Chapter Three: Fired
A/N: *Brushes all the dust and cobwebs away from her little corner of ff.net* Well I finally got around to writing this ficcie again. A big thanks to all my reviewers (you know who you are) for their encouragement and patience, I just hope I'm forgiven for the long wait! ^_^
Jesse didn't want to get up that morning. She just wanted to close her eyes and stay in the warm bed forever. Today was the day that they had to leave the safe house in Magenta Town and go on the trail of the Pikachu again. That would mean getting electrocuted, sleeping on park benches at night, no warm bed and barely a cracker between them! Jesse would stay in the safe house forever if they could get away with it.
"Tell me again why I stay on Team Rocket?" Jesse asked Meowth as she reluctantly opened her eyes. Meowth shrugged and jumped down off the end of her bed "I ask myself da same question Jess"
"Is James up yet?" it had been two weeks since they had seen Judith and James finally seemed to be able to forget everything that happened. Jesse was glad that he was feeling better about things. Nothing pained her more than seeing James hurting.
"Yeah he's down stairs making us lunch"
"Lunch?"
"Its two in da afternoon Jess"
Jesse glanced at her watch "Oh Meowth why didn't you wake me!"
"James said ta leave ya to your beauty sleep and believe me yous need plenty of it"
Jesse, not appreciating Meowth's remark, smacked him hard over the head knocking him onto the floor. Then she climbed out of bed and put her uniform on. As late whenever she wore it she felt sick. At one time Team Rocket had been fun and easy money until they met Ash Ketchum that was. Jesse longed for their luck to change but even when they went after other trainers Ash always seemed to be there to stop them.
"If only he knew how hard it is" Jesse thought, "If we didn't have Team Rocket we'd be living on the streets"
When Jesse got downstairs she saw that James had made them lunch as Meowth had said. Sitting down at the small table she helped herself to a sandwich.
"Sorry it's not much" James said coming in with two glasses of water and a bowel of milk for Meowth "We don't have much in the fridge at the moment"
"That's ok" Jesse replied starting on her second sandwich. I'm so glad James can cook she thought. Even things like sandwiches and toast are nicer when he makes them. "Where did you learn to be so good at it anyway?" she added
James shrugged "When I first joined Team Rocket I guess. I decided I would have to learn seeing that you are a hopeless cook"
Jesse giggled and without thinking said, "Must be in your gene pool or something" "Oh god that was so stupid" she cried wishing she could reach out and take back those words.
"Its ok" James smiled sadly.
"No its not" Jesse said, "I shouldn't have said that"
"Really its fine" James said, "I want things to get back to normal. I appreciate how nice you and Meowth have been but I just want to forget about it" Though James had to admit he did like the new, apologetic, kinder Jesse he was missing her temper tantrums and even getting hit with her fan or mallet. He just wanted to get everything back to how it was so that he didn't have to be reminded of what he had lost.
Jesse was about to reply when the phone rung. James shot Jesse a nervous look. Judith had been calling the safe house for the past two weeks.
"Jesse, James!" they heard Meowth calling them "Da Boss is on da phone"
James' look of concern became a look of utter terror. Giovanni never called them unless there was something really wrong.
"You had to say that didn't you?" Jesse hissed getting up from the table.
"What?"
"That you wanted everything to get back to normal! Now he's going to chew us out for having almost two months off duty!"
James sank lower in his chair and it was only a firm tug on the arm from Jesse that got him up. Together they slowly walked into the front room and sat down in front of the videophone.
"Good afternoon sir." Jesse started but the Boss raised a hand and told her to be quiet.
"Still here I see," he said. Jesse flinched at his mannerism. He seemed colder than usual yet there was sadness in his voice.
"We were just leaving today sir" Meowth piped up.
"Yes. you will be leaving" Giovanni said.
Jesse gripped onto James' hand not liking this one bit.
Giovanni's face hardened again "I have had enough of your incompetence to last me a life time and I am sure you will agree this solution is the best for all of us"
"Solution sir?" Jesse asked timidly
"You are fired. I want you out of my house by tonight. I don't care where you go just as long as it is far away from me and Team Rocket understand"
James and Meowth gasped. "Where will we go?" James whimpered.
"I told you I don't care!"
