd make a mockery of the most beautiful thing that James and I share! No, that was one mental image I most certainly did NOT want them to have.

But then, something occurred to me.

It couldn't have been the twerps! If they were here, we would have known by now. Stealth and subtlety aren't their strong suits, after all. Plus, if they'd seen me and James earlier, we would've heard them laughing at us or screaming something like, Eeeew! Gross! Team Rocket is doing it!

No, it definitely wasn't them.

Who, then, was it?

Somebody was watching us! Somebody was here! But who? I could feel their eyes on us, monitoring our every move.

I looked over my shoulder, looked up the dunes and scanned the treeline of the forest, but I didn't see anything.

"Is something wrong, Jess?" James asked.

He's as good at sensing my mood as I am at sensing another presence.

"It's...it's nothing," I told him. I turned and looked again towards the forest. "Nothing...."

@->->-

Just as we'd predicted, Meowth was waiting for us when we finally did get back to camp. And he was just as put-out as we'd expected.

"And where have YOUSE guys been?" he demanded. Then, more slyly, "Like I need ta ask!"

James and I exchanged glances and blushed.

"I know it ain't much, but I made breakfast," Meowth continued, holding out two plates of toast.

Well, this was unexpected.

"Heh. When I woke up and saw dat ya weren't here, I figured unless I made somethin' ta eat myself, I wasn't gonna be eatin' anytime soon!" he explained. "And I knew you'd be hungry, too...I bet youse guys worked up quite an appetite while you were out!"

He winked at us, and we blushed again.

"Okay, okay, I'll drop it now," Meowth chuckled when he saw that he was making us squirm. "Just eat up. Den we can go and find dat cabin."

James nodded. "Yeah! And the sooner we get there, the sooner we can start our vacation and get in some serious R & R!"

"Hey! Ya ever notice how we always seem ta be takin' a vacation, or at least tryin' ta take a vacation?" Meowth asked. "We've gotta be the laziest team ever!"

"Well, with the stress-level of our job, we need it!" I retorted as I spread some of James's homemade grapefruit marmalade onto my toast.

(I loved James's marmalade -- he'd made it from some grapefruit that we'd harvested while we were on the Grapefruit Islands. Sure, Ash's Snorlax may have stolen our first haul, but later that day, we got blasted off to a really nice orchard on one of the neighboring islands. We must've picked at least three bushels of ruby-red grapefruit while we were there, and James had used most of them to make a batch of the delicious marmalade we were eating with our toast now. And not wanting to let anything go to waste, he'd also taken the grapefruit peels and made those candied treats for us -- the ones he'd told us his servants had given him when he was little. What a guy!)

"Yeah!" James laughed, heaping his own toast with marmalade. "The way I figure it, we need about one week of vacation to recover from one day of work!"

Meowth grinned and poured us each a mug of tea. "Good point!" he said.

"So, with all of the 'work' we've been doing these past couple of days, I'd say we're going to need a couple of weeks off now!" James continued.

"You said it, buddy!" Meowth chuckled.

I smiled at James and put an arm around his shoulders. Then, he wrapped one of his arms around my waist and returned the smile.

"Well, who am I to argue with the numbers?" I said. "Anything that works out in our favor is fine by me!"

The three of us began to laugh, but despite the light-heartedness of the moment, I still felt uneasy. It still felt like somebody was watching us.

Who in the world would be out to get us? I wondered. According to our map, this island is deserted -- there's no native people who hate interlopers, and this place is way out of any Officer Jenny's jurisdiction. We called the boss a couple of weeks ago, and he didn't seem too ticked-off at us...and I'm sure he's got more important things to do than worry about three lousy field-agents anyway. Butch and Cassidy are still in jail on Mandarin Island, and none of the other Team Rocket agents have a problem with us. If the brats were here, we'd have found out by now. And somehow, I don't think anybody else would really care about two pokemon trainers and a cat that are just minding their own business.

There's nothing to worry about -- I just get paranoid when I allow myself to be vulnerable, that's all. So, take it easy, Jessie, I said to myself. James is right -- we're just going to take a couple of weeks off and have a great time together. Nothing is going to happen!

If I only knew how wrong I was....

@->->-

After breakfast, the three of us gathered our belongings and set out to find the cabin, but since it was such a beautiful summer day, we weren't in any particular hurry to get where we were going. Instead, we just decided to take our time and enjoy the sights.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky as the warm sun shone down on us, and a balmy breeze was blowing in off of the sea, keeping the oppressive heat at bay. And once we got off of the beach and entered the forest, it became surprisingly cool. The branches of the evergreen trees knit together, forming a thick canopy overhead, and the forest floor was carpeted with soft grass and fuzzy green moss.

At length, the path we were following led us out of the forest, and when we emerged, we found ourselves looking down at a large meadow in the valley below. There were flowers as far as the eye could see, and the air was thick with their perfume.

The sight and fragrance of it took our breath away.

"Wow! Look at all the flowers!" James exclaimed.

"It's so beautiful," I gasped.

Suddenly, I felt something strange come over me.

Never before had I seen such a lovely meadow, or so many flowers -- it was the kind of thing one only dreams about! Ever since I was a little girl, I've had daydreams about stuff like this. I've always wanted to frolic in a meadow of flowers! I'd seen it on TV all the time -- carefree children laughing and playing, rolling in the sweet grass, picking the blossoms and making the petals rain down on themselves in a shower of pastel splendor...and finally, bringing a handful of freshly-picked flowers home for mother to put in a little vase of water.

It was something I'd always wanted, but never experienced. The earliest years of my life were spent in a cold place where flowers didn't grow, and after my mom died, I was taken to Team Rocket Headquarters, where Madam Boss didn't allow flowers to grow. Going outside to play and bringing flowers home to momma was impossible.

But now, as I looked down on that meadow of flowers, I realized that I could finally make my dream come true! I felt like a child again, only this time, there was no Madam Boss to lock me away in my room for trying to have fun. I could do whatever the hell I wanted! Of course, my momma was gone, too, but I could still pick flowers for James...and maybe I'd pick some for momma anyway and whisper her name as I offered them to the wind.

I giggled. Unable to restrain myself any longer, I charged down the hill at full-tilt, shouting "YIPEEEEE!!!!!"

James and Meowth were probably wondering if I'd gone insane, but I really didn't care. The feeling of being able to play and act like a little kid for a change was just too good to pass up! I probably should've taken off my boots, my socks, my gloves, and my jacket so that I could run around barefoot and bare-armed and get the full flower-filled meadow experience, but that would have taken too long -- I'd waited seventeen years to do something like this, and I wasn't going to wait a second longer! Besides, I could always take them off later.

I felt lighter than air, in both body and spirit, as I raced through the meadow, and I was suddenly gripped by another impulse -- I wanted to take a flying leap and dive into the flowers! The logical part of my brain told me that it wasn't a good idea, that I'd just hit the ground in a painful belly-flop, but again, I didn't care. I didn't care about anything at that moment, except for having fun.

And that was where I'd made my mistake.

"Ha, ha! A fantastic field of fragrant flowers!" I cried as I launched myself through the air.

">The moment was sublime! My body was soaring, and the wind was whipping through my hair. I closed my eyes, spread my arms out, and laughed as I began to descend towards the flowers. In less than a second, I'd be rolling about in their sweet softness, and if James and Meowth made fun of me, I wouldn't be angry with them. I'd make them laugh with me instead of at me...make them join me in my happiness. And who knows? Maybe James and I could share another beautiful experience like the one we'd had that morning! Making love to him in a bed of flowers was even more appealing than making love to him on a beach...it would be perfect! Everything was perfect!

*WHUMP*

I opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by darkness, unable to move the entire top half of my body. A sickly-sweet floral scent filled my nose, making me want to gag.

"HELP!!! HELP!!! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" I screamed as I began to kick my legs and struggle. The darkness around me constricted, and I could feel my cries being muffled.

Then, I heard a rumbling noise and the sound of "Viiiillllle-pluuuuuuume!!!!"

Oh, great! It figures, the first time I ever try to frolic in a field of flowers, and I end up diving into a Vileplume. I should've known something like this would happen. It always does....

The Vileplume constricted itself even more, and I suddenly felt something explode in my face. An acrid stench filled my nose, and my throat and lungs began to burn. Every breath I took felt like I was inhaling fire!

I tried to scream for help again, but to no avail -- speaking was too painful!

I felt a pair of hands grab onto my legs, and I knew that James had arrived and was trying to pull me out. He was screaming my name, but his voice was so muffled it sounded like he was miles away.

James tugged harder, and after a minute, I was free from the deadly flower's grasp. The two of us fell to the ground in a tangled heap.

"Jessie, are you okay?!" James asked as he wriggled out from underneath me.

It still felt like my lungs were on fire, but before I could try to answer him....

"Viiiiilllllle-pluuuuuume!"

"Heh. Good one, Jess. I think ya pissed it off," Meowth remarked, coming to my side.

James smirked and brought out one of his poke balls. "Well, if it's a fight it wants, a fight it'll get." Then, brushing aside the little wisp of hair in his face and tossing the poke ball. "Go, Weezing!"

"Wee-zing, weez!"

Slowly, I got to my feet and brought out my own poke ball. But before I could throw it and release Arbok, my knees buckled, and I fell to the ground again.

"Take it easy! Take it easy!" Meowth cried, placing a paw on my shoulder. "Just be still and let James handle dis!"

"Yeah. I can take care of it, Jess!" he told me.

Well, I hated missing out on all the fun, but they were right -- I couldn't stand, I couldn't speak, and I could barely breathe. I was in no condition to battle.

The Vileplume's face contorted in anger, and it began to move towards us, as if it were preparing to attack.

"Weezing! Tackle it now!" James commanded.

Weezing charged in and slammed Vileplume. Even though the flower was more than twice his size (I swear, that had to be the biggest Vileplume I'd ever seen!), the force of the impact sent it reeling backwards.

"Viiiiiiiiilllllle!" The Vileplume cried. The red petals that crowned its head constricted.

"Shit! It's gettin' ready ta use Stun Spore again!" Meowth shouted, putting his arms around my neck, as if to protect me.

Stun Spore! So that's why I felt so weak! It causes paralysis if it comes in contact with flesh (James had told me plenty of horror stories about how Jessiebelle had gotten her Oddish to use Stun Spore on him so that he wouldn't struggle when she whipped him), so I could only imagine what it would do if it were actually inhaled.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" James growled. "Weezing! Sludge attack!"

Just as Vileplume began to release its Stun Spores from the arpeture on its head, Weezing spit out a river of black sludge and clogged it up. While it was temporarily confused and unable to complete its attack, Weezing tackled it again and sent it flying.

Once the Vileplume was gone, James called back Weezing and knealt by my side. "Jessie! Are you okay, sweetheart?!" he asked as he scooped me into his arms.

I opened my mouth to reply, but I was still too short of breath.

"I think she may have breathed some of it in," Meowth answered for me.

I nodded, to confirm what he'd just said.

James frowned. "That's bad."

"How bad?" Meowth asked nervously.

"It's pretty serious," he said, smoothing back my hair and caressing my face. "If she inhaled the Stun Spores, then they're paralyzing her lungs...."

I shuddered and felt a sweatdrop rolling down the side of my face. Paralyzing my lungs?! Did that mean what I think it meant?!

"Don't worry, Jess. You're not going to die," he whispered, as if he could read my mind.

Tears began to well up in my eyes. I wasn't used to being so weak...so helpless, and it frightened me.

James brushed my tears away and held me closer. "Shhh. Please don't cry, sweetheart. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

I rested my head on his shoulder as he got to his feet and picked me up.

"Alright, we can't goof around no more," Meowth said as he got out our map once again. "Let's find dat cabin so Jessie can get some rest."

"How far is it?" James asked.

"Another couple miles, I think," came his reply. "I see a markin' on the far shore of a big lake further inland. If dat ain't the safe-house, den I don't know what is."

"Then let's hurry," said James. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can do something for Jess!"

I looked up at James and saw the worry in his eyes. He was probably as frightened as I was, but as he held me in his strong arms, I felt safe. I knew that he'd keep his promise -- that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. As he and Meowth began heading towards the cabin, I slowly closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that my two friends would protect me until I was well again.

@->->-

When I came to, I found myself lying on a straw mat. I was covered by a large blanket, and James and Meowth were kneeling on either side of me.

"Hey! She's wakin' up!" I heard Meowth exclaim.

"Jessie, honey?" James said softly.

I turned and looked at him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A...a little better," I replied. My voice was barely audible, but at least I could speak again.

James reached down and caressed my face. "You've got a fever," he told me.

I closed my eyes and sighed weakly.

"Meowth, get a wet washcloth for me," James said, taking my hand in his own.

"Okay," came his reply.

For the next few minutes, James massaged the palm of my hand with his thumb and kissed my fingers. I couldn't help but smile as I looked up at him. He had such a gentle touch...and he was so sweet!

When Meowth returned with the washcloth, he folded it and placed it on my forehead. The cool dampness of it felt good to my burning skin.

"Is that better?" James asked.

I nodded. But just as I was about to go back to sleep, I felt a pinching sensation in the back of my jaw, and I began to cough and choke.

"Jess?!" James cried.

