Forgotten
By: Jessie Cristo aka jasmin73
Genre: Prison Break
Rating: M – Mature audiences only
Disclaimer: I have no claim or affiliation with the Prison Break franchise in any way. This story was written purely for entertainment; namely… mine. Feedback is appreciated.
Summary: Daniel Smith is a man without a past. Three years of living in the picturesque lakeside town of Long Lake, Colorado; he's managed to make a good life for himself despite his unknown past, but he's about to learn that the past has a way of finding you, whether you want it to or not.
Author's Note: Special thanks to my beta SpookyBibi… getting back into the fanfiction world was a bit iffy for me, since I hadn't written anything in years… I just hope people still want to read what I write.
Prologue
Running… always running. Feels like I've been running my whole life. How many more people have to die before we can be free?
Running is difficult in the dark; the smaller man handcuffed to me is slowing me down.
But we have to keep moving. Nothing I can do about it now.
More darkness flies by, the only sound that of our harsh breathing as we hurry. There's a group of us, and in all of us a sense of desperation, and then there it is… it's a shed. Or is it a garage?
An axe flashes through the air, and a bloodcurdling scream fills the air.
A severed hand now lay there.
Daniel Smith woke thrashing in his sweat-soaked sheets, a cry trapped in his throat. Breathing heavily, he strove to push the nightmare aside.
Getting up, he went to the only window in his little apartment. It looked out on the dark woods, and its quiet beauty calmed him as it usually did. He shivered slightly, as the sweat on his skin began to evaporate.
Four years now, and the nightmares still had the power to rip him out of a sound sleep. Pulling a nearby chair closer, he sat down and waited for the sun to come up - knowing that he'd never be able to get back to sleep.
Sitting in nothing but an old pair of pajama bottoms, Daniel watched the world lighten outside. His face in the reflection off the glass, told of his worries. He stared at his reflection, wishing with all his might that he could just find out who that person really was. Another part of him, however, was almost afraid to find out.
Even if my memories come back… will I like what find?
Chapter One: A New Life
At WoodSmith's on Main Street 11:45am October 13
Taking a break from wiping the display shelves, Daniel walked to the large window that fronted the shop. Looking out at the clean, picturesque street, his mind went back to the day when he'd wandered into town; hands, arms and head swathed in dirty bandages, weak and disoriented… and not knowing who he was or where he'd come from.
The town's venerable old physician, Dr. William Granger, and the then Sheriff Rudy Colton had tried their best to find out where he belonged. The Doc had also treated his burned hands, and put him up for almost four months. The burns had left Daniel without fingerprints and unsuccessful inquiries into Missing Persons Reports had left Sheriff Colton without a clue.
Even with all the uncertainty about his past, the townspeople of Long Lake had rallied in so many ways to help him. Finding he was good with his hands, and that he had a knack for fixing things, the townspeople had sent work his way until he'd had enough to open his own shop.
Now, he was not only happy with how his life was turning out, but he was now considered a respected member of Long Lake's tight-knit community.
Smiling wistfully at his memories, Daniel turned back to his chores. Taking two steps, he stumbled as a bright flash of light blinded him.
I find it incumbent that you see the inside of a prison cell… Daniel winced and grabbed the side of his head, as the unfamiliar voice echoed inside his head.
And then flashes of a man… Hispanic, shaved head… his expression angry, then –flash- smiling and then –flash- grim.
I'm telling you, the guards are the dirtiest gang in this whole place. The only difference between us and them is the badge.
Groaning, Daniel leaned against the nearest shelf - resting his head against its cool, metal edge. After a couple of seconds he pushed away from the shelf; he shook his head briskly to clear it and was relieved when the dizziness dissipated quickly.
What's going on with me? Why am I hearing and seeing these things? Guards? Badge?
Focusing back on the shelves, Daniel pushed his worries aside. He knew that if he kept picking at them, he'd get nothing but a migraine for his efforts. It wasn't the first time for him. He'd been struggling with them for years. Only the Doc had known, since he was there when it first happened. But now Carl and Sherry knew – what he didn't tell them was how it was happening more and more lately.
He'd just finished wiping down the last shelf when the front door opened, the bell attached above it ringing merrily as someone entered the store. Turning, he smiled in greeting at the man who'd just entered.
Sheriff Carl Hanson struggled with the door, holding two large Styrofoam cups, and a bulky, white paper bag tucked under one arm.
"About time. Hope that's not our lunch you're crushing." Called Daniel.
"Hey, shove it. Just be glad I'm nice enough to pick up your lunch for you." Carl muttered as he struggled to deposit his load on the hand-carved table near the window, without dropping anything.
