Disclaimer: JE's Characters—My Version—Well one version of many of mine! Hehe

Author's Note: That's right ladies and gentlemen ((not too sure if any men are out there reading my stuff but I don't want you to feel excluded)) but I am BACK with yet another story! What can I say—I just get so inspired sometimes!

So anyways—this is the Prologue to see if there is interest. If you like what I have and if you want more of it, let me know!

Extended Description: In this Alternative Universe Stephanie and Joe get into another fight but this time Stephanie decides it's all just too much. An impulsive moment of jumping onto a plane to Southern California turns out to be the worst decision of her life. When the cab she takes gets into a car crash she wakes up 6 months later with no memory. Three years later Joe runs into Stephanie but she has no idea who he is. But he has spent the last 3 years searching for her—and isn't about to give her up that easily. Even if she has found another and can't remember their past.

Prologue:

"One ticket—anywhere." The flight attendant looked at me with my one purse, scrubby looking clothes and no luggage. She also didn't hide her super obnoxious eye roll from me. I pretended to ignore her attitude as her way-too long fake nails clicked away on the keyboard.

"The first flight leaving that I can get you on is to North Dakota."

A chuckle escaped me. "Yeah—absolutely not. Give me another suggestion."

"Texas."

"Yuck."

"Minnesota."

"Keep going."

"Why don't you tell me where you want to go." The attendant, Mandy, asked with her hands on her hips.

After another fight with my on again/off again boyfriend, Joseph Morelli, I needed to get away. We needed distance—clearly—before we killed each other. Sometimes I wondered why I didn't just give up on us all together. Then he would do something that would draw me in again. Maybe we really are destined to do this forever. Now though, was one of those times I needed space.

I needed to remember what I had and so did he. We stopped respecting the other and forgot all about the undeniable spark between us. That was what prompted me to show up at the airport with my purse and nothing else. After catching a high bond skip I had a little extra money to blow, and this was just the way I wanted to blow it.

"Anything in California?" Crabby-Pants checked her screen again and sighed.

"In an hour they board a flight to Huntington Beach; that's in Southern California. Interested?"

"I'll take it."

"First class or coach?"

"Ha—come on now, does it really look like I can afford first class?" The smirk she gave me was answer enough to my question. Sure I didn't look like a total bum; jeans, fitted T-shirt, unruly hair, my pumas. Nothing too terrible—but definitely not the look of someone flying first class.

"Coach it is."

"Thanks." I grabbed my ticket after I shelled out the cash then made my way through security. Knowing the plane would be a little chilly I stopped at a gift shop and bought a gray sweatshirt with lime green writing that read: New Jersey on it.

By the time I got to the gate I had half a dozen missed calls from Morelli and one text that simply read:

Will you please just come home, Steph?

My phone was turned off and thrown into my purse at that moment. A few more sweet texts and I'd forget all about the plane I was waiting to board. I'd call him when I got to a hotel or something and let him know I'd come home soon. Just not right now.

The whole flight I stared out the window and thought of only one thing: Morelli. I missed him, needed him and wanted him to be here with me. Maybe we both just needed time away together. When I got to a hotel I'd give him a call and make him fly out to be with me.

After a nap the plane was getting ready to land. The heat from beautiful California was already getting to me; I pulled my sweatshirt off and stuffed some cash in my pockets. We came to a stop and slowly people began to file off the plane. I was one of the first ones off and found myself running through the airport. The time in the air only told me how much I loved him, despite all our ridiculous fights—he was the only one for me.

A cab waited outside for the first available customer so I slid right in the back.

"Where to, lady?"

"Can you just bring me to a nice hotel? I really don't care which one."

"Fine." The cabby mumbled out. We took off into the crazy California traffic and my mind strayed back to Morelli.

Screw it! I can't wait until I get to a hotel to call Joe; I need to talk to him now. He's probably worried sick and knowing him has informed the rest of the people we know to keep an eye out for me. That was when I didn't have my purse; I could practically see it lying on the ground in front of my seat on the plane. DAMN!

"Sir, I forgot my purse—we need to go back."

"Is this your way to keep from paying me?" He spit back at me.

"This is my way of saying; if you don't turn around I'll have no money to pay you anyways. Just think—longer cab fare, and you can even keep the meter running while I go find it." The guy shrugged his shoulders and moved the car to the far left lane with his blinker on.

A green arrow signaled us to go and the cabby turned the cab into a U-turn. My eyes shot forward as a sudden darkness spread through the car. In front of us was a Semi that tried running the red light; a scream escaped my lungs.

The sound of crushing and scraping metal covered my cries as the Semi moved closer and closer. I covered my eyes, afraid to look but that didn't stop the sudden pain that shot through me as my body whipped about the backseat of the car.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

6 Months Later:

A soft steady beeping echoed through my ears. My head pounded, my body ached and I couldn't recall where I was. I let my eyes slowly open; harsh fluorescent lighting forced me to close my eyes again.

"Well look who has decided to grace us with her presence." This time I opened my eyes and saw a man in a white lab coat, stethoscope around his neck and a Clooney-like smile on his face.

"Where…. Am…. I?" The words were a struggle coming out. My throat felt desert dry.

"You're in a nursing home attached to our hospital. I am Dr. Gillen."

"What hospital? What—what happened?"

Dr. Gillen moved a little closer and brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"Do you know where you are?"

With a shrug of my shoulders I answered; "The hospital?"

"Do you know your name?"

"No." Who was I? What was happening to me?

"You were in a car crash 6 months ago. You've had significant damage done to your body and brain. From the charts and tests run while you were in a coma your long-term memory has been affected."

"Affected, as in?"

"As in, you no longer have any memories from before the coma."

I stared at Dr. Gillen, unable to process what he said. But I couldn't deny it—he was right. No matter how much I racked my mind—it was a complete blank.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Morelli POV

It's been 6 months since I last talked to Stephanie. 6 months since any one saw her or heard from her. Some told me to give up and move on but I just couldn't.

No—I wouldn't.

That was my Cupcake, and I would find a way to bring her back to me.

Author's Note: Thank you Julie for catching my mistake! All who read the first version I said Southern Florida I MEANT Southern Cali- I've been in Southern Florida for the last two weeks so it was on my mind!

Thank you for reading!