Chapter 8

"That's for being an ass. And for your information, I am not, have never been, and never will be jealous of that fake red head you think you had that steamy night with." Scarlett spoke with hatred. Duke rubbed his cheek slowly. In her two weeks with him, Scarlett had never gotten angry or lost her patience until now.

"Then what has gotten into you?" Duke spoke softly and low.

"That I don't understand how you can remember something that didn't even exist with her when you can't begin to remember that you loved me." Scarlett snapped harshly. She turned to look at Duke. His angry look was subsiding and a new look of confusion was appearing. Scarlett pulled her hands over her mouth realizing what she had just said when lashing out at Duke.

"Shana…" Duke trailed off trying to make sense of what just came into light.

"Oh god…I'm sorry…I shouldn't…" Scarlett backed away from him horrified. Duke reached out for her to come closer, but she bolted past him up the stairs to the guest bedroom. He dropped onto the couch and stayed motionless as the words sunk into his brain.

"You can't begin to remember that you loved me." Her words echoed in his mind. Duke sat there as a rock formed in his stomach. He had acted like a jackass when there was no call for it. He had just been frustrated that it seemed like he couldn't remember the missing piece to all his memories. And now, Scarlett had given him the most important piece of information that he should have remembered on his own. Yet, nothing was coming back. He looked up towards the second floor and slowly rose to see if she was ok. He crept up the stairs and stood by her door and softly knocked.

"Shana, are you alright? Listen, I'm sorry about what I said. I was being an idiot. Can we please talk this out?" Duke called through the door.

"I don't think that would be a good idea right now." Scarlett spoke.

"Shana, please? At least let me grovel in person." Duke begged.

"Conrad, not right now. Go away, please…" Scarlett begged

just as intently as Duke begged to come in.

"I'm sorry." Duke apologized again and hunched his head

between his shoulders. He retreated into his bedroom feeling an incredible loss. He couldn't believe the turn of events. Duke didn't know what to do. He went into his bureau and pulled out a tattered phonebook. He took a huge sigh and flipped to the section he hoped would give him comfort. He saw Flint's name and stared at the number. "Okay, pal, you're supposed to be my best friend. I need your help." Duke spoke to himself. He picked up the phone and was surprised to her voices instead of a dial tone. He went to put down the receiver but it was Scarlett on the phone and he needed to know what she was thinking.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" a males voice asked.

"Hawk, I don't have much of a choice do I? I just broke

your orders." Scarlett answered clearly upset.

"Scarlett, Duke's trustworthy. He wouldn't betray any of

us knowingly. I had to give that order because I was told to do so." Hawk replied wisely.

"And I had to obey it because I was told to do so." Scarlett sighed.

"Has Conrad made any improvement at all?" Hawk asked.

"Some. He knows most of the team by sight and knows most of the names. He knows my first name now. He remembered that on his own." Scarlett reported.

"Well, that has to be optimistic news to you." Hawk replied surprised at that news.

"I thought it was, until today." Scarlett replied with a sigh.

"Fill me in. What exactly has you ready to bolt and come back to base?" Hawk demanded but in a friendly way.

"I was showing him the video Freedom delivered and he saw Cover Girl in it." Scarlett began.

"Remind me to talk to Dial Tone about video editing techniques." Hawk grumbled.

"Anyway, he remembered being in a relationship with her."

"And not you." Hawk was beginning to see the problem.

"He never had a relationship with Cover Girl! He was only

ever with me. I don't understand why he would think he was with her. Has she come to help him with his memories? NO! I'm here. He should remember me!" Scarlett cried out of frustration.

"Take a breath, soldier." Hawk advised.

"Sorry, sir." She apologized.

"Its ok. I can see why you'd be upset, but try to

remember his recent memories are like Swiss cheese. Is it possible that he saw a scene in his mind with a red head and plugged Cover Girl into the situation just because of what she said?" Hawk wondered.

"I guess that's possible, but that just shows how impressionable he is." Scarlett sighed still not knowing what to do about the situation.

"Back up the train, Red. Weren't we just talking about you

being upset because he remembered Cover Girl? Where does impressionable come into this?" Hawk asked confused.

"With all due respect, you wouldn't understand." Scarlett sighed.

"I'm beginning to suspect this. Just a moment." Hawk excused himself. Scarlett heard a muffled sound like the phone was being exchanged.

"Hello?" a female answered.

"Jaye, it's good to hear your voice." Scarlett answered with a tiny smile.

