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 18: I Could Get Used To Suburbia
You make me breakfast in bed
When I'm mixed up in my head
You wake me with a kiss; I could get used to this
You think I look the best
When my hair is a mess
I can't believe you exist; I could get used to this
If there's a dark side to you I haven't seen it
Every good thing you do feels like you mean it
'Cause you wrote my name across your hand
When I freak you understand
There is not a thing you miss
And I could get used to this
...The Veronica's - I Could Get Used To This
Lunch was good, even if it was half a can of raveoli each. It hit the spot, anyways. Then Jack had decided to resume his task from before Giovanni's phone call. He was in the middle of arranging long sticks around the corner that Jessie occupied. His goal was to create some kind of a curtain so that she could have some semblance of privacy. As much as she appreciated the gesture, she also hated it. It meant that she would be stuck in this shack for a long time, isolated from her family.
"So I take it you were scared shitless when you were a parent-to-be?" Jack grunted as he shoved a stick into place. Jessie blinked and then clued into what he was talking about.
"Oh yeah," Jessie confirmed, nodding her head, "Both of us were. James showed it a bit more, though."
"Are we ever going to get to wherever it is we're going?" I moaned in frustration on the fourth day of the road trip to…well that was part of the reason I was so frustrated. James wouldn't tell me where we were going. I had tried shouting at him, punching him, seducing him, and now I was contemplating whether or not I should stoop to the low of begging him to tell me.
"We should be there by tomorrow afternoon," he replied, flinching away as though he expected me to hit him again.
"Tomorrow afternoon?" I whined, sounding like a child.
"If you'd let me drive through the night, we could be there by tomorrow morning," he told me. I clenched my teeth.
"I don't want you falling asleep at the wheel," I reminded him, "If you'd just let me drive-"
"Sweetie, there's a reason I'm not letting you drive," James cut across me, "I'd rather not die in a car crash."
"And would you stop calling me 'Sweetie'?" I huffed, "It sounds weird."
"Then what terms of endearment am I allowed?" he asked.
"Not that one," I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Why's Jessie so mad at James?" I heard Teddy whisper to Meowth in the backseat.
"I'd say it was hormones, but Jess has always had a short fuse," Meowth explained. I ground my teeth together.
"Excuse me, Hairball, but you'd have a short fuse too if you've been living on crackers and water for the past four days," I snapped. Morning sickness had set in and I had trouble keeping anything down. James looked at me sympathetically and it took a lot of self-control not to knock that sympathetic look off his face. I didn't need his pity, especially since I came to the conclusion that it was HIS fault that I was throwing up in the mornings, the afternoons, and the evenings. It also didn't help that I still had trouble changing Teddy's bandages without getting sick, but for that, I also blamed James, because I was sure that if I wasn't pregnant, I would be totally fine.
"I'll tell you what, when we get there, we'll go see if the doctor can give you something-"
"When we get WHERE?" I asked for the billionth time.
"Jessie, why don't you get some rest and-"
"I've been resting for the past FOUR days!" I shouted, "not that it's done me much good because I've been puking my guts out for the past F-" I stopped and grabbed for the bucket that James had picked up from a hardware store two nights ago. I felt the car slow.
"What can I do, Jess?" James asked, throwing the car into park. I glared at him and opened my door to dump the pail out.
"Just drive," I snapped as I crawled to the backseat with the intention to sulk. He sighed heavily as he obeyed me. Meowth wisely hopped to the front seat. Growlie seemed to move a bit closer to Teddy and eyed me warily. I didn't care. I just grabbed a blanket and curled up into a ball.
"Sheesh. Poor James," Jack commented.
"Yeah…he's such a trooper," Jessie admitted, laughing, "I don't know how he puts up with me."
I feel asleep in the car, but when I woke up, I was not curled up in the backseat. I was laying on a queen-size bed in an unfamiliar room covered by a dark comforter. It wasn't a hotel room. It felt more like a bedroom. It was a deep lavender with charcoal drapes. When I breathed in, I could smell the salty scent of the sea. The sea? I frowned and sat up. Then the door opened and James appeared holding a tray laden with breakfast food.
"You're awake," he chirped happily, setting the tray on an end table, "How are you feeling?"
"So-so," I replied, "Where are we?" I asked as he sat beside me.
"Silver Shoal," he replied, passing me a plate, "It's a small coastal town on the border between Kanto and Johto. About two hours from Tojho Falls, actually."
"And what are we doing here?" I questioned. James suddenly looked sheepish.
"Er, well…we're actually at one of my family's properties…"
"WHAT?" I shrieked.
"Hey! Where'd da food go?" Meowth whined bounding into the room looking cross.
"I told you that it was for Jessie," James said, "You should have had cereal with Ted."
