Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the WWE. Just any OCs!

Summary: AU. "Never take anything for granted. For everything can be taken away in a heartbeat." When a brutal attack causes Phil Brooks to lose his memory, he struggles to not only piece his life back together and regain what was lost, but also to discover who still wants him dead.

Author's Note: Hey, thanks for your reviews! Well, from my end, it looks like there will be seven more chapters of this story, so we have a bit to go yet. Plenty of time to piece together any final clues you guys are seeing to try to figure out the answer to the case before the officers do. As always, enjoy and happy hunting! :)

Chapter 26

The next few weeks seemed to inch by slowly.

Scott was technically back from his suspension, but Adam still had yet to return his gun. He felt that with his current state of mind, he shouldn't be in possession of the firearm yet, and he had the younger man mainly doing odd jobs around the station. Nick had fully recovered from his surgery and was happily home with his wife and children, and though he would stop into the station occasionally to see how things were going, he was never able to stay too long. He even brought the twins with him a couple times, where they caught everyone's attention. Cody was almost working overtime on the case in regards to the assault on Phil, and though he had interrogated Michael Brooks on a number of occasions, the older man was refusing to talk about his involvement in the attack as well as about who else was involved, but it was clear that they weren't getting any connections to Stu Bennett as the possible second person who had been involved in the assault. Kofi, the lawyer who had been assigned to his case, had seemed rather stressed throughout the negotiation process, mainly because he had to defend the man who could have been responsible for nearly killing one of his closest friends. Layla, though glad that he was trying to help their dear friend, was starting to worry that her fiancé was going to overwork himself. Because Phil was recovering quickly, at least physically, Darren was seen around the station more often, even though Adam was still serving as acting Chief until he returned full time. Barbara had been released from the hospital weeks before, and she had to admit that she was feeling healthier than she had in a long time as she continued to see a nutritionist. Matt had been assigned to work with Cody full time since even though his mentor was recovering well, he wouldn't be returning to the station for the foreseeable future.

Phil himself was ready to be released from the hospital. Jay and other doctors had done all they could for him in his physical recovery, and he was simply getting restless sitting in bed all day since he was capable of walking around on his own and doing whatever else he needed to do. His ribs were mended, the swelling of his brain had decreased dramatically, and the skull fracture was showing signs of nearly being healed as well. The only reason that Jay tried to keep him as long as possible was the lingering memory loss. That had improved slightly as well, since Phil could now recognize his, Darren, and Lynne's faces and give them the right name, and he was getting better with baseball terminology. However, he didn't feel that holding him in the hospital any longer was the right thing to do anymore, and they had to come up with a plan.

"He certainly can't be living on his own," Jay told Darren when he was in the hospital to visit Phil next. "It would overwhelm him, and I'm concerned that he could accidentally harm himself in some way if he was left unsupervised."

The Chief worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "Wha' if he stayed with me?" he posed. "He knows who I am, and I don' have to be a' the station ye' since Adam is still there. I could be home while he is and keep an eye on him. Tha' way, he doesn' have to be held here, bu' he wouldn' be alone."

Jay thought this information over for a moment before he nodded slightly. "If you feel comfortable with that arrangement, and if you think your family wouldn't mind, I think that may help him," he stated. "I know that Lynne's a teacher, and you'd be able to be home more..."

"My family won' mind," Darren assured him. "He's a part of i' anyway. The most importan' thing to me is tha' i' would help Phil, and if I'm able to do so by allowing him to stay with me, I'm no' gonna say no to tha'."

A smile appeared on the medic's face. "Well, then, we have some release forms to fill out."

About ten minutes later, the Chief returned to Phil's hospital room along with Jay. The officer glanced away from the television and looked at the two men curiously, noticing the cheerful looks that were on both of their faces. "What's going on?" he wondered.

Jay took a few steps closer to the bed. "I have some good news for you, Phil," he told him. "You're going to be walking out of here today."

Phil's face brightened up, causing Darren to chuckle. "Where am I going?" he pressed. Anywhere could have been better than the white bed with the uncomfortable sheets.

