Dark Pasts, Hopeful Futures

by Thorned Rose

Consequences of actions must be faced and acknowledged in this extremely dark Rocketshippy sequel to A Diary Of Two Hearts. Six months apart can harden the gentlest of hearts, so how do they cope with the harrowing challenges they face?

11. 30th March, 2001

                                                 Friday, March 30th 2001

      Jessie awoke to an empty bed at around nine in the morning, causing her to feel initially worried as she felt her lover had left her for someone else. She scathingly told herself that wasn't a possibility as far as James was concerned, and sure enough, she could hear movement around the cosy room they'd rented. When he'd finished in the shower the night before, she'd woken up and felt increasingly thirsty, assuming it was merely due to the over-passionate sex she'd partaken in, unaware that it was due to the concoction of nebulous thyroproxine and a light poison Meowth had laced her lips with that created her abnormal desire for liquids. James had given her a large glass of water she'd downed almost instantly, but after that the unnatural thirst had vanished and she'd felt revitalised enough to give James what he'd wanted before his shower, also ignorant of the fact the culmination of the two in her system was activated through a raise in body temperature and aided in its efficiency with fluids. Her mouth felt drier than it had the night before and her stomach was suffering from cramps, which she assumed was due to the position she'd slept in and nothing serious to worry about. When she stood up her head was spinning from the audacious poison invading her system, causing her walk to be changed into more of a swagger as she began the search for her fiancé.

      She easily saw him, from both the lack of places for him to be in a hotel room and from the sounds of him preparing something in the cooking area. He kissed her lightly on her lips, deliberately teasing her, as she clearly wanted more from him at that stage. He wanted her too, but he'd always been the better at denying the other person pleasure until they were at the peak of their frustration, and it often made for more enjoyment when the game ended. He handed her the breakfast he'd made for her as she mock-protested at his lack of enthusiasm, then proclaimed his undying love for her, feeling that they hadn't exchanged their feelings often enough this time around—was it for the better or worse they didn't? She returned his avowal with the same level of zealousness he'd used and she ate the food to help rid her of the sharp headache presently bothering her. He knew something was wrong and massaged her shoulders as she ate to try and relieve her of whatever tormented her, praying it was not he irking her. He wanted to mourn Jessie Belle's death more than anything, but still his body denied him to ability to show emotion, and the growing tension in his heart made him feel a liability to the one he wanted to love. Something else had struck his mind in the night whilst she slept; if Jessie Belle had contracted HIV from her rapist, and one of the same people had raped Tyra afterwards, what if James had contracted the same disease the second time he'd slept with her?

      Tyra sat uneasily on a bench that was half-concealed yet had a perfect view of the hotel where her former lover and his spouse resided. She hadn't slept once for the duration of the night, owing to a brief collision with Meowth and Butch the day before, where they'd informed her she'd better hurry up to where Jessie and James where headed to certify she reached them before they did. Her vow never to see them again was broken within five minutes of making it, and she'd noticed the feline entering a window in the night. She'd stayed there all night to make sure paramedics and hearses were unnecessary and now, thirteen hours later, she decided nothing would have happened, otherwise either the teenagers themselves or members of the hotel staff would already be aware of the situation. She stretched languorously, feeling more than a little stiff from staying stock-still for over half a day, but felt almost proud in the knowledge she hadn't felt even remotely drowsy once. The cat had maliciously mouthed a snide comment in her direction on his way away from the hotel room, knowing full well that she could lip-read flawlessly. She hadn't lowered herself to his standards by showing how pathetic she was through sending idle taunts back in his direction to make herself feel better—she hadn't sunk that low in the past and would never (if she had her way) in the future. She shakily stood up and at once the drowsiness overthrew her thoughts; now she was certain the danger zone had passed, her ability to stay awake vanished. She turned her back to the hotel and walked along the city streets, looking for somewhere that served cheap food with quick service to ensure she didn't fall asleep whilst the threat of her former friends' impending death grew heavily in the air…

