Discovering Memories

Rating: PG-13 for language

Disclaimer: I own crap. They wouldn't even give me the bloody Lost poster at Disney, and that ruined my day. FOX owns all OC characters and OC related thingys… and ABC owns sobs all Lost related things… even my Charlie…

Summary: It's almost been two years since the rescue, and everything seems so different to Seth Cohen. Everything is great, except for Aerin and the fact that he can't remember what happened before. How far is he willing to go to get both of them back?

A/n: I'm sorry it took so long to update, everything came on at once. xD

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"Some Things Never Change"

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By the time I woke up again, Donnie was gone. A quick glance at my watch told me it was much later than noon. More like two in the afternoon. With a loud yawn, I got out of bed.

Slowly, I made my way down to living room. Shannon, Sawyer and Donnie were all sitting on the couch, watching Saturday Morning Cartoons. A small smile cracked on my face. It was just the way things worked on a Saturday morning. You get up, and you watch cartoons. There was no other way.

It amazed me how Donnie could sit still long enough to watch cartoons for hours on end, but as long as it wasn't Barney or the Telletubbies or whatever other stupid little kid shows I could think of, I didn't have a problem with it.

I eased my way down into the chair and Shannon and Sawyer looked over at me.

"Look what the cat drug in," Sawyer said with a smirk. Shannon giggled.

"That wasn't funny," I said icily.

"SHHHHHHHHHH!" came the voice of an angry Donnie. The three of us laughed really hard.

He shushed us again.

There were some things about Donnie I knew I would never understand.

"Do you know what today is Seth?" Sawyer asked quietly seeing as he was the one sitting closest to me.

"Saturday, duh," I said sarcastically.

"Saturday, meaning you and Charlie are going to go and find you a girl," he said with an eyebrow raised

I just glared at him. "I don't need a girl. Besides, I have Donnie."

Sawyer burst out laughing uncontrollably. "That is sooooo wrong Seth," Shannon commented before getting enthralled in the cartoons once more.

"You need to get over Aerin man," Sawyer commented. I knew he was right, but I didn't have the time for a girl. Sure I got a very nice amount of money from Oceanic for all the pain and suffering and whatnot I went though on the island, but I just didn't have the time.

"And you agree with that, don't you?" he added, getting up. "Let's go, we're going to get ready."

"Get ready, are you crazy, we won't leave for a while, will we?" I asked, hoping that there was time to get sick so I didn't have to go.

"Seth, it's going on three o'clock. Charlie'll be here at five."

"I'm not a girl, I don't need two hours to get ready."

"I RESENT THAT!" Shannon shouted angrily, only to get shushed by Donnie, causing her to giggle quietly.

"We need to talk, now." And with that, Sawyer literally drug me out of the living room.

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We sat down out by the pool. It was a clear, sunny, average Californian day. "What was so important?" I snapped.

"You."

"What about me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow that had yet to become overgrown and bushy like dad's, thankfully.

Sawyer just looked at me. "You. You need to seriously get over this girl."

"And this was what was so important?" I snapped. I was still tired and cranky.

"You've been moping around for the better part of the last two years almost," Sawyer said, actually sounding serious for once in his life. "I know that she pulled you out of a rut, and I know Donnie is her kid, but you really need to get a grip on reality. She left. She didn't care. You're just making things worse."

I just looked at Sawyer. He was making some sense, but I didn't care. I knew he was worried about me, everyone was, and I was just sick of it. Him, Charlie, Claire, my parents, even Ryan and Summer, when they called. It sucked. I was going to be 21 soon, seriously, I didn't need so many freaking babysitters.

"You know I'm right, don't you?" Sawyer asked, smiling triumphantly.

"Shut up," I snapped, not knowing what else to say. Deep down, I knew he was right, but why inflate his ego even more? It was already bigger than Newport.

Over the time that he had spent living in the pool house, he had gotten a pretty good reputation for himself. The party crasher. I would have joined him, had I not became a father literally overnight. But he would go to every single Newport party and just get drunk all to hell, and hit on just about everyone.

It was actually quite funny.

My mind went back to the topic at hand. "I am right!" Sawyer said, once again, not bothering to hide the face. "You know that getting over Aerin would be the best thing for you… and Donnie."

Why did he have to bring Donnie into it? Why? "Donnie needs a mother figure. Kirsten and Claire and Shannon don't count either Seth."

"So you're telling me to go out and find someone and just marry them so that Donnie can have a mother like figure? That is stupid."

He just looked at me. "That isn't what I meant stupid. I mean you really need to try and forget like she forgot, you know? Because it can't be healthy for you or Donnie. Am I the only one that noticed that all that weight you lost on the island, you're the only one not to gain it back? Hell, even Shannon did! And this is Shannon we're talking about."

