Part Six: Exile

When James slunk back into the doghouse, red-faced and bleary-eyed, Growly could immediately sense that something was dreadfully wrong. He retreated away into another room, knowing that his companionship would be of no help to his depressed master. It was near noon now, and Jessebelle was due back from her mother's house in a few hours. He quickly changed back into his pajama pants and retreated back into his warm bed. He must have cried himself to sleep, because the next thing he was conscious of was Jessebelle's voice.

"James," it commanded him, unlike her usual sickeningly sweet tone, "James, you get down here this instant!"

He groaned and turned toward the wall, "go away, Jessebelle, I don't feel well and I need to rest."

"Like hell you do, you lying bastard!" she screeched.

He sat up and blinked in surprise. He had never heard her even come close to swearing before. "Jessebelle?" he asked as his wife came into view in the doorway.

"James, I want you *out* of my house!" she screamed, veins bulging in her forehead.

"What?" he asked, bewildered, "why?"

"You should know, James," she fumed.

He had heard that phrase two too many times today. He looked at her cluelessly.

"I know that you've been fooling around on me with that girl from the BMP! One of my friends saw you in a restaurant *holding* her *hand*!"

James collapsed back onto the matress. 'Jasmine' he thought, melancholy, 'and now her, too. This has been one hell of a day.'

"Jessebelle..." he attempted. She turned away snootily, infuriating him, "Jessebelle, this is *my* house! You can't kick me out!"

She chuckled cruelly, "James, there's one itsy-bitsy thing I *forgot* to tell you about mommy and daddy's will." She pulled a rolled-up piece of paper from her pocket and read aloud, "'should our son James ever divorce, the home and inheritance shall go to Jessebelle'!" She laughed again and pointed to the door, "now get out of my house."

Ten minutes later, with only one suitcase and Growly, James left his home. 'This seems familiar,' he thought. He had no place to go...except maybe...

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"I hate my *job*, I hate my *life*," Jessie grumbled, accenting each word with a chop of her knife, "and worst of all, I can't *cook*!" The knife came down again and buried itself in the leftover ham. She brought the plate out into the living room, along with the one she had cut for Arbok, and ate it cold in front of the television. Some soap opera she wasn't really interested in was on.

The knock came at the door near seven. She knew right then that he had come back. To be sure, she peered through the peephole again. There he was, standing with a sad look on his face. In his right hand, he held a suitcase, and in his left, a leash, which was attached to Growly's neck. He looked so sad and pathetic, she yearned so much to let him in, to hold him, to comfort him. Right now, she needed someone to comfort her. The tears began to well up again, but she choked them back and returned to the couch without saying a word.

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The girl in the black car drove quickly through Celadon City. It was already eight o' clock, and she had to get this shipment to Silph by nine. She had gotten lost on the way from the Safari Zone and was running late, which she didn't like. She drove with an intense scowl on her otherwise pretty face. That is, until she spied the man who sat on the sidewalk. "James," she whispered. The car stopped in front of him and the window rolled down. "Are you alright?" she shouted to him.

He looked up, and his red, tear-filled eyes made it obvious that he was *not* all right, not by a long shot. "Do I know you?" he asked.

"You used to," she said softly, not knowing whether or not he heard, "my name is Cassidy, James, I knew you when you were younger."

He stood up, and she noticed the suitcase he had been sitting on. "I'm sorry, I can't remember," he replied, putting a hand to his head.

Softly again, "yeah, I know." Everyone in Team Rocket knew what had happened to the formerly dynamic duo of Jessie and James. It was that threat which had put Butch and Cassidy in high gear. Their successes had brought them promotion after promotion, bringing them all the way to the topmost levels of Team Rocket. It was rumored that they would take over for Giovanni when he retired.

"Where are you going?" she asked, gesturing to the suitcase.

James glanced down at his luggage, "oh, that? Well...I guess I don't really know. I don't have anyone...any place to stay." He closed his eyes and thought again of Jasmine, trying not to cry.

Cassidy's heart leapt in her chest as she realized her opportunity, "you need a place to stay?"

He would have preferred Jasmine, but beggars can't be choosers. Plus, the cold was beginning to creep inside his suit, so he consented to the invitation, "yes, I do."

With James in the car, there was no way she could deliver the merchandise, a trunkfull of stolen pokeballs, so she drove straight back to her apartment. 'After all these years, James is finally in *my* apartment,' Cassidy thought triumphantly, 'not Jessie's, mine.'

She showed him to her guest bedroom excitedly. "Well, James," she said, smiling, "you can...sleep here." He thanked her politely and awkwardly; she was standing so close to him that she could smell her perfume. It was very strong. She looked into his eyes and snaked her arms around his waist and up his back, finally resting behind his neck.

"James," she whispered purposefully, "I've waited a long time for this. For you." Her breath came out in little puffs.

"Miss...Cassidy, I can't."

"Don't say that," she said desperately, "just let me have this now. For a little while." She pulled him against her and kissed him roughly.

He fought to pull away, and finally managed to get her off after nearly a minute. "I can't. I-I'm sorry. I don't know why, but I'm in love. I can't do...this now."

She looked at him with trembling lips and wide eyes. He gritted his teeth, expecting her to burst into tears; he was sick of tears today. To his surprise, she didn't, she just said softly, "then James, please just hold me. For one night."

He reluctantly obliged to her request, after all, he was staying in her house, and fell asleep quickly. Cassidy, however, stayed awake in his arms long enough to hear him murmur in his sleep, "oh, Jessica."