Author's Note: Sorry about the long update process guys. I know I'm a horrible fan fiction writer, but hopefully you all will forgive me. As always breaks with look like this -- !BREAK!

The last few days had been a blur for Patrick. After the first successful dinner with his father – and he considered it a success because they only argued 90 percent of the time – he'd gone into work the next day with exhilaration. He hadn't felt so good in weeks. He flirted with Epiphany, crossed swords with Robin and performed a textbook surgery. In essence he was flying high.

At least he was until he went to visit April.

He'd found Robin alone in April's room crying. His good mood crashed as Robin tearfully informed him that April died. Patrick knew he should have expected it. He hadn't cured April of AIDS, he only managed to prolong her life expectancy, and yet he stood there floored. He was supposed to see her that day. Had promised to. Numb with grief he just stood there and allowed Robin to hold him.

That's when everything went out of focus. He could hazily remember helping to plan a small memorial service for April. But none of it felt real. He'd sat in the hospital chapel this morning mourning a girl he barely knew, missing her like he hadn't missed anyone in a long time. This why you don't get involved, he scolded himself at the end of the service. He had avoided the cavernous ache that loss left behind for so long and now he was feeling it again it felt like it was swallowing him whole.

Angry at himself and the situation he'd fled the hospital looking for solitude. He'd walked blindly into the park and found the bustling sounds of life comforting. Patrick picked himself out a lonely bench where he sat and he stewed.

No more getting involved in people's lives, Patrick promised himself. He had to maintain distance, and those people he let get too close to, had to be pushed away. From now on self-preservation was key.

"You're looking pretty serious." Patrick looked up at the voice and groaned internally. Standing before him with a concerned smile on her face was one of his biggest problems – Emily Quartermaine. She had invaded his thoughts even before her accident, and even more so after. There was something about her that nagged at him. That made him want to dig deeper into her. To know her and be with her.

Thinking thoughts like those caused alarms to ring. Danger Will Robinson practically glowed like a neon sign in his head. He'd ignored it until now, but no longer. It was time to get back to who he'd been. "It's nothing," he told her standing.

"You expect me to believe that?" she challenged.

"Look Emily I don't want to get into this with you. Or anyone for that matter," he said trying to side step her.

Annoyance rated from Patrick. His gaze was cold and dispassionate on her, but Emily refused to back down. It was clear that Patrick was upset, and seeing how he was one of the few people she considered a real friend, she wanted to help him. Like he had helped her. "You listened to me," she said placing her hand on his arm so he wouldn't walk away. "It's my turn now. I'll even treat," Emily informed him, nodding towards the snow cone vendor.

Patrick wanted to say no. To tell her to leave him alone, but in all honesty he didn't want to be alone and miserable. Though it went against every promise he just made to himself he didn't put up a fight. He simply allowed Emily to drag him towards the cart.

Though there was no one in line the man started to build a cone when he saw them coming. He had a purple cone ready when they reached the cart and offered it to Emily with wide smile. "Here you go. And for you?" he asked him not seeing the hesitation in Emily's eyes as she took the cone.

"Would you like something else?" Patrick asked with concern for her overshadowing his melancholy.

"I …" he saw something flicker in her eyes. "No," she answered. "This good, he'll have a grape as well," she told the vendor. Patrick didn't protest her selection though he did try to pay for the cones. "My treat," she insisted and fished out the money.

Once they both had their cones they headed back towards the bench that Emily had found him on. "What happened back there?" Patrick inquired.

She waited until they were settled on the bench before she answered. "I had this … flash." Her voice was dull, almost as if she was in shock, but her eyes were bright swirling with excitement and confusion. "That's the best way to describe it. Purple lips." She said it almost reverently, with a grin spreading across her face.

Confused Patrick asked, "What?"

"I'm not sure," she laughed nervously. "I just kind of knew that grape was my favorite, and not just because it tastes good." To prove her point she took a quick bite and Emily found that her taste buds did in fact approve of the sweet taste. "I like having purple lips," she revealed. "Did you know that about me—I mean her? Us," she finished lamely.

"No. No I didn't, but I think I'll like you with purple lips," Patrick replied, his desperation turning to hope. Emily was remembering.

!BREAK!

"Patrick," Lainey smiled up at him. She'd just gotten back from a session with Sonny and she was surprised to find him waiting outside her office. Or maybe not, she thought, remembering that April had passed away. Her colleagues often sought out her services after a loss of a patient.

"Do you have few minutes?" he asked.

