„Mom?" Confused Neil watched how his mother stormed out of the house and ran off. What had happened? Had his father done something? If he was still under the influence of this "skin", he might have scared her. "Dad?"

Suddenly he was surrounded by people. They were all screaming and trying to get out of the room. He saw his mother standing a few feet away. She was pointing a gun at Senator Perry. Neil tried to reach her, to stop her from pulling the trigger. But moments before he was able to reach her, he found himself inside a space shuttle, looking down on earth. Suddenly he heard the shot – his mother had pulled the trigger – and he saw the earth exploding.

"No!" Trembling Neil woke from his nightmare. Again he had the same dream. It was the same as every night since he woke up in that hospital. He pulled his arms around himself to stop the trembling and after a few minutes, as the horrors of the dream slowly faded away, he got calmer and laid down again.

He thought about his dream. Why was it coming back to him every night? Why was he dreaming something like that? It made no sense. He closed his eyes again but the images from the exploding planet still flashed through his mind.

XXXXXXX

Still rattled Neil stepped into the kitchen the next morning. His father was already enjoying his morning coffee while reading the newspaper. Just when Neil wanted to say something, a stabbing pain in his head stopped him. Images began flashing through his mind. He saw his father walking towards him, eyes cold as if he didn't recognize him. Before Neil knew what was happening his father had grabbed him at the throat. Neil struggled hard to get free, but as he couldn't take any breaths, his strength quickly faded. He could hear Kurt yelling from behind and eventually his father threw him on the floor.

"Neil ... Neil!"

When Neil opened his eyes, he saw his father kneeing beside him, worry evident in his eyes. But Neil didn't see the worry, he just kept seeing the cold stare his father had send him in his ... was it a memory?

"Let go of me!" He called out and tried to get away from his father.

Stunned Chuck stepped back. "Neil, what's wrong?"

Neil just stared at his father. What did just happened? Did he really remember that his father had tried to kill him? He got up from the floor – he hadn't even realized falling down – and left the kitchen. He could hear his father calling for him from behind, but he didn't stop. Without knowing where he should go to, he left the house and just kept walking. He wanted to run, but his still injured leg hindered him.

XXXXXXX

Still stunned Chuck stared at the empty space his son had left. What did just happened? Neil had been terrified by him. He tried to think about anything that might have scared him, but he just couldn't come up with anything. He had just sat there, drinking his coffee and reading the paper. Why would that scare him?

He thought about following his son, but decided against it. He would wait until Neil had calmed down and then try to talk to him. Worried he sat down again and took another sip of his coffee. But only minutes later the worry got too much and he decided to call Kurt. Neil shouldn't be alone right now. Maybe Kurt could talk to him.

He waited for Kurt to pick up the phone. When he finally did, he quickly explained what happened. Kurt immediately agreed to call Neil on his mobile and meet with him.

XXXXXXX

Neil had agreed to meet Kurt in the diner. After they had both ordered a cup of coffee, Kurt asked Neil what had happened this morning.

Hesitantly Neil looked down at his hands before he replied. "I don't know what happened. I think I'm remembering something, but ..." His voice trailed off.

"What did you remember?"

"I don't even know if it's really a memory. I ... Did I ever tell you that I broke up with Holly?" He suddenly asked.

"Uh, no, not that I remember. Why?" Kurt was surprised at the sudden change of subject.

"I remember ... I think I remember breaking up with her. It seems so real. But she keeps telling me about our great relationship. I can see she has feelings for me, but I ... there is nothing. I see her as a good friend, but not more. If I felt that way before, it would make sense that we broke up."

Kurt knew immediately what Neil was talking about. He really was remembering – just in the wrong chronological order. How was he supposed to explain to him that he did break up with Holly, only Holly didn't know anything about it yet?

"Did my mother really died in a car accident?" Again Neil's question took Kurt by surprise.

"Why do you ask?"

"This might sound stupid, but I keep having this dream ... It's always the same. I see her with a gun, shooting at someone. I'm not sure if this really is more than a dream though, because the rest of it definitely is just dream material."

"Why don't you tell me about the rest?" Kurt asked quietly.

"It's just some sci-fi nonsense I probably saw in a movie once. I'm in a space shuttle and watch the earth exploding. And right before that I see my mother with the gun. So I'm probably just mixing something up. It's just ... this morning ..."

"Yes?" Kurt asked, glad that they finally got to talk about what happened this morning.

"When I came into the kitchen and saw my Dad, I ... I had this flashback or something and ... he came walking towards me and than ..." Suddenly he could feel the pain in his head again. Groaning he held his head in his hands. Again memories came flashing back at him. He was in Kurt's apartment and Kurt pointed a gut at him and Angela. They were fighting and ...

"Neil, what's wrong?" Kurt asked worried. He could see that Neil was in pain.

Terrified Neil looked up. He was trembling all over and for a moment he could do nothing but stare at the man sitting in front of him.

"Neil?" Kurt asked again. Something was clearly not right.

"I gotta go." Neil mumbled and as fast as he could he got up and walked out of the diner.