"I think she's gonna puke!" Meowth yelled.

When Meowth said this, I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, and I really did want to puke! I nodded as I continued to cough.

"Get her outside! Quick!!!!" Meowth screamed as James lifted me into his arms again and made a mad dash for the door.

Once we were through the door, James set me down on the ground. My chest felt heavy, as if my lungs were filled with fluid. It was like I was slowly drowning, but with each heaving cough, I felt the congestion breaking apart. I never did throw up, but before long, I started to cough up all of the phlegm that had been filling my lungs.

I didn't want James to look at me while it was happening. It was disgusting, and it wasn't exactly the way I wanted the man I loved to see me. But James stayed with me the whole time. He knealt behind me, patting me on the back and holding my hair out of my face as I coughed everything up.

It went on like this for several minutes, but once I was done, I found that I was able to breathe again. "Heh. Bet that was sexy," I said sarcastically.

James smiled at me and gently wiped my mouth with his handkerchief. "Not really, but it looks like you got those Stun Spores out of your system," he told me. "Feel any better?"

I nodded and began to gasp for air, thankful that my lungs were clear again.

He placed a hand to my forehead. "You've still got a fever, though. You need to rest now." He then swept me into his arms and carried me back into the cabin.

"Hey! Is she okay?!" Meowth asked.

James nodded as he laid me down on the straw mat again. "She just coughed up a bunch of Stun Spores. She's still pretty sick, but I think the worst is over."

Meowth smiled. "Thank goodness!"

"Get some sleep now, Jess," James whispered, tucking me under the blanket and kissing my forehead.

"Okay," I whispered back.

"If you need something, Meowth and I will be right here."

I looked up at him. The expression on his face was so gentle and loving, and I knew that he'd do anything for me.

"Well...now that you mention it...I do need something," I told him.

"What?" he asked.

"Keep talking to me. Please?"

"Of course, Jess. What do you want me to say?"

"Anything. Just as long as I can hear you. I love the sound of your voice, James...I love it so much...."

James smiled at me. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, and then, he began to speak:

Rocked by waves the evening sun dances.
He smiled and said "See you tomorrow."
Accompanied by the sea breeze finally he rests,
For the courage to fight overflows.

The stars all over the sky sing.
They whisper "Do your best."
In a crescent moon cradle I sleep dreaming,
For I'm brimming with excitement for the trip.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I closed my eyes and listened to him. It was Umi -- a song I knew well. My momma always sang it for me when I was a little girl, and it was incredibly comforting to hear James reciting it for me now.

Hearing that song made me feel like a child again. It took me back to a time in my life when there wasn't as much to worry about, and for the second time that day, I drifted off to sleep, knowing that James was there, keeping me safe from harm.

@->->-

When I awakened again, I found that I was feeling a lot better -- I was practically back to normal!

"Hey, Jess," Meowth said softly. He and James were still by my side.

"Are you okay, honey?" James asked. "Do you need us to do anything for you?"

They still looked worried about me, and I wanted to tell them that I was going to be fine, but something stopped me. If I told them that I was okay now, then everything would go back to normal. Now don't get me wrong, I like "normal," but at the moment, I really enjoyed how the two of them were being more gentle and attentive to me than usual. I liked how Meowth was speaking softly to me and doing anything I asked of him instead of making smart remarks, and I loved how James was touching me, holding me, and calling me pet-names even more than he usually does. I don't think I'd ever been called "sweetheart" or "honey" so many times in one day before, and I was just eating it up!

No, I didn't want things to go back to normal. Not yet, anyway. I liked being waited on hand-and-foot, and I wasn't ready for them to stop. So, I decided to pretend that I was still really sick.

"J-James? C-can you...do something for me?" I asked weakly.

"Anything," he whispered, taking my hands in his own.

My heart fluttered when he touched me. Yes, I was definitely enjoying this. "Could you...get me a drink of water?"

"Meowth, go get some...."

"But not lake water," I continued, cutting him off. "I want...some fresh, clear, cool...mountain spring water. Could...could you get some for me? Please?"

James sweatdropped. Getting mountain spring water meant that he'd have to trek up a mountain to get it. But his expression softened when he looked into my pleading blue eyes. "Of course I will, Jess. I'll be back with it as soon as possible."

"Thank you," I whispered.

Meowth began to laugh at James as he headed for the door. He then made some sort of hissing noise and jerked his arm back and forth, as if he were cracking a whip.

"Shut up! You're coming with me!" James snapped, grabbing him by the tail.

"GAH!!!!!" Meowth screamed as James dragged him out the door. "I was just kiddin', Jimmy! I didn't mean anythin' by it!"

"Like hell, you didn't...."

Once they were gone, I chuckled. I had James and Meowth doing whatever I wanted, and I wasn't even feeling all that bad -- the best of both worlds! This was going to be fun!

@->->-

While I was waiting for James and Meowth, I took another nap. I awoke about an hour later to find them returning with a large cooler of mountain spring water in tow. After drinking a couple glasses of it, I felt more refreshed than ever...but I wasn't about to let them know that!

"It's good," I whispered when I saw that the two of them were waiting for me to say something. "Thanks."

"Anytime," James replied.

I smiled at him. He looked kind of tired, but he also looked happy. He really was willing to cater to my every whim! So, I decided to see what else he'd do for me.

Again, the logical part of my brain told me that it was a bad idea, that I shouldn't take advantage of him like this, but I didn't listen. I'd been having a miserable day, and I wanted some pampering!

"James?"

"Yes, Jessie?"

"Could...could you do something else for me now?" I asked shyly.

"You know I will," he replied, taking my hands in his own. "What do you need?"

"I'd like an apple," I told him. "A bright, shiny, red apple. The reddest one you can find. Could you get one for me? Please?"

James smiled tenderly at me and gave my hands a gentle squeeze. "As you wish," he said softly.

Meowth started laughing at him again as he took his leave, and again, James grabbed him by the tail and dragged him along.

Once I was alone, I sighed contentedly. There was something about the way James had said, As you wish...something that made my heart race! It kind of reminded me of one of my favorite movies -- The Princess Bride. Buttercup had ordered her beloved Westley around, and Westley always did everything she asked of him. And he'd always replied, "As you wish" when she told him to do something...but whenever he said, "As you wish," he really meant, "I love you." And it was no different with me and my beloved James -- when he'd said As you wish, he'd really meant, I love you!

Being so in love with James and knowing how much he loved me in return made me feel lighter than air, and I couldn't resist getting out of bed and dancing around. My legs were a little wobbly, and I hadn't completely regained my motor control, but I didn't care. I was too happy to care!

After a few minutes of dancing, however, I became dizzy and had to sit down again. My lungs started burning once more, and it was getting hard to breathe again. My fever had relapsed, too, so I decided to take it easy until James and Meowth returned.

They didn't keep me waiting long, either. They were back about ten minutes later.

"Jessie?" they asked nervously. "Jessie, how are you doing?"

I rolled over and turned to face them. "I...I think my fever is getting worse...but at least it gives my alabaster skin a lovely crimson glow," I replied jokingly.

My skin really did feel like it was on fire, though, and I suddenly felt compelled to see just how awful I looked. (I hadn't looked at myself all day, but I figured I was a mess.) And when I brought out my hand-mirror and saw my reflection, my fears were confirmed. My hair was hanging limp, my face was a bright shade of red, and I was drenched with sweat -- I really DID look awful!

"Ah, yes...lovely," I said, this time with more sarcasm. My hand shook violently as I held the mirror. I was too tired, even for that.

"We brought you that apple you wanted, Jess," James said, changing the subject.

"But why did ya insist on such a red one?" Meowth asked as he handed it to me.

I smiled and took the apple from him, setting it down next to my pillow. "It's simple," I told him. "When I awaken from my fever-dreams, I want to be able to gaze at something with skin that's even redder than mine." (Well, that was only half the truth. I wasn't all that hungry yet, but I had every intention of eating it later, when I really was hungry. I just wanted to have it on-hand until then.)

The two of them nearly fell over when I said this.

"WHAT?!" Meowth screamed. "We nearly broke our necks gettin' dat apple, and ya ain't even gonna eat it?!"

I looked at them and saw just how beaten-up they were. They'd obviously gotten hurt...fallen out of the tree while they were picking that apple, no doubt. I suddenly felt guilty for making them go to such great lengths for something so inconsequential, but Meowth's screaming was giving me a headache.

"Please don't yell at me, Meowth...I'm very sick," I whimpered, turning away from them again.

"Hmmmph!" he grumbled.

Well, that did it. If that was the attitude Meowth was going to take, then I didn't feel guilty about bossing HIM around anymore! "But perhaps if I had a pint of boysenberry ice cream...."

"Oh, no ya don't!" he snapped, cutting me off.

James (whom I expected would come to the defense of his sick, helpless lover) said nothing.

Uh, oh. Their patience is wearing thin...and it sounds like they're catching on to my little game, I said to myself. I've got to play on their sympathies again....

"Beautiful things are very fragile," I told them as I looked out the window at the summer breeze playing gently with the leaves in the trees. "Soon, I may be gone with the wind...like that tender little leaf...."

"Jessie, I think you're blowing this temperature you're running entirely out of proportion," James reproached me.

There was more than a hint of annoyance in his voice. He'd probably realized what I'd been doing, and now he was angry with me, too. So much for my brilliant plan.

I couldn't stand the thought of James being angry with me, though -- I had to do something....

....So, I buried my face in my hands and began to cry. "But what if there's something terribly, terribly wrong with me?!" I sobbed. (Hey! If that didn't win him over again, then nothing would!)

But even my display of emotion wasn't enough to move him. "Jessie, all you did was inhale some Stun Spores from that Vileplume," he said sternly.

"Ya just stuck yer nose where it didn't belong!" Meowth growled.

Well, this was too much! I may not have been deathly ill like I was earlier, but I was still sick. And not only did James and Meowth not care anymore, but they were BLAMING me for being sick, like it was all my fault, and I'd brought it upon myself! (All I wanted to do was play in the flowers! How could they blame me for that?!)

Too upset to give them a decent reply, I just started crying again. Only this time, my tears were real.

"Wait! I suddenly remembered something!" James exclaimed, more to Meowth than to me. "When I was a tiny tot, I once inhaled some Stun Spores and got sick! And my dear, old grand-papa cured me by boiling a tea from the leaves of the Salvea Weed that grew on his estate...."

So, there was a remedy for what I had?! Well, I didn't want to be sick now that James and Meowth weren't going to wait on me anymore, and I suddenly found myself getting annoyed with James for not telling me about this earlier. I had no idea that he'd once been sick like this, too, and it really would've been comforting if he'd told me about it! At least I'd have known that my illness wasn't something unheard of or incurable.

"Grrr!!! Why couldn't you have taken your little trip down memory lane sooner?!" I demanded as I jumped out of bed and gave him a swift kick in the rear. "I'm on my death-bed, here!"

James and Meowth looked at me like I was insane, and I remembered that if I really were as sick as I'd just said, then there was no way I could be out of bed, screaming at them and kicking them. Quickly, I jumped back under my blanket and started groaning again.

I don't think I was fooling them, though, because they both exhaled in a frustrated sigh.

Yeah, they were definitley sick of me and my behavior. They probably weren't even going to bother getting any Salvea Weed for me now. I'd taken advantage of them too much already, and I didn't deserve another favor from them.

But then, I felt James place his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Jessie. I'll find some Salvea Weed for you. I won't let you down...."

I looked up at him and saw the expression on his face. An expression of genuine concern...and love. Maybe he wasn't angry with me, after all.

"I'll be back as soon as possible," he continued, running his finger along my cheek and brushing away the tears. "Just take it easy until then, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay, James," I whispered in a broken voice as more tears welled up in my eyes.

James smiled and gave me a hug. "You're going to be just fine," he said reassuringly as he kissed me on the cheek. Then, for the third time that day, he and Meowth took their leave.

Once I was alone, I breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't mad at me, after all. Their day had been just as rough as mine, and my unreasonable demands had simply tried their patience. In the end, they were still doing everything that they could for me.

I was lucky to have such wonderful friends.

@->->-

I tried to take another nap while I was waiting for them to return, but sleep just wouldn't come. Even though getting up or moving around would only cause my illness to relapse again, I felt restless. Something was nagging at my mind, and it wouldn't let me fall asleep.

Perhaps it was guilt. I couldn't ask for better friends than James and Meowth, and being so demanding and bossy was pretty low of me. I regretted making them go to all of that trouble to get food, water, and medicine for me, and I didn't feel like I deserved any of it.

I rolled over onto my side and found myself looking at the apple they'd picked for me earlier. I remembered what Meowth had said about how they'd almost broken their necks while getting it for me, and I remembered how they looked like they'd gotten hurt. Not eating it after what they'd gone through to get it for me must have seemed like a really ingrateful thing to do, even if I hadn't been hungry at the time.

But I was hungry now. As I looked at that shiny, red apple, my stomach began to growl, so I picked it up and took a bite. It was probably the sweetest, juiciest apple ever, but the guilt that weighed down on me made it taste bitter. I had to eat it to pacify my hunger (and to let James and Meowth know that their efforts hadn't been wasted on me), but I didn't enjoy it. I didn't deserve to.