Lainey glanced down at her watch. She had another patient coming in an half-hour and meant to use the time she had to catch up on paperwork. Meeting Patrick's gaze again she decided the paperwork could wait. "Yeah, I do," she answered unlocking her office door. As she swung it open she informed him, "I was sorry to hear about April."

"Thanks," Patrick replied stepping through the doorway, "but that's not why I'm here."

"No?" Lainey said under her breath. If not April, then what? Piqued by curiosity she asked, "Then why are you here?"

"I bumped into Emily, Emily Quartmaine," he clarified and Lainey nodded at him to continue, "at the park today. She had what she termed a 'flash' of memory. Before you get ahead of yourself it was just a little thing."

It took Lainey a second to switch gears. Patrick wasn't coming to see her about himself, but a patient. Her sessions with Emily had mostly dealt with adjusting to her life without memories. Emily had shied away from discussing a way to try and recover her memories. She hadn't want to push, at least not yet. The fact that Emily remembered something, even a trivial detail, was a start. "What did she remember?"

"That she likes purple lips."

"Excuse me?" Lainey questioned sure she misheard him.

"She likes having purple lips. You know from eating a grape snow cone?"

"Oh," she said for a lack of anything else. "Was there anything else?"

"No," Patrick answered.

Reaching for her pad Lainey started to make a few notes for herself. "And how did she take remembering?"

A look of serious concentration settled on Patrick's face. "She was a little shocked, but pleased. She also wanted to know if I knew that about her. I think she was disappointed that I didn't."

"She never mentioned it to me before the accident either," Lainey commented. "It seems kind of …"

"Childish," Patrick supplied.

"Kind of," she agreed. "But that's a good. Having any flash of memory is progress. It doesn't surprise me that one of the senses was involved. They can be some of the strongest memories we carry. It's possible we'll be able to use them to trigger other memories."

"I thought you hadn't advanced to that stage yet."

"No we haven't. Mostly because Emily seems hesitant to go there, but this memory could be just the motivation she needs to try."

"That's a good thing then," Patrick said, but even he heard doubt in his voice. Emily remembering was a good thing, but there was a part of him that wanted to hold onto new Emily. That alone didn't make any sense to him. He was set on putting distance between himself and other people, but the possibility of losing this new Emily didn't sit well with him. And it wasn't has if he hadn't liked the old Emily. He could still recall the gut-wrenching kiss he shared with her but this new Emily had touched something within him. "What was that?" Patrick asked coming out of his thoughts.

"I said you seem unsure about Emily remembering."

"I'm not," he assured Lainey. "I want Emily to remember. It will make things easier on her."

"Huh."

"Huh? That's what you have to offer?" She didn't respond, she merely stared him down with her appraising eye. "I don't need you to give me that shrink look Lainey. There is no huh." Patrick waited a beat hoping that she would fill it. "Hell," he muttered. "Fine! There is a huh. Are you happy? I'll miss her – that easy, flirty Emily. I've grown fond of her, okay? Which is why it's better that she remembers. That Emily had no interest in me and it would be better for me if we could get back to that, because I don't want any serious attachments."

"You don't?"

"Ugh," Patrick sounded, throwing his hands up in aggravation. "I'm not your patient Lainey. I don't need you to answer everything I say with a question."

"Okay, fine. Let me point something out to you then," Lainey said tossing her pad onto her desk. "Caring about people, having attachments, is what life is all about Patrick. You shouldn't avoid connections because you're afraid of loss."

"This isn't about April."

"I think it is. I think it's about April. Or your father or anyone else you've lost in your life. You try not to care because when you do, you go all the way Patrick. That scares you and I think that's why you ended things with Robin. You felt yourself going all the way and backed pedaled as fast as you could. You played the let's be friends card. She let you get away with it, but for whatever reason you can't do that with Emily. So you want her to remember so she'll do it for you."

"Nice analysis Doctor Winters," Patrick seethed, "but if you want to know the truth I don't know what the hell I want." That said, he stormed out of her office.

!BREAK!

Exhilaration. After the shock, and yes, fear passed that's what Emily had been left with – a feeling of exhilaration. She had remembered something. It was a small, nonsense something, but she had remembered. For the first time since she woke up she had hope. This state of flux, of not knowing wouldn't be permanent. She could remember. Even if she didn't remember every little detail she was determined to learn enough to integrate who she'd been with who she was now. She might never be the Emily everyone wanted, but she would be Emily Quartermaine again.

A weight was lifted off her shoulders when that uncertainty went away. As glad as she was that Patrick was there with her when she had her flash, Emily couldn't wait to get back to the penthouse to tell Jason. He'd been so wonderful to her and she knew the news would please him. And maybe, just maybe, he knew the significance of purple lips.