"Jess can't eat all dat! Anything dat she puts in comes back up!" Meowth argued. James groaned.
"All the more reason she deserves breakfast in bed," he defended.
"Come on! She can't-"
"She is standing right here," I griped, managing to catch their attention without swiping them both upside the head, "Alright, YOU can have the bacon and eggs," I shot at Meowth, knowing that they would make me sick, "And YOU will tell me why we are currently in one of your family's properties," I ordered James. Meowth happily took advantage of the situation and munched on the eggs.
"Uhh…Well…" he stammered sheepishly.
"James!" I said threateningly. He winced.
"We needed a place and-"
"James, your family hates me! And do you know how easy it would be for Team Rocket to track us? And another thing-"
"Da kid is standin' in da doorway," Meowth announced, derailing my tirade. We looked and saw the little turquoise-haired boy shyly peering in at us, his cheeks tinged pink as he watched me yell at his cowed brother.
"What's the matter, Teddy?" I asked since James wasn't making a peep.
"My bandage came off," Teddy said softly, taking a tentative step into the room to show me the wrappings on his arms.
"Okay, come here and I'll help you," I offered, "And your brother can tell us what we're doing here," I added, glaring at James. I rewrapped the bandage on Teddy's arm and despite the now clean wounds, I still felt the familiar knot in my stomach.
"I know that it doesn't make sense for us to get help from my family, but it kinda does," James said after a moment, "See, Jess, Team Rocket wouldn't expect us to go to my family because it would be so obvious, so therefore we're in the clear."
"Because dat's clear as mud," Meowth muttered, happily slurping back his eggs.
"It's the opposite of what they think…and my grandparents wouldn't take no for an answer," James added, "I went there after I talked to my parents. See Pop-Pop was in real estate before he retired and I wanted his advice before we bought anything. He told me that he had a property here in Silver Shoal that he rented out. He said that he'd be okay with us using it to lie low in. He was pretty excited when I told him about the baby."
"You told him about the baby?" I asked, not quite sure how I felt about that one.
"He's family and he did like you, you know, when he first met you," James said.
"Oh yeah, he tought youse two was getting hitched!" Meowth piped up, "Oh course, da old guy may have been onta something."
James and I both turned pink. Hitched? Really? I mean, yeah it would make sense, but the whole idea was…scary…
"Are you getting married?" Teddy asked softly, looking up at me and James with those big green eyes of his.
"Uhh…"
"Uhh…"
"Should I get da shotgun?" Meowth asked slyly. James looked like a deer in the headlights and I was reminded of something he said about the word 'fiancé' giving him the heebie jeebies.
"One thing at a time," I barked regaining my senses, "Let's find a place to live first."
"This is a place," James said.
"Until Team Rocket tracks us down."
"They won't!"
"Come on! How long 'til your grandparents tell your parents where we are? Then they'd be all about putting an end to this and getting you to go shack up with their perfect, pre-planned, prissy daughter-in-law!"
"Nanny and Pop-Pop wouldn't do that! They understand what we're going through!"
"I'm sooo sure!"
"They do! They went through the same thing! Pop-Pop told me how he and Nanny ran away together so she wouldn't have to marry this jerk and then she got pregnant with mom and they started this pokemon ranch…the point is, they understand," James told me, "And they're fine with it. According to them, we're the Logan family renting the house from them. We're already here and it's a great house and can't we give it a chance?" he begged, shooting me that look that made me melt. God, I hated that look.
"Fffffine," I caved, cursing myself.
"Yay!" he cheered, kissing me, "I love you."
"Love you too," I said grudgingly.
"You're beautiful," he complimented, obviously trying to win some brownie points. Meowth raised an eyebrow.
"How do ya figure dat one?" he gripped, "Aside from da dried up drool on her mouth, dere's dat hair of hers dat looks like a rattata nested in-"
Smack!
The cat-pokemon was knocked off the bed by the piece of toast that James threw at him. I raised an eyebrow at my blue-haired boyfriend.
"You really shouldn't be stressed out," James supplied, "It's not good for the baby."
"Mmmhmmmph!" Meowth mumbled, reappearing at the foot of the bed with his mouth full of toast. If looks could kill, James would have been dead and gone.
"Er…how bout a tour of the house?" he asked me, dragging me out of the room before the cat could swallow. It was a modest split-level house with three bedrooms and an open floor plan. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all connected and it just felt really good. I think my favourite part was the deck overlooking the beach. It had a fantastic view, really spectacular.
"You like it," James stated, grinning as he watched me look at the ocean. I raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled, "I know you do. I can read you like a book."
"Pfft. So you think," I scoffed. He chuckled again and embraced me from behind. I felt his lips gently kiss the back of my neck.
"Love you, Jess."
"Love you, too," I murmured back.
"Say, about what Meowth said-"
"We have a problem!" Meowth suddenly screeched.
