I'm not sure how many chapters are after this, but I'd say in the range of 3-5 with the Epilogue. After such a long, bumpy ride, we need a few indulgence-chapters, right? Thank you again for all your awesome support.

Read and Review!

Crashes and clangs echoed in her ears. Distant voices. Colorful and bright lights. Pain – in the middle of her head.

Christine's eyes closed as she nearly blacked out. The car stilled. Silence. She slowly opened her lids. She stared up at the greyish car ceiling. After a moment, she remembered where she was. The airbags were all out, droopy and white, and the car seemed distorted, smooshed in. Her right hand found the lock and then the door handle. She pushed the former upward and heard a click. Tugging the handle, she forced open the door. Her head pounded. She touched her lips and saw red on her hand.

"Ugh." A grunt next to her.

Christine looked toward the passenger's side. A face suddenly loomed over her. A bleeding, scowling face.

A roar of rage.

"Aaaaagh! You fucking bitch!" Clammy hands reached out and wrapped around her neck. Christine fell backward, her head outside the vehicle and her torso still on the seat. Nicholas leaned over her, eyes wide and crazed, mouth smeared with blood. "Fuck you!" She coughed as the hands began to squeeze. "I hate you! I hate you! Fuck you!"

Her arms lifted up to try and push him away, but she was weak and disoriented. It was impossible to breathe or speak.

"I hate you! Fuck you!"

She choked and struggled as the world blackened. She gagged against the pressure on her throat.

"I hate you! Fuck you! I hate you! I ha - "

An explosion. Then another. Her lips parted into a silent scream. The hands loosened. The face in front of her was no longer a face. It was a mess of crimson and flesh. The face had exploded. An eyeball hung loose in its socket. A mouth with missing teeth gaped at her.

Christine whimpered in horror and stared, grasping to the car door for support as she tried to sit up.

A warm hand on her cheek guided her gaze away from the grotesque sight. A kind voice spoke words that she couldn't understand. Christine looked up through blurred eyes. Nadir.

Her brain began to make sense of what he was saying. "Are you okay?" he breathlessly asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I d-don't know," she murmured. "My head a little. My mouth."

"We'll get you checked out." He examined her head, arms, and legs. "You don't look too bad. I don't think you broke any bones."

She looked back at Nicholas, who was slumped over, his mangled face buried and bleeding into the seat. He was dead.

"I had to," said Nadir. "He would have killed you before there was time to negotiate with him. I had a clear shot, and I took it. Thank God you'd gotten the door open."

She nodded, unable to think about that right now. She was alive. And - "Erik?" she whispered.

"He's okay. He's with Gabby and Corey, and he'll be okay." Nadir knelt beside her. Sirens screamed all around them. "I'm so sorry, Christine. For betraying your trust. I'll never forgive myself for almost getting you killed."

"It's okay," she murmured.

"There's not a lot of time to talk. You'll be taken away in an ambulance. The authorities might question you later. I want you to keep it simple. Say you were down here to sing for a concert and Nicholas grabbed you at a restaurant. Say something like that. That's all you know. I'll try to take care of the rest. I suspect there will be a lot of people who want to sweep this under the rug."

She nodded, too depleted to be worried about all that right now. Her head still hurt. Visions of Nicholas, both dead and alive, flickered in her brain.

As the EMTs helped her onto a stretcher and carried her toward an ambulance, she looked back at the car. The twisted heap that had been the car, anyway. It had crashed into the side of a brick building, putting a hole in the wall. The front of the vehicle was completely crushed in.

But it didn't look like anyone else had been hurt. That was good. She desperately wanted to sleep now that it was all over.

But she knew that she wouldn't truly be able to rest until she saw him alive.


Gabby had gasped when she first glimpsed Erik sitting up in the back, his gaze fixed in the direction that Nicholas had driven. Whether she had gasped at Erik's face or his physical condition – Corey didn't know.

Corey had been too much in a state of shock to do anything except climb in the driver's seat and start the engine. Gabby bravely climbed in the back next to Erik.

Erik sharply barked, "Follow them!"

Corey cringed at that furious yet beautiful voice. He had never heard anything like it. "I can't," he shakily replied. "We can't do anything to help. Nadir will handle it."