      Jessie was having a shower as James sat on the bed deep in thought, frantic at the idea of him carrying HIV and being a threat to his fiancée—if he deprived her again she'd probably leave him permanently this time, and if he didn't they could put their daughter at risk. He found it hard to believe he didn't think about this the instant he knew of Jessie Belle's death, knowing that if he discussed the topic with Jessie she probably wouldn't forgive him, even though she'd already found out about his affair. He wouldn't care if he were HIV positive in any other circumstances via his judgement saying he got what he deserved for playing away, but if he was, there was more than just his life to think about. He ran his fingers through his hair and agitatedly sighed; if his eyesight had been at its normal quality, he could have noticed the thin trail of a clear white powder beside his fiancée's pillow, or the prints the pads on Meowth's paws left on the otherwise immaculate glass of the window.

      In the shower, Jessie hugged her abdomen as she squatted with her back against the wall; the cramps attacking her stomach were simply unbearable at this stage. She bit her lip as hard as she was capable of doing to stop her crying out and alerting James of her fear without making herself bleed (the ruby liquid of vitality would be the last thing she'd need to see at a fragile time like this). It ended as quickly as it began, leaving her shaking in terror as the terribly familiar sweat appeared on her back, the tears rolling freely now the danger had passed. The water pooled around her ankles and she took the strain off her joints by sitting in the water and allowing the tepid fluid to remove the pain stinging her from the inside. She reassured herself that it was probably something all mothers went through and it only hit her hard now she wasn't working for people she hated anymore, even though she was more afraid than the other two times the cramps viciously launched a battle against her system. If she lost the baby, James would hate her and leave her for Tyra again, only this time it'd be permanent if she had nothing to keep him interested in their relationship. She didn't use it as an excuse for him to love her, but the fear of him leaving her would be too terrible if she didn't have a baby either—the fact she was pregnant was the only thing that kept her from committing suicide when she was stuck in the life she hated. With a strength she did not know she possessed, she stood up, turned the water off and began to dry herself with a towel without any evidence of her inner trembling. Although she felt proud she could hold her hand out without it shaking, her whole body shuddered in fear as she urinated in case the cramp turned into something more serious in that position even though it didn't. She exited the en suite wearing only the towel and sat on James' lap then kissed him gently as he looked worried—could he have heard her? No, she told herself, I didn't make enough noise for him to work it out. She loved the teasing nature of his fingers running over her cool, damp skin, yet both knew there was no heat in either of their loins at that time. She passionately kissed him again and then said in a similar tone to the equally seductive tone he used to answer her with:

      "Fancy measuring me up?"

      "To eat you?"
      "Well, you could do that if you wanted that, but I was thinking more along the lines for a wedding dress you promised me"

      He grinned before kissing her with the passion they both wanted, feeling the heat arriving at full force now, both teenagers ignoring their inner fears. The measuring could wait another twenty minutes or so.

      Butch lay across the back seats of the car they used to get there, feeling utterly exhausted after a hard morning's work. He hadn't slept in over forty-eight hours plus the work was tearing at his knowledge of what was true and what was a mere dream. Meowth was out lacing the finishing touches to their plan, and he was not looking forward to when the plot came to a boil in the next few days. If they didn't fall for the wedding scam, there was a back-up plan to trouble them mercilessly and if Cassidy weren't such an important factor to him, Butch would not partake in any of it. He just wanted to hold her and tell her how much he loved her, and that from there on in, nothing could ever hurt them or come between them ever again. 'It's only a few more days, then we'll be together without Meowth's threatening us' he thought to himself, convincing himself to continue if he wanted to see her as soon as possible. He closed his eyes wearily; sleep perpetually evading him although he knew he'd be alone for at least another two hours, as the cat would need to make quite a number of people in the mood to aid them in order for this nasty section of the plot to be successful. He'd never understand what fuelled the cat's detestation to this extent, but the less he knew the better off he was, in his eyes anyway. Sleep haunted him when it did arrive, as it was filled with nightmares revolving around Cassidy when she'd woken from the coma and nearly died. Of course if she were dead, she would be unable to return to him, but Meowth had promised her safety so she must be fine. Right?

