Light had only just shown itself through the large bay bedroom window. James could see the snow coming down outside. It was early December, and they had already had over a foot of snow this season. They were calling for a couple of inches today. If they were real lucky, they might even have a white Christmas. He stretched lightly and looked over to the clock. It read 7:03 AM. He smiled to himself and turned his head to look at the woman lying next to him. Her red hair lay like layers of deep flame about her, several tendrils draping over her shoulder. Her mouth was slightly open and he studied her, a soft smile upon his lips. It was freezing in their bedroom since the fire had gone out hours ago. His hand brushed her hip as he pulled the blankets over her and she stirred slightly. "Mmm." She stirred slightly and he watched her eyes come open. She stared at him for several seconds through slits before opening her eyes fully. She had the most beautiful blue eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the nose. "Good morning, Jess." She yawned unceremoniously. "Mmph." She sat up slowly and looked past him to the clock. It read 7:07. Her head fell back onto the pillow, her eyes slamming shut. She was still for a moment before she realized how cold it was. She pulled herself up again and looked over to the fireplace. She shivered and he heard her teeth chatter. She crawled out of the bed and he watched her stumble over to the fireplace. He shook his head at her, smiling. If she had asked, he would have gotten up. Instead, he leaned back, watching her visibly shiver in the slight nightgown she wore, trying to light the fire again. This went on for several minutes before she threw the wood lighter down, and turned. "Oh James, help me!" He laughed softly and went over to her, picking the lighter from the ground. He threw a couple more logs of wood into the fireplace and lit them. He stood back up and looked at her. She stood there, staring at him through sleepy eyes, shivering violently now. She was so adorable. He told her time and time again to wear more in the winter, and she never listened. "Come here." He wrapped his arms around her and she instantly clung to him. They climbed back into bed and she launched herself on top of him, burying her head into his shoulder. He held her and pulled the blankets over them. "Ah, keep me warm," was her mumbled voice. He rubbed her back and she instantly drifted off into sleep. He breathed deeply and caught the scent of raspberries from her hair. He idly turned his head to the side and looked at the table next to the bed. He studied the sterling framed picture of the two of them that sat in the middle and he smiled softly. He was standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist, his cheek resting softly against her temple. She had the happiest grin he had ever seen. Their wedding had been wonderful. She had worn a surprisingly simple satin white gown which made her look like a flame haired angel. They had each written their own vows, and she had cried while reciting hers. He twisted the band around his left ring finger, smiling. Things had quieted considerably since the whole mess with Giovanni and those retched sisters. He shook his head about that. Since then, Jesse had come to terms in her own time with the deaths of their beloved Vaporeon and Flareon. They had meant so much to her and she had become quietly bitter about it, but never managed to take it out on Eevee and Jolteon. She was grateful they were still alive. She had also managed to come to terms with her complete loss of sight in one eye. She had lost most of her depth perception and had a nasty habit of turning corners too quickly, and knocking into things. But she accepted this, finally learning to be grateful she could see at all. He knew she suffered silently because of this; she wasn't able to ride anymore, and anything that involved extensive reading gave her incredible migraines, so she was unable to read a book or work on the computer for any length of time. The only thing she had left was that she could dedicate time to the center she had for Pokemon. She didn't complain, though. She had stopped complaining soon after the surgery had only half succeeded. Sometimes, he would wake to find her weeping, but she would not say anything. She was quiet about things like that now. Vaporeon and Flareon were not mentioned anymore, and her sight was understood. She did not want to talk about it, and even when she would slam into a wall because she did not see it, he would help her up and she would shake him off gently, telling him she was fine. He knew enough that if this was the way she needed to be about it, he needed to let her be. Otherwise, she was fine. She had a vibrance about her that he loved. She was fiesty when she needed to be, but it never seemed to be directed to him. They rarely fought, and if they did, it ended quickly, usually with her throwing up her hands and declaring that she did not want to fight and she would walk away. That was the end. She would not pursue the matter anymore. He rested a cheek against her hair and closed his eyes. It was less than a four weeks until Christmas, and she hadn't made a mention at all of it. She hadn't even attempted to put up the usual horrendous amount of decorations that she usually did. That disturbed him a little. Ash had questioned her about it the week before, when he, Misty, Brock, and his new fiancee had come over for Thanksgiving. She had dodged the question and Ash hadn't pushed it since James had glared at him. He knew it was because of the two girls being gone. For being the equivalent of pets, they had become their children. He missed them a lot, too, but she had taken it much harder. He thought about children and kissed Jesse's head. He had never asked her, and figured when she was ready, she would bring it up. It was better that way. He heard a sound and looked to the door. Two noses stuck their way through the crack of the door and he saw Jolteon's head peek around. He moved his arm and motioned for them. "Eui?" Eevee's ears twitched and she saw James motion for them. In a brown and yellow flash, Eevee and Jolteon bounded forward and lept to the bed. They both landed on Jesse and she rolled off of James, sitting up and looking around quickly. "What the hell?!" Her eyes fell upon the two of them and she growled at them. Eevee flattened to the bed and put her head down. Jolteon moved forward and licked her nose. "Jolt!" (Morning!). Jesse caught her breath and shook her head. She fell back onto the pillow and Eevee proceeded to leap upon her chest, tucking her ears beneath her head and burying her head between Jesse's breasts. James sat up and looked down. Jesse rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Don't even say anything." He shook his head, a pure look of amusement on his face. "Oh, what could I say? She's in that zone of happiness." Jesse sighed with disdain and looked up at him. James chuckled at the little brown furball, as Jolteon succeeded in pushing herself between the two of them, burying her head beneath a pillow. Jesse looked at the clock and shook her head. "Geez, it's not even 7:30." James nodded and slid out of bed. He went over to the window and peered out. Snow flurries floated like little fairies. Jesse stretched and plucked Eevee from her chest. There was a knock at the door and James turned. "Yes?" They heard Daniel, sounding urgent. "Nurse Joy from the town's center is here to see James." James moved toward the door, motioning Jesse to lay back down and yelled to the door. "I'll be right down."
