AN- Thank you once more to all my lovely readers, y'all are the best :D

Enjoy!

Songs that inspired this chapter:-

- One Look, by The Correspondents
- Head Over Heels, by Tears For Fears
- Fuzzy Disco, by Talkie
- It Is Time, by Bayonne
- With Or Without Me, by VHS Collection
- SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK, by Joji
- Dissolve, by Hibou
- Setting With The Sun, by The Parlor Mob

The trio reformed in each other's arms. It was the moment they had been praying and gambling and scrapping for, longer than their optimism had lasted. Utterly bizarre, to see all the heartache and not knowing break apart, giving way to pure joy.

Eventually they stepped back, though they were a little reluctant to do so.

Wiping a tear from his cheek, James broke into a grin. "I thought you were a man," he told Jessie, who burst out laughing.

"I thought you were a woman!" she spluttered, then registered who was in his company. "Mondo!" she squealed, shuffling over to hug him. His face flushed pink as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

James and Cassidy looked at each other.

"Hi," Cassidy said.

"Cassidy," James greeted, unsure whether or not to go in for a hug; he ended up patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. "It's good to see you!"

"Yeah." Cassidy's eyes were wandering around his outfit. She smirked. "This is meant to be lowkey, is it?"

James batted his eyelashes. "Well I had you fooled, didn't I?"

"Point," Cassidy assented. She gestured past him: "Who's the kid?"

"Oh, how rude of me- this is Mondo, he used to handle our deliveries, back when we were in…" James lowered his voice. "You know."

Mondo gave a shy little wave. "Hi."

"Hey." Cassidy stuck her hand out. "Cassidy." She didn't miss the beat of hesitation before he accepted her handshake.

"This isn't um, this isn't what I usually look like, by the way," Mondo said.

Cassidy couldn't keep the amusement off her face. "Don't worry. This isn't my real hair either."

"Wwwwoooobbbbuffet!"

"Excuse me, hi?" the cashier's voice called from the next room. "No pokemon in the store, thanks so much."

Jessie let Wobbuffet get a quick pat from James before returning it to its ball.

"I've missed that," James smiled. "Gosh, I've got so much to tell you…"

"Let's take this outside," Cassidy said, "otherwise you lot will be swapping stories till that poor sod has to close up."

"Right, that's a good point." James trotted through to the other room, where the cashier barely blinked at what he was wearing, clearly used to it. "Can I wear these out?"

Over five years' worth of stories poured out of the trio on the walk to the bus stop. Jessie cried when James showed her Seviper and Yanmega; James cried when she gave him Inkay. They were like teenagers, linking hands and swinging them, laughing at the top of their lungs, giving each other wobbly piggybacks that always toppled as soon as Meowth tried to be the unruly cherry on top.

In all the excitement, Cassidy and Mondo found themselves a little displaced, trailing at the back of the group.

"They're kind of being the worst right now, aren't they?" Cassidy muttered, only half-joking. "We're like wheels four and five on a tricycle."

Mondo jumped a little when he realised Cassidy couldn't be talking to anyone but him. "Oh, I don't mind." He cleared his throat. "It's nice to see them so happy."

He went quiet, both intimidated and fascinated by Cassidy. It was hard to imagine he was walking next to the woman who had shot Carter dead. How had she felt, he wondered, pulling the trigger? Had it hurt her? Had she liked it?

Cassidy was stealing little glances at Mondo the same way he was at her. She recognised his grief, because it was the same kind she wore. It frothed around him, a black wave waiting to break. They stood at the same level with the water up to their ankles, refusing to wade any deeper. Biding time until the tide rose to crush them.

However he had broken ties with Team Rocket, she knew it hadn't been clean.

"... so I just thought," James was saying, "that the further we were from what we were wearing before, the safer we'd be!"

"Is dat ya excuse for puttin' da boy in acrylics?" Meowth scoffed.

"James!" Jessie snorted, elbowing him. "How many times have I told you that's not practical?"

James rolled his eyes. "I've hacked into many a government with nails on, thank you."

"Yeah but what about dat time ya couldn't peel ya orange?"