      Giovanni snapped at the failing workers more than usual all day, feeling as equally pleasant as his face was to look at. His thoughts and feelings were still going haywire, and nothing could remove this state of indecision his body tormented him with, including diminishing the confidence and spirits of his younger workers. Of course, hitting weaker members of his workforce was always fun, but where was the reason for his total lack of enjoyment in his actions these days? Was it because he'd been disfigured and not yet punished the one responsible, or was it something to do with his secretary? Whenever he thought of that woman he felt two emotions strong in his body, and he was one person that one could hardly describe as emotive. One of them was instant rage, but it was completely impossible for him to name the other; his rage was explainable, as she'd failed and defied him many times in the past, but why was he feeling something alongside it? And what the hell was the feeling that dared infiltrate his mind without his permission or understanding? He'd sent Lindsey back to work at the code merely to get her well away from his personal quarters, yet when he'd contemplated forcing his failing female staff into sex or sexual favours, he felt unable to do it, yet it would have removed some of his build up frustration. He couldn't even bring himself to drink anything of an alcoholic nature as he remembered sleeping with her after downing two bottles of whiskey, though he was still smoking cheroots without a trace of guilt located anywhere in him. He stood up and looked out of the window with Persian casually rubbing against his legs in the duration of his pensive mode, his eyes darkening as he realised it was times like these he wished Jessie and James still worked for him: at least then he'd enjoy hurting the male via raping his girlfriend. He still smiled whenever he thought of the time he'd been successful at the formal event in September, even though he'd come out of it with a broken nose. Her delirious state where she'd almost enjoyed it until the drugs wore off had been exceptionally delightful.

      Lindsey hated not being able to crack the code James had besmirched the computer with, feeling that if she was able to break it, Giovanni would be more at her mercy than he was now, and if he was, who knew what he'd do for her. She didn't know what had caused her superior's sudden change of heart, but she was positive that it could be extremely advantageous to her if she continued acting in whatever manner she was, and if she worked hard enough, she could have him eating out of her hand. She couldn't think what had caused her change of heart towards Anthony either—perhaps it had to do with the excitement regarding a possible promotion if she kept this up, or perhaps he just wasn't as interesting as she'd fantasised him to be. Her lack of enthusiasm towards him failed to surprise her and she neither know nor cared why that were; after all, she did get the best out of both worlds this way. She felt the youth's eyes watching her from behind but she willed herself not to turn around. Whilst she easily told herself that she hated Anthony's attention, she didn't want to confront him since she hated such situations, especially when it seemed he could be a veritable back up in case her plan fell to shambles. She brandished herself a whore for sleeping with a man of authority in the name of a possible promotion, as he was more ugly than he had been a week beforehand, owing to the bomb. She sighed and brushed a copper strand behind her ear, trying to ignore her conscience and 'boyfriend's' constant staring in her direction as she returned to her work.

      Butch perked up when he saw the exact person (bar Cassidy) he wanted to see walking on the opposite side of the road. He shot up and hurriedly wrote something out on the nearest piece of paper he could see; this would certainly please the feline if he carried this out properly. Unfortunately, when he stood up in his eagerness he spilt a miniature capsule containing the next dose of nebulous thyroproxine and the powerful yet scentless liquid slid along the back of his hand. He angrily licked it off to avoid liquid being visible on his clothing since he knew no harm could come to him; he was male, meaning it was ineffective to him.

