A/N: First of all, I would like to apologize for being MIA for the past few days… my birthday was on Monday so I've been ALL over town but wow! I'm so glad that you guys enjoyed the last chapter!! And I'm going to apologize right here because I know a lot of you are begging for a JoLu reconciliation but you have to hang in there with me with this slow burn but I promise that things are going to pick up sooner than you think… I like writing angst… it's so much fun :) Happy reading, and don't forget to leave one of your lovely reviews!!! Oh and Happy New Year!!! :)

You say you want to know her like your lover
And undo her damage
She'll be new again…
Soon you'll find that if you try to save her
It renews her anger
You will never win…

"Three Wishes" – The Pierces

Chapter 7 – Undo Her Damage

Don't go home.

That's what Johnny's mind was telling him… screaming at him even. He didn't know what to believe. How could Brook keep something from him if she claimed that she just wanted him back to his old self? Surely, they had the kind of relationships where they didn't keep secrets from each other but there was an unsettling feeling in his stomach, one that told him that Laura was right and there was more to the story than Brook was leading on.

He had to go home.

There were so many questions that he needed to ask Brook. Of course he would give her the benefit of the doubt. Why wouldn't he believe his fiancée that he's apparently known for years over a girl that he supposedly dated years ago? It seemed ridiculous that Brook would lie about something that could help him get his memory back but as of now, Johnny didn't know who to trust. Something about this entire situation didn't sit well with him.

He closed the door to the house behind him and took off his jacket. The house was eerily quiet and Johnny made his way to the study. Brook was sitting by the fireplace, with a glass of red wine in her hand. He noticed that the newly purchased bottle of wine that was at her feet was almost empty. Her eyes fell to him and they were full of accusation and hurt.

"Where have you been?" she asked, bringing the glass up to her lips.

"I went for a walk… I didn't think that you wanted to see me after I had that memory…" he said quietly and she turned her eyes towards the fire.

"Were you with her?" she ground out.

"What?" he asked.

"Were you with Laura?" she cried.

"Ok, stop it right there…" he said and she threw the glass across the room, shattering it against the wall.

The sound echoed throughout the room and Johnny flinched at the crash. Johnny's eyes flashed to hers as she rose to her feet. Her face was nothing short of livid and her hands were clenched at her sides.

"Excuse me?" she hissed.

"I'm not having this conversation with you right now…" he muttered.

"Well, I'm afraid that's too bad because we're having this conversation! Were you with her, Johnny?" she asked.

"So what if I was? We're friends!" he shot back.

"So are you the type of friends that hang out and talk about the weather or are you the type of friends that sleep together?" she asked, matter-of-factly.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"I think you know, Johnny…" Brook hissed.

"No, I'm not sleeping with Laura if that's what you're getting at…" he said.

Her expression changed then. Her eyes went softer and wider. She put her hands over her mouth and tried to suppress a sob. He didn't like doing this to her. He would never want to intentionally hurt anyone but he thought back to that kiss on the docks that he had with her and he knew that if she hadn't stopped, he certainly wouldn't have. Brook managed to compose herself somewhat and she looked up at him and nodded.

"I'm—I'm sorry… I just want the man that I love back! I want our life to go back to the way it was before the accident!" she sobbed.

"Don't you think that not being able to remember is frustrating to me just as much as it is to you?" he asked.

"But you're not even making an effort to remember me!" she cried.

"Damn it, Brook! I can't help what I remember and what I don't! I don't choose not to have any memories of you! It's not something that I can just snap my fingers and everything will be ok!" he yelled.

"It's just hard for me, Johnny! You don't remember me but you remember other people just fine!" she yelled as she pressed her fingertips to her temple and Johnny rolled his eyes.

"I don't think you understand how insensitive you're sounding…" he growled as he sat down on the couch on the other side of the room.

"Me being insensitive? How about you? It's no secret that you're panting after that woman!" she shrieked.

"For the last time, I'm not sleeping with Laura!" he roared and she shook her head.

"John… you—you don't understand… you don't remember your past and there are people out there that can use that to their advantage…" she said softly.

"Are you suggesting that Laura is lying to me?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm saying that everyone has things that they don't want to share… and I would just—I'd be careful if I were you, Johnny…" she said.

"Are we still talking about Laura or are we talking about you now?" he spat.

