Chapter 4 – The Angel And The One

The sky was dark now, the only source of light coming from the campfire which the trio had gathered around to eat. Meowth lay sprawled on his back with his head resting on his tiny sleeping bag, a paw on his now-full stomach and contentment on his face. Next to him sat James, cross-legged on his sleeping bag leaning back on his hands, gazing up at the stars. Jessie sat across the campfire, watching the flames dance, a satisfied smile on her lips. Both sets of eyes shifted to Meowth as he spoke.

"Any leftovers dere Jimmy?" he asked without opening his eyes.

James laughed. "You already ate the leftovers!"

"Heh, oh yeah!" Meowth replied, rubbing his belly.

Still chuckling to himself, James' eyes met Jessie's over the campfire and he grinned.

The soft firelight caressed his features and danced in his eyes, and once again Jessie was reminded of how much he'd matured. She quickly smiled in return before looking away. "So, when did you learn how to cook?" she enquired.

James arched an eyebrow at his team mate, observing her sudden interest in the trees. He sat up and ran a hand through his lavender locks. "I waited tables in a café for a while, the chef gave me a few pointers. It's easy enough. Though I would hardly call making ramen 'cooking'."

Jessie snorted. "Easy for you to say. I burn everything!"

"I'll show you some time, honestly, everyone can make ramen," he offered with a smile.

"Ha! Famous last words. Don't say I didn't warn you!" Jessie laughed, glancing at her team mate before shuffling backwards to lean against a fallen tree, tilting her head back to look at the stars.

James chewed his lip nervously. Plucking up the courage, he grabbed his rucksack and his sleeping bag and approached Jessie. "Mind if I join you?"

Still looking at the stars, Jessie nodded, and she felt James set his sleeping back next to hers and lean against the trunk.

"So… we're officially field agents, on our way to our first mission… we should celebrate." James grinned at her.

"In order to celebrate, we need something to celebrate with…" sighed Jessie, not tearing her gaze away from the sky.

"Well," James reached in to his rucksack, "it's a good job you have me as your team mate!" He revealed a bottle of Captain Morgan's and laughed as he now had Jessie's full attention.

"Now you're talking!" Jessie exclaimed, eyes shining. "Where did you get this?"

"It was a parting gift from an old friend." James' mind fleetingly pictured a tall barman with a friendly smile, in a bar that he called home. "I guess I never had an excuse to open it until now." James unscrewed the bottle and offered it to his partner.

"Captain Morgan eh? How appropriate." Jessie laughed before taking a drink, as a memory played in James' head.

"What can I get you today James?" asked Sam from across the bar as James slid on to the barstool.

"Hmmm, what haven't I tried yet?" James wondered aloud. He was still not used to alcohol and had yet to find something he really liked. "Surprise me," he replied with a grin.

Sam brushed a few strands of his shoulder-length brown hair from his face as he walked up the bar studying the optics and various bottles. "A-ha!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Let's try some Morgan's for our very own Mr Morgan…"

"Mmmm, now we're celebrating." Jessie grinned, licking her lips and passing the bottle to James, who took a large swig from it. "I see you can handle your alcohol a bit better now." she teased when he didn't wince afterwards.

"What can I say? I've been practising." James laughed as he wiped his mouth, passing the bottle back to his partner.

"Hmmm, you and me both." Jessie replied, and for a split second James thought he saw sadness in her eyes. He frowned slightly but didn't pursue it. They sat in silence for a while, both staring up at the glittering stars, passing the bottle between them and savouring the warmth in their stomachs in the chilly night air.

A loud crack from the campfire caused James to jump and look around wildly, breathing a small sigh of relief when his gaze settled on the burning logs. He hoped that Jessie hadn't noticed but a quick glance towards his partner revealed a look somewhere between amusement and concern. Raising an eyebrow, Jessie passed James the bottle, noticing his hands trembling slightly as he took it.

"You ok?" she asked.

James took a deep drink. "Yeah, just startled me, that's all." He took another drink, determined to change the subject. "That was quite a week, huh?" he said with a laugh that Jessie suspected was forced.

"Made even better by beating Cassidy and… what's his name again?"

"What's the deal with you and Cassidy anyway?" James enquired.

"Ugh, that stuck-up conceited insufferable little bitch…" Jessie spat, as she launched in to the tale of how they had first come to blows. James winced at the rage coming from her, he didn't remember her being that venomous when they were younger. "It wasn't even my fault to begin with! Some donut-crazed lunatic knocked me in to her." she growled.