Daniel just laughed as he rushed over to help. "As if Sherry would let you leave the diner without something for me."
Hands now free, Carl propped them on his hips in an exasperated pose. "I swear that woman takes better care of you than she does me… and I'm her husband!"
"I told you many time… she knows she picked the wrong guy, she's just trying to make it up to me."
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, loser."
It was an old joke between the three of them. Sherry Wilson had started dating Daniel first, but after a night out with both of them; she'd admitted that she was more attracted to Carl. Daniel hadn't minded, since they'd only had one date before that, and he didn't feel anything more than friendship for the pretty blonde.
Daniel had even been Carl's best man at their wedding, and he now thought of them as more than best friends – Sherry called them a family and the two men were more than happy to agree.
Sherry, unfortunately, had an overwhelming urge to meddle, and no matter how many times he begged her to stop… she kept trying to fix him up with a girl of his own.
"Hey, guess what?" Carl said, as he removed the lid on his coffee cup and began blowing on it to cool it down.
Turning one of the chairs at the table, Daniel straddled it as he reached for the bag of food, eager to see what Sherry had packed for him. She was a great cook and people came from miles away to eat at Willis' Diner.
"What?"
When he didn't answer right away, Daniel looked up. Carl was staring at him with that I'm-a-cop-so-I-know-there's-something-wrong-look. "You okay, man?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." He answered, concentrating on removing the wrapper for his large sandwich.
Carl's look altered to I'm-a-cop-and-your-best-friend-so-you-might-as-well-spill-look; Daniel sighed in defeat, knowing he couldn't lie to Carl when confronted like this.
"Don't even try to lie to me, man. Your eyes give you away every time. Are you having flashes again?"
Daniel just nodded, then laughed. "We sound like a pair of women talking about menopause.
Carl couldn't help but laugh too, but he still didn't drop the subject. "Well, are you?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because it's nothing new, we all know that no matter how much we talk it over, there's really nothing we can do about it. All it ends up doing is getting you and Sherry worried, and in her condition and worrying about you and your job… she really doesn't need anything more to worry about."
"If she finds out you've been keeping it from her just to spare her some worry, she'll be even more upset and worried." Carl snapped.
"So don't tell her." Daniel shot back.
Carl huffed in exasperation.
"Look…" Daniel said, leaning on the table. "…your wife is pregnant, and these flashes come and go, and I'm handling them. Let's just forget about it and have our lunch."
Reluctantly, Carl agreed. "But you gotta promise to at least tell me. You never know if a clue about your past will pop up in one of your dreams or your flashes. I'm your best friend, and the town sheriff… this is the kind of stuff I should be consulted on."
"Okay, I promise." Said Daniel, as he looked back down at his sandwich. "What were you going to tell me earlier? What did you want me to guess?"
"Well… speaking of my lovely wife… wanted to give ya a heads up that she's at it again." Answered Carl, and when Daniel eyes snapped back up, he couldn't help but see the mischievous grin on Carl's face. "She's invited an old college friend of hers to our dinner tonight, and she told me to make sure that you dress nice and that you show up on time."
"You gotta be kidding me… I thought you said she'd learned her lesson from the last time she tried to set me up? If I didn't love your wife's cooking so much, I'd have run for the hills a long time ago. She may be a world class cook, but her matchmaking skills are horrendous."
"You know my Sherry never says die. Especially when it comes to 'her boys'"
Daniel rolled his eyes as he took a huge bite out of his roast beef sandwich. His eyes rolled again as the flavors hit his tongue – he even gave a little moan of pleasure as he happily chewed.
Carl just grinned at his best friend, and reached to pull out his chicken parmesan sandwich, which he knew would have sliced olives and red onions in it. He too was soon happily eating away.
Between bites, the two friends recalled all the attempts at matchmaking Carl's wife had tried in the past. From outside the store, they were framed perfectly by the large window. Women passing by paused to look now and then, the two men not realizing the picture they made.
One woman - beautiful, cinnamon brown hair, large brown eyes and a slim, yet still womanly physique - stared at the two men in the shop window across the street from her. Both men were quite good-looking; the cop looking very good in his uniform with his tousled blonde locks, dimpled smile and merry blue eyes; but she found the taller one with the green eyes and close-cut dark hair more appealing – just the way he smiled, laughed and talked… intrigued her.
"This town is looking better and better by the minute." She murmured to herself, before continuing on her way.
At Willis' Diner on Main Street 12:05am
Sherry Willis-Hanson looked up from the register to see who'd just entered, threw her hands in the air and screamed loudly. Everyone in the diner whipped around and stared as Sherry rushed out from behind the counter and ran to energetically hug the attractive brunette who'd just walked in - The woman wearing a look of amused patience on her face as she hugged Sherry back.