When I finished eating the apple, my face and mouth were covered with its juice. I didn't want to lay there and be sticky for the rest of the day (I felt disgusting enough as it was), so I decided to get up and wash myself off.

With a considerable amount of effort, I managed to get out of bed and fill a wash basin with some of the spring water that James and Meowth had brought for me earlier. Then, I pulled off my gloves and jacket and soaked a washcloth in the basin. The water was still cold, and it felt good to brush the wet cloth over my face and wash away all of the sweat and grime that had accumulated during the day. But just cleaning my face wasn't enough -- my entire body was oiled with sweat, and I needed to wash all of it away. So, I proceeded to sponge off my neck, shoulders, arms, and chest as well. Then, I dipped my hands into the water and poured some over the top of my head, slicking back my limp, sweaty hair.

Once I'd finished bathing myself, my fever went down a little, and being clean made me feel better, too. It also cleared my mind and gave me the chance to think about the events of the day.

I owe James and Meowth big time, I said to myself. They've gone through a lot today...and still are, just to show how much they care about me. I need to do something really nice for them when they get back...to show how much I appreciate them. But what?

Well, now that I'd admitted my wrongdoing (even if it was only to myself) and promised to make amends, I didn't feel quite so guilty anymore, and I decided to go back to sleep until they returned. Maybe I'd even come up with an idea for how to repay them if I slept on it for a little while. But I still wasn't feeling sleepy -- if anything, I was beginning to feel kind of edgy.

I got that funny sensation in the pit of my stomach again -- the one I'd had that morning after James and I made love. And suddenly, the strange feeling that I was being watched returned.

It felt like pins and needles were being jammed into my back, and I realized that I wasn't alone. Somebody was here...and they were right behind me!

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jessie."

My eyes widened. That voice! It couldn't be....

I turned around, and my fears were confirmed. "J-J-Jessiebelle?!"

Jessiebelle smiled at me and chuckled. "What's the matter, sugar? You look like you've seen a ghost."

The sight of that madwoman nearly gave me a heart attack, but somehow, through a sheer act of will, I managed to keep my cool. "What are you doing here?"

"The answer to that should be painfully obvious, my dear," came her reply. "I'm here for my James, of course."

"You're wasting your time, Jessiebelle, and more importantly, you're wasting ours," I growled. "James would never go back with you."

Jessiebelle waggled her finger at me. "Tsk, tsk. That's where you're wrong, dear. You seem to be under the impression that he's got a choice...."

"He DOES have a choice!" I shot back. "And he's already made it! He chose his freedom, if I recall correctly."

She began to laugh when I said this. "Silly, silly, Jessie! You just don't get it, do you?"

I frowned.

"His freedom is irrelevant," she continued. "He has a duty to his family...and to me."

"Bullshit!" I snapped. "You treat him like garbage! He doesn't owe you anything!"

"He was promised to me!" Jessiebelle shouted.

"But he doesn't love you!" I interjected. "James would never marry a woman he doesn't love! Why can't you understand that?!"

"What kind of fool do you take me for?!" she demanded. "I know James doesn't love me! But marriage has nothin' to do with love. It's about the family name...propriety...."

"And that's where YOU'RE wrong!" I said, cutting her off. "What's the point, if you don't love the person you're spending the rest of your life with? Seems like a pretty empty experience, if you ask me."

"Well, I DIDN'T ask you, ya little whore!" she sneered. "And that's what you are, Jessie -- a whore! You think I don't know what you've done to my James?! I saw the way you defiled him this mornin'!"

So that was why I'd been so edgy while James and I were on the beach! It was Jessiebelle who'd been watching us! And I'll bet seeing the two of us make love had her seeing red!

"I didn't do anything to him that he didn't want," I replied cooly. "Which is more than I could say for you...."

Jessiebelle smirked. "You may have had sex with him, Jessie, but if you think that means he's gonna marry you, you're sadly mistaken. Like my mother always said, Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"

There was no missing the emphasis she'd placed on the word, "cow." Normally, this would have driven me to rage, but I knew that she was only trying to provoke me. So, once again, I forced myself to remain calm. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing just how pissed off I really was.

"You're wrong again," I told her. "James wouldn't have given himself to me if he didn't plan on spending the rest of his life with me. I know him well enough to know that. He even promised that he'd marry me one day, and James does NOT go back on his promises!"

Jessiebelle began to laugh again. "You fool! You really believe that, don't you? Well, I've got news for you. You and I, we're one and the same, Jessie. And it's only a matter of time before James wakes up and realizes it. No matter what he says, or what he does, he can't really love you. After all, how can he love and hate the same face all at once? And on the day he realizes it, he's gonna find that he hates you as much as he hates me, and he's gonna run away from you, screamin' in terror. So, his promises to you don't amount to nothin', sugar.

"And I know when he's gonna realize it, too!" she continued. "It's gonna happen on that weddin' day he promised you. You're gonna be wearin' your white weddin' gown...." (she snickered when she said this) "....and he's gonna take one look at you and see me instead. He ain't gonna be thinkin' about you at all -- he's gonna remember the woman he was supposed to marry...he's gonna remember what he was runnin' away from...and he's gonna run away again. That's when he'll realize that he doesn't love you at all...that he could never love a woman who looks like somebody he hates...."

I was taken aback for a moment when I heard this. (Being reminded that I had the same face as that monster was pretty damned unsettling, after all.) But then, I realized something -- if she thought James wouldn't have noticed that we looked alike already, it meant that she thought he was stupid, or blind...which meant that she didn't know him at all! James is one of the smartest guys around (even if he is a little too trusting for his own good, and he tends to underestimate just how clever he really is), and he wouldn't be with me...wouldn't have promised himself to me if I reminded him of Jessiebelle!

"I think we both know that's a lie," I told her. "James knows that we look alike, but guess what? It doesn't bother him! On that day he ran away from YOU, screaming in terror, he came right back to me! Your face was fresh in his mind's eye, and he still gave me the most adoring gaze I'd ever seen!"

Jessiebelle frowned. "Then he's even dumber than I thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"He ran away from me because he couldn't take a little discipline...and went straight to you," she explained. "I've SEEN the way you treat him, Jessie, and if he doesn't even know that he's still with 'me,' then that makes him a darned fool."

"No. No, you and I are nothing alike!" I retorted. "I'll admit, I'm not always nice to James, but I'd never torture him or try to change him like you always did. And I love him with all my heart! I love him for who he is...love everything about him. I just have a hard time showing it, that's all. But you? You just want to use James for his family's money. You don't care about him -- you'd crush his soul, just so you can have a prestigious family name and look good. So don't you DARE tell me that we're the same person...because we're not...."

"Oh, so you love James, do you? How touching," she said sarcastically.

"Go to hell," I growled.

Suddenly, Jessiebelle brought out her whip and cracked it at me. My reflexes were still a little slow from the Stun Spores, and I was getting dizzy from being on my feet for such a long time, but I still managed to bring my hand up and keep it from slicing me across the face. The whip wrapped around my arm, and Jessiebelle yanked it, dragging me to the floor.

"You shouldn't swear so much, Jessie, dear. It ain't very lady-like."

"And torturing people with whips is?" I retorted as I tried to get to my feet again. "You're more than just a psychopathic bitch -- you're a hypocrite!"

Jessiebelle leaned closer to me, her cold, blue eyes narrowing to slits. "And you've got a smart mouth...but I've got some advice for you," she hissed. With that, she slapped me across the face and knocked me to the floor again. "Shut it!"

Well, that did it. It didn't matter how sick or how tired I was. I couldn't just let this madwoman march in, insult me, kidnap James, and get away with it! If she wanted to mess with us, then by God, I was going to mess with her, too!

"I suppose you're wonderin' why I came here instead of goin' after James?" she asked as she stood triumphantly over me.

"Let me guess," I said sarcastically. "It's all part of a sinister scheme to get me out of the picture and take my place. Then, James, not suspecting a thing, would walk right into your little trap."

Jessiebelle looked at me in disbelief. I'd obviously figured it out. "How...how did....?"

Taking advantage of her momentary shock, I got to my feet once more. "Oh, please! That's the oldest doppleganger trick in the book!" I told her. "Couldn't you come up with something more original than that?!"

"Shut up!"

"You've been watching too many soap operas, sugar," I chuckled as I began to advance on her. "So, why don't I just point out some flaws in your 'brilliant' plan?"

Jessiebelle sweatdropped and took a couple of steps backwards. "I...I said shut up!"

"First of all, wouldn't it look a little suspicious if 'I' suddenly had a Vileplume in 'my' possession? And what about Arbok and Lickitung? You think nobody would notice if they stopped obeying 'me' or if 'I' stopped using them?"

She scowled.

"You and I may look alike on the outside, but the likenesses end there," I continued. "You don't know anything about me, so how can you pretend to be me and expect to pull it off?"

Jessiebelle gritted her teeth, and a vein popped out on her forehead. She knew that I was right.

"The answer is, you can't," I told her. "My pokemon would see right through your disguise, and so would James and Meowth. My friends know what's in my heart -- I can't hide anything from them...and neither could you."

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!!!!!" she screamed, bringing out her whip again.

Well, I knew that I was driving her to her breaking-point, and I knew that last remark would be what finally pushed her over the edge, so I was ready when she attacked.

As the whip came lashing towards me again, I jumped to the side and dodged.

"You're pretty fast for someone who's been poisoned," she commented.

I smirked. "Heh. I figured that was your Vileplume. I know you were spying on me and James this morning and that you've been following us around all day. You were probably waiting there in that flower field to ambush us...."

There was no mistaking how agitated she became when I brought up the subject of me and James making love again.

"....You wanted your Vileplume to attack us because you're a coward," I said, provoking her once more. "You've got to use your pokemon and your bull-whip because you're not woman enough to take me in a REAL fight!"

"I ALREADY WARNED YOU, AND I AIN'T GONNA WARN YOU AGAIN -- YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU GODDAMNED LITTLE SLUT!!!!!" she screeched as she lashed out with her whip again.

I wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack this time, so instead, I just doubled over and went with it. As the whip came down across my back, it caused me to fall to my knees. A white-hot pain shot through my back, shoulders, and legs, but it was better than getting struck in the face.

"Y-you shouldn't swear so much, Jessiebelle," I said, biting back the pain. "It's not very lady-like."

She frowned and laid her whip across my back again. "Don't you DARE talk to me about what's lady-like and what isn't, you miserable piece of street-trash!" she sneered.

"Don't strain yourself, little lady," I said, doing my best impersonation of a Southern accent. "You don't wanna get the vapors, now, do you?"

Jessiebelle let out an enraged scream as she continued to lash at me. The pain in my back and shoulders was unbearable, but before long, she began to get tired, and the whipping began to slow down.

Taking advantage of the moment, I grabbed onto the whip as it came down on me again. When Jessiebelle tried to wrench it from my grasp, she ended up hauling me to my feet, and a tug-of-war ensued.

If I could get that whip away from her, the advantage would be mine. Injured or not, sick or not, I could take Jessiebelle in a physical match...and Arbok or Lickitung could easily defeat her Vileplume in a pokemon battle! I just had to even the odds first....

But suddenly, Jessiebelle did something unexpected -- she let go of the whip!

Unprepared for the sudden lack of resistance, I fell over and landed on my back...right on the raw spot where she'd been striking me. The pain shot through my body once more and made it impossible for me to move. Tears blurred my vision, but I could see Jessiebelle standing triumphantly over me again...and then I felt the pointy toe of her boot as she kicked me in the ribs. I rolled with the kick instead of resisting it, and the impact flipped me over onto my stomach.

Jessiebelle straddled my back and pinned me to the floor as I struggled to get up again. Then, I felt her wrapping her whip around my neck like a noose.

"Looks like I'm gonna get my way, after all, you little tramp," she hissed into my ear as she tightened the noose and began to strangle me. "You should thank me, dear -- I'm doin' you a favor! James won't jilt you on your weddin' day if he's already married to me!"

I wanted to say something like, "Over my dead body!" but thought better of it when I realized what a terrifyingly literal connotation those words had at the moment. Not that it mattered -- I couldn't have said it anyway because I was choking.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna kill you," she said, as if she could read my mind. "Why would I want to do somethin' like that when I could have so much more fun with you alive? You know, I'm sure your old friend, Officer Jenny, would just love if you paid her a visit! Why, she'd be so happy to see you that she'd give me a big ol' wad of reward money! And then, I'd have me a nice little dowry for my marriage to James!

"And just in case you're wonderin'," she continued, "I may not be able to fool James for long when I take your place, but I won't have to! They say you draw more flies with honey than vinegar, so I'm just gonna draw this particular fly in with his honey! By the time he's close enough to figure it out, it'll be too late!

"I admit, I'm not really lookin' forward to re-trainin' him in the ways of a proper gentleman. You have turned him into quite a lecherous little deviant, after all -- he's even worse now than when I started on him! But he will learn eventually...he won't have a choice! And as for that mangy alley-cat? Well, I'm allergic to cats, and they say a cat'll suck a baby's breath! I don't think anyone will protest if I dispose of the little fuzzball before the children are born...."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! It was bad enough that she wanted to send me to jail and take James by force, but talking about the torture she had in store for him?! Wanting to kill Meowth?! She'd pushed me past my limit!

