Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that aren't familiar to anyone.


Chapter 52: Friendly Company

Each sitting with a large glass cup of ice tea, Julie, Richard, Gwendolyn and Dave tried to relax before starting with what they really wanted to talk about. Richard placed his cup on the table, indicating that he would be the first to start. "So do you have any sort of memory from when you left here to go work for Jake?" Gwendolyn put her glass on the table, half empty.

"Unfortunately, no, the first thing I remember is waking up in Dave's house and that's where my memories begin." Gwendolyn gave a tired sigh and everyone's eyes went to her. "I just don't understand what is going on." Julie was the next to go. "Did you go see a doctor sweetie?" Gwendolyn waved her hands in front of her, dismissing the idea. "It's alright cause Dave has a friend who is his own personal doctor and is willing to come see me whenever I need a once over."

Julie then turned her attention to Dave. "Well now, you seem to be taking really good care of Rebecca here." She gave him a slight glare, making him a bit uncomfortable. Richard jumped in to try and break the tension. "Now I will be the last to believe that you are indeed the Animal, Dave Batista, are you." He nodded his head and Richard's mouth dropped.

"Rebecca, you are one lucky girl, let me tell you. This guy is really famous and you just happen to land on his doorstep. Make's me wish I could land on Trish Stratus's front door right now." His mind began to drift off and Julie jabbed him a little bit harder then necessary to bring him back. Gwendolyn couldn't help but laugh as Richard tried to defend himself. "We'll settle this later Richard. I'm sure that Rebecca really needs our help."

She turned her attention back to the couple sitting across from them. "There looked to be something else that happened to you besides what you had said." She pointed to the fading scars from the cuts. "Yes, I wish I had the chance to understand what was happening. All I know is that Jake was a real jerk to me." She leaned over and nudged Dave a bit with her shoulder. "Dave, on the other hand, seems to take it easy with me and that has allowed a few small things to come back to me."

Julie couldn't help but smile at the interaction between Rebecca and Dave. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I heard that things like that may happen to people with amnesia so you are lucky." Richard took another sip from his cup. "I sure am." Gwendolyn knew that she meant that for more things then one. "So what are you doing right now, Rebecca?" Gwendolyn shifted a bit in her chair at the name. She still couldn't get use to it, especially since Jake was the first one to call her that. "If you don't mind, could you please call me Gwendolyn?" Richard and Julie raised their eyebrows in confusion at her.

"It's just that I would feel a bit more better if you call me by the name that I am use to, at least until I get around to remembering things." "Sure sweetie. I guess that I didn't really think that calling you by your real name was going to be so bad for you. In fact, I thought that it was going to maybe help you." She shook her head at the response. "It's not that I don't like the name or anything like that. It's just that it sort of brings back a bad couple of days and I just want to keep them away from me for now." They sat in silence for a brief minute before Richard broke the silence. "So Dave, it seems that you've been doing a good job of taking care of her."

"I tried to do what I can without getting her scared."

"So then what happened with Jake?" Gwendolyn and Dave took the time to explain what happened from when Jake broke into Dave's house to when she was brought back by Patricia. Julie and Richard were speechless. After trying to take in what they had just told them, Richard spoke up. "I don't believe it. I knew that there was something wrong with that guy. I can't believe that he did all that to you." Julie jumped in at that moment. "I know Gwendolyn. When I spoke to him before sending you there, he seemed like such a nice guy. I guess I was wrong."

Gwendolyn's hands went to her lap. "If you think that I blame you, don't. It's not like you can read his thoughts or anything like that. It was just an unfortunate step backwards in getting my life back together." She sighed loudly. "Now this stupid amnesia put me about 20 steps back. It sucks." Julie stood up from her chair. "Okay, I don't want to hear anything else. Gwendolyn decided to pay us a visit after so long so I think we should enjoy it. Although I would like to talk to you alone before you leave if you don't mind."

Gwendolyn shook her head and said that it was alright. Julie's hands clasped together in front of her chest as she came up with an idea. "How about we make something to eat for everyone? You guys must be hungry after coming such a long way." Gwendolyn and Dave looked at each, wondering if they should stay. "I'll help you with it then. Is that alright with you Dave?"

"Yeah, take as much time as you need over here. This is all for you after all." Gwendolyn smiled to him before following Julie into the kitchen, leaving the boys alone to talk to each other.


Gwendolyn and Julie

"So what are we going to make?" Gwendolyn asked as they walked into the spacious kitchen. "I thought to just make a couple of sandwiches and a large pitcher of ice tea. It's still early to be cooking any dinner." "Alright then, what would you like me to do first?"


Dave and Richard

"So what do you think we will be eating?" Dave asked. "Probably something simple cause it's still too early for dinner." Both of the men leaned back into the cushions of the couch getting comfortable as they waited for the food.


Gwendolyn and Julie

"So how is Dave really treating you?" Julie asked as they both began to make the sandwiches. "He's treating me great. It strange though…" Gwendolyn's hands stopped moving momentarily. "He's treating so well, yet he doesn't ask for anything in return from me." "I don't think he is expecting anything from you since you are sick."