"What now?" I groaned as I turned and walked with James back inside the living room. Meowth, Teddy, and Growlie sat on the sofa, staring horrified at the TV.
"The Morgan Family of Kanto has issued a nation-wide missing person report for their twenty-four-year-old son, James Kojiro Morgan, after he failed to return home after running an errand with his fiancé, who returned safely back to the Morgan Estate, but remains too distraught to comment."
"Oh Fuck," I cursed, seeing the smiling face of my partner in crime on the morning news.
"It is believed that Morgan was kidnapped by a angry suitor looking for ransom," the news anchor continued, and my picture flashed on the screen.
"Dammit!"
"Dey did get da 'angry' part right," Meowth muttered. I whacked him over the head.
"If you have any information regarding the kidnapping or if you have seen Morgan or his kidnapper, call crimestoppers," the anchor finished.
"Fuck! Shit! Dammit!" I cursed, tossing a pillow at the TV. Teddy, James, and Meowth winced.
"Don't ever repeat that, Ted," James told the little boy, "It's okay, Jess. We'll be okay. We can figure it out…"
"I'm a kidnapper looking for ransom!" I quoted through clenched teeth. He put his hands on my arms.
"We can disguise ourselves. No one will ever recognize us. They never do. And those were old pictures. We look totally different!" James tried. They were old pictures, taken when we were about seventeen, probably around the time when we first ran across of James's crazy rich family.
"Is this what our lives are going to be like?" I asked, "Running and hiding and disguising ourselves? Dammit!"
"It won't take much," James said, "Different outfits, different hairstyles…we'll be good! We'll be Jessie and James Logan, a just married couple expecting their first kid…er…well…" James frowned, looking at Teddy, "I guess second kid…"
"What?"
"The point is, we'll make it work. I swear it. No one will ever recognize James Morgan again."
"James Morgan," Jack interrupted, frowning as he mulled over the possibility.
"That is James's name," Jessie replied.
"Son of Thomas and Annette?"
"Maybe. I don't really know his parents' names, but I did recognize the last name in your story, but I wasn't sure," Jessie replied, "I think his dad might've been a Tom, though. When we were picking out baby names, James vetoed that one awful quick.
"Huh," Jack mused, "Interesting. Continue."
James was right. No one would ever recognize James Morgan again, mostly because I was going to KILL him.
My knuckles were white as they clenched the granite bathroom countertop and stared into the mirror at my reflection and then back down at the sink filled with my beautiful red locks.
"I think it looks good," James said, putting the scissors down next to my hand.
"I think you'd better run," I warned through clenched teeth. My long, wavy red curl was gone, sheered off by my scissor-happy boyfriend, and in its place was a short, red, curly bob.
"Aw, come on Jessie! I think it looks great!" James chirped with a smile, "It makes you look older and more mature."
I could feel my face turn red and then I was stalking out of the room while James stood dumbfounded in the bathroom with my handprint on his cheek.
"Ya know, Jimmy," I heard Meowth say, "For knowing Jess for more den half your life, you sure have a lot to learn."
I was still seething when I found Teddy in the living room, carefully feeding my seviper and James's carnivine. When Seviper saw me, he made a strangled sound and hid under the sofa. Perhaps he remembered the last time I had a haircut…courtesy of his fangs.
"At least yours looks better than mine," Teddy commented when I flopped on the sofa. I had to admit, he was right. His turquoise hair had been buzzed down and now there was only a light fuzz on his head.
"I might kill your brother," I warned him. I saw the ghost of a smile on his face, which made me smile. The kid had a wicked streak. I leaned back into the couch and sighed, burying my head in my hands. I could feel a headache coming on.
"Are you okay, Jessie?" Teddy asked.
"Fine, Teddy," I answered, "I'm a little stressed out, which is not good for the baby!" I said loudly so James could hear. Teddy looked at me curiously.
"Are you really having a baby?" he asked me. I frowned. He'd been around for five days and knew, thanks to James's fretting, that I was pregnant.
"So I've been told," I replied.
"Why are you having it?" he asked.
"Umm…what do you mean?" I asked nervously, hoping he wasn't asking what I thought he was asking.
"Well, why do people have babies?" he questioned.
"Er, because they want to have a kid," I replied. He shook his head.
"No…how do people have babies? Like…how is there a baby inside you?" he clarified and I inwardly cursed. Explaining the facts of life to an eight-year-old? No thanks. James chose that moment to re-enter the room, wearing a long blue wig. Teddy and I both looked up at him with less-than-impressed looks.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, "but we have to alter our looks. Even without the missing person report, we still would have had to make some changes-"
"How come you didn't?" Teddy asked. Good question.
"People expect men to have short hair, so I'm going to have long hair-"
"Then why'd you cut my hair?" Teddy complained.
