Unreplacable:
A Priceless Treasure"James, I promised..." Becky protested. "I told Jessie that I would never, ever, under any circumstances, let anybody see those papers. She practically had me sign an oath in blood. She was really nervous about it." "I don't have to see them..." James countered. "If you read them to me." "I promised her I wouldn't do that, either." Becky replied. "Dang. How about paraphrasing? Can you do that?" "No dice." "What a drag." He thought about it for a moment. "What if I named every man I've ever known, and you stopped me if I named him?" He asked. "Would that work? Did she say you couldn't do that?" Becky nodded. "Dang it..." He was becoming increasingly frustrated. "She knows me too well. How about if..." Becky sighed. "Tell you what, James. I'll give you five questions, and then you leave me alone. I think I could live with myself for that." "Five? Let's see... Do I know him?" James asked. "Yes. That's one." "Does he work for Team Rocket? Or did he?" "Yes. That's two." "Did I know him before that?" "Yes. That's three." "Is he around her age?" "Yes. That's four." James was silent, and Becky turned to him. "Do you have a last one for me?" He shook his head. "I only have one question left!" James protested. He had blown through his first four, but he wasn't sure what to ask for this last one. "Give me time to think about it!" He scrunched his face up, thinking deeply. "That's right, James. You have one question left. Choose it wisely." Becky replied. "What's most important to you? James thought for a little while longer. "Did Jessie love him?" He finally decided. "James, that's not fair!" Becky complained. "How am I supposed to know how Jessie felt? Chose something else." James shook his head. "You asked what's most important to me." He replied. "And that's what it is. At least guess. You must know more than I do. Becky looked at him for a minute. "That's really more important to you than anything else?" He nodded. "Okay..." She attempted to explain. "It came as a shock to me. I never thought she'd have a relationship with him." She said slowly. "But I never really saw them together after she got pregnant. He never was around." She looked at him. "Jessie once told me that she had never really loved a man until she met you, James. She said she had made some stupid mistakes, but she wished she could make them right." "Then why didn't she talk to me?" James asked. "She was planning to." Becky stated. "Remember that day you came in for that performance review? She was planning to tell you all about it then, and ask you if you would take her back. But you surprised her, and you ran away before she could explain." "If I had known..." James murmured. "If I had only known." "After that, she lost all hope." Becky said. "She just sort of wandered around, feeling lost. I felt so sorry for her..." "Wait a minute..." James interrupted. "She already knew she was pregnant when I went in? That means she got pregnant, right after she left me!" Becky cringed at the hurt look on his face. Would it really be better to leave him like this? Could he handle that? "James..." She bit her lip, then quietly continued. "She was pregnant when she left you." James gasped. "But, then...." He mumbled. "She....." He shook his head numbly. "No! That can't be!" He shook his head, sitting down. "No!" He looked up at her. "Becky, no!" "How thick is your skull?!" Becky yelled. "This isn't two plus two, it's one plus one!" She glared at him, then cleared her throat. "I won't tell you anything else, James. You should leave." He stared up blankly. "What do you mean?" she stamped her foot. "James....." She took a deep breath. "Think about it." He did, but couldn't seem to see what she was aiming at. "Think. Just think of who the father could be. Who do you know; your age, from Team Rocket...." "Only Butch, and Billy, and a few others. But none of them are Jessie's type. Are they?" He shook his head. "It was Butch, wasn't it? She just wanted to get back at Cassidy, didn't she? Nooo... Is she like that?" He was getting more and more tense. "She wouldn't.. She might... She didn't, she..." "James, just leave!!!" Becky screamed. " Jessie was right, you are an idiot. I never thought you would go this long without figuring it out." She motioned to the door. "Just go think about it. If you have any brain at all, it will come to you eventually." "But, I..." James was even more numb looking now. "James, please. I promised Jessie." Becky said quietly. "You don't want me to lie to her, do you?" He shook his head. "Then just think about it. It's obvious." She patted his shoulder re-assuringly. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. And no one said you couldn't do that." She reminded him, smiling apologetically. James nodded and reluctantly left. ... "But Jessie said..." He pondered aloud, lying on the bed of his hotel room. "She said she wanted my children. Why would she ask me for kids, if she already had one on the way?" He rolled on his side. "Think, James, think!" He reprimanded himself. "He works for Team Rocket, he's around her age, he's someone she was around... That narrows it down a lot... and it's someone I wouldn't expect., someone who could have spent time around her without me realizing what was happening..." He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking as hard as he could. "Jessie's not stupid. It would take a while for any man to get that close to her. Probably years... But that only leaves one person..." His eyes shot wide open. "Me." If a million tons of bricks had hit him at once, it might have stunned him less then the realization of what was happening. Of what had happened. "Oh my God..." He shook his head as a dizzying lightheadedness came to him. Rich, bitter parents... "Jasmine..." His daughter... He felt unconsciousness and nausea sweep over him in waves, nearly overcome by the feelings that were coursing through him. "Jessie." The last word, the only word he could think of before he gave in to the darkness that surrounded him, and he repeated it as long as he could. "Jessie..." --- "Boss?" The young woman said nervously, stepping into the large office. The large man on the other side of the room glanced up from a paper. "What do you want?" He demanded. "What are you doing here?" "Sir, I... I need to get transferred." She replied. "From my current team." Her frazzled hair and bagged eyes forced him to ask why. "What's wrong with yours?" He asked. "Well, you see... James... James, he.. he..." She stumbled over her words, trying to find a nice way to say what she wanted. "I just can't be around him for a while." She finally said. "Something happened... I can't face him right now." He looked up at her and seemed to realize what had happened. He sighed. "I believe I warned you about this. We don't normally approve of coed teams. Men can have problems dealing with their... 