Nurse Joy stood in the study, rubbing her hands together. James came in, and flashed her a smile. "Joy, how are you?" Joy looked at him and gave him a hug. All of the area Pokemon Centers were still eternally grateful for the help Jesse and he gave them by keeping care of orphaned and terminally ill Pokemon, freeing the centers to devote their time to the sick and healing ones. James was curious why she wanted to see him. "Nurse Joy, you look distressed." Joy nodded slightly. Things had been quiet recently, and there were less than ten pokemon out at the center, and Arbok and Wheezing, along with Meowth, did a phenomenal job of caring for them and keeping them safe. Jess yawned again and smiled. Joy paused for a second and then looked back at James. "Well, we are all swamped and we need you to take care of some of the abandoned ones that were dropped off to us." James shrugged. "Sure….do you want us to come and get them?" Joy nodded. "Yes, sometime today would be wonderful. They're only babies and we don't have the time to devote to them to make sure that they will be okay. They're malnourished and were definitely not taken care of. But there's a problem." James stared at her. "What?" Joy looked nervous. "It's a litter of Eevees, but there's something odd about them." She paused and waved a hand as if she was searching for what to say. "They don't look right, the litter is all black." James raised an eyebrow. He never heard of color variations in Pokemon He nodded. "They're okay other than that?" Joy nodded. "They're alive. Like I said, they need a lot of care but they're orphaned. A woman dropped them off. She sort of ran in with the box, set it down, said she found them, and ran out. No collars, nothing. We looked them over. They're pretty weak, but they're better than when they had been brought to us." James nodded, sighing. "I'll bring Jess down this afternoon and we'll collect them." Joy thanked him profusely and hugged him. "Thank you so much. That is such a big help!" She took her leave and James went back upstairs. Jesse was in the shower, Eevee scratching on the door to the bathroom. Jolteon had fallen asleep, buried beneath the pillows. James laughed as he picked Jolteon up and deposited her on the chair next to the bed. She didn't even move. He made the bed while Jesse showered. He heard the water stop and then heard her voice through the door. "Oh I swear you'll get nothing if I have to come out there!" Eevee stopped scratching and whimpered, sulking away. James sat down and called her over. Eevee happily jumped up, licking his cheek. Jesse came out, wrapped in a towel and looked over. James smiled and she shook her head. "All she wants to do is eat." James got up, holding Eevee in his arms and handed her to Jesse. Eevee curled herself into a ball and tried to nestle in the towel. Jesse turned her head up and stared at the ceiling. "It is way too early for this." James motioned toward the door. "Joy needs us to come down this afternoon to pick up a litter of orphaned Pokemon." Jesse seemed to brighten at that. "Oh really? What kind?" James swallowed. 'Just lie.' "I don't know. She didn't say." Jesse didn't notice him falter. "Why did she want to see you?" 'Just lie.' He shrugged. "I guess she figured you would still be asleep?" Jesse shrugged and deposited Eevee to the floor. Eevee bounded over and jumped up to the chair Jolteon lay on. She batted Jolteon's ear and her head came up, "Jolt!" (Hey!) Thus ensued the two of them chasing each other around the room.
Jesse shivered, waiting for James to unlock the car door. "Oh god, it is frigid outside." James nodded, seemingly unaffected. He closed the door and got in the driver's side. Jesse rubbed her hands together, bouncing lightly in the seat. "Oh heat!" James smiled. The drive to the center was quiet. Jesse had left Jolteon and Eevee home, and she leaned against James, her head on his shoulder. She nodded off before they were even halfway down the long driveway.
Nurse Joy was ecstatic when they walked in. She ran over and hugged Jesse and thanked her again for her help. "I have them in the back, it's warmer there." The center was bustling, and they followed Joy back. It was warmer, almost 75 in the room. James went over to the box and peered in. Jesse had stopped to pet a sick Caterpie. James stared hard. The five of them looked identical, and they were all pure black. One of the tiny Eevees looked up at him with soulful eyes and let out a tiny "Veui". Jesse looked up instantly and walked over. "What-?" James took her arm and shushed her. Joy picked one of the Eevees out of the box and held her up. "They're a lot better than they were. They were all nearly dead when they were brought here." The poor thing was actually pathetic. Its ears hung low, and it appeared to have little life in it. They were all like that. Jesse had no emotion on her face and she looked at James. He nodded at Joy and took the box. Joy looked at her watch. "Oh geez, I have to run, but thank you again. Please let me know in a couple of days how they are." She hugged both of them again and ran from the room. James held the box and stared into it. The five of them huddled together and Jesse stared at him. Her face was stone and he tentatively held the box out to her. She snatched it, jostling them. One of them looked up at her and gave a weak "Eui" and put its head back down. Jesse sighed, and walked ahead of him.
Part TwoIt was nearly 7 when they returned. The snow had picked up in intensity and it was starting to lay thickly. James opened the car door and Jesse climbed out, holding the box in front of her. She almost carried it as if it were trash. He finally took the box from her, angered. Daniel opened the door and they went in, thankful to be out of the cold. James took the box into the living room and sat it near the fire. Jesse greeted Jolteon and Eevee as they jumped up on her. She quieted them and led them into the living room. She sat them and told them to stay still and she disappeared upstairs. James petted them, not wanting to take them from the box. They looked so frail. They were very odd looking, being pure black. Eevee ignored Jesse's wishes and approached the box. James watched her sneak a look into the box and she pulled back, staring at him. "Eui?" He nodded and scratched her ears. "Wait for Jesse." He hoped she was even coming back. After several minutes, she returned with two down blankets. She said nothing as she sat down next to him on the floor and plucked one of the little black creatures from the box. She held it in her hands and stared at it. It curled itself into a tiny ball and she placed it on the blanket. Once it sunk down into the down, it untucked its head and looked around. It twitched an ear and looked toward Jesse. She was pulling the others out of the box and placing them on the blanket. Eevee looked to Jolteon, who simply sat and watched. James reached out and rubbed Jesse's back. "You ok?" She placed the last one on the blanket. "Yeah." She sighed and got up. When she returned, she had a large bowl and a carton of milk. She set the bowl in the midst of the black creatures and poured the milk into it. One of them looked over at the bowl and crawled over. It sniffed the bowl and stuck its head in, sniffing. Once it started to lap at the milk, the others joined them. Jesse sat back on her heels and rubbed her eyes. James leaned over and kissed her shoulder. "Why don't we let them rest." She nodded slightly and got up, motioning for Eevee and Jolteon.