Worried about him, Kurt quickly followed him. He threw some money on the table to pay for their coffees and left the diner. He reached Neil a few meters down the street and grabbed his arm. "Neil wait. What's wrong?"

"Let go!" Neil snapped at him and pulled his arm free.

"Neil, what happened? Did you just remember something?"

"I remember nothing. Just leave me alone." Neil said determinedly and kept walking. When he saw a free cab, he quickened his steps and jumped in. He pushed the door close in front of Kurt and told the driver to leave quickly. He made up some story that Kurt had tried to rob him. He wasn't sure if the driver believed him, but he drove away quickly nevertheless.

XXXXXXX

"Damn!" Kurt swore as he watched the cab driving away. Neil had clearly remembered something and it had scared the hell out of him. Why else would he run away? The same had probably happened that morning. He tried to think of what he might have done in the past that would scare Neil. Then he remembered the time he had been slightly delusional due to a lack of serotonin after the attack of his "self-made sentient". He had threatened Neil, Angela and Sarah with a gun and when Neil had tried to overcome him, he had hit him unconscious. And he remembered how Chuck had been infected with those sentient nanobots. They had changed his behavior radically up to the point that for a short moment Chuck hadn't recognized his son and had tried to strangle him.

If Neil had remembered those moments – and everything pointed to that – then it was no wonder he had freaked out. But he had to find him. If Neil thought that both his father and himself had tried to kill him, he surely wasn't returning home any time soon. As he had no idea where to look for him, he went to his own car and drove to the Taggert house to talk to Chuck.

XXXXXXX

Chuck listened stunned to what Kurt was telling him. He had completely forgotten about the day he had attacked Neil. No wonder his son was afraid of him. "We have to tell him everything. It was a mistake to wait."

"Well, we have to find him first. Any ideas?"

"You probably know my son better than I do." Chuck thought for a moment. "Maybe he went to those twins? He went there yesterday after school He felt pretty comfortable with them."

"Do you know their names?" Kurt remembered them from the time they had to borrow some super computer the twins had invented to kill some crazy computer program, but he just couldn't remember their names.

"No, I don't." Chuck was as clueless.

"What about Holly?" Kurt asked.

"If Neil thinks she lied to him about their relationship, then I don't think he'd go to her." Chuck shook his head. He had no idea where to look for his son.

"No, but she might know the twin's names. You have her number?"

"No, I don't even know her last name." Chuck hated to admit that he knew almost nothing about his son's life.

"Then we just have to drive around and look for him. I call Angela and Sarah, maybe they can help."

"Okay." Chuck replied hopelessly. Houston was a big town – Neil could be anywhere.

XXXXXXX

Neil had only enough money with him to pay the cab driver for a 10 minutes drive. When he got out, he had no idea where he was supposed to go now. He didn't want to talk to Holly. For all he knew she had lied to him too. And Kelsey and Bodanis ... He trusted them but who knows? They hadn't told him about his break up with Holly either. If he really broke up with her. Maybe he was just losing his mind.

He was just about to give up hope, when he saw Julie Kensington walking towards him. Relieved he watched her coming closer. She hadn't known him before his accident and for now she was the only person he felt he could trust.

"Hey Neil, what are you doing here?"

"That's a long story. Do you have a few moments?"

"I have the whole day." Julie smiled at him. "Are you okay? You look pale."

"I'm fine. I just ... Can we talk someplace quiet?"

"Sure, there's a park around the corner ..." Julie suggested.

"Okay."

XXXXXXX

A few minutes later they both sat on a bench in the park and Julie waited patiently for Neil to tell her what was bothering him.

"You know I have amnesia, right?" Neil looked at her hesitantly.

"That's why Principle Adams asked me to help you." Julie reminded him.

"Right. The thing is – everything I was told, I'm not sure if it's the truth. I mean, I know that I'm really Neil Taggert, I saw my passport, but other than that ..."

"Why would they lie to you?"

"I don't know. But you just have to look at my accident. Kurt and Angela told me it happened while we were camping. But everyone tells me I hate camping. And Holly ... she keeps talking about our great relationship, but I have these flashbacks that we broke up. And my Dad ..." His voice broke and he wasn't sure if he should continue.

"What about him?" Julie tried to get him to keep talking.

"I ... I keep seeing him, in flashbacks, I think ... and he ... I think he tried to kill me. And Kurt too ... I mean Kurt was pointing a gun at me. And I keep seeing my mother shooting at someone. I know it sounds crazy. I don't know what to believe anymore ..."

"Maybe you should talk to the police?"

"And if I'm wrong? I don't have any proof that it really happened." He said desperately.

"Well, if you're right than you can't go home." She paused for a moment. "My parents are out of town, you could stay at my place."

"Really?"

"Of course. I told you I want to help you." She smiled at him warmly.

"Thanks." Neil returned her smile. For the first time today he felt safe.

Tbc

A.N.: Blue Eyed Dragon Girl thanks for your review, I'm glad you enjoy this story. Thanks to everyone for reading this chapter and please review. :-)