"For a while, you will be staying a' my house," the Englishman said. "Is tha' all right with you?"

"Sounds good to me, Darren," Phil replied, his smile lingering. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, lad." The Chief then handed Phil a Rancid t-shirt and a pair of jeans that Lynne had dropped off for him a couple days before, and he and Jay stepped out into the hallway to give the younger man some privacy.

"I've got some matters to see to downstairs," the medic muttered, checking over the clipboard he held. "I'll see you at the front desk when you leave."

"See you soon, Jay." Darren watched as the other man left before he sighed quietly to himself and glanced up and down the busy hallway. He was relieved that Phil was finally able to leave the hospital since at first, he regretted to admit that he wasn't sure what fate had awaited the officer. But fortunately, he was a fighter, and he was well on his way to returning to his old self.

"So, I heard Brooks is going home today."

Darren glanced up to see that Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins were walking down the hall toward him. "It's good to hear," the latter continued, having spoken first. "I'm glad he's making a full recovery."

"Yes, as am I," the Chief agreed with a small smile. "And I wan' to thank both of you for keeping your eye on him. I'm glad there weren' any problems."

"Nope, all was quiet," Dean assured him, taking a sip of the soda he held in his hand. "And if you need anything else, here's our numbers. Feel free to give us a call."

Darren took the small piece of lined paper that the younger man was offering him, nodding slightly as he slipped it in his pocket. "Thank you, I will."

Then, the door of the room opened, and Phil stepped out into the hallway. The Englishman couldn't help but chuckle, seeing that the younger man appeared to be more than ready to leave the hospital. He glanced at the Chief, Seth, and Dean, giving them all a small smile. "So, when can we go?"

"Soon, lad." Darren's smile lingered as he reached into the pocket of his beige dress pants. "There is something I wan' to give you, Phil, something importan' tha' I believe you would like to have back."

Phil watched curiously as he pulled out what appeared to be a black wallet and held it out to him. He took it and slowly opened it, recognizing his own face to be looking back at him from one side while a badge from the Chicago Police Department sat on the other. He recognized it somewhat, realizing that he must have been an officer like Darren since he had something similar, and he closed it and slipped it into the pocket of his jeans. The older man was right in saying that it was something important.

"Thank you."

About five minutes and a quick check-up from Jay later, Darren and Phil were sitting in the front seats of the Chief's car, and they drove out of the hospital parking lot once they both had their seatbelts on. Phil was looking up and down the busy streets with wonder while Darren surfed through the radio stations to try to find music he thought the officer would like.

"I have to stop by the station to see how everything is going there before we go home," he spoke up when he came to a stop at a red light. "Do you wan' to come in with me?"

"The station?" Phil repeated, glancing back at the older man. "Is that where you work?"

Darren nodded slightly. "Yes, Phil, tha' is where I work," he told him. "You have been there as well. There may be some people there who would like to see you, if you would wan' to see them."

Phil appeared thoughtful for a moment before he smiled a little. "Sure, I'd like that," he said.

"Good." Darren's cheerful look lingered as he once again started driving while Phil once more looked around them with awe.

It took longer than it usually would to reach the station from the hospital due to the heavy lunchtime traffic, but the Englishman finally pulled into the parking lot and found a spot near the back. He shut the car off and turned to the other man. "Here we are."

Phil briefly met his gaze before he took his seatbelt off after the older man did, and they both stepped out of the car and began their walk to the tall building that loomed before them. He looked up at it thoughtfully, thinking that it was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite remember why other than he had been there many times as he followed Darren inside through the automatic doors.

Layla, who had been staring at the computer screen behind the front desk, looked up when she heard the doors open. "Hey, Chief," she greeted with a smile. But then, she dropped the pen that she had been absently twirling between her fingers as the cheerful look changed into one of shock, her eyes widening when she saw the other man with him. "Phil!"