I grabbed onto the whip again and tried to tear it loose from my throat, but this only made Jessiebelle pull it tighter. Then, she clamped her legs down on my sides and began to squeeze. She was trying to crush the air out of my lungs the way an Ekans crushes its prey with a Wrap attack.

I felt a pins-and-needles sensation on my face, and I was probably beginning to turn from red to purple. The world around me went fuzzy as I began to slip out of consciousness, but I was determined not to let Jessiebelle have her way. I'd be damned if the daughter of the great Miyamoto would ever succumb to some spoiled little rich bitch who'd never worked a day in her life! And besides, if I lost this battle, I'd be letting my friends down!

My friends. As my mind drifted to James and Meowth, I found myself thinking about something I always say -- To protect the world from devastation. They were my world, and I had to protect them from this madwoman! And knowing that I had to do everything I could to protect them, I suddenly found the strength I needed to fight back....

It would be futile to struggle against her pull, so I decided to do the same thing I'd done to reduce the impact of her kick -- to go with it rather than to resist.

Jessiebelle cried out in pain as my head snapped up and smashed into her face. I felt her whip loosen a little, and she released her vice-grip on my rib cage. Taking advantage of the moment, I brought up one of my arms and elbowed her in the stomach as hard as I could. This caused her to reel backwards and topple over.

Now that she was off of my back, I wasted no time in freeing myself from the noose and standing up again. My neck was sore from where her whip had cut into me, but it felt good to be able to breathe again. The sudden change in the blood flow to my head caused me to black-out for a moment, and I became even dizzier than before, but after a couple of seconds, my vision cleared.

I looked at Jessiebelle. She was doubled over, clutching her stomach where I'd elbowed her...and she was staring daggers at me. Once I'd regained some of my balance, I strode over and grabbed her by the collar of her maroon jacket.

She was wearing some kind of lion tamer's outfit, and that just made me even angrier than I already was. It was like she saw me and James as a couple of wild animals to be hunted, captured, and locked away!

"Unhand me, you thug!" she cried, grabbing onto my wrist in an attempt to wrench herself free from my grasp.

I pulled my lips into a smirk as I tightened my grip on her with my right hand. Then, I took my left hand and brought the back of it across her face.

Jessiebelle's eyes widened with shock, as if she couldn't believe that I'd dared to raise a hand to her. James and I were probably the only people in the world who'd ever stood up to her, who wouldn't let her have her way...and it was driving her even more insane than she already was! It felt good to see that look on her face. Somebody needed to stand up to her...to teach her that she couldn't manipulate people or treat them like her property and get away with it.

But as good as it felt to see how shocked she was, it still wasn't enough to satisfy my anger. I hated this woman for trying to take our freedom...for wanting to ruin James's life and mine...and for even THINKING about killing Meowth! I hated Jessiebelle with a passion, and I wanted her to suffer for everything she'd done to James. It was payback time.

I balled my free hand into a fist and smashed her face with a couple of left hooks. Jessiebelle screamed as she grabbed onto my hair and began to pull.

It was just as I suspected. Jessiebelle may have been tough with her whip, but she didn't know the first thing about unarmed combat -- all she could do was pull hair and slap faces! But this was more than some little cat-fight over who stole whose man -- this was war...and with everything I'd learned from my momma, all my years of Team Rocket training, the advantage was mine.

I punched Jessiebelle a few more times, bloodying her nose. Then, I jerked her down and brought my knee into her stomach. As she crumpled to the floor, I jump-kicked her across the room. She landed with a loud thud by the door.

It had been awhile since I'd been in a fight like that. I used to brawl all the time when I was younger. I remember being in detention practically every day during my grade-school years for beating up the people who picked on me. And then, when Madam Boss made me a Team Rocket trainee after my mother's death, I was forced to fight every day. By the time I was old enough to be sent away to Pokemon Tech to complete my education, it was engrained in my personality.

And Tech wasn't much different from grade-school. Not many people picked on me anymore, but that was when I met James...and people were picking on him. When I first saw that cute little boy, I knew he was somebody special. In him, I saw myself before the weight of the world crushed my soul and jaded my vision -- I saw innocence incarnate. And when I saw that people were hurting him, just because he was sweet and innocent and wouldn't fight back, I knew that I had to protect him. And so, during our school days, our years on the road and with the bike gang, and my return (and James's initiation) to Team Rocket, I continued to fight. It's always been a part of who I am.

But things are different now -- I think James is rubbing off on me. He's always detested violence, and after so many years with him, I find that I'm becoming less violent. I haven't been in a real, honest-to-God fist-fight in ages! I'm not complaining about that, though -- I want to be less violent! I want to be more like James...to be more gentle. I want to be somebody who can give him the love he deserves...and be worthy of his love in return.

But at that moment, as I looked down at Jessiebelle's prone form, the kind, gentle person I want to be didn't exist. This woman was a threat to me and my friends, and gentleness would never be able to stop her. The only way to stop her was by force, and in order to do that, I had to embrace the darkness inside of myself once again. And I tell you, I enjoyed it! I thought of everything she'd ever done to hurt James, and I relished the feeling of hurting her right back! Revenge was sweet.

Jessiebelle groaned and looked up at me. One of her eyes was blackened, and blood was still dripping from her nose. She opened her mouth to say something to me, but she was at a loss for words.

I smirked. "And just imagine what I could've done to you if I weren't sick," I told her. "So I'm warning you -- get out of here, Jessiebelle, and don't ever bother us again. James is his own man. He's free to live however he wants, he's free to love whomever he wants...he has a choice, and he chooses me."

"Oh, no," she sneered, getting to her feet again. "You don't get rid of me as easily as that! You're dreamin' if you think I'm just gonna stand aside while my fiance runs off with another woman! He's intended for me and me alone, and I will NOT be denied!"

I rolled my eyes. Oh, boy. Here we go again....

Jessiebelle grinned and brought out a poke ball. "What're you gonna do now, Jessie?" she said mockingly. "You don't have James and the cat to save you from my Vileplume this time!"

"Last time, you took me by surprise," I replied, bringing out one of my own poke balls. "But I'm ready for anything you and that miserable little weed can dish out now."

"We'll see about that," she said, releasing her pokemon. "Vileplume! I choose you!"

I flinched, but only for a second, as I watched the flower emerge. Yes, it was definitely the same Vileplume that had poisoned me earlier. But it was much bigger now than that day we faced it on James's estate all those months ago. Jessiebelle had obviously been working with it, pumping it up in preparation for this occasion. This was no random encounter -- she'd probably been planning this since the day James escaped from her again...and she'd probably been stalking us for quite awhile now. I wasn't going to let her or her powered-up Vileplume intimidate me, though. I still had the advantage.

"Arbok! Go!" I cried, releasing my pokemon.

"Vileplume! Show those wretched beasts your Petal Dance!" Jessiebelle commanded.

Vileplume began to twirl around and fire a barrage of petals at Arbok, but I wasn't worried. It was just a showy version of a Razor Leaf attack.

"Arbok, use Acid," I said nonchalantly.

"Chaaaaa!!!" Arbok hissed, spitting her venom at the petals as they flew towards her. All of the projectiles disintegrated in mid-flight when they came in contact with the acid.

Jessiebelle scowled. "All right. No more playin' around! Vileplume! Paralyze them both with Stun Spore!"

I knew she was going to do that.

"Arbok! Glare attack!"

As Vileplume prepared to launch its Stun Spores, Arbok's eyes began to glow. Suddenly, the flower stopped moving.

"What the?!" Jessiebelle cried.

Now that Vileplume was unable to move, it was time to end this battle. "Finish it off! Use Body Slam!"

Arbok charged in and smashed Vileplume with her tail. The flower was sent reeling backwards, and it slammed into Jessiebelle at full speed. The force of the impact launched both of them sky-high, and they disappeared over the horizon in a little twinkle of light.

I couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see somebody besides me, James, and Meowth get blasted-off for a change.

@->->-

Once I was alone again, the adrenaline rush wore off, and the combination of my exertion and Jessiebelle's attacks finally registered with me. Lacking the strength to stand any longer, my legs buckled, and I collapsed to the floor. My fever had returned with a vengeance, and my back felt like it was on fire from where Jessiebelle had whipped me, but at the same time, I had the chills, and all I could do was tremble.

Arbok gently nudged me in an attempt to get me to stand again. She knew as well as I did that I couldn't lay in the middle of the floor and wait who knows how long for James and Meowth to find me. I had to get cleaned up and get into bed...but I didn't have the strength.

After a few more futile attempts to help me up, Arbok slithered away. She returned a few minutes later with my other poke ball in her mouth. Arbok then placed the ball next to my hand. Knowing what she had planned, I reached over and pressed the button, releasing Lickitung.

The two pokemon spoke amongst themselves for a moment and then returned to my side.

Putting my arms around Lickitung, I was able to pull myself up onto her back. She then helped me over to the wash basin where I'd bathed myself before Jessiebelle showed up.

After a bit of struggling, I managed to get my shirt off. Then, I dampened the washcloth again and sponged myself with the cool, clear water. Arbok and Lickitung stayed by my side the entire time. They couldn't really help me undress, bathe, or get dressed again, but they kept me company. And knowing that they were there...knowing that they loved me was more of a comfort than they could imagine.

Once I'd cleaned myself off, I looked in my mirror again to see just how badly Jessiebelle had messed me up. There was a large bruise on my right side from where she'd kicked me, my neck was ringed with bruises and scrapes from where she'd tried to strangle me, and even though I couldn't see them, I could feel the cuts on my back from where she'd lashed me with her whip. I looked awful, but all things considered, it could have been worse.

"I...I can't let James and Meowth see these," I muttered. "I can't let them know about what just happened...."

My pokemon gave me a confused look, as if to ask, "Why not?"

"If James finds out that Jessiebelle was here, that she's still out to get him, he'll get scared," I explained. "I think I got rid of her, so I don't want him to worry about it. And I don't want Meowth to find out either because if he does, I know he'll tell James. So, we need to keep this to ourselves, okay? There's no need to get them worked up...especially not after all they've done for me today."

Arbok and Lickitung nodded.

Fortunately, the cabin was already in a state of disrepair, so there wasn't really any evidence that there had even been a fight, which meant that I didn't have to exert myself again to clean the place up. So, I decided to go back to bed and wait for James and Meowth to return with my medicine.

After putting on a clean uniform to conceal all of my cuts and bruises, I crawled back under the blanket on my straw mat, and Arbok and Lickitung stayed by my side so that they could keep watch over me. I didn't have the feeling of being spied on anymore, so I knew that Jessiebelle really was gone, but the fact that my pokemon were there to protect me made me feel safe, and sleep came easily.

@->->-

I don't know how long I slept that time, but when I awoke, I was still stiff and sore, and I still had a splitting headache. As I yawned and stretched myself out, I wondered how much longer James and Meowth were going to be. It was almost dark, and they still hadn't returned! That was when I heard a welcome sound -- James's voice.

I looked up and saw him and Meowth coming through the door, and I smiled as Arbok and Lickitung ran to greet them. James was a little surprised to see them out of their poke balls at first, but after a moment, he started petting them, telling them what good girls they were for keeping me company while he was away.

As I watched him, I knew that not telling him about Jessiebelle was the right thing to do. He looked so happy at that moment, and I knew that if I told him about what had transpired here while he was gone, he'd be reduced to a sobbing wreck. The thought of that madwoman stalking us, trying to hurt us, would give him nightmares and make him paranoid...and I didn't want that.

James looked down at me, and his smile became even wider. "Hey, Jess! We got that Salvea Weed for you!" he exclaimed, holding up a handful of some kind of dark green plant with thin, spiral-shaped leaves.

I smiled at him. After all I'd been through, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. It was tea-time!

"Meowth is boiling the water right now," he told me. "And if my memory serves me right, grand-papa said it takes about ten minutes for the Salvea Weed to fully steep. Once you drink it, the tea counteracts all the effects of the Stun Spore. So, just a little longer, Jessie. Then, you'll be all better!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good!"

Once the pot of water on his portable stove began to boil, James went over and dropped the Salvea Weed in. Then, he brought out a pair of wooden chopsticks and began to stir the leaves around, keeping them submerged and making sure that they steeped evenly.

I know I probably should have stayed in bed, but I was fascinated by what was going on. The boiling Salvea Weed had such a wonderful fragrance, and I wanted to see how James was preparing it. Somehow, I got the feeling that we were all going to need to know how to make this tea, and I wanted that knowledge on-hand for future reference.

Keeping myself bundled in my blanket, I slowly got out of bed and came to their side so that I could watch them make the tea. After a few minutes, however, my headache started getting worse, and I became dizzy again. (Being so fatigued was really starting to get on my nerves!) A few more minutes passed, and still, James kept stirring the tea. It didn't look like he was going to stop any time soon. Hadn't it been ten minutes yet? It seemed more like an eternity!

"Isn't it ready yet?" I asked impatiently.

"Hang on! We're goin' as fast as we can!" Meowth snapped.

James frowned at me. "The least you could do is be a bit more appreciative!" he said sternly.