"Ha!" Jessie cackled. "And then that spearow swooped down and ate it! Oh my God that's classic, I almost forgot about that-"

"I'll have you know that orange had a particularly stubborn rind- you give me an orange right now and I'll show you just how…" James trailed off, noticing that Mondo and Cassidy had fallen behind. "Mondo, come and let them see how gorgeous you are!"

Meowth gave Mondo a sympathetic smile as he caught up. "Ya never stood a chance with Jimmy dere, did ya? Already he's gotcha up in drags…"

At the same time, Jessie slowed down to fall in line with Cassidy, who only looked up when Jessie laced her fingers with hers.

"You good?" Jessie asked softly.

"Yeah," Cassidy said, nodding rapidly. "Yeah, was just thinking." She smiled. "Mad, isn't it."

"It's wild." Jessie squeezed her hand, and Cassidy's armour fell away, the way it always did when Jessie looked at her like that. Sweet and sincere. "Thank you, Cassidy." Twin tears rolled from her ocean eyes. "Thank you so much for making me come here."

"You know, it's not like I could have known this would happen," Cassidy said. "I just wanted to sort my disguise out if I'm honest. But… I'm really happy for you, Jess."

"I just can't believe he's actually here," Jessie said, blowing her lips. "After all this time…"

They walked quietly for about a minute before Cassidy decided to just say it.

"Were you and James ever an item?"

Jessie's footsteps lost their rhythm for a second. "No," she answered slowly. "I mean… We had sex a couple of times, but it never went anywhere." She shrugged. "I think our issues always got in the way, you know? But I like where we are as friends. Still… It's funny. Sometimes I think we could've really worked together, if it wasn't for all the shit we've gone through."

"Yeah." Cassidy held onto Jessie's hand a little tighter. "I know what you mean."

"You're joking!" James exclaimed on the other side of the bus ride, gawping at the birch woods they were heading for. "You were in The Safety Shack?! I only checked there earlier this year!"

"We only came ta Kanto a few months back," Meowth groaned. "Ya musta just missed us- boy dat stinks… "

"It doesn't stink," Jessie spurned, "because we're all here together now. Isn't that right, Mondo?"

Mondo jumped to attention, plastering on his best shot at a happy face. "That's right, Miss Jessie!"

Cassidy scoffed at him. "You know you don't have to suck up to us any more, right kid? We're not in Team Rocket, we don't play that 'I outrank you' BS here."

There was a flinch in Mondo's smile; he put it back on. "Of course," he replied, his voice tight and timid, "but you are all still my elders."

Cassidy cracked a grin. "Calling us old now, are you?"

"N-No, I assure you I wouldn't-"

"Ignore her, she's only teasing," Jessie soothed. "Anyway, I quite like 'Miss Jessie'. It makes me sound sophisticated."

"If only ya could find somethin' dat made ya look sophisticated too- den ya'd be sorted!"

"You-!"

Having promptly dispatched Meowth into a pile of leaves, Jessie dusted off her hands and led the way into the trees. "Let's get a move on, I'm starving."

The group had picked up some groceries on the way back, which Meowth now sorted on the kitchen counter, stood on a stool so he was the right height for the human furniture.

One of the revelations he'd had since leaving Team Rocket was that he really enjoyed cooking. The ritual of measurement, the creation of something magnificent; it was a collision of science and art that fit right with his talents.

Plus when it was him doing the cooking, Jessie and James could hardly complain when he took the biggest portion.

Everyone was hungry, Meowth included, so he'd opted for a stew. 'A winter favourite,' promised the recipe book he was reading from, 'and perfect for feeding a family.'

Mondo paced over, tying an apron around his waist. He'd finished washing all the dishes they'd been letting accumulate, and looked at Meowth for further instruction.

"Go on, take a break," Meowth encouraged him. "You've already washed up a week a' Jessie's plates." He nodded towards the others: Jessie and James were sitting on the sofa, playing a card game that they'd managed to drag Cassidy into. "Why don'tcha join 'em?"

"I really don't mind helping," Mondo insisted. "I'd like to."

Meowth shrugged. "Well I ain't gonna turn ya away- c'mon den, let's get dis veg sliced 'n' diced."

As always, Meowth's Fury Swipes made short work of the carrots, while Mondo got to work peeling the potatoes.

"So," Meowth said. "Ya spent da week wid Jim, huh?"

Mondo nodded.

"And ya ain't lost all respect for him?"

