A/N: I want to thank each one of you for all the support that you've showed for this story. At times I lose it, but when I come here and read your lovely reviews, I get my sprits all bucked up and I feel inspired to write another chapter.
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Enjoy this chapter.

"Her Blazing Past"

The way back to his home was filled with flashbacks from his date with the girl he knew he hated. The way that held a lot of thoughts which were mostly of that one girl. Bailey Pickett. The girl who had entered in his life and had ruined his cloths right away, the same girl who was now responsible of saving his entire business empire. Cody Martin could never have known. But at present, that girl held so much importance in his life.

As he reached home, he tried to convince himself that she was just important to him because she was helping him with something that actually meant a lot to him. The date, the proposal, the kiss...it all meant nothing. He thought. Almost on instinct, he reached to his lips and touched them gently, an unknown smile formed upon his lips as he recalled that moment. Even he knew that no matter how much he tried to deny it, that moment, that kiss he shared with her was magical.

"Considering you're smiling like an idiot, I take it...she said yes?"

Startled, Cody turned around and saw Zack standing in the living room along with his widely grinning mom. He sighed as he made his way towards them. Obviously his family only knew to talk at the latest hours of night...

"What are you talking about, Zack?" He knew what he was talking about, but he had to act like he didn't in front of his mom. That was the genius plan of his brother. And he hated to admit it, but it really had worked that far.

"Oh don't play all innocent with us. You know exactly what I am talking about..." Zack acted..."Mr totally and completely whipped"

"What?" Cody asked playing again. But before he could even continue, he found himself being hugged by his mother. He stood there for a minute or two before he could respond. As he looked back at Zack, he found him grinning with victory. Clearly he was very proud of his idea. As much as Cody was happy that finally his mom didn't suspect anything, he had to still remain his confused look. As Carrey Martin pulled back from his youngest son, her eyes radiated happiness and love. And in that moment, he felt guilty. How could he lie to his mother about something that was so important to her?

"Cody, I am so happy for you..." She smiled brightly..."I can't believe my little boy is finally getting married."

And this was the part where Cody had to act about not having any idea of her spying on him. He put on his best confused and annoyed face as he continued..."Woah! Hold up...how do you know I'm getting married? I have yet to tell you the news?"

Carrey looked at him sheepishly..."Well, call it a mother's instinct?"

"Mom? Seriously, tell me." Cody pretended to be serious...

"Okay..." Sighing she continued..."I didn't believe you when you told me you were in love with that girl, Bailey. And Zack totally agreed with me. Right Zack?" She said turning and looking briefly towards Zack who nodded roughly at her question and she focused her attention back on Cody..."So Zack set you up. I mean, he told me about your date tonight and sent some people to spy on you. And thats how I know you're getting married because they reported back to me saying that you proposed her and she said yes."

"MOM!" Cody half shouted. He needed to look annoyed and surprised by the outcome that he already knew..."I can't believe that you had some people spy on my date. Thats like invasion of privacy. And it has also ruined my surprise. I wanted to tell you myself." Then he turned to Zack and fake pouted..."And you. I cam't believe that you were in on it. You of all people thought that I was lying?"

Zack rolled his eyes. At least in an act..."Oh just stop being such a drama queen. You? In love? Yeah right. I would have believed that I have a chance of getting a job rather than you being in love. I just did what I had to do..."

Cody was debating in his head on how to respond to that but before he could say anything, his mom came to him and hugged him again..."I know how you feel, honey. I am sorry but I had to do it. I am just so happy for you."

Cody gave a small smile. He was too tired to continue the act. He wanted to go to bed so badly that he decided to wrap the drama scene right away..."Thank you, mom. I'm pretty happy myself. Now, I really should go sleep. I have a meeting tomorrow so Good Night to you both." He stated and practically ran up the stairs.

Zack Martin gave himself a high five in his head. His plans were working exactly how he wanted them to.

Kettlecorn Kansas. 22 July 2001.

The summer of 2001 in a small town of Kansas spread peace. Kettlecorn was known to be the most beautiful during the summer. The breeze was warm, the winds were calm, the trees and fields were green. Everything looked beautiful for as far as the eye could see.

A little girl was playing right outside the small cottage. Her little hand cradled the stuffed pony she held. Her eyes shone like the stars in the sky. Everytime the toy made a sound, her smile brightened. The little girl was lost in her own world when a woman appeared at the door of the cottage...

"Bailey, honey...I'm making your favourite, chicken pot pie. Are you gonna come inside, sweetie?"

Her eyes snapped up. Little Bailey gave her mother one of the brightest smiles..."I'll be inside soon, momma. I'm taking Gracie out on a walk..." Her eyes twinkled with innocence as she gestured towards her toy pony in her hands. Her mother smiled at her as she stepped back inside the house.

