A White Today, and a White Tomorrow: A Warm Place 
A Warm Place
by Cori Falls
@->->- 
Author's Note
This piece is my response to all of those "Rocketshippy" death fics out there. 
It was originally a continuation of Memories of Tears by Mystic Vaporeon 
(because that's the one that upset me the most), but it didn't really make me 
feel better. So instead, I've changed it into a generic anti-death piece. 
Now, why was it necessary for me to write this story? Well, I originally wrote 
it because Mystic's fic was depressing me to no end. James dying and Jessie 
getting over his death, living her life without him, and never seeing him again 
until she died of old age 60 years later had to be, without a doubt, one of the 
saddest things I've ever read! 8_8 
And after I read Memories of Tears, I found out (the painful way) that it's not 
the only fic like that -- there's an entire genre of this "James dies young, and 
Jessie doesn't get to be with him again until she dies of old age many years 
later" stuff! O_o Another author named Kitten wrote a story called A Life 
Forever, which has the exact same premise as Memories of Tears -- it's about 
James dying young and Jessie living without him! 8_8 
I don't know what's up with these kind of fics, but I have the sneaking 
suspicion that they were inspired by that God-awful Titanic movie. (Thankfully, 
I saved myself the $8 and 3 hours and never watched Titanic, but a few of my 
friends had the misfortune of seeing it, and they all said that it had a similar 
plot -- Jack died in the shipwreck, and Rose wasn't reunited with him until she 
died of old age. Like I said...thank goodness I didn't see it!) My question is, 
what the hell is supposed to be romantic about that?! The person you love dies, 
and you have to live your life without them?! That's not romantic -- it's just 
depressing! And why do so many Rocketshippers feel the need to put Jessie and 
James in a similar situation? Why do they think killing one of them and making 
the other go on alone is so Rocketshippy?! If you ask me, separating them like 
that is one of the most anti-shippy things imaginable! I'm sorry, but J, J & M 
don't deserve that -- fics where they die are just wrong! 
Thus, the need for a response to all of this tragedy and death. Since I can't 
stand the thought of my fave characters being without each other, I wrote this 
fic to show that the idea of one of them dying is nothing more than the stuff of 
nightmares and that it'll NEVER really happen! A Warm Place, though still what I 
consider to be somewhat of a sad story, is, in the end, a life-affirming piece 
which shows that Jessie and James are going to be together forever, no matter 
what! (No offense to Mystic, Kitten, or any other authors who've written TR 
death fics, but I truly hate tragic stories, and I really can't handle them!) 
I'm warnin' ya right now, though, my fic is incredibly mushy -- just a bunch of 
catharsis on my...and Jessie's part. (I really think she took over while I was 
writing! +P). So if ya still wanna read this thing, don't say I didn't warn ya! 
@->->-
Jessie gasped as she was jolted from her slumber. Glancing around, she saw that 
she was surrounded by darkness. 
And that she was alone. 
Hot, bitter tears began to stream down her cheeks as the memories came flooding 
back to her mind. Memories of James's illness. The slow, painful deterioration 
of his health...and eventually, his death. She remembered his funeral and living 
her life without him. And she remembered that it had taken over sixty years for 
her to finally tell him that she loved him. Over sixty years before they were 
finally reunited in Heaven. 
As Jessie wiped the tears away she looked at her smooth, delicate hands for a 
moment. They weren't the hands of an old woman. And she wasn't in Heaven, or 
even a hospital -- she was in her bed in the secluded mountain cabin that she 
and James shared. 
But she was still alone. Where was James?! 
Panic seized her, and she jumped from bed. She had to find him. If it had been 
real...if he really were dead, she didn't know what she was going to do! 
Jessie ran into the hall and opened the door across from hers. Much to her 
relief, James was there, sound asleep in his own bed. But she still wasn't quite 
sure if the part about his illness was real or not. 
The mentholated smell of vapo-rub intermingled with the scent of the roses he 
kept in a glass vase on his nightstand and formed a bizzarre aroma that 
permeated his room. And there was no missing the rasping noise that came from 
his throat as he breathed. Yes, he was definitely sick. 
