CHAPTER 13:
The Dating Game

Umi was in trouble, and he could feel her pain as if it was his very own. He had to save her, and the feeling was too strong to ignore. If she fell, all that they had worked for would be lost. She he was important to them all. She was important to him.

"Join your heart with mine!" he screamed to her across the distance and peril. Everything was falling apart, but he had to make her hear him.

Somehow, she had heard him and they did the impossible. He pulled her to him. He made her safe, but in doing so, he felt so tired. So tired.

Her long fingers were there instantly, gripping his shoulders, and the hair that fell down her shoulders like a veil shone as a blue halo around his loved one's head. In happiness, he called out to her.

"Umi," he said, and then he realized with a start that he was speaking out loud.

Harry opened his eyes and rolled over onto his stomach. His blue eyes blinked in the spring morning sun. So he had another dream about her. It wasn't surprising after he finally told her what was in his heart yesterday.

He looked over at the end table beside the bed and saw the journal there. For the longest time as per Patricia's advice, he had been writing down his dreams as a link to his past. This time he didn't bother with it, considering that it was probably something made up from his not-so-subconscious desires for the woman.

Join your heart with mine. The words mocked him. How foolish he was, even in his dreams! She was not his, but some part of him wasn't getting the hint at all.

He had the date with Jessie this evening, and that was something. He reminded himself that he did truly like her, and spending time with her was enjoyable. Just because he didn't think he was interested in her romantically didn't mean he had to say no to two friends enjoying each other's company.

It was nice in theory, but he knew it wasn't actually like that. Jessie was interested, and he could tell. He was an amnesiac, not a raving idiot—unless he was being idiotic about Umi Ryuuzaki, of course.

He finished his morning stretches to make sure all limbs were working properly, and then Harry got dressed. If he could find time in the afternoon before he saw Jessie, maybe he could go on a hike again on the property. It might help him clear his head better than sitting in his room alone all day would do. The first stop, though, was breakfast, so he made his way to the cafeteria.

Harry sat alone at a round table eating a bowl of cereal. He had to admit that he was surprised that no one had joined him, but he was enjoying the solitude. He was not sure he would be comfortable around Scott, for example, if he decided to have a morning chat.

It was actually Jessie who came running by to disturb his peace. "Good morning, Sunshine!" she greeted as she tousled his shaggy hair. "I have to go to town this morning, but it turns out I will be there longer than originally intended."

"Is something wrong?" he asked with a frown.

She rolled her eyes. "No, just something tedious. I will be back later, though, and don't forget we have a date."

"I wouldn't dare," he said with a smile. "In fact, I'm looking forward to it."

"Good!" she said as she stood up.

She smoothed some of his hair behind his ear, making him look too cute for words. Before he could protest, Jessie kissed the top of his head and then left as quickly as she had come.

A few seconds later, Steve came racing by looking like he was on a mission. "Have you seen Jessica?"

Harry arched his eyebrows at her full first name. "She just left to go do some errands in town. Something important, but she didn't say what."

Ford swore under his breath. "I needed to talk to her," he said in exasperation.

"You can catch her when she comes back," he offered logically.

"Right," Steve said, his thoughts still preoccupied. "Are you still on for that date this evening?"

"Yes," he replied with a succinct nod.

"Well, good luck," he said as he walked away.

Harry just shook his head at the two friends of his. After he finished his breakfast, he put away the dirty dishes and then prepared to go on his hike outside.

When evening came, he was ready for his date. He'd showered and made sure he was clean and presentable. He chose a black t-shirt and khaki pants that garnered him compliments a few times. While on his nature hike that day, he even found a new spring flower to press and give to Jessie. He figured she'd like that. So a few minutes before eight o'clock, he went to meet her and see the movie she'd chosen.

No one was in the communal lounge when he arrived, but he noticed that the TV was ready and large comfy pillows were piled beside the sofa in case either felt like sitting on the floor like the teenagers did. Before he could begin to wonder about her absence, Jessie came into the room with a huge bowl of popcorn in one hand and the DVD box in the other.

"This is going to be great! I love Kate Winslet's movies. She is one of my favorite actresses, you know," Jessie began happily. Her smile was contagious, so Harry smiled back at her.

"She always looks so pretty on the red carpet—not trashy like some celebrities," she continued to say. "She's gotten nominated for several Academy Awards. Do you know she hasn't won one yet? Give the woman an Oscar already!"

"What movie is this again?" he asked after her display of enthusiasm for the lead actress.

"The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," she said with a very serious tone before breaking up in laughter. "Kate is in it, and that's all I need to know. She even has blue hair for this just like Umi. Plus, Jim Carrey's in it, and I really like him. He's an underrated actor, if you ask me."

"I'll take your word for it," he said with a playful wink. "I don't know if I've ever seen any of their movies before."

"Oh, you!" she laughed with a playful swat. She smiled winningly at him before putting the DVD in the player and then sat beside him on the sofa. "I think you might identify with the parts about memory loss. I hope you enjoy it."

He turned to gaze at her inviting smile. "I'm sure I will," he replied encouragingly as she snuggled against him.

It turned out the movie was quite long and even a bit strange, but he did, indeed, like it. He could identify with Jim Carrey's character Joel. Joel realized he wanted his love back, and Harry knew he wanted the holes of his own past filled in. He wanted back what was his, and when he watched a blue-haired Kate Winslet, he again thought of Umi.