"Hold on, Hawk wants to say one more thing." Lady Jaye

informed her friend.

"Well I'll let more reasonable heads prevail and pull my stars out of the fire. Scarlett, whatever you chose to do I'll back you up, but I don't think you are giving Duke enough credit." Hawk sighed and handed the phone back to Lady Jaye.

"Alright, what's going on?" Lady Jaye demanded to know.

"I've made a mess here." Scarlett sighed sadly.

"What happened?" Lady Jaye asked again.

"Well, we were watching the video that Freedom brought to us when Cover Girl come on the tape. Duke remembered being in a relationship with her." Scarlett filled in.

"So how hard did you slap him?" Lady Jaye wanted to know.

"How did you know?" Scarlett asked surprised Jaye knew what her reaction was.

"Women's Intuition. Listen, I overheard Hawk. Isn't it possible he just put her face on yours?" Lady Jaye suggested.

"I think I like the idea better that he was just making it up." Scarlett replied sickened at the thought of Cover Girl's face on her body.

"Oh, hon, it's not that bad." Lady Jaye tried to cheer up her friend.

"Well it is. I lost my cool and told him that we were in a relationship." Scarlett sighed upset with herself.

"Was Hawk mad?" Lady Jaye asked.

"I don't think too much, if at all." Scarlett answered.

"Then I think you're fine. You wanted to tell him that earlier." Jaye consoled her friend.

"Yeah, but now I'll never know..." Scarlet trailed off in thought.

"Know what?" Lady Jaye wondered.

"If he has feelings for me because he remembers us or because he thinks he should have those feelings." Scarlett replied sadly.

"So you're saying you prefer no feelings to false ones?" Lady Jaye asked trying to find out where Scarlett's true feelings were.

"Yes. No. I don't know. Why is this so complex?" Scarlett

sighed. Duke smiled. He could imagine Scarlett smacking her forehead at the end of her statement.

"It's love. It's not supposed to be easy." Lady Jaye smiled.

"So what do I do?" Scarlett asked.

"What do you want to do?" Lady Jaye spun back at her.

"Come on. Help me out." Scarlett whined.

"I can't. You have to make this choice on your own." Lady Jaye sighed wishing she could tell her friend what to do. Then again she didn't know what she would do if she were in that situation.

"It's just too hard to stay now. Too much has been said." Scarlett shook her head.

"Too hard for who? You or Duke?" Lady Jaye challenged.

"Me I guess. I'm the weak one." Scarlett trailed off tears forming in her eyes.

"Snap out of it, Red. Weak is the last thing I'd call you. You've carried this entire burden yourself for all this time." Lady Jaye soothed her friend.

"I feel like I'm cracking." Scarlett whispered with a sniff trying to keep her tears from falling.

"You're allowed to crack." Lady Jaye tried to comfort Scarlett. Duke could here Scarlett sniff a few more times. "Still there, Scarlett?"

"Yeah…just thinking." Scarlett sighed regaining control of her tears.

"So?" Lady Jaye asked.

"Tell Hawk I'm ready to come back. He can have someone pick me up tomorrow morning here." Scarlett announced her final decision, not budging from her initial plans.

"If you leave now..." Lady Jaye trailed off.

"Don't tell me.. I know." Scarlett sighed.

"You'll kick yourself for this." Lady Jaye warned her.

"I already am, trust me." Scarlett spoke briskly.

"Final decision?" Lady Jaye asked one more time.

"Final. Put me active." Scarlett confirmed her choice.

"Ok. I'll see you for lunch tomorrow. Hang tough, girl. We're pulling for you here." Lady Jaye answered.

"See you tomorrow." Scarlett agreed and the two hung up.

Duke hung up the receiver making sure that Scarlett had already hung up. He didn't want Scarlett to leave, but he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable either. He heard the door across the hall open so he quickly opened his door to catch her before she went downstairs. He came face to face with her.

"I'm really sorry about before. I mean it." Duke apologized profusely.

"You couldn't help it. I'm sorry too." Scarlett softly spoke with a soft smile.

"Don't be. I'm the one being an idiot." Duke replied.

"Don't worry, it's not the first time." Scarlett smiled a little bit wider.

"So I act like an idiot a lot?" Duke asked with a little chuckle.

"No, just when it comes to HER." Scarlett told him.

"Somehow I feel when I remember everything this will make a lot more sense." Duke replied wondering what idiotic things he had done.

"I'm leaving in the morning. General Hawk called me back. He needs me back for a mission." Scarlett changed the subject.