Welcome back, readers, to the second chapter of BT! As promised, I was able to get it edited and posted by the weekend. The majority of the clarification will come in this chapter. And, to address the concerned reviews, no - Chase is not dead. What actually happened was- Wait! I can't give out that information! Whew, that was a close one; I almost spoiled it for you. I'm sure you guys appreciate me keeping you in suspense ;) No? No one? Not a soul? Huh, tough room - or... webpage. No need to be mad at me, though; a lot of your questions will be answered in the next few minutes. And then you'll develop some new questions. *smirks*
And now, on with the next chapter! Enjoy!
Sabrina reached her destination. The crunching sound under her tires revealed the presence of sand and gravel. Parking in the make-shift lot, she took a deep breath and removed her keys from the ignition. Sabrina was internally conflicted. Part of her thought coming here was a bad idea, but another part thought this needed to be done. There was something so appealing about this place; however, she would need to brace herself for the onslaught of cold air and bittersweet memories. Sabrina stepped out of the car.
A gust of wind immediately assailed her. The air smelled of saltwater and burning wood. She zippered her jacket up and dug stinging hands deep into warm pockets. Through squinted eyes, Sabrina looked off into the distance; a distressed, wooden sign read: "Mission Creek Crest." The plateau stretched the length of the three-mile white-sand beach. A stairway carved into the side of the cliffs lead people to the beach below. Sabrina was at the North-most end, a section that was rarely busy. The majority of the crowds gathered near the middle of the beach. Right now, there wasn't another soul around. At one time, she hadn't even known about this spot; someone had brought her here. However, Sabrina hadn't been back in about six months. The last time she was here, she was here with him…
The clouds sighed, their cold breath whistling in Sabrina's ear and ruffling her golden curls. It became apparent that the leather jacket wouldn't cut it; she was, after all, 60 feet from the ocean. She turned back to the car and remembered that there was a blanket in the trunk. Sabrina walked over, unlocked the trunk, and peered inside. There was one item in there - an item she could have identified from miles away. It was a red and white checkered picnic blanket, the very thing he and she had sat on the first time they were here together. Sabrina had forgotten it was in her car.
Smiling, she reached down and grabbed it. She threw the blanket around her shoulders and hugged it to herself. There were still a few stray grains of sand stuck to the cotton, but it didn't bother Sabrina. For the most part, the blanket was warm, soft, and symbolically romantic. While she had it with her, Sabrina decided to walk down to the exact spot where they used it. Walking away from the car, her shoes made the same crunching sound as the tires.
Sabrina walked to the edge of the plateau. Being on a raised platform like this really gave a person the most amazing view of the beach. She assumed that was one of the things he loved about it, too. It was evening by now, and the sky was a beautiful ombre of blue, purple, red, and orange. The large body of water just beyond the cliff was sparkling under the remainder of sunlight. The sound of waves crashing and tumbling over each other was like a lullaby. The great majestic beauty of this beach was something Sabrina would always enjoy. The history she had with this particular place, though, made her love it even more.
After walking for a few minutes, Sabrina stopped. She noticed a portion of the plateau that jutted out a bit farther than the rest. That was where she wanted to be. She approached the elongated edge and looked around. Glancing outward, she took in the incredible view of the ocean. No wonder they decided to have their picnic here; it had all the makings of a perfect date spot. Sabrina remembered every detail of that evening; it was one of the most important and memorable dates that they had.
Apparently, he found this spot while on a mission. He loved it so much that he brought her here for a date. They decided to bring a picnic. He brought the food. The meal was simple: sandwiches, chips, and a fruit salad upon which Tasha insisted. She brought the blanket, utensils, and lantern. It couldn't have been a more perfect date for the two of them. They were both simple people, and Sabrina wasn't demanding. She just wanted quality time with him; she didn't need expensive gifts, fancy trips, or lavish dinners. He earnestly tried to make time for her. He did have a busy schedule of school and saving the world, but any free time of his was spent with her - and vice versa.
She sat down and nostalgically rubbed her bare hand against the rocky grains. Sabrina's eyes shined with tears as she reminisced on that unforgettable moment…
"Ready?" she excitedly asked the awaiting boy.
