Fated

Summary: Jessie finds herself in exile, forced into captivity with a mysterious stranger. With nowhere to go and seemingly no hope of escape, they share the stories behind their miserable fates. Hers is filled with questions. His is filled with answers.

Chapter 15: The Soft Spot

And I still believe
That there is more love than hate
There's more heart than ache
And we are stuck in this great big world together

With a little bit of help from up above
And a sprinkling of love
We can break these chains
We will end these days
...Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Believe

Jessie watched Jack with concern as he moved throughout the kitchen in a zombie-like state. He really wasn't doing so hot. Something really affected him…something about tomorrow. She really didn't like seeing him like that. It made her ache for him and want to make it better. She remembered her vow to not show any positive feelings to this man, but that was hard, especially when he reminded her so much of someone who was very important to her. She sighed, wondering if there was anything that she could do for him. Then she noticed just how much food he was setting aside for dinner.

"That's a lot of food for just you and me," she commented.

"It's just for you actually," he replied, setting a small portion in front of her.

"I won't eat all that," she told him.

"It's for tomorrow," he explained digging into his own meal, "I won't be spending much time in the cabin tomorrow and I don't want you to go hungry."

"Thanks," Jessie said, "but what's tomorrow?"

Jack sighed heavily, "Just…it's just a warped anniversary of mine."

"But what is it?" she prodded, "If Giovanni's happy and you're…zombiefied, it can't be good."

"You'll find out," he said tiredly.

"But I wanna know," she protested, "Maybe I could help."

He chuckled, but it was a hollow sound, "You can help me by not burning my cabin down," he said, "It's not that I don't want you to know, it's just…I dunno, too much too fast. It's something I have to ease into because it just…really gets me."

"Will you be okay?" she asked. He nodded.

"It's been a tradition of mine for a long time. Every year it hurts, but I get through it and I'm stronger for it. Kind of like you, Jessilina," Jack replied, "but maybe, well…a favour?"

"Sure," she offered. He smiled weakly.

"I know that technically, it's my turn for the story, but really…I really need the distraction," he admitted, "Just…please?"

Jessie smiled and nodded. If that was the one thing that would keep that defeated look at bay, who was she to deny it? She had a soft spot for the hurt, lonely victim. That was, after all, what brought her to James. It was also what she did next in her story.

I looked over at the little boy sitting across from me. He reminded me of a kicked puppy, the way he looked cautiously about and the way he flinched at even the slightest movement. He was thin and his face a little dirty as he leaned his head against the window. His turquoise hair hung into his green eyes, which were tired, yet he refused to close them. He was focused only on the window and refused to look away.

I looked to the driver's seat where James was focused on the road. Sometimes he could really frustrate me to no end. That look he gave me when he told me that Teddy was his little brother clearly said that I couldn't ask questions. It irritated me that he tried to silence me with a look. It irritated me even more that it appeared to be working. I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled. Stupid James.

It surprised me when James suddenly turned onto a dirt road. I could feel the road change from pavement to gravel. I'd never tell either James or Meowth this, but I was still a little sore from falling off of the cliff so the jostling of the vehicle was a bit discomforting.

"I'm going to find a place to park for the night," James explained. He drove for a few miles before he found a secluded patch of road near some trees.

"Why can't we just find a motel or something?" Meowth moaned. I was privately wondering the same thing…along with all of the other things.

"I don't want to waste any money unnecessarily. Besides, it'll be better if we lie low for a while," he said. True, however I sincerely doubted that we would burn through the cash he managed to get from his parents in one night. From what I gathered, he had managed to get more than enough money from his parents.

"Like we'd burn tru all dat cash," Meowth muttered. I snorted. Sometimes it disturbed me how often mine and Meowth's minds matched up. James looked back at me.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"It's fine," I shrugged. He smiled.

"The backseat folds down," he said, getting out of the vehicle, "and I have sleeping gear in the back," he said when he opened my door. He offered me a hand to help me out.

"Sounds perfect," I said, ignoring his hand and getting out of the vehicle myself.

"Yeah," there was something strange about his voice, "Okay, uh, Ted, you wanna help me with the seats?" he asked the little boy, who nodded. I watched as he and James worked. Meowth and Growlie came up beside me, Meowth grumbling all the while. The boy's movements were slow and careful and he seemed to favour his right arm.

"All dat money and we're still stuck campin' out," Meowth huffed.

