The Boat That Rocked (A Rocketshipping Fanfic)

Part Thirty

It was the day that Jessie was coming home from the hospital. James pulled at his shirt sleeves, standing in the middle of his and Jaime's room, getting ready to leave. Glancing around, he felt the emptiness, the void that she had left behind.

He was planning on clearing the apartment of Jaime's belongings, making the place his own, while Jessie lived upstairs in her apartment. Jessie had suggested that he move back in with her but he had immediately declined. He couldn't. He just couldn't.

Things would be different this time. He had realized that they would wait forever for his memories, that Jessie and Meowth only wanted him by their sides, no matter who he was now. To them, I am James. And that was all that mattered now.

Sliding open one of the bedside drawers, James disturbed the various items and a particular glint caught his eye. Reaching in and brushing off the things that hid it, he revealed a handgun. His eyes widened in surprise, but then again this was Jaime. She may have left the city, but the city and her way of life there never left her.

Had never left her. It's all past tense now. She's not here anymore.

Grinding his teeth together, James covered the gun again and closed the drawer. He looked at himself in the mirror, shifting his shirt collar for the fifth time. He had been unable to settle since he awoke this morning and the closer it got to leaving, the more the anxiety in his chest grew.

All I'm doing is picking her up, there's nothing to be so worried about. But his heart didn't heed his words, and pounded harder when he saw that it was time to leave. He left the bedroom, leaving the apartment, locking the door behind him.

Walking down the stairs, he heard a door opening behind him, the lock turning, and a clatter of rushing feet. "James!"

Looking up, he met the bright eyes of Lisa, a wide smile on her lips. "You picking up Jessie?" she asked.

James nodded and the girl's face glowed.

James watched the girl as she descended the stairs by his side, sprouting an endless stream of excited babble about how she couldn't wait to see Jessie home or that she couldn't wait to get everything back to normal.

It was hard to imagine that just a few days ago this very girl looked soulless. The two of them had agreed that Jaime deserved a funeral and a decent burial. Lisa had barely spoken the entire funeral, standing straight, her eyes glazed over, her lips held tight together.

It had been a small affair, only James, Lisa, Meowth and Jessie turning up. The red head had made no comment and kept her gaze downwards, obviously uncomfortable, sitting tense in her wheelchair. The wheelchair itself had been forced on her by James, who demanded that if she was going to go, she needn't stress her body further when she should be resting.

Though it was small, James believed the funeral had been perfect. Or as perfect as a funeral could be. The people there knew her, no matter how fleeting it was, and they were there because they cared – or because they believed they owed her, as in Jessie's case. Jaime deserved a sending off that was true to her, no more lies, no more deceit, no more darkness.

Jaime was now in the island's graveyard, her gravestone standing proud atop the hill beside the other ghosts of the island, the sun shining like a crescent of golden light above her every morning.

James swallowed, looking away from the smiling girl. The hospital was now in sight and his step quickened, Lisa easily keeping pace with him.

Interrupting her endless one-sided conversation, James quietly spoke. "Are you okay?"

The girl fell silent, looking at him with that bright smile. He met her gaze. He wanted a real answer, no 'I'm fine, couldn't be better' nonsense. Seeing that, the girl's smile faded and she ducked her head away.

"To be honest, no, I'm not okay," she whispered, her voice strained as if she was holding her emotions back, that there was danger that speaking out could release the restrains on them and she couldn't allow herself to do so. "The whole thing…it was…" She struggled for the right word.

"I know."

"But…everything's okay now. It's over. Everything will go back to normal, right?" she looked up at him, searching his face for the answer she wanted, silently begging.

He smiled softly. "As normal as it can be."

She nodded, resigning herself to the fact that was all it could be.

They had arrived at the hospital and James motioned with his hand for her to go first. Following after her, James bent his head to whisper in her ear. "If there's anything, anything at all, you can speak to me. Okay?"

Lisa stopped walking and turned. "Thank you." She mumbled. Before James could speak again, the girl started moving again, heading towards the elevators and hitting the button with a slight index finger.

Once inside the elevator, Lisa said, "Would it be alright if I asked about Jaime sometime?"

James blinked in surprise. "Jaime? Why?" he blurted out.

He saw her shoulders stiffen. "It's just…she saved us. And…there was something that bothered me about her, something I saw in her eyes." She licked her lips nervously, as if unsure whether to continue or not. "I wished I had known her before. I wish that I could have spoken to her, get to know her, understand her. Be friends with her."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out, moving slowly down the corridor. "Jaime never had friends," he chuckled humourlessly. "You can ask me anything. Though I can't promise I'll know all the answers."

Lisa smiled and they walked into the ward, both immediately seeing the tall red head standing at the desk, her hand resting on the counter, her lips moving as she spoke to the nurse behind it.

"Ah, she could never wait."

As they neared, Jessie looked over her shoulder, her expression lighting up. James' chest warmed and he returned her smile.

He nodded in greeting, leaving the hugs and cries of happiness to Lisa, and leaned over the counter to complete her discharge forms.

Once everything was settled, the three of them returned to elevator and stood in comfortable silence as they reached the ground floor.

As the doors slid open, Jessie looked over at James. "Where's Meowth?"

James couldn't help but smirk. "Feels like we've swapped places."

