James opened the door to the old worn down cabin. Flinging his bag to the hard wood
floor, he wearily strolled over to the couch and plopped down.
"James, don't bother me. I'm taking a shower, and then going straight to bed."
"Just save some water for me."
"You'll get whatever I leave you."
Jessie, with her bag still over her shoulder, hurriedly walked into the bathroom and
shut the door with a loud bang.
"What a case."
He stared at the back of the door. He could hear the hot water rushing down the drain
of the shower, and it made his mind drift. He hung his head over the edge of the couch and, by
accident, caught sight of a piece of paper that must have fallen out of Jessie's bag.
James stared at the note laying on the ground. It seemed to beckon to him to pick it up,
read it, but his conscience tried to fight back. No, this was Jessie's, and he shouldn't. Just
give it back to her, and you won't have to be tortured if she finds you with it. No, wait a
second, she'll torture you because you had it in your possession anyway... He knew where it
had come from: the only thing she ever wrote in, the pages of her sacred diary, and if she
thought that he had read it, he was toast.
He opened it up and started reading.
He noticed that it was dated a few weeks ago, when they were still in the Orange Islands.
He started reading the first few lines.
'Dear James,
I cried again last night. I don't know why I sometimes break
down. I think it's because I'm so strong when the spotlight
is on me, but when I'm in the shadows it hurts. I don't think
I'll ever find a love that will look into my soul and not just
at my face.'
His heart echoed inside of his head. It didn't seem possible to him, that she could
ever feel so melancholy as to cry. And to keep it from him! He gulped as he read the next part.
'Yesterday, all of it, it just broke my heart. I was so
embarassed, just sobbing in front of you and Meowth like that.
Sometimes my purpose slips out of my head; I know I have to be
strong.'
There was never a time that James knew that she had been embarassed in front of him. He
tried to be as understanding as possible; that was just his nature towards people he was used to.
But when was she crying?...
'I always thought that he would be the one to last forever...
I must have been wrong.'
A vague image came into his mind. They were sitting in a clearing... they were trying
to catch something... Nidoran. It was when they were in that small old English town, and they
tried to seperate the two Nidoran from their trainers. She told her tale of heartache just
before they were to execute the plan. He wanted to comfort her more, but with the lousy fleabag
around, all he would get afterwards was teasing. He read on.
'I almost got over it, but it kept coming up in these small,
subtle ways, and I could never let go. But something happened
when we tried the little marriage plan. I don't know...
When I held your arm, and we were walking through that arc of
roses... Never mind the fact that you were in the dress... I
felt like something was finally right with me. That I had a
reason to be here. That I had finally found someone...'
By this point James had huddled himself in the corner of the couch. He never, ever knew
that Jessie felt this deeply about anything. The sound of the rushing water in the background
made his soul hurt even more; it reminded him of all the tears that she had cried. He thought
that maybe she was crying them now, too.
'I know, we can never be. But...
Can't you please hold me sometimes?'
"I will, Jess. I'll hold you for so long..."
'I know it seems that I have no heart, no soul, nothing inside
of me. But I do.'
"I know, Jess."
'I can't break down. Mama was strong, so I have to be strong.'
"You don't have to be strong all the time. I can be strong for you."
'I have to go now. You're turning off the light, and wishing
me off to sleep. And I'm hoping, with all my heart, that you'll
hold me tonight, because I really need it. Goodnight.'
He ran his fingers over the tear stained letter. "I wanted to, so much that day. I
wanted to make it all better for you, Jess. I did."
He jumped as the door to the bathroom opened. "Your turn, James. Goodnight."
He quickly dashed the sheet behind his back, but not quick enough. "James, what are you
doing over there?"
"Oh, I'm just reading something." He stared into her eyes; they seemed a bit red to him.
"Jessie, is there anything wrong?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing." He took the letter from behind him and folded it up neatly, unseen from
Jessie's view. "But if you need anything at all, I'm here, OK?"
The corners of her mouth twitched upward a bit. "Fine. I'll see you in the morning."
She laid down inside of her sleeping bag, her back facing him. He felt that if he left,
he would never forgive himself, so he decided to skip his shower, just for this evening.