She looked at him as if he had just struck her across the face. She shook her head again and she turned around to walk out of the study, stumbling a little bit from having too much wine. He didn't mean for it to come out harsh like that but he was just frustrated with this entire situation. He got up and followed her up the stairs to the bedroom that they were sharing.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going back to Manhattan… I need to get out of this stupid town… I'll call you when I get to my mother's house…" she said as she began piling some of her clothes into a suitcase.

"That's it? You're just going to take off, just like that?" he asked.

"I just need to clear my head, Johnny… I'll call you when I get there…" she said without turning around to look at him.

He watched her pack her bag and lug it downstairs. He folded his arms and winced as she slammed the door behind her as she left the mansion. Maybe this would be the best thing for them. They probably both needed space. She needed some time to cool down and he needed some time away from her hovering. He made his way back downstairs and into the study. He sat at his father's old desk and opened up his laptop and immediately began doing some research. If there was one thing that he was certain of, it was that he couldn't rely on just stories from other people. He needed some concrete facts. He fished for his cell phone in his pocket and began punching in numbers.

"Ames and Michelson Group… how may I help you?" the operator's voice asked.

"Yes, I'm looking to hire a private investigator…" Johnny said.

Johnny's kiss still burned on Lulu's skin. She brought her fingertips to her lips as she curled up on her couch. They were just as soft and powerful as she remembered. His kisses were always gentle but commanding… fire and ice… and Lulu shuddered and turned her head into a nearby pillow.

She hated herself.

Her insides were turning themselves into knots over this man and she couldn't understand why she was allowing this to happen. Johnny had broken her heart so many times and she knew that they could never get back what they had lost. Too much had happened for things just to go back to how they were. She knew this but it was like she didn't want to believe that the impossible could happen. Apparently, Johnny hadn't killed all of her idealistic dreams about true love.

Lulu slid off the couch and headed into the kitchen to make some tea. She hoped that it would help her go to sleep since she knew that after that meeting with Johnny on the docks, her thoughts were immediately going to go to him as she tried to drift off to sleep. She reached up to get a mug from the cabinet when her phone rang. It was fairly late and with most of her family abroad or in completely different time zones, she never expected calls this late.

"Hello?" she asked.

"I need to see you…"

She swallowed hard as Johnny's soft voice came through her cell phone.

"Johnny… it's late… and I don't think it's such a good idea…" she sighed.

"Please…" he begged.

Her heart melted at his voice. That man could talk her into just about anything when he spoke like that.

"Fine… where?" she exhaled.

"Some place where you and I went to…" he said softly.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I want to remember! I want to remember you… I want to know you…" he cried.

She exhaled shakily and tried not to lose control of her emotions. She hated that she was lying to him and that she couldn't tell him that everything that he had remembered was about the two of them. There were so many places that she could take him. The brownstone back in Manhattan was too far to drive and the apartment complex that they had lived in with Maxie got torn down a year after they got married but she knew exactly where to take him.

"Ok… meet me down at the docks in fifteen minutes… we'll walk from there…" she said.

"I'll see you in fifteen…" he said before hanging up the phone. She snapped her phone shut and sighed heavily. What the hell had she gotten herself into with this?

There was no traffic on any of the roads because of the hour and she actually beat Johnny to the docks. She sat down on the bench that she occupied just over six hours ago, where she had kissed Johnny for the first time in four years. She could still taste him on her tongue and that made her break out in goosebumps all over.

"Hey… have you been waiting long?"

She lifted her eyes to see Johnny standing in front of her and she shook her head, unable to form a coherent sentence since she was semi-fantasizing about kissing him again. He sat down next to her and she sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry for… that really awkward phone call…it's been an interesting day to say the least…" he muttered.

"How so?" she asked.

"Brook went back to Manhattan…" Johnny said and Lulu looked up sharply.

"For good?" she asked.

"She said that she needed to go visit her mother… she was… very upset with me today…" he said.

"Why?" Lulu asked.

"Because I went out without telling her and I told her that I was with you when she asked…" he began and she shook her head.

"Why would you do that? I already told you that she was upset by our relationship!" she cried.

"I didn't want to lie to her, Laura…" he said and she laughed bitterly.

"So that makes it ok? As long as you tell your fiancée that you're spending a lot of time with another woman, she shouldn't be upset?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm—I'm just tired of walking on eggshells when I'm around her…" he groaned.