"What?"

He shook his head. "Meowth is waiting at your apartment. Getting it ready."

A spark of recognition appeared in Jessie's eyes. "We really have swapped places."

Lisa had been walking in front of them and she halted, spinning around with an expression of bewilderment as she watched the two adults laugh, their laughter loud and hearty.

It was strange. After everything that happened, it felt like a dark weight had been lifted. It was truly over and a new life could start. Everything that had gone wrong could be put right, everything redone and reset. The past was the past, the present was now and the future was wide open.

-#-

Jessie sat at her kitchen table, leaning back in her seat, a contented smile on her lips. It had been over three months since she had returned from the hospital and everything seemed to be fitting into place. Turning her head slightly to the right, she could clearly see the figure of James as he stood at the sink, washing the dishes from the dinner she had cooked for them.

He still lived downstairs in the apartment he had shared with Jaime, and Meowth constantly moved between the two apartments. His memories were still blurred and distant but things were slowly coming back to him.

They were both trying, taking comfort in each other's company, talking, eating dinner together. Simple everyday things.

Jessie didn't realize that how happy she could feel. James had come home and he was here with her. She still held some disdain for Jaime but as James had told her, the woman had been the one that brought him back – though it had been unintentional. And Jaime had saved her and Lisa.

James visited the woman's grave every week, taking flowers and spending time atop the sun-glowed hill. Jessie didn't go with him. In fact she hadn't even gone anywhere near the graveyard since the funeral and she had no intention of ever visiting her grave.

She knew that Jaime would always be an important part in James' life but she wished to know nothing of it. This was a contrast to Lisa, who had taken great interest in the woman though was tactful enough to never mention her or ask James questions in front of Jessie.

As for Alphonse's body…It was still rotting away in the abandoned district. All three of them had kept quiet about the whole thing and none of them cared to give the man the honour of a grave. No one had asked any questions about Jaime, and unearthing what had happened would only bring more problems.

A sound at her shoulder made Jessie jump and she looked up to see James watching her at her side. He had something in his hands and focusing on it, Jessie realized it was a book.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Could you read this for me?" he said almost shyly, obviously hesitant to ask.

Jessie smiled and took the book from him. "Sure."

"Really?" he said, surprised. "Isn't it a bit childish? To have someone read to me?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Childish?" she repeated. She glanced down at the cover and gasped. This was the very book she had been reading the day James had woken up from his coma. Does he know? Does he realize what this book means?

Looking back up at James, his green eyes glinted brightly and honestly.

"Why this book?" she asked quietly.

James frowned. "Why?" he cocked his head to the side, considering the question. "I suppose I wanted to know how it ended."

Jessie froze. "How it ended?"

"I felt like I'd seen it before." He shrugged. "Is it a problem?"

"No, no," she rose from her seat. "It's not a problem."

Moving into the living room, Jessie settled onto the sofa, James taking his position at the other end. Meowth suddenly appeared, jumping over the back of the sofa and sitting between them, a deep purr rumbling in his throat.

The two smiled at him, James and Jessie sharing a look, a chuckle from James making Jessie's grin widen.

Opening the first page, Jessie began to read, Meowth and James listening to her every word.

After five minutes, a hand touched her own. She stopped.

James was leaning across the sofa, a strange expression on his face.

"What?" Jessie croaked out.

He carefully took the book from her hands, flicking forwards and then stopping at a page. He stared at it for a moment and then returned it to her.

Taking it, Jessie read the first few lines and her eyes widened.

"You stopped here last time." James said quietly.

Jessie's throat felt dry and it was hard to breathe. James' thumb was on her cheek and she realized she was crying as he brushed away a tear.

"You remember? You - you heard me?"

"I don't know." He murmured. That was his answer every time. Every time he had a sense, a resurfacing memory, a thought of the old James, he always said he didn't know.

But Jessie knew what it meant.

The old James doesn't exist anymore and he'll never come back. This is the James before me now, and with every passing moment memories and feelings may return but they won't return him to the past. They'll become part of him.

'I don't know' doesn't mean he doesn't remember. It means he doesn't understand, it means he doesn't know if he remembers, because it's part of him. It's something he feels or knows right now.

It's not the old James that wants me to read, it's not the James who was in a coma that wants to know how the book ended. It's the James of now that wants me to continue from where we stopped before.

Jessie ducked her head and his hand dropped from her face.

He moved away, leaning back into the arm of the sofa, watching her with a gentle gaze.

"Do you know how it ends?" he asked.

She looked up, startled by his question. "How what ends?"

He shifted, a laughing smile on his lips. "How the story ends."

Jessie looked down at the book in her hands. No. No, I don't know. "Let's find out." She threw him a look, silencing anymore questions and disproving any other interruptions, and lifted the book higher.

She opened her mouth and began to read, leaving off from where they had stopped all that time ago.

A/N

And there you have it. The final chapter of The Boat That Rocked.

I had never thought this story would have 30 chapters, and I've never known how it would end.

I hope this satisfies you guys!

I hope everyone liked the story and I thank you for your constant support! Thank you for reading to the end and I hope you enjoyed the ride!

Over and out,

Atkar.

(If you want more, there's a sequel titled The Boat That Grounded Offshore)