In the kitchen, Jolteon shook herself. "Jolt! Jolt jolt." (How long are they here for?) Jesse looked at James and sighed. Jolteon and Eevee were very possessive, and were showing quick signs that they did not approve of the intrusion. The five little black ones were not well, and Jesse knew they would need to stay in the house for at least a couple of weeks. She knelt down and petted Jolteon and Eevee, reassuring them that they needed care, and to be kind to them. James was comforted in the fact that she at least seemed to be dealing with this fine. She stood back up and went to the refrigerator. She pulled out two apples and gave them to the girls. She looked at James and shook her head. "You knew what they were, didn't you?" He swallowed hard. 'Damn. Can't lie to her.' He nodded slightly and she walked past him to the sink, washing her hands. She said nothing else and went back to the living room. The bowl was empty, and one of the little ones was actually sitting in the bowl, licking the sides. The others simply sat there, obediently. Jesse looked down at them and the one in the bowl looked up. "Veui!" She glanced back at James. "What exactly are they?" He stopped at her side. "Joy said they were a litter of Eevees that were orphaned." She stared. "Then why are they black…..and why do they sound funny?" James shrugged. "She didn't say. Just said some woman dropped them off and said they didn't belong to anyone." Jesse let out a long sigh and shook her head. Eevee and Jolteon hadn't followed. They stayed in the kitchen. One of the little ones crawled up onto her boot and stood shakily on its hind legs, holding onto her boot with its front paws and staring mournfully up at her. She stared at it until James bent over and picked it up. He held it out to her. "Hold it." Jesse stared at him and then looked down at it. She took the black furball and sighed. She couldn't even put into words what she felt. It was so helpless. She looked up and he swore she looked about ready to cry. "We can give them away as Christmas gifts." This was the first he had heard her mention the holiday. In the past years, it had not even reached Thanksgiving before he would catch her humming some Christmas Carol. Now it was the first week of December and she acted as if it didn't exist. It dawned on him that she had been acting rather odd for the past week or so, since Thanksgiving. He smiled softly at her, and nodded. She sighed again and he put an arm around her waist. "Speaking of Christmas….", he paused and watched her face. She simply stared at the curled ball of fur in her hands. He leaned over and kissed her ear. "What do you want for Christmas?" She was stiff in his arms. He waited and she said nothing. "We could keep a couple of them, they're just like children." He bit his tongue as this came out. It sounded horrible to even him. Now she was crying. She handed the creature to him and shook her head. "Nothing…I don't want anything." He watched her leave, and blinked. He was confused now. Either there was something else bothering her, or the girls had meant more than he had even known. He placed the creature on the blanket and watched them. They were adorable, if not a little odd. Eevees were not any other color than brown. It would be like a black Pikachu, they simply didn't exist. He tucked them all in and went into the kitchen. Jolteon and Eevee sat there and he looked down at them. "I need the two of you to watch after them, and please behave with them." They both nodded and trotted into the living room. He watched them sit down with the five black creatures and they seemed to be fine. He went to speak with Daniel before he went to look for her.
He found her out in the center with Wheezing and Meowth, holding a Vulpix that had been orphaned when its owner died in a car crash. The Vulpix had never recovered and was known to wander the grounds aimlessly, until usually Arbok tracked it down and brought it back to the building. She petted the Vulpix softly and it rested its head on her arm. James came up behind her and patted Wheezing. "Wheezzzzz." (Hello James.) He greeted Meowth, who flashed the usual grin he always did. He stared at Jesse until she finally turned and looked at him. "What?" He reached out and took the Vulpix, rubbing behind its ears. "What's wrong with you?" Jesse immediately became defensive. "There's nothing wrong with me." James felt his patience growing thin. As much as he loved and adored her, at times her defenses became too much for him. This was not a fight they had often. "Jess, something's wrong. You're acting as if those Eevees are aliens or something." He looked up from the Vulpix and tried not to sound angry. "Please talk to me, is it because of the girls?" He could tell by the way she was standing that it wasn't the girls. "No." He gave the Vulpix to Meowth, who jumped from the table and started playing tag with it. James put his hands in his pockets. "Then Jess, what is wrong?" She sat on the edge of the table and glared at him. He sighed, knowing this wasn't going to get better. "Jess, I'm not going to play guessing games with you." Jesse took a breath and shook her head. He shook his head. "Jess, why do you get this way?" She looked away from him, staring out of the window. Well, that was enough for one night. He turned and walked to the door, turning before he opened it. He spoke before he thought. "I don't know how you've gotten this far without me taking care of you. I swear, you act like everything's a big deal or a big secret. We're married for god's sakes. I thought you took that seriously. And really, watching you tonight, I don't know how you could ever be a mother, Jess. I really don't. You need too much care yourself." He paused as he slammed the door. He should not have said that at all. He kicked at the snow. 'Damn.' That was really uncalled for, but he got so frustrated with her when she was like that. He cursed himself and began to walk back to the house.
Jess sat on the edge of the table, tears flowing down her cheeks. Meowth walked around the table and looked up at her. He walked over to a counter and took a tissue, walking back to her. She took it and angrily wiped at her eyes. Meowth sat down and sighed. "You never told him, did you?" She shook her head, her voice cracking as she spoke. "No." Meowth shook his head. "You need to. He needs to know." She nodded, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them. "I know." Meowth jumped up and sat down next to her, laying a paw on her foot. "Jesse, you know Christmas is coming and he's wondering why you haven't said anything at all about it." She nodded, feeling quite like a child. "I know." Meowth was quiet with her, quite unlike him. "Jesse, you have to stop treating him like that. He loves you more than anything in this world and you shut him off like a faucet. You have to talk to him. He's not going to get mad at you if you talk to him." She choked on a sob. "I know." Meowth turned a little more toward her. "If you know, why can't you do it?" She had her head buried in her knees. "Because I've always been scared and I always will." Meowth nodded slightly, feeling very sorry for her. "Well, Jesse, you need to. You can't avoid this." She continued to cry and Meowth left her alone.