"No," Mondo chuckled lowly. "No, of course not."

Meowth swept the pile of cubed carrots into a bowl, and moved onto the next lot. "He's lucky to have ya, you know. Judgin' by what he's told me, ya saved his life."

There was that pang in Mondo's chest again, like he was back in that truck, the roar of the road at each ear-

He moved his hands faster, forcing himself to focus on the job at hand.

"Mondo? Whoa, slow down-"

"It's fine," Mondo said, peeling like his life depended on it. The happy mask he'd been wearing slid from his face, no matter how hard he tried to keep it on. "I just need to- I just-"

The warmth of Meowth's paw on his arm stopped him mid-motion. Mondo put down the peeler, starting to tremble.

"Hey," Meowth said. His voice was so gentle: "Ya wanna talk about it?"

Mondo took a deep breath, and then another one, his hands steadied on the edge of the counter. Staring at the cracks in the wall until he was anchored again.

He slowly shook his head. "Not now," he whispered. "I…" He gazed over at the others. "I want this to be a happy night." He picked up the peeler, and started again, at a sensible pace this time. "Just a nice, normal dinner."

A twinge of sadness went through Meowth, wondering what had hurt Mondo so much. "Okay," he said. "Not now. But ya know I'm always here whenever you're ready, right?"

Mondo nodded as the peel curled from his hands.

His smile re-affixed.

"Mm," Jessie moaned, a spoon in one hand and a half-eaten slice of bread in the other. "This is actually so good, oh my God."

"Christopher would be proud!" James agreed between slurps.

Mondo took a break from blowing on his soup, confused. "Christopher?" he asked. "I'm not sure if we've met."

"Ya wouldn't've- dat's all before his time, ain't it?"

Cassidy narrowed her eyes in thought. "Christopher," she said slowly. "Rings a bell…"

"He was in training with us," Jessie offered.

"Oh shit, you mean that knob who dropped out? Brown hair, always holding buckets?"

"He's not a knob," James defended, "but yes, that's the one."

Cassidy grinned at Mondo. "He was always in trouble for being too nice," she clued him in. "Like, he wouldn't throw proper punches in combat training because he was so scared of hurting anyone."

"Oh," Mondo smiled.

"He would have made a terrible agent, I'll give you that," James admitted. "But you'll never guess what- now he runs a whole chain of ramen shops!"

"What?!" Cassidy exclaimed. "How'd the little tyke manage that?!"

"Well, I suppose hard work, inspired branding…"

With raised eyebrows, Cassidy reached for her glass of wine and took a gulp. "Good for him."

"I woiked for him for a bit," Meowth said, "an' he said I cut da finest noodles he'd ever seen in all his years a' cheffin'!" He paused. "Y'know, I bet he'd give us a place ta stay if we're ever in Sinnoh."

Cassidy put down her spoon. "Sinnoh?"

Meowth shrugged. "It's somewhere ta consider. Don't t'ink it'd be wise ta stay in Kanto too long, so…"

"Ooh, or Alola," James purred. "I've always wanted to go there."

Cassidy finished her glass. "It does look nice on the commercials."

They polished their meals off easily. James and Mondo took a little more time, savouring their bowls. After a week of food out of tins it was close to heaven; warm, crusty bread dipped in rich, creamy stew. Once everyone had had seconds, Mondo cleared the plates before anyone could stop him. Jessie's call for charades ended with an absolutely uncanny portrayal of Dr. Namba by Cassidy, who then retired for bed, Mondo soon after her.

Jessie, James and Meowth stayed up in the living room, not even attempting sleep. Their excitement was still yet to lose its edge, and there was so much to talk about.

Before they'd fallen apart, barely a day had gone by that they hadn't shared, but now there were years of stories that they'd missed, endless details to tell each other. They only noticed that they'd talked all the way through the night when the sun bled through the curtains, and smothered yawns started to escape from their lips.

All felt right in their little world on the sofa. Everything they'd been waiting for was here.

In the gloss of the full-length mirror, Cassidy's reflection peered back at her. She looked good in the pantsuit, she thought. Like a proper business bitch.

Jessie and James hovered at each shoulder, fussing over her.

"What we want to do here is tease the hair," James drawled, brushing her wig back, "without pissing it off."