After a little dance in place, hugging tightly, Sherry and the woman pulled apart to hold each other at arm's length. Both women taking in the other's appearance, affection clear on their faces.
"God Sher, you're as crazy as ever; but I swear you've gotten even more gorgeous." the woman exclaimed. "Still dealing blows to the confidence of every woman in your presence, I see."
"Of course…" Sherry playfully crowed, as she ran her hands over her thickening waist. "You know I consider it my duty to keep you all on your toes."
Nearby patrons laughed along with the stranger. Just then, an elderly man came through the double doors that led to the kitchen. "What's all the hollering about?" he demanded, in a surprisingly robust voice.
"Hey dad, come meet Emily… Em, this is my dad, George Willis."
"So this is Emily, eh?" said George - his hand callused and strong as he shook Emily's hand – workingman's hands.
"Emily Shane, sir… such a pleasure to finally meet you." Emily smiled warmly, one eyebrow shooting up with amused shock when George winked at her and brought one of her hands to his mouth; kissing the back of her hand seductively.
"The pleasure's all mine, beautiful… you can call me George. Hell, you can call me, anytime."
"Okay, Romeo… " Sherry rolled her eyes, and gently pulled her dad away from Emily. "Down, boy."
Emily just laughed. She knew the old man was just being rambunctious, and she found it very endearing.
"I think I smell something burning, Dad."
"See you later, beautiful." George said to Emily, leaning around his daughter to wink at her again; then he turned to frown at his daughter. "Me burn food? Remember who taught you how to cook, young lady."
Sherry just gave him another gentle push toward the kitchen.
"See you later, George." Emily called.
As soon as he opened the double doors, they could see a light pall of smoke was filling the kitchen.
"Dangit! Somethin's burnin'!" George yelled, before he disappeared into the kitchen.
Emily and Sherry burst out laughing, along with everyone else that was in the diner.
George's head popped up in the service window.
"Don't panic, it's under control! Gonna have to whip up some more biscuits though, Sher."
"Got it, Dad."
"No, no… I got it. You visit with that pretty friend of yours, I'll handle the kitchen. I'll send over some lunch for you two."
"Thanks, Dad."
Sherry led Emily to the booths at the back of the diner. They weren't usually used this early in the day, so the section was closed off until dinner service.
They settled across from each other and started talking almost at the same time; catching up on everything that's been happening in both their lives – laughing and joking like they were still back at college in their dorm room.
"So, how's the realty business going?" asked Sherry.
"It's great. I love the traveling and being able to help people. When I heard we landed those new lake houses on Long Lake, I jumped at the chance and begged my boss for the job. Especially because we're not selling them, we're leasing. So we need an on-site agent almost all year."
"So you're here for good, then?"
"For now, it looks like it. I love this place Sherry. All the stories you told me in back at school did not do it justice. It's even better than I imagined." Emily then smiled impishly, and spoke with a fake English accent. "Even the men here are quite lovely. Saw two earlier that rather took my breath away."
Sherry laughed. "Let me guess… you walked by WoodSmith's, didn't you? Saw two guys having lunch at the window… one of them a cop?"
"Yeah… I did. You know them?"
"I hope so…" Sherry giggled. "The cop's my husband Carl, so I know him quite intimately - the other's Daniel Smith; a very good friend of ours. He owns that shop – he's the best carpenter and woodcrafter in the entire county. Carl and Daniel always have lunch together and I agree wholeheartedly… they are extremely lovely. Although I think my Carl's a tad bit prettier… I might be biased, though."
Emily laughed; embarrassed at having admitted to checking out Sherry's husband – although Sherry seemed to find it funny – Emily decided to change the subject.
"So, how far along are you? Do you know if it's a boy or girl? Your last email said you had an ultrasound scheduled… how did that turn out?"
The two women then fell into talk about babies and families; caught up in the joy of being able to talk freely with a person they knew would always understand them.
Hours later, Sherry spotted Carl striding in the front doors, and her startled gaze flew to the Coke clock above the service window.
"Oh my god, it's after five! There's Carl, now." She exclaimed.
Emily turned to see the same handsome cop she'd spotted earlier. She looked for but didn't see the other man with him. She sighed to herself, surprised that she was disappointed.
Spotting his wife right away, Carl walked straight over, a worried expression on his handsome face.
"Sherry honey… everything okay?" he asked, eyeing Emily with cautious politeness. "I went home to see if you needed help with dinner and you weren't there - I got worried."
