Hey all, I am Soooooooooooooooooooo sorry about the extremely long absence with this chapter, but since the last one was posted I had so much drama in my life I just never got the chance to continue and sometimes just no desire. I won't bore you with the details of the events, but let's just say they're all over now without bad issue and I can continue to get this story out to you folks hopefully in a timelier manner. I believe the story is just about going to be done in about two or three more chapters, but we shall see. I tried to make this one slightly longer in hopes to appease my fans that have been waiting for it. I hope you're still out there actually so you can see the next installment! I also hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Happy reading and thanks for sticking by me. I'll try not to let this absence happen again.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A shudder coursed through James' thin body making him clutch the black bag tighter over his shoulders in hopes to keep warm. The action had no positive effect making him groan and roll his eyes. This is stupid, he thought and reached forward to grab a stick in order to stoke the dying flames of the fire Meowth had tried to revive before Jessie chased him off into the woods for saying something unwise.

At first the fire protested to the prodding with angry pops and hisses, but after a while it began to give in and slowly came back to life. A small smile tugged at James' lips and he reached around to grab a few more twigs that Meowth had piled to the side and started to feed them into the fire causing it to burn more bright and warm to his satisfaction.

He stared into the flames wondering why things always seemed to go so well one moment then get ruined by something unexpected the next and forcing him to start back at square one. It was almost as if whatever higher powers that be in the universe liked to tease and torment him. They always seemed to be dangling a carrot in front of his nose only to yank it away at the last minute just to show what a gullible fool he really is to think he'd find love or riches in this world.

James sighed and rested his chin on his knees while wrapping his arms securely around his legs. He wasn't even sure if leaving Team Rocket was such a good idea any more, but with Jessie's fit of rage at Meowth earlier about some imaginary photographs that were taken perhaps leaving was a good idea while James still had his head attached to his shoulders.

He always had his reasons to fear his red-haired partner. She could be docile and sweet one moment and the next she literally had fire spewing from her mouth like a furious Charizard and would become quite violent to boot. James had been whacked in the head by fry pans, baseball bats and paper fans to name a few not to mention the times she kicked him in the rear end or smacked him in the face.

All these punishments he took without retaliation and without complaint. He never felt he deserved these beatings, but yet he had the respect in him not to hit a woman back no matter what it was she did to him. If his parents ever did anything right with his upbringing, it was the teaching of respect for a female and that a man never strikes a woman no matter what. The awful forced fiancée he had was a perfect example of that. She always seemed to get wicked pleasure from torturing him mentally and physically, but yet James never fought back.

James had put up with that pain for years on end, his life quickly spiraling out of control. Having enough of that torment he got brave and fled his riches, family and household leaving behind his precious Growlith with hopes that someday he would be able to return to fetch the loyal Pokemon. He had his chance not too long ago to retrieve Growlie, but instead James asked his faithful pet to keep watch over his parents for him.

Tears seemed to well up suddenly in James' eyes wondering why everything he ever had feelings for somehow hurt him in one way or another. All though his parents were terrible at times, he knew they meant well and he did love them as best as he could no matter how trying things became. Still, that love gave him hurt. Hurt he never forgot about.

Growlie was another hurt. He loved that Pokemon more than any of the others he captured and trained, but yet he was forced to leave him behind. James' heart just about broke leaving the puppy, but he had to or else he would be driven out of his mind with his parents and that nut they wanted him to marry. James was unsure of where his fleeing would take him and he didn't want to jeopardize the well being of his dear Growlie during such a trek.

Joining Team Rocket seemed to have done him some good as James built up a persona of being a tough guy. He enjoyed not having to listen to orders that made no sense and he enjoyed being paid for his efforts. Granted it wasn't the luxury of his mansion and having everything he could possibly want, but he had his freedom and that was something no amount of money could ever buy.