But it wasn't some rare, incurable lung infection...it was only a cold. 
Everybody got colds in the winter. He was going to be fine. 
Wasn't he? 
Jessie watched James for several minutes as he slept. He sounded congested, but 
his breathing was steady and rythmic. And he wasn't pale or emaciated like in 
her nightmare. It was, indeed, nothing more than a cold. 
So why did she still feel so uneasy? 
Smoothing back her long, crimson hair, Jessie went to the kitchen and put a 
kettle of water on the stove. Maybe a hot mug of herbal tea would help to clear 
her mind. 
While she was waiting for the water to boil, Jessie went to the window and 
looked out at the forest. It had snowed during the night, and all the world was 
now covered in a blanket of white. 
@->->- 
Their boss had given them two weeks off for the holiday season. Meowth had gone 
to Celadon City so that he could give Jessie and James a little time to 
themselves. He wanted to visit the Rocket Game Corner, which was run by their 
friends, Annie and Oakley, and he wanted to visit Vulpix and Growly, too. He 
promised to catch up later so that they could all spend Christmas together. 
Meanwhile, Jessie and James had agreed that a romantic getaway was exactly what 
they needed. So, they'd gone to a remote Team Rocket cabin in the mountains of 
Johto. The cabin was surrounded by beautiful evergreen forests, a crystal-clear 
lake, and slopes perfect for skiing and sledding -- it was the perfect spot for 
a romantic vacation! 
However, when they'd arrived at the cabin on the first night, James had seemed 
unusually tired, and he'd complained of a sore throat and a headache. 
"I hope I'm not coming down with something," he'd remarked. His voice, which was 
normally smooth and melodic, had sounded a little scratchy. 
"I hope not, either!" Jessie had told him. "I don't want anything to ruin our 
perfect vacation!" 
They'd both wanted to stay up late -- build a fire in the fireplace and cuddle 
with each other until the wee hours of the morning. Maybe even roast some 
marshmallows. But James just wasn't up for it. So, the two of them had gone to 
bed early. 
When they'd awakened the next morning, James had a hacking cough, and when 
Jessie felt his forehead, she'd found that he had a fever, too. Not wanting her 
to get sick as well, he'd promptly moved to the room across the hall. 
So much for the romantic vacation. 
@->->- 
A tear rolled down Jessie's cheek as she looked out the window. She'd spent the 
past three days caring for James. He'd been too sick to even get out of bed, and 
she'd had to feed him, give him medicine, and just try to keep him as 
comfortable as possible. She didn't mind doing all of these things for James -- 
she loved him, and she'd give her very life for him if she had to. But that was 
precisely why she was so upset -- she was worried about him. Fortunately, his 
fever had broken a few days ago, and his health had been improving since then, 
but fighting off the illness had worn out his immune system, and he'd still been 
bedridden during his convalescence. 
And then there was that nightmare she'd just had about his death. 
What did it mean? Was it just because she'd been worrying about him for the past 
few days, or was it some kind of evil omen? It had all seemed so real, and she 
remembered everything in vivid detail. 
More tears welled up in Jessie's eyes as she recalled the dream once more. Every 
image of James growing sicker with each passing day and finally expiring, of 
never getting to marry the man she loved or give birth to his children, of 
living her life without her soul-mate, was burned indelibly into her mind...and 
it was breaking her heart. 
Unable to bear the thoughts of the nightmare any longer, Jessie laid down on the 
couch and buried her face in the cushions as she continued to cry. In the dream, 
she'd eventually overcome the pain, but she honestly didn't know how she'd cope 
if she lost James in real life. 
In the kitchen, the kettle on the stove began to whistle, but Jessie didn't hear 
it. After a few minutes, the whistle became a scream, but she still paid it no 
mind. She was too wrapped up in her grief to even care anymore. 
A few more minutes passed, and the screaming kettle suddenly became silent. "You 
know, you really shouldn't let that thing boil over," James chided her. "It 
might...." 
But as he stepped closer to the couch and saw that Jessie was crying, he forgot 
all about the kettle. 