He nodded with determination, prepping for what was to come. Sabrina then threw a grape up into the air, in the direction of her boyfriend. He watched it for a second before moving his body and flinging his head back. The piece of fruit landed seamlessly inside his open mouth. He moved his head back up, clapping his hands together in victory.
"Yes!" he exclaimed after swallowing.
Sabrina's own mouth hung agape. "15 in a row?! How is that possible?"
"Well-"
"The short answer!"
He raised his hands in surrender. "Simple. I just used physics to calculate where the grape would start to come down, and I positioned my head to be right under it."
"Ugh," she rolled her eyes, "I forgot that I can't win a game against a bionic superhuman…"
"Not true! I might have technologically integrated calculations of all kinds, but you know I lose at anything remotely, and I mean remotely, related to sports. After all, you won bowling on our first date, right?"
Sabrina chuckled. "Only you could compliment yourself while simultaneously making someone else feel better."
She then turned to look out at the beautiful setting sun. Half of it had already been swallowed by the horizon. It wouldn't be long before the ocean ate up the rest. While the horizon was on fire, the sky above was blue fading into purple fading into a midnight black. It was an awe-inspiring tribute to the sky's transition from day to night. Sabrina closed her eyes, taking a deep breath of fresh air. She opened them again, surprised when she felt an arm wrap around her.
He was sitting right next to her. Now it was just him, her, and the checkered blanket beneath them. She smiled at him, a grin which he returned, resting her head on his chest. The lantern that they had brought along was placed a few feet away; it took the sun's place, providing light for the young couple. They stayed in that position, both gazing out at the beach. As silence fell between them, Sabrina only identified three sounds: the gentle lull of the ocean waves, her heartbeat, and the sound of his.
They'd spent hours talking, laughing, and chasing each other up and down the beach. Sabrina felt heartbroken that both of them were here six months ago, but only one of them returned. She had hoped to come back with him - not alone. The odds of them reenacting that date were very slim, though. It felt like such a waste to Sabrina. Here she was, in their special spot, on their one year anniversary - but he wasn't. He couldn't be. He probably wouldn't ever be here again. At least… not with her.
Whoa, where did that come from? Try to stay optimistic! There could be a turnaround; nothing is written in stone yet, her hopeful side reasoned.
Who are you kidding? It's been six months! He hasn't come around yet and, he never will. Face it: the relationship is finished. You guys had a good run, but don't ignore reality, her more direct side countered.
Sabrina sighed, throwing her head into her hands. As sad as it was, she had lost nearly all hope. Hope that they'd be together, that they'd be… them again. Hope that he'd ever be himself again… What she didn't realize at first was: while happy memories can cheer up a person, they can also make them feel even worse. She came here to get some closure, or perhaps even comfort, but it may have had the reverse affect.
The cool ocean breeze continued to nip at the blonde, chilling her exposed hands. She shivered and blew warm breath into her palms. I might have a pair of gloves in the car. Sabrina hopped up and walked back to the vehicle. She searched the driver's side door as well as the armrest before remembering that she had a pair of gloves (ironically) in the glove compartment. She circled around to the passenger side and opened the small compartment. Inside was a pack of tissues, a roll of lifesavers, important papers, fur-lined gloves… and a folded piece of paper. With creased eyebrows, Sabrina shifted attention to the unidentified paper. Once unfolded, its identity was clear.
She let out a quiet whimper that was quickly picked up and carried away by the wind. This was the speeding ticket that she had gotten six months ago. April 22, 2015. That was the date of the… accident. Sabrina froze. She didn't know what to think or do. This, too, reminded her of him, but it wasn't a good memory. A lump formed in her throat that she struggled to swallow. Sabrina went from discreet sniffles to glossy eyes to full-fledged crying. As her tear-ducts filled to capacity, dozens of droplets escaped and ran down her cheeks. The hot liquid helped keep her face warm against the cold air.
She stepped away from the car, ticket in hand, the gloves long forgotten.
April 22 was a horrible day. It changed his life, her life, and the life of his family. He had been on a mission… a rescue mission. According to his sister, another one of their father's facilities was collapsing due to a faulty invention. All too often Sabrina heard about the collapses. The boy's father was a billion dollar tech mogul, yet his inventions had a consistent malfunction rate. Whatever. She tried to stay out of it as much as possible.
