Sorry this took so long to upload - I'm just so bad at dialogue, and this chapter is quite dialogue heavy. There is also a short flashback to little McFly!
"Who's the meeting with today, Fletch?" Tom asked the manager. The band had been formed altogether (FINALLY) three months previously, and the four were getting on well. However, Tom had had more strange recollections than just the one involving Danny that time, and he was absolutely certain that he knew them all from somewhere. He hadn't brought it up, though, unless they thought he was strange.
"I think that they will explain when we arrive. I'm not really meant to tell you anything..." Fletch replied, uncharacteristically quietly. Dougie was twitching around nervously in the back of the car – he really didn't like not knowing what was going on, and became incredibly anxious incredibly quickly. After a little while of driving silently, they pulled up at a police station.
"Why are we here?" Harry asked, thoughts flowing through his mind – the time they managed to blag Dougie into a bar, despite being only fifteen, the weed smoking...shit!
"I can't tell you." Fletch repeated again. A lot more subdued that normally, the guys followed Fletch in and up to the main desk.
As soon as the officer realised who they were, he lead them down a long, winding corridor and into a room. One one side of the table in the middle of the room sat two attractive women in their late twenties or early thirties alongside a police officer. All looked quite concerned. McFly sat down in the four seats provided, and Fletch was ushered out again. Tom looked at one of the women, and felt a sudden flash of recognition. A memory, not quite fully formed, floated to the surface of his mind but immediately sank back down again.
"Do I know you?" he asked, looking at the familiar woman closely.
She smiled weakly, premature wrinkles showing on her pale face. "It's a long story. My name is Cassie, and this is my wife Bethan. You've met us both before, but none of you will remember it."
Tom stared at her, and all at once a fully formed memory sprang into his mind.
"You babysitted me! And- and these guys?" he exclaimed, a curious mixture of shock, surprise and fear running through his mind.
Cassie nodded. "When you were all younger – about eight years ago – I babysitted you all together. Everything was fine for a few days until we were kidnapped. They held us for a few days before you, Tom, escaped and managed to get help. You four had your memories wiped as you were such young children at the time, but it was not offered to me at the time because they thought the treatment might not work on older, more complex minds. Research done afterwards suggests that the treatment works but in very intelligent people, some traces of memory and recognition remain. Which is why you recognise us, Tom. Anyway, the men that kidnapped us are being released from prison despite being three of just thirty-seven people to have been given unchangable, unnegotiable life sentences in prison in this country due to a 'lack of evidence'. This is because you four were unable to bear witness at the time because your memories have been wiped. Anyway, I was hoping that you four may be open to having your memories brought back up to the surface – they were never 'wiped', just repressed – so that you could testify and keep those bastards in prison where they belong."
"How do we know that you're not lying?" Danny asked suspiciously.
"Officer, please could you play the tape?" Bethan asked, slipping an arm around Cassie, who had started to cry.
"And tonight, we have five very special guests – welcome on Tom, Danny, Dougie, Harry and Cassie, the latest victims of the notorious brotherhood gang known for their murders and robberies!" a tan woman with dyed blonde hair welcomed them on. Harry and Dougie bounced on first, holding hands and appearing quite cheerful. Then came Cassie, then Tom and Danny.
"So, welcome to the show. First of all, I'm sure our viewers would like to know – how are you coping after such a tragic event?"
"I'm fine! Harry's my boyfriend and he looks after me!" Dougie replied innocently, smiling up at her. The live audience gave an 'aww'.
"It's difficult." Cassie quietly said. "I mean, the details of what happened have been quite widely publicised – especially of my rape – and I especially get a lot of people approaching me in the street to talk to me."
"I've made four friends – Danny, Harry, Dougie and Cassie – out of it, and I'm okay now." Tom told the interviewer.
The tape cut out, and the guys turned back to face Cassie and Bethan.
"If you still don't believe us, just undergo the reversal therapy (it only takes about half an hour) and you'll remember just as if it happened yesterday." Cassie said, wiping her eyes hastily. Tom turned to Dougie and Harry and smiled.
"Even then, you were gay." he gave a little laugh, as did they.
"But...how did we all end up in a band together? That's a pretty big coincidence." Harry fairly said.
"I guess the faint memory of the strong bond you once had drew you all together again." Cassie replied. "Now, will you testify or not?"
They all nodded.
Dougie sat underneath the doctor's desk, crying. His memories had just been resurfaced, and he couldn't cope with them. Not now. He remembered being tied up, being held in two mens arms while another man hit him, pooping himself in a chair, being held while he weed in the back of a dark van, watching Cassie hit Danny...all these memories were bubbling up in him and dragging up other memories from his childhood and his schooling that he had wanted to forget.
"Dougie?" the doctor quietly said. "Dougie?"
He knelt down in front of the desk to see Dougie with his head on his knees, clutching his hair.
"Dougie, I'd like you to come out now so that we can talk."
A little murmur escaped his lips.
"What?"
"Harry..." he mumbled again, slightly more coherently.
Dougie was the last to have his memories restored. Tom had reacted by having a little cry before going out to form a testimony for the court date, Danny had gotten angry and punched a wall before joining Tom and Harry had sat for a while raging by himself before becoming the third to try and put pen to paper.
"Dougs..." Harry knelt down where the doctor had been minutes before. Dougie was rocking slightly now, visible wet patches from tears appearing on his trousers.
"C'mon, Doug, talk to me. What's wrong?" he asked, reaching out and gently placing a hand on Dougie's shoulder. Dougie didn't react, he didn't even seem to feel Harry there.
"Please, Doug...tell me which part you're crying about."
"Mhnmd."
"What?"
"Everything..." a sudden sob erupted from Dougie, loud and painful.
"Dougie, do you want to go back to the house, have a beer and a pizza and talk about this?"
"I want you to fuck off!" Dougie suddenly violently said, grabbing Harry's hand from his shoulder and pushing him so hard that he almost toppled over.
"Dougie." Harry said, in a warning tone reminiscent of a parent talking to an angry toddler.
Dougie glanced up nervously, knowing immediately that he had crossed a line. "Sorry." he miserably said.
"Look, Dougs, it's okay. We just really need to talk, all four of us."
Dougie nodded, and after a second crawled out from under the desk. "Sorry for pushing you." he apologised.
"C'mon, you idiot." Harry firmly said, slipping an arm around Dougie's waist and pulling him into a warm embrace.