"Jess! What's the matter, sweetheart?!" he asked as he knealt next to her and 
gently placed a hand on her shoulder. 
Jessie stopped crying when she heard the sound of James's voice and felt his 
warm, soft hand caressing her. She looked up at him and saw a concerned 
expression on his face. 
He was a completely different man from the one she'd seen in her nightmare. When 
James had been dying in her dream, all of the light had gone out of his eyes, 
and they'd faded to a dull mossy color, but when she saw him now, his eyes were 
the same sparkling emerald-green that they'd always been. And in the dream, his 
blue-violet hair had become limp and tangled from lack of grooming, but now, it 
was as soft, smooth, and shiny as ever. The pallid, gaunt, shell of a man that 
she'd seen in the nightmare was gone, and a rosy, healthy-looking one had taken 
his place. The only imperfection she could see now was that his nose was a 
little red, but that was only because he'd gone through an entire box of kleenex 
over the past few days, and he still had a case of the sniffles. James wasn't 
dying -- he was just recovering from a cold! 
Still, the very sight of him reminded her of everything she'd seen in her 
nightmare, and she burst into tears again. 
James honestly didn't know why Jessie was so upset, and now he was more worried 
about her than ever. As she buried her face in the couch cushions again, he 
began to stroke her hair. "Please don't cry, Jess! Please! Just tell me what's 
wrong!" 
Jessie looked up at him again, and her lip quivered. "Oh, James, you were so 
sick...a-and you...you...I...." 
James couldn't help but laugh. "That's all?! You're getting worked up over a 
little head-cold?! Oh, Jessie! You're so silly!" 
An angry light sparked in her sapphire-blue eyes when she heard this. "What the 
hell are you laughing at?!" she demanded. "I just had one of the scariest dreams 
imaginable! I don't see what's so goddamned funny!" 
James backed away and put his hands up, as if to shield himself. When she saw 
him cowering from her, Jessie realized what she was doing -- she was screaming 
at the man she loved...the one she'd been crying over because she couldn't bear 
the thought of him dying. She couldn't live without him, but she'd just hurt 
him! 
"I'm sorry, James...I'm so sorry...." she whispered as the crying began anew. 
"No. I'm sorry, Jess," he replied as he seated himself next to her. "You were 
really scared, and I had no right to laugh at you." 
"I still am...I'm still scared...." 
"Tell me," he said, taking her hands in his own. "What happened in this 
nightmare? What made you so upset?" 
Jessie slowly shook her head. "You don't want to know...and I don't want to talk 
about it. It's too horrible!" 
James tightened his hold on her hands. "Jessica, nothing is so horrible that you 
can't talk to me about it! Nothing!" he said firmly. 
She trembled. 
"Even if there's nothing I can do to help," he continued, "I'd at least like to 
know what it is. But I can't help you at all...and you can't help yourself, 
either if you keep it bottled up inside. So, please, tell me what happened." 
Jessie exhaled in a ragged breath. "Okay. I'll try," she whispered. But before 
she could continue, her voice became stuck in her throat, and the only sound 
that escaped was another sob. 
James gently caressed her tear-stained face for a moment and got up from the 
couch. Jessie watched as he went back into the kitchen and poured some hot water 
from the kettle into two mugs. After adding the tea-bags and letting them steep 
for a few minutes, James stirred in some honey. Then, bringing the tea with him, 
he returned to her side. 
"Here. Drink this," he said, pressing one of the warm mugs into her cold hands. 
"Just relax, and remember, no matter how bad it was, it was only a dream. Only a 
dream...." 
Jessie inhaled the earthy fragrance of the echinacea tea and took a sip as James 
continued to speak softly to her. The warm drink and the soothing sound of her 
lover's beautiful voice soon calmed her. 
"Well...in this dream, you got sick," she began. 
James nodded and took a sip of his own tea. Reality manifesting itself in dreams 
was a common phenomenon. "Mmm, hmmm. Go on." 