Jessie hovered two lipsticks in front of Cassidy's face. "I think the nude lip works better- what do you think, James?"

"Oh yes, certainly not that red number, she's not dressing for the stage- oh, what about lip liner, do you still have that brand with the clefable logo Jessie? And a scarf wouldn't hurt anyone-"

"Okay, calm down!" Cassidy interrupted, shrugging out of their reach. "I'm a lawyer, not a model!" She took out her newly-purchased ID and compared the picture to her reflection. "Looks good," she muttered. "All right, I think I'm ready."

"And you're sure you don't want us to come with you?" Jessie asked, biting her lip. "Just in case you need backup-"

"I won't," Cassidy said. "No offence, but this is a solo mission." She saw the way Jessie was looking at her and pecked her on the cheek, leaving a print of her lipstick. "Chill, Jess. I'm a pro- and I've been on much tougher jobs than this."

Jessie smiled. "I know that."

"Then stop worrying- right, I'm off, I'll see you lot later."

The taxi picked her up where the road met the edge of the woods. Hardly the most cost-efficient mode of transport, but that was part of the look- when it came to impersonating someone else, Cassidy had always found that method acting was the best way to go.

From the moment she climbed into the cab, the mission had begun.

Rain drizzled down the windows, tinkling on the roof. She relaxed back into the cushy leather seat, her prop briefcase next to her, and spent most of the drive going over the steps of her plan, checking that she'd accounted for the issues most likely to arise. Admittedly, there was no way she could be sure she would make it out unarrested, but that was a risk she was willing to take. All in all, she trusted herself.

A blur of countryside and buildings, and before she knew it she was in Celadon. The fact that Team Rocket operated here was not lost on her, but that was just another distraction she needed to get out of her head.

She was a lawyer, and no one was out to kill her. That was how she had to play.

Her heels clicked up the stone steps to the jail's reception. It was one of several ugly concrete squares that made up the complex, the whole thing tied in a ribbon of razor wire.

Unpleasantly familiar. She and Butch had spent a few nights here, long ago, but they'd been swiftly bailed out, so she doubted any of the guards would recognize her.

Hopefully.

Through the main doors, into reception.

A young Jenny- probably early twenties, about Mondo's age- sat behind a thick layer of plexiglass, drowning in her uniform. She perked up as Cassidy walked towards her.

"Hello- are you scheduled for visitation?"

Cassidy set her briefcase down. "Yes."

The Jenny looked down at the piece of paper in front of her. "Name please?"

"Alyssa Gomez, representing Irvine & Co."

"Okaaay… Can I please see some photo identification?"

"Sure." Cassidy took out the ID card and passed it through the slot in the barrier. Given how much she'd shelled out for it, she was pretty confident.

Jenny held it up to the light, looking between the laminated card and Cassidy. Then she passed it back, smiling.

"Okay, thank you Ms. Gomez- if you just sign your name on the register there, and I'll buzz you through."

Cassidy scribbled down a frilly 'G'- she didn't know what Alyssa Gomez's actual signature looked like, but it didn't matter. By the time anyone realised she was a fraud she'd be long gone.

The door to their left clicked open; Cassidy gave a parting nod to the Jenny before pushing the handle.

Another guard beckoned her through a metal detector, which she passed through no problem.

"Right," the guard said, consulting his clipboard. "You're in 5C- this way."

He took her through another gate, into a narrow walkway. In the background she could hear the typical jailhouse ambience: overlapping conversations, clanking doors, someone shouting at someone else.

Being back on the inside of these walls felt deeply uncomfortable. Cassidy had to wonder how many cops here were in Team Rocket's pocket. Certainly more than zero.

The guard took her up a flight of metal stairs and stopped at the second door along the wall. "Here we are," he said, holding the door open for her. "If you'd like to take a seat- can I get you a drink, tea, coffee?"

Cassidy strolled into the room, sizing it up. "Coffee," she replied. "And one for my client."

"Milk, sugar?"

There was a domed camera on the wall. Cassidy pointed at it, frowning. "Could you please confirm that no audio recording is being taken? This meeting regards an open case, so you'll understand we take confidentiality very seriously."

The guard shook his head, disinterested. "Just the camera for your safety, ma'am."

Cassidy took a seat at the steel table and crossed her legs. "No milk. Bring some sugar though."