"We'll survive," I replied as I scratched Growlie behind the ears. The puppy pokemon shifted his shoulders and leaned into my touch.

"How are you doin'?" Meowth asked, looking up at me. I sighed.

"I'm fine, Meowth," I said dryly.

"Da kid okay?" he asked.

"Da kid is fine," I replied. I was really tired of them coddling me. I know they were concerned, but just because I was knocked up didn't mean that they had to treat me like I was made of glass!

"Well, beds are made," James announced. I looked inside the vehicle and I found three sleeping bags and a huge pile of blankets. It looked pretty toasty and considering that Growlie would probably be in there with us, it was going to be toasty. Teddy was sitting on the smallest sleeping bag, picking at a piece of fuzz on a blanket and he had a grimace on his face. Probably not used to roughing it after living in a mansion.

"'Bout time," Meowth grumbled, hopping in the back. I shook my head and followed suit. Growlie came after me and then James. Meowth had moved a small pile of blankets to the front seat and was arranging them into a little nest or something. Growlie ended up sleeping in the middle of the vehicle. I settled into one of the sleeping bags and then looked up at James, who was sitting on his, watching me.

"Gonna go to sleep?" I asked. He nodded and lay down on top of his sleeping bag, only pulling a thin blanket over him. He must've been hot. As I predicted, the back of the vehicle was a stifling. I dozed off within minutes.

I must have only been out for a couple hours when I woke up drenched in sweat. I looked around the darkened vehicle and saw that I wasn't the only one dying from the heat. By the pale light of the moon, I could see a sheen of sweat on Teddy's face. Growlie was panting and had moved to the back of the van. Meowth had abandoned his blanket and was sleeping on the dash next to the window, which must have been cooler. And James…James was no where to be found.

I jolted upright. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest as I looked at his empty sleeping bag. I crawled to the door and opened it, feeling a blast of cool night air. It felt heavenly, but I was too preoccupied to notice. Where could he have gone?

Then I saw he was laying on the hood of the car, staring up at the stars. I relaxed and shut the door part way, leaving it open to let the night air seep into the hot vehicle. I walked to the front of the car. I looked at James for a moment. He wasn't sleeping. His eyes were opened and his face was contorted into a frown.

"Do I have to steal a penny for your thoughts?" I asked, a lame bit of humour as I leaned against the vehicle. He jolted upright in surprise.

"You should be asleep," he said.

"So should you," I replied, pushing myself up onto the hood next to him. I could feel his concerned eyes on me, but when I looked at him, he was looking down at his hands.

"This is all my fault," he said after a minute. I frowned.

"What?" I asked.

"It's my fault that they're after us," he said again.

"Don't be stupid," I told him, "We both-"

"No," he moaned, "I was the idiot that alerted him that we were still alive."

"You mean when you blew up the reservation?" I asked. He looked at me and I could see so much shame and guilt on his face.

"After I found out about you…and the baby, I did something stupid," he explained, "I wasn't thinking straight. I went back to our camp and Butch, Cassidy, and Domino were there…"

"What happened?" I breathed, scanning the now almost-healed cuts and black eye.

"I snapped. I just lunged at Butch," he said, "Really got him and then Domino used one of those tulip things. It was like an electrified rod, but she ended up hitting Butch instead and I was able to push him into her and get away."

"You attacked…" I was still in shock. There was no way James…MY James, could take out Butch. I shook my head, "What about Cassidy?"

"She just kind of stood there in shock," James shrugged.

"I can't believe it," I admitted, shaking my head and chuckling in disbelief.

"It's because of me they know that we're alive," he said thickly, "If I hadn't went there, they never would have known and they wouldn't still be after us. I put us all in danger."

"Hey, so you gave those murderous bastards a taste of their own medicine," I shrugged, reaching over to touch his hand, "It's a pity you couldn't teach the boss a thing or two."

He cringed and looked sheepish, "Actually…that reserve…it belonged to the boss and I got a few of Meowth's blaster balls and sort of…set them off…I screwed up," he repeated, looking so anguished. I gently squeezed his hand.

"It's okay, James," I said softly, "We're okay-"

"You shouldn't be so understanding. You should yell, scream, hit me, hate me..."

"You're being ridiculous!" I said incredulously, "I love you!" I told him. How could he even think that I would hate him?

"You deserve someone so much better than me," he said softly.

