Kevin looked at Parker, eyes wide with fear while Parker calmly assessed the situation, considering his options. This hadn't happened before, and he was at a loss.

Kevin gripped his head as he stared at the client. "We need to call Dr. Curtis," he said, making an obvious effort to remain calm.

Parker exhaled and nodded, leaning back into his chair. He wasn't sure if there was a command for the computer to fix the situation, and neither he nor Kevin were in any position to administer drugs. "Yeah," Parker agreed, pulling out his phone. "Let's call him."

Valon jolted back into his unconscious world out of surprise. Mai was gazing at him expectantly when his eyes opened. "Did it work?"

Valon nodded. "Yeah, for a second," he replied. "Couldn't move, though. Couldn't speak."

Mai sighed irritably. "Well, that's not going to work, is it?" she asked dryly.

Valon sat back and sighed, considering his options. Running wasn't working, and he was unable to establish communication with the Lacuna guys, so what was there to do? Valon bit the inside of his lip as he thought about it. "I don't know," he said, unable to look at Mai. "I don't know what we can do."

Mai stood up determinedly and helped Valon to his feet. "Okay," she said calmly. "Okay, no matter how fast we run, it doesn't matter, right?"

Valon nodded. "Right. Memories are still getting erased."

Mai pursed her lips and frowned in thought. "Movement is limited," she said, thinking aloud.

"Right," Valon continued, "'cause we can't go anywhere beyond where we went in my memory."

"Okay, but what if we went somewhere completely different?" Mai asked.

"Come again?"

"Somewhere I don't belong," Mai continued.

Valon's eyes lit up as he caught on to what Mai was suggesting. "Somewhere where they won't look for you," he gasped in elation. "That's it, Mai! That's it! Their focus is just on you, right? So they're only targeting memories involving you."

Mai grinned and excitedly laced her fingers through his. "So you just need to take me some place else, and we can stay there until this is all over with," she said, breathlessly. "And then you can come find me, and then we can make up."

Valon's smile dropped. "That is," he said hesitantly, "if you haven't already moved on with Wheeler. In the real world, I mean."

Mai's own smile disappeared. "Oh," she said, softly. "That is a possibility, isn't it?"

Valon nodded morosely. "Yeah," he said. He then added, trying to be optimistic, "B-but, who knows, right?"

Mai braved a smile and nodded resolutely. "Right," she agreed. "Okay, let's go. Take me somewhere else, Valon."

Dr. Curtis arrived at the client's beach house approximately half an hour after Parker and Kevin had called for his help. Kevin raced down the steps two at a time while Parker took his time.

Kevin threw the door open by the time Parker was at the bottom of the stairs. "H-hi, Dr. Curtis!" Kevin squawked, causing Parker to roll his eyes as he came up to his assistant and boss. "Good evening! Or, technically, should I say morning? Did you sleep well?"

Dr. Curtis blinked tiredly and yawned into his coat sleeve. "Well enough until you boys called and woke me up," he replied blandly.

"Right!" Kevin yelped. "And we're really sorry about that, but the guy's eyes are open and—"

Parker placed his hand on Kevin's shoulder, signaling him to stop. "I've got it from here, Kevin," he said calmly. "Now go lie down before you hurt yourself."

Kevin closed the door after Dr. Curtis let himself in, the former looking like he'd just swallowed expired milk. Parker led their small group up the stairs and into their client's room while his boss questioned him.

"This is the first time this has happened, yes?"

Parker nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And you've had no previous problems?" Dr. Curtis asked whilst he followed Parker into the client's bedroom.

"No, sir."

"Right. Okay, gentlemen," Curtis said, placing his briefcase down next to the equipment. He pulled out a medical syringe, filled with some kind of sedative or whatever, Parker figured. "I'm going to give him this, and then I'll be on my way."

Parker sighed and flopped down onto his seat while Curtis made sure the syringe had no air bubbles, and Kevin splashed water on his face in the nearby bathroom.

Mai stared at Valon solemnly as he concentrated, picking his brain for a tucked away memory, far away from the time when he met Mai. He steadied himself and exhaled, concentrating on his teenage years.