'emotions'. It's not wise to leave them alone with an unguarded woman. A girl needs protection..." He threw an admiring look at her thin body, barely concealed by her scant uniform, then nodded again. "Especially one like you. That's why I sent Meowth..." "No." She gulped. "It wasn't like that. He never... forced me to do anything. It just happened." She blushed. "It was just as much my fault as his." He shoot her an irritated glance. "Then, what's the problem? Things just aren't working out?" his voice was thick with sarcasm. "Stop wasting my time." "Well, you see, sir, I..." She took a deep breath, then blurted out: "I'm pregnant!" He nodded. "And?" Come to think of it, Jessie was way too weight-sensitive to allow for the small pooching stomach she had now. Although hardly noticeable, it would have driven her crazy. "What's and? I'm pregnant!" She said defensively, putting a hand on her stomach. Isn't that enough?" He shook his head and began rubbing a temple. "Look, Jessica." He grumbled. "I'm your boss. I don't have time to play psychiatrist for my employees. Is it his?" He asked. Jessie blushed even harder as she nodded. "And that's positive?" She nodded more vigorously. "Then, what is the problem?" He asked wearily. "Why are you leaving?" She looked at her feet. "James doesn't want children." She whispered. "I don't know what to tell him." Giovanni nodded with approval. "At least one of you is thinking straight." Jessie looked up slightly. "You know your medical plan doesn't cover pregnancy." He reminded her. "It only pays if you're... ending one." "No!" She yelled, putting her other hand around her stomach. "I'm keeping her." He raised an eyebrow. "It's a little soon to call 'it' a 'her', isn't it?" She put sat back, hugging her legs against her chest and covering her stomach as she could. "I'm not giving her up. I'll keep her, no matter what. I just need some time." She looked up. "Can I get a desk job? Just for a while?" When she got no response, she tried again. "Just until I can find out how to tell James." Govanni shook his head disapprovingly. "You know, Jessica, your sick infatuation with imitating your mother is getting out of hand. I can understand following your mother's occupation, even using the Pokémon your mother used. But to have a child, at the age your mother had you, and assume it will be a girl, is a bit too far." His voice rose as he spoke. "Your delusions are going to get you killed." Jessie just frowned at him, crunching herself into a protective ball around her stomach. She did have courage, he would give her that. And she was persistent to a fault. There was no bending her will once she got an idea in her mind. "Fine." He consented. "You can stay here... For a while." She smiled thankfully. "Just watch yourself, will you?" "Don't worry about me, sir." She grumbled, rising to leave. "I can take care of myself. Things will work out." Jessie woke with a start, covered in cold sweat. Alone. She had been having flashbacks to that night for days now. It was killing her nerves. "James...." She whispered. "This is all my fault." She hid her face in the pillow, crying. "I should never have left. I'm sorry..." Every night, she went through this. But she would never get the chance to apologize in person. She heard the door crack softly. "Momma?" Jasmine asked, standing in the doorway. "Are you awake?" Jessie nodded. "Can I come in? I wanna sleep here." "Of course, honey." Jessie replied. "Of course." Jasmine ran up and jumped in next to her mom, snuggling deep under the covers. "Sometimes, it's too scary to sleep alone..." She kissed her forehead, then wrapped her arms around her. "We all need to know we're loved." Jessie kissed her again, then tried to sleep. "Mommy?" "Yeah, honey?" "James really was my daddy, wasn't he?" Jasmine said quietly. "Yes..." Jessie whispered. "Yes, he was. He still is." She hugged her even more tightly. "He will always be your daddy." She was crying softly, but Jasmine was getting used to it. "And he will always love you. Always. Just like I love you." "I miss him..." Jasmine said quietly. "I miss my Daddy..." She started to cry too, and the two of them cried themselves to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jessie woke up late, again. She called the office to tell them she wouldn't be showing up, again. "That's three times this week, Mrs. Miyamoto." Her boss reminded her, trying to hide his exasperation. "We can't keep unproductive saleswomen." "I'm well aware of that, sir." Jessie responded blankly. "Good-bye." She numbly set the phone back in the cradle, ignoring the protests of the man on the other side of the line. With or without a job, what did it matter anyway? She certainly didn't give a damn anymore. She hated the job, anyway. She sat down on the couch, flipping the TV on as a diversion. "Honey, Sailor Moon is on!" She called to Jasmine. "Do you want to watch?" "Yeah!" Jasmine giggled, sitting down next to her mother. "I love Sailor Moon!" As Jasmine cuddled up next to her mom, Jessie gave the screen an uninterested glance. The blonde girl, Sailor Moon, right? was lying on a park bench. Some sleep spell. "She's dreaming she's running out of energy that falls asleep forever. Except there's no waking from this dream is real." The Negamonster explained. "Who the heck does the translating on this thing?" Jessie wondered. "A bad dub can totally destroy a good cartoon." Not that this was a particularly good cartoon. That whiny one was