James felt miserable as he sat down next to the 'gang' in the living room. Jolteon had fallen asleep and the five little Eevees took it upon theirselves to climb all over Jolteon and fall asleep themselves. Eevee looked like she was fading fast as well. She stared at the fire and looked over as James came in. He threw his coat harder than he intended to onto the couch and dropped to the floor. Eevee trotted over and climbed into his lap. "Eui euii?" (What's wrong?) He shook his head. "Jesse." Eevee didn't ask anymore and simply laid her head on his thigh. James looked at the mess of yellow and black fur and smiled in spite of his mood. They were adorable like that. He leaned over and picked one of the Eevees up and it woke. It's eyes fluttered open and stared at him. "Veuu." He smiled and tickled its chest. It seemed to sort of giggle and he set it down on his knee. It looked at Eevee and licked her nose. Eevee yelped and nudged it. It responded by jumping on Eevee and curling up in her neck ruffle. Eevee seemed content and laid her head back down. "Jolteon." Jolteon's head flew up and around to look at him, knocking one of the little ones off of her neck. If Jesse wouldn't take care of them, he would. He motioned Jolteon over and she moved slowly, bringing the other four to him. She settled next to him and went back to sleep.
Jesse came in through the kitchen, laying her coat down and shaking the snow from her hair. She quietly walked out and stopped at the doorway of the living room. James' back was to her and she watched him playing with them. Jolteon was asleep, but Eevee and little black ones ran around him, and she heard him laughing softly. She swallowed hard and moved away, toward the stairs.
James didn't turn on the light when he came into the bedroom. He closed the door quietly and looked over to the bed. He could see her outline there. He wanted to apologize, but honestly, he wasn't going to bother. He didn't feel like apologizing again. He changed and laid down next to her, not touching her. There was silence for several minutes. He felt her shift and heard her. "James?" She had been crying. He didn't move. "Yeah." There was a pause. "Can-" She coughed. "Can we go out tomorrow to get a tree?" He bit his lower lip. "Sure." That was it. After a minute, she turned back over and he eventually fell asleep, still hoping she would roll over, but she never did.
Part ThreeJesse stared at the bundles of fur curled on the blanket in front of the dying fire. It was mid-morning and she had slept horribly the night before. Finally, around five, she had climbed from bed and went downstairs, making some tea to calm her nerves. James still had not gotten up, or at least he hadn't come downstairs. She got up and took the bowl of milk she had on the table, setting it down near the blanket. She sat down and touched one of the balls of black fur. It unfolded and looked at her. "Veu." It blinked twice and lept onto her. She smiled involuntarily and Eevee woke, stretching hard. "Eeui!" (Jesse!) This woke the other ones and they fell upon her, until she pointed to the bowl of milk. This interested them more and they gathered around it for breakfeast. Their coats looked shinier and she guessed James had brushed them all the night before. Jolteon stretched and rubbed against her arm. "Jolt jolteon." (Where's James?) She shook her head. "Probably upstairs." She scratched Jolteon's ears and she purred slightly. The bowl was empty in minutes and they all turned back to her, wanting more. She got up and walked to the kitchen, a small congo-like line behind her. She got the milk and went back to the living room, filling it up again. Meowth walked in and sat down next to her. "Oh they're adorable." Jesse said nothing. Meowth stared at her. "Well?" Jesse shot him a look. "We're going to get a tree today." Meowth shook his head. "Oh please, and that's supposed to make everything better?" She glared now. "What the hell do you expect me to do?" Meowth sighed and shook his head. "Nothing, I guess." He paused and then looked back at her. "Are you at least going to try and make Christmas bearable for the rest of us?" Jesse rolled her eyes and stood up, slamming the carton of milk down, startling the group. "For god's sakes, leave it alone!" She turned and ran from the room, nearly knocking James down in the process. He watched her run up the stairs and turned back to Meowth. "What was that all about?" Meowth shook his head. "Nothing at all." James felt himself tense. Whatever.
The anxiety of searching for a tree was lessened when he invited Misty and Ash to go with them. Ash owned a gym not too far from them and about four months after the mess with the sisters, Ash had confessed his feelings for Misty. Surprising everyone, they eloped one weekend and now Misty was a partner in his gym. They were bickering as always over everything, which was in itself amusing. The search itself was rather easy. Ash had found a place with beautiful trees and they both lucked out. Jesse said little, only agreeing with James when he pointed out a tree that he liked. Ash and Misty stayed for dinner, cooing over the five little black Eevees. Misty told them that if they were going to give them away, she wanted one. Ash rolled his eyes and smiled. As they were leaving, Misty hugged Jesse, whispering to her, "Is everything okay?" Jesse forced the best smile she could and nodded. "We'll see you both Christmas Eve, right?" Ash nodded quickly. "Oh yeah, definitely. Brock's coming with his fiancee. We wouldn't miss it." Once they were gone, James turned to her and held out his hand. Jesse took it and he pulled her to him, holding her. She relaxed slightly and leaned against him. He closed his eyes and kissed her hair. "We'll decorate it tomorrow, okay?" She nodded against him.
Jesse gave a little and within a week, they had decorated the house beautifully. James was concerned with how little she said, but she seemed to be okay otherwise. The group of black Eevees seemed to strengthen and grow within that week and they were now half the size of Jesse's Eevee. They also seemed to cling to Jesse. They followed her everywhere, and surprisingly, Eevee and Jolteon seemed to accept this well. The day after they had finished decorating, James had been out in the center with Jesse, helping her with the pokemon. "Hey Jess?" She had looked up and fixed him with a glazed look. "What do you want for Christmas?" Truth to tell, he had been done shopping for several weeks now, but still wanted to see if there was something she wanted that he hadn't thought of. She shook her head. "Nothing really." He dropped it. He put the small Jigglypuff he had been petting down and went over to where she stood, grooming the disturbed Vulpix. "Jess, do you want to keep the children?" She had been thinking of something else and only caught part of what he had said. She whipped her head toward him and looked vaguely like a trapped animal. She took a step back and shrugged a little too quickly. "I don't know…why?" James watched her, and wondered what the hell was wrong with her. "Because in about a month we need to either find homes for them or be prepared to keep them." It dawned on her that he was talking about the Eevees. She hadn't even thought about that. The distress she felt over them had waned slightly and she felt more comfortable with them. "I don't know, really." She put a hand to her head and caught sight of Meowth from the corner of her eye, shaking his head. Meowth walked away.
