The Truth

Authors Notes:

I wrote this piece a few days ago when I was bored. I wasn't planning on showing any one but my sister liked it so much she begged me to finish it and put it up here. Please review coz I might have a sequel but I want to know if I should do or if I should leave the ending how it is.

Disclaimer:

Pokemon and Team Rocket belong to Nintendo, the Japanese and all the other rich folk out there. I wish they were mine coz I'd be rolling in it but sadly their not. The only character that is mine is Danielle but she's not exactly in it as of yet. Well I think that's done. Enjoy!!!

Dear James,

I am writing this letter to you because we both feel that you should know the truth about you and us. I know we should have been honest with you from the start but we just didn't know how. I wish with all my heart we could turn the clock back but in truth we were frightened. If this got out then we would be ruined. But now I think the time is right to tell you what you deserve to know. I am just so sorry for every thing that we have done to you. You see our actions were not selfish ones. We did it all for you…

The cries and screams of the woman echoed round the huge mansion. Outside the room the butler stood debating whether or not he should interfere with the events going on inside. He felt sick inside but he had to obey orders even through it was a terrible thing to steal another woman's child.

Thomas Morgan held onto his wife's hand as she sobbed mercilessly clutching her dead baby in her arms. The little girl had been still born as the doctor had warned but the loving mother had not cared through she knew that it would be very possible that it would be so. It was only now that she held the tiny cold bundle in her arms that she realised just how hard it was. The little child had a thin layer of blonde hair that would never grow. Judith's sobs continued realising that she would never be able to have another child. This had been her one chance to be a mother and now it was lost. No one to carry on the Morgan family line. "Miss we have to take her" Dr Burkley, the Morgan family doctor said gently. He was a kindly old man who had watched Judith herself grow up and had cared for her. He felt this loss almost as much as they did. "I have to name her" Judith whispered holding the baby close to her. "She has to have a name"

"Of course darling" Thomas said kindly "What would you like to call her?"

"Elizabeth" Judith said wiping her eyes "Make sure that is on her grave"

"Yes miss" Dr Burkley scribbled down on the birth certificate "Elizabeth Cooper"

"No" Judith said sharply "Elizabeth Morgan"

"We cannot do that dear" Thomas whispered. "You see I have a surprise for you"

"Hopkins" he called to the butler. The butler opened the door and came into the room carrying a similar bundle to the one in Judith's arms. "What is this?" Judith asked weakly.

"Danielle had a baby boy an hour ago" Hopkins said softly in case other people were listening in. Danielle was the family maid. Her boyfriend had been killed in a car crash when she became pregnant. Judith and Thomas had kept her on because they felt sorry for her. The poor girl was only 21 and had no where to go. "Would you like to see him?" Hopkins asked.

"What has this got to do with Elizabeth?" Judith demanded

"Danielle died half an hour later from internal bleeding. It was too late for us to call an ambulance" Dr Burkley said. "I was with her at the time"

"No one else was in the room Judith…" Thomas whispered "No one will ever no"

"No what?"

"Dr Burkley is prepared to swap Elizabeth with this baby. No one will be any wiser if we say that Danielle's baby was still born"

"Thomas that is terrible" Judith snapped. "I can't do it"

Dr Burkley took the dead baby from Judith's arms. "Just hold him Judith" Thomas pleaded. "We'll have the son we always wanted and you'll be a mother again"

Judith took the boy from Hopkins. He stared up at her with a pair of emerald green eyes.

"Thomas I can't" Judith repeated.

"Judith you have too" Thomas raised his voice angrily.

The baby didn't like this and started to cry. "Its ok" Judith whispered rocking him gently. "Its ok my little James"

The baby instantly settled down in her arms and closed his eyes. "James?" Thomas asked, "Does that mean…?"

Judith knew what she was doing was wrong but the amount of love she felt for this baby was so strong that she couldn't ignore it. "Yes Thomas" she said cradling James in her arms "Lets do this"

"You have made the right choice" Thomas said then he turned to Hopkins and Dr Burkley "Make all the necessary arrangements. This must never get out understand?"

They nodded and walked from the room. Judith continued to hold the baby boy close crying softly at the terrible thing she had done.

"James stop that" Thomas shouted as he saw James playing in the mud with his Growlithe puppy that they had brought him for his 7th birthday. James ignored his father and continued to play with Growlie.

"Thomas we have to calm him down. People are going to start talking. No son of ours should act in this improper manner. What if they realise he his Danielle's child?"

"I know" Thomas replied a worried frown on his face. If it got out that James was not his son then there would be a scandal not to mention what would happen if the police were involved. And what would happen to James? He would not be entitled to a penny of their wealth. He would be left with nothing when they died. "Thomas we have to do some thing" Judith cried. Two of the servants had stopped to watch the antics of the boy and his pet. Judith could feel herself blushing as they whispered to each other. "I've got it" Thomas said suddenly "Its perfect"

"What dear?"

"You know Mr and Mrs Whittaker don't you?"

"Why yes. Their looking for a husband for their daughter I believe. Quite ridiculous to engage the poor thing at 7 I must say."

"What if we get James engaged to her?"