out cold, having nightmares about being dumped by her man. "What a wimp. She's actually going to let herself die, rather than accept that she's been dumped?" Jessie muttered under her breath. Sailor Moon had always been a little too clingy for her. However, she was beginning to notice some disturbing similarities between the long-haired twit and herself. "Don't you want to watch something different?" Jessie asked hopefully. Jasmine shook her head. "Sailor Moon, you can't leave us!" one of the girls yelled. Jessie shook her head. She hadn't watched this show in a while... There was something about it she hated. But what? Suddenly, a young man appeared on the screen. Jessie stiffened. She remembered him. "Jasmine, you're too young for this sort of thing." She complained, trying to take the remote back from her daughter. Jasmine protested and tried to hold it away. "You give me that, Jessy, or I'll..." Too late. The man had already transformed, and Jessie gave a choked sob. The tuxedo, the roses, it was all too much, too soon, too familiar. Roses always reminded her of James, but the tux only reminded her of one night. That night, the night that had turned her life upside down... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "James, hurry up! We don't want to be late!" Jessie complained, looking at her watch while taping her foot impatiently. She turned to the mirror to check her reflection again. Perfect, as usual, but she just wanted to make sure. The deep green strapless gown she had on now made her look older than her seventeen years, it made her feel wild and dangerous. She shot a sultry glance at the mirror, then turned back around. "James!" She nearly bumped into him. "Jessie, I need help with my tie!" He whined, then looked at her. "Jessie, you're not going in that!?" He protested. "And why not?" She asked, tying the bow-tie for him. "You don't see me complaining about what you're wearing." And with good reason. James looked surprisingly good in his tuxedo, and she pinched his cheek playfully. "If I were you, I'd watch out for myself." She teased. He reached up his hand, touching hers, and looked into her eyes. "You worry me, Jess." He said quietly. "Stop it." She chided, pulling her hand away. It always made her nervous when he got that way. James was a friend of hers, but only a friend. Normally, he knew his place. It was very rarely that he got like this, trying to stand in the way of her shameless flirting. "Don't worry, Mom. I can handle myself." She teased. He turned bright red, and she bit her tongue. Each time she belittled him, she felt a little worse about it... But to accept James was to settle for second-best, and danged if she would ever let that happen. "Come on." She grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door. --- Jessie released his arm and immediately started weaving through the crowd. "Bye, James, don't wait up!" She called over her shoulder. "But Jessie...." He shook his head. Why did she always treat him like this? He hated Team parties. Jessie would always have some fling with whatever creep she could hook up with and disappear. Being a coed team, they had separate rooms, and he never knew how late she stayed out. (Unless she had a particularly large fight, and he happened to hear it) However, she would always show up the next day tiered and cranky. Her little flames never worked out, and for the next couple of weeks he would be taking the blows for another heartless bastard he had never met. And all just to be around her... So why did it sound so good? When he had left home, he had promised never again to let a woman take control over him again. And yet, less than two months later, he had willfully surrendered his freedom (Which he had worked so hard to obtain) to be around with Jessie. "When am I going to learn?" He asked out loud to no one in particular. Then he went to take his usual place by the refreshment table. "Hello, Ma'am." Jessie turned to meet a tall, dark haired man. "May I have this dance?" He held out a hand, and she shyly took it. "My name is Jackson..." He introduced as he led her out. "May I have your name, Miss?" "I'm Jessie..." She stuttered, trying to keep pace with him. She and James had synchronized their actions over time, but she was hopeless when it came to dancing with other men. She hoped she didn't look as clumsy as she felt... "It's an honor to meet you, Jessie..." He said smoothly as he took her waist to begin the dance. James took a few crackers from the table, munching on them distractedly as his eyes followed Jessie. That was quick. She was already on the floor with a man (Which, James noted, looked way too old for her) and having the time of her life. He shook his head and reached for a glass of punch. "Excuse me, sir, are you waiting for someone?" A girl asked, stepping up next to him. "Hi, my name's Bonney. I work with William." She grinned. "You're James, right?" He nodded. "Dance with me?" She asked. He looked at her for a moment, surprised at her forwardness. "No..." He finally said. "No thank you, I'm just waiting." She frowned for a moment, then followed his gaze. "Oh, I see..." She said when she saw who he was looking at. "Don't worry, I'm just trying to make Billy jealous, too." She grabbed his arm. "Come on, one dance?" James mildly resisted, but finally nodded. "Come on!" She dragged him out onto the floor. It was a short dance, but too long for James. He kept trying to watch Jessie as she spun in and out of view. She had stopped to get a glass of punch, still talking to that guy. He tried to lead Bonney that way, but Jessie disappeared. Finally, he sighed. He probably was being too protective of her. It was obvious she liked the way she was living. He shouldn't try to get in the way. As much as he hated that, he couldn't force her to be more than she was. He was only pushing her away. "Let's get something to drink." He said when the dance was over. "Sure." Bonney replied, and they headed for the table. He took a glass, and halfheartedly sipped it. It had a funny taste to it... "James, does this taste strange?" Bonney asked. "I think there's something in this stuff!" She took another, tiny sip. "This stuff