She felt him against her, fingers racing over her skin. She felt herself kissing him and becoming overwhelmed with the feelings he was creating for her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see his face. It was hidden in the shadows. She heard rain outside and crashes of thunder. She heard herself crying out with pleasure. He made no sound until the end.

"Oh, Crys."

She opened her eyes. It was actually raining and thundering outside. The lightning illuminated the sky and her room. She tried not to feel afraid. She didn't like storms. Instead, she tried to remember her dream. Only one person called her Crys, and she knew exactly who that was. She rolled onto her side, away from the window. She started thinking about Pips. She thought about when he was holding her the day before. She blushed remembering how being so close to him made her feel. She wondered if her body remembered who he was, but her brain just didn't. She had an idea, but she didn't know if she should do it. She didn't want to hurt him if it didn't work. She also didn't want to intrude on anything he was involved in, like Treena. Again she wondered what was going on there. Treena had seemed so confident touching him, like she'd done it before. She couldn't remember if she had seen Pips touch her in return. She had a restless night between the storm and these thoughts.

Morning...

Fern was pacing with Zeke, trying to keep him calm. The storm last night had frightened the little guy, and he hadn't slept much. Sandy offered help, but Fern just shook her head. Crysta came down and found her looking exhausted and worn out, almost exactly how she herself felt.

"Rough night?" she asked.
"You have no idea," Fern replied.

"You should let him help," Crysta told her, gesturing to Sandy sitting in the corner with his head resting on his hand.

"I will. I just don't want to burden him with a baby if he can barely get around himself," Fern said.

"He wants to, so let him. It's half of him too remember?"

"I guess you're right. Thanks Crysta," she smiled. Feeling better towards her sister and the baby, Crysta slipped outside. She hesitated for a moment, but then she took off. She found him sleeping still. Feeling unsure again, she simply stood there watching him. Still wet from the rain, she smiled to herself. She tiptoed over to him, and then she wrung out her hair over his face. She laughed when he coughed and spluttered, thrashing his arms. He felt the panic leave him when he saw her standing there, still laughing at him.

"You're dead," he told her. She bolted out the window. He followed hot on her heels. The rain shocked him awake. It wasn't a heavy rain, however. If it was, he'd have brought her back inside. Fairies could drown in too heavy of a rain. As he chased her, he couldn't help but remember they used to do this all the time-race each other. He wondered if she remembered that. She led him around the forest, keeping just slightly ahead of him. At one point, he caught up to her. Whether it was intentional or not, he took his chance. He grabbed her around the waist, making them lose momentum and tumble through the air. He managed to stop them from crashing, but their landing was still a little rougher than he intended. She gasped when they finally stopped rolling and he landed on top of her.

"You all right?" he called over the rain, which was now getting heavier. She wasn't sure if she was gasping from the pain or because he was on top of her. His closeness was becoming almost intoxicating for her. Searching for safety, he pulled her up. He spied a hole in the tree where he carried her to.

"I'm okay," she said, once they were inside and he had set her down.

"You sure? I didn't mean to do that," he apologized. He noticed she looked all kinds of conflicted right now.

"I'm sure." They turned to look outside, sitting side by side. Another storm was approaching.

"Guess we're stuck here huh?" he said. She nodded. She felt her heart pounding, anticipating what she was planning to do. She reached over and took his hand. If he was surprised, he didn't let on. He just squeezed it. He knew she hated storms.

"You remember anything else?" he asked her eventually.

"I think so, but I'm not sure," she admitted. "Pips, do you know how this happened to me?" His face grew dark when she asked. She wondered why that was so.

"I do," he finally said. "The man who tried to kill me made you forget who I was. It's a spell."

"A spell?" she whispered. He nodded.

"No one knows if you'll ever remember who I am," he told her honestly. She felt sadness suddenly.

"I want to," she said, angling herself to face him. "I really do. I'm trying."

"I know," he smiled. "It's okay if you don't."

"No, it's not okay," she argued.

"Crys," he stopped her. "It's fine." She held his gaze intently. It was now or never. She leaned into him, slipping her hand up the back of his neck, pulling him into her. When her lips met his, he got over the shock of what she was doing. He just returned the kiss, folding her up into his arms. It was sweet at first, hesitant...slow, and then it became intense. He couldn't help but groan when her tongue touched his. He almost felt like he was in a dream and about to wake up at any moment. When she pulled away, breathless, he didn't stop her. She was looking at him, and he wasn't sure what she was thinking. Crysta was feeling angry at herself. It hadn't worked. There was no rushing memories. No sudden bolt of lightning in her mind that brought everything back. She had been so sure that was all it would take.

"I'm guessing by the look on your face that you didn't get what you wanted from that," he said softly, knowing exactly what she was thinking because he had thought it would work too.

"I really thought it would work," she confessed. "That it would bring back everything. I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked.

"For using you," she replied. He laughed.

"You didn't use me," he grinned at the look on her face. "There was a moment, and you took it. I'll let you know when you're using me."

"But..." she was confused. "I had no intentions of...of starting anything..."

"I know you didn't," he stopped her. "It's okay."

"I just wish I could remember," she sighed, hitting her head with the heel of her hand.

"Crys, look," Pips turned to her. "Forget about trying to remember me okay? How about you just sit there as you are now and ask yourself how you feel about me. Right now in this moment. Be honest."

"I..." She paused. How did she feel about him? She had rather enjoyed that kiss, but did she care about him more than friends? He was watching her. She had to say something.

"I feel...something," she admitted. "I just don't know what it is yet."