The dark-haired officer watched, surprised, as Layla rose to her feet and hurried around the desk toward them, but she was gently stopped by Darren. "Calmly, luv," he told her quietly, though there was a smile on his own face. "You don' wan' to overwhelm him. He is still having a few problems with his memory."

"Right." The day dispatcher cleared her throat quietly as she then turned to Phil and held her hand out to him. "Hello, Phil. My name is Layla."

"Layla?" Phil repeated, smiling slightly as he shook her proffered hand. "You seem... a bit familiar. Have we met before?"

Sighing as a thin line of tears formed in her eyes, Layla nodded. "Yes, Phil, you're a dear friend," she muttered.

"Well, then I guess it's good to see you again," Phil said. "Though I can't remember the last time we were together..."

"Oh, it's okay," Layla assured him, trying to force back her tears. "I'm just glad to see you here."

Phil nodded slightly in response, his small smile lingering, as Layla turned her attention back to Darren. "Everything's going smoothly around here, Chief," she stated, taking a deep breath. "Unfortunately, Michael's still not budging on revealing who his partner in crime is, if he truly is involved in the assault, and though we've been in contact with Bennett, there seems to be no connection there other than the car. But we're doing everything we can."

"Good. Tha' is all I can ask for. We'll find some answers soon." At least, he hoped they would. Darren sighed quietly, but then his eyes shone when he gazed at the engagement ring on Layla's left hand. "I'm happy for you."

The dispatcher followed his gaze, absolutely beaming. "Thanks so much, Darren," she murmured. "I just... I can't believe that I'm actually going to get married. It's so surreal. I just wish..."

Darren's eyes narrowed slightly when her sentence trailed off, knowing what Layla had been about to say. "Your parents would be proud of you too, luv," he told her quietly. "I knew your father well. He was a good man, and a good partner. There is no way he could be any happier for you."

Layla felt tears beginning to sting her eyes once more. She had been devastated when her mother had died of disease and when her father had been killed in the line of duty in England. Darren had been his partner on the force at the time, and he had filled his shoes as best as he could for her until she moved to the States to attend college and pursue her career in law enforcement with his help. To that day, the Chief was still the closest thing she had to a father.

"That means a lot to me," she finally managed to whisper. "As does your happiness."

Darren chuckled quietly as he lightly wound his arms around her and pulled her close, feeling as Layla clung to him tightly for a moment before they each pulled away. "Your happiness is a high priority of mine, you know tha'," he said, briefly setting his hand on the side of her head. "It lifts my heart to see you smile so much."

Layla laughed a little herself as she glanced down at the ring she wore again. "You'll be there, won't you?" she asked. "Whenever we set a date?"

"I would no' miss i' for the world," Darren answered. "But now, luv, I must speak with Adam. Is he here?"

"Yeah, he's in your office," Layla replied.

"Good." Darren glanced over his shoulder at Phil, who was absently wandering around the lobby as he inspected everything. The Englishwoman followed his gaze.

"With that t-shirt, he's looking like his old self again," she muttered.

Darren nodded slightly. "Tha' he is," he agreed just as quietly. "I'm just hoping tha' the rest of his memory will return soon. Will you keep an eye on him?"

"Sure, of course."

The Chief patted her on the shoulder before he turned his gaze back to the younger officer. "Phil, lad, I have a couple things I must see to," he said. "Would you mind staying here for a few minutes? Layla will stay here too."

Phil paused in his wandering and glanced back at the Englishman. "Sure, Darren, that's fine."

Darren smiled in return before he passed the front desk and pushed open the door that led to the back offices. Layla watched the Chief until he was out of sight before she took a deep breath and turned back to the other man, who was still getting a good look at everything in the lobby, with a smile.

"So, Phil, how are you doing today?" she wondered pleasantly.

Phil glanced over at her curiously for a brief moment before he nodded once. "I'm doing all right," he replied. "A little tired, but anything's better than being kept up in that place any longer."

Layla's smile turned a bit somber at that, knowing that he was talking about the hospital and also realizing that he wasn't used to being out of it. "Well, it's good to see you up and about, that much is certain," she muttered. "We were all really worried about you."