"What the fuck are you on?" I growled. Seriously, where the Hell did this stupid idea come from? One minute he was thrilled that we got the money so we could build a new life. Then he was acting like he'd lost his best friend.

He buried his head in his hands, "Jess-"

"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me!" I told him firmly.

"I'm not!" he cried, a look of anguish on his face, "If I wasn't such a screw-up, we wouldn't be in this mess! If it wasn't for me, we never would have failed and the Boss never would've wanted to get rid of us! I screwed up more missions than I can count-"

"Don't be stupid!" I cut across him, "We all screwed up those missions!"

"What about the baby?" he asked, looking even more pained, "I should've thought! I should've thought about a condom or something…well now that we're having it, I want it, it's just now…now, I've gone and put us all in danger! The baby isn't even born yet and its in danger! I did that!" he cried, frustration and pain in his voice as he hurriedly wiped away a couple tears that had fallen. Seeing him like that, overwhelmed by all that guilt, guilt that wasn't even his, made my heart ache for him. I squeezed the hand that was still in mine.

"I got the money, but what good is it if we're all in danger? How are a few stolen paper bills and coins going to help us when Team Rocket comes to call? I shouldn't have been so stupid."

"None of that is all your fault, James," I told him, "Both of us are to blame for all of that. I've screwed up just as many missions as you have. The Boss would have still hated us. And last time I checked, it takes two people to make a baby and I never stopped and thought about condoms or birth control, either. But none of that matters," I shrugged, "because if I was going to be on the run from the cops and Team Rocket, I'd want to be running with you," I said. I saw him look over at me in surprise. I smiled and continued, "And if I was going to have a kid, I'd want it to be yours."

"Really?" he asked, his voice shaking. I nodded.

"I wasn't lying when I said that you were the best thing that's ever happened to me," I told him, "You were the only person to ever give a damn about me," I revealed, taking a breath, "I never had parents. Never. I grew up in a run-down orphanage and then was bounced from foster family to foster family. My one big break was getting that scholarship to Pokemon Tech and even that sucked. I flunked out and the snooty rich kids kicked me and then kicked me when I was down," I said bitterly, thinking of the day I first met that blond bitch Cassidy at the boarding school, "And then I met you and I suddenly wasn't alone anymore. You actually cared, even when I left you alone with the bike gang."

"I did," he stated, nodding.

"That was the worst decision I ever made," I admitted, "Everything got so hard in those two years we were apart. Rejection after rejection. I couldn't find work so I jumped at the chance when I was offered a spot on Team Rocket. I was so jaded and I couldn't trust anyone…not even you when I saw you again at the academy. I should've known better, but you were always too good to be true."

"That's why you didn't say anything when we saw each other again," he said, understanding on his face, "I just followed your lead. I thought you didn't remember me."

"I don't trust very easily," I said, "and up until a month ago, I still didn't fully trust you and we've known each other forever . I mean, I know it's not easy putting up with me, but you always did and you were always there when I woke up from a nightmare. You're the reason they stopped, though," I told him, "And right now, there's no other place I'd rather be than right here with you on the run and sitting on the hood of a car in the middle of the night."

"Same," he chuckled, "but they're still after us and-"

"So what?" I shrugged, "Let 'em chase us. You have nothing to feel guilty about, James. You should be proud. I never thought you had it in you to blow up a Rocket Base. And even if we are on the run for the rest of our lives, look at all the stuff you've done to keep us safe. You went back to your parents and got us money. You got us a car and you got us away from the Rocket agents."

"So you're okay with all this?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, I am getting pretty sick of you and Meowth babying me, but it's nice not being under the Boss's thumb," I said.

"I'll try to cool it," James chuckled, "I love you."

"I love you too," I replied, leaning my head against his shoulder as I looked up at the stars.

"We should get back inside," he whispered after a moment.

"Do we have to?" I moaned, "It's boiling in there."

"All the blankets may have been overkill…" he admitted sheepishly.

"I don't know how your brother is still in his sleeping bag," I said, "Mine's drenched."

"I dunno," James shrugged, "He seems to have a low cold tolerance. Worse than me, even," he replied. I nodded and frowned.

"I see. About your brother…how exactly is it that you have one?" I asked the question that had been bothering me since meeting the boy. He sighed.

"From what I've gathered from Teddy, my father had an affair with his mother so we're half-brothers," he explained.