      Jessie walked alone down the bustling street that acted as the main road to Mallow City, having been evicted from their room by James, as they were both aware the dress would never get finished if she stayed around with her rising hormones. She'd never felt like this at all in her life; it seemed that she was only alive to make him happy, which pleased her greatly in the process. He knew how to satisfy her every time without fail, something she thought only happened in fantasies until she realised it was how she lived. There was a definite hurry in her step as she walked along, but it was a result of her excitement than out of anxiety; to be utterly honest she wanted the wedding over and done with so she could get back near James' bed. She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't see the person in front of her until she'd literally walked into them. She failed to hold in the gasp she released upon sighting the young male, not noticing the page balled in his loose fist. It wasn't so often you saw someone who you'd never seen eye-to-eye with in a previous occupation. She didn't like the proximity of him, and the touch of his fingers pressing gently against her forearm sent shivers all along her spine, in both extreme pleasure and disgust at the same time. Why was she acting like that? His fingers barely rested on her yet it drove her into the throes of passion and disdain, how was she feeling this for someone other than James? She blamed her hormones thoroughly before asking him what he wanted, feeling almost guilty as she engaged in conversation with him.

      "Off anywhere interesting?"

      "Nah, just meeting a friend. How've you been? It's been months since I've seen you"

      "Fine, I guess. When was the last time we met? It would have been…"

      "September, you assaulted Cassidy at the ball"

      "Yeah. I wasn't in the best of humours that time"

      "How did you recover from that? Did you go to counselling or anything?"

      "No. My life's too messed up already to fit in any extra time to talk to shrinks. I'm alive aren't I?"

      "You may be alive Jessie, but that doesn't mean you're living. There's more to surviving than getting through each day as it hits you, it may have an adverse affect on you in the future"

      "Getting raped by Giovanni? No, my life has had worse points in it than drunken unintentional sex. It's sweet of you to worry but thanks, I'm fine with it. Anything strange happened in your life?"

      "Strange? Chance'd be a fine thing, everything's so damn boring these days"

      "I know how you feel. So how is Cassidy? I suppose I really should apologise for how I used to treat her"

      "She's away with a male colleague at the moment, she'll hopefully be back soon. It's just not so fun being a criminal without her"

      "Any romantic links between you? It sounds like there's more than just friendship from the way you said that"

      "Not at the moment, though hopefully there will be"

      "Does it bother you she's gone somewhere with another man?"

      "Not really, she's on a field mission at present, and I'm used to her being away. How are you and James coping with the child?"

      "What do you mean coping with the child? What gave you that idea?"

      "Oh…I uh meant that…"
      "Why do you think I'm pregnant if you haven't seen me in months?"

      "It's just you're not quite as slender as you usually are, and a woman of your undoubted style would hardly let themselves go when they have a figure like yours"

      Jessie was stunned, her hormones acting up, as she knew it was a comment that could be taken as either a casual remark or a pass. She was inclined to think it as the latter from the way her loins throbbed and his other hand now rested on her shoulder. Her eyes revealed her moral confusion and Butch was highly pleased he'd created a lie so quickly after his slip-up, and what was even better was that she'd read more into it than expected. This could easily conceal his error of being seen, plus it meant this additional attempt at sabotaging the betrothal could earn him some time reduction from the distance until he saw Cassidy. He took the moment whilst it was available to do something he always desired from curiosity; he kissed her. Her body was extremely tense yet she responded like she was engaged with him, not James. When he pulled away from her, she found she shook and didn't notice the page now located in her back pocket. Not that it originated from fear exactly; it was more she'd dropped her guard and been molested by a person, but she'd enjoyed it. She took a step backwards, and once he knew he was safe he turned and walked away from her, feeling that she wasn't as good as he'd thought she'd be. She wanted to call him back for more as it confounded her feelings, even though she knew it was wrong to feel like this. She loved James, didn't she? Then why did she feel like this over another guy, especially one that sounded like someone walked on his throat every second of the day? It was only ten minutes later Jessie felt the sweat gather on her back, with the all-too familiar tingle overthrowing the passion at her loins…