Well, I was good and ready to yell right back at them for being so short with me, but then, I remembered what a hard time I'd been giving them today. They were probably just as tired and cranky as I was, and I could hardly blame them for that. Besides, they didn't know about what I'd been through while they were out...and I planned on keeping it that way.

"I...I do appreciate what you're doing," I said contritely. "BUT DO IT FASTER, NOW!!!!!" (Hey! Nobody said I couldn't be grateful and impatient at the same time!)

James and Meowth said nothing, just rolled their eyes and exhaled in a frustrated sigh.

After a couple more minutes, James removed the pot from the stove and fished out the cooked-down Salvea leaves. Then, he poured the tea into a large mug and blew on it for a few seconds. Steam billowed out of the mug in two large, coiling plumes as his breath rippled the surface of the tea and cooled it a little.

"Here," he said softly, pressing the mug into my hands. "Now drink it slowly, and don't burn yourself."

As I alternated between blowing on the tea and sipping it, James unwrapped me from my blanket and began to massage my aching back and shoulders. His gentle touch felt good to my muscles, but every time his hand passed along a place where Jessiebelle's whip had bitten into me, it was all I could do to keep from crying out in pain.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Jess," he whispered into my ear. "It's just been a long day, and I've been worried about you."

"It's okay," I replied. He gave my shoulders an affectionate squeeze, not knowing that he was pressing right into a couple of sore spots. I gritted my teeth. "It...it's okay...."

Thankfully, James soon removed his hands from my shoulders and wrapped his arms around my waist instead. He kissed me on the cheek and rested his face next to mine as I continued to sip my tea. For a moment, I closed my eyes and smiled. His warm body felt wonderful so close to mine.

"You know, I never thought I'd say this, but one of those twerps was actually good for something today," James said at length.

I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, no. Don't tell me the brats are here!"

James nodded. "I'm afraid so," came his reply. He then told me about how Misty had been looking for Salvea Weed, too, and how she'd shared some of it with him and Meowth.

Well, he sounded grateful for what she'd done, but hearing that story...hearing how she'd beaten up his pokemon and tried to keep him from catching the Poliwag that would have led him to the Salvea Weed, just made me angrier than I already was!

Why do those brats always try to stop us from capturing wild pokemon?! Why do they always treat us like criminals when we're just minding our own business and not doing anything wrong?! I said to myself. JAMES may be thankful that one of them decided to be halfway-decent for a change, but I don't owe that little twerp a goddamn thing! If anything, she just slowed James and Meowth down and made things difficult for them!

And so, I tuned out the rest of James's story as I finished my tea. If I listened to one more word about how kind and caring and wonderful that twerp was, I was going to get sick all over again.

James was right about the tea being a miracle-cure, though -- as soon as I finished it, my headache and fatigue vanished, the stiffness in my muscles subsided, and my lungs cleared!

"Ah! I'm me again!" I cheered as I stretched myself out.

James and Meowth breathed a sigh of relief.

Once I was feeling a little more limber, something occurred to me.

"Hey! If that whiny wimp was out looking for Salvea Weed by herself, it must mean that her twerp friends are sick!" I reasoned. "This is our chance to triple-team them and finally capture Pikachu!"

"But, Jessie...." James protested.

There was still a look of worry in his eyes. He obviously wanted me to get more rest before going out and exerting myself again, but this opportunity was too good to pass up! Besides, I was angry with Misty for being so mean to James and Meowth! (I didn't care what the two of them said -- she WAS being mean to them by getting in their way! Sharing her Salvea Weed, that they should have been allowed to get on their own, wasn't enough to make up for that as far as I was concerned!)

"Stop complaining!" I snapped. "The two of you have already wasted valuable time! Now, let's get going!"

As I stormed out the door, I heard James and Meowth make some kind of smart remark about how I was back to normal...and there was no missing the disappointment in their voices when they said it.

Well, I'll admit, yelling at them after everything they'd done for me was a really lousy thing to do, and I instantly regretted it, but hey! I was still feeling lousy! My hands and arms were trembling since I hadn't yet regained all of my motor control, and my neck and back were killing me. And then, hearing that the twerps were on this island, too, ruining yet another of our vacations, was just too much!

The dark, violent side of me that had emerged while I was fighting Jessiebelle was still in charge, and at the moment, I longed for more combat. I had to get my encounter with Jessiebelle off of my mind, and I was aching for revenge for how Misty had treated James and Meowth! And what better way to do all of that than by kicking ass and taking names? I wouldn't be satisfied until then.

@->->-

Finding the twerps was a simple matter. All I had to do was bring out Arbok again. Once she'd picked up the trail, she led me right to them.

There was another cabin on the island -- a little cottage on the northern coast, only a few miles away from where James, Meowth, and I were staying, and that's where they were.

"Arbok! Flush them out!" I commanded.

"Charrr-boka!" she hissed as she charged towards the cabin.

Arbok crashed through the wall, and a few seconds later, all three of the brats raced out the door, with Pikachu and a Poliwag in tow. Needless to say, they didn't look too happy to see me.

"I guess you're too stunned to battle," I said mockingly.

"Guess again!" Ash shouted as he pulled on his gloves and his hat.

Well, I wasn't about to let that little twerp get the best of me! After all, I'd just defeated Jessiebelle -- I was on a hot streak! "Go, Arbok!" I shouted.

"Go, Pikachu!" Ash cried.

As Arbok and Pikachu charged each other, I couldn't help but notice that James and Meowth were hiding behind a large rock some distance away. They looked like they didn't want to be seen with me!

"WHY AREN'T YOU OUT HERE HELPING ME?!" I demanded.

James grinned sheepishly. "Uh...wouldn't wanna cramp your style!" he said nervously.

Yeah, right, I said to myself. You're on THEIR side! You're rooting for the twerps, aren't you?! Well fine. Be that way. I thought we were a team, but I guess I'm going to have to take care of this myself!

"Arbok! Double Edge attack!"

"Pikachu! Thundershock!"

I knew he was going to do that, but before I could command Arbok to go underground, Pikachu darted in at lightning-quick speed and unleashed his Thundershock. It then slammed into poor Arbok, electrocuting her and sending her flying....

....Flying right into me at full-speed. The force of the Thundershock and 140 pounds of high-velocity Arbok knocked me backwards at least fifty feet, and I skidded across the rocky ground on my back...right on the sore spots where Jessiebelle had whipped me. By the time I came to a halt, I was in so much pain that I became paralyzed again. If I even thought about moving, I'd probably die.

"Unnnhhh...I wonder...if that...weed...would cure...a...Thundershock...." I groaned.

James and Meowth emerged from their hiding place and came to my side. They both looked like they were angry with me.

"I think what you need is a cure for a terminal case of ingratitude!" James snapped.

With that, the two of them picked me up and darted away.

"Thanks again...er...uh...I mean, looks like Team Rocket's dashin' off again!" Meowth called over his shoulder to the Twerp Trio.

So, I was right -- they WERE on the enemy's side! How could they do something like that to me?!

"How could you do something like that to them, Jessie?!" James demanded. "Misty helped us, for God's sake!"

"But...."

"No! I don't want to hear it!" he shouted. "You don't treat people like garbage when they do something nice for you!"

I saw the angry light in his eyes, and I knew that he was talking about more than just the twerps. He was still upset about how I'd used him earlier, no doubt.

"I...I'm sorry...." I whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"Uh, huh. Sure ya are," Meowth said sarcastically.

James said nothing, just turned away from me.

@->->-

Neither one of them spoke another word to me as we returned to our cabin. When we finally did get back, James and Meowth continued to ignore me, setting me down on my straw mat and turning away in order to talk amongst themselves.

Meowth growled in protest to something that James said, but James gave him a stern look and pointed to the door. Meowth scowled at him as he turned and went outside, muttering a string of curses under his breath. I didn't know exactly what was going on, but I'd heard them use the word, "bitch" a couple of times, and I knew that I'd been the subject of their unpleasant conversation.

After Meowth left, James went over to his backpack in the far corner of the room and began digging out his cooking utensils so that he could make dinner. I sighed as I watched him set up his portable stove and start arranging his pots and pans. He was facing away from me, but I could tell he was still angry because he still hadn't spoken to me.

I hate it when James is angry with me. He's such a gentle man, and it takes a lot to drive him to that point. So, I know that whenever he gets mad at me, it means that I've really hurt him...and I can't make excuses for myself because in my heart, I know that I've done something to deserve his anger.

And I'd done plenty to deserve it today.

As I sat there and watched James continue to ignore me, I found my thoughts drifting back to Jessiebelle and what she'd said about how he could never really love me...about how I was every bit as cruel as she was, and that he'd eventually leave me because of that. God, she sounded a lot like my ex-boyfriend! He always told me that I was an evil bitch...that I was too evil for anybody to truly love.

Well, I knew that Jessiebelle and Antonio were full of shit, that they were masters of manipulation, and that they played mind-games with everybody around them, but at that moment, I couldn't help but wonder if everything they'd told me was true.

Today, a part of me that I was really trying to forget about resurfaced and forced me to do some terrible things. Now that my temper had cooled off, I wasn't proud of that. (Don't get me wrong, I don't have any regrets about what I did to Jessiebelle, but James was right -- attacking the twerps was going too far.) For awhile, I thought that I was finally starting to bring my violence under control. I thought that I was finally going to be able to leave it behind, embrace my love with James, and become as gentle and happy as he is. But I was wrong. The violence...the darkness had always been a part of me, and it always would be. Nothing would ever change that.

So, Jessiebelle and Antonio were right. A man as sweet and gentle as James could never truly love a woman as moody and violent as me -- he deserved someone better. Was the day he finally realized this close at hand...or was it already here?

I couldn't just sit there and let these questions gnaw away at my brain -- I had to find out just how angry James really was...and I had to apologize. (If there's one thing I've learned from all of the fights I've had with him, it's that I can't let my foolish pride get in the way of our relationship.) I needed to humble myself and take the punishment I had coming. I didn't expect James to forgive me, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself until I did.

Slowly, I stretched myself out and got to my feet. My back was still killing me, and I was still a little stiff from the Thundershock, but at least I wasn't paralyzed anymore. Then, I made my way over to James and knealt by his side.

"James...can I talk to you?" I asked tentatively.

"Of course," he replied. The expression on his face when he turned to look at me was surprisingly gentle.

"I...I want to apologize for the way I treated you today," I told him. "You were right -- I've been acting like an ungrateful bitch. You and Meowth really came through for me, and I should've been more appreciative. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," James said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "And you're not a bitch. You were just sick. I don't blame you for being unpleasant when you're not feeling well."

I felt my cheeks grow hot when he said this. "That's just it, James," I muttered. "I was...."

"Exaggerating?" he asked, finishing the sentence for me.

I raised an eyebrow.

He smiled tenderly at me. "Yes, Jessie. I know you weren't nearly as sick as you would have had us believe. You forget -- I was once poisoned by Stun Spores, too. I knew that once you coughed them up, you were going to be just fine. Besides, I've seen you when you really are sick, and you're a much better patient on those occasions than you were today. Somehow, I don't think you'd have had the energy to kick me and yell at me if you really were dying, like you'd said."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought again about just how mean I'd been to him, and I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle a sob.

"Shhh...don't cry, Jess," he whispered, taking my hands and sliding off my gloves. He then took off his own gloves and twined the fingers of our bare hands. "I'm not mad at you...not anymore."

"Why'd you do it, James?" I asked him. "If you knew that I was faking...if you knew that I was going to be okay, then why did you and Meowth go to all of that trouble to get the Salvea Weed for me?"

"You weren't faking," came his reply. "You may not have been on your deathbed, but you were still sick. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't do whatever I could to make you feel better?"

I hung my head as the tears I'd been holding back began to fall from my eyes.

James put his arms around me and pulled me into an embrace. "I love you," he said. "And if I had today to do all over again, I'd have still gone out and gotten all of that stuff for you. I'd have still done everything in my power to make you well again -- I'd do anything for you, Jess!"

"I love you, too," I whispered as I laid my head on his shoulder and returned his embrace. "You're the greatest guy in the world, and I couldn't ask for a better friend...or lover than you. I just wish I were a better friend...I wish I were better at showing how grateful I am to have you...."

James pulled me closer and began to run his fingers through my hair. "Jessie, sweetheart, I didn't mean what I said about your terminal case of ingratitude. I was just...."

"No, James. You were right to yell at me for the way I treated you," I told him in all honesty. "I'm so sorry...."

"No, I wasn't," he said. "I wasn't really all that angry with you -- I was upset because of what happened with Misty, and I was taking it out on you. I had no right to do that, and if anyone around here should apologize, it's me."

I closed my eyes and recalled what James and Meowth had said about what a kind, caring person Misty was and how lucky those other twerps were to have her as a friend...and how bitchy and insufferable I must have seemed by comparison. I really was a bad friend, and the thought of it made me start to cry again.