Climbing into his pajamas, he layed out his sleeping bag and laid down beside her.
"Still awake, Jessie?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
"Sorry."
"James, I want to get to sleep. Please?"
"OK." He, in a moment of frightened affection, reached his hand over her shoulder and
brushed her hair back behind her ear. He could feel her tense up. "Goodnight, Jess."
She sounded almost mouselike. "Goodnight."
"Sweet dreams."
"You, too, James, you, too..."
@-----
Today had gone no better than any other ordinary day. Grayish clouds hung in the sky
outside the window as James sat huddled in the corner of the small cabin. The bright lights and
chirping electronic sounds of his game no longer amused him, so he stared out the window at the
dark cover. Jessie, sprawled out on the couch in no particular manner, sighed loudly into the
still air.
"What's up, Jessie? Something bothering you?"
"No, not anything in particular."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
James watched as tiny drops of rain splashed upon the window. "You think we should take
the day off tomorrow? It's supposed to storm."
"Sounds OK to me."
"I think we need a break."
She lowered her head off the edge of the couch. "I think we've needed one for a while."
He nodded in agreement. Turning back to the now soaked glass, he pondered about the
state of her well being. Every time he looked into her eyes he realized a sort of sadness about
them, even if she was in a happy mood. He could feel the pain within her heart, and he would do
everything he could to make it stop.
"So," he said as he turned back to her, "got anything on your mind?"
"I wish we could catch that dumb rat we've been chasing after."
"I think we're really close to getting it."
"I've been really close to a lot of things, James."
There it was. The damper on the sapphire of her eyes. The one thing that seemed to have
her by the throat, never giving up, never letting go.
"You have a lot more to reach for, Jess."
"Like what?"
He paused for a moment. "You could be the boss!" he said, smiling at her.
She responded with a weak grin. "I don't think that will happen anytime soon."
"Well, you could get promoted. As soon as we catch it, we're headed straight for the
top."
"It wouldn't be any fun at the top without someone else."
"The queen and the king of crime, that's us!"
From her lips emerged a gentle smile. "I know. Double trouble, together forever."
"Right."
He was beginning to feel a bit better.
floor, he wearily strolled over to the couch and plopped down.
"James, don't bother me. I'm taking a shower, and then going straight to bed."
"Just save some water for me."
"You'll get whatever I leave you."
Jessie, with her bag still over her shoulder, hurriedly walked into the bathroom and
shut the door with a loud bang.
"What a case."
He stared at the back of the door. He could hear the hot water rushing down the drain
of the shower, and it made his mind drift. He hung his head over the edge of the couch and, by
accident, caught sight of a piece of paper that must have fallen out of Jessie's bag.
James stared at the note laying on the ground. It seemed to beckon to him to pick it up,
read it, but his conscience tried to fight back. No, this was Jessie's, and he shouldn't. Just
give it back to her, and you won't have to be tortured if she finds you with it. No, wait a
second, she'll torture you because you had it in your possession anyway... He knew where it
had come from: the only thing she ever wrote in, the pages of her sacred diary, and if she
thought that he had read it, he was toast.
He opened it up and started reading.
He noticed that it was dated a few weeks ago, when they were still in the Orange Islands.
He started reading the first few lines.
'Dear James,
I cried again last night. I don't know why I sometimes break
down. I think it's because I'm so strong when the spotlight
is on me, but when I'm in the shadows it hurts. I don't think
I'll ever find a love that will look into my soul and not just
at my face.'
His heart echoed inside of his head. It didn't seem possible to him, that she could
ever feel so melancholy as to cry. And to keep it from him! He gulped as he read the next part.
'Yesterday, all of it, it just broke my heart. I was so
embarassed, just sobbing in front of you and Meowth like that.
Sometimes my purpose slips out of my head; I know I have to be
strong.'
There was never a time that James knew that she had been embarassed in front of him. He
tried to be as understanding as possible; that was just his nature towards people he was used to.
But when was she crying?...
'I always thought that he would be the one to last forever...
I must have been wrong.'