      Tyra walked down the main street in a bedraggled manner, having only gained a few hours' sleep in a quiet, disused part of the bustling city, feeling morose at the thought of the threats affecting her former friends' lives even though she was not responsible for it. She glanced back behind her once or twice, an oozing feeling of discomfort twisting in her stomach as it always did whenever she felt like she was unable to relax from the presence of an unwanted guest. The feeling was certified when a fan suddenly expanded to its full extent in front of her face, and as it was so unexpected, she jumped in shock as she saw the cold woman before her. Her eyes had a sprightly charm that was far from welcoming, and the young woman felt fear clutch at her throat as she looked into the dangerous pools before her. She returned the fan to its proper height and distance away from her body, each beat of it causing an icicle of panic to invade Tyra's stomach.

      "W-what do you want? Why are you here?"

      "Here in this city, or here at this very spot? It is not very ladylike to use questions as many and as vague as that. It is not proper at all"

      "I never said I wanted to be like a lady, you can't twist my back this way again"

      "Why, I have no intentions to do anything of the sort. I am in this city because my son is in that strumpet, and as long as she exists my harmony cannot. I am at this spot because I saw you and I believe we have a few matters to settle"

      "Like what? I'm not for hire, I didn't ruin the plot, that was Deryck"

      "That's not why I'm here, though it took a lot of my resources to quietly refurnish the room you both destroyed. You had one mission; kill the tramp, yet you did not. You saved his worthless life to assist you in a plot you guaranteed would work, yet he was in hospital, not a threat to anybody when I disposed of him. She lived to tell the tale and you failed to report this to me"

      "She's carrying his child, I can't kill her in such a situation"

      "You allowed her body to host more demon spawn? I do not want her anywhere in my family lineage, do you comprehend that?"

      "I'm sorry, but I'm not under your orders anymore, nor do I intend to resume life as it was. James hated me after what you did, and nothing can change his feelings towards me for that betrayal"

      "You can't seriously expect my son to marry someone like you, do you? Where is your status?"
      "He'll never marry me because of you, though he might have done without your psychotic attitude. He is old enough to screw or marry whoever he sees fit and there's nothing you can do about it"

      Her dangerous opponent opened her fan again and a warning click snapped through the air as a weapon of some sort was activated. Her eyes never narrowed but the threat was obvious to Tyra; although she wanted it a lot these days, she didn't want to lose her life here and now. Not to her.

      "I'm not afraid of you, and he probably isn't either. He's still sleeping with the one you told him not to, so he obviously doesn't see you as a threat. You can chop up his pokémon as often as you get a slave to steal them, but he's still in love with her. She welcomed him when you rejected his choice; it's always her he'll care about. He made that clear after he engaged in coitus with me"

      "You dared to defile my son, in spite of the duties you were given to perform?"

      "I was not working for you at the time, so I did not see it like a disobedient manner. He brought it on; he was not defiled in any manner. It was consensual both times, so if you really want to give him the sex talk you would have hired someone to tell him on who is and is not proper to fuck before he ran away from your iniquitous control, go find him now before he gets a third woman pregnant"

      "You're tainting my line too? What must I do for decent children? I've already disposed of his weak father, I'm not afraid to eliminate you before you bring shame to my excellent name…"

      "Excellent? You dispose of everyone that stands before you, yet you denounce a woman trying to make ends meet through stealing. Your crime is by far a worse felony, so you are by far the worse woman. Oh and, just before I leave, are you aware that she's slept around and probably has more diseases than there are pokémon, each time with James a risk of giving him a fatal virus? Is VD respectable enough for your prestigious line? Take care old woman, maybe one day you'll realise what you threw away for him. I know I do"

      As Tyra turned away, her opponent released the switch on her fan before turning down the street in search of either her son or his sewer rat fiancée, ready to punish them both for their disobedience. They would never stop ruing their torrid affair if what her former worker's words were true. Never.