"But it wasn't a cold," she continued. "I don't know what it was...some kind of 
incurable viral infection...and the day you came down with it, well, there was 
no hope. You...you just weren't going to make it...." She paused and shook her 
head as more tears fell from her eyes. "Every day you got worse and worse! All 
of the testing, all of the medications, all of the lengthy stays in the 
hospital...they didn't do shit! And there was nothing I could do but watch 
helplessly as the light went out of your eyes, and you wasted away to a shadow 
of your former self. There was nothing anybody could do...and I lost you forever 
because of it. 
"And it didn't end when you died, James! Meowth and I were left all alone, and 
we had to go on without you. I lived my entire life...lived to be an old 
woman...and you weren't there for me to share it with! But the worst part is, I 
never told you that I loved you while you were alive...and I never got to see 
you again until I was dead, too...." 
While Jessie was relating her story, James's expression became increasingly 
grim. It wasn't the part about his death that bothered him so much as the 
thought that he'd broken his promise...that he'd left her. She was a strong 
woman, but even strong people have something they fear...and Jessie's biggest 
fear was abandonment -- being deserted by someone she loved. James had always 
promised her that he'd make sure she was never afraid again...that he would 
never leave and that she'd never be alone. It hadn't occurred to him that 
something beyond his control might happen that would prevent him from keeping 
his promise, and as he thought about it, he began to cry, too. 
When Jessie was done telling him about the nightmare, her voice trailed off and 
gave way to sobbing once more. She looked more like a small, frightened child 
than a grown woman, and as James watched her cry, he suddenly realized that he 
had to be strong for her right now. She needed to know that it had only been a 
dream. A dream and nothing more. 
He wiped his tears away and placed his hand on her shoulder again. "Shhh...it's 
okay now, Jessie. It's okay...." 
She shook her head. "No it isn't," she whimpered. "I can still see it, James! I 
can still see you dying in my arms! I can still see me and Meowth putting roses 
on your grave! I can still see myself going through all of your things...trying 
to remember you and live my life alone! Oh, God, James, I'm so afraid that it 
may really happen someday...and I just can't handle that! I can't...I can't...I 
can't...." 
"You'll never have to," James said firmly. 
Jessie looked up at him. 
"Because it's never going to happen," he continued. "Not like that anyway. 
Everything dies eventually, but I promise you, we won't die until after we've 
gotten married, had children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren...after we've 
lived our lives together. I've always promised never to leave you, Jessie...and 
nothing is ever going to make me break my promise!" 
"But how can you keep such a promise?!" she cried. "That seemed to be what the 
dream was telling me -- that you just never know when something bad is going to 
happen...that tomorrow may never come!" 
James nodded. "I know. But I still promised you. I can't say how I'm going to 
keep that promise, but you'll just have to trust that I will. Do you trust me?" 
Jessie sniffled. 
"Do you trust me?" he asked again. 
She looked into his brilliant green eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. "Yes," 
she whispered. 
He cupped her chin in his hand and gently brushed her tears away with his thumb. 
More tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and placed her hand 
over his. 
"I love you," James told her. "And love is more powerful than death. Have faith 
in me, Jessie, and love will find a way to keep my promise...our promise." 
Jessie opened her eyes again and gazed at him. "I love you, too," she replied. 
"James, I love you so much...." 
As James returned her gaze, he could see that there was still sadness in her 
deep blue eyes. She was still afraid, and more than anything, she needed his 
closeness...his touch. 
"Come here, sweetheart," he said, holding his arms out to her. 
Jessie leaned closer and wrapped her arms around James, holding him as close as 
she possibly could. James returned the embrace, and he could feel her body 
trembling. As the trembling gave way to more sobbing, he realized just how 
profoundly that nightmare had upset her. 
She'd been hurt by so much in the short time she'd been in this world -- the 
death of her mother, being forced into a line of work that she hated, the 
ex-boyfriend who'd convinced her that she was worthless...who'd beaten her up -- 
all she'd ever known was abuse, abandonment, and betrayal. The scars on her soul 
ran deep, and as James held her to him and felt the sleeve of his black t-shirt 
getting soaked by her tears, he knew that no matter how much he reassured her, 
it would be a long time before those scars healed. 