has been spiked!" She turned to James. "We have to tell someone!" James felt his stomach tighten. "Jessie was drinking it." He noted, and Bonney gasped. "I'll find the guards." She decided. "You go find your partner!" James nodded and ran off. --- Jessie leaned against the hood of a company jeep, trying to keep her balance. She felt surprisingly disoriented. "Jackson?" She hated to pass up such a seemingly perfect date, but she really wasn't feeling at her best. "I think I'm getting sick..." Her voice sounded distant, like it was coming from somewhere else. "I need to go back to my room." She slouched slightly. "All in good time, my dear." He said, and she looked up. "I'm not done with you yet." Her eyes widened as he walked towards her menacingly, leaning over her. "In fact..." He let his finger trace down her neck. "I haven't even started..." She tried to pull back, but felt too weak even for that... "No...." She protested lightly as he leaned over and kissed her. She tried to take out her hammer, but it was too heavy, and he easily slapped it out of her hand. "Calm down, dear." He whispered. "Just relax..." He pushed her back against the hood. "I won't hurt you." She had trouble believing that he meant that. She closed her eyes. After all she'd said today, she had this coming... but she couldn't imagine letting this creep have his way. She took a deep breath, then screamed at the top of her lungs... --- "JAMES!!!!!!" at the sound of her yell, he jumped. It was faint, but he was almost certain it had come from the parking complex near building C. "I'm coming, Jessie." He said quietly, running towards the sound of her voice. --- "That's enough out of you!" Jackson said harshly, forcing her back against the hood. With one hand on her wrists to pin her in place, he tore off one side of her sash. "This oughta keep you quiet..." He tied it around her mouth, gagging her. "Now, just sit still. I don't want to hurt you." He whispered, leaning over her menacingly. "Prepare for Trouble!" James yelled as Weezing's thick fumes filled the parking complex. Jessie attempted to say the next part, but only managed to make a few muffled grunts. It didn't really matter, Jackson swung at him before he could get any of his line out. Jessie screamed as Jackson hit James square in the jaw, knocking him off balance. As she watched, James tossed his jacket at her. (She wasn't sure if he was protecting her decency or merely trying to discard the heavy clothing, but was thankful for it.) "You son of a..." A few more yells and the sound of two men fighting made her hide behind the jacket, fighting back tears. She had always dreamed of having men fight over her. Now, as she heard her best friend scream in pain as Jackson punched him again, she realized how selfish she was. "James, just go!" She yelled against the sash, not daring to look. "Save yourself!" No luck. He probably couldn't understand anyway. The two continued the grizzly battle, with Jessie too preoccupied with trying to stay awake to be of any help. Finally, she heard one of them fall. "James!" She yelled, turning slightly to look at the victor. In the dim, hazy green light of an emergency exit light, she could barely make out the silhouette of a figure, but was unsure of who it was. She cowered against the hood as they started towards her. "James?!" "If I were you, I'd watch out for myself." James said tiredly, repeating what she had said earlier. He shook his head. "I can't believe you, Jessie." She struggled to untie the gag, but felt his hands reach under her. "What are you doing?" She muttered, finally removing her sash. "You can't walk by yourself, can you?" She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "Then don't complain." He said curtly. "James, I'm sorry..." She whispered. As they stepped into the more light-filled hallway, she saw that his left eye was swollen almost completely shut. A thin trail of blood spilled from his lip. "I'm so sorry." "Yeah, whatever." He was too sore and too angry to accept any apologies. After all, she had every right to be sorry. After what he had done for her, she owed him big time. And, as usual, she was just going to chalk it up to being a friend and forget about it. He headed towards the temporary rooms. "Uhhh, James? My room is in building L." Jessie said quietly. She was pretty certain he already knew, but just wanted to be sure. "You think I'm letting you out of my sight after that little incident?" James retorted, and she winced. "You're not going anywhere until you're sobered up, girl." He got to his room and balanced her on one leg to unlock his door. "I need a shower." He grumbled as he stepped inside, maintaining his precarious grip on her waist as he turned on the light. "You're sleeping here." He rather unceremoniously dropped her on the bed, and headed for the bathroom. "James..." Jessie said from behind him. "If you want something to wear, I've got some extra shirts in my suitcase." He motioned to it as he slammed the door behind him. Once he got inside, he leaned against the door. He had been a little rough on her, he knew that, but she did have it coming. He would apologize later. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear it. He had drunken some of the spiked punch too, and his reasoning capabilities weren't at their best. It was just... He had been so scared. Afraid that he would loose, afraid that he would let her down, afraid that that man would do something horrible her while he lay unconscious on the asphalt. He would never have forgiven himself if he had lost that fight. Never. "I guess I shouldn't blame Jessie..." He said aloud as he slipped out of the blood-stained tuxedo shirt. "She can't help the way she looks..." He turned on the water as he dropped his slacks. "I can't say I'm not guilty..." After all, back at Aopulco, his bikini had been just as revealing as hers was. (He was still embarrassed by that incident, but it had sounded like fun at the time) He stepped into the hot stream of water. "She's just too good for her own good." The warm water felt so good as he watched the trickles of blood swirl down the drain. "I'll apologize when I get out." He finally said, relaxing