      James applied the finishing touches to the dress, knowing the measurements to be exact from all the years he spent being measured up by tailors whenever a new exquisite suit was required for some function or another. He couldn't wait to see what she'd look like in it, even though the thought of marriage stung his memories of unwanted years of engagement to Jessibelle, though he wished they'd kept touch a bit better up until her death. It was still hard to accept; his body felt like hardened stone, as he hadn't reacted to her death in any manner that would be considered healthy or normal. He felt like he betrayed her memory each time he made love with Jessie; a twist of the knife in the late girl's back, each twist more painful as his libido was up for some reason. He was snapped out of his reveries when he heard someone rushing up the stairs, and it alerted him to his senses as he thought there was something unwanted occurring out there. He opened the door and was drawn back when he saw it was Jessie running up in a hurry and crashed into his torso without noticing until it was too late. The momentum carried them both to the ground, which turned out to be rather painful for James, but he waited until she stopped massaging her temples before asking her what was wrong. Her body continued to tremble as she began to speak, so to ease her fraught sense of being he ran his fingers gently through her hair and comforted her as best he could.

      "James I'm really sorry for scaring you like this, but I felt liquid between my legs and I thought something was wrong with our baby. When I realised it wasn't blood, the shock kicked in again and I just felt so afraid. I needed you"

      "I'm here Jess, it's okay. How are you feeling now, has the liquid stopped?"
      "Yes, but it gave me such a scare. I don't want to lose her"

      "Shhhh, you're fine now, I'm not going to let anything happen to you as long as I'm around. What were you doing at the time?"

      She fell silent, knowing that if she gave an answer it would either give light to something she'd rather keep hidden, and if she didn't, it would be more like she was hiding something from him, an essence ready to taint the marriage that had yet to take place. Would he still marry her if she told the truth?

      "Seriously, are you okay?"

      "Sorry, I was a bit spaced out for a second. If I tell you something do you promise not to get really mad at me?"

      "What is it?"

      "Promise me first"

      "Does it affect our relationship?"

      "Yes, but only if you let it"

      "Did you sleep with someone?"
      "NO! I can't believe you thought I'd do something like that"

      "Sorry Jess but the past isn't really on your side, hence the reason I thought the worst. Sorry"

      "You're the one who screwed someone else consensually whilst we were together"

      "I know that, and I'm sorry again for making it sound like an accusation. What is it then?"

      "Promise?"

      "Fine, I promise, now what is it?"
      "I was walking along, minding my own business until I walked into Butch. We were talking and before I knew it he'd tried to kiss me. I kissed back and I don't know why I did, I wish I hadn't. Nothing serious happened, he left and I didn't follow him if that's what you're wondering"

      "Did he touch you?"

      "No, he just touched my shoulders"

      "Why?"

      "Why? I don't know, maybe he found me attractive or…"

      "I meant why did you let him, not why he did it"

      "I didn't let him as such, it was more…"

      "Oh, so you stopped him did you?"

      "Not exactly"

      "Anything else happen I should know about?"

      "Nothing, I swear. I came here pretty much as soon as it happened. Are you mad at me?"

      "A bit, but at least you're honest. Nothing like this is to come into our marriage though, okay? If either of us cheats again then it's through. It just wouldn't be fair to continue a life of loving, cheating and apologising. To us or our daughter"

      "You're not dumping me are you? James I mean it when I said nothing happened"

      "I believe you. Just get up so I can get some feeling back in my legs first though!"