It had been a while, just a little while ago when little Bailey had waved her mother goodbye. When she had told her that she'd be inside soon. Just a little while ago everything was alright. Things were so peaceful when suddenly an enormous fire emerged in the cottage that for the little girl was home. The blazing light that erupted from the fire was enough to make anyone blind.

She wanted to run. She wanted to go inside the burning hell that had her parents, her sister, her entire world. She wanted to go save it all. But it was like somebody had her feet glued to the ground. She looked on in horror as the fire grew. Her parents, her home...the fire took it all. She sat there unable to move a muscle as she saw the flames emerging more and more. The heat grew and soon enough it was successful to knock little Bailey out.

"I need to go, Clyde. Our Bailey is on the other side of the house..." A frantic voice came from within the blazing hell that was once their home..."we're all safe. I need to go make sure our little girl is alright. Let me go, Clyde. Let me go..." Struggling to be realised from the strong arms of her husband, Eunice Pickett eventually settled in and cried her eyes out. She knew that there was no way to pass the fire. All they could do was wait for the fire to settle down. She remained in the arms of her husband as she held the hand of her oldest daughter and only praying for her youngest one to be okay.

Each minute that passed seemed like an eternity to the worrying parents. The fire growling at them making their hearts feel like they'd burst out of their chest. All they could do was hope and pray. Eventually the fire squad came and took control on the fire. The moment that she could, Eunice made her way to the front of the house and saw her little Bailey laying down lifelessly on the ground. A rush of worry washed over her as she held her in her arms. In seconds Clyde was beside her. With trembling voice she asked him to pick her up. She was alive but unconscious. Hurriedly they made their way to the town's hospital.

Once there they let the doctors do their work while they waited right outside where they had taken Bailey to. A few minutes passed by and a doctor appeared from behind the closed curtains that surrounded the bed on which their little angel was resting.

"Is everything okay, Dr. Miller? How's my baby doing?" Eunice asked in between the uncomfortable stammers.

"She's perfectly alright, Mrs Pickett. Nothing to be worried about..." The doctor smiled genuinely..."She didn't go near the fire but the heat was enough to knock her out. However she shows complete brain activity which means there's no possible internal damage either. She'll regain consciousness in no time..."

Both Eunice and Clyde sighed and thanked the doctor and made their way inside the room. They both stood there next to their daughter's unconscious figure. Eunice whispered soothing words in her ears in an effort to wake her up and soon enough she did. But the moment she opened her eyes, she looked at them like she was looking at some strangers. The very next words that came out of her mouth had them stunned and they felt like that the ground was taken away from underneath their feet...

"Who are you people? Where's my mom and dad?"

Before they could even register what she was saying and why was she asking them this the doctor was right on her side. She placed a gentle hand on Bailey's forehead and asked her politely...

"Don't you recognise them, sweetie?"

"No". Her single word was like a sward piercing through the already aching hearts of her parents. They both tried to reach for her hand but she jerked away..."Don't touch me, I don't know you..." Her voice radiated anger and pain. The way she was talking almost felt like a different person..."I want to go...my mom and dad..." The little girl stopped in her mid sentence..."They...they died...somebody killed them...I saw him...he went inside my home and then the fire started. He killed them..."

They all heard her say the same thing again and again as they looked at the 8 year old in shock.

"Bailey, honey please listen to me..." Eunice tried to get her daughter's attention once again. She turned to her with furious eyes...

"Who's Bailey? Why did you call me that?" She asked angrily..."I'm not Bailey. I am Natalia..."

Both Eunice and Clyde looked at her in pure shock. What was going on? In frustration they both turned their every hope to Dr Miller. The doctor couldn't tell what was wrong with her either. She clearly remembered the fire incident but failed to recognise her own parents. She believed that they died in the fire. It was not a case of memory loss. Her brain was working just fine and still she was calling herself by a different name? That only left Dr Miller with one answer. She looked back at the horrified parents and tried to stay calm. What she had concluded out of the situation would be too much for them to bear. She sighed and told the little girl that she'd be back. Then she took out a syringe from the drawer and injected it in her arm. Little Bailey hissed slightly in pain as the needle made contact with her skin but within seconds collapsed as her eyes went shut once again. She turned back to the questioning gazes of the couple and gestured them both to come with her in a corner.

"Alright. First of all I want you to tell me what exactly caused the fire and if there was any guest that Bailey has never seen before?"

"Yes there was a guest..." Eunice continued..."it was Clyde's old friend. Bailey has never met him. She was suppose to today at lunch where we had invited him since he was in town for a few days. And thats when it happened..." She paused and sighed..."When he got there, we got busy in catching up with him since it had been many years and I forgot that I had pie in the oven. I don't know how long it took but we realized it when it was too late. The front entrance had already caught fire and we didn't have any choice but to leave the house from the backside. I don't know what happened then...I stayed there and waited till the fire was taken care of..."

