Um, I have been gone for a while, um...yeah. Sorry :( No excuses, just the horrible truth that I kinda lost interest in this one for a while. But I'm back now! YAY! Gots some important flashbacks in this chappy. You guys who reviewed, followed, and/or favorited are AWESOME! You guys who are reading this, thanks!:) If you like it, leave a review. If you hate it, tell me what I need to do better on, but in a nice way. Telling me I'm a bleeping bleep who needs to bleep off is not making this fanfiction any better now, is it.

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Mitchie lay on the hospital bed in a blue hospital gown, surrounded by white sheets. She knew she probably looked terrible, but she honestly couldn't care less. What she did care about, was that the doctor had said she could get her memory back.

"It was induced by head trauma." She remembered him saying. "I can't perscribe any medication to bring a memory back, unfortuately. We've done our best to fix the injury, but to get her memory back, you'll have to play some brain games. Like, saying a word and asking her to say what first popped into her head."

Justin, who had been in the room with her but was now getting lunch, had nodded. He looked really tense to Mitchie, and she wished she could help him. Alex, as far as she understood, was waiting outside. Justin hadn't wanted her to be anywhere near Mitchie, and Mitchie was kind of grateful for that.

Alex was...an interesting girl. She has two sides. One is violent and uncontrolled and scary. But Mitchie also saw another side to her too, a nicer side. Mitchie had seen the worst in Alex, and had faced her fury, and she couldn't help but feal a twinge of involuntary fear every time she came around.

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"What am I doing?" Alex paced back and forth in the waiting room, mumbling to herself. There wasn't anyone else in there, and she felt like the white walls were closing in on her.

She didn't even know why she stuck around. She didn't know why she went to Justin for help. She didn't know why she kept losing control, and she didn't know why the beautiful girl in the hospital bed had to be the victim.

Yeah, she thought Mitchie was beautiful. Alex never really had a thing for guys, her boyfriends were just there to entertain her. In reality, Alex was about as straight as a circle. Not that anyone knew, and Justin definately couldn't find out. He would kick her out of his house for sure. There is no way he would be able to stand having a gay girl in the house. He's already uptight enough.

Alex ran her hand through her chocolate strands and tried to think out a plan. She couldn't stay at Justin's house forever. Not only because eventually she would drive him crazy, but also because they would eventually find her. The last thing she wants to do is put her family in danger, even if Justin is a jerk sometimes and Max can be very annoying. Like it or not, they're all she has, and she's not going to make them pay for her mistakes.

Wait, what?

Alex was never all noble and caring. Alex was the one who 'had no soul,' the one who never felt emotions or thought something mattered. It was always get the cash, don't get caught.

Mom and Dad lived by the same rules. They were always on the go, getting phone calls, wearing business attire and looking professional. Justin and her hadn't known they were in the drug business until they were killed. Max still didn't know.

After they had found out, Justin had gotten even more obsessed with following rules and keeping everything in a straight, perfect line. Alex, always the rebel, just got wilder. As the two grew further and further apart, Alex finally stepped across the line.

At least, Justin thought she did.

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"Hey, you okay?" Shane woke up for the second time. He looked up and saw someone leaning over him, looking slightly worried. It was a girl who looked around his girlfriends age, with short blonde hair and crazy blue eyes.

"Yeah, fine." He groaned. "I got this massive headache."

He put his hand to the back of his head. When he drew away his hand, it was sticky with blood.

"You don't look fine." She sounded genuinely concerned. "Can I help you to a hospital? I'm not sure you're sober enough to drive."

"At least I'm not an amnesiac." He slurred, glad he had his memory.

The comment only made her look even more worried. "Look, I'm taking you to see a doctor. Let's go, pretty boy."

She helped him up. When he stood on his feet, black spots danced before his eyes. He felt light headed. With a sigh, he collasped back onto the ground.

"Oh no you don't." Blondie took his arm and heaved him back up. She was suprisingly strong for a girl of her figure. "I am not dragging you to my car."

He managed a weak smile. "Carry me then, oh strong woman of mightiness."

She rolled her eyes. "You are even more drunk than I thought."

"Not drunk. Just loosing all the blood from my body." Shane tried to focus his thoughts on something, but it was like trying to bottle fog. The closer he got, the less he could see.

The girl grabbed her cell phone and dialed something. When she spoke into the reciever, her voice sounded like it was underwater. Woah, was everything supposed to be yellow?

"You're going a little green, there, pretty boy." She tilted her head. "Need a garbage can or something? You really need to learn how to handle liquor."

He coughed, the world going fuzzy. "Look, blondie..."

"Name's Miley."

"Sure, whatever, Miley. My girlfriend is supposedly dead, I just critically injured myself, and the only help I get is from some weird chick sans clothing."

Miley looked down at herself. "I'm wearing clothing!"

Shane tried for a laugh. "Is that what you call it?"

The bottom was pretty much only waist-high underwear, and her top only covered the upper half of her torso, showing her belly button. Her hair was pulled upward and styled to look almost like a bigger version of JB's hairdo.

"Well at least I'm not wearing tidy-whities." She pointed at Shane, and he looked down at himself, confused.

Sure enough, the only thing he was wearing were his boxers. A blush crept up from his neck.

"What's that?" Miley pointed at a piece of paper and picked it up. Her face went white. "Is this the note you were given?"

"So what if it is?" Shane was trying not to think about that right now.