"I'm so sorry, Carl. Emily and I just got to talking and I lost track of time. Emily, this is my husband… Carl Hanson."
Emily smiled politely, and held out her hand in greeting.
"Very nice to finally meet you, Emily." He said, dimples flashing as he smiled warmly at her – reaching out and shaking the hand she offered. He then turned to Sherry and asked. "Are we still having the dinner party tonight?"
"Yes! Yes we are." Sherry said, sounding panicked, jumping up and out of the booth. "Damn Em, I'm so sorry. I didn't even give you time to get some rest or anything and now even you're dinner's gonna be late."
Emily laughed, and hugged Sherry. "Don't worry about it. The way your dad's been sending over tidbits of goodies this whole time, I'm sure I'll survive. I was having just as much fun catching up."
"Look, go back to the Inn. Get horizontal for a bit and I'll have a great dinner for you in three hours max."
"You don't have to bother…"
"I'd let her cook if I were you…" Carl interrupted, laughing. "Sherry takes great offense when people turn down or cancel her dinners."
Emily laughed and nodded indulgently at Sherry. "Okay, okay! How could I forget the time you nearly ripped my head off for not trying your brownies."
"Do you need a ride to the Inn?" asked Carl.
"No, it's not far and I'd like to take a look around a little more before going back to my room."
"Still have my address?"
"Yep, even saw the street as I was walking here so I should have no problem finding it."
"Okay, see ya at eight-ish then." Sherry said, distractedly. "Let's go, Carl. We need to stop by Long's. I'm out of some spices, and I was thinking of baking a…"
Her voice cut off, as she hurried out the doors, Carl called out goodbye to Sherry's dad, waved to Emily and then hurried after his wife.
Hanson Residence on Maple Street 10:47pm
Sherry and Carl watched from their front porch as Daniel and Emily gave a last wave and walked off – disappearing behind the tall hedges in their neighbor's yard.
As soon as they were out of sight, Sherry did a little jig as they turned to head back inside their house. "Told you… told you… told youuuu." She sang, playfully.
Carl laughed and smiled at his wife's antics. "He just offered to walk her back to the Inn, hon. Don't be marrying them off, just yet."
"I love you, Carl… but you have no sense of romance whatsoever."
He just rolled his eyes as he turned to secure the front door behind him.
As she slowly walked up the stairs, she kept gushing about the 'obvious' attraction between Daniel and Emily all through the dinner and the drinks afterward; she couldn't figure out why Carl didn't see the 'sparks' flying between the two.
Carl loved his wife dearly and wanted her to be happy in all ways; but he really wasn't sure about Emily just yet. There were times when Daniel would stare at Emily so intently with a haunted look in his eyes; times when he thought no one noticed… but Carl had noticed. He didn't know what to make of it, and he never got a chance to talk to Daniel about it before they'd left.
He turned off lights as he went; following his wife to bed – making a mental note to talk to Daniel the next time he saw him.
Meanwhile, on Main Street…
"So you really don't remember anything before you came to Long Lake?"
Daniel smiled ruefully and just shook his head. "Not a thing. Ol' Doc Granger even sent me for tests in Helena. Doctors there said it looked like my brain had been operated on in the past, but the scarring still didn't explain the memory loss. Basically, they just couldn't find anything wrong with me… well, except for my hands and arms."
"Hands and arms?" she asked, curious.
Pulling his hands out of the pockets of his tan coat, he pushed the sleeves up to his elbows and held his hands out for her to see them; they'd come to a stop under a streetlight that was made to be reminiscent of old time gas lanterns.
Cupping the underside of his hands with hers, Emily stared down at Daniel's hands and arms. His palms were completely smooth without a single line; the white scarring creeping up the sides of a few of his fingers on both hands – it even extended up the undersides of his arms, halfway to the crook of his elbows.
Emily gasped softly as it occurred to her how much pain the scars told of. "These are burns, right?" she asked him, looking up at him with sympathy shining in her eyes.
"Yeah, the doctors said it looked like electrical burns."
"Ouch." Cradling one of his hands, she ran one finger over the shiny, smooth texture of his palm. He shuddered slightly. "Can you feel that?" she asked.
"Yes. A little." He said, his voice like dark velvet; the look in his eyes as he gazed down at her was so intense, it made her heart skip a beat.
Licking her lips nervously, she released his hand and stepped away from him; she then continued walking, and he followed.
"So no fingerprints… if you ever wanted to commit a crime, you won't have to worry about wearing gloves." She said jokingly; in an attempt to break the awkward silence.
Daniel laughed. "Not according to Carl… he says he'd know it was me for the lack of fingerprints alone."