"Follow them, you idiot!"

"Erik," said Gabby in a gentle voice. "We have to get out of here. For your safety. Nadir will help Christine. He'll get the police involved, which is why we need to leave."

"Fuck my safety! I do not give a damn about that! Follow them! I must get to her. I must…"

But Corey wouldn't do it. He knew that they would only be in the way. He was going to obey Nadir.

"Don't touch me!" Erik snapped at Gabby, who had probably been trying to offer aid.

Corey robotically drove forward. He found the first exit and left the town, speeding onto the highway.

"Faster!" Erik snarled.

"I cannot go after them!" Corey shouted. "I can't do anything."

"Of course you can't! I will!"

"What are you going to do?" Gabby asked Erik. "You can barely lift your head and arms. We can't do anything! Let Nadir handle it."

"He cannot handle anything. Go faster! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Before Corey could think through the situation, he saw a car racing in the opposite direction down the highway. Then another car. Then several police vehicles with sirens and flashing lights. Nicholas had turned around.

"What should we do?" asked Gabby, watching the mess along with him.

"I'm going to pull over at this rest stop," said Corey, nearly too nervous to drive now. "And wait."

He expected more insults and screaming. But Erik suddenly quieted. Corey glanced at the rearview mirror. A haunted gleam had entered those hollowed yellow eyes, a defeated gaze that was almost worse than the yelling. Erik fell back against the seat and stared upward.

"Erik," Gabby pled. She held a bag of supplies that she had remembered to bring from the other car. "Please let me make you more comfortable. Let me give you some water."

"Leave me alone!" Erik hissed. He was silent after that. Maybe he had finally accepted their helplessness, especially now that there were cops everywhere.

About ten minutes ticked by as Corey sat in the parking lot of the dark rest stop. Surely Nicholas would run out of gas at some point. Car chases always had endings. Corey's stomach turned as he wondered whether this one would end happily.

His phone finally rang. With a shaking hand, Corey answered, "Hello?"

"She's okay," said Nadir. Corey let out a breath that was almost a sob of relief. "The car crashed, and she got a bump on the head. The hospital will probably take her for a night or two, just to make sure there was no other damage. But I think she'll be okay."

"And Nicholas?"

"Dead."

Corey decided not to ask more questions about that. "What should I do now?"

"Find a motel a distance away from here, at least three hours. Try to pay in cash. Let's keep you all away from all this. I have an alibi for myself, but justifying everyone's presence wouldn't be fun. And Erik…"

"How about Christine?"

"I'll figure that out."

"Okay." Corey would have to trust Nadir. He had no idea what else to do.

"Get somewhere. I'll call you soon."

"Okay, thanks."

Corey hung up. He turned to the back and managed a smile. "Hey. She's okay! Nicholas is dead, and she'll be okay. In the hospital for a night or two."

Gabby released a cry of happiness. "Thank God. Oh, it's all over. Thank God! Did you hear that, Erik? She's fine."

But Erik was still staring upward, into space. He gave no reaction to the news.

"Now will you let me take care of you?" Gabby asked him.

Erik didn't reply or acknowledge her question. He was quiet for the rest of the drive. He was quiet as they managed to carry him into a cheap motel room and place him atop the bed. After making sure that she didn't need help, Corey left as Gabby began to give Erik a more thorough examination.

Erik just seemed done. Corey couldn't even begin to understand what that strange man might be thinking.

Hopefully, Christine would know what to say.


No one ever came to question her.

The doctors checked her for internal damage. She had a bruise from when Nicholas had punched her. The impact had caused her to bite into her cheek, and she could feel some soreness in her mouth. Her head was also bruised from hitting the window, but no major or permanent damage was apparent from the scans. "You're a lucky girl," said one of the nurses with a smile.

Christine didn't feel very lucky yet.

Soon, there was quiet. Someone would check in on her every so often, make a note, and leave. Christine eventually turned on the television and found a local news channel. The anchorman was reporting the story as a police chase without giving any details.

Despite the need to sleep, Christine was dying to get out of there. No one came to see her that night, and she grew worried. Her purse and phone were still in the car that Corey had been driving. Oh, maybe that meant Nadir had them. Where was he?

And Erik. What was happening with him? Was he really okay?