"So what's he doing here with us?" I asked, "And where's his mother?"

"His mother died of some long illness. Before it happened, she arranged for him to go live with my parents," he replied. I cringed.

"Poor kid," I commented. He nodded.

"But from what I gather my mother didn't really like the idea. Apparently she was worried about me not getting the full inheritance or something. I could care less, but…well, you've met her."

"Yeah," I nodded, remembering James's mother and how set she was to marry James off to some crazy little rich girl, "So what did she do?"

"She convinced my father to let him stay on the mansion as one of the servant boys, saying that was all Teddy was entitled to. Father agreed. He was never the most doting dad, even to me, so I expect he didn't mind pawning a kid off on the servants," James shrugged, though I could see that the thought bothered him, "The servants though…they were horrible to Teddy. I expect it was my mother's doing, but he wouldn't say anything outright. When I was there, I intervened once when the cook was going to hit him over the head with a ladle. I didn't know that he was my brother then. It was only after I'd stopped in Viridian to get rid of Father's car that I realized that he had stowed away in the trunk. Then he told me the whole thing and pleaded for me not to take him back. I couldn't leave him," James finished.

"I'm glad you didn't," I commented, "Sounds horrible," I said, immediately feeling bad for assuming that Teddy had left luxury to go on the run, like James had all those years ago. His mother had gone and he had been all alone in a strange place being treated like dirt. Poor kid.

"I think that's why he's so skittish," James speculated, "Growing up there was hard enough when everyone expected you to be perfect. It must have been ten times harder having to put up with them when they thought you were just the bastard kid no one cares about."

"You know, now that I think on it, he kind of reminds me of you when we first met," I said, "You were really quiet and kind of…beat up. Like no matter what, you expected the worst."

"Yeah. My ever so wonderful parents did a great job raising a quiet, submissive little heir who couldn't stand up for himself," he snorted, "Then I met you and all their scheming went to Hell," he grinned. I smiled back.

"Oh yeah," I agreed, "Someone had to toughen you up," I teased, poking him in the ribs. He laughed and hopped to the ground.

"And someone had to mellow you out," he countered, holding his hands out to help me down. I raised an eyebrow.

"You know, this is the kind of thing I'm talking about," I said, sitting on the edge of the hood with my feet dangling, "I can jump off a vehicle hood, you know."

"I know, but I like to think chivalry isn't dead," he replied. I shook my head and accepted his help. Then we crawled into the back, but this time we left the door open. James got into his sleeping bag and I joined him, feeling no desire to return to my sleeping bag. I knew he was smiling as he wrapped his arms around me, even if I couldn't see his face.

I woke up first as light filtered into the van. I was warm, but not as uncomfortable as I had been last night. James was snoring lightly as he spooned against my back and I was facing Teddy's sleeping bag. I noticed that he was still a little sweaty and that he was kind of shivering. I frowned. Why would he be cold? He was far away from the open door. And it didn't seem right that he was sweating so much and still cold. I continued to watch him for awhile until James shifted a bit behind me.

"Tonight, we're losing the sleeping bags," he mumbled.

"We need to find a shower," I murmured back, "I feel disgusting."

"You look beautiful," he kissed my neck.

"Suck up," I accused, secretly taking pleasure in the compliment. He said nothing, but he started to nip and suck on my neck. I groaned.

"What did I say about hickeys?" I asked, pulling away from him. He chuckled.

"No one's supposed to mar your beautiful skin?" he recited.

"Exactly."

"Meowth's tryin' to get some sleep here," Meowth moaned from his perch on the dash, "If youse two wanna do something dirty, go to da forest."

"Shut up, Meowth," I yawned, sitting up to stretch.

"When did his mind get so warped?" James wondered, laying back and closing his eyes.

"When I met youse two," Meowth commented.

"Moron," I said, rolling my eyes. He didn't move from his perch and James had begun snoring again. I looked over at Teddy and found his eyes were opened, but glossy. He looked kind of out of it, especially when he sat up. His shirt was soaked. Poor kid was probably dehydrated. Come to think of it, I was feeling a little thirsty. I looked around the back seat and grinned when I saw the cooler James had stashed near the back. I crawled to it and sure enough, there were a few water bottles. I grabbed one for myself and one for Teddy.