They both laughed; awkwardness vanished and they fell into an easy stroll again.
"I saw some of your work at Sherry and Carl's… it's a wonder how well you can carve with those injuries."
"Actually, it's the carving that helped. The Doc prescribed all these salves and lotions in the beginning, but just working the wood helped the most to get back my dexterity."
They continued walking in silence for a few minutes; almost to the corner of Main and Lake Drive. Even though neither of them talked, Daniel was a little amazed that he didn't feel uncomfortable in any way.
He did notice how aware he was of her every move; liking how she was nearly as tall as he was, so she had no problem keeping up with his natural pace. He was so aware of her that he instantly noticed when Emily shivered as they got to the corner and turned onto Lake Drive; he was unaware that she was deep in thought about his past and his injuries; wondering how he'd gotten them. She was jolted from her thoughts when he paused to unbutton his coat.
"Are you cold?" he asked, even as he was shucking off his coat, and holding it out to her.
To avoid explaining the reason for her sudden chill, Emily just smiled her thanks and let him drape the warm coat over her shoulders. Pulling the lapels together under her chin, Emily took a second to sniff it, finding his smell pleasant, she breathed it in deeply.
"Enough about me." He finally spoke, as they neared the gate to the Long Lake Inn. "What about you? What made you pick realty?"
Reaching the gate, Emily took the single step up to the gate then turned to face him – they were now at eye level. "Oh, it's more like it picked me."
"I'm intrigued."
She laughed. "Oh please… compared to your mysterious origins and scars… my life would read like stereo instructions."
"No, really. I'm interested… what did you mean it picked you?"
"Daniel… stop." She said. She wasn't laughing anymore but there was an undefined sparkle in her eyes as she gazed at him. He frowned, wondering if he'd said something wrong.
"We've got tomorrow or whenever to talk about my life in all its normalcy… but I've actually had a long day and would like to get some rest."
"Oh… yes… okay. Sorry to keep you." He blurted, confused and feeling like a heel.
She laughed softly as she reached to cup the side of his face with one hand. Urging him forward she brought him to the edge of the step – until they were mere inches from each other.
Looking into what she now believed was the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen; Emily leaned into him until their bodies were molded together. "I just mean that I'm too sleepy to work up to this, but really, really didn't want to miss out on it." She murmured, their lips mere inches apart.
His eyes now sparked with a playfulness of his own. "It?" he asked.
"This." She answered, then leaned in to press her lips to his, nibbling softly on his lower lip.
With a sharp, indrawn gasp, he captured her mouth with his, tilting his head to get better access. Her kiss was like a silken heat that wove its way down his body, centering and simmering at the bottom of his gut.
He reveled in the taste of her, the feel of her softness pressed against him – his arms wound around her to pull her closer – as if to pull her into his very being.
She moaned as he pressed his arousal against her, unconsciously pushing one leg between hers so that she ended up practically riding his leg.
His coat had fallen to the ground when she'd lifted her arms to wrap them around his shoulders, so his hands ran unimpeded over her back; molding her back through the thin material of her red blouse.
Suddenly, she pulled away from him. Gasping heavily, she gently pulled his arms from around her and stepped back.
Panting lightly, she stared heatedly at Daniel. "I was right. I'm so glad I didn't miss that."
He chuckled breathily. "So am I."
Turning, Emily opened the wooden gate and stepped through. She held it open to look back and smile at him. "Goodnight, Mr. Smith."
Biting his bottom lip to keep from grinning like a star-struck fool, he nodded slowly and politely. "Goodnight Miss Shane."
She then closed the gate and walked quickly up the stone path and onto the Inn's porch. She paused at the door to look back and could see Daniel on the street walking back the way they'd come.
She grinned in delight when he did a little skip before turning the corner, and disappearing from view.
Having retrieved his jacket from the ground, he slung it over one shoulder as he walked home. He was real happy to have met Emily. He was even happier that things were going so good with her. He didn't even mind that he probably will never hear the end of it from Sherry.
Reaching his shop, he walked around the side of it, heading for the staircase at the back that led up to his apartment. He paused as he was about to unlock the door, thinking back to the odd feelings he'd had upon first seeing her.
Daniel still couldn't shake that niggling thought in the back of his mind. Emily Shane intrigued him, and he found her very attractive… but somehow… he also found her familiar… like he knew her from somewhere. Or maybe… she looked like someone he'd once known and couldn't remember.
What do you want from me, Michael? A woman's voice whispered softly in his mind.
Massaging his temple with one hand, Daniel opened his door and entered his apartment.
"Who the hell is Michael?" he asked himself.