James, who had just taken a swig of rum, started to cough violently. Jessie slapped him on his back a few times, anger at Cassidy fading as she tended to her team mate. As James got his breath back, he tried once again to quickly change the subject.

"Nice night tonight!" he said, looking up at the stars.

"Mmmmmm," Jessie murmured in agreement, following his gaze and admiring the clear sky. She rubbed her arms, "chilly though. Not that this uniform is designed for warmth! At least the training uniform gave me some protection from the elements, and some modesty!" she laughed. Despite the impracticality of her new uniform, in truth she loved the way it showed off her curves. "Although at least this colour doesn't clash with my beautiful hair!" she said, lovingly caressing her long magenta curl.

James reached for his rucksack in order to retrieve his jacket for Jessie, trying not to think about her revealing uniform for the umpteenth time that day. He got to his knees and lent over to delicately drape his jacket around her shoulders. "Is that better?" he asked, turning his head to face her. Jessie turned to face James in reply, and as their eyes met, both were suddenly startled to find their faces inches from each other. Swallowing, James quickly sank back on to his sleeping bag and ran his hand through his hair. He picked up the bottle of rum and took a drink.

"Much better, thanks." She pulled the jacket snug around her shoulders and leant back against the trunk, a brief look of confusion on her face.

"…Anyway, the colour wasn't that bad!" laughed James. "I thought I looked rather dashing in the training uniform," he boasted with a flamboyant flick of his hand. Ignoring Jessie's eye-roll, his mind flashed through fragments of his training programme.

"Jessie…" James started hesitantly, staring at the camp fire.

'Oh crap...' During the past week, any time James had tried to start a conversation like that, Jessie had remembered her promise to herself to concentrate on the training, anything else could wait, and she would dismiss it with a stern "Not now James." With a jolt she realised she could no longer hide behind that excuse, and she felt the panic rising up. Instinctively, she raised the walls around her heart and mind.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened with your other team mates?" James prayed it wasn't too intrusive a question. He turned his body to face her, crossing his long legs.

Jessie sighed with relief, and she twisted her body so they were now sat facing each other. "They simply weren't good enough. I wasn't gonna let them hold me back, and I certainly wasn't going to carry them." She took a drink as her mind flashed through them, each more worthless than the last. "They were beyond useless." she said, shaking her head.

"Does this mean I'm not useless?" he teased. Jessie looked up and saw James grinning from ear to ear, eyes twinkling in the firelight, a hopeless boyish charm to his features.

Jessie raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. "You'll do… for now…" James pouted in mock indignation and she rolled her eyes before taking a drink. "Think we'll pull off this heist?" she asked after a few moments.

"Absolutely," he assured her with a warm smile. "I believe if we set our minds to it we can achieve anything we desire!" he finished triumphantly.

"We do work well together," Jessie admitted, taking another drink and glancing at the sleeping cat on the other side of the campfire.

James smiled at his partner. "We always did," he said affectionately.

Jessie met his gaze, surprised at the sincerity in his eyes. 'Why doesn't he hate me?' she thought, wrestling down a pang of guilt. Twice in the past week it had threatened to resurface after being buried for years, and she'd be damned if she was going to let her bottled up emotions out! No way! Jessie wasn't weak like that. To acknowledge the guilt would be to admit she was wrong, and strong perfect Jessie was never wrong!

James watched her with interest, sensing some sort of inner conflict deep within the brilliant sapphire.

'He's right though, we always did,' Jessie's mind was bombarded with flashes from Pokémon Tech, various memories of them working together and helping each other out. Jessie knew deep down she was happy they had been reunited, but she didn't want to acknowledge any emotion regarding their history, even positive ones. It was too much to deal with right now.

Coming back to her senses, she realised they were still staring in to each other's eyes. Jessie lowered her gaze. "It was a long time ago James."

"Wait a minute, you guys knew each udda before?"

Jessie and James both sweatdropped. "I thought you were asleep!" exclaimed James.

"Not with yous two yappin all the time!" Meowth retorted, sitting up to face his team mates.

Jessie got to her feet, not wanting to deal with prying cats. She pulled on her boots and grabbed the empty bowls and pan, and stalked off towards the stream.

"Sheesh, what's with her?" Meowth asked James, both had noticed the anger on her face before she left.

"I'm not really sure…" James ran a hand through his hair, his eyes on the spot between the trees where Jessie had disappeared. He turned his attention to Meowth. "We'd rather the boss didn't find out, I wouldn't want to risk him splitting up the team. Rumour has it he disapproves of team members with past or present relationships."