"Everyone has to look different and you said yourself that you didn't want to look like a girl-"
"Yeah, but dat didn't mean dat he wanted to be bald neither," Meowth interjected, hopping up onto the sofa in between me and Growlie, "You sure aren't makin' friends today, Jimmy."
"I'm sorry," James apologized again, "I am really, really sorry! I just don't want us to get in trouble and this way, we can start a new life and start over and be happy! What can I do to make it better?" he pleaded.
"Can I get a hat?" Teddy asked. Not a bad idea.
"Absolutely," James replied, "Jess?" He looked scared.
"You cut my hair," I reminded him dangerously.
"Okay, it was wrong of me to just start cutting, but it really looks great, Jessie! And you look sexy no matter what your hair looks like!"
"Way to make da kid uncomfortable and butter her up dere, Champ," Meowth commented, winking at Teddy, who was red in the face.
"My hair was my one true love-"
"So I'm not?" James whimpered with an adorable pout, dropping to his knees in front of me. I sighed.
"Alright, I guess you are," I conceded, "but my hair…"
"It'll grow back," James said. Meowth smacked his face with his paw.
"And when it does, I MIGHT forgive you," I told him, getting to my feet, "Now, I feel like a warm bath, so you can keep your brother company. I believe he had a question or two about the baby."
As I walked out of the room, I heard Teddy ask, "How do people have babies?" and then I heard a choking sound coming from James. I grinned.
"He's the most awkward guy in the world," Jessie paused to laugh, "He hates talking about sex…well…talking about the biology…"
"I think that's most guys," Jack chuckled, "And you have a lot of issues with your hair," he observed, eyeing the red curls on her head. Jessie ran her hands through her hair, still quite short, but not as bad as it had been that day.
"I have issues with people chopping it off or otherwise messing with it. Although," she said this almost against her will, "It is a bit quicker to style when it's short...stupid James."
I was lounging quite happily in a bubble bath. It was relaxing and it almost made me forget the loss of my beautiful hair. Almost. I still couldn't believe that it was no longer there. I frowned and reached up, glancing at my reflection in the mirror. Okay, maybe it wasn't bad. James did have some styling talent, but it was different. Too different. I don't do change well.
James crept in, looking pale, "That was not nice," he said, kneeling beside my tub.
"Never am, Babe," I told him with a sigh. He grinned.
"I love you."
"You're an idiot," I told him lazily, smiling at him. He leaned in and kissed me.
"I promise I will never cut your hair again," he pledged.
"Damn right," I said, draping an arm around his neck, "I know how you can make it up to me," I whispered in his ear. He laughed nervously.
"I said I'd take Ted to the store," he replied, "He said that he wanted to get a book."
"Hmmm, hurry back," I said, yawning as I lay back against the tub. He pecked my lips and then he was gone.
I finished my bath and then just headed to have a nap. Despite doing very little, I was pretty tired. It was a couple hours later when I padded into the living room to find Teddy and James sitting on the sofa watching a movie. Well, James was watching, but Teddy was reading a book.
"Hey!" James greeted happily, pausing the movie, "How are you?"
"Fine," I said, "What are you watching?"
"Uh, it's called Twilight. Wanna watch?"
"No," I replied, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a love story," James tried to sell me on it, "and it's so cute! There's this vampire and he's all, 'I'm too dangerous for you' and the human girl is all, 'I don't care, I love you anyway'."
"I watched it in the hospital," I replied, "and I need fresh air. Can I go outside without getting arrested for holding you ransom?"
"Uh, yeah. Do you want me to come with you?" he asked, though clearly he didn't want to leave his movie.
"I don't need a babysitter. I'll be fine," I assured him.
"Can I come?" Teddy piped up.
"Growl!" Growlie barked.
"Me too!" Meowth chirped, "I heard enough of dis goil's screamin' in da hospital."
"Screaming?" James asked, "He makes her scream?"
"Not in the good way," I replied as I made my way to the door with Teddy, Meowth, and Growlie on my heels. And so I got my first look at the community James was so eager to be apart of. It was so…ordinary. Our house was at the outskirts of town and as such, was not crammed up against the next one, like the houses on the next block. All around me, there were two-car garages and picket fences.
"Wow. Never thought I'd be in suburbia," I commented as I walked.
"Neither did I," Meowth agreed, "Although it does beat da forest floor. A cat could get used to all dat warm milk and dose soft beds and…"
"A day and you're already turning into a house-cat?" I teased. Meowth tried not to let me see him blush.
"I just like my creature comforts is all."
"I like it," Teddy piped up softly. He looked up at me from under his new navy bucket hat with shy eyes.
"It's not bad," I amended, "Maybe I'd like it a little more if we didn't get scalped a couple hours ago."