With Jessie suddenly being shoved into his life as his partner in Team Rocket, James thought she was just going to be like everyone else and he built up such a wall around himself he was quite sure it could never be penetrated, but he was wrong. The longer he spent time with her the more he became smitten with her, but he never showed those feelings outright and he always buried them back inside when he felt them welling up.

He had good reason to do that, or so he thought. With everything he ever cared about always causing him pain in some form or another, he felt that Jessie would be no exception. He had the fear if he told her how he really felt she would laugh in his face and tell him he was an idiot, crushing his all ready fragile heart. He was also afraid if he did tell her and she accepted him that things wouldn't last. She was almost always flirting with men she came in contact with, but James wasn't sure if she was serious about those actions or if she just was doing it to get the information she wanted for their missions.

James sighed and he squeezed his green eyes shut tight allowing the tears that welled up to roll down his face. He knew this was going to happen sooner or later and it might as well be now with Jessie and Meowth away. He was quiet and patient with his emotions and all they seemed to do was frustrate him more. Confusion was setting in with him no doubt and he felt that running away from the confusion was a lot better than risking his heart being torn apart by that fiery red-haired partner of his.

She wouldn't care if I leave anyway, he thought with a heavy sigh. Her teasing always confused him, but he lavished on it more often than not. The hugs they shared out of fear, the hand holding for the same reason, the sarcastic comments that he knew held a true meaning behind them, everything she did seemed to lead him to believe she did have feelings that were more than friends for him. Sadly, nothing ever came of it all so he felt she just was flirting and playing with him like she did everyone else.

A sudden yawn took him by surprise and he realized how late it must be. He looked around hoping to see the stark white Team Rocket outfit of Jessie's in her return, but he saw nothing in the dim firelight other than the sleeping Pikachu he captured hours ago. James smiled slightly, proud of himself for going above and beyond to prove to Jessie he'd do anything for her. That request of hers caused him a lot of pain and hurt, but in the long run it seemed to be worth it for she ventured out to find him and took care of him and his ailments.

Still, under all of that beat a heart of a wicked woman when scorned and he was afraid of her. She knew he was scared, she knew he was easily cowed into submission and she used that to her advantage more often times than not. Is that what I really want? He questioned himself on that many times wondering if that was the kind of relationship he wanted or deserved.

Just then he heard the sound of branches being broken and leaves crunching under a person's feet. James turned his head around and saw Jessie emerging out of the woods dragging a knocked out Meowth by the tail behind her. She was angry and muttering to herself about how stupid the scratch-cat Pokemon was and how lucky he was that he ran into a tree or else he was in for the pounding of his life.

Jessie dragged Meowth to where the Pikachu lay sleeping and dumped him there before focusing her attentions on James, her blue eyes still flashing with anger. "And what are you gawking at? This is all your fault you know! If you would have properly trained that walking weed of yours that fire never would have went out and Meowth wouldn't have bickered with me and sent me on a wild goose chase only to find he was lying about any photographs."

Not sure on how to respond to Jessie's mood, James just looked at her and bit his lower lip in that boyish way that always seemed to soften her anger. "I'm sorry, Jess," he submitted quietly knowing it was best to agree with her. "Maybe now he learned his lesson and won't lie to you any more?"

Jessie smirked and smoothed her short white skirt before dropping on the ground next to her partner, smoothing her skirt once more. "Highly unlikely, James, and you know it. That cat wouldn't shut his big Meowth if his life depended on it."

James nodded and diverted his attention back to the fire. He didn't want to look at Jessie for he suddenly felt as if her piercing blue eyes were penetrating his very soul, trying to see if he were inwardly mocking her for running after Meowth. He hated when she looked at him like this because he had no clue on how to read her emotions.

Choosing a more passive route, James faked a yawn and rested his chin on his knees while drawing the black bag tighter over his shoulders. He shuddered a bit and tried to ignore the sudden pounding his head was giving him. Even with his eyes closed he still felt Jessie's gaze on him. James' body suddenly tensed as he now felt her unexpected touch on his shoulders.

