Je Veux Ton Amour

L.R.T.

No one knew about her past and she liked it that way. The more people knew about you, the deeper they could crawl into your head and get to you, ruining all of your plans. It had been so long since she'd told her life story to anyone that she'd all but forgotten it, packaging it and wrapping it up with a neat little bow in the back of her mind. There were probably a series of harsh, cruel events that led to her inevitable membership - well, pending membership - in Team Rocket but thankfully she couldn't recall that day. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind it was there, trying to untie the bow and unleash itself out of the box it was kept in; but for now it remained dormant, the polar opposite of its owner.

Cassidy hadn't been in training long before she began to develop a reputation for certain things - being a bitch, nasty without much reason, was at the top of the list. Soon following came her reputation for being a flirt - and much more, said some - which drastically contrasted her other main personality trait. She did things with the boys, mostly older than she was, most sixteen-year-old girls didn't even know existed - yet she did it without batting an eye. Her demeanor would soon chill, they said, almost immediately once the deed (or deeds) were done and it made Cassidy quite the enigma. She was hated by the girls for sleeping with the boys they liked and for being a general stuck-up, holier-than-thou brat most of the time toward anyone that dared look at her sideways. She intrigued the boys because she was easy and they all wanted to melt the ice queen for good - and many had wagers about who would do it, how, when.

For some reason a girl named Jessie rubbed her the wrong way. There was no rhyme or reason for it, much like a lot of her bullying, but it riled the feisty magenta-haired girl up and that was amusing to Cassidy - therefore she had to do it every chance she got. They ended up becoming bitter rivals, though the rivalry aspect was perceived more on Jessie's end than Cassidy's as Cassidy felt there was no real contest between them. Jessie jumped - Cassidy jumped higher. Jessie ran - Cassidy ran faster. Jessie got an A - Cassidy got an A+. She assumed that what really irritated the other girl was that Cassidy didn't have to try - things just fell into her lap. She was naturally talented at being a cold-hearted, conniving thief and Jessie, well. She was simply less lucky. Her biting remarks as she passed by the blue-eyed beauty did nothing to help Jessie's anxieties and insecurities about her place in Team Rocket. Cassidy was sure this girl wouldn't last through training, though she was disappointed that she would have to dig through the toy box and find another thing to play with when she was gone.

When the time had come for everyone to be assigned partners, some were excited at the prospect of getting Cassidy while others were terrified. A part of Cassidy hoped she got Jessie just so she could ruffle her feathers more effectively and get her kicked out at long last but, unfortunately, she was paired up with a guy she had never noticed before - a rarity for her. They were given a Rattata as their Pokemon which Cassidy immediately took possession of. Her partner opened his mouth to protest but quickly shut it, sticking his hands into his pockets and returning his attention to the front of the room where their teacher and mentor was giving out instructions. Their only assignment for the next week was to get to know their new partner and Pokemon because the week after that, they would be put to the test.

Once everyone had been dismissed, Cassidy made her way back to her room, arms stretched out behind her head, letting out a loud and long yawn. When she came to her door she stopped, sensing someone following her and spun around, met face-to-face with her new partner. She furrowed her brow at him and crossed her arms. "What the hell are you doing, stalking me?"

The boy shook his head, putting a hand behind his neck and glancing from side to side, then sighing heavily. "We're supposed to get to know each other," he said at last, his voice raspy and not in a low, sexy way that might have made it tolerable for Cassidy.

She blinked at him, staring for a few moments and, ignoring his answer entirely, asked, "God, is that your voice?"

He looked down, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment and a hint of anger at her rudeness. "Yes," he replied, "I know, it's awful. I don't talk much because of it."

"Huh," Cassidy said, blinking again, "It's really annoying. You should get it checked out, you could have a tumor."

"Can we please just do this so we can fail and be split up?"

"Hey," Cassidy said, pointing a finger at him, her voice turning stern, "I don't fail. And I definitely don't do it intentionally. Annoying or not, you're my partner."

"You don't even know my name."

Sighing, she rolled her eyes and opened the door to her room. "Fine, fine. What is it, then?"

"Butch."

"Good. Great. I'll remember that. I'm -"

"Cassidy. Everyone knows you," he mumbled, brushing past her into her room and taking an awkward seat in her desk chair.

Closing the door behind her, Cassidy eyed him cautiously for a few minutes, not sure if he truly was just shy and insecure about his voice or some kind of psychotic rapist that had just made his way quite easily into her bedroom. Either way, they were assigned to be partners and, psycho or not, she wasn't about to lose to anyone. "I don't remember seeing you around. Is it because you don't talk?"

Butch shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. Maybe you just weren't looking."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked defensively, crossing her arms again and leaning against the door.

"Nothing. Let's take Rattata out."

"No, I want to know what you meant."

"I didn't mean anything. Are we going to do this or not?"

"Buddy -"

"It's Butch," he corrected her just as defensively, eyes narrowing at her from across the room.

"Whatever, I know that. I was calling you 'buddy' like, 'hey, friend.' Don't get so touchy."

"Rattata."