"How come we have to change if it's just James they're looking for?" Teddy asked.
"Because apparently I kidnapped him and you kinda look a lot like him," I replied.
"Kinda," he agreed, "but I look like my mom. My uncle says so."
"You have an uncle?" I asked curiously. Teddy nodded.
"He's not really my uncle and he's kinda really strange. Momma said that he's in no shape to take care of a kid," Teddy rambled.
"Maybe it's a good ting you're with us den, Kid," Meowth said, "I mean sure Jess and Jim are nuts and are just gonna be learning how to take care of a kid, but dey are da most loyal and adaptable people you'll ever meet."
"What does adaptable mean?" Teddy asked.
"That James and I can pretty much do anything," I explained.
"I wouldn't go that far," Meowth muttered, coughing something that sounded like 'pikachu'.
"You put on bandages good," Teddy told me, "And James cooks good breakfast."
"Glad to hear it," I laughed.
"Jessie? They aren't looking for me, are they?" he asked me. I paused and then I knew it to be true. As good as it was that no one was looking for Teddy, it was also really sad. I felt angry when I thought about it. Teddy was really a great kid. He was quiet, smart, and actually really sweet.
"I don't think so," I admitted, "but really, you're better off without them. James and I…we'll take care of you…if you want."
"Sure," he agreed, a small smile on his face. That made me feel good to see. We walked by a park about a block away from the house where some kids were playing a soccer game. The ball rolled up to the fence, kicked out of bounds by a little girl with raven hair and a wide grin.
"Hi," she greeted, picking up the black and white ball. Teddy clammed up and tried to disappear between me and Growlie, who let out an excited yip.
"Hi," I said back, glancing down at Teddy, who was looking down at the sling holding his arm to his chest.
"My name's Kari. Kari Grace Porter," she introduced herself, "What's your name?" she asked Teddy.
"His name is Teddy," I said for him.
"Hi, Teddy," she said shyly before she was called back to the game by her friends. Meowth grinned as he hopped up by my shoulder.
"Jeez, way to go dere, Kid. Didn't take you long to land a goil."
Teddy turned pink and refused to comment all the way home. We found James sitting on the sofa with a cereal bowl of macaroni in his lap. We helped ourselves and joined James just as the movie ended.
"Are you crying?" I asked him.
"It…it's so beautiful!"
"He cried?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It takes a very secure man to show his emotions," Jessie explained, as she had done countless times to many other people over the years.
Our first day in Silver Shoal was coming to an end and after getting Teddy settled in his room, James and I went to ours. Our room. That kind of made me feel a bit funny, more grown-up.
"And how was your day?" James asked me as we cuddled together in bed.
"Not bad. I could get used to this," I admitted. He beamed.
"Good."
He kissed me, but before he could pull away, I deepened the kiss, slowly beginning to undo the buttons on his shirt.
"Jess…this isn't a good idea," James whispered as he pulled away.
"That hasn't stopped us before," I muttered, looking up at him. His hair was tousled and his clothes were rumpled. He was panting, out of breath. It thrilled me that I had that effect on him.
"Really, Jess, I don't think we should," he said, getting out of bed. I blinked.
"What? Why?"
"It's just…you…and the baby…" he mumbled awkwardly. I blinked. This was why he didn't want to have sex? Idiot.
"People have sex when they're pregnant all the time," I informed him, "Now get back over here-"
"But Jess, most people don't fall from twenty-foot cliffs-"
"Now, James," I commanded in my best firm voice.
"Jessie, I don't want to hurt you or the baby-"
"You won't!" I told him emphatically, getting to my feet.
"I don't wanna take the chance," he argued, backing away from me as I advanced.
"You're being stupid," I shot at him, quickly getting fed up with the lack of attention.
"It's dangerous!" he shot back at me, "OW!" he yelped as he tripped over the edge of the bed and fell onto his back.
"So is this, apparently," I muttered, raising my eyebrow as I stared down at him, "Quit being such a worrywart, James," I scowled. I'll admit, he did have a good reason to worry, but at the same time, I had needs too and right now, I needed him. It had been…almost two and half weeks since the last time we had fooled around together. That was a long time for us and I missed it.
"But Jessie, if something went wrong and I hurt you, I'd never be able to forgive myself," he pleaded, scrambling to his feet, "I love you!"
"So why don't you express that love?" I questioned. He gulped and I could see his Adam's apple bob up and down.
"Come on, Jess! One of us has to think clearly about all this!"
"And I'm not?" I asked dangerously.
"It's just that we have to think about the baby now, not about our needs!"
"So I'm not thinking about the baby?" I questioned.
"Well, I don't think so-"
"So I'm basically a selfish bitch for wanting to make love with my boyfriend?"