"How are you feeling anyway?" Jessie sternly asked while adjusting the black bag James was clutching tightly. "Did you eat enough? Do you want to go to sleep?"

James flinched not only from her touch, but also by her sudden spurt of questions. All though they were meant to be soothing, they had a touch of annoyance in them, almost like he was a child being scolded by his mother.

Not wanting her fussing over him he just shook his head. "I'm fine, Jess. Just a little worn out." He opened his eyes and allowed himself to meet her gaze and he was surprised to see the fire that was blazing in her eyes earlier was now gone and replaced with something he could have sworn was sincerity. Since when did she ever show genuine concern about anything other than herself?

Has to just be the firelight doing something, he thought and reached a gloved hand to rub at his weary eyes. Wanting to change the subject away from his well being, James inhaled deeply and said, "Don't worry about me. The question should be are you cold? You can have this bag instead, I don't mind. You probably need it more than I do after that chase with Meowth."

"Don't be stupid," she replied and scooted closer to James and tenderly began to rub his back. Jessie felt James tense under her touch causing her to smirk. "Sore back too, huh?" she commented, sarcasm thick in her voice.

James frowned to himself knowing the kindness of hers was no doubt an act just to tease him with so he pushed himself from her. "Forget it…I'm fine."

Hurt registered on his partner's face for a moment, which quickly turned into insult. "James, you can be such a baby! Fine, if you want to sit alone and be cold and sore, that's your problem." And with a snort she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs copying the same position James was in.

A few painful, quiet moments passed and Jessie tried her luck with being considerate to James once more. "Listen, you had a rough day, let me just help you get comfortable so you can at least have a peaceful sleep." She uncoiled herself from her compact seated position and reached over to James' shoulders and tried to massage them hoping this would relax him and stop that sudden tension between them she was picking up on.

Suspecting this was once again something Jessie was going to use against him somehow, James tensed severely under her touch. "I said I'm just fine, Jess! Please don't." he whined and tried to pull from her hands which were doing their best to knead out the kinks in his bunched shoulders.

Jessie's face contorted to mild insult for a fleeting moment only to be replaced by her typical frustration of not getting her way. "James this is for your own good now quit squirming!" she said crossly and tightened her grip on his shoulders forbidding him from slipping from her grasp.

James flinched from the pain and lurched forward trying to escape her, but Jessie was strong and wasn't about to let go. However, she did pull him back to her only briefly before unexpectedly, and roughly, shoving him face first onto the ground. "Trust me, James, this is for your own good now be still!"

Not understanding her logic, James realized it was best to just let her do what she had her mind set on. He spit out the grass and dirt that had quickly found its way into his mouth then wiped at his face with his arm. He wanted so badly to resist her attentions right now because he was scared, but knew that submitting was always the best answer to squelch any possible outbursts of anger.

As the moments wore on, with her fingers gently kneading the aching muscles of his shoulders and back, James felt his body slowly beginning to relax, forgetting about the pains and the humiliation of Jessie slamming him against the ground in order to get her way in this. He knew, too, if the situation were different this could have been really romantic and pleasurable.

By and by James closed his green eyes and tried to block out all of his negative thoughts and instead focused on the massaging he was getting. Normal guys would have relished having an attractive woman touching away their aches and pains, but James knew to be apprehensive and to keep his guard up for Jessie was no normal girl. Furious mood swings belonged to her and he never took any of her generosity for granted. There has to be a catch with this, he thought all though his mind was slowly becoming clouded from her touch.

Jessie felt him finally relax and a smirk appeared on her face. "It's about time you settled down you moron," she said softly under her breath. She liked the power she had over him and she did enjoy the fact on how submissive he could usually be, but sometimes she just wished he'd show some backbone to her. Just once she wished she could do or say something to him that he totally disagreed on and have him protest until she was the one that actually gave in.

