(Alex Remembers)
The week passed. Alex looked forward to Saturday and not just for the usual relaxation of sleeping until Sunday. She couldn't recall being this on edge about something as unimportant as a name. A name that she couldn't pin down except for the undeniable fact that when she thought of that name her stomach turned over. But why?
Strangely she didn't seem to have any trouble pushing "Stevie" and all of the associated mental and physical upset out of her mind. Okay, she was good at ignoring things she didn't like. But when the swirling unfocused thoughts were in her head she felt worse than she had even with the whole school mad at her and she hadn't been able to push that out of her mind. And then those thoughts would all go away just as though she had forgot it all again.
She had been so bugged that she had even gone to science class. Twice. The teacher who taught the class had stopped calling her name so long ago he didn't think she belonged in there. She sighed. That was just how she liked her teachers in anything except Art to think; that Alex Russo was just a figment of someone's imagination or something like that.
"Figment of the imagination". Okay, now she was giving herself headaches. This whole "Stevie" thing seemed to be just that, something deep in her imagination run wild.
Speaking of her imagination, was it only imagination that made her see Jeremy every time she turned around and him very carefully NOT watching her? She actually went as far as writing down the number of times she seemed to "just run across him" in a day. Way too many for it to be a coincidence.
So what was going on? Alex definitely did NOT like the idea that someone was playing her for a sucker. She was the one who did that. So Saturday she was going to see what she could find out from Jeremy, even if she had to use magic. He would be coming by to pick up Harper for their date. She preferred the idea of having him on her own home ground. Jeremy had the answers. He had to have them. She hoped.
It hadn't taken much to make Harper run behind schedule getting ready for her date. So she had plenty of time to welcome Jeremy to their house and casually chat with him. There weren't any repeats of the awful look she had seen that first day.
Once she had him settled she flashed Jeremy a smile and told him she would try to hurry Harper along. Then she asked if she could get him something to drink. He had relaxed slightly but he clearly was on edge with her.
The edginess couldn't be helped. In fact it might help. Thoughts she needed to find would be close to the surface. They always were when someone was trying to hide something. And she felt sure Jeremy was.
Out of sight she banged around the refrigerator, getting a soda for Jeremy and slipping her wand from its usual hiding place in her boot. Just for a moment she stopped. Who else hid their wand there? Darn it the little slips and bits of memory that she couldn't trace down really were frustrating her. And a frustrated Alex was not a happy camper. Not that she would ever go camping of course.
Alex muttered the words of a truth spell, aiming her wand at the back of Jeremy's head as she did. She tucked her wand away and returned with a bright smile on her face.
"Here you go."
"Ah, thanks."
Alex perched on the other end of the couch where she had seated Jeremy. She chatted away, talking about school and Science and how nice it was that he was taking Harper out.
"By the way," she asked casually. "Harper was mentioning a friend named Stevie that I don't think I have heard from in a while. Have you talked to him?"
Expressions of surprise and shock chased each other across the young man's face for just a moment. Making a visible effort Jeremy got hold of himself. Alex held her breath in anticipation.
"I don't know any guy by that name," Jeremy said, too obviously picking his words with great care. "Harper must have misunderstood or something."
Alex knew darned well she had touched a nerve. But somehow he was avoiding the question. The truth spell was working, she could feel it. And Jeremy had darned well inquired about Stevie. The reaction she kept having to his name proved that something was way out of kilter.
Before she could delve deeper into what was developing into a confrontation Harper bounced into the room. Intent on her quest Alex wanted to keep going regardless of whether it made the pair late for their dinner reservations or not but Jeremy turned all his attention on Harper. The pair chatted brightly and constantly until they were out the door. Alex doubted he would be back.
In that she was correct. When Harper opened the front door and came in she was alone. She explained Jeremy had declined her invitation to come in but made up for leaving in a special way. She winked at Alex and touched her lips. The dark haired wizard managed to make some appropriate noises.