"Wha-! No! That's not what I meant-"
"I guess I won't be making that mistake for a while!" I huffed, grabbing a pillow and a blanket from the bed.
"Jessie-"
I slammed the door in his face and stomped down the steps to the couch and made myself a bed. Stupid James. Stupid, stupid James, I thought, my cheeks coloured in humiliation as I curled up and slept.
I had a weird dream.
I was holding this baby in my arms and when I looked down at it, it looked weird. It was perfect, with blue eyes identical to mine and a face that was a perfect reflection of my own. It was almost too perfect, so much so that it looked almost unreal or fake. There was hardly any sign of James in this perfect baby, and that bothered me a little. I held it out in front of me to get a better look, but when I did, it changed, and I was now holding a little girl who looked nearly exactly the same as I did when I was small, yet with those same too-perfect features. I gasped in surprise and set the child down, almost repulsed by those unnatural traits. She looked at me with intelligent, accusing eyes and walked away. Try as I might, I could not reach her.
I jolted awake and for a moment, I forgot that I was on the couch. I rolled over onto my back and frowned, remembering the dream and the little dream-girl. She looked like me…exactly like me. There had been no trace of James in her at all. She had just been a perfect miniature copy of me…like a clone.
That kind of bothered me.
Don't get me wrong. I'd love it if my baby looked like me, but I'd like her to have a bit of James in her. If she looked exactly like me, then I wouldn't be unique and neither would she.
The next part bothered me more, the part where she walked away from me when I set her down. It scared me a little that that scene could play out, that she could look at me with such disappointment and walk away. I chewed on my lower lip as I contemplated the scene. I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. I failed at everything else…could I fail as a mother too?
I shook it off and got to my feet, intending to get a glass of water. My stomach suddenly turned and I bolted for the bathroom, retching into the toilet.
Suddenly James was there, offering me a cool wash cloth as he sat down beside me as I lay against the cool tiled wall. I smiled despite myself and leaned my head against his shoulder. He held my hand. Neither of us said anything. We didn't have to. We knew.
"He's very good to you," Jack commented.
"The best," Jessie agreed, "No matter what we fight about, he doesn't take it to heart."
We woke up the next morning on the bathroom floor. My stomach still ached.
"Ow," I moaned, wincing as I clutched my stomach.
"Do you want to go see a doctor?" James whispered gently. I nodded. He helped me up and we got ready. We left our pokemon with Teddy and told Meowth that he was in charge. This led to the cat commenting about being a "glorified babysitter without the pay", which led to James bribing him with a can of sardines, which led to me running for the bathroom.
It was raining as James and I drove to the hospital. I sat in the passenger's seat, a little nervous as I held my stomach, cringing all the while. I felt James take my hand and I couldn't help but smile at him.
"I'm sorry it hurts. I hope the doctor can give you something," he said. I nodded in agreement. The local hospital wasn't that far away from our house, which was good. I had a feeling that that was one of the contributing factors to James's decision to move where we did. I was nervous as we made our way to the obstetric wing. I looked over at James and saw that he had turned an odd shade of green, especially when the nurse took us to a room and instructed me to change into a hospital gown.
"I think I'm going to throw up," James said, staring at a poster of the insides of a pregnant woman. I finished changing and came up behind him, resting my head on his back.
"Makes two of us," I murmured. He turned around and wrapped his arms around me.
"Think we can handle this?" he asked.
"No," I admitted. He chuckled nervously.
"I think…just being here is really…uh…freaky," he said. I nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Definitely," I said, looking at a tray of long, silver instruments. I didn't want to know what those were for. I turned my head and focused on another poster, this one showing a chubby baby strangling an eevee. I laughed nervously.
"Think that'll be Meowth in a few months?" I asked, pointing to the poster. James imitated my laughter.
"I think he'd kill us before that happens," he replied. Then he pointed to another poster 'What to do when your ditto imitates your baby', "Aren't you glad we don't have a ditto?" he asked. I nodded, but the little pink blob on the poster rather painfully reminded me of an old friend.
"I wonder how Mondo is," I whispered, thinking of the young rookie who assisted James and I on our missions from time to time. He was a sweet kid who had had a very obvious crush on me. He had a ditto, which often took the form of a meowth.
"I hope he's still alive," James said sadly.
"Ah! Hello!" a chipper voice suddenly interrupted our thoughts. We turned and saw a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She couldn't have been much older than me.
"Hi," James and I said at the same time.
"I'm Dr. Hall and I'll be your OB-GYN," she introduced, holding a hand out. I shook it.
"Jessie," I said, "and this is James"
"Hi," James squeaked nervously. The doctor smiled.
"Is this your first?" she asked, "I can always tell. First-time parents have that 'about-to-vomit' look. Now, Jessie, if you just take a seat on the bed…"
I complied and looked nervously at James, who still looked like he was about to be sick.