James shrank back behind Jesse and Meowth climbed into her lap "Sir you can't fire us" Jesse said. Her mind was racing too. Where would they go? How would they support themselves? They were criminals! Who would employ them?
"Give me one good reason why?"
Jesse wanted to reply but there was nothing to say. They weren't indispensable members of the team like Butch and Cassidy. Jesse felt fear of being on the streets again slowly start to overcome her. Those cold lonely nights curled up on a park bench freezing half to death not knowing where your next meal was coming from. Jesse didn't think she could face it again. She glanced at James realising that he was having similar thoughts.
Jesse had found James almost frozen to death on the streets of Viridian City when she was ten years old. It was only once she met him that she felt she had a life again. Team Rocket and James were all that mattered to her.
"We'll be gone by tonight sir" Meowth said. The screen then went blank.
Jesse looked across at James trying to read the expression on his face. For once she found that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Jesse squeezed his hand gently and forced a smile.
"We'll be ok. We can get jobs and start again and."
"Who ya trying kid Jess?" Meowth snapped, "Who's gonna employ us? We're social losers remember!"
"I know that!" Jesse yelled.
"Let's pack" James said suddenly
"Why?"
"I know somewhere we can go for a while"
"Where?" Jesse demanded. James didn't have any friends in the town that she was aware of unless he was thinking of.
"No James we are not going there"
"Where else can we go?"
"I'd rather sleep on the streets than ask her for help after all she did to you"
"Jesse it is the middle of November. The nights are freezing you know that. We can't sleep outside and no one else will help us"
Jesse frowned knowing he was right. "I'd rather freeze," she said half- heartedly.
James smiled sadly "Come on lets get our things"
Judith had been sitting by the window looking out across the huge gardens searching in vain for a sign that her son and his friends were going to turn up any time soon. Giovanni had called her to confirm that the deed had been done and to ask her if she wanted to see him again. Judith had turned him down of course. The nerve of that man! Her husband had been dead not even a year and already he thought she would be looking for someone else! Judith scowled at the thought of him. As if she would date a criminal anyway! Not to mention that it was highly improper after all.
Judith looked back out the window and smiled when she saw James and the others making their way slowly up her driveway.
A/N: *Brushes all the dust and cobwebs away from her little corner of ff.net* Well I finally got around to writing this ficcie again. A big thanks to all my reviewers (you know who you are) for their encouragement and patience, I just hope I'm forgiven for the long wait! ^_^
Jesse didn't want to get up that morning. She just wanted to close her eyes and stay in the warm bed forever. Today was the day that they had to leave the safe house in Magenta Town and go on the trail of the Pikachu again. That would mean getting electrocuted, sleeping on park benches at night, no warm bed and barely a cracker between them! Jesse would stay in the safe house forever if they could get away with it.
"Tell me again why I stay on Team Rocket?" Jesse asked Meowth as she reluctantly opened her eyes. Meowth shrugged and jumped down off the end of her bed "I ask myself da same question Jess"
"Is James up yet?" it had been two weeks since they had seen Judith and James finally seemed to be able to forget everything that happened. Jesse was glad that he was feeling better about things. Nothing pained her more than seeing James hurting.
"Yeah he's down stairs making us lunch"
"Lunch?"
"Its two in da afternoon Jess"
Jesse glanced at her watch "Oh Meowth why didn't you wake me!"
"James said ta leave ya to your beauty sleep and believe me yous need plenty of it"
Jesse, not appreciating Meowth's remark, smacked him hard over the head knocking him onto the floor. Then she climbed out of bed and put her uniform on. As late whenever she wore it she felt sick. At one time Team Rocket had been fun and easy money until they met Ash Ketchum that was. Jesse longed for their luck to change but even when they went after other trainers Ash always seemed to be there to stop them.
"If only he knew how hard it is" Jesse thought, "If we didn't have Team Rocket we'd be living on the streets"
When Jesse got downstairs she saw that James had made them lunch as Meowth had said. Sitting down at the small table she helped herself to a sandwich.
