A Late Night Surprise

By BansheeGirl

Disclaimer: Nope! Don't own Pokémon! It, and everything to do with it belongs to… some other people! …Who aren't me!

Meowth rounded a corner in the lengthy Team Rocket HQ hallway, clasping his arms around his furry body in the chill of the night. Normally when he, James and Jessie were back at Headquarters the cat-Pokémon would be sleeping soundly in the common-room on James' floor, but tonight the temperature had suddenly dropped far too low for the Meowth not to retreat to the warmth of one of his human partner's bedrooms. With James' bedroom a far distance up the corridor from the Level 4 common room, it was just as close for Meowth to head down a short flight of stairs to come to Jessie's bedroom a level below. However, Jessie usually was not very hospitable towards the scratch-cat when he arrived knocking at her door at eleven o'clock at night. Thus, on cold nights Meowth most often found himself curled up at the end of James' bed instead.

Finally Meowth came to James' bedroom, and he tapped impatiently on the wooden door. When there was no answer, the Pokémon knocked again, this time expressing his furthered annoyance with harder and more rapid pounds.

"Hurry up, James! Open 'dis door, I'm freezin' out here!" Meowth eventually yelled, not caring to lower his voice in respect to the other Rockets sleeping in the many bedrooms along the hallway. He pressed his ear to the door, and smiled with satisfaction to hear the irritated groan of his friend coming from inside the bedroom.

"Just wait a second, Meowth," came James' evidently displeased voice, and Meowth listened as his male Team Rocket partner scuffled about in the room. As the cat-Pokémon distinguished the sound of James' footsteps coming towards the door, he quickly pulled his ear away. The door opened only a sliver, to have James merely step halfway out into the corridor and poke his head down to look at Meowth.

"Meowth, what do you want?" James asked in an annoyed tone.

Meowth crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes in a sarcastic manner. "Ah, hello? I'm freezin' my tail off out here! 'Lemme in so I can get warm!"

James rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it's not that cold, Meowth. Just go back to the common room, I'm sure you can find a blanket somewhere. Sleep inside a pillowcase from one of the cushions on the couch or something."

Meowth narrowed his eyes even more, and he brushed away the feeling that he looked somewhat like the wannabe Pokémon Breeder twerp that formed part of the group he, Jessie and James spent their days chasing after in order to capture a certain yellow-coloured Pokémon. "Ha ha, very funny. Come on, jus' 'lemme in already!" He scowled, pushing forward to go through the slender opening James had made in doorway. James' legs, however, blocked the cat-Pokémon's path.

"Come on Jimmy, can't I please come in?"

Meowth watched James as he looked over his shoulder to peer at something inside of his room which was unseeable by the Pokémon. The lavender-haired nineteen year-old turned back to look down at Meowth. Meowth tried to discern whether there was a slight smirk on James' face or not.

"Uh, I don't think so," James finally replied.

Meowth frowned angrily. "An' jus' why the hell not?"

As James looked down, Meowth was able to see clearly that his male team-member was trying to hide a smile. "Just… not tonight, Meowth," said James, lifting his head to direct his gaze back to Meowth.

James again peered over his shoulder to look at something inside his room, and Meowth realised it was in response to a sound coming from within James' bedroom. With a sudden jolt of shock, Meowth identified the sound as another voice – a female voice! Through the door Meowth could not decipher the muffled words of the hidden woman, and the scratch-cat did not even have enough time to compose himself from the sudden astonishment as James turned back to face him.

As Meowth's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, James raised his eyebrows in weariness at the Pokémon's presence.

"James… Yous've got a goil in there, don't youse?!" Meowth cried incredulously.

James sighed with the same weariness. "I really don't think that it is any of your business, Meowth."

Meowth stumbled backwards, still shocked by this revelation. Quickly he scanned the person in front of him – James was wearing only a pair of flannelette pyjama trousers, and his lavender tresses were messed a little more than a usual person's would be after sleep at eleven o'clock at night. Meowth looked closer at the teenager's face… was that a trace of lipstick smeared across his mouth and cheek? Why had he not noticed these signs before?

"I can't believe this! I can't believe youse've jus' decided to shack up wit' a goil for the night like this!"

"Well Meowth, would you rather me 'shack up' with a boy, then?" James retorted wittingly. He smirked down at the cat.

Meowth remained taken aback for a second, thankful that his fur covered up the scarlet blush he now felt burning his cheeks. "N-no… it's jus' that… I mean… how could youse? What's Jess gonna t'ink? How could youse do this ta her?" Meowth stammered. He knew that Jessie and James were both hopelessly in love with each other, yet too afraid to admit it to one another. Meowth, for one, thought that the pair would be a perfect couple if only one of them would muster the courage to announce their feelings. He knew that if Jessie found out about James sleeping with another girl it would end any chances of the two ever coming together in a relationship.