as he let the tension of the fight disappear down the drain as well. James slid into his pajamas, then looked in the mirror. "Yeck." His hair looked even more purple when it was wet. His mother had been purple haired, his father had blue. His hair always seemed to be somewhere in between. He had tried dye, but that only made it worse. It looked girlie. No wonder he was always dressing as one. But then, after all, he did make the coolest girl... After Jessie. "Jess?" He whispered as he opened the door. "Hey, Jess, are you asleep already?" She didn't answer, so he walked over to her bed. "Jess?" A slight sniffle. "Jessie, are you crying?" She nodded slightly. "I'm sorry, James." She whispered. "I'm sorry I got you involved in all that. It's just..." He put a finger to her lips, gently silencing her. "It's not your fault." He assured her. "I don't blame you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I still love you..." He could hardly believe he had just said that. On another day, he would have killed him for it, no questions asked. Under present circumstances, it seemed almost normal. She thought about it for a moment, then smiled at him. "Really?" He nodded. "Thank you." She grinned. "That just made my day." He nodded again, then just smiled back. He had always managed to keep his personal feelings to himself, at least regarding her. Why was today so different? Why was she responding so well? He felt too good to even think about it. "Yeah, Jessie." He leaned forward. "I'll always love you..." She didn't seem to mind as he gently brought his lips down onto hers "...Forever." She kissed him back, timidly wrapping her slender arms around his neck.. Slowly, he kissed her again and again as she scooted oven in his bed to make room for him. "James...." She whispered quietly as he leaned over her. "Oh, James...." He began to kiss her neck, savoring the feel of her hot breath against his cheek. "This isn't you. You're not like this"A nagging voice tried to remind him. "You're just drunk. Don't ruin your future." His mind begged. He repressed the thoughts, focusing on the beautiful woman apparently at his command. "Think about it..." One more kiss drowned his conscience out entirely. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ James stretched and opened his eyes. Boy, did he feel tiered... He couldn't seem to remember anything he had done last night, either. He yawned and struggled to sit up. He found himself tangled in his blankets, with his arms crossed over his chest. Wait a minute, one of those wasn't his. It was far too small, and besides his hand was over there, tangled in hair. Bright red hair... He looked over to see the angelic face of Jessie sleeping next to him and screamed. "What?!" Jessie woke with a start. "What's happening?!" She looked around, and her gaze landed on James. "Oh... Hi." She said groggily. "Jessie?!" He hissed, still shocked. "What's going on?" She frowned at him. His face was chalk white as the night's incidents began to flood back to him.. "Quiet down." Jessie grumbled, holding her pounding head. "If you can't figure it out, then..." Her voice was cut off by a sharp knock. "Hey, James!" A slightly annoying voice yelled. "James, have you seen Jessie?" James looked around. "Shoot!" He hardly managed to keep his voice below a yell. "Meowth! He's looking for you!" He turned. "Try to find some place to..." Jessie had already grabbed her torn dress off the floor and ran into the kitchen to hide. "Good." He opened the door. "Well..." Meowth's voice trailed off when he looked at James. "Geez, boy, what happened to you?" James just shook his head. "Jessie ain't in her room." he said quietly. James nodded. That was true. "She stayed the night with some freak, didn't she? I can't believe that girl." James nodded again. "But, she.." Yeah, Jess had stayed out with a real looser. He didn't want to get in trouble, but he felt bad, letting her take all the blame. "She..." "James... I know how ya feel about her." Meowth said. "But you can't honestly believe that she's not out doin' stuff like that! Maybe the first time." Meowth waited, but James didn't say anything. "Or, the second, or the third, or maybe even the fourth. But you can't really believe she's still the innocent girl she claims to be. I know, I know. Yois care about Jessie. You love Jessie. Ya practically worship Jessie. But I know all too well how it tears you apart every time she's out playing whore. It's unforgivable." "Don't call her that!" James snapped, turning to Meowth viciously. "Don't you dare call her that word!" Meowth stepped back, confused. "Jessie is as innocent as I am." He yelled. Had learned that last night. "She always has been." As hard as it was to believe, It was true. Now he felt even more awful for suspecting her all these years. Meowth shook his head, trying to understand what had brought this on. "Just leave. Go." James motioned to the door. "All I can say, Jimmy, is that she don't know what she's missing." Meowth said finally. "I hope she realizes some day." He walked out the door. "When yois see your 'angel', tell her I need to talk to her." He closed the door behind him. James sighed with relief and turned around. "He's gone, Jessie." He said, quietly. "You can come out now." He looked around. "Jessie, are you okay?." He heard some scraping under the sink, and opened the cabinet door. "Jessie?" She was crunched up under it, hugging her dress to her chest. "I'm not talking to you." She said, turning away. "Jessie..." He looked at her for a moment, the weight of what had happened just barely beginning to sink in. "Oh, Jessie... I'm so sorry." He whispered. She just shook her head. "Jessie..." "Well..."She said, her voice slightly bitter. "I'm glad I stayed at your house. Just think of what could have happened to me." There was no mistaking the sarcasm in her voice. "I'm sorry..." He repeated, offering her his hand. She refused it. "Jessie, please!" She started for the door. "Don't go!" She offered a single, raised finger over her shoulder in response. "Jessie, you're hardly wearing anything." He reminded her. It was true, she only had his pajama top. "Funny, that didn't seem to bother