"Here you go, Teddy," I said gently, passing one of the bottles to him. He took it with a shy smile and struggled to uncap it with shaky fingers. I frowned as I took a long sip from my bottle. He finally got it open and he ended up getting half of it in his mouth and half on his already drenched shirt.

"You'll be more comfortable if you take that off," I told him, pointing to his shirt. He looked at it and pulled at the long sleeves and winced and gave up. I moved towards him.

"Would you like me to help?" I asked. He looked at me a little unsurely, but then he nodded. I touched his hand and gasped. He was hot to the touch.

"Teddy, are you feeling okay?" I asked in concern. I moved my hand to his forehead. Humans were not supposed to be that warm.

He looked at me with defeated eyes and shook his head. Then he spoke for the first time in front of me, "I hurt."

"Where do you hurt?" I asked softly, trying to run over my old nursing training in my head.

"Arms," he murmured. I frowned. I had been expecting 'tummy' or 'head'. Not 'arms'.

"Okay, let's take a look. Arms up," I directed. He complied and I removed the shirt from his thin frame. I gasped. There were bruises all over his torso along with the occasional welt. His arms had long, angry burn marks on them that he had tried covering with small band aids that were peeling off. I could see dark red spots and bits with yellow pus beginning to ooze out. It was clear that he had suffered a lot of abuse and that he needed medical attention. I felt bile rise to my throat and I wasn't going to be able to keep it down. I lunged for the open door and heaved out the side. James was by my side in an instant, holding my hair back.

"Jess, are you okay? Is it morning sickness? Are you alright?" he asked frantically. Didn't he see the state his brother was it? I wasn't the one he should be worried about.

"Woa!" I heard Meowth cry as I shakily wiped my mouth, "What happened to da kid?" he asked.

"What?" James questioned, looking from Meowth to Teddy, who was sitting on his sleeping bag with a shell-shocked look on his face. I looked up at James. He had gone very pale. I sat up, took a breath, and then moved towards Teddy.

"Can I see you're arms, Teddy?" I asked. He flinched away when I reached out. That was odd, considering that he had let me touch him a moment ago.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry," he apologized. I frowned.

"It's not your fault," I whispered back.

"Teddy, what happened?" James asked quietly, crawling over to sit beside the fearful little boy. He looked at me and then back at James.

"I-I f-fell," he stammered. I looked at James. He didn't buy it either.

"How?" James asked. Teddy was shaking.

"I-I w-was c-carrying the d-dinner and I f-fell," he stuttered, "C-cook was m-mad."

"Did he hurt you?" James asked. Teddy clenched his eyes shut. I could see tears leaking out of his eyes. Then he nodded.

"What did he do?" James asked gently. Teddy burst into tears.

"I-I want my mama!" he cried. James and I looked at each other, both at a loss. Neither of us had spent much time around crying children. Finally, I decided I had to take charge.

"He needs a hospital," I decided, moving so that I was sitting with Teddy, who now seemed too distraught to care that I was still a stranger to him, "Those burns need to be cleaned," I said, nodding to the driver's seat, hoping he took a hint. James nodded.

"Got it," he replied, moving to the driver's seat and starting the car.

"Shhh," I whispered, carefully putting my arm around the little boy, "You're going to be okay," I said over and over. Fuck, this was bad. It was clear that he had an infection, a bad one. I had some nurse's training, but something like this called for a doctor. The hospital staff would probably think that we were the ones abusing Teddy. Dammit. I began wracking my brain for something to say. We couldn't have the cops involved.

"Jess, humans aren't supposed to be that sweaty, are they?" Meowth asked, a frown on his furry face. I shook my head.

"That'll be due to infection," I answered, "Pass me a water bottle," I requested. He did so.

"Alright, Ted, hold out your arms," I requested. The little boy sniffled and his whole body shook as he held out his left arm. He cradled his right to him. I gently took his left arm and tried pulling the band aids from the wound. Teddy whimpered.

"I know," I said. I felt my stomach churn as I looked at the angry wounds. I looked away and took a breath, trying to calm myself. I saw James's concerned gaze in the rear-view mirror and I offered him a weak smile. Why did I feel so sick whenever I looked at the wounds on Teddy's arms? It wasn't like me to get sick over someone's injuries. I had spent the last six years patching up James and Meowth after our many blast-offs and I never got physically ill once.