"I see..." Dr Miller responded after hearing the entire story. Even though there were still pieces to the puzzle that she could not join, she managed to draw a conclusion. She knew that she needed to be sure and for that she had to do one last thing before she could answer the worried couple..."Follow me..." She gestured at them as she stepped towards her innocent patient's bed.

And that didn't give much time to them to ask any question. They followed her where she wanted and stayed by the side of their daughter's lifeless body. They both watched as Dr Miller took the jug full of water from the side table and with one smooth motion, poured it over Bailey's head.

"What are you doing?" Clyde asked finally giving words to his worry. Dr Miller held out a hand to stop him and her attention remained on her patient. The little girl was now shivering with the cold water that was thrown at her, slowly regaining consciousness. Her eyes began to open slightly. She took in the surrounding before her and breathed uncomfortably to the unfamiliar air...

"Mom, Dad..." She started looking at her parents..."Why am I in the hospital? What's wrong with me, momma?"

It was like a miracle to the Picketts. Their little angel was now recognising them. They both hugged her and began to assure her that there was nothing wrong with her.

As they all enjoyed their moments of happiness together, Dr Miller had many thoughts running through her mind. She still had a lot of things to discover. She turned her attention towards Bailey...

"Do you remember how you got here, sweetheart?" She smiled warmly...

"No." Bailey shyly exclaimed..."I remember playing with Gracie outside my home. Momma was making me Chicken Pot Pie. I don't know how I got here..." She then turned around to face her father..."Daddy I wanna go home. Will you take me home, daddy? I don't like it here..." The innocence in her voice clearly showed that she was herself again.

The Picketts were so happy to have their daughter back as herself that they were forgetting how she called herself Natalia and remembered the fire but didn't remember them. And now that she was responding to Bailey, she remembered her parents but didn't remember the fire. That was what Dr Miller was afraid of. It was a rare disease but every sign was indicating towards it. Dr Miller sighed. She gave Bailey few candies to distract her while she took her parents to the other side. Once they were alone, she went serious as she prepared herself to tell them what was wrong with their daughter...

"Mr and Mrs Pickett..." She continued getting their full attention..."Your daughter has taken this incident more seriously than she should have. She doesn't remember anything related to the fire..."

"Maybe that's a good thing, right?" Eunice cut her off..."I mean, when she was remembering the incident, she thought we died. So its good that she doesn't remember. At least my baby will recognise her own family..."

"See this is what you don't get..." Dr Miller started again..."When she knew everything that happened, the fire, the man going inside your house, you guys being inside...she didn't recognise you...she called herself Natalia. Which meant she was a different person. A person who has no other memory that Bailey has ever lived. Only the incident that actually created that other person..." She paused..."And now that she's herself again, she has all of her memories back except for one. The fire. Because that memory is not hers anymore. That memory belongs to Natalia now..." She paused as she found both of them not following. She gave out another exhausted sigh. She only wished that she could make them understand in any better way...

"Your daughter saw the fire and felt like her parents have burnt inside with the place that she called home. She saw her whole world been taken away from her and it was too much for her little brain to handle. So in order for her to cope, her subconscious mind created a new personality, an alter ego, Natalia. Now Bailey's conscious mind doesn't remember the incident so it won't hurt her. The mind that remembers that is of Natalia's now. Her split personality. And since Natalia doesn't share anyother of Bailey's memories or habits, she doesn't know who you guys are. They're both two different people..." She paused before she could say the actual words..."Bailey has developed Multiple Personality Disorder."

"What do you mean?" Eunice asked. It was like her entire world was falling apart..."What's that disorder like? Who's Natalia? I don't understand...oh my poor baby..." She broke down in tears..."Is she going to be okay?"

Both of them clearly had many questions and even Dr Miller didn't have the answers to all of them. She sighed..."Honestly, I don't know. I'm a doctor not a psychiatrist. But I have done some study on Multiple Personality Disorder and unfortunately it has no cure. Only time can tell..."

"Well what are we suppose to do now? How do we know if she's Bailey or...the other girl?" This time Clyde managed to ask.

"Natalia is nobody but the darkest side of Bailey. So if your daughter is happy go lucky in nature, Natalia would be the complete opposite. Also, there would be a certain time, or something that would trigger her alter ego. When I splashed water on Bailey, I knew that she would wake up as her own self. You see Bailey turned into Natalia by seeing fire so the element that kills fire would most likely release her mind off Natalia. Thats one thing in my opinion that would turn her. Rest, you need to figure out in time. All you need to know right now is that this could be permanent or temporary. But no matter what you do, don't tell Bailey about her alter ego. Their memories can't collide. I'm afraid that if it ever happened, her mind could decide to shut down one of her personalities and which one she would chose couldn't be told for sure..."