"Fine," Cassidy conceded, grabbing the Pokeball from her waist and enlarging it, then letting the small, rat-like Pokemon emerge and sniff around her room curiously.

"Grunts always get Pokemon like Rattatas or Zubats at first," Butch said, reaching his hand down to let the Pokemon sniff it.

"Grunts? I am not a grunt."

"I hate to break it to you, but as of right now, you are. Barely."

"Well, we'll just have to do amazingly and become the boss's pride and joy, won't we?"

"Sure," he replied, letting his turquoise hair fall into his face and hide his rolling eyes.

Cassidy moved closer to him and the Rattata, sitting down on her bed now and reaching her own hand down for Rattata to smell. "Why did you join Team Rocket?"

Butch shrugged again. "Nothing else to do."

"That's a stupid reason." She frowned.

"What's your reason, then?" he countered.

"I don't know."

"That's stupid, too."

"No," she said, gently stroking Rattata's head, "I mean I don't remember."

"Oh," Butch said, looking down and watching as Rattata nuzzled her leg, what appeared to be a content smile on its face, "I didn't know."

Cassidy shrugged now, looking up at him. "I don't want to remember, if that helps. I mean, I think I'm doing it to myself."

"Repressing it?"

"I guess."

"Well, in that case, I hope you never remember. You have to be doing that for a reason."

"Thanks, I think." Cassidy smirked.

"Hey, you want to take Rattata out to the field and see what it can do?"

"Sure, everyone else is probably making out and not thinking about their Pokemon yet."

"I don't really want to make out with you." Butch stood, sticking his hands into his pockets. "No offense."

"I don't think I've met a guy ever since I've joined Team Rocket that's said that to me." Cassidy stood as well, Rattata jumping into her arms. "It's kind of...nice."

"Nice?"

Cassidy nodded, her smirk replaced with a small smile as they walked to the door. She opened it and said to him as he walked out ahead of her, "You don't notice the voice so much after a while. I think we'll be okay."

She had never been so utterly humiliated in her entire life. At least, she didn't think she had. It was at this very moment that she was extremely grateful for not remembering her past; for all she knew, this was only another one to add to a list of disgusting crimes that had been committed against her.

As Cassidy and Butch stood next to Jessie and James - barely, bandaged up and her with an arm in a sling and Butch with his foot in a cast, leaning on a crutch for support - in front of their teacher, waiting for the final decision to be made as to who would become full-fledged Rocket agents, she shot Jessie a look that would have surely killed her had it the power.

At least they didn't successfully complete the mission, either, Cassidy thought to herself, assuming that this only meant they would be up for agency next time and would have to try again. Though the thought of Jessie failing was comforting, the fact that she and Butch had failed as well - and even more miserably than Jessie and her new partner had - made Cassidy sick to her stomach. No one was better equipped for this job than she was. If she didn't become an agent and Jessie did? There was truly no telling what she might do in her jealous anger.

Butch kept his mouth shut, his painkillers having not quite kicked in as he'd liked and the pounding in his head only amplified by their teacher's booming voice. He didn't hear much of what was said, lost in a cloud of pain and, at that moment, not giving a shit if they made it into the illustrious Team Rocket or not. In fact, if they didn't, he welcomed the almost certain death that would come upon him from Cassidy's wrath. Sure, it would have been nice to be successful and live up to their spotless, shining reputation - but it wasn't worth getting killed over. He wasn't sure Cassidy saw it that way and, truthfully, that was what would make her an excellent member of Team Rocket.

Upon hearing that, since Jessie's team had gotten further along in the challenge, they would receive the status of "agent", Cassidy could feel her blood begin to boil. In the real world if you "almost caught" a Pokemon, what good did that do anyone? At least when Cassidy and Butch slid down that hole, they slid right out of the building as well and made an escape, albeit a painful one. Those other three nitwits would have been stuck and surely caught by Officer Jenny, the last thing the boss ever wants or needs. This was a mistake, pure and simple - a mistake that Team Rocket would regret if she didn't speak up.

Mouth open, ready to protest, she was cut off by her teacher's continuation of what he'd decided. "And, in addition, we are awarding the blue team the status of 'VITs' or 'villains-in-training.'"

Cassidy blinked, heart pounding in her chest and in her ears. Was she actually a viable member of Team Rocket now? Had her hard work really paid off? She hadn't been made an agent like the idiots to her right, but she was on the radar. She was something and, to her surprise, that was enough...for the moment, at least.

Their new status meant a new place to live - a small, one-bedroom apartment located on the tenth floor of Team Rocket Headquarters. Small though it was, it was a grand step up from the dorm-like quarters they had been occupying for the past year and a half a couple of floors down. In Team Rocket when you moved up, you literally moved up.

It took them a few days to simply get their belongings from one place to the other, their injuries making it difficult for them to move much of anything - including themselves - and they had no assistant like Jessie and James. Who let a kid that young into a place like Team Rocket, anyway? The entire situation had quickly gone from a happy occasion to a sour one, leaving Cassidy to scrounge around their modest kitchen for anything with a remote alcohol percentage to drink.