A vague image came into his mind. They were sitting in a clearing... they were trying
to catch something... Nidoran. It was when they were in that small old English town, and they
tried to seperate the two Nidoran from their trainers. She told her tale of heartache just
before they were to execute the plan. He wanted to comfort her more, but with the lousy fleabag
around, all he would get afterwards was teasing. He read on.
'I almost got over it, but it kept coming up in these small,
subtle ways, and I could never let go. But something happened
when we tried the little marriage plan. I don't know...
When I held your arm, and we were walking through that arc of
roses... Never mind the fact that you were in the dress... I
felt like something was finally right with me. That I had a
reason to be here. That I had finally found someone...'
By this point James had huddled himself in the corner of the couch. He never, ever knew
that Jessie felt this deeply about anything. The sound of the rushing water in the background
made his soul hurt even more; it reminded him of all the tears that she had cried. He thought
that maybe she was crying them now, too.
'I know, we can never be. But...
Can't you please hold me sometimes?'
"I will, Jess. I'll hold you for so long..."
'I know it seems that I have no heart, no soul, nothing inside
of me. But I do.'
"I know, Jess."
'I can't break down. Mama was strong, so I have to be strong.'
"You don't have to be strong all the time. I can be strong for you."
'I have to go now. You're turning off the light, and wishing
me off to sleep. And I'm hoping, with all my heart, that you'll
hold me tonight, because I really need it. Goodnight.'
He ran his fingers over the tear stained letter. "I wanted to, so much that day. I
wanted to make it all better for you, Jess. I did."
He jumped as the door to the bathroom opened. "Your turn, James. Goodnight."
He quickly dashed the sheet behind his back, but not quick enough. "James, what are you
doing over there?"
"Oh, I'm just reading something." He stared into her eyes; they seemed a bit red to him.
"Jessie, is there anything wrong?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing." He took the letter from behind him and folded it up neatly, unseen from
Jessie's view. "But if you need anything at all, I'm here, OK?"
The corners of her mouth twitched upward a bit. "Fine. I'll see you in the morning."
She laid down inside of her sleeping bag, her back facing him. He felt that if he left,
he would never forgive himself, so he decided to skip his shower, just for this evening.
Climbing into his pajamas, he layed out his sleeping bag and laid down beside her.
"Still awake, Jessie?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
"Sorry."
"James, I want to get to sleep. Please?"
"OK." He, in a moment of frightened affection, reached his hand over her shoulder and
brushed her hair back behind her ear. He could feel her tense up. "Goodnight, Jess."
She sounded almost mouselike. "Goodnight."
"Sweet dreams."
"You, too, James, you, too..."
@-----
Today had gone no better than any other ordinary day. Grayish clouds hung in the sky
outside the window as James sat huddled in the corner of the small cabin. The bright lights and
chirping electronic sounds of his game no longer amused him, so he stared out the window at the
dark cover. Jessie, sprawled out on the couch in no particular manner, sighed loudly into the
still air.
"What's up, Jessie? Something bothering you?"
"No, not anything in particular."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
James watched as tiny drops of rain splashed upon the window. "You think we should take
the day off tomorrow? It's supposed to storm."
"Sounds OK to me."
"I think we need a break."
She lowered her head off the edge of the couch. "I think we've needed one for a while."
He nodded in agreement. Turning back to the now soaked glass, he pondered about the
state of her well being. Every time he looked into her eyes he realized a sort of sadness about
them, even if she was in a happy mood. He could feel the pain within her heart, and he would do
everything he could to make it stop.
"So," he said as he turned back to her, "got anything on your mind?"
"I wish we could catch that dumb rat we've been chasing after."
"I think we're really close to getting it."
"I've been really close to a lot of things, James."
There it was. The damper on the sapphire of her eyes. The one thing that seemed to have
her by the throat, never giving up, never letting go.
"You have a lot more to reach for, Jess."
"Like what?"
He paused for a moment. "You could be the boss!" he said, smiling at her.
She responded with a weak grin. "I don't think that will happen anytime soon."
"Well, you could get promoted. As soon as we catch it, we're headed straight for the
top."
"It wouldn't be any fun at the top without someone else."
"The queen and the king of crime, that's us!"
From her lips emerged a gentle smile. "I know. Double trouble, together forever."
"Right."
He was beginning to feel a bit better.