In what certainly felt like a flash (as it does with most holidays), it was December 23rd. Things seemed calm to James. He woke to her head on his chest. She had been calm in the last three weeks, all things considered. The black Eevees had grown and filled out considerably, but there still seemed to be nothing special about them other than their color and the way they spoke. They followed Jesse like their mother and she cared for them, if not a little coldly. He had stopped commenting on it, seeing that it gained him nothing more than a fight. He looked to the foot of the bed where Jolteon and Eevee slept and moved his leg. Jolteon moved, looking up to him. Eevee rolled over to her other side and continued to sleep. James laid his head back and stroked Jesse's hair. She snuggled closer in her sleep. "I'm sorry….." she mumbled and he looked down at her. She was asleep. He shrugged and closed his eyes, opting for the extra time to sleep peacefully with his wife.
James walked into the kitchen just as Jesse was replacing the phone on the cradle hanging on the wall. She looked disturbed. He stopped and waited for her to turn around. He heard her sigh. "What's wrong?" She turned a little too fast. "Who was that?" She straightened and faked a smile. "It was Misty." James waited and finally waved a hand as if to say 'and?'. Jesse took the glass on the table and took a drink. "She called to tell me she just found out she was pregnant." James looked surprised. "Wow. How's Ash?" Jesse shook her head. "She hasn't told him. She wants to wait until Christmas Eve and tell everyone." She watched James move toward the refrigerator. "Well, I'm happy for them. Ash will be thrilled." His voice sounded rather flat and she felt a chill down her back. He closed the door and turned to her. "Jess?" As he said that, there was a shrill "VEuuii!" from the direction of the living room. She bolted for the sound and found two of the black Eevees having a face off. She managed to grab the one as Jolteon blocked the lunge the other was making for the one Jesse had caught. Jolteon nipped its ear and it backed off. "Hey, now, no fighting!" She sat down and waited until they calmed down. "Growing pains." She nodded and James picked Eevee up, moving to the couch. They seemed to be fine now and she stood, hands on her hips. "Now behave!" she said sternly before moving away. They listened and continued playing nicely. She turned and flipped her hair over her shoulder. James fixed her with a stare and said nothing. Meowth wandered in and looked around. "What's with the commotion?" Jesse looked over. "Nothing, a little fight, that's all." Meowth walked over and sat down near the group, flicking his tail as one of them batted at it. "So what am I getting for Christmas?" Jesse gave him a withering look. "Nothing if you don't stop asking." Meowth stuck his tongue out at her and rolled his eyes. "Who's coming tomorrow?" James moved so that he could put his legs up. "Misty, Ash, Brock, and his fiancee." Meowth nodded. "Isn't Brock in America?" James nodded. "Yeah, they're flying in later today. They'll be staying here until the day after Christmas." Meowth smiled and stared at Jesse. "So what AM I getting for Christmas?" Jesse simply rolled her eyes and walked out of the room.
Brock and his fiancee arrived late, around 11, and James sent Daniel to get them. Brock's fiancee was quite nice. Soft spoken, she was very slight with long brown hair, with a kind voice. She cooed over the Eevees as soon as she laid eyes on them. Brock shrugged as she ran to them, "She loved cute things." Meowth snickers. "Oh hence why she likes you?" Brock flashed a grin. "Oh of course." They were exhausted from the flight and James walked them up to their room. Once they were settled, he came back down to get Jesse. She had nodded off, her head resting on her shoulder. He watched her briefly, a smile flickering on his face. He leaned over and kissed her. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him. "Time for bed." She nodded and he pulled her up, slipping his arms around her waist. "I love you, Jess." She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against him. "I love you too." He stroked her hair and held her, thankful he had her. She pulled her head back and stared into his eyes, almost working the courage to talk to him. But he leaned forward and their lips met again, and she dismissed it again, forcing herself to forget for now.
Jesse felt nauseous. Christmas Eve came too quickly and there they were, all sitting at the dining table. Brock was going on about America and Jesse tried hard to listen. As they settled and Anna began to bring out the dishes, Misty stood and grinned. "Oh, I have an announcement." Ash stopped and looked up at her, a confused look on his face. After a second, she put one hand on Ash's shoulder and the other on her stomach. "I'm pregnant!" If James had had a camera, he would definitely gotten a picture of Ash's face. Ash seemed to choke and looked up at her. His eyes were wide and Misty leaned over and hugged him. He smiled hesitantly and looked over at Brock, who simply grinned at him. Kristen clapped her hands. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Brock felt like he was in grade school when Kristen ran over and hugged Misty. He rolled his eyes and continued to grin at Ash. Ash had a crooked smile and reached for the glass of wine. James smirked and glanced at Jesse. She simply nodded. After Kristen and Misty sat back down, Kristen looked over at James. "Brock told me that next month is your one year anniversary." James nodded, and Jesse was silent. Kristen smiled broadly, and grasped Brock's arm. "That's so great….so do you plan to have children?" Ash laughed. "I can't wait to see their children." James graciously smiled, searching for a good answer. "Yes." He looked over at Jesse, who had answered. James fixed her with a stare and Meowth, who was sitting between them, looked at Jesse. "Oh, are yooo adupting?" 'Oh shut up you damn drunk cat!' her mind screamed. She stared at the cat and wanted to kick him very hard. Egg nog was one of Meowth's favorites, heavy on the rum. James looked down at the cat curiously, as Kristen shook her head and shrugged. "Why would you adopt?" Brock nudged her hard, feeling this was not really something she should be asking. Even Misty and Ash glared at her. Meowth laughed and looked over at Kristen. "Well, it's not like they can have kidssss." James looked from Meowth to Jesse and stared hard. "What?" A pin could have dropped and been too loud at this point. Kristen's cheeks were bright red and she kept her head bowed. James felt like a moron now. He shoved his chair back, reaching next to him and grabbing Jesse's arm. He dragged her out of the dining room to the adjoining study. "What the hell is he talking about?!" She back-stepped from him. He caught her arm and stopped her. He growled at her, "Oh for god's sakes, woman, answer me!" She felt the tears in her eyes. "He's right." James stared at her, feeling numb. "He's right?" She nodded slightly. He shook his head. "What is he right about?! I don't want a fucking one word answer! I want an explanation!" He knew they could probably hear him in the dining room and he lowered his voice. She was shaking. "I can't have children." He wanted to throttle her. He waved a hand at her. "And why not?!" She held back a sob. "Because I can't. I'm not able to." The more she spoke, the more he wanted to throw her against the wall. He grabbed her by the hair and held her from moving away any more. "How the hell do you know this?! Intuition?!" She shook her head minimally, feeling his grip tighten in her hair. She winced. "I went to the doctor." 