Meowth's eyes bugged open. "Relationship?!" He pointed an accusatory paw at James. "You mean yous two were togedda?"

"No!" James waved his hands in defence. "No, I didn't mean like that! We were just friends! We met as children…" James started, and he began telling Meowth the basics from Pokémon Tech and the bike gang.

xXx

Jessie finished washing the bowls in the stream, muttering angrily under her breath. If she was honest, she would know she was angry at herself. But her anger was directed at Meowth instead.

"Nosey little furball, I should have smacked him with my fan," she grumbled to herself, pulling on her gloves and flexing her cold fingers. 'And I'm sure James has told him everything by now. He has no right to discuss our private lives – MY private life - with the cat.' Jessie grit her teeth, balling her hands in to fists. She took a deep breath and gathered up the bowls, and as she made her way back to camp a memory surfaced in her mind.

Jessie was spending her lunch break walking around the grounds of Pokémon Tech. It was only her second day and she was still getting used to the vast layout. It was a nice enough day, the remains of summer still hanging on although the trees had begun to change colour. She took a bite from an apple, the lunch she had swiped on her way to Tech that morning. Jessie heard the commotion before she saw it, and as she rounded the corner she spied a group of three boys huddled around something. Being the nosey child she was, she watched for a while, before a gap emerged between two boys and revealed a smaller boy sitting on a bench. His head was hung down, lavender hair blocking his face from her view but as the shouts and jeers from the others registered with her, she realised what was happening. She had encountered bullies during her time at various foster homes and children's homes, and she despised them. Instinct taking over, she charged at the group, sending one of the boys flying to the ground. Before the others could react, she turned and punched another in the stomach, causing him to double over. The third stared at her in disbelief, wondering where this feisty kid had come from and how she had managed to drop the other two so quickly. He took a threatening step towards her but Jessie threw her apple full force in to his face, causing him to cover his nose and howl with pain. She stood protectively in front of the lavender-haired boy, hands on hips, glaring at the boys as they picked themselves up, almost daring them to retaliate.

Jessie laughed triumphantly as the three boys ran off, and she turned to face the smaller boy. He had been watching the events through his hair, but now as Jessie looked down at him he hung his head further, almost as if he expected her to attack him too.

"Hi!" she stuck her hand out towards him. "I'm Jessie. Who are you?"

The boy lifted his head and glanced up at her, before his gaze settled warily on her outstretched hand. After a few seconds, he cautiously shook it. "My name is James Morgan, it's a pleasure to meet you." he replied, withdrawing his hand quickly and dropping his head again. Jessie raised an eyebrow at his introduction. So formal but seemed so… rehearsed. Like he was reading from a card or reciting something he'd learnt.

Jessie plonked herself down beside him, causing James to snap his head up in alarm. "What's their problem?" she asked, gesturing in the direction the bullies had disappeared.

"I have no idea," James shrugged, "Me, I suppose."

Jessie's eyed widened. "Oh no! My apple!" She scanned the ground, and as she spotted it she grabbed it and dusted it off on the front of her dress.

"You can't eat that!" exclaimed James, and Jessie almost laughed at the pure horror on his face.

"It's my lunch!" she replied.

"No, please, you can have some of mine. It's the least I could do!" James insisted as he rummaged in his bag. Jessie looked on eagerly to see what he would produce. He pulled out a packet of sandwiches. "It's not much but I'd be honoured if you shared it with me," he requested, properly meeting and holding her gaze for the first time.

"Sure thing James!" Jessie accepted with a grin. He handed her a sandwich and she ripped a bit off it, shoving it in to her mouth and talking around it. "You're in my class, right?"

James had a weird smile on his face as he watched her eat. "Yes. You only started yesterday, correct?" he asked as he took a bite from his sandwich.

Jessie nodded as she swallowed. Suddenly her face lit up. "Hey! We should be friends! Wanna be friends?" she grinned at him.

James stared at her in disbelief. "Friends? With... with me? Really?"

"Yeah! I like you!" she laughed as she ripped another piece from her sandwich and crammed it in her mouth.

James blinked at her for a few seconds, and then he laughed too, emerald eyes shining. She playfully knocked her shoulder in to his and then leant back on the bench, swinging her legs and stuffing the last of the food in to her mouth.

"I like you too Jessie." James replied with a stunned smile, like he could hardly believe his luck.