When I felt it safe, I turned back to Teddy and saw shame in his eyes. I felt even worse about my sudden weakness because it was making him uncomfortable. I gritted my teeth and resumed my work of cleaning his wounds as best as I could, picking off the dirty band-aids and gently trying to wash off the left-over adhesive.

"Hey, uh, quick question," Meowth said as I worked, "What are gonna tell da folks at da hospital? Somethin' like dis usually gets da cops involved, right?"

"Uhhh…" James faltered. I caught his eye in the mirror. I suddenly remembered something.

"We're foster parents," I decided, "We just took custody of an orphan and found out that he had been hurt by his previous family," I said.

"Wouldn't dat still get the cops involved?" Meowth asked.

"Possibly," I allowed, "At the very least, there would be a social worker or something, but it's hard for the state to keep track of foster kids. Besides, chances are, a doctor would finish treating Teddy by the time they called the social worker," I explained.

"How do you know all dat?" Meowth asked. I sighed, remembering a time when I was just little, probably six or seven, and my new foster mother rushed me to the hospital when she learned that my arm was broken by my previous foster father.

"Just trust me," I said, looking back down at Teddy, who was staring up at me with intelligent, sad eyes. He had that same penetrating stare as James. I knew that the little kid understood all that I didn't say. Mother Naomi was one of the few good foster parents. She actually cared about the kids and didn't use them for the extra income. I spent six months with her before she was killed in a car accident.

"It sounds like you've had a hard life," Jack said quietly. Jessie shrugged.

"What doesn't kill you make you stronger," she replied. He smiled.

"In theory," he corrected.

When we got to the hospital in the next town, Teddy began to shake harder, this time with fear. He was so scared that James had to scoop him up and carry him into the hospital. Meowth and I followed, the sounds of Teddy's frightened cries pierced through me. The nurse at the front desk looked alarmed as she saw us approach.

"Hello," I said, taking charge of the situation, "Please, you have to help us. Our foster son is injured…something with his arms…please!" it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be to play the concerned parent.

"What happened?" the nurse asked, coming around the desk and directing us towards a room.

"I don't know," I said, adding a little tremor in my voice, "We just picked him up from social services yesterday and then today, I saw his arms…I'm no doctor, but I think they're burns of some kind. He won't tell us what happened…" I trailed off.

"Alright, just set him here," the nurse said, "The doctor will be in shortly. Can I get your information?" she asked.

"I'm Naomi Miso and this is my husband, Norman," I introduced, "And this is Theodore," I gestured to Teddy, who had just been placed on the bed. He whimpered and grabbed my hand as the nurse readied one of those ear thermometers.

"Okay-"

"What do we have here, Sara?" a kindly old man asked as he entered the room.

"Dr. Wilton," the nurse greeted, "This boy is from social services. He was just placed with the Misos and they noticed burns on his arms."

The doctor nodded and grabbed a pair of latex gloves, "Alright," he said, "What is your name, Lad?" he asked as he placed his stethoscope to Teddy's chest.

"Th-Theodore," Teddy replied.

"Well, Theodore, can you tell me what happened to you?" Dr. Wilton asked, taking the ear thermometer from Nurse Sara. Teddy cringed as the doctor placed the thermometer in his ear.

"M-Mr. Cook," Teddy stammered, "He…hurt me…lots."

"He won't hurt you again," James murmured.

"How did you get these burns, Theodore?" Dr. Wilton questioned. Teddy shook his head.

"I-I fell…and…he hit me and pushed m-me onto the…s-stove," he stammered. I frowned and exchanged a look with James. There was no doubt in either of our minds that this was probably the truth.

"Are there any other injuries we should know about, Theodore?" Dr. Wilton inquired as he went about inspecting the wounds. I looked away and took a shaky breath, feeling that feeling in my stomach again.

"M-My right arm h-hurts b-bad," Teddy admitted.

"Well, we're going to get you cleaned up so it doesn't hurt as bad," the doctor told him, "Sara could you give him a localized anaesthetic and begin cleaning his arms? I'd like to have a talk with the, uh…"

"Misos," I supplied for him, "Uh, Norman, can you stay with…"

James nodded. I followed the doctor from the room.

"You're Mrs. Miso?" he asked me. I nodded.

"My husband and I recently decided to become foster parents. We just picked him up from social services yesterday and we were on our way home when I noticed his arms…is he going to be alright, Doctor?" I asked.

