A/N – Hello everyone! Hope you all are surviving the crazy holiday season! I'm so humbled by all the comments on this story! They make my day! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter and leaves me another lovely review!

Chapter 3 - Unforgettable

Johnny smiled as he glanced inside Lulu's room, noticing she was sleeping. He had been visiting her every time he came to see his father, usually before and after, for the past four weeks. They would talk about anything and everything and the previous week he had been asked to leave because visiting hours were ending. They had both been surprised, realizing they had talked for over five hours even though it seemed like minutes. Lulu had a way of surrounding every one of Johnny's senses and taking him over, making him forget about the rest of his life and all of its unwanted problems.

He watched her smile in her sleep and he felt his heart beat accelerate slightly. That smile, her smile made him feel like he could do anything. And he knew he would, if she asked him to. Johnny considered letting her sleep and visiting his father first, but he decided to go in and leave a note, just in case she woke up and wondered why he hadn't come by yet.

He entered the room quietly, careful not to make any noise that would wake her. He crossed the room to the desk and found the notebook she always had there. Her doctors had told her to write down her feelings about Logan's death any time she thought about it. But, Lulu had admitted to him she wasn't following their instructions. She wanted them to believe she wasn't thinking about it and had gotten better so she could be released, but instead it only convinced the doctors she was in denial. Johnny wasn't sure if they were right about that, but he did know she would never get over anything in this place. She didn't trust the people that were supposed to be helping her and that wasn't good.

"Johnny," Lulu mumbled, making him freeze as he wrote his note.

Johnny glanced at her, assuming he was caught but knit his eyebrows in confusion when he saw her eyes were still closed. She was smiling and apparently still sleeping while mumbling his name. That had to be a good sign.

Not wanting to wake her, but curious as to exactly what she was dreaming about, Johnny softly sat down on the mattress and watched her carefully. After a few minutes, when she still hadn't spoken again he carefully brought a hand to her face. She automatically leaned into his touch and when she whispered his name again Johnny felt the world stop, just for a moment. He wanted so badly to lean down and brush his lips against hers, wondering what her reaction to that would be. But he knew that if or when he kissed her, he wanted her to be awake. And to want to kiss him back.

Johnny let his hand gently slide over her cheek, caressing her face as he watched her sleep peacefully. He realized he could do that forever and never get bored. He froze when her eyes fluttered open, knowing he must have looked like a crazy man sitting there and watching her sleep the way he was. Her eyes shut and then opened again and she looked around before her eyes landed on him again.

"Are you real?" Lulu asked softly.

"I think so," Johnny answered. "But I guess it depends on which side you believe when it comes to the existential dilemma debate."

She giggled and he smiled as he tried to casually move his hand, so she wouldn't realize what he had been doing. He should have known she was too smart for that.

"You don't have to be embarrassed for touching my face," Lulu muttered, sitting up in her bed. "Although, I have to ask how many times you've been in here and watching me like that."

"This is a first," Johnny admitted. "I was going to just leave you a note, but...I got distracted."

"By?" Lulu questioned.

"I thought I heard you say something while you were sleeping," Johnny replied.

"Well, I've been told I do that sometimes," Lulu laughed. "What did you think I said?"

Johnny opened his mouth, but closed it, wondering if he really wanted to ask her about it. He knew she had said his name...twice. But it didn't mean he needed to confront her about it.

"What do you think you might have said given what you were dreaming about?" Johnny asked.

Lulu pondered his question, her face pensive at first, but soon she was blushing. She tried to hide it from him by jumping out of bed and stretching, but he had seen her.

"I don't remember my dream," Lulu shrugged, turning to face him again.

"Since when do we lie to each other?" Johnny wondered, smiling as she realized he had caught her.

"Since you apparently know what I was dreaming about, but want to make me squirm," Lulu countered, glaring at him playfully.

"I don't know the details," Johnny replied. "I just heard you say my name a couple of times."

She blushed again and he reached out for her hand, letting her know silently that she didn't have to tell him anything if she didn't want to. And that gave her the strength to just be honest.

"I was dreaming that you broke me out of here," Lulu explained. "You took me to some place where no one would find us and we went on a speed boat. You drove too fast and I loved every second, both of us laughing like we didn't have a care in the world. It felt like it could be real, you know?"

"Yeah," Johnny nodded. "I've had a few dreams like that."

"About us?" Lulu wondered.

