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Butch smiled as he and Cassidy sat on the old bench swing, looking at the pile of partially burned wood and ashes that served as their home for so many years.
Butch didn't smile because he was glad it had burned down... in fact, he was pretty sad about that.. he'd loved the place and the apple grove in back of it..
He smiled because he was back there with her.
Jessie and James were wandering out in the acres of apple trees somewhere with Mondo and Meowth.. Butch and Cassidy sat in silence awaiting their return.
Then Butch got up and extended his hand to Cassidy. He'd noticed she was growing stronger and healthier everyday. She took it and they walked out along the old path through the apple trees, which was now getting to be a little overgrown. Butch remembered it well, however, and even if it were completely overgrown he'd still remember his way through.
It was mid afternoon and the shadows were beginning to lengthen indicating twilight would fall in a couple of hours.
As they walked Butch asked her what it was like during all the time she was back in the rocket compound.
He'd already told her about the clone and most of the events while she was gone.
Cassidy just shrugged and said it was nothing she wanted to relive..
Cassidy thought back to all the bad things that had happened.. the cruel guards.. the endless fluorescent light that made night and day irrelevant, and the poor meals they'd fed her.
Then she also thought about Raina..
Raina had been so kind to her, brought her food... kept the guards away from her.. She'd treated Cassidy like best friend.. like the sister she didn't have..
She thought back to their talks, Raina had explained a lot of things to her, but some things had continued to stick out in Cassidy's mind.
Cassidy never told Butch that she knew Raina, but Cassidy knew that Butch knew her.
Raina had explained to her how much of team rocket worked... how they funneled money.. how they used the trackers.. even about their recruiting..
She had explained to her about the psychological profiling they did on new recruits, and why they always put a boy and a girl together in every team..
The only reason they profiled the new recruits was compatibility testing... They knew that it would be hard to keep people in such a dangerous profession for just money.. So they placed people in teams together that would be the most compatible.. So they'd have a nervous love, scared to leave or tell the other they'd stay in team rocket much longer...
Cassidy sighed. Butch hadn't told her, but Cassidy knew Raina was dead.. Raina had calmly told her that she would be killed so that she and Butch could live the time that she had walked with Cassidy out in the trees surrounding Rocket compound..
Cassidy knew that Raina was special.. She'd been one of the first experimental humans to receive pokemon genetic infusings..
Raina was partially psychic.. she could glimpse the future.. mainly just clouded images, and only events she would be involved in firsthand.. she could also read emotions.. She knew how Cassidy and Butch felt about each other.. even if they didn't really know their selves.
Butch and Cassidy stopped as they saw their friends walking towards them, and they turned to walk back together with them.
They sat down in the same round corner booth they had before. James and Butch on the outside seats, everyone else spaced out in the middle.
They saw a waitress approach, but another young blue haired waitress quickly pushed her away saying it was her table. She walked up with a big smile.
"Hey James! Butch!"
James laughed a little as he felt Jessie pinch his leg pretty hard.
"Hi Angel," Butch said smiling back at her.
Angel saw Cassidy sitting next to him and looked a little surprised.
Butch pulled her down so his ear was next to his mouth, "See... I told you." he said with a smile as he let go of her blouse.
Angel gave him a quick kiss while she was still down there, then smiled at Cassidy and whispered back to Butch with a slight giggle, "Don't grab my blouse again, k sexy?"
Butch turned a little red and looked at Cassidy who had cocked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
"What can I get you guys?" Angel said standing up straight with her normal perky smile.
"Just some coffee for now." Jessie said and everyone agreed.
"All right, come'n up," Angel turned and walked away.
"What was that all about?" Cassidy whispered to Butch.
"Don't worry, she was just try'n to have a little fun with you." Butch whispered back.
Cassidy just nodded and Angel brought back 6 mugs of coffee on a tray. She set the drinks down and handed them the check.
"Now you guys don't leave without saying good-bye to me! ok?" Angel smiled and walked back towards the kitchen.
"Wait a minute." James said as she stopped and turned around. "When's the next rave?"
"Not till friday unfortunately.." Angel said, then added with a smile, "You guys could come over and hang out with me though of you want! I get off in a half hour."
"Sounds good, we'll just wait for you outside."
The group slowly finished up their coffee and walked outside to wait the last ten minutes for Angel next to the new blue van James had bought.
Butch explained who Angel was to Cassidy while they waited. Butch thought it must be awful strange to meet people that have already met you..