Instead of kneeling on Mai's plush carpet, they sat in the grimy alleyway between Valon's old apartment building and his father's favorite liquor store. Mai looked down in alarm when she realized where her bare legs were resting. She let out a strangled groan of disgust and immediately jumped to her feet. Mai scanned the alley, taking note of the rat digging in a garbage can, wet and crumpled cardboard boxes, and a few used diapers.

"What are we doing here, Valon?" she asked, staring at him inquisitively.

Valon rested his head against the brick wall and closed his eyes. His back hurt. His upper left arm hurt. He could practically feel the bruises forming. "Mum and Dad had a fight. She's at her sister's place. I just happened to be in Dad's way."

The voice that came out of his mouth was younger, more juvenile. Valon tried to remember how old he was supposed to be at this point in his life.

Valon sighed and let his head sink down between his knees. What did it matter? No one cared. The two people in the world that were supposed to love him didn't give two shits about him. He meant nothing to anyone. Nobody cared that he was out here.

"Valon."

Valon's ears pricked up, but he did not move from his position. Who said that?

"Valon!"

There was that voice again. Sharper, more insistent.

Valon looked up into the eyes of a lady ten or so years older than him.

"Valon," she said again. "Snap out of it. Focus. You remember why we're here, right?"

Valon squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Right," he replied. "Right. We're hiding out until morning."

He closed his eyes, rested his head against the brick wall again, and sighed.

"And voila," Dr. Curtis said as the drug started to take effect, causing the client's eyes to close. "Everything is as it should be."

"Thanks for coming over, sir," Kevin said, speed walking across the room to shake their boss' hand.

"Yeah, thanks," Parker added, forcing a smile. He fought to keep his eyes open. God, he was tired. He'd need another cup of coffee, he decided while Kevin chattered with Dr. Curtis as the older man started to leave. Parker found himself falling into a trance as he stared at the opposite wall while Kevin's chattering grew softer the farther he and Curtis walked away.

Suddenly, a harsh beeping sound from tbe computer startled Parker. He looked at the computer screen and checked the client's brain activity. "Shit," he hissed under his breath, jumping out of his seat and running after his co-worker and boss.

"Hey," Parker shouted, racing down the stairs. "He's off the map!"

"Hey, Valon?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you stay here the whole night?"

Normally, Valon would have formed some kind of jocose response, maybe ask her if their surroundings weren't classy or scenic enough for her, but he was trapped in this self-pitying state of mind. The memory had to be influencing him. "No," he replied sullenly.

"Well, can we go somewhere else?" Mai inquired, obviously not in the mood to spend the rest of their time in this dirty alleyway.

Valon nodded and pushed himself up onto his feet. He realized that he was now much shorter than her. It had to be the memory, he realized, but Valon didn't like feeling this way: he didn't want to feel sorry for himself or feel as significant as a flea chewing on a dog's ass. He grabbed Mai's hand to center himself, and immediately felt better, literally and figuratively standing taller.

It was such a funny feeling, Valon mused as he and Mai exited the alley, how something so simple as slight physical contact could comfort him so much. They passed a laundromat and a closing nail salon as Mai looked around at his childhood neighborhood. Valon kept his gaze pointed forward.

"Did this happen often, Val?" Mai asked him quietly as they rounded a corner.

He shrugged. "Often enough, yeah."

"My god," she muttered under her breath.

Valon shrugged again. "Is what it is," he replied stolidly. "Not too surprising that I ran off, mm?"

Mai decided not to answer and instead squeezed his hand reassuringly, reminding him that whatever had happened to him in the past, he had her now. So long as this works. Valon thought solemnly. He shook that thought and any other pessimistic feelings aside. Of course it would work. He'd keep his memories of Mai, then he'd find her and maybe salvage what little remained of their relationship.

With his reinforced determination, Valon continued walking with Mai until they came upon the neighborhood park. Mai stopped and looked at him curiously, and he playfully tugged on her hand, saying, "This was my go-to place."

He led her to the swings and sat down on his favorite. He kicked off and got the swing going, pumping his legs open and closed, laughing while Mai observed him. "C'mon, Mai," he cried joyfully. "When was the last time you did this?"

Mai giggled and took the swing next to his, and soon enough they were swinging in unison, laughing uproariously.

Dr. Curtis released a long-suffering sigh and trudged up the stairs with Parker and Kevin.

