A/N: Oh, look - another oneshot! I hope you all enjoy it, and don't forget to review!
One early morning, James is startled awake by a sound he thought he misheard. It sounds like… crying? He site up in his bed, and looks around. Meowth is laying curled up and sound asleep at the foot of his bed, purring contently. Forgetting momentarily why he had woken up, James' lips twitch into a tiny smile, and he reaches down to pet the sleeping cat.
Then, he hears the sound again. A strangled sob, coming from the bathroom. Carefully, as not to wake his cat companion, he climbs out of bed and walks carefully to the bathroom. The door is shut, so he turns the knob, but finds the door locked. He silently curses, and knocks softly at it in a desperate attempt to get to his distraught partner.
"Jess?" he calls softly. At his voice, the sound stops for a moment. "Jess, what's wrong? Open the door."
"Go away, James!" Jessie growls at him. "Go back to sleep!"
"Not without you," James replies. "Not with knowing you're upset. I want to help, Jess. Please let me in."
"No!" Jessie snarls. James sighs, and slides down the door to sit on the cold, hard floor. "Jessie?"
There is no reply but a muffled sob. James sighs again.
"You remember what I promised you when we were younger?"
Again, there is no reply. This time, not even a sob. James closes his eyes for a moment before opening them. They are filled with tears.
"I promised that I would always be there for you when you need me," James reminds her. "And, even when you don't need me. I will always, always be there for you. You'll never have to be alone."
"… I had a nightmare, James," Jessie tells him. Her voice is soft, hoarse, and quiet. "I dreamt that the Boss… took you away after we failed another mission."
"Jessie…" James murmurs. So, Jessie's greatest fear is losing him? He's not really that surprised. His greatest fear is losing her, and Meowth, too, for that matter. He wouldn't even be able to live if his companions were gone.
"… He told me… th – that you were d – dead… " Jessie chokes out as a fresh fit of sobs breaks past her lips. "He told me… that he k – killed you. And that he'd do the s – same to me and Meowth…"
Oh, God. James bites at his bottom lip. He doesn't know how to respond to that. So, he doesn't. Instead, he knocks softly on the door. "Can I please come in, Jess? I know you need me right now, and I want to be with you. Please, Jess?"
To his great relief, the door's lock clicks, and it soon opens. Jessie is dressed in her nightgown, with her long crimson hair hanging loosely off her shoulders. Tears sit on her cheeks, and her body trembles slightly.
He opens up his arms, and Jessie instantly collapses into them. "Shh, Jess," he murmurs soothingly, combing his fingers through her tousled hair. "Shh. I'm right here. Everything is alright. I'm safe. You're safe. Meowth is safe,t too. Nothing bad happened."
He can feel Jessie's body tremble against his own. He holds her tightly, pulling her closer to him. He presses kisses into her hair, and murmurs soothing words into her ear. Soon, her sobs subside. Soon, she is simply laying limply in his arms.
"You okay, Jess?" he asks softly, and brings a hand up to dry her tears away.
She gives him a tiny watery smile. "All thanks to you," she replies softly, and he can feel his cheeks heat up.
"Let's go back to bed, then, okay?" James says, and Jessie nods. He leads her over to his bed, carefully, the two climb into it. He wraps the blankets tight around both of them, and pull Jessie closer to him. She snuggles against his chest, closing her eyes and breathing out a soft, content sigh.
James kisses her forehead softly. "Go back to sleep, okay, Jess?" He combs his fingers through her hair. "I'll be right here when you wake up."
"Thank you, James," Jessie murmurs between a yawn. "Thank you for always being here for me. I don't know what I'd do without you."
And, with that, she falls into a deep, dreamless sleep, in the arms of the man she loves most.