James sighed and felt himself slowly slipping away into sleep under his partner's touch. As with earlier when he had his head resting on her lap, James felt totally content and relaxed. He could really get used to what Jessie was doing even though he knew that this was short lived just like her docile temperament always ended up being. Still, he was no fool and knew to take advantage of the times when they would present themselves. With a soft grunt, James pushed himself up to a seated position still allowing Jessie's hands to massage his neck and shoulders.

"You sure you want to sit up, James? You look like you're about to pass out at any minute."

"I'm fine, Jess," he softly responded and leaned back into her hands each time she squeezed his shoulders.

The red head smirked at him. "Uh-huh. Personally I think you're faking it now and are way beyond fine and just want the attention of a beautiful girl."

James made a face and turned around to look at her, his lower lip stuck out in a boyish pout. "I thought you cared about me? You were awfully concerned when I fell down earlier."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, on your stupid bottle caps! Honestly, James, I think I was more concerned about their well being more than yours for pulling a stunt like that."

James felt his cheeks redden in embarrassment and he cast his gaze downward. "Well, yes, the bottle cap incident was a bit amusing though wasn't it?"

Jessie didn't answer him. She just shook her head in disbelief at him, a gentle smile on her lips. "I'm just glad you are all right. In fact you are lucky you were all right or I just might have pounded on you for making me worried like you did."

Her partner quirked an eyebrow at that and slightly turned his head around so he could look at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Come again? Did you just admit that you were worried about me?"

Jessie clenched her teeth and felt her cheeks redden from her casual slip of the tongue. "No, you must have hit your head when you fell. You're starting to have illusions." She then began to knead his shoulders with more vigor than before, trying to distract him from what she had slipped in saying.

"I think the word you are looking for is delusions, Jessie," James corrected gently while pulling his shoulders from her painful grip and taking a seat next to her. It was now his turn to smirk seeing how he could make her embarrassed as easily as she did him. However, his small victories over her were always short lived and usually ended up with a strong whack on the head with a frying pan.

Jessie shrugged and waved it off with a gloved hand. "Delusions, illusions, what's the difference? As long as you know what I mean and that there's the possibility that I was concerned…" she then trailed off and furrowed her brow to try and look annoyed with him, but James saw right through it.

She stared into his green eyes and wanted to turn away so he wouldn't be able to see that she truly was worried and concerned for him, but it was too late. James stared back at her for a few moments, studying her. She became uncomfortable with his gawking and punched his shoulder. "Quit it! You're making me nervous."

"Jessie," James gently began, but something caught his attention and took the sentence along with Jessie's patience away with it. He stared upwards and a smile tried turning the corners of his mouth. Jessie glared at him and felt her temper beginning to rise the more he stared off in silence.

"James?" she growled, keeping her temper in check as best as she could. "James?" The force was coming out now, but it still got her nowhere. "James!" Jessie cried and whacked him upside the head. "Will you stop staring into oblivion with your mouth hanging open like a Magikarp! What is with you?"

"Look, Jess," he replied softly, pointing a gloved finger at the night sky. A blaze of white light was streaking across the sky in a gentle arch leaving behind a trail of sparkles that seemed to hover in the air like so many fireflies.

Jessie rolled her eyes and grimaced. "So, what's the big deal, James? It's just a stupid shooting star! Who cares?"

Her partner just shrugged, but continued to watch the sparkling trail, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, it is just a little stupid, but do you wonder if that's what we look like when the twerps blast us off?"

She smirked and was about to open her mouth to say something sharp and sarcastic to him for being a sap when she realized the sincerity in his suggestion. There was a playful light in his green eyes, something that Jessie had seen before, but never cared to act on it. Mischief like that usually deserved a good belting in the head with a fry pan because she always felt he was mocking her. This time, however, something was different.