James coughed and covered his mouth, Meowth still, however, able to discern that the emerald-eyed teenager was simply trying to force back a smirk. James lifted his eyes back up to peer at the Pokémon, an amused smile still playing on his face. "What does Jessie have to do with this?"

Meowth's jaw dropped again in amazement. It was if James had completely discarded Jessie altogether! "What doesn't Jessie have ta do wit' this? She's ya partner, James! Remember?"

"What, so… just because Jessie's my partner means that I can't be with anyone else?"

Meowth gave a look of severe disapproval. "Jimmy, I know as well as youse do that youse is in love with Jess. An' ya jus' givin' that all up for this one night stand?" He peered up pleadingly at James.

James' playful grin widened. "How do you know this is a one night stand, Meowth?"

"…Youse mean that this… this isn't the first… time?" Meowth's eyes widened in utter disbelief. And what made things worse was the fact that James seemed to be making light of this situation!

James shook his head with an amused demeanour.

Meowth again stumbled back from James, overwhelmed by his sudden show of carelessness in relation to the lavender-haired teenager's true feelings for Jessie. The Pokémon glanced at the door as he heard a peal of muffled laughter from the female inside James' room, and glared, as if he could see right through the wood and sneer at the girl who he knew would inevitably break apart his team.

"Now, Meowth… if you would be so kind as to leave us in peace for the night?" James prompted, Meowth disliking the subtle sincerity in James' voice that indicated a true desire to return to whatever had been happening in his room before the cat had arrived.

Meowth stood speechless for a moment, trying to search for something that he could say that would convince James of this heresy. "James… I… I jus' can't let youse do this. I don't want Jess ta get hurt, an' I know you don't want her ta get hurt either," Meowth said, gazing intently into James eyes as if he could telepathically force James to realise his mistake.

"Look, I'm sure Jessie won't mind," James spoke offhandedly, and Meowth was once again astounded by James' indifference towards Jessie's feelings. "Please Meowth, just go back to the common room and get some sleep."

Meowth looked up beseechingly, now becoming desperate in his attempt to change James' mind. "But…" he started, yet his words trailed off as a figure appeared in the dark behind James. He watched as two slender arms slowly snaked their way around James' waist to clasp hands at the front, and the female figure moved slightly to the side, pushing the door open with her hip and resting her head on James' shoulder. The light from the hallway fell onto the girl's face, finally revealing to Meowth the identity of this apparent offender.

Meowth gasped. It was… it was…

…It was Jessie!

Though he thought it not possible, Meowth's eyes became even wider, and his jaw dropped further than it had done that night. He ran his eyes over Jessie's form, though it was partly concealed as she stood embracing James from behind. She was wearing the top-half to the flannelette pyjamas James was wearing, the button-up shirt just long enough to conceal any underwear she may… or may not have been wearing. Her long, magenta hair was not in its usual sidewards curve, but cascading down her back and over her shoulders in messy wisps. Her lipstick was now a pale smudge that surrounded her mouth, and Meowth spied a peculiar-looking mark on her neck that looked suspiciously like a hiccy.

"Were you about to say something, Meowth?" Jessie asked, feigning a lack of awareness at the implication of the situation. Meowth stood, staring stupidly at Jessie, before directing his attention back to James. James was resting his arms over Jessie's as they encircled him, still smiling amusedly. Both waited, unabashed, for Meowth to respond.

"Uh… I-I guess… not," Meowth eventually managed to say. He stood motionless.

Suddenly Jessie seemed to pull from nowhere a key, which she threw down to Meowth. Still in a state of shock, he barely caught it as it hurtled toward him.

"There you go, that's the key to my room. If it gets you out of our hair, then you can sleep on my bed," Jessie spoke, smiling smugly.

Meowth looked down to the key, then back to his Team Rocket partners. "Uh… t'anks?"

Jessie and James grinned. "Well, goodnight Meowth!" Jessie cried, and she grabbed James' hand to pull him back into the bedroom. "G'night, buddy," James laughed, as he let himself be drawn inside, and he closed the door.

Meowth gazed at the bedroom door for a moment. A loud squeal of rampant giggling suddenly erupted from the room belonging to the voice of Jessie, which instantly caused the cat-Pokémon to quickly turn away, thankful again that his fur hid the embarrassing shade of crimson he felt stinging his face.

Meowth swiftly escaped away to the stairs which led downstairs to Level 3, still completely and utterly stunned by the night's events.

Well… at least he was going to be warm!

Okay, I know that probably everyone saw that coming. But still, I was a nice little surprise for Meowth, wasn't it?

-does victory dance- Woohoo! BansheeGirl has completed another fic! I know this was just a little short one, but hey – something is always better than nothing! Plus, I really like this one, so I hope everyone else will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

As always – PLEASE REVIEW!

Anyway... -looks at clock- Eeek! It's half-past eleven! I need to get my beauty sleep!

Till Next Time,

BansheeGirl.