by Megan McGory

*A/N* There are references to the TV Show "Dark Shadows" in this, but it's not enough to be a crossover so to speak. You can't even tell unless you've watched both shows. Sorry this story is in 2 parts, it's really only one, but you know, like the movie "Titanic" it's long and has to be split somewhere! Yes, this is a different version of my story but only different because I fixed all the typos.

We were working on Mandarin Island in the Orange Archipelago about six months later, trying to find a way to control pokemon on a large scale. We had captured a Drowzee before heading to the Orange Islands to start work on one of Giovanni's laboratories. Everything was going fine until one day when Butch noticed something on one of our cameras we had set up facing the ocean.

"Cass, look at this!"

I looked, and saw the spiky black hair that belonged to that whiny brat who uncovered our breeding center secret. "Well, look who's come to visit."

"It's that kid with the pikachu."

I smirked. "I think it's payback time."

Later on in the day, after we had used Drowzee to catch that pikachu, we received something else. As we landed on the lower level of the laboratory, a Meowth said, "I am here to soive you!"

My mouth almost dropped to the floor. "A talking Meowth?"

"Could it be?"

Almost as if on que, a horrible pushing and banging sound rang though the lab. All of the sudden, Jesse and James managed to squeeze out of the same pipe Meowth had come from.

"That was unpleasant." James said.

"Our old friends."

Jesse looked at me, horrified. "Cassidy?"

"And Buttch!"

Butch frowned. "The name is Butch!"

Jesse stood and pointed at me. "There's only room for one Team Rocket!"

"Then prepare for trouble!" Butch said.

"You're the ones who should prepare for trouble!"

"Oh," I said, "You two don't even know how to say the motto!"

"You just made your trouble, double!" James said.

"I have the next line!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To blight all peoples in every nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"Goodness of truth and love!"

"Reach to the stars above!"

"Wrath to the stars above!"

"Jesse!"

"Cassidy!"

"James!"

"Butch!"

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Team Rocket circling Earth all day and night!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight!"

"We say it just as good as you do!" Jesse said, exasperated.

"So Jesse," I said, straightening up, "rumor has it you're getting kicked off Team Rocket! It's just a rumor of course, it's not official yet..."

In a moment, James was at my side, holding my arm. "Did you hear any rumors about me?" He almost looked like he was going to cry.

Jesse dragged him away. "I'll bet she's the one who started the rumor!" She stopped across the room. "I thought you two were still in jail!"

"The boss came down to the station and bailed us out himself," Butch said.

"He paid- in person?" James asked.

"The Boss never does anything like that for us.."

"We're on the same team," I said, "but in different leagues."

It was then that we rubbed our pokemon catch in their faces. They retaliated by trying to attack our pokemon- to steal them. We only ended up taking control of all their pokemon, and turned them against them. As soon as they realized they were going to lose, they latched onto each other, screaming in fright.

Their pokemon launched their strongest attacks on them, all at once. Victrebell had used a sleep powder on James, thankfully, but Arbok lunged at Jesse and bound her. "No Arbok! Let go of me!"

I smiled at Arbok sunk her fangs into Jesse's neck.

Suddenly, I could see that tentacruel again; holding me under the water until I couldn't breathe, stinging me everywhere. I had done nothing to it, but it still attacked me. I could see Pidgeot, rushing towards me with its talons sharp and ready for the kill- my worst nightmare...

Arbok was killing Jesse, and I was standing aside, doing nothing- and smiling? What the hell had become of me?

"Arbok, stop!" I screamed.

Thankfully, she did, and slithered away. I ran to Jesse and knelt beside her. Her neck was bleeding profusely, and there was a thick, yellow liquid oozing from the wounds. Arbok had injected poison. Jesse could die.

It would be my fault. I cradled the unconscious Jesse in my arms and just cried. "Butch, get me a potion; get me an antidote- hell get me thousands!" I screamed.

"Why? I thought you hated her!"

I glared at him. "Does that make it okay for me to kill her too?"

His face dropped when he saw my meaning. "My god!"

"Hurry the fuck up!" I screamed.

It took forever. I only sat there and cried, holding my sister for what could be the last time. A lot had happened, but Jesse didn't deserve this. "To denounce the evils of truth and love..." James was going to live- but would he live without Jesse? I doubted it. All this happened because I was jealous! What had Jesse ever REALLY done to me? Nothing! Nothing at all.