you last night." She grumbled, turning and heading for the window. She looked out, there was some sort of meeting on the lawn between this building and L. She would never be able to sneak past it all. "Jessie..." She cringed, unsure of whether to continue to ignore him or try to talk to him. "Jessie, I'm sorry about what happened. But I was..." "You were drunk." She said curtly. "We all were. But..." She shook her head. "I don't know." She turned to him. "You were my friend, James. I'm not sure how to react." He put his hand on her shoulder. She turned to him. "I'm sorry." He repeated again. "I had no control over it. I never would have done anything like that. You know that, don't you, Jess?" He took one hand in his. She glared at him, and he stepped back slightly. "Jessie, I..." "If she hates me forever for this, I don't know what I'll do." He cleared his throat and tried again. "I..." A slap caught him off guard, knocking him to the ground. "I'm sorry if I'm not good enough for you!" She screamed, throwing herself on the bed and burying her head in a pillow. "I had it coming, you've proven your point. Just stop rubbing it in! Don't toy with me like this..." Her voice trailed off into sobs. "Not good enough?" Now James was really confused. "Rubbing it in?" He sat down next to her, resting one hand on her back as she sobbed. "What point? Jessie, I don't understand. I didn't want to hurt you..." She didn't lift her head, but finally decided to answer. "It was just the drink? Only because you were woozy?" He nodded and affirmed it. "Then, you don't feel anything for me?" He cleared his throat. So that's what she meant... She was upset that he would 'dump' her after this! No, never! He would never want that! But he certainly didn't want scare her now... "Had I been sober, I would have shown more constraint..." He wasn't quite sure how to react. "I mean, I wouldn't have tried to..." He gulped and tried again. She grabbed his collar, pulling him towards her. "Just tell me the truth." She nearly hissed in his ear. "Do you love me?" He was surprised at her forwardness, and pulled back slightly. "Do you?" "Well, I..." He said quietly. She grabbed him closer, pressing him for an answer. He gulped again. "God, she's beautiful." He took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. "I..." He looked into her soft blue eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Yes." He whispered, his voice hardly audible. "I do." She looked into his eyes, then rolled over, sitting on the side of the bed next to him. "Really?" "Of course. like I've never loved anyone before." He whispered, captivated. She searched his eyes until she was satisfied he was telling the truth, and calmed down considerably, seeming almost playful. "How much?" She rested a single finger on his chest, and gazed up expectedly. "More than anything." He answered, gaining a little confidence. "I love you, Jessie." She grinned and closed her eyes, leaning towards him. He gulped and closed his own, but she pulled away at the last moment. "Then, get me some clothes." She said, grabbing some keys and tossing them at him. He looked at her quizzically, and she looked down at herself. "You want me to go out like this? Just look at me!" "Yes, Ma'am." He replied with mock enthusiasm, staring at her figure intently. "Anywhere in particular?" She did her best to hide a laugh. "My fist, if you don't go get some clothes." She grumbled playfully. "Now, go!" He nodded, heading for the door. At the last moment, he turned back and looked at her. At first, it seemed like he meant it as a passing glance, but he was soon gawking again. "Stop that!" She chided, blushing. "I'm sorry." He breathed, trying to break the gaze. "It's just I...." He paused, blushing. "You're gorgeous... I've never thought of you like..." He blushed harder. "You must think I'm a twit." "I always have." She said lovingly. "I always have. Now go. They're in a bag next to my bed." He gave her one last loving glance, then headed out. Jessie sighed, lying back on the bed. She felt like she should be more angry about all this, but part of her felt relieved. She'd been trying so hard to find another man, but for some reason, this seemed right. She rolled onto her back, starring at the ceiling. He was a good kisser. A good kisser. She blushed, covering her cheeks. "James..." She said aloud, giggling "Stop it! You've lost James as your best friend, you could have been killed last night, you've violated at least three major sections of your code, and here you are giggling like a school girl about a kiss." She nodded to herself and chuckled some more. "Are you still drunk?" "Maybe..." She said aloud. "But maybe... This is love?" She had never really considered herself in love before. This was serious stuff. "James an' me..." She burst out giggling again. "I think you're right, I must be wasted!" She laughed a little more, then sighed. "I hope it's always like this..." But if it was just being drunk, it took two months to sober. The giddy feeling she felt that morning was nothing compared to the pure emotions that overcame her what James had done next payday. --- "Yeah, James? What is it?" Jessie asked irately as she stepped behind the tree. It had been a horrible day. The diminutive checks they had gotten were small comfort after a particularly painful blast off. "What's so important that Meowth couldn't hear about it?" He turned to her with an impish grin. She sighed. "No." His smile faded. "I wasn't even thinking about making out!" He protested. "Honestly!" Now, she was the one with the grin. "And yet, you knew what I was talking about." She returned, and he blushed deeply. "So, if it wasn't that, then what?" That's what she had been expecting him to ask for. He rarely did, but he normally got that adorable look on his face. You know, the 'little boy on Christmas morning' look? Anyway, he was still blushing and muttering to himself. He seemed really uptight, like the last time he had tried to drink an entire expresso. "James?" He shrieked and leapt back, like he had forgotten she was there. "Well, I..." He looked at his feet, then her, then back, in rapid succession. "I, you... we, I...I, um" "Nice