Sabrina had even talked to him earlier that morning; he had called to apologize and cancel their date because the mission came up. She didn't think twice and told him not to sweat it; the missions were, after all, more important. She never could've guessed what would later happen. Sabrina had been sitting on the couch watching television when she began to get worried. It had been several hours, and the missions never took that long. He had promised that they would do something when he got back, but she never heard from him after that. The reason for that soon became evident.
The phone rang. It was his sister; she sounded distraught and solemn. She told Sabrina that there had been an accident. Sabrina had picked up bits and pieces: caved ceiling; trapped; dug out; hospitalized; injured. She wasn't able to focus on much after the word "injured." She had jumped up quickly and promised to be at the hospital within minutes. Perhaps she had been in too much of a hurry.
Sabrina crumpled the speeding ticket. She tried to keep the memories of that day away, but they were too powerful. They had been imprisoned deep in the confines of her subconscious. However, this ticket set them all free; the inmates were allowed to roam her mind, causing her to remember things she didn't want to…
Sabrina rushed down the white hallway at light speed. She envied his sister. That superhuman speed must've really come in handy. She checked the room numbers as she hurriedly walked by. The lady at the front desk said he was in room 16C. As Sabrina looked down the hallway, she spotted his anxious sister waiting outside the room. Sabrina approached the brunette.
"Sabrina, where have you been? You said you'd be here in 10 minutes," his sister scolded.
Sabrina replied, "I know; I'm sorry, Bree. I was in such a rush to get here that, well, I got pulled over for speeding…" She guiltily held up a ticket for the bionic girl to see.
"Oh. Well, are you alright?"
"Yea, yea - never mind about me. How is he? Is he awake? What's the damage?" she asked, nervously rattling off questions.
"Sabrina, calm down. He's okay but-"
That was all Sabrina needed to hear. She ran into the room against the protests of his sister. She heard Bree calling to her, but Sabrina paid it no attention. When she rushed in, everyone in the room looked up at her. His entire family was there; his father was by the bedside while everyone else hung back. To Sabrina's relief, he didn't look as bad as she imagined. His left leg was in a cast, and there were bandages wrapped around his forehead.
Sabrina let out a sigh of relief, running up to him. From the corner of her eye, she saw his family trying to get her attention. Were they trying to stop her? Sabrina couldn't imagine why. She ignored them just like she had ignored Bree. Gently, yet lovingly, she enveloped him in a hug.
"Oh, thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried!" Immediately, she felt his body stiffen. At first, she assumed it was initial shock at the physical contact. She quickly realized, however, that he wasn't hugging her back.
Sabrina slowly backed away from the embrace. The boy looked at his family members confusedly, almost nervously, as if silently pleading for help. Sabrina frowned and scrunched her eyebrows at his odd behavior. When he finally looked back at her, it was with disorientation and fear.
He shifted away and looked straight in her eyes. In a quiet, shaky voice, he asked, "Uh, w-who are you?"
She laughed nervously, hoping that this was his idea of a joke. Sabrina then felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned to see Bree standing behind her.
"Sabrina," Bree tenderly began, "Chase… has amnesia."
Her heart dropped. This couldn't be happening…
Sabrina could've dealt with his loss of capability, concentration, and comprehension; she could've dealt with his abnormal mood swings; she could have even dealt with his disorientation. All such things were the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury, after all. But there was one thing she couldn't deal with – her boyfriend getting amnesia. Perhaps she should say former boyfriend; Sabrina wasn't really sure. They never technically broke up, but he forgot all about her! It wasn't just her, though; he forgot about nearly every part of his life. How were they supposed to be a couple when he didn't remembered her, all they did together, or how he felt about her?
The injury was quite debilitating. For the first few weeks after his release from the hospital, Sabrina hung around and tried to help. The family, of course, was devastated. Aside from the amnesia, he wasn't nearly as capable of doing things on his own. The symptoms were strong. If he needed to get out of the bed, someone had to help him. He had trouble walking straight and often got dizzy just from standing up. The fact that his leg was still healing made everything that much more arduous. Then there was his uneasy stomach… Man, he soiled a lot of carpets.
He also had difficultly listening to or engaging in conversations. If anyone spoke to him, it had to be in simple words and short sentences. He rarely responded to anyone, but he was capable of nodding or shaking his head. That being said, most of the things people asked him had to be "yes" or "no" questions. He also had crazy mood swings. Sometimes he was happy; sometimes he was sad; sometimes he was anxious. No one ever knew what they were going to get from him.