"Daddy, why don't you come give Mommy a little support," Dr. Hall suggested. James let out a nervous squeak, but he was at my side nonetheless.
"So, how far along are you?" she asked.
"I don't know…uh…the doctor in Sinnoh said around uh…four or five weeks, but that was like uh…two and a half weeks ago," I said unsurely.
"Okay, then. That puts you at around seven weeks," she said, marking that down on a chart, "Have you had any morning sickness?"
"Oh yeah," James said before I could. I glared up at him. Dr. Hall laughed.
"I'd be careful if I were you, James. Typically morning sickness stops after twelve weeks," she said, "So, our plan for this little adventure is to listen to the heartbeat and get a look at the little one."
"You can do that?" I asked. She nodded and set to work setting up the necessary equipment.
"We sure can," she replied, "So the heartbeat is going to sound very fast, so don't be alarmed," she warned, flicking a switch. Then one of the pieces of equipment sprang to life: thump-thump-thump-thump…it was startling.
"Is the kid running a marathon in there?" James asked dumbly. The doctor laughed as she typed something on a computer. I noticed a frown on her face and that concerned me a little.
"So everything's okay?" I asked.
"I just want to get a sonogram image," she said, and then the monitor sprang to life, moving with the sound of the thump-thumps.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Your uterus," she replied. Lovely.
"U-uterus?" James squeaked. I rolled my eyes. No, James, the kid was hanging out in my stomach trying not to be digested. Idiot. Dr. Hall moved the image around and then pointed to the screen.
"There is your baby," she said, pointing to a blob. I tilted my head, but I couldn't see it. The image moved into focus.
"That squiggly thing?" James asked, squinting as he leaned in. Dr. Hall nodded.
"Most people think that it looks like a peanut at this stage," she said. I privately agreed with her. It didn't even look like a person, but when I really looked at it, I could almost imagine it as a baby. It didn't seem so scary. Maybe I could handle that. I looked up at James and I saw a look of pure amazement on his face. He smiled at me and I knew we were having one of those moments where we were on the same brainwave. Then we looked back at the screen and I saw James frown from the corner of my eye.
"What's that other squiggle?" he asked. I looked at him.
"What other squiggle?" I asked, frowning at the screen.
"That one," he pointed at the left side of monitor, and sure enough, there was another tiny peanut-shaped squiggle on the monitor.
"That," Dr. Hall said, "is your baby's twin."
I felt my mouth drop and my eyes got very big. James's hand tightened on my shoulder.
"T-t-twin?" James and I squeaked at the same time.
"I suspected it when I heard the heartbeat," Dr. Hall admitted, "There were two distinct beats, and this explains it. Congratulations," she said. I couldn't even muster a grateful smile. The image of TWO screaming babies flooded my mind and then another thought crossed my mind.
"W-wait," I stammered, "Does that mean I have to push TWO watermelon-sized things out of…there?" I asked.
"Yes," Dr. Hall confirmed. I flopped back against the pillow. I was in trouble. Double trouble…HOLD IT!
"This is all YOUR fault!" I hissed, grabbing James by his shirt. I could see his Adam's apple move as he gulped nervously.
"Actually, Jessie, the male generally has little control over twinning," Dr. Hall said, "We won't know for sure what these twins are yet, but if they are identical, then it is due to the egg dividing after fertilization. If they are fraternal, then it is because two eggs were released during ovulation," she explained. I felt my grip on James slacken as I considered this. James looked visibly relieved.
"You're my new favourite person," he said to the doctor. I clenched my teeth.
"Do you have any questions?" she asked.
"Why me?" I muttered.
"So, uh, do we have to uh, do anything different?" James asked.
"Well, aside from an increased nutritional intake and a couple precautions in the third trimester, this will likely be like any other pregnancy," Dr. Hall explained, "One of the concerns with multiple births is that most of the time they are premature and smaller than single birth babies."
"And that's bad?" James asked.
"It can be, which is why we're going to try to avoid all that when we get closer to the date," she answered, "That will likely mean bed rest-"
"Fantastic," I muttered, "So what's this about nutrition?" I asked wearily.
"I'll give you a chart before you leave," Hall promised me, "and I'll prescribe some prenatal vitamins."
"Anything for morning sickness?" I asked hopefully. She shook her head.
"Doctors typically avoid prescribing drugs for morning sickness unless it's severe. All I can really advise is to avoid having an empty stomach and try having a few small meals a day rather than three big ones. And trust you body. If you have a craving, indulge. If you notice any aversions to some foods, then avoid those foods. I'll maybe give you a pamphlet," she said.
"Is there any way to tell, uh…you know, if they're boys or girls?" James asked, looking down at my stomach.