Butch hobbled in from their shared bedroom and frowned at her. "What are you doing? Like this place isn't enough of a mess."

"I need a drink."

"I need working body parts. We all have problems, babe."

Cassidy slammed the fridge door with her working arm and glared at him, placing the free hand on her hip. "This is bullshit. I'm the best, everyone knows I'm the best. Ever since I walked into this place, they knew to fear me, admire me, respect me. But am I an agent?"

"You're a villain-in-training and that's a lot more than anyone we left back in the dust can say."

"I don't have an assistant. All I have is you."

"Thanks," Butch mumbled, turning around and starting back into the bedroom to put some of his things away, "I've already called a bed, tough shit for you."

This made Cassidy fight back a scream - which wasn't very effective - and she turned her attention back to the kitchen, searching through cabinets. Leaving most of them open, she turned back around, seeing Butch emerging from the bedroom and screamed, "Why is there no fucking booze in this god-forsaken place?"

"We're underage," he replied, his demeanor smooth and casual, contrasting with the way he looked and sounded.

"If you don't get me something to drink, I'm not going to become a very pleasant person."

"Oh, really? The past year has been you in a pleasant mood?"

"What is your problem?" she asked, stomping over to him as he flopped down on the couch. She took his crutch away from him and threw it down on the floor.

"Cassidy -"

"I wanted this," she interrupted, a vulnerability in her voice that neither had ever heard before.

Butch swallowed hard, nodding as he looked up at her, his brown eyes meeting with her lavendar ones. "I know."

"We worked hard. We were always the best team. Jessie couldn't even keep a partner until this guy came around."

"Yeah. It sucks, I know. But we still have a place here - a better one than just 'grunt.' There are plenty of people to scoff at and make fun of below us."

"That's not the point. I - I don't know what I was before this. I don't remember. I've forced everything out of my head to make this my life," Cassidy hissed, her voice cracking with the final word.

"Sit down, please," Butch tried to coax her, reaching up for her but only finding her jerking away.

"You don't give a shit about this! You don't give a shit about what this could mean for us! You don't give a shit about me!" She could feel a stinging sensation behind her eyes, her vision becoming blurry with the onslaught of bitter, frustrated tears. Only made angrier by this, she turned her head away from him, golden hair sweeping over her face.

Using the couch for leverage in lieu of his crutch, Butch used all his body weight and thrust himself up, putting his weight on his good foot and, reaching forward, grabbed her chin in his hand and jerked her head toward him, making her look at him. He was ready to give her hell, done with her childish and unappreciative behavior - but then he saw her tear-stained face and all the will to fight left his body. He said what he had intended to say before, but softer, loosening his grip on her chin to a gentle hold, "You're the only person I do give a shit about, Cass."

Regardless of whether she ever decided to let herself remember her life or not, her instincts told her that no one had ever told her that before and so honestly meant it. Cassidy stared into Butch's eyes - an odd combination of brown and dark purple - pretty, something she had never noticed before. Without much thought, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, free hand lifting to his cheek and trying desperately to pull him close, force him to return the gesture if he'd had an inclining of turning away.

He hadn't, shocked though he was, and the urgency and need in her touch was palpable. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her to him and in the process, losing his balance and falling back against the couch, Cassidy on top of him.

Abruptly she pulled away and off of him, her face in pain and he quickly realized he must have aggravated her arm injury. He sat up, looking at her with concern as she held the already slung arm to her chest, wincing.

Once the pain had become bearable she looked at him, a smirk on her smeared, glossy lips that he now shared. "I thought you didn't want to make out with me."

Butch laughed softly, running a hand back through his hair. "You don't notice what a shrew you are after a while. I think we'll be okay."

Cassidy leaned over, kissing him again, this time with less urgency and need and more deep passion and desire, more meaningful and with more intent than before.

Slowly Butch found himself being pushed back onto the couch, his hands tangling in Cassidy's hair as he brushed it from both of their faces as she broke their kiss, looking down at him with a small smile on her face and a look that some would say could pass for contentment.

"I'd carry you into the bedroom, but..." Butch gestured down to his foot, returning her smile sheepishly.

"I'd carry you but you're a fat lughead."

"Things are back to normal."

"Not entirely," she replied, sitting up and straddling him, then slipping out of her t-shirt and tossing it aside amongst the unpacked boxes.

Butch flushed slightly, Cassidy tossing her hair back over her shoulder. "You're gorgeous," he blurted out and blushed deeper, shutting his eyes and silently cursing himself. This was a girl who had done a lot of things and here he was, acting like a complete idiot. If that wasn't wake-up call enough to bring Cassidy back to Earth...

Instead she just smirked, leaning down and whispering into his ear while her able hands worked at the button, then zipper of his pants, "I know."

He grinned to himself, his body arching up into her touch. They'd spent the past year and a half growing as partners - he wouldn't even have called them friends, really; and now here they were, awkwardly readying themselves to make love on the couch of their new apartment. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly - the failure, the promotion, the fighting, the sex. As his lips joined with Cassidy's once again, Butch couldn't help but wonder what this was the beginning of...or if it was already the beginning of the end.