Butch returned with the antidote, and I quickly healed Jesse as well as I could. "We'll put them on the sidewalk before they wake up," I said. Butch only nodded.

When all was done, we tried to go back to work. We didn't talk; we just did what we had to do.

Within hours, they were back.

I couldn't believe my eyes. They were at the door, smiling and laughing as if nothing had ever happened, with a huge cart near them.

"I can't believe they're back!" Butch said.

"We've brought a little peace offering!" James said.

"We've turned over a new leaf and decided to help you as fellow Team Rocket members should!"

"And to prove there are no hard feelings we brought something that might come in handy." he revealed the cart full of pokeballs.

Butch looked at me. "What do you think?"

Something was nagging me. Jesse couldn't have known I'd just saved her life- why was she suddenly acting so nice?

"I think we could use the pokeballs," I said lamely.

We let them in and as Jesse came into view I asked, "So, what brought on this sudden change of heart?"

"We decided we'd like to be friends!"

"Let's call a truck so we can be one big happy Team Rocket!" James said.

Something was definitely going on. "This isn't like you two."

"Well," Jesse said matter-of-factly, "That's because there's more than just the two of us now!"

I was confused- until they heaved the cart towards us. As it picked up speed, Officer Jenny and the brats jumped out of the cart. It swerved to the right and crashed into the wall, pokeballs spilling across the floor. Should have figured.

"You're under arrest you pokemon thieves!"

"Yeah, gimmie back my Pikachu!"

"Yeah, gimmie back my Togepi!"

I rolled my eyes- like she really had to add that 'gimmie back my togepi' - it was overkill.

"It's all over guys."

"Well, " Butch said, "let's see if the pokemon agree with that, shall we?"

The brats began to whine again. I couldn't take it and commanded Drowzee to make the pokemon attack- all of them- again.

Everything was happening so fast- I knew if I wasn't careful that everything could end up as before.. as a disaster.

Suddenly, the twerp began to provoke his Pikachu to attack him. Heck, I thought that Drowzee was getting to him; but at the last second I realized his true intent. As he ran to the main control, my heart leaped into my throat.

That Pikachu's Thunder Attack caused the main control to explode, and we had suddenly lost all our work, and all our power. Officer Jenny cleared out the lab quite quickly; only giving us enough time to run up to a balcony where we fought Jesse, James, and the twerp again.

I was sure Drowzee's Metronome would finish the fight and we would be victorious. While we was using Metronome, I noticed that Togepi was copying Drowzee. Cute and harmless, right?

Wrong. As soon as Metronome ended, Togepi's arms glowed bright blue. Togepi had just learned Metronome- and with two Metronome attacks- I knew disaster was about to strike.

Then I heard, "PIKA!"

When I came to, I was being placed- again- into the back of a cop truck. Butch was at my side, and he smiled when he saw me. I sat up and looked out the window, where I could see the twerps, Officer Jenny, and Jesse and James. They had all taken quite a beating from-

What happened anyway? Then I noticed the huge pile of rubble..the Lab?

The truck began to drive off. "Looks like we're carted off again!" we cried.

That night, in our small jail cell, I stood next to the wall looking thought the small slit of a window with bars over it, staring at the moon. It seemed so large, being so close to the ocean as we were. I only wished we could be on a beach somewhere, staring at the stars and the moon. We had done that often while in the Orange Islands.

Butch came up behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong, Cass?"

I leaned back against him. "What isn't?"

"Oh, you know the boss will get us out in the morning..."

"Yeah-"

Butch lightly stroked my hair. "I know it's more than that."

I turned to face him. "What happened to me today?"

"After Drowzee's Metronome?"

I nodded.

He took a deep breath. "There was a huge explosion." He took my place by the window and stared up at the moon. "Ground Zero was just underneath where we were standing- I was thrown clear of the lab. Everyone else was knocked down, and nearly as soon as I landed, Officer Jenny picked me up and cuffed me. She demanded to know where you were, and by this time all the dust and smoke was starting to settle and clear. When I saw the lab...and we couldn't find you...I wanted to tear out of the handcuffs and dig through the rubble to find you..." He wiped his eyes. "They wouldn't let me help. One of the kids- Tracey, I believe, used his Venonat's radar to find your body. We all rushed over to where he said it was..and.. I-"

He paused, and I could see in the moonlight that a tear had slipped down his cheek.

"Go on," I said, "I need to know."