Her lips pulled into a smirk as the door closed. Bossing guards around was her new favourite thing.

Her amusement turned quickly back to anticipation as she waited for her 'client' to arrive. She really had no idea what to expect.

The door finally opened again, and she straightened up as the guard and prisoner stepped through.

Muranaka Saya came in wearing the same worried scowl she had in her mugshot. Straight black hair down to her chin and dark rings under her eyes that pointed to restlessness. Scrawny and short, not at all how Cassidy had imagined her.

The guard unlocked her shackles while his colleague came past with the coffees, setting them down on the table along with a fistful of sugar packets. Cassidy was blowing the steam off the top when she realised Saya was staring at her, eyes full of quiet accusation.

Saya took her time sitting down on the chair across from Cassidy, and waited for the door to click closed behind the guards. "You are not here about my appeal. You are not my lawyer."

Cassidy folded her arms and sighed. "No, I'm not."

Swallowing, Saya glanced at the camera, then glared back at Cassidy. "You're with Team Rocket."

"Well they want me dead, so no."

"What is this? Did Derby send you?"

"I don't even know who that is."

Saya narrowed her eyes. "I have a razor blade in my sock-"

"Okay, look-"

"- and if you try to hurt me I will hurt you first. And I don't care if I kill you on camera, I'm already in here for life, you understand?"

Cassidy raised her palms. "Got it, thanks."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the person who killed Giovanni."

Saya scoffed. "I killed him."

"Technically yeah, you pulled the trigger- but you didn't decide to, did you? Someone told you to." Cassidy clucked her tongue. "I used to be a hired gun too, I know what that life's like. You do other people's dirty work and then they leave you to rot in places like this."

"Ha! Exactly." Saya shook her head with a bitter grin. "He told me the target was a businessman. Team Rocket, Giovanni- I didn't know this."

"Who's 'he'?" Cassidy asked. "Derby?"

"What do you want with him?"

"I want to make him pay."

Delight lit up Saya's face. "Ah," she said knowingly. "You're out for blood."

Cassidy didn't flinch.

Saya licked her lips and knitted her hands together. "Tell me what you want to know," she said. "Just make sure he suffers."

Cassidy had expected exhaustion to knock her out as soon as her head hit the pillow, but in reality she spent most of the night tossing and turning. What little sleep she did get was shallow and fretful. This nasty sense of dread kept building and building, floating her back to the surface as her fists tangled the bedsheets.

"No," she gasped out loud, not quite awake yet. "No no NO!"

Her own scream woke her up. She sat up, blinking and breathing heavy. The panic quickly faded as she realised there was nothing real to attach it to.

The pad of footsteps, and Cassidy could just barely make out Jessie's outline coming through the doorway.

"What happened?" Jessie whispered, hurrying over. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah- sorry I woke you. Just a night terror, that's all."

"Oh."

Cassidy felt way too alert to attempt sleep again any time soon, so swung her legs out from under the duvet. "I'm gonna go on a little walk, tire myself out."

"I might join you."

"Sure."

They threw on their coats and boots and ventured into the night, taking care not to wake the others on their way out.

Cassidy immediately felt better for the cold air on her skin. Grounded. And the more she walked, the clearer she was on what she had to do.

"You should know I'm leaving tomorrow."

Jessie stopped in her tracks. "To follow your new lead?"

"Yeah. And…" Cassidy closed her eyes against the moon. "And I won't be coming back here. It's safer for all of us if I keep moving-"

"Don't," Jessie whispered. "We've- we've all only just reunited-"

"I have to, Jessie." Cassidy's voice was coming out all shaky, not at all how she'd planned.

Jessie hitched back a sob, taking Cassidy's hands tight in hers. "I don't want to lose you, I- I love you Cassidy, I-"

Cassidy closed the distance between them and kissed her. Their eyes fell closed as their lips connected, the wind whooshing around them.

By the time they pulled apart, there were streaks of tears down both their faces.

"You knew this wasn't going to end well," Cassidy said with a sad smile. "It never does with us."

Jessie shook her head. "Just don't leave tomorrow," she implored. "Stay another day. Please."

Cassidy breathed out. Her resolve rolling away like the clouds across the sky. "All right," she agreed. "One more day."