James just stared at her and suddenly felt the feelings that he had the other night welling up inside of him. His urge to kiss her was great, but not greater than his will to live. Still, he felt something right about this time, right in how she was looking at him now. Something told him that the risk would be well worth it.

Carefully and slowly, James leaned close to his partner and stopped just a fraction of an inch away from her lips just in case she wanted to whack him or pull back from his closeness. However, Jessie just sat and stared, shocked at James' boldness and was unclear on how to react. Still, Jessie had to be Jessie and she smirked and thought she'd make things interesting by leaning forward until her lips came in contact with his.

At first James let it happen, relishing in the intimacy he's longed to have with her, but his green eyes suddenly widened and he pulled away and sat back, quickly wrapping the black bag tightly around his shoulders once more while turning his body away in shame. "S-sorry, Jess. I didn't mean…"

"Oh, knock it off all ready," she sighed and grabbed him by the front of his Team Rocket uniform and yanked him to her. "You've probably been pining about this all night so just get it over with." With that she planted a firm kiss on his lips getting a muffled cry of surprise in return. "There, satisfied now?"

A wicked gleam shone in her eyes as she hoped she stunned James into not wanting to do something as stupid as kiss her again. However, that wicked sensation evaporated when she saw the hurt and humiliation in James' eyes. At first she wanted to tell him to quit his whining and to be more careful in what he wished for, but she just couldn't, not by how he was wincing with his eyes tightly shut.

"James? James, what's wrong with you now?" she asked, oblivious to his true emotions.

"N-nothing, Jess," he sobbed and buried his face in his hands. "I just thought with the stars like they are and the mood that you…that I…" but he trailed off and didn't finish, leaving Jessie to feel even more guilty for what she just did, realizing that she truly did hurt him.

Biting her lower lip and swallowing her pride, Jessie took James into her arms and embraced him. "I'm sorry, James. I just was being stupid because I thought you were being stupid." She sighed and softly stroked his blue hair. "This was just a crazy day and I just thought…never mind."

James pulled back and looked at her, his eyes scanning hers for any sort of insincerity. She looked truly sorry to him, but he wasn't sure if he could trust her right now. Jessie did see the hurt on his face and knew nothing she could say would prove she was sorry. Actions did speak louder than words, she knew that more than anyone, and this was something she thought she should prove to him as well.

Carefully as not to scare him, Jessie took James' face and cupped it in her hands. "Please don't take this the wrong way." Slowly and ever so gently Jessie leaned forward and softly kissed him on the lips. She felt his entire body tense, but she didn't pull away or force anything, just let things go as they may.

What seemed like almost forever, Jessie felt James relax enough to where she hoped he enjoyed what she was doing. She got her answer when he pulled back and returned with a kiss of his own. They stayed in that embrace for long minutes until Jessie released his lips and sighed. She looked at him and smiled seeing the fear and pain had gone from his eyes. She opened her mouth to say something almost uncharacteristic to her personality, but James put a gloved finger against her lips to stop her.

"Don't say anything, Jessica," he whispered before kissing her one more time before settling down into her arms, his head against her chest. He was suddenly exhausted and all he could think of was sleep at the moment even though the kiss still was sending jolts of glorious emotions through his body. He finally got what he always longed for from his fiery partner and it was with the feelings and care he hoped it would have. He hated for it to end so quickly, but he didn't want to overstep his bounds. If it were to happen again it would do so when it was supposed to.

With a soft sigh, Jessie stroked back his blue hair and smiled to herself also feeling the after effects of the kiss coursing through her. This certainly proved to be an interesting day and what a nice way to bring it to an end. She only hoped that what they did wouldn't ruin their friendship, but hoped too it would only bring them closer. As she stifled a yawn and tried to figure out a way to settle down to sleep a pair of yellow eyes opened behind her and a soft purr escaped their owner's throat.

A pleased and very proud Meowth smiled in the dark.

To be continued……………