"I thought for sure you were dead, " he whispered, "Your body was trapped under the satellite dish. I suppose that's a good thing, because it served as a shield for you. Jesse had Arbok use its Acid attack to burn a hole through the metal..and when they pulled you out I couldn't tell if you were alive or dead."

I hugged him, and as I did I could tell he was crying. He was never one to admit when we was crying, but tonight he just didn't care.

"I thought I lost you Cassidy..." he said, pulling away slightly and looking me in the face, "When they told me you were alive you don't know how I felt." He stroked my hair and gazed deeply into my eyes. "I love you, Cass."

I caressed his cheek and gazed into his eyes, deciding right then and there this wasn't worth it anymore. Both Jesse and I had almost been killed today, all because of Team Rocket.

No, we had all nearly died today.

"I love you too, Butch"

With those words, he kissed me. The kiss was wonderful, and I never wanted it to end; he was so gentle, so loving, so passionate.

"Butch," I said, breaking away, "I'm sick of working away from Team Rocket Headquarters. When we're out like this, we're always in danger."

"I know, but this is all we've got. It's a job."

He was right. Without Team Rocket, we had no money, no food, no house. Our pokemon training career was shot- or was it? Who knew, but we couldn't just up and leave. At that moment, I wished we never even joined.

Giovanni was NOT happy with us, but he was even more upset with Jesse and James for siding with the law. Another strike against them.

At my suggestion, Butch and I took jobs in the science labs at Team Rocket Headquarters. We studied pokemon behavior and recorded new findings. We weren't a part of the experiments- we didn't conduct them, we only knew code initials for them and they were useless to us anyway.

It was like this for two years.

I was looking through a proposal for a new experiment involving humans. Of all the experiments, this was the only one I was to know about. The A.I. Project.

Artificial Insemination.

I was appalled. How could Giovanni even think of doing such a thing? As I went to his office to discuss the matter, a thought crossed my mind. Who would he use for this project? Or worse, who would want to volunteer?

I quietly opened the door. "Sir?"

He turned to face me from his huge, black leather chair. "What do you want, Cassidy?"

I shut the door and held up the file labeled "A.I. Project." "What the hell is this?"

He stood and crossed the room, only to take the folder from my hand. "This is the future of Team Rocket."

"Who would agree to participate in that?"

He shrugged. "I don't care."

"What do you mean, 'you don't care?'"

"I have someone in mind."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Who?"

He chuckled. "Oh, two agents whom I am terminating today. Two agents, I might add, whom you know very well."

"Jesse?" I shrieked.

He nodded.

"You sick bastard! What the hell are you thinking?"

He turned. "I hope you realize that you're the last one she'll see as a member of Team Rocket."

"What do you-?"

He cut me off. "You're going to take her 'R' from her, tomorrow morning."

"I will do no such thing!"

He whirled around, anger darkening his expression. "What did you just say?"

"I said I will do no such thing!"

He roughly grabbed the collar of my dress, bringing me closer. "Like hell you will! If you don't, I'll see to it you end up the same way she does."

I glared at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

He kissed me- seizing my mouth with nothing but hate and horrible intent, and I wanted to vomit.

"And you'd better show you enjoy taking her 'R'," he said, releasing me, "Or it will be ten times as worse!"

Defeated, I left the room. He wanted me to take her 'R'- the most humiliating way to leave Team Rocket. I held nothing against her any longer, but she would forever hate me for this. I had no choice. "I'll see to it you end up the same way she does..." those very words sent a chill down to the core of my soul.

I ran by to my quarters and cried for hours...the bastard.

It seemed as though all I could do was sit by ad watch as he destroyed my sister. If he was going to destroy her, then I was going to destroy something much more important to him.

I would destroy Team Rocket.

When Butch entered our quarters that night, he looked somber. "Did you hear about Jesse and James?"

I nodded, and that's when he saw my tear-stained face. "God, what happened?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Do you have any idea what he has planned for them?"

"Besides firing them? No."

I stood and walked closer to him. "That fucking bastard wants us to destroy them! You wouldn't believe what he wants with Jesse!"

Butch looked deeply into my eyes. "He doesn't-"

"Yes he does," I sniffed, "The fucker said if I didn't take her 'R' that he would do the same to - " the words caught in my throat and all that came out was a sob. Butch wiped the tears from my cheek, concerned. "Who?"

It pained me to say it, but I did.

"Me."

He backed up. "You?"

I nodded. "That bastard kissed me, and he had no right to kiss me like that..."

Butch picked up the nearest lamp and heaved it at the wall. "The son of a bitch! I'll fucking kill him!"