"You're girlfriend isn't dead." Miley shoved the note down her boot, then bent down towards Shane. It looked like she was about to give him a hug. Instead, she hoisted him onto her shoulder and started walking towards the parking lot.

"He he, you're strong." Okay, maybe there still was a tad bit of alchohol in his system.

"Shut up, pretty boy. We've got to get you to the hospital, and then I've got to pretend like I've never met you."

She shoved him into the the passenger seat of a black van, and then got in on the drivers side.

"Why?" Shane shook his head, trying to think clearly.

Miley turned, her piercing blue eyes burning into his. "Because I'm involved with the organization that took her."

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Mitchie jumped when the door to her hospital room opened. Justin walked in, holding a bag that smelled like fast food.

The cheeseburger smell was like a slap in the face. She hated meat.

Wait, she hated meat? Was she remembering she was a vegetarian?

Stomach groaning in protest, Mitchie politely declined the food. She was more interested in what they were about to do.

"Okay," Justin said. "I'm gonna say a word, and then you say the first word that pops into your mind, okay? We're gonna start triggering some memories."

Mitchie nods. "Alright."

"Tree's."

"Leaves."

"School."

"Fun."

"Life."

"Challenging." Justin smiled at her answer.

"Okay, um, friends."

"None."

They both frowned. Mitchie tilted her head. She didn't have any friends... that was sad. Very sad.

Justin tried to break the silence. "Let's do some family related ones."

"Okay." Mitchie nodded.

"Childhood."

"Dad."

"Dad." Justin repeated her answer.

"There." Mitchie wondered at the reply. Why would she think her dad was 'there?'

"Mom."

"Left." Oh. That explains it.

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Alex couldn't stand it anymore. Justin had rushed past her with a bag of food and she was starving. The burgers smelled amazing, and he didn't even give her a passing glance. At first she had thought he was going to get lunch for everyone. Apparently not.

She burst into the room, and immediately regretted it. Mitchie practically jumped five feet in the air, and Justin sat up abruptly. She was obviously intruding on some akward silence.

"What's going on?"

"It's none of your business." Alex was suprised at the visciousness in Mitchie's tone as she snapped at her.

"Sorry." Alex put her hands up in surrender. "I'm just here for some food."

"Here." Justin got up and shoved the bag into his sister's hands. "There's a cheeseburger left if you want it."

Alex looked from Mitchie to Justin. The girl was looking at her with her wide, brown eyes, and Alex felt awful when she realized Mitchie was afraid. The brunette seemed wary and contained, almost as if she'd retreated into a safe place inside herself when Alex came in.

Justin, however, was not afraid. He didn't seem angry, however, which confused Alex. He was always angry when she was around. Instead, his eyes reflected disappointement, and he looked upset with her, but she had a feeling it had nothing to do with demanding food. She wondered if he was thinking back to the time when he found out she was in drugs.

"You will never return here again!" Justin was screaming at her. Tears were streaming down his face, and he looked completely shattered.

"Justin, wait..." Alex started to explain, her own eyes flooding with moisture.

"No." He breathed. She'd never imagined that organized, rule-follower Justin Russo would ever look as hurt as he did now. But now, standing in the street, he looked like a completely different person. "You've insulted me in ways you don't even understand. Did you really think this was the answer, Alex? Did you?"

He held up the ziploc bag of power, his face contorted with a mix of emotions.

"Please, hear me out!" Alex pleaded, her eyes on the drugs. "I need that."

Justin's anger returned. "You don't need this! You've betrayed my trust, you've betrayed Maxie's trust, and you've betrayed Mom and Dad's memory. I hate you, Alex. I hate you!"

He had got in the car and driven away, leaving her alone in the middle of a city, no where to go and nothing to get there.

Alex clenched her fists at the memory, her knuckles white. He thought he was betrayed? She was the one who was left to fight for survival. She was the one who wasn't able to explain her story. She was the one who had to work for a bunch of people who were now trying to kill him. And why? All because of him.

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The expression on Alex's face scared Mitchie even more. Just having the girl in the room made Mitchie want to hide under the covers.

Her mind was still whirling about Justin's little 'mind game.' Her mom had left? When? Why?

Luckily, or unluckly, perhaps, her memories had started returning with the questions. When she closed her eyes, she was swirled into a flashback.

"Daddy, can I ask you a question?" Mitchie was sitting on her father's lap, his face looming above her.

"Of course, sweetheart." He smiled at her.

"Why don't I have a mommy?" She bit her lip, hoping he didn't mind the question. As an eight-year old, she knew that there were some boundaries she shouldn't cross, but this had been on her mind for years.

His face was unreadable, so she decided to continue. "All the people at school have mommy's. They bring them to school, or take them to lunch, or leave them little notes in their backpacks. Mommy's are everywhere, Daddy. But I don't have one."

Her father sighed. "Mitch, baby girl, you're Mommy loved you very much."

Mitchie remembered smiling really wide, so wide her face hurt. "Really?"

"Really. But she couldn't handle being a mother. Her and I, we had you too soon, and she wasn't ready. She thought running away would solve her problems."

"She ran away, Daddy? Did she come back?"

A tear slipped down her father's face, and Mitchie realized she had crossed the line.

"No, she never came back."

Now it was all returning. Her past came flooding back, and when she opened her eyes, she was determined to get herself out of this mess. She remembered her childhood. She remembered her school, and her family.

Best of all, she remembered Shane.