It was soon after he managed to escape the clutches of his evil fiancee, the whip-wielding Jessibell, and James found himself still being tortured by nightmares. He was unable to sleep and his heart pounded with fear inside his chest, as if it were ready to jump out at any given second. Looking at the sleeping bag beside his, James saw Jessie and smiled weakly. She was the reason why he chose to remain in Team Rocket and to continue what he set out to do -- to obtain total freedom.
  "She's so beautiful," he said to himself as he gently and carefully stroked the cheek of his beloved Jessie. "I can't believe I almost left her, and for what? My destiny, that's what! I escaped my destiny, so why the hell is it still torturing me?"
  With that, he got up and decided to go for a walk in the forest for a while in order to clear his head of everything that had just happened. The chill of the early spring wind blew against him and the only thing he wore were his black T-shirt and grey boxer shorts, but he didn't care, all he wanted was to be alone.
  "You can't escape your destiny," his mother's voice echoed through his mind. "James, it's time to face the music!"
  James continued to walk until he came to a large stream and sat on a rock on its bank. Staring into the water, he saw a reflection, his and somebody else's, Jessie's! It can't be, he thought. I can't believe what I'm seeing. It's my reflection and Jessie's. But, how could it be possible? Could it be that she's my soul mate and I need her to be complete?
  Fresh tears came to his eyes and fell into the water, causing ripples to form around him. James was really confused now. This whole time, the only person he ever loved was Jessie, and yet, the encounter with his worst enemy had been a test, a test to see where his heart truly belonged. Suddenly, James felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he turned around and saw Jessie.
  "Jessie? What are you doing here? I thought you were asleep!"
  "I followed you," said Jessie. "When I saw that you weren't in your sleeping bag, I got scared and went looking for you! Oh, James, I thought that you went and gotten lost or something!"
  "In a way, I was," said James. "I was lost in my belief!"
  "Belief? In what?"
  "In where I truly belonged," said James. "And where my destiny lays!  Jessie, do you realize that the encounter with Jessibell was really a test? My heart was testing me, and I didn't know it until now!"
  Jessie sat down beside him. "So that's why you came back! You realized where your true destiny lays! If that was the case, why didn't you tell me before? I would've understood!"
  "That's what I was afraid of," said James. "I was afraid that you wouldn't understand where I was coming from! You see, Jess, the last thing in the world I wanted was to have somebody not understand me! It's been that way my whole life! I was always misunderstood, even after I first joined Team Rocket with you!"
  "But, I understand you, James," said Jessie. "I always have understood you! To be perfectly honest with you, people misunderstood me too because they didn't know whether I was born into a good life or a bad life! The truth of the matter is, I was really searching for somebody to love and understand me, just like my mother did before she died!"
  "Sounds like we both experienced the same thing," said James, the tears returning to his rich, emerald green eyes again. "Oh, Jessie, why is it that every time we think that we weren't going to be separated, something always comes along and tests us?"
  "I don't know," said Jessie. "But, I do know one thing!"
  "What's that?"
  Jessie smiled. "I know that we were destined to be together, despite the consequences! The hand of fate may tried to tear us apart today, but you cheated it by coming back to me when I thought that you weren't ever going to come back?"
  "I didn't want to desert you, Jessie," said James, taking her hands in his. "You're special to me and with you, I feel a sense of belonging, a sense of freedom, a sense of love!"
  "You're special to me too, James," said Jessie. "You've always been special to me ever since the day we met! What I'm really trying to tell you is, well, I love you, James!"
  "Oh, Jessie," said James. "I love you too! I've loved you since the day I saw you, but I was too afraid to say anything! Now that I know that our feelings for each other are true, my fears are laid to rest and I don't have to be afraid of expressing my love for you!"
  "I always thought that there was something different about you the day I met you," said Jessie. "And now I know what is it?"
  "What's so different about me?"
  "For one thing," said Jessie. "You're ten times sweeter than the other boys I've come in contact with! And no one could ever cheer me up whenever I'm feeling low like you can!"
  "I guess that is different," said James. "No wonder you're so attracted to me! You can't resist me, can you, Jessie?"
  "No, I can't," said Jessie. "I find you irresistable!"
  Then, they got closer and kissed under the moonlight. They knew that although they were almost separated by the hand of fate, something told them that nothing would interfere with their relationship from now until the end of time.