"Butch, don't!"

He looked at me then, and all I could see was anger, hate, and fear. I came closer, and with a shaky hand, caressed his cheek. "I know you're just as afraid as I am." I pulled him down onto the bed. "We can't do anything to stop it."

"And let him-"

"He'll kill us, Butch!"

He stopped, examining my face and eyes. "You're right."

I silently cooked our supper that night; we both weren't looking forward to the next day.

That evening, just after I had shut our bedroom light off, Butch said, "We have to do something!"

"I already know what I'm going to do." I said.

"What?"

"I'm going to destroy Team Rocket." I whispered.

The next morning, when I awakened, everything was dreadfully quiet. Butch was already up, looking our the window, smoking a cigarette. The sun hadn't even risen yet.

"It's only a few hours away," he said, "their nightmare hand't even begun yet." I wrapped my arm around his waist. "It's our nightmare too."

We did barely anything except get dressed until Giovanni summoned us. I didn't want to do this. I only wished I never left Collinsport- that WE hadn't left Collinsport. I wished I had never been jealous of Jesse- I hated myself at that moment. Now, my dead hatred for Jesse would yet destroy her.

Or would it?

As we "strode" into Giovanni's office, I caught his eyes on me- pressuring me- this would have to be the best act I ever performed. He was expecting me to say something.

"So Jesse," I said, thinking of our last encounter, "the rumors are true. You're getting kicked off the team at last."

I feigned the most wicked smile I could, and advanced towards her. "I'm going to enjoy this." I said flatly.

"Cassidy," Giovanni said, "take her 'R'."

I just wanted to get it over with. I took the "R" as fast as possible, taking half her overshirt with it.

Jesse looked at the floor, and I knew she had begun to cry. I wanted nothing but to hug her, to tell her I meant no harm, that I was forced to, and that it was going to be all right. But I couldn't. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I turned away.

"Meowth," Giovanni said, "Come with me." Looking to Jesse and James, he said, "I'll deal with you two when I get back." He signaled to us and we all left the room.

Once out in the hall, Giovanni turned to me. "Excellent performance," he said, caressing my cheek. Resisting the urge to bite him, I forcefully shoved his filthy hand off me, and a tear slid down my face.

"Of course it was." I said bitterly. Butch clenched his fists, and Meowth examined us carefully.

As if he understood what the Boss had made us do, he said, "Giovanni?"

"What do you want?" he shot.

"Well, only ta tell ya I think you're an asshole!"

The cat and Giovanni glared at each other.

"Those will be the last words you ever say."

"Good!" the cat stuck up his middle claw. Giovanni turned to us. "Take him to the labs. Remove his vocal cords immediately!"

I too, glared at him.

When we got to the labs, we took Meowth into a small storage room.

"What are we doin' here?" he asked.

"What do you think?" Butch snapped. His fists were still clenched.

"Well," Meowth said, "ya certainly ain't takin' out my vocal cords here!"

"That's right," I said, "because we're not taking them out at all."

He gave me a quizzical look. I continued. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm not working for that asshole. I'm working against him."

"Yeah," Butch added, "She tried to stop what happened today, but the 'boss' threatened her."

He ended up explaining the rest to Meowth, but just before he finished, however, we heard a gunshot.

"My god," I whispered, "He's killed one of them!" I left Butch and Meowth and ran upstairs.

However, by the time I got there, all there was was a huge mess of blood, streaking around a corner and down the hallway to the elevator. But, what I heard, had to be the worst; and I can't even bring myself to tell.

So began our hell. From that moment on, I was sure I would bring down Team Rocket. It was I who contacted the FBI; it was I who tipped them off.

It was a month later when I discovered that Giovanni had not released Jesse. Meowth, although he could, no longer spoke unless he was sure NO ONE was around.

I had discovered Jesse in a cell, all by herself. She was wearing an over-sized flannel shirt and jeans, and she was crying. I had no key. She could have no visitors. I later learned from the guard that she stayed in that cell except when she was escorted to Giovanni's office or to the labs.

Four and a half years later I awakened to a loud "clang" sound. I turned on the lights and there stood Meowth. "I got sometin' for ya," he said, holding up a shiny key. "You been wantin' ta see Jesse, well, I got da key!"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Meowth," I said, "If I'm caught..."

The cat held up two small round objects. "Sleepin' Pills! I drugged da guard."

I smirked. "How many did you give him?"

"Enough to keep him out a good long time!"