Dr Miller paused and turned around to look at the smiling Bailey who was happily eating her candies. She felt a shiver of pain run down her spine. She turned around and held hands with her little patient's mother..."Take her to a psychiatrist. And no matter what, don't let the memories of Natalia and Bailey collide. Don't tell her about her alter ego. Don't tell her that she's Natalia. Ever..."

Eunice Pickett wiped the corner of her eyes off the tears that were built as the memories of the day flashed in her head. The day that changed their lives, the day that created Natalia. It had been so many years and still the words of Dr Miller echoed in her ears. Natalia never left. She was right, it was permanent. They had to leave their home, their farm. They had to do it because the doctor warned them. They couldn't let Bailey's memories collide with Natalia's. All through the years, they wished that Natalia would leave but she didn't. Everytime that Bailey saw a flame of fire, she would turn into Natalia. Everytime that Bailey felt depressed, so depressed that she felt that she has lost everything, Natalia would show up. They had learned how her other personality worked with the passage of time.

Natalia was really the complete opposite of Bailey. She had seen a man go inside the house and then the fire started. She wanted revenge. She wanted to serve justice to every suffering person through all means. Even if it meant hurting someone in the middle. There have been times when Eunice had tried to stop Natalia from doing something criminal to give somebody justice, she had threaten to hurt her as well. She never recognised her as her mother.

Bailey was Natalia. Unknowingly and unwillingly. But this was the reality that nobody could change. With somebody living inside her head that was responsible for causing so much damage, was Bailey deserving of being loved? Would she ever be loved?

While Eunice Pickett was surrounded in the whirlwind of her endless worrying thoughts, her daughter was lost in her very own. Bailey Pickett had arrived home late at that night from her date and to her mother, she appeared to be in a mix of emotions. She refused to tell her at that moment and Eunice knew that she would eventually let her know what was on her mind.

At 1:00 in the morning, Bailey was wide awake still tossing in her bed. Her mind was clouded with memories from her date. Her every single thought was consumed by one person only, Cody Martin. Mr Richie Rich, snobby spoiled business tycoon that cared for nobody but himself and his business empire. How could Bailey be thinking about him so much? Maybe it was because her date with him had been perfect. In her entire life she had never been to a finer place, had never had a tastier meal, had never listened to more soothing music. Everything was beyond her expectations and so much more than she could ever dream of. But in all the fanciness, there was one thing that stood out so vividly to her. Their first kiss.

She felt herself smiling just at the thought of it. How she wished for the night to never come to an end. How she wished it was all real. Real, yes it wasn't real. The pang of reality hit her so hard that it brought fresh set of tears in her eyes. All of this perfection was not for her. It was not her fate. It was not where she belonged. She knew that all too well. Then why she wanted to let that one truth go and live in the lies for as long as she could? Why she wanted it all to be true with all of her being?

She didn't know what possessed her but she picked up her phone and typed a text to send to Cody. The text was simple...it only said "Thank you for tonight, Cody." Just as she was about to press send, a new text message appeared on her screen and it was from none other than Cody. The smile that was formed initially at her lips by seeing his name flash on her screen quickly faded as she read the content in the text...

"Thank you for everything you're doing for me. I know how hard it could be for you to pretend to love me, trust me its even harder for me. That's why I'm really grateful to you for playing along in the act. Hopefully we'll get through this soon so we could stop torturing each other. Good Night, Bailey."

She quickly wiped the tear that came out of her eyes. She didn't know why it sting to know it from him that it was an act. That was exactly what it was. She forced herself to reply with a simple "No Problem" as she put her phone back on the night stand and fell back in her bed.

The luxurious cars, the beautiful mansions, travelling around the world, fancy food, hot guy...Bailey laughed to herself, this was all for girls like London Tipton. She didn't deserve it all. She couldn't possibly get a guy like Cody to love her. That was not her fate. Her fate was to act to be in love with the all rich business tycoon. And that was exactly what she was going to do. She'd act to love him. He didn't have to know that she wouldn't be acting exactly.

To be continued...

Marry Christmas Everyone! :) with Christmas approaching, I'm not getting much free time :/ so Idk when will my next update be. But I'll try to make it faster. I'm sorry for the long wait :(
You guys ROCK! :D

P.S If you are confused about Bailey's case, ask away what you wanna know. I'll clear all of your confusion through the story... Also, no matter how long I take to update, I'm not going to abandon this story so stay tuned. Please? :)

Love, Ash! xx