James woke up the next morning for the usual routine. Except he had something hanging over his head today. Something with about seven 0's, to be exact. He was confused. He should be happy, right?

He stuck with his decision. At breakfast, he made it known that he wanted to talk after they were finished. He cleared the table, and went to his room and brought out the bankbook. Without saying anything, he showed it to Nanny, Pop-pop, and Jessie, and opened it to the page showing the current balance. They all gasped.

James sighed. "I decided I won't lie to anyone...Father came last night, with half a bottle of bourbon and half of his motor skills..." James had tears in his eyes. "He...he...gave us his blessing..."

Nanny and Pop-pop gave supportive smiles, but were bracing themselves for what James had to say next.

"Nanny, Pop-pop..." James paused, looking at their expressions..."We..um...With this..." he held up the bankbook. "We can get our own place..."

Nanny sighed, and looked to Pop-pop. He looked extremely uncomfortable.

"James...Jessie...we know that this is your choice to make, and if you really want to go, you can, but..."

Nanny held Jessie's hand.

"We like it when you're here...And we're not just saying things to be polite or some nonsense, we really mean it. Your father is my only son, and he's gone off to live the classy rich life of corporations and stocks and 401k's. Me and Nanny don't have anyone to take over the garden and the pokemon when...when we're gone."

Nanny spoke up. "It's not like we're getting any younger...we were thinking of putting the place up for sale and finding somewhere more low-maintainance, that is before you two came along."

Pop-pop continued. "So...we'd like you to be our heir, James. We think very highly of you and Jessie and we would love for you to stay on this property and take care of everything for us."

James looked hesitant. "Are you sure? Because.."

Nanny cut him off. "We're absolutely sure, James, and trust us when we say we're sure, we've had a lot more time to think about it!"

James laughed a little bit. "Jessie, what do you think?"

Jessie touched her tummy warmly. "James...I want these little ones to have as much of a family, and a history as possible, not like how I grew up. I think this is a great place to raise children."

James raised an eyebrow. "...Meowth?"

"Are you kiddin, Jimmy? Dis is da nicest place I've ever been! It's like a paradise for pokemon!"

James laughed. "I guess it's settled then."

Pop-pop raised a hand. "However, James, it doesn't mean you have to live here in the house with us. We understand that as a family you would like your own comforts and privacy...and since you can provide for yourselves...Why don't you take the empty part of the lot and build a house of your own?"

Jessie and James lit up. "That...that's a great idea!" said James.

"Our own house." said Jessie dreamily. She smiled, and looked at James, and then for some reason exchanged a worried glance with Nanny.

Pop-pop and James didn't catch the glances, and started discussing about architects, contractors, and such.

Nanny intervened. "James, why don't you go on a walk with Jessie and show her the empty part of the lot?"

Jessie lit up. "That sounds like a good idea."

James extended his hand, and they walked out.

The sun was shining, and the outside smelled like fresh grass and flowers. James wore a light pink button-down shirt and black trousers, and Jessie wore a summery orange dress. They walked hand-in-hand, smiling.

They walked lazily for about 15 minutes, James watching Jessie intently. He stopped and asked if she was OK, and she responded by breaking into a run, and him freaking out and chasing after her.

"Jessie, stop! What if you fall-?" James said before tripping over a stone and falling face-first into the ground.

"Somehow I don't think that will be an issue," said Jessie, standing over him as he got up groaning and whimpering. He dusted himself off, ran his fingers through his hair, and looked around. He pointed to the left. "There's the rose garden...when I was a child, I always dreamed of taking a girl on a date here, like in the movies. We'd have wine and sandwiches and then..."

Jessie completed that thought with a kiss. "Great minds think alike."

James smiled, feeling a bit confident. "That they do, Jessie." He looked at her. "What am I thinking now?"

Jessie smiled. "Probably about something stupid like donuts."

James pouted. "But...donuts are great."

Jessie sighed and looked around. "So...where is the empty lot?"

James pointed to the right. "Over there."

They looked at it, both visualizing their house. Three bedrooms...two bathrooms...a big kitchen, a living room, a play room...

"Jessie...This is what you want...right?"

"Can you stop with the stupid questions, James?"

"It's just...both of us don't really have the best record when it comes to staying in one place."

"I won't leave if you won't."

"Then...I won't."

"So...you'll stay with me forever?"

James took a deep, shaky breath.

"Til death do us part..." he said, trembling.

She gave him a big hug and they walked back to the house.

Nanny and Pop-pop had called the contractor and architect, both connected with the family and ready to work, and they would be at the house later for a meeting.

With the Pokemon and James helping, they estimated that the house would take 2-3 months to complete.

James felt in his element; digging, lifting, climbing...he felt like he was in Team Rocket again, but this time he was doing something good. Something very good. He couldn't wait to meet his sons.

Jessie, who apparently had once been an interior decorator according to herself, was busy drawing designs, looking at fabric swatches, and stopping occasionally when she felt the twins moving around.