I placed my hands on my hips. "No, seriously. How many, Meowth?"

"Oh, eight..."

I giggled a little. "That poor guy's liver is going to give out next year and he won't know why!"

I got up and got dressed. Butch stirred a little, but I knew he wasn't going to awaken for a little while. I left a note, then tip-toed to the basement. The guard was out cold, as Meowth had said, and so we went to Jesse's cell.

There were no lights, no windows, only a mattress on the floor. Jesse was asleep. I shook her lightly and she stirred violently, striking out. "Calm down, Jess!" Meowth said, "I'm here- nothin's gonna happen!"

"Who else is here?" she asked.

"Me," I said sheepishly, "Cassidy."

"Cassidy?" Her voice sounded small, afraid. We hadn't seen or spoken to each other in four years, and hadn't been on friendly terms in over a decade. We were silent for moments, and it was Meowth who broke the silence. "Uh, I'm gonna go for watch for da guards; I'll come for ya in a little while, Cassidy."

And he left the room.

"What are you doing here?" Jesse asked, "I thought you hated me."

I looked at her. "I did for a while, but after the incident on Mandarin Island-" I faltered, remembering that she had never known what transpired that day.

"What about James? Is he here?"

I shook my head. "Believe me, if I knew, I would have found a way to reunite you."

She sighed, and was silent again.

I took a deep breath. "Jesse, I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I- I'm sorry! For everything- that day when you were fired, for ruining our friendship..."

She sniffled, and then I was concerned. Why was she crying?

"Cass- I've been so lonely through all these years-Meowth only found me recently-and I hate burdening him with so much... It's nice to know I have a friend- I think."

I hugged her. "I'm bringing down Team Rocket, Jess, and I'm gonna get you out of here. Tonight."

"No!"

I pulled away. "What?"

"I can't leave- if they catch me- they'll beat me again. I can't be caught- not now!"

"Jesse, I'll do my best to get you out through the gates tonight- they won't catch you!"

"I don't want to chance it,- it's too dangerous! It's dangerous for me- but more importantly..." she stopped abruptly.

"What is it?" I couldn't think of any reason why she would want to pass up this chance.

"My baby, Cassidy."

"My god," I whispered, "How far along are you?"

"About three months... they've stopped all the tests and whatever else they were doing in the labs- and Giovanni stopped...bothering me."

"He did this?"

"Yes."

Now it all made sense. She would be pretty safe as long as she was carrying Giovanni's heir and the future head of Team Rocket; if it even existed by the time he died.

The months passed quickly. Meowth would occasionally drug the guard and I would visit Jesse; but he told me that once he escaped himself that we wouldn't be able to do this anymore. As her pregnancy progressed, Jesse and I became closer friends than we had been.

A month before she was due, Meowth suddenly disappeared. There was a search for a while, but within a week Giovanni gave up. With the FBI on his case now, he could care less about a mangy cat pokemon who "couldn't talk". I was glad to know he finally made it out; wishing that, when the time came, it would be as easy for Jesse.

One day while on my way to the labs, I stopped by her cell door and peered in the small window.

She wasn't there.

When Butch returned to our quarters that night, he looked somber. "I overheard some doctors talking today," he said flatly, "The heir of Team Rocket has been born."

"Jesse had the baby?"

He nodded as he sat in a chair. "I asked one of the guys in the lab near me, and he said the baby had been born early this morning." His eyes met mine, full of sorrow.

A chill went down my spine. "It's dead, Butch, isn't it?"

"Yeah." he paused. "How did you know?"

"It's fucking typical of Giovanni!" I cried, "He would do this- especially to Jesse!"

Butch gave me a quizzical look. "Why would he kill his own flesh and blood?"

"Maybe it wasn't his."

"How could it not be? C'mon Cass."

"Butch," I said, "the day before he terminated them, he told me he planned to use Jesse in the A.I. Project."

"Artificial Insemination." he murmured.

"Yeah. He wouldn't have qualms about disposing that child if it weren't his!"

Butch stood and cradled me in his arms, as I began to cry. "We gotta get out of here," he said, "It's no longer safe- if he did that to one of his own former Elite Members- he'd have no problem doing it to traitors like us."

"Jesse has to escape first," I whispered.

For the next two days, we planned for her escape. The day we set out plan into motion, I hacked into the main computer system and shut off the surveilance around the perimeter of the compound. It was quite foggy, so I went to a nearby storage closet to retrieve all white clothing.