Grinning from ear to ear she entered the penthouse. Emily saw Jason standing in front of the wide window; he was staring out at the city. She was about to call out his name when she saw his reflection next to large crack in the window. She had asked him about the crack and he'd gotten his serious look. It was reminder. That's what he told her and Emily hadn't pressed.

She was getting use to Jason's serious look. It was the one she saw most often. But there were undertones to the look for anyone who could see them. There was the serious business look. She knew not to push there. Jason had made it clear, his business was not up for discussion, and frankly Emily saw no need to broach the topic. Whatever Jason did for business he was good to her, loved her. You couldn't ask more of a brother. So she didn't.

She'd also seen his serious Sam face. There was a sadness that went with it. Longing mixed with anger. She had pressed there because it was obvious that Jason was hurting. He hadn't said much on the subject. Jason wasn't much of a talker, but she gleaned enough from their brief discussions and Elizabeth about the situation. Jason loved Sam but pushed her away because he was afraid of her getting hurt. Sam acted out in the worse way possible way according to Elizabeth, by sleeping with some guy named Ric Lansing, who Jason absolutely hated.

She didn't know Ric, but Jason's pain was enough to make Emily hate him. While she hadn't said anything to Jason, Emily found herself resenting Sam as well. Yes, the love of her life was pushing her away, but Emily couldn't understand how she allowed herself to spiral so out of control. She'd woken up with no memory, no sense of self and had managed to keep it together. Surely Sam could have done the same and spared Jason the pain he was in.

There were other serious looks as well. One reserved for her, for Sonny's boys, Sonny himself and Carly. The look she saw in the reflection was different. It was new. That concerned Emily. The lighter moments had been few, but that made them all the more special. She had so been looking forward to putting a smile on Jason's face – a rarer treat. She couldn't now. Something was wrong and she needed to help her brother. "Hey Jase," she greeted closing the door.

He turned and Emily could see genuine pleasure in his eyes. He was happy too see her. "How was walk?" he asked.

"Good. Really good," she answered. The urge to tell him, to switch the topic – to get his mind off his trouble – was alluring. Haven't you talked about yourself enough today? she wondered. Patrick had clearly been upset, but you didn't listen did you? No, you let him change the topic and make it all about you. Not this time.

"I'm glad," Jason replied. "I have some business," he told her crossing the room.

"Really?" Emily questioned. "Or do you just want to be alone to brood?"

Jason stopped and stared at her. Emily could almost hear him reminding himself that she wasn't the same girl he knew. "I do need some time to think," he finally stated.

"Do you always have to think alone? Couldn't you use a sounding board? Or just a sympathetic ear. You can confide in me Jason," she said in earnest. "I really wish you would."

"It's complicated," he sighed.

"What isn't?" Emily countered. "You don't have to tell me Jason, but if you want to … I'm here."

Those words were so familiar to Jason. So reminiscent of the last time he'd spoken to his sister – the old Emily. "I'm here Jason. Whatever you need I'm here for you." Shortly after she said those words she walked out of his apartment and everything turned upside down. He hadn't been ready to confide in her then, and he wasn't exactly ready to now, but he put it off before. Jason knew he could never have that moment back. However, he could learn from it. "Elizabeth is pregnant."

"Okay," she said confusion crossing her face. "That's great … right?"

"Yes," he answered. Whether he was the father or not, the baby was a good a thing.

"So how is that complicated?" Emily inquired.

"I could be the father."

"Could be?" she squeaked. "How … that's … you're right. It's complicated." Emily paused a moment to really absorb the news. "If I had my memory I'd be freaking out about now wouldn't I?"

"Maybe," he conceded. "She'd be supportive, but worried about all of us. About Elizabeth's marriage and my relationship with Sam."

"Well it could be a sticky situation when you put it like that, especially since Elizabeth isn't sure whose baby it is … When will you be able to find out?" Emily wanted to know.

"Not for a couple of weeks."

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "That's a wait. An uneasy one at that. Jason do you want to be a father? In general I mean."

"I planned on it," he told her. "Someday, with Sam."

"Do you want to be this baby's father?" Emily queried. "I've seen you with Elizabeth and it's obvious that you're great friends. And I know you, you'd make a great father. You guys would be great parents." She stopped her rambling, "I'm getting ahead of myself aren't I?"

A barely there smile touched Jason's lips. "So am I. I don't know if I'm the father, or even if I want to be, but if it turns out I am …"

"Then you'll be its father," she finished for him. Jason nodded and Emily took a deep breath and exhaled. "On the bright side you and Elizabeth will have roughly nine months to figure out the details."