It was mental torture, and he had to stop it. It wasn't conducive to moving on with people who were actually available and wanted to be with him. It wasn't fair to Jessie who had been holding his hand and sometimes twirling his hair with her fingertips.

"They really loved each other," she later said with a sniffle after the movie was over. "Even though they couldn't remember each other, they were still attracted to each other. It was like it was fate, all beautiful and sad."

She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "You probably think I'm silly, crying at a movie like this."

"Jessie, I don't think you're silly," Harry said as he again put his hand over hers. He had a sad sympathetic look in his luminous blue eyes.

"I really like you, you know," she said as she looked at him suddenly shyly out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank you," he replied in a small voice.

When Jessie turned her head to finally see him, he had an unsure look on his face. She stood up from the sofa and thought to leave, but she changed her mind. She walked over to him, and, straddling his lap, sat down and began kissing him fervently.

Harry, on the other hand, was so taken by surprise by her action, he didn't know what do. She wasn't the woman he really wanted to kiss, and she wasn't letting him up for air. Unlike how kisses were in the movies they'd seen, this was a decidedly uncomfortable experience, and he felt like he was going to have a fit of claustrophobia. He gasped and clutched at the pillows on the sofa but seemed to have no reprieve from her mouth on top of his.

"Hey, folks," a male voice called out cheerily from the doorway, "I'm sorry to interrupt your date, and I know it's late—but I really need Jessie's help with something important. Jessie, could you come with me, please," Steve said in a begging tone as he looked at her.

"Can't you see I'm a little busy?" she growled at him.

"Sorry, Jess, but I need you," he said, giving her a look of puppy dog eyes.

Though she was still straddling Harry on the sofa, she sighed in frustration at having been interrupted. Then she looked to him as if to ask permission to leave and see whatever it was that Steve wanted. He had a shocked expression on his face, but he coughed and gave her a slight nod.

Jessie got up, grumbling under her breath and went to find out what Steve needed. "This had better be good," she threatened as she walked closer to him.

"Hey, sorry, man!" Steve apologized to Harry before guiding Jessie by the elbow out of the room.

Whatever it was Jessie thought Steve might want to say, the reality of what happened was quite different.

"Do you want to kiss him some more? I think there still might be something left in his colon that you missed!" Steve hissed at her when they were out of the room.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" she asked angrily.

"Jessica!" he said, using her full name to get her attention. "He doesn't like you; he likes Umi. I tried to warn you earlier today, but you wouldn't listen to me."

To that she scoffed at him. "He doesn't like her, and Umi and Scott…"

"I know that, but he does like her. You ladies think guys don't know these things, but we do. We just don't talk about it. He's not going to do anything, but he does like her."

"How do you know?" she said in a hurt, accusatory tone.

"All you have to do is watch him. When Umi's in the room, he studies her. He knows exactly what she's doing and where she is. He tries to make himself look like he's not doing it," Steve said with a musing laugh. "It's actually funny because I don't think everyone has picked up on it yet, but I found real proof last night when I heard them having an argument."

She gave him a look of disbelief and then asked with a small voice riddled with doubt and worry, "Does Umi like him back?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" he replied while coming over to offer her a hug. "I honestly didn't hear her confirm or deny it. I think we should watch them and find out. It could be… entertaining."

"She can't have him, Steve! Why does Umi have to get all the good men?" she asked sounding jealous. "Scott loves her, and then he has to fall for her. It's not fair!"

He watched his friend pace before him. "I'm sorry, Jessie," he said lamely.

She stopped her walking then and hugged Steve back, placing her cheek on his chest with a sigh. "Yeah… I was just really attracted to him. I can just imagine what he'd look like in a tangle of bed sheets."

"I don't have to imagine. Unlike you, I've actually seen him naked," he said with a gentle teasing voice.

Jessie pounded him once angrily on the chest with her fist. "Don't say that! You'll start my fantasies going again."

"Oh, believe me; he's started a few different people's fantasies in his time. That's a fact."

Jessie looked up to see his face showing a distant thoughtful expression. "Steve, is there something you need to tell me?"

"Not really," he said, looking back to her. "Just hard not to notice what's there in front of you, you know?"

She stepped back from her friend and gave him a suspicious look. "Let me guess. You're going to tell me that you're attracted to him, too, right?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point," he dismissed, "and if you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll wring your neck. Anyway, the thing is, Jessie, just leave him alone. You'll both be better off that way, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"I guess you're right," she pouted for a while. "I've seen you date plenty of women, so if you've noticed him that means you're…"

"Open-minded," he finished. "Yes, Jessie. Get over it."

"Well, if you don't learn something new every day," she exclaimed. In answer, Steve just shrugged as if to signify he was what he was.

"What now?" she asked.

"Go back to your room and cool off. I'll go to the lounge and make up some excuse to him and smooth things over," he said.

"Fine," Jessie said, raising her hands in defeat. "Just don't go kissing him while you're there. If he likes kissing you more than me, I am going to really be jealous."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he deadpanned, but then he couldn't contain his laughter. "Okay, I might, but I wouldn't actually tell you unless I was trying to get on your nerves."

She punched him in the arm like a sister would an annoying brother. He frowned and waved his hand at his arm as if it smarted. Jessie smiled impishly and then went to her own rooms, away from both Steve and Harry. When she was gone, Ford went back to the common room to get Jessie's DVD and make up some excuse to Harry about why she hadn't come back.

Author note: Yes, this chapter was obviously written before Kate won her Oscar. Congratulations, Kate.