I met up with Butch in a dark hall near the guard by Jesse's cell. Butch had a tranquilizer gun with him and some darts, and skillfully shot the guard. We ran for the cell as soon as the man slumped over. We were able to quickly get her outside; but it was here our timing went wrong. The fog had cleared somewhat now as well.

The shooting practice for new trainees had just ended, and everyone was heading to the mess hall for lunch. We should have known someone would spot her as she ran through the back field.

By the time she was spotted though, Butch and I were back in our quarters, watching from our fifth story window. She was just about out of view and into the woods when Rocket Members gave chase. They shot- and hit- their target.

Paralyzed with shock, I could only stare. After all our careful planning...everything backfired. Watching it from such a distance made everything seem to happen in slow motion.

Then, the unbelievable happened.

Two figures emerged from the woods, both men. One had periwinkle hair-and the only man I knew with that hair was James. The other man with him had black hair, and as soon as I saw the pikachu with him I knew who it was. James, and the brat who so often liked to land us in jail, were now on our side.

I had to be dreaming- just waiting to wake up. There was NO way they could have known what we were planning, and their timing couldn't have been more perfect. Too perfect. The former Brat sent out a Charizard, and as he fought the Rocket Members, James picked up Jesse and carried her from the field. The Charizard won the battle, and they were gone.

With my mind in a horrid mess, I fell back into a chair. Butch walked up to me with the most perplexed look on his face that I had ever seen on any human being. "Was that who I think it was? Man, talk about timing!"

"Holy Shit. Butch- pinch me; then get me a drink."

He lit a cigarette with shaky hands. "At least we know she's in good hands."

Shortly thereafter, the Team Rocket compound was raided by the police and FBI. I had been expecting it, since I was sure James had tipped off police of our whereabouts.

Giovanni led most of his team through secret tunnels until we got to the next compound- some twenty miles away. Tension kept building within Team Rocket; everyone suspected everyone else to be the leak in the system. Pretty soon, other members began to disappear without a trace. Giovanni was getting desperate. We kept getting raided; we kept having to move onto the next station.

About thirteen months after Jesse escaped, Butch came back to our quarters after a long day, looking deeply troubled. I had been cooking when he came in the door, and I set down the spoon I was holding. "What's wrong?"

"Everything," he mumbled, "but we'll talk after supper."

Dinner was silent that night, and afterwards he pulled me into the bedroom.

"You've got to get out of here tonight," he said.

I was shocked. "Why? What happened?"

He ran a hand through his head. "I overheard some people talking today; about you. I think it was the Boss' secretary, Samantha- talking with her best friend-Chelsea, from the lab you work in. Apparently the Boss has been suspecting you for quite some time. He tapped our phone and now knows it was you who contacted the FBI. Tomorrow he plans to terminate both of us- and you know what that means."

I shuddered. After seeing what he did to Jesse and James- I had an extra reason to be afraid. He said if I didn't do as he said, it would be ten times worse. And what I did to him was much worse than disobeying a small order.

He would litreally kill me for it, and God knows what he would have done before that. I laid back on the bed. "Christ, we don't have enough time!"

He laid beside me. "You'll get out of here- I promise."

It was a promise he sealed with a kiss; a kiss that grew in passion and intensity. For the first time, we surrendered ourselves to one another, giving ourselves fully to each other. Temporarily forgetting about the dangers at hand, we truly made love. Our first time for both of us- and our last.

As we quickly dressed around midnight, I was worried as to where we would go. Could we go back to Collinsport? Would Giovanni follow me there to punish me and my family for my betrayal to Team Rocket?

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and was climbing out the window when someone began to pound on the door. I looked to Butch quickly, my heart pounding.

"Go quickly!" he said, "I'll find you, I promise!"

"I love you!"

He leaned out the window and kissed me; a kiss I tried to save every moment of. He broke away. "I love you too, Cassidy. Now, get out of here! Run!"

As soon as my feet touched the ground I was running, and I didn't stop until I knew I was well outside of the compound border.

As I stopped to catch my breath, I heard a sickening rumble behind me. As I turned to look back, the compound exploded. My stomach sank, my knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the ground. Butch was dead. He had to be- there was no way anyone could have survived the blast...

That was seven months ago.

I'm 27 years old, my life is going nowhere; I am alone. But I won't be for long. It is for this reason that I have not killed myself. Even though Butch cannot be with me now, I'm determined to make it through this.

I have to... for the sake of my baby.