"We could do an amniocentesis test at 14 weeks, which would let us see the genetic make-up of your twins and screen for any genetic disorders. This is generally done by taking a sample of amniotic fluid from the uterus. Also, anytime after 16 weeks, we will be able to see on an ultrasound what the sexes will be," Dr. Hall said.
"Cool," James replied, looking down at me. I could tell that he was even more nervous than before, which reminded me of something.
"Are there any other questions?" Dr. Hall asked.
"What about sex?" I asked bluntly. James flushed and Dr. Hall laughed.
"That is always an issue with fathers," she sighed, "For these first few months, I would say go for it, but don't do anything you're not comfortable with, especially when you start getting a little bigger. In the last trimester, I would advise against it, just because of the potential to cause preterm labour. For now, though, enjoy each other. It is all about keeping Mommy happy, after all."
"Thank you, Doctor," I said. She smiled at us.
"You're most welcome and I'll see you again sometime next month," she said. I got dressed and James and I made our way back to the car.
"Did you really have to ask that last question?" James moaned, his ears still red. I smirked at him.
"I'm just trying to get some action here," I defended as I got into the passenger's side, "And I figure now that you know that it's doctor-recommended, you won't be coming up with anymore excuses."
He shook his head, "You know, you're worse than a man," he said, pulling out of the parking lot.
"And how would you know? Something you're not telling me, Jimmy?" I teased. He shook his head and laughed.
"Absolutely not," he said, "and since when do you call me 'Jimmy'?" he asked. I blinked. I hadn't even realized I did it.
"Beats me," I said. He chuckled.
"It's kind of cute," he said, turning into a pharmacy parking lot. Right. Prenatal meds. We entered the pharmacy and I dealt with the pills, while James explored the store. After paying for the pills, I found him outside holding a pregnancy book.
"That is probably a good idea," I admitted.
"Did you know that with that amnio thing, they have to stick a needle into your stomach?" he asked. I shook my head.
"I'm pretty sure everything I don't know is in that book," I commented, "Let's get home and tell Meowth and Ted the big news."
"How are we going to tell them?" James asked.
"I have a plan," I said.
When we got back to the house, we found Teddy sitting on the floor putting together a puzzle while Growlie and my wobbuffet watched him. James's mime jr. sat on Teddy's arm, mimicking the boy's moves. Seviper was slithering around the baseboards, while Carnivine and my yanmega ate some pokemon chow. Meowth grinned when he saw us.
"So, what's da deal? Is dere a kid in dere?" he asked.
"Well, Meowth, are you prepared for trouble?" I asked. The cat frowned at me.
"What?"
"I think you should prepare for trouble," I advised him.
"And make it double," James added. Meowth frowned and looked from me to James with a confused look on his face.
"To announce a new revelation."
"To unite us all in trepidation."
"To denounce the evils of karma and fate."
"To expanding our family by two on the due date"
"Jessie."
"James."
"I'm going to be pushing two kids out of me real soon."
"Jessie may act mad, but I know she's over the moon," James said, smirking at me.
"What…you mean dere's not just one, but two?" Meowth asked, stunned.
"Yup," James and I confirmed. The cat's eyes widened and the next minute, he was on the floor, howling with laughter.
"T-two…hahaha….are…haha!"
I groaned and looked up at the father of my children, "You know, karma is a real bitch."
"And that it is," Jessie sighed.
"Hear, hear," Jack agreed, now finished with the curtain he had been making, "What do you think?" he asked, sitting down beside her.
"It's crooked," Jessie observed, "and the tarp you used is way too big."
"Are you ever happy?" he questioned.
TBC
AN: Okay, so it's been awhile...sorry, but I have excuses for whatever they are worth. The last couple months have been really, very hectic. My summer job took a lot out of me and after a 12 hour day, all you wanna do is sleep. In addition to that, two days after my last update, my brother had an accident at work and cut off two of his fingers, so the rest of my summer was taking care of him while my parents were gone. Thankfully, he's almost back to his old, irritating self. Then I had to move and start school again. And on top of all that, there was a hint of writers block. All in all, I'm sorry. I was hoping to have this fic close to being done by now, but what can you do?
So this chapter...I noticed upon reading some of the previous chapters that Jessie got a little too sappy for my liking. This was me rectifying that. James is very good to her, no? And there's a surprise: Double Trouble! After all that time preparing for double trouble, I figure that fate should give them double trouble. The hospital scene was largely inspired by heartsyhawk's Karmic Retribution, which can be found on DeviantArt.
Next Chapter: Jack and Jessie realize that they are more closely connected than they thought :)
Songs that inspired this chapter:
-I Could Get Used To This by The Veronica's. This inspired the wake-up scene and basically goes for this whole chapter.
-Mistakes We Knew We Were Making by Mae. Seriously listen to this song! Brilliant! Also inspired the hospital scene.