"It wasn't you at all, Jess -- I was just so humiliated," he said, rocking me gently back and forth and continuing to stroke my hair. "I wanted to find that Salvea Weed for you...to prove that I could come through for you when you needed me. But I failed. I couldn't catch that Poliwag...I couldn't defeat Misty in a pokemon battle when she was trying to keep the Poliwag safe from us...." His voice trailed off for a moment. "Her water pokemon defeated my Victreebel, for God's sake...and Weezing and Meowth couldn't do anything to stop her, either! Even outsmarting her didn't work -- she didn't fall for any of our tricks! The only reason I was able to get the cure for you is because she felt sorry for how pathetic we were and left some for us!

"I know this sounds stupid, all things considered, but I didn't want to get the Salvea Weed that way -- I wanted to get it for you myself! I want to be the man you deserve, Jess! I want to be your hero...but I'm just a zero!" Now James was crying, too. "It hurt so much. I tried my best to save you, but instead, Misty just showed me what a loser I really am! What if you really had been dying?! What if she hadn't taken pity on me?! I may have brought you the cure today, but I still failed you, Jessie. And what if I fail you again, when there really is an emergency?! The thought of it scares the living hell out of me!"

"No, James," I whispered, reaching up and brushing his tears away. "You've never failed me before, and you didn't fail me today."

"I...I didn't?"

I shook my head. "You were always there to take care of me when I really was sick...and a couple of times you've even saved my life! You're always there for me, and that means a lot. Like I said before, I couldn't ask for a better friend. You really are my hero, James!"

This made him smile.

"And don't you DARE think that you're a loser because of what happened with Misty today," I continued. "I don't know what it is, but we always seem to have bad luck whenever those twerps are around. Losing that battle wasn't your fault! Besides, she didn't leave you the Salvea Weed because you're pathetic -- she left it because you're just so gosh-darned cute that even a heartless little brat like her couldn't resist your charm!"

Now James wasn't just smiling -- he was laughing, too!

I returned his smile and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

After a moment, he became serious again. "I still feel bad about what happened, though," he said. "I feel like I owe her for what she did, and...."

"And I'll bet the way I acted towards the twerps after you cured me was a real embarrasment," I concluded. "Now I know why you didn't help me in that battle."

He nodded. "I wanted to thank her. I wanted to prove that we're better people than they think we are. It pisses me off that they think we're evil and heartless, just because we don't get along with them. I wanted to show them that, contrary to what they believe, we are, indeed, human...."

The tone of his voice was becoming angry again. "I'm sorry, James," I muttered, turning away from him. "Now those brats are right to think I'm a monster...but they think it about you, too...just because you're my partner. You didn't do anything wrong, but you're guilty by association. I really screwed things up today, didn't I?"

James cupped my chin in his hand and forced me to look up at him. "Yes, you did," he said. "But I think I know what we can do to make things right again."

"You do? What?"

He smiled, and a mischievous light twinkled in his emerald-green eyes. "I'll warn you right now, Jess, this is going to hurt you a lot more than it's going to hurt me...."

Uh, oh.

"....We're going to write Misty a nice e-mail!" he told me. "I'm going to thank her for what she did...and you're going to apologize for what you did!"

My face began to turn red again. "James, I...."

He chuckled and silenced me by placing a finger to my lips. "I know it's embarrasing to admit that you were wrong...especially to a twerp like her," he said softly. "But just imagine the look she'll have on her face when she gets our message and realizes just how wrong she is about us!"

This made me smile. "You're right, James! Let's do it!"

James nodded and brought out our laptop computer. Once he'd connected to the internet and accessed our e-mail account, he started a new message, addressed to Mermaid4@gymtrainers.cerulean.net:

Dear Misty,

James here! I didn't get the chance earlier, but I just wanted to thank you for helping us out today. Jessie was really sick, and Meowth and I were worried to death about her! Sharing your Salvea Weed with us really meant a lot. (And for the record, I wasn't trying to hurt that Poliwag you were protecting from us -- I just wanted to catch him so that he'd help me find the cure for my friend. ^_^*) Oh, and speaking of my friend, that reminds me...Jessie has something to say to you, too!

James placed the computer in front of me.

I thought for a moment about what I was going to say, and then, I began to type....

Hey. James told me all about what you did for us, and I want to apologize for attacking you and your friends today. I'll admit it -- that was really awful of me. Helping me out by sharing your Salvea Weed with James and Meowth was really nice, and I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. I'm sorry about that, and I hope there's no hard feelings.

Every single word of that paragraph was a labor for me to type. It killed me to have to apologize to Misty, but in my heart, I knew it was the right thing to do. And I knew that James wanted me to do it...after all he'd done for me, I owed him at least that much.

"So, am I cured of my terminal case of ingratitude now?" I ventured once I'd finished writing.

James nodded. "Well done, Jessie. I'm proud of you," he said, kissing me on the forehead. Then, he took back the computer and began to type again....

Well, there you have it! An official "thank you"...and apology from both of us! Don't get used to it, though -- this doesn't mean we're friends now. We just wanted to let you know that we're not quite as bad as you think we are...and that we never forget a good deed.

@->->- James & Jessie

After he finished typing, James hit the send button. Then, he turned and smiled at me. "Just remember," he said. "The look on her face is going to be priceless when she reads that message from 3Rocketeers@team-rocket.com!"

"Yeah," I replied, returning his smile.

Once the message had been sent, James disconnected from the internet and shut off the computer. Then, the two of us sat quietly together for a few minutes.

It was James who finally broke the silence.

"Jessie...can I ask you a question?"

I looked up at him. "Of course you can."

"Why, exactly, were you pretending to be more sick than you really were?" His green eyes twinkled, and he gave me a knowing smile when he asked this. He knew the answer to his question, but he wanted to hear me say it.

I blushed and hung my head.

"Well?" he prompted, giving me a gentle nudge with his elbow.

I looked into his eyes again and felt my face turn even redder than it already was. "Because...because I wanted you to take care of me," I replied. "When I first got sick this morning and saw how worried you were about me...it was just so sweet. I liked how you were trying to nurse me back to health -- how you held me and called me sweetheart more than usual, how you sang to me, how you brought me water and food, and especially how you went to find the cure for me...even after I was so inconsiderate...."

James nodded approvingly. He knew that I was telling the truth.

"....And, I guess I was afraid you wouldn't have done any of that nice stuff for me if you knew I wasn't really all that sick," I continued. "I liked how much attention you were paying to me, and I decided to milk it for all it was worth. I know it was really rotten to take advantage of you like that, and I'm sorry. But it's not easy acting tough all the time, you know. I just...I just wanted to be pampered for awhile. And who better to pamper me than the sweetest guy in existence -- the man I love?"

James embraced me once again and began to play with my hair. "Well, I did know you weren't all that sick, but I did it for you anyway," he told me. "Jess, I like taking care of you! Do you have any idea how good it makes me feel to know that you need me? I'd take care of you like that even if you were in perfect health!"

I looked up at him and saw the sincerity of his expression. "You would, wouldn't you?"

He nodded. "I love you, Jessie, and I'd do anything for you...but sometimes I'm afraid to because I know how strong you are and that you hate accepting help from others...."

"I do hate it when I need help," I admitted. "But I'd never be angry with you for doing something sweet for me, James. I know I don't act like it, but I enjoy letting you be the one in control sometimes. You're the only person in this world that I can trust so completely."

"Thank you," he whispered. "Jessie, that means more to me than you could ever imagine."

I smiled at him and tousled his silky blue-violet hair. "Just telling the truth!"

James grinned and pulled me into his lap. "Well, then, if it's pampering you want, it's pampering you'll get!" he told me. "Just wait until Meowth gets back. Then you'll have more pampering than you'll know what to do with!"

"That reminds me. Where did Meowth go, anyway?" I asked.

"I sent him out on an errand," came his reply.

Now my curiosity was piqued. "An errand? What kind of errand?"

"You'll see," he said slyly, pressing his lips to mine.

I giggled. "James, what do you have planned?!"

"I already told you -- more pampering than you'll know what to do with!"

"James...."

Before I could say anything more, however, James's mouth closed over mine once again. All I could do was melt into his embrace and return the kiss.

James slowly lowered me to the floor and laid himself on top of me as our kiss deepened. My heart began to race as he pressed himself against me. I knew what he wanted...and I wanted it every bit as much as he did!

I pulled off his jacket and tossed it aside. My hands then slid down his chest and stomach, making him tremble with desire. But just as I began to unbuckle his belt....

"Heh. I take it youse guys worked everything out?"

The two of us looked and saw Meowth standing in the doorway. He was dragging a large bundle behind him, and he had a smirk on his face.

James blushed and got off of me. "Yes, as a matter of fact, we did," he replied, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I sighed in frustration. Damn!

Meowth snickered as he watched James adjust his pants and buckle his belt once again.

"Oh, shut up," he grumbled.

"I didn't say nothin'!" the cat laughed.

"Well, you were thinking it!" James snapped.

Meowth put a paw over his mouth and stifled another giggle. "Well, I got the stuff, just like ya asked, Jimmy," he said once he was able to regain his composure.

James nodded. "Good. Bring it over here."

"I'll have ya know I went to a lotta trouble ta get dis stuff," Meowth growled as he came through the door and handed the bundle to James. "I fell into some of dose traps we dug!" He then gave me a stern look, as if it were my fault. "Yer one lucky girl, Jess. You'd better be real thankful ta have a great guy like James as yer boyfriend!"

"I am...I am...." I said contritely as I hung my head again.

"Leave her alone, Meowth!" James said, coming to my defense. "We've already talked about this, and it's not an issue anymore!"

Meowth nodded. "'Kay. I'm sorry."

James looked at me and smiled. "Well, Jess, are you ready for that pampering now?"

I blushed. "What's in that bundle?"

"Well, let's just see!" came his reply. James then opened the bundle and brought out a large basket of food. "It looks like we've got dinner!" Next, he brought out a beautiful set of white china with blue Gyrados patterns on it. "And something to serve it on!"

My eyes widened. "James, where did all of this...."

He gave me a mischievous, child-like grin. "Wait! There's more!" With that, he brought out a make-up kit and two evening gowns -- a purple one and a red one.

Well, I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Where did they get all of this stuff?!

"It was part of our plan ta get the Salvea Weed from Misty," Meowth explained, as if he could read my mind. "We dug some pit traps and used stuff dat we thought every girl would love as bait! Well...it was stuff we knew you'd love, anyway. Misty didn't seem too interested in it...."

"....And that's why I sent Meowth to get it all back," James finished for him. "I didn't want to let all of that nice stuff go to waste...especially not when I knew that the woman I love would enjoy it!"

A tear rolled down my cheek as I held up one of the dresses. "Oh, James! This is so sweet! Thank you!"

James came to my side and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Don't mention it."

I turned my head and looked into his beautiful green eyes again. Then, our lips met in another kiss.

Yes, I was definitely the luckiest girl in the world to have a boyfriend like James.

@->->-

When our kiss ended a few minutes later, James broke from our embrace and went to make dinner.

"Do you need any help?" I asked him.

"Nah," he replied. "I can handle it. You just get some rest, Jessie."

I smiled at him and went to lay down again, but I wasn't really all that tired. And besides, something was still troubling me.

"James...I'm going to go for a walk. Okay?" I said.

He turned and looked at me, a concerned expression on his face. "Jessie, I want you to take it easy!"

"I know. I will," I told him. "But I need to get some fresh air."

James nodded. "Okay, Jess. Just don't take too long."

"Don't worry, I won't. I'll be back in time for dinner," I replied.

@->->-

Once I was outside, I made my way down to the lake and seated myself on a grassy patch by the shore.

I wonder how long Jessiebelle's been following us, I said to myself as I gazed up at the starry night sky. I thought we'd left her behind for good, but I should've known she wouldn't let James get away from her that easily. God! She even said she'd follow him to the ends of the earth! I guess it was only a matter of time before she found us again....

I sighed as I remembered that day on James's estate. One of the worst...and best days of my life.

Looking back, I realize that I've been in love with James since the day I met him. It wasn't a romantic kind of love at first (we were just kids, after all), but that's what it became when I was a little older. My feelings for him have always been so much deeper than friendship, but for the longest time, I was too proud...and too afraid to admit it.

But the day I found out about James's accursed fiance...the day I almost lost him to that awful woman was the day it finally happened. That was the day I finally got over myself and acknowledged that I was in love. It was another couple of months before I was able to finally tell him (and I'll always regret that), but at least I'd admitted it to myself.

Even after all these months, the events of that day still make my head spin. Learning all the secrets of my James's past at once was overwhelming -- the wealth and inheritance he'd run away from, the uncaring and abusive family he'd once told me about, and most of all...her.

I'll admit it -- I hated Jessiebelle from the start. I know I said I wanted James to get married so that we could get his inheritance, but I wouldn't have made him go through with it! I just wanted to fake the wedding so that we could take the money from his evil family and still be together. I didn't act like it, but when I heard that James was engaged, it made me mad. I hated that other woman for hurting James, for daring to think that she could take him from me. But nothing could have prepared me for the hatred and horror I felt when I saw what she looked like.

I sighed as I looked at my reflection on the surface of the water. Not a day goes by that I don't think about it, but what happened earlier just served as a harsh reminder -- I look exactly like Jessiebelle. And that breaks my heart.