Around midnight, her body finally gave in to a few dreamless hours of slumber.

Nadir came the next morning at 9 AM. He looked tired, too. Before she could say anything, he pressed his index finger to his lips. "I'll tell you everything when we're alone," he promised.

She understood. "Am I leaving soon?"

"Yes. They said to keep an eye on you, but you'll be discharged today. I assured them that a nurse would be watching over you. I hope you don't mind, but I found your insurance card in your purse. You'll have to fill out a few things, but I took care of the rest."

"Thanks." She gave him a grateful smile. "Am I going to be questioned?"

"I…don't think so. I'll talk to you soon."

She could barely sit still as she was wheeled out of the building several hours later. It looked like they were on the outskirts of a town, and the rural area was unfamiliar in the daytime. After all she had been through, everything had a surreal gleam to it. Nadir was driving a different car, a dark blue one. He helped her into the passenger's seat, climbed into the driver's side, and started the engine. He glanced behind him and looked around, eyes narrowed, before beginning their drive. Four hours, Nadir had said. That seemed like forever.

"Now we can talk?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Is everything okay?"

"Somewhat," Nadir began. "The local and state police have no idea what's going on. There was chaos last night. They were baffled as to why Nicholas Vaughan was out of prison and in their town. Since I shot him, they immediately took me into the nearest station for questioning. I said that all I knew about was Isabel – and her drive to save her demented son. I said that I was privately investigating her, that I had tracked her here."

"Did they believe you?"

"They had no idea what to believe. They stared at me as though I were from outer space and kept asking the same questions. I think I was consistent with my answers." Nadir shook his head. "So of course someone from the federal government finally arrived to do clean up. Or at least someone with a lot more authority."

"Oh, no," she whispered. "Erik…"

"He wasn't interested in Erik, didn't mention him. Maybe he thinks Erik is dead; I don't know. What he did care about was – they don't want me going to the media. That's the biggest concern, that all this gets out to the world. I kept my story the same, said I only knew about Isabel. I didn't want him to know that I was aware of other unethical activities."

"Did he believe you?"

"I don't know. He was somewhat apologetic, saying some poor decisions were made by certain people. And then he threatened me a little. He said, 'Your involvement in all this is very strange, Mr. Khan. I don't think you want me investigating you much further, do you? I don't know what I'll find, but I'm sure it's more interesting than you're making it out to be."

Christine shuddered. "What'd you say?"

"I told him to be careful. Because he wasn't the only one with friends in dark places." Nadir sighed. "And then I agreed not to go to the media, to keep all this quiet." Nadir's brow furrowed, and he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Normally, my sense of ethics might prevent me from making that kind of deal. But I have some obligations, don't I? You deserve peace. And I told him to leave you alone, too, or there would be no deal."

"Did he agree?"

"He said that he had no idea what you were doing here, no idea how you were involved. He said he didn't want to know. But you have to agree to stay quiet, too."

"Well, of course I will. I wouldn't even know what to say. At least it's stopped, right? I mean, whatever Hope was doing, that's stopped, right?"

"For now," Nadir muttered. "I imagine that there will always be people trying to use new technology for terrible purposes. Neither of us can completely stop that." Nadir glanced at the rearview mirror again. "In any case, we still need to be careful. We need to get out of here, go somewhere safe, and let this all die down."

"You, me, and Erik?"

"Yes," Nadir slowly replied. "If that's what you want, given some conditions. But there's something you need to know."

"What?"

"I don't think that Erik remembers your time together in SCI."

"Really?" That made her heart hurt.

"He didn't seem to. I don't think he knows what you're doing here." A pause. "Christine, you may need to accept that the Erik you interacted with in SCI and the Erik here are simply not the same person."

She clutched her purse against her stomach and stared forward. "I will if I have to."

"And that doesn't change anything?"

She shook her head. "There's nothing to change. I'm going to see him. And we're going to talk."

"All right," said Nadir.

The rest of the drive was much quieter. Nadir kept an eye on their surroundings, probably even more paranoid because Corey had followed him last time. She watched, too, but didn't see anyone. The roads were pretty empty. It was mid-afternoon by the time they reached their destination. The motel was nearly out in the middle of nowhere, next to a couple of chain hotels and a gas station.

