Author's Not: Wow. I haven't written this story in about 4 years. I remember where I was going with it but hopefully I can make it better. The news of a movie being made re-inspired me to continue this! I hope y'all are still following the story. :) I loved getting emails to see this was added to some favorite story lists :)

His body was numb and his head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Where was he? How did he get here and how come he couldn't move.

"I think he's coming to," the voice bounced off the walls.

Were they in a bathroom? A dungeon? His head was foggy. Was he drugged?

"Nice of you to join us boy," another voice said. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The voice was familiar. "You had a job to do for us and it looks like you didn't do it. Do you know what I do to people who don't hold up their end of the bargain?" He walked closer to the boy tied to the chair and grabbed his head forcing him to look up. "Well do you?"

"Ye-yes," he stuttered as he struggled to keep his eyes open and forced. "I'm sorry but you didn't give me enough time…and you said you wouldn't hurt her."

"Shut up," the voice yelled getting in the boy's face. "Do not ever tell me how to conduct my business or I will make sure you never walk a day in your sorry excuse for a life again. Did I say I wouldn't hurt her? No. I never said that. I said if you could get me what I needed I wouldn't have to hurt her. I never said I didn't WANT to or that I wouldn't just for kicks. But again, you failed and I had to take matters into my own hands. I don't like that. I don't like leaving trails or tracks that could eventually lead back to me."

"What do you want from me," he asked, "I can't get the stuff you wanted. Hell even if I could she doesn't remember. I don't even know what I'm looking for." He was trying to use logic but he was groggy and these people didn't understand logic. "You could have killed her. You would have nothing if she died…"

"Maybe you need a reminder of who is in charge here," he said snapping his fingers. A few bodies emerged from the shadows. "Remind him a little bit exactly what he was paid to do, just don't leave any visible marks." The chair the boy was sitting in was kicked over and his body was being punched and kicked by a few men. The cries coming from the boy were actually comforting. It seemed as if everything was spiraling out of control and this was a way to regain control. "Stop," he ordered. He walked up to the beaten boy, "Make her remember, get what I need and maybe I'll let you off the hook." He spat in the boys face and walked away.

"Make sure he gets home alright and make sure he doesn't know where we are."

Dr. Steven's office wasn't a warm and inviting place. It was actually cold and uninviting. It seemed hostile and sterile. He sat across the desk from Veronica and just studied her for a few minutes. She seemed much happier this particular visit. Maybe she was finally coming to terms with everything.

"I still think you need to see a psychiatrist," he urged. She had been through something huge and she refused to get help. She didn't even want to talk about it.

Veronica stared back at the doctor. She met his gaze and didn't give up any personal information. Two could play at the staring game. She usually won these types of things. "No. I don't need to see another doctor. I don't want to see a psychiatrist, a neurologist, or any other "ist". My brain is fine Dr. Stevens and I'm dealing with it. Pretty well too wouldn't you say?" she shrugged her shoulder. Not that she was an expert on this particular subject matter but she thought she was adjusting to life pretty well. About a week had passed since her failed lunch date with Duncan and her successful date with Logan. She had made a decision that day and she had been pretty happy about it. The only thing was she hadn't informed anyone else of her decision.

"Listen, I know you want to help me remember everything and you have all these techniques and stuff that could help but I've decided I don't care. I don't want to remember anything." There. She said it. She had laid it out for at least her doctor to understand.

Dr. Stevens had jotted something down on his notepad and looked up to her disapprovingly. "Now Veronica, while I'm happy you are happy right now you need to know about your past. You need to know how you got to where you are today." He couldn't understand why she was so steadfast in her refusal to try some very proven methods of getting her memory back. "I'm not going to lie to you, this is baffling me. Years ago when there were no methods of treatments people wanted to jump out of buildings from depression and you are just willing to leave it?"

"I know you don't understand and I really don't expect you to," she started off slowly. She had rehearsed this speech at home a few dozen times before coming here. "I know I seem like I have it all put together and that I have or had..or maybe still have, a pretty awesome life but the truth is…I've lived through some really horrible shit. Forgive my crassness but I've read about my past in old journals and just reading it makes my heart hurt. I am content going through the rest of my life not having to have all those memories come crashing back. How about instead of dwelling on the memory loss we celebrate the fact that I'm a living miracle. I walked away from a car crash that had me in a coma with no real problems. Do you my memory loss is a problem, to me it's a blessing in disguise." She smiled at the doctor hoping he understood this wasn't a charade meant to be taken as a coping mechanism. She was honestly okay with knowing she might never remember anything. "It's like a learning experience for me. I get to start fresh and its not like I'm a retard or anything. I know how to read, write, add, subtract, do trigonometry…well okay that last one was a lie…but what I'm saying Dr. Stevens is that I'm starting school again next semester and continuing my major in criminology. I'm dating a great guy that this accident has afforded me the chance to fall in love with all over again and I don't have to walk through life knowing how I felt during all the shit storms that I've been through."

"As you wish Veronica," he said shaking his head in obvious disapproval. "You know we have to make your father aware now right," he said reaching for his phone to schedule an appointment with Keith.

"Actually Doc, you know I'm not a minor and there exists this little thing called patient doctor confidentiality. Like I said, I'm not a retard." She stood up and grabbed her bag from the floor and walked out of his office. She saw Alice in the hallway and gave her a little wave as she walked towards the elevator banks. Logan would be outside waiting for her.

Dr. Stevens was alone in his office fiddling with his pen. He'd have to make the call sooner or later.

He reached for the phone and dialed the number. "Hey its me, put him on," he said to the person who answered the phone. "Yeah. I'm well. Look, she just left. She isn't pretending. She doesn't remember." He listened as someone spoke on the other end of the line. "My hands are pretty much tied, she doesn't want to try anything or even take pills. I don't see how I can be of any help to you." There was a pause as he listened again. He nodded his head. "No, she said she read some stuff about her pervious life that was crappy. I don't know if she knows about that….look…I'll see what I can do but honestly, she doesn't want to come here again." He hung up the phone and stared out of the window in his office at the hospital and wondered how he managed to get himself involved in this mess.