Jessie had never cried so much in her life as she had in recent months -- since 
she had become James's girlfriend. She'd rarely shown emotion before, but now 
she cried all the time. James knew that it wasn't because he'd done anything to 
hurt her, however. Jessie had always carried the pain inside of her, but she'd 
always covered it up...kept it hidden deep down where it would only hurt her 
more. But now that she had him, she had a confidante. She cried because she felt 
safe with him, and she trusted him enough to show him what was inside of her 
soul. And every time she cried...every time she released the pain, it healed her 
soul a little more. 
He was exactly what she needed. He was a warm place...somewhere she could go to 
find comfort when she was in pain, and she needed to know that this would never 
change. So, James just held her, caressing her body and stroking her hair as he 
whispered words of love into her ear. Before long, her sobbing trailed off, and 
she just laid quietly in his arms. 
Jessie closed her eyes and relaxed as she concentrated on James -- the feeling 
of his hands as they gently massaged her back and shoulders, the sound of his 
smooth voice as he whispered tender words to her, the warmth of his flesh as he 
held her to him. The tip of her nose brushed against his neck as she rested her 
head on his shoulder, and she found herself inhaling the wonderful fragrance of 
his body, the scent that belonged to him alone. For a split second, she recalled 
the dream again and how these simple, sensual pleasures had been taken away from 
her forever. But she quickly banished all of the unsettling thoughts from her 
mind when she felt James respond to her. 
He turned his head slightly, and Jessie could feel the ends of his silky 
blue-violet hair tickling her face. Then, he leaned down and touched his lips to 
her forehead. She looked up at him, and for the first time all morning, she 
smiled. 
"Feeling better now?" he ventured. 
She nodded. "Yes. But don't let go of me, James...I'm not ready yet...." 
"I didn't plan on it," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her sea of 
crimson hair. 
James placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face upwards. He leaned 
closer to her, but just before his lips met hers, he hesitated. He wanted to 
kiss her, but he was still a little sick, and he didn't want to spread his cold 
germs. Before he could decide whether or not to continue, however, Jessie made 
the decision for him and pressed her lips against his. 
Their kiss lasted for several minutes, but even when it ended, the two of them 
remained in their embrace. James rested his chin atop her head and sighed 
contentedly, happy to know that he could always make the woman he loved feel 
better when she was sad or frightened. And as Jessie laid her head on his chest, 
she was reassured once again that her nightmare would never come true. His 
throat may have been a little congested, but the breath in his lungs was strong, 
and so was the beating of his heart. James was brimming over with life, and 
Jessie knew that the shadow of death would never come between them. 
But even though she felt better now, she still wasn't ready to let go of him. If 
anything, Jessie wanted to be closer to James than ever, and as she looked up at 
him, the glimmer in his emerald eyes told her that he wanted the exact same 
thing. 
He raised an eyebrow, as if to ask permission. Jessie smiled and nodded in 
response. 
"Show me just how much stronger love is than death, James," she whispered. 
Slowly, James leaned into her, and as he slid the straps of her red nightgown 
off of her shoulders, he began to kiss her neck. Jessie sighed as she ran her 
fingers through his hair and felt his lips move from her neck to her bare 
shoulders. He paused for only a second while she pulled off his shirt. 
Once they had undressed each other, James laid himself on top of Jessie, and 
their lips met in another kiss. More tears streamed down her face when she felt 
James inside of her, but now they were tears of joy rather than sorrow. 
James made love to her slowly and gently, caressing every inch of her body with 
his own. "I love you," he whispered as he covered her face with his soft, 
velvety kisses. 
It was several minutes before Jessie was able to echo his words. Every time she 
tried to speak, her voice became caught in her throat, and the only sound that 
escaped was a gasp of pleasure. When she finally did say "I love you," back to 
him, both she and James found themselves overwhelmed by more joy than they ever 
thought possible. 
Their two bodies remained one for a long time after that. And it wasn't the 
desperate, driving kind of love that was normally made in the wake of doubt or 
fear, but rather the peaceful kind made by two souls secure in their love...and 
each other. 