Gwendolyn realized that she had stopped and began to put the mayo on the bread again. "I would still have managed something because I feel a bit bad for taking advantage of his hospitality for a while now. He has bought me clothes and let me live with him. When Jake broke into his house that day, I knew that he just wanted to protect me, which is why he got hurt so bad." Her eyes began to burn with tears as she revisited that horrible day.

"Gwendolyn, you can't expect a guy like Dave to just let you go to someone who just breaks into his house. I think he just wanted you to be safe because he really cares about you." She brushed off the tears and began to assemble the inside of the sandwich. "I don't think he cares that much about me." She shook her head, trying to brush away the idea. "He just wants to take care of me until I get back on my feet." Gwendolyn had assembled four sandwiches by this time with mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. She put them on the plate, stacking them up as she went to making the next one. Julie did the same, eyeing her a few times with confusion over how she had said he was taking care of her.


Dave and Richard

"You can't tell me that you didn't think about taking one of those divas out for a night on the town." Richard asked in disbelief. "I think I've changed since my days in Evolution and can actually manage to ask someone else other then the obvious choice of divas." Dave sat back on the plush leather couch, similar to the one that he had. Richard had decided to sit in the one across from him and the two were talking about his career. "So is that how you feel about Rebecca?"

Dave found himself a bit bothered by the question. "I would like to say yes, but that is all up to her." Richard crossed his arms in front of his chest, ready to begin his interrogation. "So I'm a bit confused about something, Dave." He put a hand to his chin, beginning to think. "Why would you just take a stranger into your house and take care of her instead of calling the cops and hospital. Did you have some alternative motive in this?" Dave raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "Whoa, I wasn't going to do anything to her if that's what you're asking."

His eyes began to stray and look around the room as he thought about what else to say. "I just felt like I had to help her somehow and thought that I wouldn't be able to get her to the hospital in time." Richard's ears perked up a bit at this little bit of information. "Well I bet Julie would agree that we are glad that you helped her." Dave put his focus back on the man sitting across from him. "So what does Gwendolyn mean to you? It seems like you guys are really close." Richard began to explain a bit of her life to Dave. "…and she just feels like a daughter to us both. She is a very special person."

"She sure is" Dave quietly said. "So how long have you two been together?"


Gwendolyn and Julie

"What do you mean?" Gwendolyn was a little embarrassed at trying to answer the question. "I mean how long have you been a couple?"


Dave and Richard

"We aren't really a couple?" Dave tried to think carefully about what he was going to say next. Richard let out a light laugh. "You are a very bad liar, Mr. Batista. I find that a little odd that you could look at her and not think about her in that way."


Gwendolyn and Julie

"I just don't understand why it's so odd to you that we are just friends, Julie." Gwendolyn focused her attention on plating up the sandwiches unto a glass plate. "It's odd because I think that I would be in the guy's debt in more ways then one if he saved me." Julie went over to the sink to begin to make another pitcher of ice tea. Gwendolyn's hands stopped as a sad realization passed through her mind. "There is no way it would work out."


Dave and Richard

"And why would you say that?"


Together

"Because I'm afraid to death that I will hurt him".

"Because I'm afraid to death that I will hurt her".


Richard and Julie looked at them in a questioning way, wondering what was the big problem between them. After getting her fill of answers, Gwendolyn and Julie headed towards the living room. "Food's here." Julie announced as Gwendolyn placed the large tray of food on the table, followed by Julie's ice tea. They took their seats next to the guys.

Gwendolyn found herself sitting a bit closer to Dave then when they first arrived. As they began to eat the sandwiches, Gwendolyn felt herself a bit distracted as she began to look around the living room. I wish I could remember this place. It seems like it a great place to live. "Huh?" Gwendolyn was brought out of her daze when she heard her name by Julie. "So do you like our house? You always did say I should redecorate." "Yeah, cause the walls didn't match any of the furniture."

Gwendolyn said without thinking. Everyone paused and looked over at her as she began to fumble for a way to figure out what just happened. All of a sudden, a small pain began to appear in her head. Gwendolyn clutched her head as it felt like a needle was being poked into her brain. "Oww…ugh" Richard and Julie got up off the couch to see what was wrong.

All Dave could do was watch, feeling like he just couldn't do anything. He then felt something and looked down to see her hand squeezing his roughly. After a few minutes of questions and concerns, the pain finally subsided. "I'm sorry about that. I just seem to be not feeling well now. I think I'm going to leave." Julie patted her on the head. "That's alright, hon, you go and take some time to relax. You can come back here whenever you want, kay?" Richard was the next to comfort her. "Yeah, just be sure that you can stay a bit longer so we can spend more time together." Gwendolyn assured them of that and began to head for the door with Dave's help. After bidding them a goodbye and giving them hugs, they left back outside.


A/N: Big apologies for the long updates. I guess I have been taking it easy. I hope I am forgiven=^_^=