A cold gust of wind brushed past the two of them and she shivered. She couldn't believe that she was standing there, defending Brook's outburst to Johnny. The thought of it made her want to gag but she had to keep her emotions in check. She had come too far to let things fall apart now.

"Come on… it's getting cold…" she said, walking down towards the docks.

"Where are we going?" he asked, standing up.

"Some place warm…" she said, smiling.

They walked down the narrow docks, past the boats that were docked there and she watched Johnny's face take in everything. They came to a stop at a large yacht and they walked across the small bridge to climb aboard the boat. Lulu took her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door. The cabin was dark as they walked in and she went behind the bar to light a few candles. She looked up and saw Johnny by the blackjack tables, running his fingers over the mahogany wood.

"I've been here before…" he muttered.

"Yes," she exhaled.

"What's this place called?" he asked, looking up at the ornate antique chandelier.

"The Haunted Star…" she said.

His eyes met hers and he smiled. He walked slowly, covering every inch of the casino, feeling every surface underneath his fingertips. All the while, he couldn't stop smiling. It never occurred to her that he hadn't been able to just be on his own with no pressure to remember something. She just watched him silently as he explored every part of the casino.

"It feels familiar…" he said.

"Yeah… we—we used to spend time here… it's my dad's yacht… he made it into a casino…" she explained.

"It's nice… very calm and peaceful…" he sighed as he sat down on the piano bench.

Lulu set down the candles that she had already lit on the bar and walked over to the piano. He ran his fingers over the ivory keys and exhaled deeply. He looked up at her as she leaned against the piano. She couldn't count how many times she would just watch him play piano and watch his fingers move effortlessly across the keys, filling the room with lush melodies that sounded like they were from a dream.

"Thanks for bringing me here… it's like I can breathe a little bit easier when I'm with you… like all the pressure is off me…" he said.

"You're welcome…" she said.

"So, apparently… according to Brook, I can play piano…" he chuckled as he looked down at the keys.

"You were very good…" she said.

"Did I ever play for you?" he asked.

"All the time…" she said, smiling.

"I wish I could remember how to play something…" he muttered.

"Try…" she said.

"What?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Try playing something… you said you wanted to remember… try to remember…" she said.

He sat here for a moment, taking in what she had just said and he nodded. He put his fingers on the keys and she rested her chin on top of the piano, never taking her eyes off him. He was hesitant to press any keys at first but she just waited patiently as he found himself. Then he played that first chord and Lulu closed her eyes and smiled, letting one tear fall down her cheek.

He was playing Clair de Lune.

She could never bring herself to listen to it after the divorce. No one could ever play it like he could, in her opinion. She always considered it their song because she got her first glimpse into his soul when he first played it for her. She could remember the first time she heard him play it, sitting at the same piano, mind focused on the notes. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Are you alright?" he asked, gently rousing her from her reverie.

"Yeah… I was just remembering…" she said, wiping her eye.

He stood up and walked over to her. She closed her eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders. She could feel his breath on her neck and his nose in her hair. Her heart was beating furiously against her chest and her breath was caught in her throat, anticipating his next move.

"Tell me something…" he whispered, as he ran a finger down the back of her neck.

"What?" she breathed.

"Tell me your favorite memory of us…" he said.

He turned her around to face him and she felt her face turn bright red. He smirked as he ran his fingertips through her hair. She bit her bottom lip and lowered her eyes. She heard him chuckle, probably at her obvious embarrassment, and she sighed.

"The first time that we ever made love… was right here…" she said, looking back up at him.

His eyes widened, taken aback by her honesty, but they quickly softened and he curled a lock of her hair around her ear, moving closer and closer towards her lips. She knew that admitting about their first time on the floor of this very casino would give Johnny that opening that he was so desperately seeking and a part of her didn't care. He tilted her chin up to him and he began trailing kisses along her jaw. His fingertips ran across her neck and Lulu felt her knees give out underneath her. Johnny, however, was quick. He scooped her up into his arms and sat her down on the edge of the piano.

"What's on your mind… right now?" he whispered. Her hand instantly went to his cheek and as soon as her skin made contact with his, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I was just wondering if—if anything is ever truly lost… even when you thought there was no hope…" she breathed.

"Look at me… I'm living proof that nothing is ever lost…" he whispered.