All of Jessie's doubts and fears vanished as she and James laid together, making 
love. Their souls would always be joined as their bodies were joined now, and 
she knew that nothing would ever separate them, in life or in death. The path 
set before them was one that they would walk together, now and for all eternity. 

@->->- 
Even when it was over, James refused to release Jessie from his embrace. He 
continued to kiss her and cuddle with her, and she offered no protests, 
welcoming and returning every gentle touch he gave. Such was the nature of James 
-- the physical aspect of their relationship had always been about more than 
just sex to him. It was the simple feeling of being close to the woman he loved. 

When they finally did release each other, it wasn't because they'd had enough. 
Rather, it was because now a different need was driving them even more -- 
hunger. 
"Why don't we get some breakfast?" James suggested at length. "I'm starving!" 
"Me, too!" Jessie replied as she realized that the morning was almost over, and 
that she hadn't had a thing to eat all day. 
Reluctantly, the two of them broke from their embrace and put their clothes on 
again. Then, they joined hands and went to the kitchen. 
While Jessie was taking a loaf of bread from the refrigerator, she noticed James 
putting a big skillet on the stove. "Can you please get me the bacon while 
you're in there?" he asked. 
Jessie raised an eyebrow. "You feel up to cooking today?" 
He smiled at her and nodded. "And get me the hash browns, too!" 
She couldn't help but return his smile as she reached into the refrigerator once 
more and brought out a package of bacon and a bag of shredded potatoes. James 
was definitely back to normal if he was cooking again. 
After the skillet had heated up, he put in some strips of bacon and pushed them 
around with his spatula, making sure that they cooked evenly. 
"Jess, if it's not too much trouble, I'd still like some of your cinnamon toast, 
too," he said as he poured some hash brown shreds into the skillet with the 
bacon. "It's really good!" 
She smirked at him. "You mean something that I made is actually edible?!" 
"You're a better cook than you give yourself credit for," he told her. "Besides, 
I think your cinnamon toast is one of the things that made me feel better." 
Jessie's smirk became a smile as she put two slices of wheat bread into the 
toaster. Ever since the day James had gotten sick, she'd had to do all of the 
cooking herself, and every morning, she'd made cinnamon toast for him. He always 
ate it up, and sometimes, he'd even ask for more, but she had no idea it was 
because he actually liked it -- she thought it was just because he'd been trying 
to be nice! 
While she was waiting for the bread to toast, Jessie refilled their mugs with 
hot water so that she could make more tea. And as the tea-bags steeped, she 
found her gaze drifting back to James. He was wearing a pair of blue silk boxer 
shorts and a rumpled Nine Inch Nails t-shirt that he'd gotten at a concert 
they'd gone to a few years back, and he was humming a happy song to himself as 
he cooked breakfast. It was kind of a funny sight, but Jessie still couldn't get 
over how handsome he looked. He was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. 
As if he could sense her thoughts, James turned and winked at her. Jessie's 
heart fluttered, and she felt herself blushing. 
When the two pieces of bread popped out of the toaster, they were a crispy 
golden brown. Jessie put them on a plate and lightly buttered each slice. Then, 
she sprinkled a coat of cinnamon sugar on top of them. Meanwhile, the bacon and 
hash browns had finished cooking, and James removed the skillet from the stove. 
They seated themselves at the table, and Jessie smiled again as she watched 
James fill his plate with food. One of the reasons he'd been so sickly in her 
nightmare was because he'd had no appetite, and he hadn't wanted to eat 
anything. But that certainly wasn't the case now (and nor had it ever been). 
Even when he'd first come down with the cold and felt his worst, James had still 
been a bottomless pit. And if anything, with a mountain of bacon, hash browns, 
and cinnamon toast on his plate, he was hungrier than ever now! 
Yes, James had a real appetite...and a real zest for life, and as Jessie watched 
him eat, it reassured her even more that all of her fears about his illness had 
been groundless. 
"Don't you want any cinnamon toast?" he asked, noticing that she hadn't taken 
the second slice. 