The dark-haired man smiled slightly in return, able to tell that this woman, whoever she was, had genuinely missed him. She must have been one of the people who wanted to see him as Darren had said. He watched as she walked behind the desk that she had been sitting at when he and the Chief had walked in to check something on the computer there before he continued his wandering, his gaze landing on a wall where many pictures were hung.

"That's a lot of people," Phil commented, walking a little closer to get a better look.

Layla glanced up, her gaze faltering a bit when she remembered when she had thought she had seen Phil's own picture on the memorial wall. She had never been more relieved that he was there looking at it instead. "Yes, those are some of the bravest men and women that I knew," she told him. "They all died while doing their jobs."

Phil's hazel eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned over all the faces that were smiling back at him. "I'm sorry to hear that." But then, he caught sight of a face that was familiar to him, and he bent over a little to get a better look at it before he briefly glanced over at the dispatcher. "Hey, Lay... Layla?"

A bit surprised that he had remembered her name, Layla quickly looked up and met his gaze. "Yes, Phil?"

The officer turned back to the wall and pointed at a picture in the bottom row. "Can you tell me who this is?" he wondered.

"Sure thing." Layla walked back around the desk and crossed the lobby to join him, bending over a little herself to see who he was looking at. Her stomach plummeted. "Oh, that's Officer Chris Irvine," she explained. "He was the last one who was killed in the line of duty. Why do you ask?"

Phil didn't answer for a long moment as he continued to stare at the photograph of the smiling blond-haired officer. The nightmare he had immediately came back to him, able to clearly see his body lying in the coffin and his grieving wife. "Did... did I know him?" he pressed.

A thin line of tears returned to Layla's dark eyes as she thought about what to tell him. "He was on the police force while you were for a few years," she finally managed to say, not wanting to overwhelm him with the information that Chris had been killed while he was his mentor. "Do you recognize him?"

"Yes." Phil continued to intently stare at the photograph, also able to see the image of the man named Chris being shot in the dark house, for a few more minutes before he sighed heavily.

Layla looked at him with concern and set her hand lightly on his toned shoulder. "What's wrong, Phil?" she asked in just above a whisper.

Phil slowly looked back at her. He had so many questions that he wanted to ask about the officer named Chris and why he seemed to have been so important to him, but he didn't know which ones to settle on first or even how to ask them. Before he could even attempt to try, the door that led to the back offices opened again. Darren walked back into the lobby with a man who had blond hair tied back into a ponytail, a black Rolling Stones t-shirt, a pair of light jeans that were ripped in the knees, and a pair of black Converse, chewing gum as he spoke with the Englishman. A couple steps behind them was a dark-haired man with blue-green eyes and a man with light spiked hair who had a pair of sunglasses sitting on top of his head, both wearing matching dark uniforms. They were all deep in conversation about something that he couldn't hear, at least until they all looked at him and Layla.

The apparently youngest member of the group was the first to react.

"Officer Brooks!" The man with spiked hair hurriedly passed by Darren and the blond-haired man and approached the dark-haired officer, a broad smile on his face. "I-I mean Phil! It's so great to see you, man!"

Phil looked back at him with confusion while Layla smiled as she looked back at the ecstatic man. "Um, it's good to see you too..." he muttered.

Darren chuckled as he walked over to where the trio stood, setting his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Phil, I'd like to introduce you to rookie officer Matthew Cardona," he said. "He was learning a thing or two from you."

"Just call me Matt," the rookie quickly added.

"Oh." A teacher to younger officers wasn't something that he really saw himself being, but Phil smiled anyway as he held his hand out to him. "Nice to meet you again then, Matt."

"Yeah, man!" The broad grin lingered on Matt's face as he reached out and firmly shook his mentor's hand, despite how strange it was to be introduced to him a second time. "It's really good to see you're doing better!"

"Thank you," Phil replied once he dropped his hand, seeing that the other dark-haired man had gone to stand by Layla, his arm wound around her waist. The Englishwoman smiled when she saw his wondering gaze.