pronouns. What did you want to say?" She interrupted. He was beginning to get her curious. "Tell me..." She stepped forward so her face was only inches from his. "I'm waiting." He looked up, leaning back against the tree. "Yes?" One more step, and he was totally sandwiched between her and the bark. He gulped. "I was just wondering..." He looked into her eyes, then stared submissively at the ground. Finally, he quietly whispered, "Do you want go to dinner tonight? My treat?" He asked it like he was trying to dodge his real question, but she decided to let it slide. After all, he didn't treat take her anywhere often. This was a very special treat. "I'd love to." She whispered, kissing him on the cheek. He giggled softly. "Where?" He handed her a take-out menu to a French restaurant. Not the best in town, but only a few weeks ago he had been trying to talk her into flirting with the guy at the doughnut shop to try to get freebies. By James's standard, this was very romantic. "Thank you, Jessie." He was still jumpy, but obviously pleased with himself for making it this far. "I'm so happy. Can I meet you there at 7:00?" He looked over his shoulder, then turned back. "I'll leave before, so Meowth doesn't catch on." He explained. She nodded. "Sounds great to me, James." She said happily. "Sounds great." She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss.. On the lips, this time. He hugged her gently, savoring it, yet still nervous. She pulled back. "I'll see you then." She walked away, winking over her shoulder. He watched her for a moment then turned away. He took a deep breath, then hit his forehead against the tree. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..." He muttered to himself as he tried to knock some sense into his thick skull. "I should have asked her then..." He turned back. "What if she says no?" Then she would. He owed her the choice. "Jessie..." He had always cowered under her, but he was getting worse. While he had often been afraid of her hitting him, he had rarely been in fear of loosing his heart. This time was all or nothing. He would either become the happiest man on earth, or the most wretched. With his luck, this proved to be a very bad day. Jessie sat down nervously. After that little *incident* in the parking lot, she hated to be alone. Even in the high-necked, knee-length dress she was wearing now, she still felt almost naked. James had better get there soon. "Jessie..." She turned to see him standing over her. "I'm sorry I'm late, Jess." He sat down across from her. "Have you ordered yet?" She shook her head no, and he grinned. "Let me do it! I used to have to eat at places like this all the time. I've had everything on the list." Jessie nodded. She normally didn't like the idea of things like that, but She couldn't even pronounce the names of most of the things on the menu, let alone figure out what they were. James grinned again and turned to the waiter, rattling off what sounded like enough food to feed a whole army. The waiter nodded. (Either the names were very complex, or the waiter assumed their party hadn't arrived yet.) James waited until the man was gone, then turned to her. "Jess..." He said nervously, adjusting his collar. "There's something I need to talk to you about..." "Yeah, James? What is it?" Jessie asked innocently. He gulped, fumbling in his pocket and looking away. "What's up with you?" She frowned. "You've been so nervous lately." He looked back. "Do you love me?" She blushed, turning away. "Do you?" She nodded slightly, giving a barely audible yes. "Would you prove it?" She looked back at him. "What kind of 'proving' are we talking about?" She asked suspiciously. "Or do I want to know?" He blushed more than her, slipping back into the hyper-tense attitude he had used this afternoon. "Well, I..." He squeezed his eyes shut, silently counting to three. Then he looked up. "Jessiewillyoumarryme?" he nearly yelled it, then froze with fear. The words flooded out in a rush, so close together she could hardly understand them. For a moment she just frowned at him, wondering if He'd lost his mind. Then the words began to make sense... She frowned, replaying the jumbled question. "Did you just say..." She dropped the breadstick she had been nibbling on, staring back slack-jawed. Marry you? Half of her body wanted to collapse into a giggly fit. A wedding... Wow! You can do better.The other half of her protested. James watched. He wasn't quite sure what Jessie was thinking, but it didn't look promising. Do something! His mind yelled. What? Anything! What do they do on TV? His eyes brightened, and he stumbled out of his chair. Kneeling beside hers, he gently touched her hand. "Please, Jessica?" She bit her lip. Am I ready for this? Can I handle it? He took her hand more earnestly, looking up with huge, pleading eyes. "James.... I..." she stumbled for words. "I..." "Please?" He was on the verge of tears, but tried to keep the desperation out of his voice. nice going. Had he screwed up this much already? "I would be the happiest man in the world..." He said quietly, his ambition draining as he reached into his pocket. "If you would give me the honor..." He took out a small velvet box. "It isn't much..." He admitted, lifting the lid. Nestled in the velvet was a tiny diamond ring. She drew in her breath, and he cringed. It was so small... He had been reluctant to give it to her. Although it was all he could afford, it seemed almost blasphemous to present her with such a pathetic gem. Here he was, asking the woman who was practically his goddess to join him in a holy union, and the best offering he could give her was a 1/8 CT. Diamond on a ten carrot band. Disgraceful. He turned away, blushing. "James..." She reached down, taking the box out of his hands. He looked up. "I've heard that an engagement ring should cost two months of a man's salary..." She mused, looking at it carefully. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "You've been lying to me, boy." She said with gentle sarcasm. "It would take me three months to pay for this... At least." She grinned down at him. "And you said we made the same amount." "Four." He admitted. "But I get more advances, so I get more of my check garnished." He was still blushing, but he seemed more happy now. "If I got my full check, I could have bought it in two months. I figured you deserved at least that." He looked up, a timid grin on his face. "So, will you?" She bit her lip. Fame, fortune... Everything you've dreamed of... Can he give you that? Her eyes were beginning to well with tears. "Jessie, dear, I will always love you. I hope you never go through life without having people to love you. Remember, darling, that true happiness is that which you share with someone." Her mother's final words came back to her, and she broke down. "Yes, James.... I will.. I do." The expression on his face was indescribable. But, still, I feel inclined to try. Try to picture this: Give James a billion dollars, tell him Jessibell is gone, let him have his mansion. Now, tell him the only catch is he has to spend two hundred dollars of his vast fortune a day, for the rest of his life, on doughnuts. Now, look at his face. "Jessie..." "James, I love you!" She pushed her chair out of the way, kneeling next to him as she gave him in a huge hug. "I love you so much..." He nodded numbly, rubbing his cheek against her velvety-smooth skin as he stroked her hair. "Excuse me, Madame, Monsignor." The waiter rudely interrupted the intimate scene. "Did you want your food, or should I put it on the floor for you?" They both blushed and got in their seats, facing each other. Her first guess had been right, James had ordered a mountain of food. Fortunatelly, that was what they both wanted. James had been to tense to eat that day, and Jessie.... Well, Jessie was always hungry these days. At the time, she didn't know why. It would be at least two more weeks before she finally realized the truth... But we've already discussed that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Auntie Mary, is Mommy going to be all right?" Jasmine asked, looking up at her aunt as she kneeled on the floor beside her mom. "What happened? She was just wachin' the TV, and then she fell over!" Mary shook her head and leaned over Jessie's fallen form nervously. "I don't really know, dear." She poked her gently. "Jessie, dear, are you okay?" Jessie grumbled slightly, rolling over. "Jessie, what's going on?" She had been out for at least ten minutes, with no obvious source of her panic attack. "Are you okay?" She reached one hand out, nervously touching Jessie's forehead. "You feel OK...." "What?" Jessie mumbled groggily. "Where?" She looked around, obviously unimpressed by her surroundings. "Oh..." She grumbled. "Here." She stood. "I can't take this any more...." She started for the phone. "Jessie, what are you doing?" Mary asked nervously. "I can't live like this. I'm calling Nina." Mary looked up at her. "Jasmine's grandma. I'll try to make a bargain or something, and if that doesn't work..." She walked out of the room. "Then, I'll figure something out." As she picked up the phone, she grinned slightly to herself. "I'm not drunk.." She assured herself. This crazy feeling was love. In the next room, the TV was still going. Tuxedo Mask (The man who had caused the flashbacks) was dumping poor Sailor Moon. "Our love is like a rose... Beautiful while in bloom, but it cannot last." Well, he was wrong. Love was, in many ways, like a rose. Soft, pretty, sometimes a deep scarlet. It had to be handled carefully, or the results would be painful. But, no. Love was more like a rosebush. Sometimes, it would be in full bloom. Other times, it might seem almost dead. However, with some time and caring, it could last forever. Those memories had proved it. She wanted to be with James, she needed to be with him. After all they had been through, they would find a way through this. Somehow, they would manage. This was why she had tried to turn James away so many times. Because he did more than just love her. He made her feel reckless, he seemed to encourage her spontaneity. She had gone for six years without endangering her family. In four weeks, James had made her willing to throw her life away. And she didn't even care anymore. All she wanted was that forbidden family she had dreamed of so earnestly for so many years, yet been too afraid to reach for. She wanted to be a real mom, with a real dad at her side. And no one, not Lance, not Nina, would stop her. "Hold on, Jasmine. I'm getting you that Daddy I promised you." She whispered as she started to dial. "Just you wait." To be Continued.
A Priceless Treasure
Okies, I've gotten another HUGE mental block on this story. Since it's obvious I'm not going to be able to further the plot for a while, I've decided to go back and explain some of the parts we've missed. I don't much care for it, but it's better than nothing, eh? Again, this series has a Strong PG-13 Warning. Mostly adult content, but some swearing and a tad of violence too. Proceed with caution. These ain't mine, nothing's copyrighted, take 'em if ya want 'em.
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Okay, so I just wanted to give an excuse for some major flashbacks, and I couldn't resist having Jessie make comments about dubbing. And Sailor Moon, but I could talk about that for hours. I didn't much care for this story, but it's okay. A mediocre story is better than none at all, eh? Nina is, of course, James's mom, and Lance is his dad. I got the name from the play Nina in the Morning, by Christopher Durang. Basically, it's about an eccentric, rich, conceited woman named Nina, her sleep-inducing-drug-administering butler Foote, and her children (Including her son, James). Lance was her chauffeur who was fired for not wanting to shoot a monk.
Like I've mentioned before, the ends to both my ongoing series are at my website. My stupid counter is on the fritz, so I don't know if any of you have been visiting it. If you do, please continue to review me here. If a story doesn't get a good reaction, I'm prone to stop writing for a while ^_^. You wouldn't want that, would you? Anyways, The reason I'm mentioning all this is 'cause some of my favorite fan art pictures are the ones I've done of Jasmine. I'd luv it if you'd check them out. Please?
Ami! ~(^.^)~