"No, thank you," she replied as she munched on a strip of bacon. "You can have 
it." 
He smiled at her as he took the toast for himself. "Thanks, Jess!" 
Jessie chuckled. "I still can't believe something I made is edible!" 
"It really is good," he told her as he took a bite from the toast. "And it 
really did make me feel better! I think the fact that you made it for me had a 
lot to do with it. Knowing that you were there and that you were taking care of 
me...that meant a lot, and it still does." 
"Well...I remember my momma always made cinnamon toast for me when I was sick, 
and it always made me feel better. I figured it was worth a try," she explained. 

"And it worked!" said James. 
Jessie smiled and closed her eyes for a moment. "Momma always made sure we had 
food to eat when I was sick...and since cinnamon toast was simple and 
inexpensive, that's what I always got. But I think you're right -- I think it's 
knowing that somebody loves you...that somebody is there for you is what makes 
all the difference." 
James reached over and took her hand in his own. "I know it did for me. Thank 
you, Jessie." 
The two of them embraced and sat together in silence for several minutes. As 
they held each other, Jessie looked out the window and saw that it had started 
snowing again. Suddenly, this made her realize something. 
"James?" 
"What is it, Jess?" 
"I think I just figured out what my dream was about." 
James pulled away slightly and looked into her eyes. "Tell me." 
"Well," she began, "I don't think it was about you at all...." 
"Oh?" 
"I think...I think it was about...my momma!" 
"How so?" 
Jessie closed her eyes again. "Well, the part about death...being abandoned by 
someone you love. That's exactly what happened with momma. And this is the same 
time of year she died, too -- it was eleven years ago today that I got the news. 
But I think it was you in the dream instead of her because you've been sick this 
past week, and I've had that on my mind." 
James nodded. "Dreams usually are symbolic. You're probably right -- losing me 
was just a symbol of what you went through with your mother. And things that go 
on in your life manifest themselves in really strange ways when you dream. It 
makes sense." 
"But it was more than that," she continued. "The rest of the dream...the part 
after you died...seemed to be about getting over the grief and getting on with 
my life." Tears welled up in her eyes for a moment when she said this. "James, I 
would never get over it if you really did die, but...." 
"Shhh," he whispered, pulling her into an embrace again. "We both know that's 
not going to happen." 
"I know," she whispered back. "I know. But it hurts inside, James. It hurts so 
much...." 
Her voice trailed off, and she was silenced for a few minutes. James just held 
her and reassured her that everything was going to be okay. 
"....But I think my dream was supposed to be about getting over my momma's 
death," Jessie said when she was able to speak again. "In the dream, one of the 
things that Meowth and I did to make ourselves feel better after you died 
was...was to have a Remember James Day where we shared our happy memories of 
you. And...and that was what let us move on with our lives...." 
Jessie stopped again as her crying began anew. And once more, James took her in 
his arms and reassured her that everything was going to be okay. Somehow, James 
could tell that he was going to be doing a lot of this. Even if Jessie did know 
that it wouldn't happen, the thought of him dying was always going to tear her 
up inside. The best he could do was to keep her from thinking about it...and to 
be there for her if she ever did get to thinking about it. 
"Maybe that's what you have to do with your mother," he whispered into her ear. 
"If you think about the happy memories and always keep them in your heart, 
Miyamoto will always be with you, Jess." 
"Sometimes I like to think that when my momma died, she became an angel," Jessie 
muttered at length. "And that she really is always with me...that she's always 
watching over me. I know that sounds crazy, but...." 
"No it doesn't," he told her. "Jess, that's a beautiful way to remember her! I 
think it makes sense, too!" 
Jessie looked up at him. "Y-you do?" 
He nodded. "Think about it. How do you think we always manage to survive and 
escape unharmed, no matter what kind of situation we're in? Maybe we really do 
have a guardian angel watching over us...and maybe that angel really is 
Miyamoto...." 
As Jessie rested her head on James's shoulder again and thought about her 
mother, she found herself overcome by a feeling of peace. Somehow, she knew that 
she and James were right...that Miyamoto was always with them, keeping them safe 
from harm. 