And she kissed him. She cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his with all of the passion that she could muster. For one beautiful moment, she forgot how much this man that was standing in front of her had hurt her. She didn't care that he left her because in that moment, there was nothing but the two of them, stumbling into something, after four years of tears, pain and denial, that felt so right. His arm reached around her waist and pulled her in closer and she sighed dreamily and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt her back press against the cool black lacquer piano and Johnny's hands wander down to the button of her jeans.

That's when she jolted back into reality.

There was nothing that she wanted more than to have Johnny make love to her over and over again until she forgot her own name on top of that piano. She wanted him so badly and that scared her. She had told Johnny once before that she was afraid to love him because she was afraid of giving him the power to hurt her… and he did… more than once. She had been right all along. Johnny had been the only man that she had ever truly loved and he had been the one to hurt her in the worst way possible.

… and she couldn't go through that again with him.

"Wait…" she gasped.

"Why?" he asked.

"This is wrong… I—I can't do this…" she whispered.

"You can… and you're very good at it too…" he said, pulling her back to him, but she averted her head.

"Stop it… I can't—I can't be with you, Johnny… ever." Lulu said, pushing him off her.

She slid off the piano and straightened out her hair and pressed her fingertips to her temple. Johnny came up behind her and pressed his lips to the back of her neck but she wasn't going to be swayed.

"Johnny… no… I'm serious…" she said, shrugging him off her.

"What is this about? Your ex?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"You don't understand…" she muttered.

"No, it's not really that hard to understand… you're using your ex-husband as an excuse to not be happy… because you really don't want to be happy… don't you, Laura? Because holding onto all of that pain, helps you hold onto him…" he said.

"Don't talk about things that you don't know, Johnny…" she said softly.

"Then tell me that I'm wrong… tell me that this isn't about your ex-husband…" he demanded.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Even without his memory intact, he could always see right through her. She wasn't ready to go back there with him and she didn't know if she would ever be. There was so much damage between the two of them and he couldn't even remember.

And that was only the least of their problems.

What would happen if he woke up one morning and remembered everything? If they were together one night and the next morning, he just remembered their entire past? Would he understand why she lied or would he just look at her with disgust? She had already been rejected by him once before and she knew that she wasn't strong enough to hear him say goodbye one more time. Her heart couldn't take it. She shook her head and turned around to walk away, not stopping to look back or to even answer his question.

"So that's it? You're just going to walk away from me?" he asked.

"When you remember… you'll understand…" she said before walking out of the cabin.

Johnny slammed the door to the deserted house behind him. Laura had left him so frustrated, kissing him one minute and then telling him that they could never be together the next. It was enough to make him want to beat his head against the wall.

"Good evening, Mr. Zacchara…"

Johnny jumped at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and turned around to see an older man standing in his study, holding a large tan envelope. He was relatively short, had circular glasses and had gray hair. The man walked over to Johnny and extended his hand out.

"Arnold Michelson… I'm the private investigator that you hired…" the man said, shaking Johnny's hand.

"Oh… I—I didn't expect you to find anything so soon… I called only a few hours ago…" Johnny said.

"Well, our receptionist told us of your plight and we just did some preliminary work… nothing in too much detail but just something to get the ball rolling…" Arnold said, holding up the envelope in his hand.

"Well, please… have a seat…" Johnny offered.

"Thank you, sir." Arnold said, smiling.

"So, where do we start?" Johnny asked.

"Basic background check… so let's see… Full name… John Anthony Zacchara, born to a Mr. Anthony Zacchara and a Mrs. Maria Zacchara… siblings… a sister, Claudia Antonia Zacchara who appears to be ten years your senior… she's married to a Mr. Nikolas Cassadine and they live in Greece… your birth date… March 29th, 1985… attended St. Mary's school until the 10th grade when you dropped out…" Arnold prattled off.

It was surreal to say the least as Arnold began listing facts about his life, the little things that shape a person. Aunts, uncles, cousins that he knew nothing about, an extensive criminal record that made him shudder, and tidbits of information of a life that didn't seem like it belonged to him. It was like he was being told a story about someone else's life.

"Marital status… divorced…" Arnold continued and Johnny felt his heart stop.

Nothing could've prepared him for hearing that.

"Wait! I've been married before?" he asked, interrupting.

"Y—Yes… to a Ms. Lesley Lu Spencer… um, let's see here… married on November 27th, 2009 and divorced on May 12th, 2013…" Arnold said.