Aside from helping him through daily tasks, the family regularly showed him photos and videos to help jog his memory. The doctor said that his memory returning was very open-ended. If his memory came back, there was no way of knowing if it would be at a fast or slow pace. Everyone just had to wait and see.
For a little while, he didn't remember anything or anyone with much clarity. Then things slowly started falling into place. He first remembered his dad, then his brother and sister. It took him a bit longer to remember Leo and Tasha. In any case, he still didn't remember Sabrina. So, as not to overwhelm him, Sabrina was introduced as a family friend - instead of his girlfriend. Once he saw that everyone trusted her, he relaxed and had no problem with her assisting him.
After some time, he was back on his feet (literally) and his family started focusing on helping him remember his bionic abilities. At that point, Sabrina had to take a step back. She felt that that was more of a family issue. She was happy to bring him meals and help him around the house, but he no longer required that. What he needed then was to be brought up-to-date on his status as mission leader. So, she stepped back.
During this time, Bree contacted Sabrina every once in a while with an update. Sabrina tried to remain optimistic, but it wasn't easy. As she heard about Chase slowly remembering more and more, it discouraged her. She still tried to hang around him at school in the hopes that his memory would be jogged, but that never happened. He just didn't feel the same about her or, at least, he didn't remember how he felt about her.
Months and months ticked by. Soon, Sabrina felt like she was forcing something that wasn't going to happen. He wasn't interested in their relationship anymore. He was barely interested in their friendship. Sure, he was always nice when she was around, but there was no spark, no memory. It was always awkward. They didn't know how to converse with one another anymore. After three months, they neither talked nor hung-out. They were nothing more than acquaintances, school-mates. Her boyfriend was gone. The saddest part was that they had said "I love you" just a few days before the accident.
In fact, they were here at the peak when that happened. It was on the picnic that they first shared an "I love you." It was what made this place, that date so special to Sabrina…
She suddenly felt his heartbeat quicken, pounding against the side of her face. Her peace was disturbed as she realized that something had riled him.
She lifted her head and looked at him. "Is everything okay?"
He grinned a little. "Yea, everything is perfect. Something just feels… different."
"Yea. Yea, I agree. Do you know what it is?"
"As a matter of fact, I-I think I do." He looked directly into her eyes, and she reciprocated. Sabrina's own heartbeat quickened. She could tell that what was about to happen – whatever that might be – would forever make things different. He smiled, courage suddenly coursing through him. "I love you, Sabrina."
Those words were pure music. She smiled, and without even thinking, replied breathily, "I love you, too, Chase."
Something was different – a good different. Things were… better. She didn't just like being here with him. She loved being here with him. And he obviously felt the same way. She didn't even need to consider it. That feeling was gradually growing inside of them until it sprouted. And here, in this moment, was when it chose to fully bloom.
It wasn't fair; it really and truly wasn't fair. It was sick. It was a twisted move on the part of life. Just when things were at their best in her life, everything took a turn for the worst. Sabrina had to remind herself that things weren't always fair. This situation truly wasn't fair to her. She knew his family must've taken a pretty bad hit, too, so she wasn't alone. But her pain was just… different. He loved his family - but as a family. He had loved her like, well, a girlfriend. And that could've turned into more. Sabrina wouldn't ever find out, though. It was her first love, and that's what made it such a delicate situation. Love always is, especially when it's new. And for their relationship to be so brutally torn apart was… it was…
Tragic, she thought.
She had to watch him go through a lot. The irony of the situation was unbelievable – the fact that the smartest man in the world was the one to get amnesia, to be incapable of talking or doing grade-level homework. Sabrina hated to see him so… dependent. It took him a while to be able to do the things he used to. That head injury didn't go easy on him. Still, the doctor claimed that he made a quicker recovery than was normal, probably due to his bionics.
Even if that was true, those first few weeks still weren't easy – neither for Sabrina nor for the family. It was painful for her to see that he no longer had that love for her -the love that he had expressed not one week before the accident. Now, it seemed too late. That accident happened six months ago. According to Bree, he remembered most everything now. His head trauma symptoms had vanished – and, if not, there was a mere lingering trace, not anything terribly serious. Yet, he still had no memory of her. That hurt. Sabrina didn't know what to think. Was she not as important, not a priority?