"I think that once we get the burns cleaned up and get some fluids into him, he should make a full recovery. The burns are a couple days old, but they are only second-degree burns, and once he starts getting the proper care, they should heal within 2-3 weeks. I'm a little concerned about the other bruises, so I'm going to take an x-ray to determine if there is anything else that we need to worry about," he explained.

"Thank you," I sighed, "I have my cell phone in the car. I'm going to give his caseworker a call," I made up on a whim. He nodded.

"I think that is a very good idea," the doctor agreed, "I'm going to set up the necessary equipment."

I nodded and made my way to the car and stayed out there for a few minutes, petting a very concerned Growlie before I went back inside. James and Meowth were trying to distract Teddy from the nurse cleaning his arms. I noticed that the burns looked a lot better, but I still felt my stomach turn at the sight of them. I took another breath.

"Are you okay?" James asked me, abandoning a very lame comedy routine. I nodded, but I saw his frown.

"It's hard to see this sort of thing happen to a child," Nurse Sara said, "It's no wonder you're looking a little peaky, Dear."

The doctor re-entered the room, "Any luck with that caseworker?" he asked me. I nodded.

"She said she was going to try to get Cook arrested," I lied. He nodded.

"Well, I think we're going to take a quick x-ray and then we'll finish the cleaning and get those burns dressed," he replied. He helped Teddy off of the bed and James and I followed to the next room.

"Uh, Sweetie, maybe you should wait outside," James suddenly said, a nervous tinge to his voice. I frowned. Did he really just call me 'Sweetie'?

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Well, you know…uh…the baby," he reminded me. The doc smiled kindly.

"Well congratulations and your husband is right. You should probably wait outside," he said. I gritted my teeth and went back to the other room and huffed as I flopped into a chair. Meowth hopped up beside me.

"Hey, you don't want some mutant for a kid," he said, "I mean, it's bad enough dat da kid is gonna look like you and Jim. Don't give it a third arm, too."

"It's a good thing we're in a hospital because you might need one," I threatened through clenched teeth.

"But hey, for what it's worth, youse gonna be a great mom," Meowth said and I froze at this, "Look at da way you took control of everyting. You got da kid here and he's gettin' taken care of and all dat."

"I just did what any person would have done," I replied, blushing. He just rolled his eyes and hopped into my lap. Neither of us said anything more as we waited for James and Teddy to come back. When they finally did, the doctor and James were frowning.

"His right arm is broken," James told me quietly when I got up to stand beside the bed as the nurse wrapped Teddy's arms in bandages, "The doc said that he'll have to wear a brace until his arm heals enough for a cast."

"Son-of-a…how much…" I could barely speak as anger for James's family took hold. He nodded and his jaw was set. He was just as disgusted with his family as I was. Then I felt a small hand close around mine.

"Thanks," Teddy whispered to me. He didn't look quite so defeated anymore and I understood why. I remembered back when I was a kid, after my arm was set and Naomi had give me some aspirin. For that moment, the pain was manageable and my life had seemed a little bit better, all because of one person.

I silently swore to myself that I would personally make sure that I was that one person for Teddy, like Naomi had been for me. He would never have to hurt again, I promised myself, I'd never let it happen again.

"Well who knew? You're part saint," Jack commented, laying back on his bed. Jessie snorted.

"Hardly," she scoffed, "I only did what any decent human being would have done."

"I'm sure that little boy appreciated it."

"He's family," Jessie said, "He's not just James's little brother, but kind of like mine too. Well, not really a brother, but…well…"

"Like a son?" Jack supplied helpfully, "I see it in your eyes. The way your talking about him…it's kind of like the way a parent talks about their child."

Jessie smiled, "I guess he is. Or was, I guess."

"I understand," Jack said softly, sadly. Jessie eyed him curiously, but then chose not to say more. He was a thousand miles away, his mind on someone that was as close to him as Teddy Parker had been to her.

TBC

AN: So a little twist here what with Jessie narrating. Jack's in a very desperate place and needs the distraction, but I promise that you will get to see more of Jack 's story very soon. Before that, though, you're going to see a bit of Meowth and James. That okay with everybody? Drop a review and tell me what you think of the story so far! I love hearing your thoughts!

Songs that inspired this chapter:
-Believe by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Beautiful song, great band.
-Represent by The Red Jumsuit Apparatus. Another good one.
-Today I'm Gonna Try and Change the World by Johnny Reid. Great message.