"Sorry it's not much" James said coming in with two glasses of water and a bowel of milk for Meowth "We don't have much in the fridge at the moment"
"That's ok" Jesse replied starting on her second sandwich. I'm so glad James can cook she thought. Even things like sandwiches and toast are nicer when he makes them. "Where did you learn to be so good at it anyway?" she added
James shrugged "When I first joined Team Rocket I guess. I decided I would have to learn seeing that you are a hopeless cook"
Jesse giggled and without thinking said, "Must be in your gene pool or something" "Oh god that was so stupid" she cried wishing she could reach out and take back those words.
"Its ok" James smiled sadly.
"No its not" Jesse said, "I shouldn't have said that"
"Really its fine" James said, "I want things to get back to normal. I appreciate how nice you and Meowth have been but I just want to forget about it" Though James had to admit he did like the new, apologetic, kinder Jesse he was missing her temper tantrums and even getting hit with her fan or mallet. He just wanted to get everything back to how it was so that he didn't have to be reminded of what he had lost.
Jesse was about to reply when the phone rung. James shot Jesse a nervous look. Judith had been calling the safe house for the past two weeks.
"Jesse, James!" they heard Meowth calling them "Da Boss is on da phone"
James' look of concern became a look of utter terror. Giovanni never called them unless there was something really wrong.
"You had to say that didn't you?" Jesse hissed getting up from the table.
"What?"
"That you wanted everything to get back to normal! Now he's going to chew us out for having almost two months off duty!"
James sank lower in his chair and it was only a firm tug on the arm from Jesse that got him up. Together they slowly walked into the front room and sat down in front of the videophone.
"Good afternoon sir." Jesse started but the Boss raised a hand and told her to be quiet.
"Still here I see," he said. Jesse flinched at his mannerism. He seemed colder than usual yet there was sadness in his voice.
"We were just leaving today sir" Meowth piped up.
"Yes. you will be leaving" Giovanni said.
Jesse gripped onto James' hand not liking this one bit.
Giovanni's face hardened again "I have had enough of your incompetence to last me a life time and I am sure you will agree this solution is the best for all of us"
"Solution sir?" Jesse asked timidly
"You are fired. I want you out of my house by tonight. I don't care where you go just as long as it is far away from me and Team Rocket understand"
James and Meowth gasped. "Where will we go?" James whimpered.
"I told you I don't care!"
James shrank back behind Jesse and Meowth climbed into her lap "Sir you can't fire us" Jesse said. Her mind was racing too. Where would they go? How would they support themselves? They were criminals! Who would employ them?
"Give me one good reason why?"
Jesse wanted to reply but there was nothing to say. They weren't indispensable members of the team like Butch and Cassidy. Jesse felt fear of being on the streets again slowly start to overcome her. Those cold lonely nights curled up on a park bench freezing half to death not knowing where your next meal was coming from. Jesse didn't think she could face it again. She glanced at James realising that he was having similar thoughts.
Jesse had found James almost frozen to death on the streets of Viridian City when she was ten years old. It was only once she met him that she felt she had a life again. Team Rocket and James were all that mattered to her.
"We'll be gone by tonight sir" Meowth said. The screen then went blank.
Jesse looked across at James trying to read the expression on his face. For once she found that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Jesse squeezed his hand gently and forced a smile.
"We'll be ok. We can get jobs and start again and."
"Who ya trying kid Jess?" Meowth snapped, "Who's gonna employ us? We're social losers remember!"
"I know that!" Jesse yelled.
"Let's pack" James said suddenly
"Why?"
"I know somewhere we can go for a while"
"Where?" Jesse demanded. James didn't have any friends in the town that she was aware of unless he was thinking of.
"No James we are not going there"
"Where else can we go?"
"I'd rather sleep on the streets than ask her for help after all she did to you"
"Jesse it is the middle of November. The nights are freezing you know that. We can't sleep outside and no one else will help us"
Jesse frowned knowing he was right. "I'd rather freeze," she said half- heartedly.
James smiled sadly "Come on lets get our things"
Judith had been sitting by the window looking out across the huge gardens searching in vain for a sign that her son and his friends were going to turn up any time soon. Giovanni had called her to confirm that the deed had been done and to ask her if she wanted to see him again. Judith had turned him down of course. The nerve of that man! Her husband had been dead not even a year and already he thought she would be looking for someone else! Judith scowled at the thought of him. As if she would date a criminal anyway! Not to mention that it was highly improper after all.
Judith looked back out the window and smiled when she saw James and the others making their way slowly up her driveway.