'Merry fucking Christmas', he thought to himself. He let her go and she dropped to her knees, staring up at him. "Wonderful," he muttered. He glared at her. "Now please amuse me with why you didn't tell me when you found out?!" She sniffled and stared up at him. Her voice cracked while she spoke. "How easy do you think it is to tell you that you're never going to have children with me?" He refused to feel pity for her. "And what were you going to do?! Never tell me?! Eventually I would have found out! That's not something you could hide forever!" He stared down at her, feeling nothing but hatred and betrayal. He pulled the gold band from his finger and threw it at her. "This certainly means nothing to you. Well, Merry fucking Christmas, Jess. You certainly made it a memorable one." He walked past her and she winced when the door slammed. She knelt on the floor, staring at the ring on the floor. She felt a void of nothingness. She did not see the three little black head peeking around the doorway. They scattered as Kristen approached. "I'm so sorry, Jesse." Jesse looked up and saw Kristen in the doorway. Jesse got to her feet, taking the ring from the floor. "Not your fault." Kristen took a couple of steps forward and apologized again. "Really, I never know when not to say stuff." Jesse shook her head. "It's not your problem." She walked past Kristen back into the dining room. No one said a word. Jesse looked at those seated there. Her voice was flat. "Please enjoy dinner. I apologize we won't be joining you. Ash, Misty, you're free to stay here if you like. Brock, you and Kristen have your room." She left the room, with everyone staring after her.
Part FourJames had debated leaving for a drive, but decided against it. He had walked down the long driveway, stopping at the part where a stream, now frozen, ran under a small bridge. He leaned against the side of the bridge and withdrew a small silver case from his coat. Snapping it open, he pulled a cigarette from it and lit it, breathing in deeply. Whatever had possessed him to smoke? He had done it so rarely in life, but this seemed an appropriate time. Peering through the trees, he felt his hair grow wet with the falling snow. What the hell was wrong with her? She could not possibly be scared of him? Christ, he adored her as if she was an angel. He gave her the world and more, and here she was acting like as if he would punish her for something she could not control. He guessed she had none for little over a month and that hurt him even more. She had ample opportunities to talk to him, it's not like he wasn't there. Hell, he wanted to know why he wasn't even aware she had gone to the doctor's, and one better, why the hell Meowth knew and he didn't. He stood there, fuming, while he finished the cigarette, flicking it down into the snow. What a damned nightmare. Fucking Christmas Eve, he gets a bomb dropped like this, and here he was, standing on a bridge, staring at the snow, with their friends probably still sitting inside, looking at each other wondering what exactly was going on. He shook his head and lit another one. He refused to believe she was that neurotic. Christ, when she had been a royal bitch years ago, at least she had never had episodes like this. He pushed himself off of the bridge railing and looked toward the house. He just didn't understand. "Veu!" He jumped, startled. He looked down to see one of the black Eevees looking up at him. He relaxed. "How did you get out here?" He bent and picked her up. She stared at him. "Veu Veui….Veuiii Ve" (I followed you….you seem angry.) He smiled at the forwardness of this little thing. "Yeah, a little." The Eevee twitched an ear and yawned. "Veui veui, ve" (she doesn't mean to do it, you know.). He stared at her. "Do what?" The Eevee cocked her head to the side and blinked. In her language, "To anger you. She does not want to lose you." James felt a little odd having this conversation with a little black Eevee. She sniffled and continued. "She is afraid you will leave her now. She has been afraid since she found out. She knows you want children very badly." James was dumbfounded. "She told you this?" Her ears twitched. "No. She has not talked to us at any length. We scare her. We remind her of what she cannot have. Hence her coldness."
James wanted to almost laugh. Here was one of five creatures that were almost dead a couple of weeks ago and here one of them was, telling him things about his wife that he should know, but didn't. If he could find the irony in it, he would have. He leaned against the railing and the Eevee jumped from his arms to the rail, sitting down and scratching behind her ear with her hind foot. She looked back up at him. "She's not neurotic. She's simply scared. She does not know how to deal with life very well." James stared. Everything she said made sense, but how the hell did she know? "How exactly are you this intelligent being only a little over 2 months old?" The Eevee smiled. "We all are. It's part of our nature." James scratched her ear for her. "You aren't exactly like Eevees, are you?" She shook her head. "Oh we are Eevees, just kind of different. We come from the north." He nodded. Honestly, nothing surprised him anymore. He took what she was saying for what it was worth and stopped questioning. The Eevee bent her head and licked at the snow. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Well, if you know so much, tell me why she can't have children." He assumed it was some sort of medical condition. The Eevee looked up and became quite serious. "You mustn't get angry with her." He looked over. What the hell had she done now? "About what?" The Eevee stood and moved closer to him. "If you look closely at her waistline in the front, you will see a small scar. That scar came from last year when she was caught in the Team Rocket compound. They were going to use her in their experimentations and in the process, they sterilized her. You saved her before they did anything further." James' head was spinning now. "She was only there for less than a day!" The Eevee nodded. "It took them less than an hour." He sank down to the snow, trying to sort this. The Eevee jumped down and sat beside him. James closed his eyes. "How the hell do you know that?" The Eevee shook her head. "That's not important. But it is the truth." James shook his head. He had a terrible headache now. The Eevee jumped onto his lap and licked his cheek. "She only knows that they did something to her, but not what. She did not know how to tell you." He closed his eyes, reaching in his pocket. Eevee batted the silver case from his hand. "You do not need those." He leaned his head back. "How can she not know how to tell me? We're married. She knows she can talk to me." The Eevee sighed. "You must understand that being married to her does not mean to her that you won't leave. You are all she has. She loves you with an intensity that even we cannot understand. She is very frightened, and she feels very alone. The holidays and last year's losses have made things very hard for her to bear. This is a painful time for her." James sighed and shut his eyes tight. This had to be ranked up there as one of the worst days in his life. Everything he was being told he had at least had a passing thought about once or twice, but had always left her alone about it. Serves him right for assuming anything. He pulled himself up and picked up the Eevee. It was quite cold and he could barely feel his hands now. He started back up the driveway. The Eevee jumped up and perched herself on his shoulder, as he began to walk.