That night Alex pondered. What had she learned? There was no such guy as Stevie. That didn't make sense. She wasn't having these visions for nothing... wait a minute! No such GUY as Stevie. She closed her eyes. Of course. Stevie was a girl. There was a face that she couldn't quite focus on but it was definitely that of another teen girl. She finally managed to fall asleep clutching that knowledge.
That same night Jeremy gave his report.
"Alex tried a truth spell on me tonight to ask about Stevie. She had no idea that I had used one on her as well. She definitely does not remember Stevie. In fact she thinks 'Stevie' is a boy."
"Are you sure?" demanded Becky. "Not that I doubt your skills," she added hastily, "but the overall implications of this are very worrisome. Keep a low profile and I'll be back in touch."
The cell leader broke the connection but remained lying down with her eyes closed. She sent a telepathic message to Kat, her normal contact in the Inner Circle and laid out the results of Jeremy's investigation.
"Kat what worries me is that it really appears someone very powerful orchestrated Stevie's death. Alex Russo and her friends and family don't remember anything about Stevie and after questioning Jeremy it seems that Alex acted completely out of character when she betrayed Stevie. Either she is the most skilled wizard in the world at hiding her feelings and beliefs or she is just exactly what Stevie and I thought she was; a perfect recruit to our cause."
"This is very troubling," Kat frowned. "I sense someone manipulating everyone involved. We may be on the verge of being discovered. We may have to take action very soon."
Meanwhile Alex spent another toss-and-turn night. These were getting to be way too much of a habit she decided. Sunday morning she actually got up early, determined to sit down with someone and talk the whole thing out.
Normally Alex never asked anyone for help. Well sometimes during detention when she was the only one she talked to Mr. Laritate but generally the only person she sought help from was Justin and that for when she couldn't solve a problem that her use of magic had got her into. But somehow this seemed like a question that needed someone older and wiser. She often had her doubts about the second part but she knew the first one fit so she went and explained things to her Dad.
"Why not try the 'Jog your memory' spell?" he suggested.
"Oh is that what that is for?" Alex laughed. "I saw 'jog' and I bailed."
Jerry smiled in appreciation of his daughter's wit even as he acknowledged that was probably exactly why his beloved but exasperating daughter had skipped a spell she thought might have exertion involved in it. Then the smile faded and he assumed a puzzled look.
Not always the most observant person when it came to other people, although she really was a lot more than she let on, Alex caught the change of expression.
"What is it Daddy?"
"It's strange. I feel like this has happened before. As Yogi Berra once said "It's Deja-Vu all over again'."
Before Alex could ask her Dad what a cartoon bear had to do with anything he shook his head.
"Doesn't matter I guess." He stopped and looked more thoughtful than Alex had seen him look in a long time. "Or maybe it does."
"What are you talking about?"
"The more I think about it the more I feel like someone has gone through an awful lot of trouble. One forget spell isn't that hard but one that would erase the memories of our family and everyone at school needs a lot of power. Who could do such a thing and why?"
"Not everyone," Alex reminded her father. "Jeremy remembers her."
"And he seems to be the only one," her Dad told her. "Why is that?'
"I don't know."
"Neither do I but it worries me."
"Daddy, I have to know."
"Why? Jerry asked earnestly. "This doesn't seem like you Alex. You've always been the one to shrug your shoulders and say things don't matter. I worry that this could put you in danger."
Alex looked as stubborn as she felt. "I just have to know. Something is wrong and I feel like I part of the reason it is wrong."
Jerry shrugged but there was more than a bit of pride along with the affection in his look. "I don't know that I like it but I also don't like the feeling this whole thing gives me. Go ahead."
Alex plucked her wand from her boot and swung it through the proper gestures.
"Do what you say, say what you mean, one thing leads to another, remember."
The pair stood still for a moment. Alex closed her eyes and reeled as the memories flooded over her. Finally she opened her eyes.
"Oh my God."
The shadow on the wall said nothing but darkened as though whatever unseen thing was casting it had grown more solid.
(To Be Continued)