"So, no more tears, right?" James ventured. "The past is over. Now it's time to 
enjoy the present and look to the future...our future." 
"Yeah," she whispered. "It's time to move on." 
"Just remember that you'll never be alone, Jessie," he continued. "Your mother 
is always with you in spirit, and I'll always be with you, too...in both body 
and spirit. No matter what." 
Jessie smiled at him, and a light of joy sparkled in her sapphire eyes. "I love 
you, James." 
"I love you, too, Jessie." 
As the two young lovers embraced once more and pressed their lips together, an 
angelic form materialized behind them. 
So, you finally figured it out, did you? said Miyamoto as she nodded approvingly 
at her daughter and future son-in-law. I knew you would eventually -- you're 
smart kids. And now that you know the truth, I hope it heals some of your pain. 
There's no need for either of you to be sad anymore, and the two of you don't 
have anything to fear. As long as I'm around, I'll make sure your nightmares 
never come true...and I'm always around.... 
But Jessie and James didn't hear her. All they knew was that they were both 
filled with a sense of inner-peace and that they would always be safe. 
Epilogue
After breakfast was finished, and James knew that Jessie was going to be okay, 
he found that he wanted to go back to bed. The events of the morning had worn 
him out, and he still needed his rest. But just as he was about to return to his 
room, Jessie stopped him. 
"Can I please come with you?" she asked. "I want to go back to bed, too. It's 
too cold and stormy to do anything outside, and...." 
James looked into her eyes and saw how much she needed to be close to him, even 
now. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied as he wrapped his arms 
around her waist and held her to him. 
Jessie smiled and returned his embrace. 
"Besides," he continued. "I'm feeling a lot better now. I think I'm ready to 
move back into our room." 
"Good," she said. "I was getting lonely in there!" 
James chuckled. "Can't have that, now, can we?" 
Jessie smirked and tugged gently at the little wisp of hair that hung in his 
face. "Nope!" 
With that, James closed the door to the room where he'd spent the past three 
days and returned with Jessie to her room. 
"It's good to have you back, James," she said as the two of them climbed under 
the winter blankets on her bed and embraced once again. "I really did miss you." 

"I missed you, too," he told her. 
Jessie snuggled into James and took in every aspect of his being as she began to 
doze off -- the warmth of his flesh as he pressed his body against hers, the 
softness of his blue-violet hair as it tickled her face, the sparkle in his 
emerald-green eyes as he gazed lovingly at her, the sweetness of his breath as 
he kissed her tenderly on the lips, the fragrance of roses that he always seemed 
to have about him, and most importantly of all...the sound of the breath in his 
lungs and the heartbeat in his chest. 
There was nothing better than the feeling of having James close to her, and 
Jessie knew that this would never change -- that he would never leave. Weezing, 
Victreebel, and Growly would always have their master to care for them...Meowth 
would always have his buddy's head to perch on...and she would always have her 
best friend, her lover, her soul-mate by her side. This knowledge made Jessie 
feel safe once again, and she was finally able to go back to sleep. 
James stayed awake for a few more minutes after Jessie drifted off. He smiled 
and enjoyed the sensation of her body next to his, the silkiness of her red hair 
as he ran his fingers through it, and the peace of mind he got from knowing that 
he could protect her and make her happy...just like she always did for him. 
"I love you, sweetheart," he whispered as he kissed her lips once more. 
Jessie smiled in response, and James knew that in spite of all of the pain she 
had been in earlier, the morning's events had all turned out for the best. 
Nothing bad had truly happened, and being there for her while she came to terms 
with her sorrows and fears had been a healing experience for the both of them. 
James snuggled into Jessie again as sleep finally reclaimed him. A feeling of 
peace descended on the two young lovers, and no more nightmares plagued either 
of them as they laid together in each other's arms. 
Outside the cabin, the snow continued to fall, but Jessie and James were safe 
from the cold. As long as they were together, they were in a warm place...a 
place where pain and sorrow could never touch them. And they would always be 
together, safe in their love...their warm place for all eternity. 
The End
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