One morning, James was putting on his clothes. Jessie eyed him sleepily.

"Going out today?"

James nodded. "I have to go to the bank to make the first payment...and then I'm going to go to the DIY store with the contractor and buy materials...I'll be back tonight."

Jessie yawned. "Sounds...fun..."

James gave her a kiss before walking out of the room, and sighing. He really did hate lying to her...But this wasn't a bad lie, he told himself. This is a different kind of lie, one for good.

He went to the garage, and put on a dark blue racing suit with a matching helmet, and took some keys out of his pocket, and put them into a black and silver Hayabusa racing bike. He always had a penchant for buying things that he really wanted, and this was no exception He jumped on it and was off in a flash to his parents' house. In a car, it would take about 5 hours. On this bike, he could make it in 3.

He jumped on and was on the road. He had driven almost every kind of vehicle, and operated everything from zeplins to submarines, but riding a motorcycle was relatively new to him, especially at this speed.

He approached his property. The weather was good. They would probably be in the garden having tea. He reared up on his rear wheel, and used a parked car near the gate to jump up and over the gate. He sped up, and did a donut for good measure in front of the table his parents were sitting at, before getting off of the bike and taking off his helmet.

His parents looked on, unimpressed.

"7."

"7.3"

James shrugged. "Greetings and salutations"

His mother sighed. "There is a gate.

James tilted his head in mock? confusion. "There is?"

His mother looked to be in a bad mood. "If you're looking for some kind of blessing from me you can just go back now and save yourself some time."

James' confidence dropped. He stuttered a little bit as he spoke. "M-mother, It's not for me...I just want to be a family. I want my sons to grow up with parents, and grandparents...I always took it for granted that I had a family, when Jessie...didn't.

Her mother was killed in an avalanche during a mission in the mountains to find Mew...Jessie was only 5 years old...she doesn't have any other known relatives."

James' mother raised an eyebrow. "Have I ever told you about Elizabeth's sister, Michelle?"

James rolled his eyes...the story of Jessiebelle's missing aunt...again. It was used as a scare tactic. "You must really admire her to tell this story so many times. Michelle, like me, rejected high society, and like me, ran away when she was 10, and like me, joined Team Rocket, and got killed."

James' mother frowned. "I never told you this part because you were always too young, but she had a daughter, poor thing was only 5 when her mama went missing in the mountains. There was an avalanche, I'm told. Oh, that poor girl, left to be raised by criminals, if only her mama had stayed where there was money, and married a suitable husband..."

She shot James another look, coming out of her little reverie, to find him passed out on the floor.

Her mother and father looked at each other, and called over a butler to carry him in and place him on a bed. He looked pale, like he had fainted in shock. They fanned him and placed smelling salts under his nose. There was a knock on the door.

"I'm terribly sorry, did I find you at a bad time? I was just givin out some thank-you gifts for all your generosity at mah baby shower..." a fake sacchirine southern drawl filled the room as James started to come back to consciousness. His vision weakly focused on a 7 months pregnant Jessiebelle and he shook his head and started to cry and shake his head.

"Why, if it's not mah ex-fiance James. Ah know you must be heartbroken but I'm sure you'll find someone!"

James absolutely wanted to curl up and die. Why did life have to be so cruel. How could the one woman he ever loved share blood with the only woman he had ever truly hated.

His mother and father chose to keep quiet, and started to lead Jessiebelle out of the room. "Poor boy, let's leave him to grieve." his mother said mockingly.

It was the last thing he heard before his world turned black again.

When he came to, he smelled some delicious chicken soup. He slowly opened his eyes and sat up, looking for the source of the smell and his eyes found the heavily pregnant Jessiebelle, carrying a tray to his bedside. He looked at her with a look of disbelief on his face. She spoke softly, with a tone of genuine kindness and concern that James had never heard. "So ah heard you're having twin boys?"

James gave a small nod, not being able to let down his guard around her.

"I'm having a little princess." said Jessiebelle, smiling. "She'll be the most beautiful and mannerly lady you've ever seen. But..." she stopped and looked at James. "If one of your boys wants to marry my girl...I suppose it would be alright."

James blinked at her, not knowing how to respond.

"Well, you should eat your soup before it gets cold. She curtsied and made her way out of the room. James sipped the soup thoughtfully. He finished it and went to put his spoon back on the saucer, but a folded piece of paper prevented him from doing it. He picked it up. It was not just paper, but a neatly folded package.

The sun was setting. He walked out of the estate as the sky darkened, and got back on the bike.

Jessie looked out at the dark sky as they ate their dinner.

"I wonder what's keeping James?" questioned Nanny.

"Not like him not to call..." said Pop-pop.

Jessie sighed. He promised never to leave her...and so far he had always made good on his promises...but she knew deep down there would always come a time when promises would be broken. Just like when her mama told her she would find Mew and come right back.

The twins moved around as she laid down and fell into a tortured sleep.