Her heart beat quickly as they pulled into the parking lot. Her stomach tightened with anticipation. So close….What would she say first?

Nadir parked near the building. Corey came out to meet them.

"How is he?" Christine asked as she shakily stood, giving him a quick hug.

"Gabby fixed him up," Corey replied. "I think he's physically improved. But he won't say anything. He won't look at anyone."

Nadir turned to her. "Would you like me to talk to him first, explain how much you've done for him?"

"No," she immediately replied. "I want to see him right now. I've come so far."

"All right," said Nadir. "Go on." His eyes and tone held concern, but he was no longer fighting her.

She followed Corey to the room. "Is Gabby in here?" she asked.

"No. She's napping in another room. I think we all need long naps." Corey yawned to prove his point.

"Agreed," Christine murmured. She took a deep breath. She was here, standing in from of Room 228. She had made it.

All that was left was…

Well - everything.

Corey unlocked the door with a keycard. He slowly opened it. She stepped in and squinted. It was so dark in there. Only one dusty lamp by the bedside was turned on.

For the first time in many months, she looked at the real him. He was lying down. He had on a mask that revealed only his mouth, a cheaper black plastic one. Had he requested it? Much of his body, up to beneath his arm, was covered by the comforter. He was wearing a dark blue robe. She glanced at his pale hands that were clenched into fists at his sides. His thin lips were drawn into a tight line. And that was all she could see. He looked so much smaller than before. It brought tears to her eyes.

"Good luck," Corey murmured. He left and closed the door.

Entranced, she walked further into the room.

His eyes fixated themselves upon her face. His chest moved slowly up and down.

It took her a second to speak. "Hi, Erik." Her voice broke. Barely able to think, her words could only come from the heart. "I'm so happy to see you." A silence followed. "Erik - "

"What are you doing here?" he hoarsely rasped. She could see the confusion and agony in his eyes, hear it in his voice.

"Well, Corey and I…after Daniel…we…" She recalled what Nadir had said. "Are you asking why I'm here at all? You don't remember SCI?"

He didn't understand. "Did Nadir bring you into this like the utter idiot he is?" Erik angrily questioned. "He nearly got you killed! I will - "

"No! I was here before Nadir was. I came with Corey and Gabby. We called Nadir after it became too much for us to handle. But, Erik, none of this will make sense until you understand SCI-"

"I do not care about SCI! What are you doing here? I let you go! And I…What are you doing here?!"

She shook her head and started to cry. "I'll tell you everything. Everything! I promise. But first - I want to hug you. Can I just hug you?" He didn't answer. He stared, frozen and speechless. That was as good as a 'yes' to her.

He didn't protest as she approached and climbed onto the bed. The mattress sank beneath her weight as she scooted toward him on her hands and knees. He remained motionless. As he was reclining, it was difficult to immediately embrace him as she wanted to. Still, she placed her hands on his shoulders. She buried her face into the robe and his neck, lying on her stomach. She sobbed into the soft material. "I thought I'd never see you alive again," she cried. She managed to work her arms between the space between his head and the giant white pillow. Now it was a more of a proper hug. She was half-draped across him. "I'm so happy that I get to…"

Sniffling, soaking them both with her tears, she stayed like that for a long while. Erik didn't push her away, nor did he say anything. Once she had stopped crying, she listened. She could hear him breathing. Occasionally, he swallowed. She glanced down and saw that his right hand had settled on the bed, inches away from her waist, as though he were afraid to touch her.

She pressed a kiss to his neck, near his wonderful pulse, as it was one of the few places with exposed flesh. Then she dared to raise her head and look at his eyes again. They were still very confused, but they had softened slightly. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I…" His gaze flickered to her head. "You are hurt."

"I'm okay. A little sore, but I'll be fine."

"When I am involved, you are always hurt," he muttered.

"Erik, no. This wasn't your fault. Nadir and I had some misunderstandings. We both made bad decisions. But it's okay now." She reached for his hand and entwined their fingers. He glanced down at this interaction and then back at her.

"I let you go," he said in a barely audible whisper. "Why are you here, Angel? I never planned to see you again. For your sake. I let you go."

"You…did," she softly agreed. "And that was right at the time, although I wish you hadn't disappeared off the face of the Earth afterwards. It would have made all this a lot easier."