      He stood up shakily, as the way she'd crashed into his legs caused pain to revisit him from when his former friends had ambushed him during the last year. He closed the door to avoid any further stares at their position from strangers, inwardly seething that Jessie had kissed another man whilst he'd been preparing her dress. All of this doubt and disdain vanished the instant he saw the look on her face as she picked up the gown. Although her voice gushed thanks in a fluid pattern for his work, he read sincerity in the way her eyes lit up, and he also saw her feeling excitement conjoined with ecstasy, and it was this that made him certain that she wasn't lying with her words. She carefully lay it back down before turning around and kissing him passionately, neither of them thinking about the slight rift that had happened between them mere moments beforehand. Just like they'd require time apart for it to be made successfully, they decided that the time apart required for alterations to be made could wait until their hormones calmed down again.

      She energetically fanned herself with the very instrument used to relieve both her former worker and husband of their lives whilst glancing out across the view gracing her eyes. Her face did not wrinkle once in her frustration at her heir's poor quality of spouses, but then again nobody could equal the wedding she'd planned for him from an early age. Choosing his mother for an enemy was one move he'd soon learn to regret, as he didn't appear to fear her presence already. Something Tyra had taunted her with prickled inside her thoughts, which was surprising since she cared little for anybody other than herself and her lineage. You dispose of everyone that stands before you; you are by far the worse woman. She was not aware as to why she should feel so irate from a comment that passed the lips of a woman nowhere near as respectable nor as prestigious as she, yet it still stung her in a way she'd never before experienced. It wasn't her fault she wanted to ensure her child's life was fine; it was her now deceased husband's. The older man her parents had betrothed her to, telling her to think of the family before her derision. She'd almost caused her family to become erased from all social gatherings from an incident that was not her fault at all. Yet she was the one to be chastised and therefore it was her duty to ensure her son took the same responsibility when deciding his wife and ultimately his child-vessel.

      Her then-fiancé, had become outrageously drunk on fine mead one night and slept with her in such an improper manner—she had still been a few years away from the age of consent, but more horrifically they had not been married at the time. It had taken years of isolation for them to carry off their child without being ostracized from social gatherings permanently. It was for this reason she'd always wanted a son, to save a daughter from the same fate, and by setting him up with Jessie Belle he'd been whipped and treated cruelly as a punishment for being an untimely child, and a constant reminder of her shame. She could never love him as a parent should as he was the rebel, always threatening to be a ticking time bomb for her upper class friends, and because of this she had denied servants permission to look for him when he ran away. The evidence of her statutory rape could die in the cold and her hell would finally be over. Her private moment was disrupted by a youth clipping her delicate shoulder, straying from his path unintentionally. It took her greatest efforts not to release the remaining knives from the pockets in her fan as she turned around almost instantaneously to challenge whoever interrupted her concentration, and she was shocked to see that it had been a boy a third of her age looking back at her. Recognition flickered across her eyes but she said nothing, her stance automatically questioning Ash and making him babble out apologies profusely. His good mood was crumbled away yet he didn't hear any harsh comments or threats of any nature from the woman; even Brock didn't hit on her—he knew this was one woman who could be as dangerous as she was strikingly beautiful. It was only Misty that recognised her, even that was with great difficulty as it was hard to imagine her without her sipping a cup of tea with a clear view of the mansion in the background.

      "Oh, hello! I'd imagine you're going to attend the wedding are you?"

      "What do you mean by that, and who are you anyway?"

      "Do forgive me, we're the three who helped you become reunited with James, remember? So is that why you're here, to see him getting married?"
      "He's getting married? This is obviously a jest of some sort"
      "No, I saw him yesterday and my friend later discovered that he's getting married tomorrow, in this town. I'm sorry if you didn't know, it's just I thought that's why you were here"

      "No, I was here for…another reason. Please excuse me in that case, I must get a gift for the couple that he will never forget"

      When they were certain she was out of hearing range, Brock shuddered and revealed his thoughts that something wasn't quite right with that comment, as if she had something more sinister up her sleeve. Misty told him not to be so silly as she was his mother and just meant that she'd give him a gift that would make the occasion perfect. All the same, all three of them felt unnerved by the disquietingly calm woman.