I could almost hear Shannon yelling 'I RESENT THAT,' but she wasn't around to shout that.

"Fine, whatever." I said, getting up.

Sawyer stood up with me.

I began to walk away.

"And Cohen?" he said, sounding serious as he walked up behind me after I stopped.

I turned around. "What?"

Without a second of warning, he pushed me into the pool. I felt some of the chlorine water going up my nose. Well, as least now I didn't need to get my sinuses cleared out. I broke the surface of the water and pushed the excess off of my face. "What the hell was that for?"

Sawyer just smiled. "You reek!"

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Five o'clock came sooner than I could have hoped. Thanks to Sawyer, I went and got a shower and now was all ready. Maybe this time Charlie wouldn't have to drag me out of the door like before. Maybe this time I would go willingly.

Maybe.

I sat down on the couch. Donnie had fallen asleep in the chair after watching a DriveShaft DVD. I swear that kid had some serious problems. He wouldn't watch anything educational, and always begged to watch that DVD. Well, not really begged. He'd grab it and shove it in my face until I got so annoyed that I wanted just put it in anyways.

I just looked at him.

"He's a cutie, isn't he?" Shannon said, walking behind the sofa.

I chuckled halfheartedly and nodded. When he slept he looked like Aerin. No. Bad Seth. No thinking about her tonight. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

"Just like his daddy," she said, trying to sound all cutsey-wootsy.

"Not funny Shan," I said, with a sigh.

She slowly sat down next to me. "You don't want to go, do you?" she asked.

"Maybe." I replied.

"If you're worrying about Donnie, I'll be here, and Claire."

I laughed. That wasn't what I was worried about. "And Sawyer," I reminded her. She laughed.

"But Sawyer doesn't count," she smiled. Could it be any more obvious. Geeze. "Just have a good time tonight. Don't worry about anything. Unwind Cohen."

"I will," I sighed as I heard the doorbell ring. Great, Charlie was here. Maybe I could fake sick. No, too late for that.

"Ready mate?" Charlie asked, as he bounded into the living room, not worrying about not waking Donnie or anything. Claire followed him in, laughing slightly and shaking her head.

She hugged me, a friend's hug. "Have fun," she smiled.

"Oh definitely," I said sarcastically as Charlie pulled me out the door. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Donnie.

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Charlie and I made it to the Bait Shop without getting sick, or hurt or anything. Damn.

I was starting to get that bad feeling deep down inside of me again. I couldn't explain it. "Let's go Seth," Charlie said, getting out of the car. I closed my eyes and sighed. Push Aerin out. I had to keep reminding myself to do that. I opened my eyes and got out.

I was going to have fun tonight, and that was all that mattered.

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The night was relatively uneventful, as were all the other "Seth-needs-a-girl" operations were. I figured it just wasn't meant to be. I had loved twice, and both times I had my heart torn out and trampled on. Maybe I was just supposed to live in this world alone. Besides, as long as I had Sawyer, Shannon, Charlie, Claire, Ryan, Summer and everyone else I was bound to be all right. I didn't need a woman in my life.

I was fine without one.

Yeah, right. That was me trying to delude myself. Donnie needed this as much as me, but it didn't mean that I was about to put up an effort.

Charlie came over to me. I don't see why he was the one who always came along. He had a wife and everything, but he was so keep on making me forget, that he insisted on coming along all the time.

"Any luck?"

I shook my head.

"Yeah well, you'll find someone." Always the optimistic one Charlie seemed to be. "Fate'll play a part, I promise you that." He said with a small smile.

Again with the fate stuff. Fate meant nothing. There was no such thing as fate, there was no such thing as destiny. You made your life, it wasn't already planned, although there were quite a lot of things that I could have easily blamed on fate, but I never did.

I just hated the thought of not being in control.

"SETH?" I heard someone shout loudly from the other side of the bar.

My head spun around. No way. I stood up, looking like a dear caught in headlights. She hadn't changed a bit. I hadn't seen her in forever. Her hair was still blonde, her eyes still the same. Everything was the same about here, except for her hair. Her hair was different.

She rushed over and pulled me into a tight hug. "Oh Seth, I was hoping to run into you while I'm here." I hugged her back, a huge smile on my face.

Any thought of Aerin was pushed out of my mind.

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I spent the rest of the night talking to her. Charlie seemed proud; too bad he didn't know that we were old friends.

I hadn't been this happy in a long time. And of all people I couldn't believe that it was her that would make me fell happy again. After she moved away, I only saw her once or twice before the crash and only once or twice since we got rescued.

"So what are you doing around here? Pennsylvania too cold?" I asked with a small smile.