I once thought I was beautiful, but now I'm not so sure anymore. After all, how could I possibly think something that hurts James...something that frightens him is beautiful?! How can I find myself attractive when I look exactly like the thing he hates most? Sometimes when I'm being mean to James, I don't see myself in the mirror at all -- I see her, and I can't help but wonder if that's what James sees, too. I wonder if, whenever I do something to hurt him or make him angry (like I had today), he looks at me and sees Jessiebelle instead.

I know that's what I saw now.

Even though James had forgiven me, I hadn't yet forgiven myself, and as I looked down at my reflection in the lake, I saw Jessiebelle staring back. Suddenly, I found myself remembering something she'd said to me:

You and I, we're one and the same, Jessie. And it's only a matter of time before James wakes up and realizes it. No matter what he says, or what he does, he can't really love you. After all, how can he love and hate the same face all at once? And on the day he realizes it, he's gonna find that he hates you as much as he hates me, and he's gonna run away from you, screamin' in terror....

Everything she'd told me reverberated in my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was true. How, indeed, could James love me when I have so much in common with that monster? She's the embodiment of everything I hate about myself -- my violence, my pride, my greed, my insensitivity...all wrapped up in a dark, twisted reflection of my soul.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how right she was. How much longer would it be until the day James would see me for what I really am and run away, screaming in terror? And how could I stop him, or blame him, when that day finally did come? A man as wonderful as James deserves to be happy, but how could a woman like me ever bring him true happiness? How, indeed, could he be happy with a woman who looks...and sometimes acts like the thing he hates most?

Unable to bear the sight of my reflection any longer, I put my fist through the surface of the water, distorting and destroying the image. And unable to bear the thought that James was going to leave me, I began to cry.

Normally, I'm good at sensing when I'm being watched...when somebody is trying to sneak up on me, but at the moment, I was so upset that I didn't even know I wasn't alone.

I nearly had a heart attack when I felt the paw on my back and heard Meowth ask, "Jessie, whatsa' matter?!"

"M-Meowth?! Don't scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry," he said. "But dinner's almost ready, and ya hadn't come back like ya promised. James and I were gettin' worried about ya, so I came ta see if somethin' was wrong. And obviously, somethin' is. Care ta talk about it?"

I sniffled and wiped my tears away. "It's...it's nothing. Go back inside, Meowth."

"Dammit, Jessie, it ain't nothin'!" he snapped. Then, in a softer voice, "Sorry. I didn't mean ta yell at ya like dat, but when somethin' upsets ya enough ta make ya cry, it must be pretty serious. And if ya think James and I are just gonna sit around and do nothin' while yer so upset, den yer crazy! Now tell me what it is!"

I looked down at Meowth and saw the concern in his midnight-blue eyes. But I still couldn't tell him about what had happened. I still didn't want James to find out about this!

"Tell me," he said again.

"I can't," I whispered as fresh tears welled up in my eyes.

Meowth frowned. "I'm gonna go get James."

"Meowth, no! I can't tell him, either!"

The cat smirked. "Well, dat's just too bad, ain't it? Cuz guess what, Jessie? We're yer friends, and we're gonna take care of ya when yer feelin' bad...whether ya want us to or not!"

There was a knowing look on his face when he said this. He was aware that I'd been exaggerating my illness earlier, too...and he'd gone out and done nice stuff for me just like James had. My little ploy to get attention from them was a double-edged sword, and now the cat was using it against me.

"At least come back inside and have dinner. Please?"

I nodded and wiped my tears away again. "Okay...but I really can't talk about this, Meowth. It's too...it's too...I just can't...."

Meowth climbed onto my head as I got to my feet. (For some reason, he likes doing that -- sitting on our heads. He always seems to be hitching a ride on James, but he hardly ever jumps onto me. Maybe he's afraid I'll get angry with him for mussing my hair, but truth be told, I don't mind. If anything, I think it's cute. I think it's his own special way of showing that he loves us and wants to be close to us.)

"I really don't see what's so horrible ya can't talk ta me or James about it," he said into my ear as we made our way back towards the cabin. "But we won't force ya ta talk about it if ya really don't wanna. Just know dat we are dere ta listen if ya change yer mind."

"Thank you," I whispered.

@->->-

As soon as we got back to the cabin, I went straight to bed and crawled under my blanket. I wasn't really hungry, and after everything I'd been through today, I just didn't have the energy...or the will to do anything except go to sleep.

But my heart, my soul, and my mind were so tormented by what had happened that sleep just wouldn't come. All I could do was bury my face in my pillow and continue to cry.

Across the room, I heard James and Meowth talking amongst themselves. There was no missing the concern in their voices, and something told me that, contrary to what Meowth had promised, they weren't going to let this be.

And sure enough, after a few minutes, I heard their footsteps approaching me.

"Jessie?" James asked as he knealt at my side. I then felt his warm, soft hand on my shoulder.

I looked up at him. Even though my vision was blurred by tears, I could see the look of worry etched on his face.

"Jessie, what's wrong, sweetheart? What happened?" From the tone of his voice, I could tell that he was blaming himself for this -- he thought that he'd failed me again.

"It's not you, James," I told him. "You didn't do anything wrong -- I did...."

His eyes widened. "Jess, I thought we worked this out! We're not mad at you anymore!"

I shook my head. "It's not about what I did today -- it's just about me. You're...you're a good man, and I honestly don't know what you see in a woman like me. I don't deserve you, James. I feel unworthy...."

James took me in his arms as I began to cry again. "Jessie, how can you say that?! How can you even THINK that, after all the happiness you've brought me?!"

"H-happiness?" I stammered. "What about all the trouble...all the pain I've caused...."

He silenced me by placing a hand to my lips. "Every relationship has its ups and downs. Sometimes it is a pain, but the joy of being with you outweighs it, by far! The hardships don't matter when I know that I've got you by my side...when I know that we can see it through together."

"Y-you mean that?"

James nodded and pulled me into his lap again. "I'm a friend whose love is true."

Then, Meowth came to our side. "Make dat double -- we both love you!"

Somehow, I knew what they were going to say next. On the day that James and I tried to leave Meowth behind with a civilization of Meowth-worshippers so that he could spend the rest of his days being treated like a god, he realized just how deeply we cared for him. And when he began to cry because he just wanted to be with us again, James and I came from our hiding place and did a special friendship motto, to show that we still loved him, even after he'd hurt us. Now it was my turn. They were going to do the same for me -- to show me that they still loved me...even after I'd hurt them.

"You protect us both from desperation," James said softly.

"Ya unite us all in jubilation," Meowth chimed in.

"You help chase away our loneliness."

"Yer a mess, but we love ya nevertheless."

"James."

"And Meowth. Dat's right!"

Hearing such a silly version of our motto made me chuckle.

James held me closer. Then, Meowth put his arms around me, too and began to purr. After a few minutes, I started to feel a little better.

"Are you going to be okay now?" James asked.

"Yeah...yeah, I think I am," I told him.

He nodded and brushed away my tears. "Good. Because I'd do anything to see my precious angel smile again!"

When James said this, he and Meowth began to laugh. Obviously, there was some sort of private joke between them.

"Dat was another thing we did ta try and trick Misty into givin' us some Salvea Weed," the cat explained when he saw my confusion. "James and I disguised ourselves as a mommy and a baby, and James told her dat he needed some Salvea Weed cuz his sweetie was sick, and he'd do anything ta make his precious angel smile again...and he wasn't talkin' about Me-owth when he said dat!"

Now I was laughing, too. "Well, you did, James -- you made me smile again. I don't know how you do it, but no matter how bad I feel, you always make me happy."

"Poor Jessie," he chuckled. "You had such a rotten day, just because you stopped to smell the flowers this morning. But I know how to give this day a happy ending."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? How?"

He smiled. "Let's have dinner first. Then I'll give you a little more pampering." His smile widened as he leaned closer to me. "And then...we can finish what we started before Meowth showed up!" he whispered into my ear.

I returned his smile. "Sounds perfect!"

James took me by the hands as we got to our feet. "Come on. Let's eat before everything gets cold."

"Yeah! I'm starvin'!" said Meowth.

With that, the three of us went to the table. Meowth and I laid out the pretty china while James brought the food from his stove. And as soon as I smelled what we were having for dinner, my appetite came back with a vengeance!

It was one of my absolute favorites -- grilled chicken and steamed rice and vegetables with teriyaki sauce, and there was even fresh green tea ice cream for dessert! I tell you, it was one of the best dinners the three of us had ever shared, and the love of my friends made it all the more special to me!

@->->-

Once we'd finished eating, Meowth volunteered to wash the dishes so that James and I could be alone together.

"So...what exactly did you have in mind, James?" I asked as we seated ourselves on my straw mat.

"Why don't I start by giving you a nice massage?" he suggested.

I closed my eyes and smiled as he began to pull off my jacket. The prospect of his warm, soft hands caressing my body again was an appealing one. But then, I remembered something -- if he undressed me, he was going to discover what Jessiebelle had done! I couldn't let him see those cuts and bruises, but if I protested or insisted on leaving my clothes on, he was going to get suspicious! What was I going to do?!

I had to stall for time! I had to keep him occupied until I thought of something!

But I was too late.

James leaned closer to kiss my neck, but before his lips touched, he paused. "What the....?" he muttered.

"James?"

He pulled back the high collar of my jacket, and his eyes widened when he saw the large, purple bruise around the base of my neck.

"J-Jessie, what is that?" he asked nervously.

"Uh...uh...." Oh, great! How am I going to explain this?!

"What did that Vileplume do?! Try to strangle you?!"

The Vileplume! He thought it was made by the Vileplume!

"Uh...yeah. It must have!" I said lamely.

"Take off your jacket. I've got some lotion that'll take those cuts and bruises away," he told me.

"It...it doesn't hurt that much! Really!" I was sounding lamer and lamer with every passing second.

James smirked at me. "Stop trying to be tough, Jessie. I insist."

I sighed. If I kept protesting, he was going to know that something was wrong. So, while he went to his backpack and rooted around for the lotion, I pulled off my jacket and set it aside. All I could do now was keep my back facing away from him and hope that he didn't notice the whip marks.

When James returned a couple of minutes later, he opened the bottle and poured a bit of lotion on the palm of his hand. I leaned my head back a little as he gently massaged it into my skin. It felt so silky and cool, and it took the burning sensation away immediately.

"Mmmm...that feels good, James," I muttered.

"These are really nasty cuts, Jessie," he remarked. "I didn't know a Vileplume's vines could do that much damage!"

I felt a sweatdrop forming on the side of my face. He was starting to get suspicious. "Well, it was a really powerful Vileplume, after all," I told him.

James frowned. Yes, he definitely knew that something was going on.

"Okay, now turn around so I can do the back of your neck," he said.

The sweatdrop on my face doubled in size. I can't do that, James! You're not going to like what you see!

"Jessie, turn around." His voice was more insistent this time.

That's when I thought of something that would explain the cuts on my back.

"Okay," I said as I slowly turned my back to him. I braced myself as he took my hair in his hand and brushed it aside.

Here it came....

"Oh, my God!" he cried. "Jessie, where did you get these?!"

Meowth, who was still washing dishes on the other side of the room, dropped what he was doing and came to our side. "What's goin' on?!" he asked.

"Look at this, Meowth!" James said, showing him the cuts on my back.

"GAH!!!" the cat screamed. "What the hell happened ta you, Jess?!"

"I...must've gotten scraped up during that battle with the twerps," I told them. "You saw how that Thundershock sent me skidding...."

James shook his head. "These aren't scrapes, Jessie -- they're slashes. Now, I'm going to ask again, and I want the truth this time. Where did you get these?" He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes. "Who did this to you?"

As I looked back into his emerald eyes, I could tell what he was thinking...and that his suspicions were right. I should've known I couldn't lie about something like this to James. He, of all people, knew whip-marks when he saw them...and there was only one person we knew that could wield a whip with such deadly skill.

I couldn't keep this a secret from him anymore -- he knew the truth.

"J-Jessiebelle," I muttered as I hung my head.

"WHAT?!" Meowth cried. "What the hell was dat whacko doin' here?!"

James scowled and got to his feet. "I knew it!" he shouted. "Shit! I knew it was that goddamned BITCH!!!" He kicked the wall as hard as he could, making the entire cabin shake.

Instinctively, I cowered away from him. (It was a force of habit -- whenever my ex-boyfriend got angry, he'd always swear and kick the walls, too...and then he'd start hitting me.) When James saw how frightened I was, however, his expression softened, and he exhaled loudly as he ran a hand through his hair.

Once he'd calmed down, he knealt by my side once more. "I'm not mad at you, Jessie. Just tell me. What was that bitch doing here? And what did she do to you?" he asked, taking my hands in his own.

"She...she wanted you back, James," I told him. "She's been looking for us...and today, she finally found us...."

He frowned again.

Meowth closed his eyes for a moment. "But if she wants James, den why'd she attack you instead of comin' after us while we were out?" he queried.

"That's a good question," James said as he pulled off my shirt and made me lie down. "Why was she targeting you, Jess?"

As James rubbed the soothing lotion into my burning cuts, I explained how she and her Vileplume had ambushed us in the meadow and how she'd planned on getting rid of me while I was weak so that she could take my place and trick James.

"Like DAT'D work!" Meowth snorted. "Does she think we're stupid? Dat we wouldn't recognize an imposter?"

