Jesse whacked him on the head with her ungloved hand, something that hurt both of them.  Her fingers had been crunched in the fall from the bell-- not broken, just badly crunched.  "Be still!" she snapped.

        He immediately obeyed to spare himself and Jesse from further pain.  He went back to studying their campsite.  It was in a clearing of the woods beside a calm river.  The dark treetops framed the sky, where a million stars shone down on the defeated team.  The small campfire was dying out; it would have to be rekindled before they went to bed.

        He giggled suddenly.  Jesse frowned at him.  "What's so funny?"
        "Something just occurred to me, Jess," he laughed.  "Y'know that plan we had today?"
        "Don't be an ignoramus, James," she snapped.  "Of course I know."
        "Well...  I was thinking... If that was our wedding, this is technically... our honeymoon!"  He burst into giggles.

        She didn't see anything funny about it, though.  She smacked him again, stood up, and went to relight the campfire.  "That wasn't a REAL wedding.  It was fake, just another plan.  Just another failure.  That's all it was-- a failed plan and a fake wedding.  Nothing to get idiotic over."

        He watched her for a moment as she tried and failed to light the fire because of her injured hand.  He stood and went to help her, and as he leaned down he noticed a tear on her cheek.  She was crying.  "Jess, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

        "Nothing!"  She pushed him away and went to sit on a rock by the river.  James picked up the bandages she had left and crossed the campsite to sit beside her.  She frowned at him, but he took her hand and slowly, carefully wrapped the bandage around it.  Her frown gave way to a defeated, depressed look.

        "Please tell me what's wrong," he said again, holding her hurt hand between his.

        She looked away from him.  "What if... a fake wedding is all I ever get?  What if no one will really ever loves me because I'm so mean and evil?"  She began to cry again.

        For the second time that day, James heard his mind scream, Tell her!  Tell her you love her now!  For the second time that day, he couldn't.  "Oh, Jess," he said instead, pulling her to him.  You'll find someone who loves you!  Someone out there will someday see that what seems 'mean and evil' is really strength and independence!  And trust me, he'll love you for it."

        Jesse hugged him, not the usual fear hug or the "we survived!" hug, but one of trust and friendship.  "Maybe you're right," she sighed.  "I guess I'm overreacting."  She laughed quietly.  "You've done it again, James.  You've somehow managed to pull me out of a hopeless depression.  How did someone as mean and evil as me get stuck with a friend like you?"  She smiled to let him know she was kidding.

        Before he could think about what he was saying, he said it.  "You're not mean and evil, Jess.  You're strong and independent."

        She stared at him.  "You said... whoever saw me that way would love me for it, didn't you?"
        "Uh... Yeah.  I guess I did."
        "Do you love me?"

        At that moment, he lost all control of his words.  "I can't help it!  I'm sorry!  It really won't happen again, I promise--"  At those words, he stopped.  After all, it was impossible to talk while Jesse was kissing him.