Johnny nodded again and caught her other hand so he could pull her a little closer. He realized when she was standing and he was sitting they were still almost at eye level, her being a little taller for once. She stepped closer again, moving to the space between his legs and watching him the whole time. She seemed afraid he would push her away, but that was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do.

"Do you ever wonder what will happen if I do get out of here?" Lulu asked.

"What do you mean?" Johnny questioned.

"With us," Lulu clarified. "What will happen with us if I get released?"

"I don't know," Johnny muttered. "What do you want to happen?"

"Well," Lulu sighed. "I don't want to not see you ever again."

"I'm sure when you get out of here-" Johnny started.

"If," Lulu argued.

"When," Johnny said firmly, squeezing her hands. "When you get out of here, you'll probably be too busy to see me. Eventually you'll forget all about me."

"No, I won't," Lulu replied. "I could never forget you."

"Most people forget me," Johnny shrugged.

"Most people are idiots," Lulu smiled. "I promise, no matter what happens, I will never forget you. You being here and becoming my friend is pretty much the only thing keeping me going right now."

"Lulu," Johnny whispered, blushing slightly.

"It's true," Lulu continued. "No one else believes in me and that day I ran into you in the gardens I was looking for a reason to believe in myself. To believe that I could get better. You gave that to me."

"You will get better," Johnny offered. "It won't be long and you'll be out of here."

"And then what?" Lulu asked.

"That depends on you," Johnny answered.

"I already told you I want to keep you in my life," Lulu reminded him.

"Then that's where I'll be," Johnny replied.

Lulu smiled at him and again, everything else just faded away. All the times Johnny had thought of kissing her before seemed like nothing because now the urge to press his lips to hers was overwhelming. He let go of her hands and placed his hands on her hips, bringing her even closer to him. Her hands went to his face and she brushed her fingertips across his skin, meeting his eyes and silently asking what came next.

"I'm going to kiss you," Johnny muttered, his sentence almost a question.

"I was hoping so," Lulu smiled, making him blush again.

He closed his eyes and moved forward and she did the same, their lips meeting in a perfect kiss. As far as they were concerned, there was nothing happening in the world, save for the two of them experiencing the sweetest moment either had ever known. Johnny, in the small part of his brain that had active thought, noted that never would he be content to just watch her sleep if he could be kissing her. All too soon, but still after several minutes, they pulled apart, gasping for air.

"I don't know how this happened," Lulu said softly, resting her forehead against his. "Shadybrook was the last place I thought I would find someone that..."

"Someone that what?" Johnny asked when she trailed off.

"That I can actually feel for again," Lulu replied. "Feel for and with. I haven't felt anything since Logan's death, but with you...I couldn't stop the feelings if I tried."

"Me either," Johnny admitted.

He brushed his lips against hers again and she smiled. The door opened and Lulu stepped back slightly. An orderly entered and Lulu sighed to herself.

"I have a session," she remembered.

"It's okay, I still have to see my dad anyway," Johnny replied, finding her hand.

"Stop by before you leave, please," Lulu requested.

"You can count on it," Johnny promised, standing beside her.

He leaned down as if to kiss her but stopped, remembering the orderly's presence in the room. She gave him a look and he kissed her cheek before exiting the room.

Johnny smiled to himself as he headed for his father's room, knowing that nothing Anthony had to say could ruin the day now. He opened the door and his father glared at him, but Johnny just rolled his eyes.

"You're late," Anthony growled.

"I didn't know I was on a schedule," Johnny countered.

"When running the business, you're always on a schedule," Anthony explained. "Have I taught you nothing?"

"You taught me a lot about what not to do," Johnny replied, giving him a fake smile.

"No respect for your father," Anthony groaned. "You have everything you have because of me."

"I'm sure you think that's true," Johnny nodded to himself.

"So why were you late?" Anthony demanded.

"I had something I had to take care of," Johnny shrugged.

"Business related?" Anthony questioned.

"If it was, it doesn't matter," Johnny answered. "You have no say in anything anymore."

"Again with the attitude," Anthony sighed. "Just get out of my sight."

"Nice seeing you, too, Dad," Johnny muttered sarcastically.

Anthony shook his head as he watched his son leave. He loved his boy, but he couldn't trust him. Not to run his business. Johnny was distracted by something and Anthony was going to find out what it was and eliminate the problem. Someone knocked and came inside, making Anthony smile.

"Did you do what I asked?" Anthony wondered.

"Yes, sir," the orderly nodded. "I found out your son has been visiting another patient here like you thought."

"Who?" Anthony questioned.

"Lulu Spencer," the orderly muttered.