Dread filled her as she took leaden steps across the crowded room. This was a confrontation she hadn't been looking forward to and this wouldn't have been the location she'd chosen.

"Dr. Stark."

Nodded, acknowledging Zoë. Gesturing to the empty seat, he replied by way of greeting, "Join me."

Zoë bristled. The request sounded more like a demand and she contemplated walking away. Instead, she reluctantly sank into the offered chair, curious to hear what the good doctor had to say. She just hoped her face didn't give away all of her current feelings. In the meantime, Stark maintained an air of calmness. To a passing customer, the two of them were having a pleasant time sitting together but the tension around the table was almost palatable. After a moment, Zoë broached the subject.

"I know we are not here for pleasantries. Why are you trying to find my father now? He's at peace and he's happy."

Stark took a sip from his coffee. "It's time he knew the truth. Did you and Alison think I'd just forget about him?"

"It would have been better if you had. You are the reason he almost died." Zoë replied her voice tight and filled with anger and sadness.

When he didn't reply, Zoë took a long look at Nathan Stark. Under other circumstances, Zoë would have found him very attractive. The dark curling hair, combined with the piercing green eyes were intriguing and for the first time, she could see why her father had been attracted to the scientist. To her surprise, she could see the look of grief and sadness on his face at her last remark. She could feel her heart starting to soften and she sighed.

"Look, I know you didn't mean to hurt dad but…" Zoë took deep breath. "I heard you two arguing the night before the accident."

Nathan looked at her with startled eyes. Jack must didn't realize that Zoë at been at home when they had the fight about the artifact. It had been an ugly fight with Jack threatening to shut everything down to stop Nathan's experiment. Nathan retailed with scathing words and, to this day, he could still feel the stabbing pain at the hurt expression in Jack's eyes. It hurt even more to know that Jack was right about the experiment. Instead, Kim, Nathan's assistant and Henry's wife had been killed and Jack, who had been there in a last ditch effort to stop him, had been gravely injured. Henry had eventually forgiven him but Alison and Zoë made sure he wouldn't get the chance to hurt Jack again.

"I didn't… we didn't know you were home. You were never intended to hear that."

Declined a cup of coffee from the server, Zoe returned her focus to Nathan. "That's over now. The fact remains that you hurt him in more ways than one and he doesn't remember any of it."

Once again, Nathan was shocked into to momentary silence. Jack had amnesia? That would explain a great deal, especially why it was easier for Allison to keep Jack's information buried. Nathan hadn't expected to be confronted with the fact that Jack wouldn't remember who he was and what they had together before it was so tragically taken away.

"You don't think I regret what happened between me and your father? I think I at least deserve a chance to hear from him that he doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

Resisting the urge to slam her hand on the table, Zoe angrily replied. "He doesn't know you! He doesn't remember you! Everything about Eureka was wiped from his mind! For a long time, he had…" At this point, Zoe was mortified that her voice broke. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "For a long time, he didn't even remember me. It's like it hurt him too much to think about Eureka and so he just wiped it away."

Nathan handed Zoe napkins to wipe the tears that had begun to creep down her face.

"When he finally woke up and we tried to tell him, it hurt his head so bad and we stopped telling him. Soon it became apparent that he wasn't going to try to remember because of the pain. Now it seems the memories are trying to come back anyway."

Perking up at that statement, Nathan quickly asked. "What do you mean?"

Continuing to dab her face, Zoe replied. "When I told him about Eureka yesterday, he had a massive headache. It hurt him enough to take his meds and go to sleep. He hasn't done that in years. He's says it's stress but the doctor told us that if his memories try to return and he resists, that's what will happen."

Reaching across the table, Nathan gently touched Zoe's arm. "You have to let me see him."

Looking at him with watery eyes, Zoe shook her head. "I don't want him hurt again."

For a moment, neither spoke, instead just staring across the chasm at each other. Nathan finally broke the silence. "I want my chance. You, your mother, and Allison took away my chance to make it right with Jack."

Zoe closed her eyes and looked away. Deep inside, she had known it would eventually come to this. Her father would have to make his own choice.

"Let's go. I'm sure you know where dad lived."