Jesse jumped when the two little black Eevees touched her ankle. She looked down from the edge of the bed, where she had been sitting for about 10 minutes. She was unable to form a coherent thought. They lept up next to her. "Veuu Veui" (You look tired.) Jesse looked next to her. They sat perfectly, staring at her through concerned eyes. "Where are the others." In their language, "Jolteon and Eevee are with the others by the fire. The others from the dining hall have retired. Misty and Ash have decided to stay." Jesse did nothing more than nod. She petted them both and sighed raggedly. They purred slightly and moved to sit on her lap. She stared at them, feeling a horrid void in her heart. The one looked up and stared at her. "We are sorry for your loss." She continued to stare. "For my loss?" Had James left for good? God, this was technically his house. Their eyes were sympathetic. "For your barrenness." Jesse jumped up at that, and the two of them lept agilely to the bed as she did. She turned on them and screamed, "How would you know that?!" She backed away from them. They sat on the bed, looking at her sorrowfully. "We heard you tell him." She relaxed, not realizing that she had not actually told James she was barren. She sank down to her knees and they jumped down, coming over to her. "Jesse, you must talk to him." She closed her eyes. "What good will it do?" The one laid a paw on her knees. "Because that is all he wants. You must talk to him and tell him what happened to you back there. He will be angry you did not tell him, but he will understand that you talked to him. He will help you." Jesse became furious. "How do you know that?! How do you know what happened?!" The one pinned its ears back, backing a step. "We know, that is all." Jesse shook her head. "No, tell me how you know!" She stared at their black fur and her eyes went wide. "Oh my god, are you with them?!" The two black ones exchanged worries looks and shook their head. "No! Oh no! We are not with Team Rocket! We are sorry to give you that impression!" Jesse still seemed uncomfortable. The one stepped forward and shook her head. "Please, you must believe us. We are not with them. We are from the north. We lost our way and became ill. That is why we were brought to the center. A woman found us. There were originally six of us and she brought us there. We were delivered to you." Jesse listened to her ramblings. "Did the sixth one die?" There was a pause as the one looked back to the other. "In a manner of speaking, yes." Jesse shook her head, feeling a horrible pain between her eyes. The two sat down in front of her. "Jessica, you must stop running from life. You have a wonderful husband who loves you unconditionally. You are safe now. You must stop being afraid and open up to him. He will do anything to help you." Jesse wiped a tear from her eye. "That doesn't make it any easier." The one climbed up onto her leg and licked her nose. "He will be angry, but he will understand." Jesse petted her head, and rubbed her eyes.
James threw his coat onto the table in the kitchen. He was starved. He picked at some of the leftovers from the beautiful dinner Anna had cooked and sighed. It was past 12 now. It was Christmas. He shook his head and fed the little Eevee some of the ham. He took some and took it into the living room, feeding the rest. Jolteon rubbed against his leg. "Jolt jolt." (Merry Christmas). He smiled in spite of himself and hugged them. They were tired and he waited until they had nodded off. He put the rest back into the refrigerator and started for the stairs.
Jesse looked up from the floor when she heard the door open. She looked behind her and saw James stop in the doorway. He stuck his hands in his pockets and stared down at her. The two Eevee scurried under the bed and she turned to look up at him. He said nothing. She bit down on her lip and tasted blood. He moved forward and closed the door softly. He leaned against it, folding his arms across his chest. She finally opened her mouth, her voice very small. "I'm so sorry." He did not move. His voice was quiet. "What happened to you last year?" Her eyes went wide. How the hell does he know? Then she remembered the Eevees. "I don't remember much." He moved forward, standing over her. If she wanted to act like a child, he would treat her as such, even if he didn't want to. "Then tell me what you remember." She took a ragged breath and pulled herself to her feet. She couldn't meet his eyes. "When they took me back, they took me down to the labs." She paused and he made no move. She began to fidget, putting her hand to her mouth and beginning to bite on her nails. He reached out and knocked her hand away. "And then what?" She looked around. "They wanted to use me in lieu of the pokemon we had taken back." James winced, but didn't move. "They knocked me out and when I woke up, I was in a cell and my chest and stomach hurt. That's all I remember." Her voice had dropped to a whisper. He shook his head and dropped his arms, tucking his hands back in his pockets. "Why didn't you tell me?" She swallowed hard, trying not to cry. "Because I didn't think about it. I thought they had beat me. I didn't want to think about it." She wandered over to the fire, and knelt down, trying to warm herself. He walked over and stood near her, staring down at the firelight glinting off of her red hair. "Jess, why didn't you tell me you went to the doctor?" She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "I wanted to give you children." He sighed. "That doesn't answer me." She slumped to the ground and crossed her legs in front of her, staring at the fire. He let her sit that way. "Jess, you have to answer me." She was still. "Because I didn't know what they had done and I wanted to make sure I was okay before I said anything. I wanted to give us that for Christmas." Her words struck such a chord in him. Her voice broke. "…and then I couldn't. I can't…." She trailed off into a sob and he swallowed. She had said 'us' instead of him. She lowered her head in her hands and began to sob quietly. "I'm so sorry." He stood for a moment, simply looking down at her. She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked softly. "I'm sorry." He knelt down behind her and wrapped his arms around her chest. "Jess, it's not your fault." She shook her head, distraught. She turned her head slightly. "If you want me to leave, I'll go." He rested his head against hers. "Why would I want you to go?" He felt her shaking. "Because I'm barren." The words hurt as she said them. "You can't have a family if I can't bear children." James turned her so she could see him. He cupped her chin and stared firmly into her eyes. "Jess, listen to me. I didn't marry you for children. I married you for you. This doesn't make me love you any less." She seemed to quiet a little. He pulled into his lap and rocked her gently. "Jess, I love you." She shook her head. "It hurts so much." He laid a hand on her firm stomach and kissed her forehead. "There's nothing I can say to make it any easier, but I love you." She nodded, laying her hands over his. "I know." She leaned her head against him. "I love you too." He