"Phil, this is Officer Cody Runnels," she told him, glancing up at Cody. "He's my fiancé."

"Fiancé?" Phil repeated, slightly confused.

The dark-haired officer named Cody smiled slightly himself. "Yes, I asked Layla to be my wife," he explained.

"Oh, okay." Phil smiled slightly in return. "That's good news. I'm happy about that."

"Yes, it is," Cody agreed with a quiet chuckle. Then, he extended his hand out toward the other man. "Though it's also good to see you doing okay, Phil. As Layla said, my name is Cody. We've known each other for quite some time, back to our years when we were in training."

Phil's smile broadened as he shook his proffered hand. "I wish I remembered that, and I'm sorry that I don't," he muttered. "But thank you. It's good to see people who've missed me."

Cody grinned at the officer's small attempt at humor, glad to see signs of his old friend again. It had been far too long. "We have, Phil," he told him, patting his arm. "We really have."

Then, Phil turned to face the last member of the group who hadn't said anything, looking at him curiously. Layla, Matt, and Cody had all seemed a little bit familiar, he felt comfortable around them at any rate, but this man was new to him entirely. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are..."

The blond man smiled as he took a couple steps forward. "That's all right, you would have no way of knowing," he said. "My name is Adam Copeland. I used to be the Chief of Police here before I was forced to retire, but since Darren here hasn't been at the station too often, I've agreed to stand in as acting Chief until he returns full time."

"Well, it's nice to meet you," Phil replied, holding his hand out toward him in the manner that everyone had been greeting him.

Adam smiled slightly and shook it after a moment. "Likewise, Phil. It's good to see that you'll make a full recovery."

Darren smiled as he watched them before he sighed. "Well, I'm glad to see tha' everything is in order here," he muttered. "Bu' I think it's time for us to head home. Adam, thank you for all of your help, you have been a lifesaver around here. Cody, Matthew, keep up the work on your case. Hopefully we'll come closer to finding some answers, and as always, keep me informed."

Matt nodded in response while Cody briefly glanced at Phil. "Will do, Chief."

Phil looked back at the other dark-haired officer curiously, wondering what case they were working on. He hoped it didn't have anything to do with him since he would rather have been helping them if it did. But after saying their goodbyes, he found himself following Darren back out of the station into the packed parking lot, making their way back to his car. Once he was situated in the passenger seat, Phil pulled the wallet the Chief had given him out of his pocket and opened it, lightly tracing a tattooed finger over the badge.

"Darren?"

The Englishman glanced over at him as he started the car, noticing what the younger man was looking at. "Yes, lad?"

Phil looked up from his picture and met his gaze. "I'm an officer at this station, aren't I?" he wondered, taking a deep breath when the Chief nodded in the affirmative. "When can I come back?"

Darren's gaze saddened slightly, but he forced a smile. "Soon, Phil," he told him as he started to back out of the parking space. "Soon."

Scott turned down the radio a little as he pulled into the parking lot of the station, a big bag full of food from the Chinese restaurant a few blocks away for lunch for himself and some other officers sitting in the seat next to him. He bitterly wondered what Adam would have him do next around the station considering he seemed to have cleaned or organized everything that could possibly be cleaned or organized. He had never been more anxious to be out in the field.

He had just found a spot to park and turned his car off when he noticed the car that he recognized to belong to Darren heading toward the entrance of the lot. Scott hummed quietly to himself as he grabbed the bag from the passenger seat and stepped out from behind the wheel, locking up the car as he prepared to make his way to the station.

But then, he stopped and nearly dropped the food when he saw that someone was sitting in the seat next to the Chief, recognizing his face instantly as he looked around at his surroundings in a studying way.

It was Phil.

Scott took a couple steps after the car in disbelief, but he couldn't do anything else as Darren pulled out of the lot when there was finally a break in the busy traffic and drove out of sight.

Author's Note: So, this is a bit of a lighter chapter, but things will definitely start picking up again shortly! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!