"I'll take that," he smiled. It was better than her saying she felt nothing. He knew she felt something. He had felt her body responding to his touch, and if she was repulsed by him, that would not have happened.

"I mean," she went on, "I have had dreams, but now I'm wondering if they're memories."

"What kind of dreams?" he was curious. He watched her squirm a little. "Crys?"

"I don't want to say," she said quickly, turning red. He raised a brow. He knew exactly what she had dreamed without her even telling him. Her face said it all.

"Did it involve what Zak was doing to you the other night?" he asked casually, knowing the answer already.

"You saw that?" she asked, feeling embarrassed.

"That's what you get for doing it an open space," he shrugged. She covered her face with her hands.

"Oh I'm so sorry," she said, her voice muffled. She felt very embarrassed. Stupid Zak.

"Will you stop apologizing?" he laughed. "I'll give you an ultimatum. You either tell me or I make you tell me." She lifted her face from her hands.

"How are you going to make me?" she asked, suspicious.

"Like this," he said, grabbing her hips and causing her to land on her back. Then he sat on her and held her down by her wrists. His face was dangerously close to hers.

"I don't understand how this is making me tell you," she blinked up at him, willing him to kiss her, feeling herself becoming aroused. She wondered if he could tell. He could. He spent a second conflicted. One half of him wanted to keep going in that way, but the other half of him knew better.

"I'm not finished," he said, smirking. Like lightning, he held both her hands with one of his and used his other to tickle her mercilessly. She shrieked. She hadn't expected that at all.

"Tell me!" he demanded, laughing.

"No-o-o-o," she gasped. "Never!" When she tried to escape and he flipped her over onto her stomach, that's when it happened. She saw herself bound and gagged with Roman sitting on her and touching her, felt the immense fear that she had felt then knowing what was coming next. His name came to her very clearly. She recognized him from some of her other memories too.

"Stop, stop, stop! Stop, please, stop," she cried. Pips got off her immediately. She folded herself up, crying.

"What happened? Crys? Did I hurt you?" He was worried. She shook her head. "What was it? Crys, tell me," he begged.

"Roman," she gasped. Pips froze.

"What about Roman?" he asked slowly. His heart was racing. He never did find out what Roman had done to her for those moments they were alone while he was trying to find her.

"He was going to...he tried...I can't..." she whimpered, shaking her head. Pips picked her up into his arms, cradling her as she cried.

"He hurt you?" he asked her when she had calmed down a little. He was dreading her answer.

"He was going to. I don't remember why he stopped," she said, sniffing hard. Pips had an idea why. He remembered Damian had died by the hand of Roman. It was probably him who had stopped it. If only he could thank Damian for doing that. Too little too late.

"Is that the first time you remembered Roman?" he asked her. She nodded.

"I think so. I don't remember seeing him and recognizing him before."

"Well, that's a start. I'm sorry I caused the memory," he said, wiping her tears with his thumb.

"You didn't know," she whispered. She held him tightly against her. They stayed like that until the storm ended. Pips didn't want to let her go. He sensed she felt the same way.

"We should go," she said finally. She pulled out of his embrace and began to leave. When he didn't follow, she stopped and turned around.

"Are you coming?" she asked. He just looked at her. She came back, standing before him. "What's wrong?"

"I just feel guilty for not being able to help you with this," he said to her. "I'm angry at myself for not stopping you from getting involved with Roman and Julian and now you're like this."

"Like what?"

"Upset all the time. You can't remember anything, and you don't deserve that. I should have been more adamant that you stayed. I should have prevented Roman from hurting you. I should have..."

"Shhh," Crysta cut him off, placing a finger over his lips. "You can 'should have' things to death, but it won't change anything. I'm all right, okay? I just get emotional when things come back to me. Don't blame yourself for anything. Promise me." He took her hand and kissed her palm gently. She felt shivers go through her.

"I promise," he said quietly. He still had her hand held against his chest. She could feel his heart racing under her fingers. Then he squeezed it and let it go. She felt disappointed.

"Come on," he said. "I'll race ya." Then he was gone.

"Hey!" she called after him. "Cheater!"

In the city...

Lily officially saw Zak's mother up close the next day. She wasn't sure where to even start, but the woman didn't protest.

"And please, call me Kristy," Zak's mother said after Lily's painful attempt at conversation. Lily only nodded.

"What are you sick with?" Lily asked her.

"Cancer," Kristy replied. "It's all through me now. There isn't a chance of me surviving this. It's only a matter of time."

"I can do my best, but I don't have much experience with cancer," Lily told her. She didn't even know what "can sir" was.

"You're one of them aren't you?" Kristy asked softly. She had noticed it right away when Zak introduced her.

"Um, not really, no," Lily blushed. She brushed her hair over her ears, the only real telltale sign that she wasn't human besides her lack of knowledge of how to turn on a light switch or the way she leaped in fright when the automatic vacuum cleaner ran into her feet.

"It's okay," Kristy assured her, seeing her do this. "I know all about Zak's adventure to Ferngully. I'm honored you came here to try to help me."

"It's in my nature to help people," Lily explained. "And I really do care about Zak." She got Kristy to relax and she began examining and applying magic. After a while, Kristy told her she was exhausted and asked her to come back later. Zak was waiting downstairs when Lily got there.

"How is she? Can you cure it?" he asked, hopefully.

"I don't know, Zak," Lily said honestly. "I did my best, but we'll see what happens. All I can do is keep doing what I do, and if it changes that's great. If it doesn't, then I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said, pulling her into a hug. "I know you're trying." Lily was worried how he would feel about her when she failed. She tried not to think about it in that moment.