held her close, rocking her. "James, I'm sorry about Christmas." He kissed her. "She cried into his shoulder and he was quiet, feeling his own tears slip down his cheeks onto her hair. She fell asleep in his arms, exhausted. He laid her down on the floor and leaned over her, watching her sleep. He jumped slightly when he felt something on his leg. Black ears twitched in his direction as the Eevee jumped up and over his leg, walking to Jesse's head. The other one came around his arm. The stood, staring at Jesse. James reached out and petted one. The both turned and looked at him. "Veui veui." (It's Christmas.) He nodded. The one walked up and rubbed her head against him. "Veui ve veu" (We have a gift for you). James looked at them curiously. "What could you have?" The one cocked her head at him and jumped up, licking his nose. "Veu veui ve" (Something that will bring you happiness and her peace). He shook his head. "I don't understand." The one stayed next to him and the other walked around Jesse, jumping up to her chest. She stirred slightly and calmed, turning her head slightly. She was sound asleep. The Eevee on her chest laid down and closed her eyes. A soft glow appeared around her and she seemed to shift. He sat up and watched, wide-eyed. The other Eevee sat there, calm. James swore he was dreaming. In seconds, there was the form of what appeared to be a woman in white floating above his wife. She shimmered and he had to put a hand up to his eyes to still see her. She looked at him and smiled with a wisdom and compassion he had never seen in his life. She extended a shimmering hand and touched his cheek. In an instant, he understood what they were. 'We're from the north' he remembered the one telling him. The floating figure withdrew her head and reached down to Jesse. She first touched Jesse's eyes, then her heart, and finally rested a hand on her stomach. "You've been through much….you're suffering ends….," he heard the most beautiful voice say. The figure's eyes closed and she was gone. He blinked several times and looked down to the other Eevee. She looked back at James and jumped up to lick his cheek. "Veui veui" (Merry Christmas). She jumped down from his leg and trotted to the door. The little one left and he sat there, dumbfounded. 'That did NOT happen'. He looked up when Jesse opened her eyes and looked over at him. "James?" She sat up and crawled over to him. She smiled at him and he saw some clarity in her eyes again. Somehow, the pain was erased. She kissed him and he wrapped his arms around her, still in slight shock. "James?" He nodded, staring into her bright eyes. "Yes?" She touched his cheek. "I can see perfectly." He almost felt faint. "What?" 'Maybe this did happen?' "I can see perfectly. I can see." He waved a hand in front of her eyes and he saw both of her eyes respond. He shook his hand. "I don't believe it." She flashed him a bright smile and he leaned forward, kissing her passionately. She broke their kiss and caressed his cheek. "I had the weirdest dream." He smiled. "What?" She looked around and shrugged. "I had a dream of angels and snow, or something like that. I dreamt of those little black Eevees, too." He continued to smile. "It was a wonderful dream, wasn't it?" Her smile faltered a little and he watched her eyes well with tears. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" He shook his head and pulled her to him, covering her mouth with his own.
They never did explain to Ash, Misty, Brock, or Kristen, or even Meowth what had happened, but they had gotten several very odd glances when it became obvious that Jesse could see fine, but they stopped asking when it became apparent they would not get an explanation. When they came downstairs in the morning, Jesse looked in the living room, finding Jolteon, Eevee, and four little black Eevees asleep beneath the Christmas tree. She smiled and did not even think to look for the fifth one. One looked up and smiled at her, knowingly. "Veui Veu" (Merry Christmas). She went over to them and picked them up. "Yes, it is." She sat down and let them jump up on her. Jolteon and Eevee jumped up, licking her face to wish her a happy holiday. The black Eevee that had left their room the night before jumped up on her shoulder. She turned her head and smiled at it. "Thank you," she whispered to it. It simply rubbed against her hair and said nothing. Gifts were exchanged later (James had even broken down and gotten Meowth a large ball of yarn that he immediately adored), and Ash and Misty stayed for Christmas dinner, which for all of the looks that James and Jesse received, was rather lovely. Brock and Kristen stayed the day after, and then left for America again. They would visit in the summer. As Christmas waned, James slid into bed beside his wife and sighed. She slid up against him and rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed her nose and smiled. "Jess?" She purred when he began to run his fingers through her hair. "Mmm?" He pulled her up and looked in her eyes. "Are you okay now?" She nodded. "Yeah….I am." He nodded and she leaned over, kissing his eyes. "Thank you." He opened his eyes. "For what?" She kissed him again. "For your patience and understanding." He nodded slightly, rolling her over to her back. "You shouldn't expect any less from me." She sighed as he touched her cheek, leaning forward and kissing her soundly. She wrapped her arms around him as it began to snow again outside.
Two weeks, and Jesse was ill. She swore she had caught the flu. James finally got worried enough that he took her to the doctors. She was so tired, and felt generally not well. He sat in the waiting room, and found himself dozing off when Jesse walked out and touched his neck. He sat up and looked up at her. She looked pale. He stood up and put his hands on her hips. "What's wrong?" The doctor came out behind her and addressed James. "She doesn't have the flu, and she's actually in pretty good health." James looked at the doctor. "So what can she do so she's not so tired and ill?" The doctor smiled brightly. "Well, she can eat well, get lots of rest, and start picking out a name for your child." James literally looked like he had been hit by a brick. His head swam and he looked at Jesse. She smiled at him and he let out the breath he had been holding. "Oh god." She laughed and he grabbed her, hugging her fiercely. "Oh Jess." She cried, and he kissed her hard. The doctor laughed. "I don't know what happened to her, or whether the tests were wrong the last time, but she is two weeks pregnant, and quite healthy." The doctor had seen many things in his time, and this was just one more to add to them, including her sight. He bid them good bye and told her to be back in a month. James placed a hand on her stomach, and couldn't keep the smile from his face. She kissed him again. He shook his head in amazement. "Let's go home." She nodded, smiling brightly.
Upon their arrival at home, they set to searching the house for the remaining four black Eevees. They could not be found. They said nothing more about them, or where they could have gone. They became referred to as the 'five little miracles' and nothing more.