And now, she was here where they stood six months ago and confessed their love. Today would've made a whole year that they were together, but she was here alone.
That's rotten, just plain rotten and messed up.
Tears continued to fall from her cheeks, this time much more rapidly. She couldn't control it anymore. It hurt; it really did. Droplets of water fell on the ticket in her vibrating hand. Her body had begun to shake; Sabrina tried to convince herself that it was because of the cold air, but she knew better. Her breath came in short, rapid gasps at this point; her chest ached from the discomfort, but Sabrina couldn't stop. She wrapped her arms around herself comfortingly. He was supposed to be the one to comfort her, but he couldn't do that anymore. That wasn't right.
Human beings were meant to be consoled by one another, not themselves. Arms were meant to be wrapped around someone else. The mouth was meant to speak encouraging words to someone distressed. Eyes were meant to lovingly burn into another pair; with one heartfelt look, the other person should've immediately felt secure and reassured. What was the point of going throughout life without someone to comfort you and vice versa?
Sabrina dropped her head as if someone would see her crying. Of course, no one else was there. At least, she didn't think so. Anyone could've snuck up on her right now. She was so invested in her own little world of misery – alone. Even if someone was there physically, they wouldn't be there emotionally. No one else could've felt her pain and anger. She was dealt a great injustice, one that could not be reversed. And, yes, he had, too. The difference was: he wasn't plagued with memories of before. He got the long end of the stick. Sabrina had to suffer the anguish of remembering how things were before, but knowing that they could never be that way again. He was blissfully unaware of all that they were, all that they could've been. She, on the other hand, recalled it all too well.
Sabrina jumped when she felt the cell phone ringing in her pocket and assumed that it was her mom calling to check on her. The blonde wiped the tears from her cheeks and slowed her breathing. Sabrina didn't want her mom to know that she was in distress. She grabbed her phone. But when she read the Caller I.D., Sabrina almost fell over. Her tears immediately ran dry, and her mind – previously filled with depressing realizations and painful memories – suddenly went blank.
Chase Davenport
She never had the heart to remove his number from her phone, so his name still showed up. While Sabrina was experiencing emotions ranging from glee to sadness to frustration, above all, she was perplexed. Why would he be calling her?
He probably just dialed the wrong number or called on accident.
She stood there for a second, trying to decide whether or not to answer. If it was a mistake – which was likely - their conversation probably wouldn't go on for very long; then she'd hang up, disappointed and feeling even worse than she did now. If a necklace, a blanket, and a speeding ticket brought her to tears over the mere thought of him, how much more so would talking to him? Sabrina didn't need more reminders of that awful situation.
But, if it wasn't a mistake… What exactly would happen then? Sabrina bit her lip. Was it worth the risk? She desperately wanted to talk to him again, but that could've been a bad idea. After 15 seconds of inner conflict, Sabrina finally submitted to her weaker side.
She pressed a button. "Hello…?"
Did I just leave you on a cliffhanger? *puts on an innocent face* Huh, I suppose I did... Sorry, I'm having way too much fun with this! My fellow writers will understand this: you get a certain enjoyment out of leaving your readers in anticipation. If you truly are on the edge of your seat, that means my writing is good.
So, we've determined what happened to Chase. (In case anything was unclear, they went to rescue researches from another of Donald's crumbling facilities. A part of the ceiling caved in on Chase, and he got a traumatic brain injury, amnesia, and a broken leg. After several months, he remembers everything but Sabrina.) Was that at all what you expected? I found it to be a unique idea; hopefully you did as well.
Interesting Factoid (anyone get the reference?): Take a look at the date 10-26-15 (the day that this story is set on.) That's supposed to be Sabrina and Chase's one year anniversary. If you go back exactly one year from that date, you'll find that it's a few days off from when a certain LR episode aired... I was very meticulous with the dates I used in this story. None of them are random. I timed everything to be realistic and plausible.
And now, I shall bog you down with questions to ponder. Do you think Chase called Sabrina on accident or on purpose? What do you suppose happens after Sabrina answers? How sad did you get when you found out the truth about Chabrina's tragic situation? Review and share your thoughts/feelings/questions! It'll give me the motivation to get the final chapter posted by next weekend.