"Thomas you know how obnoxious Jessebell is! She attacked her last fiancé with a leather whip. I am not going to allow you to let our little James endure such cruel treatment"

"Would you rather the truth came out Judith?" Thomas demanded "They would take James away from us"

Judith bit her lip. Could she live without James? He might not be her son but he meant the world to her.

"If James married Jessebell even if the truth did come out then he would still have her inheritance. Judith you know I'm right"

Judith looked at her little boy and imagined what Jessebell would do to him. "I…" but if she lost him then it would destroy her "Ok dear" she agreed.

"Married?" James asked.

"Yes dear" Judith said straightening his tie as she spoke. "You want to look you best for Jessebell don't you?"

"I'm too young to get married" James complained "I just want to go and play with Growlie"

"No silly" Judith said. "You're just getting engaged. You will marry Jessebell when you are 17"

"What if I don't like her?" James asked.

"Well you have ten years to learn to like her" Judith said sternly "Now I have to go downstairs and get things ready. Don't you dare be late"

She hurried from the room not noticing the hurt expression on the boy's face. His mother had never snapped at him before.

Judith looked at the cuckoo clock as it struck 6. Where was James? He was supposed to come down to greet Jessebell and her parents. Geraldine Whittaker sighed disapprovingly and Winston Whittaker looked at the clock and shook his head at every second that past.

"Hopkins go and look for him" Thomas commanded but at that moment the oak doors to the lavish front room opened and James came in. The Whittaker's gasped when they saw the state he was in. His suit was caked with mud and his hair was all messed up. "James what have you been doing?" Thomas demanded. "Playing with Growlie" James replied. Then he saw Jessebell. Remembering his mother's words he walked up to her. "I'm James nice to meet you" he held out an hand for her to shake.

Jessebell shook her head in disgust "Well I can see how improper he is"

James frowned he'd just been playing like all the other kids his age. "We can go if you wish Jessebell dear" Geraldine said quickly.

"I don't think that will be necessary mother" Jessebell stood up and turned to James' parents "I think I can teach him to be a gentleman well enough"

The year was a nightmare for them all. Every day Jessebell came round at 4 to try and 'teach James manners'. He cried at each lash with the whip and every time she set her Oddish on him but Judith had to ignore him. It was for James' own good after all. He would thank them one day. Then one day every thing changed. Jessebell came round at dinner to see if James had learnt how to eat a meal properly yet.

"No you hold the fork like this dear" Jessebell said sweetly.

James frowned "I like eating this way Jessebell"

"I'm the teacher dear" Jessebell said angrily "You have to do as I say"

"Mother" James pleaded with Judith, tears in his eyes. Judith looked at Thomas.

"James this is for your own good" his father replied.

"No it isn't" James shouted jumping to his feet. "You just want to control me. But I won't let you"

With that he got up from the table and ran from the room. Seconds later they heard the mansion doors open. "Jessebell go after him" Thomas said.

"Of course" she said. Minutes later they heard her calling.

"Where you going James? I haven't finished teaching you the correct way to eat spaghetti yet"

"I want to do things my way Jessebell" was his reply.

"You're not running properly. Come back and let me show you the right way"

"Should we go after them dear?" Judith asked her husband.

"No Judith. James will be back" was the reply.

But James didn't come back. Growlie returned home without his master that night. In fact Judith didn't see her 'son' 9 years. When he did return home she found that to escape Jessebell he had joined up with Team Rocket, a criminal gang. He had two friends with him. A Meowth and a young woman, who ironically resembled Jessebell. They wanted his inheritance and tried to help Judith and Thomas marry James to Jessebell. But James seemed to almost hate them after all they had done for him and with the help of a kid and Growlie James ran away again. It was only after he had gone that Judith realised what she and Thomas had done. They had tried so hard to give James every thing and at the same time protect their own dark secret. But all they had done was succeed in pushing him away. Now she would never have her son back and it was all her own fault.

So you now know James. You are not our son and never were. Danielle was you're real mother. I can't ask for your forgiveness and I don't expect it. What me and you're father did was terrible but we did it for you. We wanted to make sure you were looked after. I know Danielle would have wanted you to be happy too. I just wish we could have given you the happiness you deserved. We just wanted what was best for you.

Love Judith

James crumpled the letter up and tossed it in the corner of his bedroom. He was still wearing the black mourning suit he had worn to his father's funeral. Jesse and Meowth had been there with him and even the twerps showed up out of respect. On the way out from the church Judith had given him the letter. On the back was a faded photo of a woman in a maid's uniform. She had the same purple hair and green eyes and even that stray lock of hair that fell down his forehead brushing his nose. He couldn't take this now. It had been a big enough shock to learn that his father was dead but to also learn that his father and mother were not even his parents? James put his head in his hands and tried to cry. He wanted to let out some of the anger and hurt he was feeling. But he couldn't despite several attempts. He was all alone in the world and had been since the day he was born. He had no family. James had always thought he was an outsider in the Morgan family. He had been right. His name wasn't even Morgan any more. "James Cooper" he tried the name out loud to see how it sounded. No it wasn't right. "James Morgan" funny how that didn't seem right either.

James didn't know what he was going to do now but there was one thing he knew for certain. He was never going to have any contact with Judith Morgan again.



The End