Angel came springing out after about 15 minutes and apologized for being a little bit late. She didn't have a car, so she rode the few blocks back to her small apartment with them.
Butch was a little surprised as he walked in, everything very clean and bright... white wallpaper and blue carpet.. He'd expected such a big raver's apartment to at least be a little darker.
"Go ahead and make yourselves at home, check out the tv if you want." Angel said as she walked into her room to change out of her work uniform.
Cassidy grabbed the remote and pulled Butch down on a small couch with her as the TV powered on.. It had been months since Cassidy had watched TV, and she felt like catching up a little bit.
Angel came back in wearing a white T-shirt and some blue jeans.
"So what do you guys wanna do?" she said looking down at the couch where Cassidy, Butch, Mondo, and Meowth had made their self comfortable.
"When was the last time we went to the beach, James?"
Angel turned her gaze to Jessie and James. Jessie was sitting on his lap in front of her table.
Spring was coming slowly, but it was still rather cool out, and James was sure the water wasn't suitable for swimming. Besides, none of them had bathing suits.
"I dunno.. it's been at least since last summer, but don't you think it's a little cold for swimming?"
"Oh, that's ok, lets just go.."
Angel looked around at everyone. "Well it's cool with me if it's cool with you guys."
Butch nudged Cassidy who was watching Mtv, "You wanna go to the beach, Cass?"
Cassidy just nodded slowly saying. "sure."
Mondo was all for it as well, and Meowth didn't mind as long as he didn't have to swim.
"Well then lets go!" Angel said with a big smile as she pointed towards the door.
Everyone slowly got up and filed out in front of her.
The Beach was an hour's drive away, but the time passed quickly as they all sang along with Angel's old nirvana cd.
James new van was rather nice Butch thought to himself.. comfortable seats, tinted windows... and a cd player..
Everyone got out, leaving their shoes in the van.
Jessie grabbed James hand and pulled him as she ran down to the edge of the water, Meowth following behind them. Mondo sat down on a boulder that was partially submerged in a sandune.
Angel grabbed Butch's shoulder as they walked closer to the water.
"Butch, could you come with me for a little while?"
"Uh, sure." Butch said as he turned to walk with her.
"I'm sorry, Cassidy, but can you just wait here?"
Cassidy nodded with slightly narrowed eyes as she stopped and watched the two walk away.
Once everyone else was out of sight Angel felt they were far enough away and started talking.
"So what have you done about her yet?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, she likes you.. but you seem so shy, have you even kissed her yet?"
"Well.. no.."
"Hah, this is just like at the theater." Angel laughed and continued, "if you're scared of her not feeling the same way, I can tell you now, that won't be the case.. I could tell by the look in her eye earlier when I kissed you."
Angel paused, then added, "I mean, you do like her? don't you?"
Butch didn't bother to answer, he just turned around and started walking back the way they'd come..
"Hey wait a minute, we're not done yet!" Angel said as she ineffectively tried to grab him and hold him back.
Butch just kept walking, and after a few minutes Angel stopped trying to restrain him and fell back.. She hoped she hadn't made him mad or anything...
Cassidy was sitting alone on a sand dune. Butch could see Jessie and James further down the beach playfully splashing water on each other, and trying to get Meowth also, who kept a very safe distance. Cassidy was staring ahead at the red and orange layers the few clouds in the sky made as the orange sun set over the pacific ocean.
Butch came over to sit on her left side, his legs out in front of him on the soft sand.
She spoke as he sat down, "You know, this is the first time I've seen the sun set on the ocean since we left Veradin.."
Cassidy continued to stare into the sunset as she spoke.
Butch remembered that day too; it was the day she'd told him she was going to join team rocket.. They'd slept out on the dunes that night..
"All those years.. and now what do I have to show for it?"
Butch knew that Cassidy was an only child, and didn't know if she had any living relatives. She'd received the message via Western Union a few years back.. Her mother had died of consumption. Many years before her father had been killed by a punk on the street who shot him over the twelve dollars that were in his wallet.. She was just a little girl.. Ever since then he and she and Butch had been inseparable..
He looked at her profile and saw a tear on her cheek as she focused on the sunset in front of her..
She didn't even look up when Butch put his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. She closed her eyes and he kissed her.. Her eyes were still closed when he pulled his head back, and he could see her smile
Even if they had nothing else, they had each other.