Kevin wrung his fingers as they all made their way back into the client's bedroom, and he barely managed to ask Curtis if this had happened before.

"Not in my experience, no," Curtis replied. "I am, however, prepared for such a situation."

That did little to comfort Kevin, but Parker and Curtis elected to ignore him, leaving him to fidget on his own.

"I'm going to need you boys to pay attention to what I'm about to do, all right?" Dr. Curtis asked, settling down into Parker's seat. Parker appropriated Kevin's chair, leaving his so-called assistant to hover awkwardly behind Dr. Curtis while their boss typed away on the keyboard, pulled up programs, and issued counter-commands.

Valon looked at Mai as they soared up on their swings, and was pleased to see her having as much of a good time as he was.

"Hey, Mai! Watch this!"

He jumped out of his seat midair and landed on his feet a few yards away. Mai grinned and slowed her swing down until she was close enough to the ground for her to dig her heels in so she could stop. Once she was on her feet, she was able to run up to him, throw her arms around his neck, and kiss him.

Valon found himself smiling as Mai kissed him, and he let out a little chuckle before placing his hands on her waist and returning the favor. Time melted away as he and Mai stood there in the middle of the park, kissing each other, and it had to be the happiest and relaxed Valon had felt during the entire procedure.

They eventually pulled apart, but they still held onto one another and smiled as they remained undisturbed by any erasing process.

Their happiness was shortlived. The swingset started to disappear, causing Valon to yell out in surprise. Mai backed up out of his embrace to see what was happening.

"Oh, no," she moaned, looking at Valon fearfully. "They found us!"

Although they knew that it was futile, Mai and Valon ran.

"And we're back on track," Dr. Curtis announced with satisfaction, sitting back in his chair in relief.

"Thanks, Dr. Curtis," Kevin said sheepishly, rocking on his toes. "Sorry we had to wake you."

"It's no problem, Kevin," Dr. Curtis said, exhaling. He rose up out of his seat and stretched, letting out a yawn. "Just so long as the job gets done."

"We need to go somewhere else!" Mai shouted as she and Valon neared the park exit.

"Tell me about it!" Valon responded as they turned a corner, but ended up sitting at a table in a restaurant.

"Goddammit!" Mai roared, slamming her palm down on the table.

Valon sighed and slumped in his seat, ignoring the fact that his slovenly posture was out of place in a joint like this. There had to be a way out.

Mai looked at him with complete seriousness in her violet eyes. "Take me somewhere else, Valon. Somewhere buried deep."

Valon nodded, saying, "Yeah, okay."

He closed his eyes and focused, willing himself to bring Mai someplace else, someplace the Lacuna guys would not find them.

Parker stared at the wall as Kevin and Dr. Curtis exchanged pleasantries as their boss began to leave. Several minutes later, after Kevin and Dr. Curtis said their last goodbye, Parker set to brewing another pot of coffee. Kevin entered the kitchen, looking rather chipper now that Dr. Curtis had swooped in and saved the day. Parker looked up at him under his eyebrows, wishing he could sock him in the shoulder. "Do me a favor and bring the pot when it's done," Parker grumbled, brushing past him.

"I'm starting to think you have a caffeine dependency," Kevin said in a sing-song voice while Parker stomped up the stairs.

"You have a caffeine dependency!" Parker shouted in return.

Parker groaned as he entered the room and dropped into his seat. He crossed his arms, placed them onto the tabletop, and let his head fall down onto them.

He jumped when he heard a beep, indicating that the procedure had been halted once more. "Oh, come on," he exclaimed, alerting Kevin. "He's off the map again!"

Six days after Joey's abrupt departure, Mai picked up her phone and decided to give her boyfriend a call. She angrily pursed her lips while she tapped the tips of her fingernails onto her kitchen tabletop as she waited for him to pick up.

"Yeah?" Joey muttered in greeting, answering after the fifth or so ring.

Mai smirked. "Don't I get a hello?" she asked sardonically. "Or an apology at the very least?"

"Hi, Mai," Joey relented, sounding especially bitter about it.

Mai exhaled sharply. "Okay," she said tersely. "You and I? We need to talk."

"So talk," Joey grumbled.

"I don't want to do this over the phone, Joey," Mai replied, tone softening. "Let's meet up."