      Anthony tapped his side repeatedly as a show of nerves as he held his position as watchman down in the laboratory again; memories of seeing Cassidy so horribly mutilated filling his thoughts from the last time he'd been working down there. Angry thoughts of Lindsey in bed with the head of the organisation stung his feelings, as he knew they were doing it yet didn't have the courage to say something about it, yet it didn't seem like she was going to say anything to him about it any time soon. He didn't want to be strung along like he was, but then again he didn't need the aggravation that would certainly arise with a confrontation with her over it. He couldn't forget the cruel glints in the eyes of that meowth either; something wasn't normal about it—it was almost as if it didn't have a shred of decency in its feral feline body. He'd felt so much easier when the pokémon had taken off after its former comrades, but he felt sympathy too. Butch was in the same position with Meowth that he was with Giovanni: he'd work for him, and then once they'd been toyed with long enough; they'd get the woman of their dreams back. But he knew neither would ever have those wishes fulfilled as Cassidy was dead and Lindsey had the man of ultimate authority in her bed. He felt sorrier for the other male, as he'd missed the magnificent funeral Giovanni had done for Cassidy, which left him with no way to properly say goodbye once he learnt the truth. At least he could go for other women, but he felt like Butch and Cassidy had possessed the potential to be more than just occasional lovers; they were almost what he'd call soul mates. He sighed and watched his breath hit the cold air around him, creating puffs of small clouds each time he exhaled. He felt like the heat had been deliberately left off, as he was the only security guard in that area of the labs since the surrounding rooms were unoccupied but needed to be guarded in case the wrong people took the items inside into their possession. His legs were slowly numbing but there was nothing he could do to relieve the deadness; to leave his position was to defy orders, no matter how slight, and to defy orders in that institute was a request for death.

      Meowth returned to the room he'd made Butch pay for, tired after a morning's work of visiting every registry office in the city, convincing them all to accept any orders from his former team mates should they choose their office and to call up other couples and cancel their plans, even if they had been booked months in advance. There had only been one serious injury involved in all the cases where he gave the owners reason to comply with the feline's request. He couldn't afford even the slightest flaw at this stage as victory was within his grasp, and it was this reason that Butch didn't tell him he'd kissed Jessie earlier. Not because of the nebulous thyroproxine involved (he hadn't thought of that at all), but because the slightest sound of infidelity might be enough for him to not deliver Cassidy when promised. The human was presently writing out numerous poems and verses to present to his beloved when she returned, and if he had them all written early enough he might be able to improve them so she wouldn't find error with any of them. Meowth gazed out of the window and saw nothing of particular interest to the tired feline, yet he persisted in looking out at other people's lives unfolding to distract him from his thoughts. He hated his former friends leading a happy life together without so much as a courteous thought about him, but more importantly he hated not being with them like in the old days. They could still have their romance, but all he wanted right now was their company. They didn't miss him though, so his bitter resentment grew and wished ill on them, even though the young couple regularly thought of him and in spite of neither voicing it to the other, both had always thought of them having kids together, with Meowth watching over them occasionally as a relation would, not as a hired minder. The cat-type's tail flicked in an irritated manner as it dwelt on his friends' happy life without him, his hate-filled glare never wavering yet saw nothing as he was too occupied with his thoughts.

      Tyra couldn't believe she'd gotten away with her life after being hit by the woman with an aim far more accurate than any other person known to her. The poison-tipped throwing knife had been embedded into her flesh, but it had jarred on the wiring in her underwear so the wound wasn't life threatening. She'd pretended to collapse until she was certain the perpetrator was no longer present, and then she pulled the knife out and squeezed the wound to both draw out the poison and staunch the bleeding. She waited until she felt less afraid and stood up and walked very slowly, not wanting to assist the poison in its travelling of her circulatory system. She looked to the sky and mentally noted that she'd acquire vengeance in one form or another, and when she did, nothing would stand in her way. Nothing.