"It's summertime Seth, it is as hot there as it is here," she smiled, taking a drink.

I laughed. "How are Summer and Ryan doing, I hear you guys are all going to the same school and everything." I felt a bit downhearted. I was supposed to go to college with Ryan, Summer and Marissa, too bad that never happened. Actually, at the rate I was going, I was never going to have to work, ever again.

Thanks to the wonderful settlement from Oceanic.

"Pretty good. They're inseparable, it's kinda cute."

I sighed. I really didn't want to hear that, but as long as they were happy, that was all that really mattered. "They complain a lot though," she admitted.

"What do they complain about?" I asked.

"You," she smiled sweetly.

"Me?"

"Yeah. You know, how you should move out to Pennsylvania, go to school. You know, instead of just spending time with all of you 'new' friends. They don't really like that." And they couldn't tell me this to my face? "They don't get it."

There were a few moments of awkward, unwanted silence, before she broke it. "But I understand."

She smiled and looked at her watch. "Wow, it is getting late."

I didn't look at mine. "Wanna come over to my place? I know you haven't been there since the wedding."

"I'd like that Seth," she smiled.

Together, we walked out. This was quite an odd experience. It seemed like forever ago that I had to choose between her and Summer. When the possibility of Seth Cohen and Anna Stern was the same as being in a plane crash, surviving and being stuck on an island for well over a year. Now neither of them seemed as impossible as I originally thought.

Aerin was the last thing on my mind. Maybe I had succeeded in finally pushing her out, even it was only for a little bit.

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We made it back to my house when I realized that we had left Charlie there. The thought was almost laughable. He was going to come back and be so pissed. But maybe it was worth it.

No, it was definitely worth it. Harassing Charlie was so much fun. And so easy too.

We walked into the house silently. I could hear Donnie chattering away with Sawyer and Shannon. My heart broke a little bit. Why didn't he talk around me? I didn't get it.

"Come on Donnie, Sha-non…" Shannon said.

"Wanga…" Donnie said.

Sawyer laughed. "That is too hard, Sticks."

"STICKS!" Donnie's voice rang through the air. I stifled a laugh. I wish I could have seen Shannon's face.

"That's right Donnie, Sticks!" I heard Shannon slap Sawyer, and from the sound it made, it must have hurt.

"You are such an asshole!" Shannon shrieked.

"Assssshooolllee…" Donnie said. So that was why they were teaching my son. I was going to have to teach them a lesson.

"Now that was mean!" Sawyer said angrily.

"Sticks… Asssshoollle… Sticks… Asssshooolleee.." Donnie said, almost making up a song. Yeah, that wasn't obvious. Even Donnie could see it.

I looked over at Anna who looked like she was about to burst any second. I nodded my head upstairs and she nodded.

We made it up to my room undetected. I hadn't really changed it.

"Wow, if this isn't nostalgic," she giggled.

"That wasn't funny," I said, mocking hurt. She hit me playfully.

It was like nothing ever changed. It was like I had never chosen Summer, it was like she had never moved away, it was like I had never been in the plane crash. It was like someone had turned back time.

"Betcha I can still whoop your ass at video games," I said suddenly.

"You're on!" she laughed. We both grabbed a controller and I put in a game. It was one about pirates. I couldn't remember what it was called or anything. But it was about pirates. And I was winning.

"Donnie is sooo cute," Anna said randomly at a point in the game.

"Uh… thanks?" I said, not quite sure of what else to say.

"Quite the chatterbox, like his old man…"

"Yeah," I said uncomfortably.

"What is it Seth?" she asked, pausing the game.

I looked over at her. "He doesn't really talk around me. I don't really understand it."

"Oh," she said.

More awkward silence.

"Wanna watch Star Wars?" I asked, trying to make the silence stop.

Anna looked at her watch. "I really should get back to my hotel room."

I felt my heart sank. I don't even know why it sunk, it just sorta did. "Are you sure? Because Hotel Cohen is still open."

She smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, it looks like you have a full house already."

"I guess," I admitted.

"I'll see you around Seth," she smiled as she walked out.

Needless to say, some things never changed. I felt wanted… needed… when Anna was around, and I liked that feeling. I didn't feel like I was some charity case. I liked that.

And I missed Anna too. I just didn't realize how good of a friend she really was.

I really hoped that she was here to stay.

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A/n: That was longer than I thought it was going to be. What happened to all my reviewers?

swede85 - Haha.

Volvic - Where is Aerin? Not… there… XD… At the moment he is a full time dad, but that is hopefully gonna change…

IY-ROX - Haha, yeah…

sUmMeRiTh - No Shayid? AHHHH! What am I gonna do? Haha, just kidding. While I love Shayid, idk… and Aerin… life can't be too perfect… sorry…