"Yeah! I'd know Jessiebelle if I saw her!" James chimed in. "Even if she were dressed like you, I'd know the difference...."

I tensed. His words reminded me of what Jessiebelle had said about how one day soon, James was going to look at me and see her instead.

"Well, obviously, ya got rid of her, so quit holdin' out on us, Jessie!" Meowth exclaimed. "Tell us the best part -- tell us how ya kicked Bitchybelle's ass!"

James chuckled. "Good one, Meowth!"

The cat grinned.

"Well, it wasn't easy," I admitted. "And as you can see, she almost won...."

James and Meowth listened intently as I described my battle with Jessiebelle and how Arbok and I had blasted her off.

"All right, Jess!" Meowth cheered.

James smiled and nodded his head, but his expression quickly became serious again. "I just have one question," he said. "Why didn't you tell us about this sooner, Jessie?"

I frowned and buried my face in my pillow.

Meowth placed a paw on my shoulder. "Whatsa' matter? Did ya think we'd be mad at ya, or somethin'?"

"No, but...."

James placed his hand on my other shoulder. "What, then?" he prompted. "What were you so afraid of?"

Tears welled up in my eyes. Jessiebelle's words had cut me to the core, and I was still afraid that James would start to see her in me if I told him everything.

"Tell me."

I slowly shook my head as the tears fell from my eyes. "I...I didn't want you to start thinking about her again, James," I said in a broken voice. "I know you hate her. I know...I know that she scares you, and...and I didn't want you worry about...."

James cupped my chin in his hand and forced me to look up at him. "Jess, if she's following us...if she's a threat again, then I need to know!" he told me. "It doesn't matter if I'm scared of her or not. It's better to be on-guard than to be taken by surprise, like we were today."

"Yeah!" Meowth chimed in. "Now dat we know, we'll be ready if she ever shows up again! Besides, we ain't scared of dat psycho...just pissed about what she did ta you!"

Suddenly, an angry light sparked in James's eyes. "Oh, my God!" he whispered. Then, he looked down at me again. "What did she say to you, Jess?!" he demanded.

I closed my eyes and tried to fight back the tears.

"She threw it in your face, didn't she?" he said, answering his own question. "She said something about me not being able to love you because you look like her, didn't she? That's why you were so upset...why you didn't want me to find out...."

I nodded. "She said that I was exactly like her...because I hurt you all the time...and that...that you'd leave me someday because you'd realize how much I have in common with her. She said you'd end up hating me as much as you hate her...."

"Now dat's just a buncha goddamned lies!" Meowth interjected. "Youse two are soul-mates! After all ya been through together, James would NEVER stop lovin' you. And no matter what Bitchybelle says, ya ain't NOTHIN' like her, Jess!"

"That's right!" said James. "Jessie, how could you believe her?! How could you possibly believe something like that?!"

I hung my head. "Well...after how mean I was to the two of you today...I started thinking that maybe she had a point."

"No," James said. "Meowth is right -- you're nothing like her, Jess. There is NO comparison!"

I looked up at him.

"Jessie, do you remember the day I...the day we escaped from Jessiebelle?"

"Yes."

He smiled. "I had a choice on that day, you know. Growly got rid of her -- I could have stayed home and taken my money. Or, I could have set out on my own. Or, I could have gone back to Team Rocket so that I could be with you and Meowth. I didn't choose money on that day, Jessie, and I chose more than my freedom -- I chose you. I wouldn't have done that if I thought you were anything like Jessiebelle. I wouldn't have done that if I didn't love you with all my heart and soul. The only regret I have about that day is that I didn't tell you just how much I love you. And that hasn't changed. I'm not here because I have to be -- I'm here because I choose to be.

"I don't see Jessiebelle at all when I look at you," he continued, brushing my tears away. "I don't see someone who hurts me. I don't see someone who frightens me. I don't see someone to hate or run away from.

"Do you want to know what I see when I look at you, Jessie? I see the girl who always stood up for me when nobody else would. I see the first person that I could ever call a friend. I see the woman who risked her life to save me on the St. Anne. I see the woman who protected me at Maiden's Peak. I see the woman who's saved my life more times than I can even count! I see the friend that I've shared the best years of my life with...and most of all, I see the one true love that I want to spend the rest of my life with!"

His words should have comforted me, but the part about wanting to spend the rest of his life with me only reminded me of something else Jessiebelle had said.

"H-how do you know for sure?" I stammered as I began to cry again. "How do you know that I'm the one?"

"Jessie, what are you talking about?!" he asked. "I promised that I was going to ask you to marry me someday, and I am NOT going back on that promise!"

I looked into his eyes again. "But that's when she said it would happen."

James raised an eyebrow.

"She said you'd leave me on our wedding day," I told him. "You'd see me in my dress...and that's when it'd happen." My voice trailed off for a moment as I tried to choke back more tears. "She said seeing me like that would remind you too much of the woman you were supposed to marry, and that...."

He silenced me by placing a hand to my lips. "Now you stop right there."

Meowth scowled and unsheathed his claws. "I can't believe her! What a rotten thing ta say! I swear, if I ever see dat bitch again, I'll tear her ta ribbons!"

James smiled at Meowth and turned back to me. "Jessie, what would you say if I told you that I can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt I'm never going to fall out of love with you or leave you...especially not on our wedding day?"

"I'd like to know how you can prove that," I sniffled.

James nodded and went to his backpack in the corner again. After a few minutes of rooting around, he pulled out one of his sketchbooks. When he returned to my side, his cheeks were a little pink. (He always becomes modest when he shows his drawings to me, even though I think he's the greatest artist in the world...but he seemed even more so now.)

"This...this book is special," he began. "I don't put just any old drawings in this one -- this is where I put my fantasy drawings."

James then opened the sketchbook and began to flip through the pages. I saw several drawings of the two of us kissing, of us sharing intimate moments...and they were all dated before we'd actually admitted our feelings to each other. He'd drawn all of these romantic pictures back in the days when we were still "just friends!" He blushed even more when he saw that I'd noticed this.

"It's okay," I whispered. "I've had all those same feelings...and fantasies, about you, too. I just can't draw as well as you, that's all."

Now his face was bright red.

After a couple more seconds, James came to the back of the book and opened it to one of the last pages. "Here. Look at this one...and all the ones after it," he said, handing the book to me.

When I looked at the drawing, I saw that it was the two of us standing arm-in-arm under an archway of roses. James was wearing a white tuxedo with a red rose pinned to the lapel, and I was wearing a flowing white gown. My hair had a blue rose twined in it, and I was holding a bouquet of blue roses. Meowth was standing behind us, wearing a little kitty-sized tux and grinning from ear to ear.

I smiled. "James, is this...our wedding?"

He nodded. "That's...kind of how I've always pictured it," he said sheepishly.

My smile grew even wider as I looked at the other pictures. There was one of James placing the ring on my finger, one of the two of us sharing our first kiss as husband and wife, and finally, one of James holding me -- his new bride -- in his arms as he carried me towards our future together.

"James, these are beautiful!" I exclaimed. I was starting to cry again, but this time it was because I was happy.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Now, if I think about our wedding day enough to draw pictures about it...if I think of you in that wedding dress...if I think of you as my wife, then why would I be thinking of Jessiebelle when it really does happen?" he asked.

I looked up at him again.

"I wouldn't fantasize about something like this if it reminded me of Jessiebelle even the slightest!" he continued. "I wouldn't have shared so much with you...or promised to share even more with you if you reminded me of her!

"Now, who are you going to believe, Jessie?" he asked. "Some monster who manipulates and plays mind-games to get what she wants, or the man who loves you more than anything else in the world?"

I looked one more time at the pictures, and then into the sparkling green eyes of my lover once again. "I believe you, James."

James smiled. "Good choice," he whispered, pressing his lips to mine. I put my arms around him and returned the kiss as he laid me down on the mat.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard Meowth say something like, "Hoo, boy! It's gettin' hot in here! I think I'm gonna go out for awhile and get some fresh air!" Then, I heard the door closing, but I didn't pay it any mind. At the moment, only James existed.

@->->-

That night, James made love to me like never before. He's always been an incredible lover -- even on our first time so many months ago, he'd known exactly what to do, and every time since then has been better and better. But this time...this time was even more special than usual. There was more love and more passion than I ever thought possible!

And as we made love, I knew that everything Jessiebelle had told me was a lie, and everything James had told me was true. She really was the last thing on his mind if he could still make love to me so passionately! And he wouldn't have been able to make love to me at all if his love for me wasn't true.

But it was more than just that -- it was what our lovemaking symbolized. Our physical union was like the union of our hearts, the union of our souls -- it was perfect. And someday...someday very soon, we'd be unified in marriage as well.

What happened after that made me sure of it.

When it was over, James held me in his arms and caressed my body with one of his red roses, just like he had that morning. There was a smile on his face as he sighed contentedly and gazed up at the ceiling.

"What's on your mind?" I asked, reaching up and playing with the little wisp of hair that always hung in his face.

His smile grew even wider as he looked at me. "I was just thinking about our wedding day again," came his reply.

"Really? Do tell!"

"Well," he began. "I was thinking about the rings. I want them to be a diamond, surrounded by an emerald, a sapphire, and a ruby -- our colors! Plus, I want them to have inscriptions...something like Prepare for trouble and Make it double. You know, lines from our motto!"

I grinned. "That sounds beautiful...and it just gave me a great idea!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"We should write our own wedding vows, James!" I exclaimed. "We always say our motto on special occasions, and what occasion would be more special than our wedding day?"

"A wedding motto! That would be perfect!"

The two of us laughed.

"And Meowth would be our best man, of course," James continued as he began to stroke my hair.

"Who are going to be my bridesmaids?" I asked, resting my head on his chest. "Arbok and Lickitung?"

He chuckled. "Yeah! And Weezing and Victreebel can be the ushers!"

Now we were both laughing again.

James sighed happily. "Jess, do you remember that fake wedding we had on Mandarin Island?"

"How could I forget?"

"You remember the giant cake that Meowth hid our balloon in?"

"Yeah."

"I want our real wedding cake to be at least that big!"

I giggled. "You and Meowth would eat it all, I'll bet!"

He nodded. "I'm thinking red velvet cake with cream cheese icing...and tons of frosting roses!"

"Mmmmmm! Sounds delicious, James! Are you going to make it yourself?"

"Of course!"

I put my arms around him and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "Then it really will be delicious! You're such a wonderful cook!"

He kissed me back, and we laid quietly together for a few minutes.

"Jessie?" James asked at length.

"Yeah?"

"You know what else I was thinking about?"

"What?"

He blushed a little. "Our children...what they'll be like."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I keep picturing three children -- two girls and a boy."

"That's exactly what I picture, too!" I gasped.

"What are the odds of that?!" James exclaimed.

"I think the boy will have your hair and my eyes, and one of the girls will have my hair and your eyes," I continued. "And the other girl...the other girl will be a perfect blend of the two of us! She'll have purple hair, and blue-green eyes...."

"Oh, Jessie, that sounds so beautiful!" James sighed.

"Well, that's just what I imagine," I chuckled. "But no matter what they look like, they'll definitely be beautiful. How could they not be, with you as their father?"

James smiled and kissed me again. "Let's not forget how beautiful the mother is, too," he told me.

A few more minutes passed as we laid quietly together again, and again, James broke the silence.

"Jessie...do you know what else I see when I think of our future?"

"What?" I asked, eager to hear.

"I see the two of us...I see us as an old couple, watching our grandchildren...maybe even our great-grandchildren play," he said. "Sure, our hair may be kind of faded, and we may have a few wrinkles -- I guess we'll look kind of like that old couple we disguised ourselves as when we tried to trick the camera kid into capturing Pikachu for us -- but you won't be any less beautiful, Jess. If anything, you'll be even more beautiful to me...because you'll be the woman I've shared my entire life with...."

"Oh, James...." I whispered. But before I could say anything more, my voice trailed off, and I began to cry. I was so happy to hear that he dreamed of us spending the rest of our lives together that all I could do was cry!

"Jessie," he said softly, brushing my tears away. He then took my hands in his own and began to kiss them. "Jessie, I love you so much."

"I love you, too, James," I said when I was able to find my voice again.

"And after what happened today, I love you even more," he continued. "The way you stood up to Jessiebelle just to protect me and Meowth...well, that proves what a strong, selfless woman you are. That you're better than she is!"

"Y-you mean that?" I asked.

He nodded. "You really are my precious angel, Jessie."

With that, James took me in his arms again, and our lips met in another kiss. Then, he made love to me for the second time that night, and it was every bit as gentle, passionate, and wonderful as the first!

I never wanted it to end, but I knew that even though our bodies couldn't always be joined, our hearts and our souls always would. James and I were joined by the bond of true love -- the most powerful force in the entire universe. Nothing would ever be able to break a bond as strong as that!

After we made love, James continued to hold me as close as he possibly could, whispering tender words into my ear. I held him as close as I possibly could, too. I never wanted to let go, and in my heart, I knew that neither one of us ever would.

Before long, we fell asleep in each other's arms, and all night long, I had wondrous dreams of our wedding, the births of our children...our entire life. Together.