"What would be easier?"

"Finding you. Bringing you home."

"I do not have a home." Before she could respond, he again glanced down at her hand. "Are you married? How much time has passed?"

"Married? You have forgotten everything. You really think I'd be cruel enough to -"

"Are you?"

"No! To who? Raoul? We broke up a long time ago. I'll have to tell you about the band again."

"The band?" She had never heard Erik sound so bewildered.

"Yes. And the cookie and Charlotte. And -"

"Why are you here?"

"I care about you. I missed you! And..." Maybe she should have waited, but she was tired of having regrets. "Erik, I love you."

"Stop!" His head pressed back into the pillow. His voice grew rougher, and his muscles tightened. "What is wrong with you?!"

His reaction stung. "But I do. I missed you so much. I missed you and the music."

His gaze turned toward the ceiling. "You should not be here."

"I want to be here now." She leaned down and kissed him. She gently pressed her lips to his. He didn't push her away, nor did he return the affection. Mentally drained and physically weakened, poor Erik obviously didn't know what to do. A soft noise came from the back of his throat, a little pained moan, that seemed uncharacteristic of him.

She pulled back as something dawned on her. What if Nadir were right? What if this Erik were a completely separate person from the Erik of SCI? It meant that all of their earlier conversations and understandings would be meaningless. All that progress – gone. She might know nothing about what this Erik wanted.

It was a very depressing thought. She needed to think about him now, despite her own desires. "Are you okay? I'm not hurting you, right? I just missed you. But you can tell me…if anything…Well." She used both hands to wipe her cheeks dry. She had not known it was possible to be so simultaneously happy and sad.

She waited for a response but none came. Erik's gaze stayed on the ceiling.

She moved away and lay on her back, on the other pillow, careful of his space. She needed to tell him everything, but she didn't start talking right away. Partly because of exhaustion. The lack of sleep from the last several days was quickly catching up with her. Nothing was even close to perfect, but at least he was alive. He wasn't dying. She had time now. That gave her peace enough to relax a little.

But also partly because rambling off a long story didn't seem like it would fix this. There were so many careful discussions that they would have to have all over again. Maybe after she had slept, she would be able to tell him in the right way.

Maybe…

"Christine?" That was the first time he said her name that day. The sound of it made her heart flutter.

"Yes?"

"When I…I kidnapped you…" He trailed off.

And she finally understood that, maybe more than anything else, Erik was ashamed.

She raised her head. "Ask whatever you need to. I won't get upset. I promise."

"It is a very stupid question," he said with a soft, self-deprecating laugh.

"I bet it's not," she said, also laughing. "I don't think you're the type to ask stupid questions. Actually, I had a teacher who said that there was no such thing as a stupid question."

"That teacher was a moron." He sighed. "When I kidnapped you, did we dine at a restaurant? Together. Did we go to a restaurant?"

"No. Not then…"

"I have this odd memory of it, but that cannot be right." He finally glanced at her. "Why are you smiling? Do you find my madness entertaining?" Another broken wisp of a laugh escaped his throat. "I guess it is rather amusing. In any case, it is lovely to see you smile at me like that. Even if it is because I am losing my mind."

"I'm not smiling about that. And you're not losing your mind. That did happen. We went to a restaurant. Just not in this world. In SCI. You remember."

"Oh, God." A pause. "This is all going to be…My head is going to be a mess to sort out. A goddamned mess."

Yet, despite his words, she heard relief in his voice. He stopped staring at her as though she had come to torture him. His hand found hers again, and she quickly and tightly took it. She gave him time to think. If he could remember bits and pieces, she would fill in the details. Letting his two selves gently come together would be better than forcing it.

He eventually said, with both warmth and dismay, "I…kissed you there. I must not lose any of these memories of you."

She knew what he was thinking, and she would not allow it. "We did kiss there. Because, at the time, it was the closest to you that I could get. But you have to remember that all I ever wanted was to get you back here. That may not be what you want." She took a shuddery breath at that admission. "But it was what I wanted. You have to believe that."

He whispered, "You do not want to go back?"

"No," she said. "Erik, you're going to have to answer that same question for yourself. But, before you do, I hope you'll give me a little time."