Chapter Five:

Memories

*Ellie*

As we arrived at the front of the city, we were surprised to see another Truck like ours sitting there at the gate.

"You think some more prisoners and experiments are here?" Asked Smokestack.

"Probably", commented Hunter, "Makes sense. This place is the only area you can really find any supplies at."

We stopped the truck and unloaded. I walked over to the other truck and was surprised when I noticed a clip board in the front seat. Reaching in, I began to read it.

Elissa Janine Hayden

Age 21

Savannah, Georgia

Yellow Band

Reproductive

I stared at it in confusion. Why would this be in the front seat of this truck?

"Coming Ellie?" asked Rochelle as she handed me a pistol.

I nodded as I took it, laying the clipboard back inside the truck.

"What was that?" asked Hunter, pointing at the clipboard.

"My medical sheet", I said in confusion.

He looked surprised at that, but then he wondered out loud.

"Maybe it's your friends, the ones you came with. Perhaps they are searching for you."

"Maybe", I said in hope, "Would be nice to remember them."

"Then let's go find them", he said with a smile.

I smiled back.

*Hunter*

When Ellie told me it was her clipboard, two things popped into my head. First, it could be her friends or second, it could be the military looking for us. For her sake I hoped it was the first one.

"You seem to be getting awfully chummy with the girl", whispered Smokestack as he got closer to me, "You aren't beginning to have feelings for her are you?"

I looked over at him with a frown.

"I am not falling for her", I said with a sigh, "just worried about her. For some reason she reminds me of someone I care about, but I can't remember who it is."

Smokestack nodded.

"Yeah, I can't remember anything about my family either."

"I'm sorry Carter; I should have stopped him somehow"

"Look, Commander, it wasn't your fault sir. We didn't know that guy from DC was going to throw us all into the tank to be experimented on."

"I know but I could have done something more", I argued, the feelings of helplessness I had felt before coming back, "I wish I had done something more."

Smokestack sighed.

"You did do something more. You rescued us and you rescued those two girls. Don't ever forget the good you did when you didn't have to."

I smiled.

"Thanks Smokey"

He glared at me, "Don't call me that."

I just laughed as we continued down the road.

*Nick*

We sat down on the couches in the room we were taken to. Coach and I sat down on a love seat, Sophia cradled in my arms. To the right of us sat the doctors who were being stared at rather viciously. I could tell these guys definitely didn't like CEDA. They were okay with us after we had told them we were held captive, but they still weren't sure about the doctors.

"So Nick, I would say I am curious as to what happened to you after the Casino incident, but I am guessing you don't remember right now?" I asked the man I had found out was called Isaac Porter.

"No I don't, sorry", I said as I glanced at the sleeping girl in my arms.

She reminded me of Ellie, the innocence on her face as she slept. I smiled at the memory.

Mr. Porter frowned.

"You have changed my boy", he said with a sigh.

I looked up curiously.

He smiled and shook his head at my confused expression.

"When I knew you, you didn't care about anyone or anything. You often flirted with all my hotel girls and you even flirted with my own wife and daughter."

This time he did frown. I just blinked at him as memories of gorgeous women flashed through my head. Yeah, I thought to myself, I had been a bit of a playboy it seems.

"Still, when Robin came into the picture, you did loosen up a bit", he said thinking back.

An image of a beautiful Italian woman came to mind and I smiled slightly at it, but then frowned. The dream I had, had at the hospital came back to mind.

"Do you know what happened to her?" I asked.

He stared at me a moment and then shrugged.

"After you got divorced, she went off on her own to live in New York. I don't know if she is alive or not, if that's what you're asking."

I nodded, but didn't say anything.

"You still love her?" he asked.

I looked up at him and then shook my head as I looked down at the young girl in my arms. I ran my fingers through her hair as I smiled.

"No, I met someone much more fabulous", I said after a moment.

He watched me for a minute or two and then he smiled and nodded.

"I can see that", he said with a gentle grin, "You seem much more content then you ever did before. Even when you had plenty of money from gambling, you never seemed happy."

I looked up at him at those words and just shrugged.

"I thought I was, until I met a very special young woman."

"Well I hope I get the chance to meet her someday", he said softly.

About that time the door flew open and slammed into the wall.

"Mr. Porter!" the man yelled, "Hostiles in the area!"

"What!" he said jumping up and grabbing his gun.

"Wait, what does he mean hostiles?" I asked.

"Means unknowns have entered the area, like you guys did", he said as he checked the ammo, "You can come or stay, up to you Nick."

I glanced at the girl on my lap as I thought about staying, but I felt a nagging feeling in my stomach telling me to go. Sighing, I slipped the girl off of me into the arms of Coach as I grabbed a rifle and took off with him up the stairs and through the buildings towards the street.

"What does it look like?" asked Isaac to a man posted on the rooftop.

"They look infected sir, but…"

We glanced at him.

"But what?" Porter demanded.

"There are two humans with them."

"Are you sure?" Porter asked in astonishment.

The man nodded.

"I'm certain sir. Should we pick them off from here?"

"No, if there are humans with them, I want to see these things for myself. Perhaps they are victims like Nick was, if the stories I heard about the fort are true."

"Very well sir."

"The humans", I asked all at once, a nagging feeling in my gut, "Are they women?"

The man looked through his scope again and then nodded.

"Yeah they are sir."

My stomach tightened.

"You know them?" Isaac asked.

"I don't know", I said, "But I hope I do."

He didn't reply as we took off down the stairs.

*Ellie*

As we walked, I noticed Hunter and the others looked nervous.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Something is watching us", he said after a moment, "I can feel them, I just can't see them."

"Yeah, I feel it to", said Rochelle, "makes my skin crawl."

"Hold it right there infected!" yelled a voice.

We all stopped walking.

A young man walked out towards us, he eyed us all suspiciously as he took in our weapons and the others physical features in a quick glance.

"You look infected", he said after a moment, "but you look him as well."

"We were experiments", Hunter answered, "At the Base."

The man didn't say anything as he grabbed a walkie-talkie from his back and began to speak into it.

The words blurred as I saw a memory of me, a man in a white suit, a man in a purple shirt, and Rochelle talking into a walkie-talkie on a bridge. Both men were facing away from me so I couldn't see their faces.

I sighed as I honed back in on what the man was saying.

"You sure sir?"

We heard a static covered reply as the man nodded.

"Very well sir, we will wait here for you; Seth out."

"Your name is Seth?" I asked calmly.

I figured the best way to make him feel better about us was to get to know him a little. He looked hesitant to answer me, but then he nodded. I felt noticed his hand tighten on his weapon, as did the men's hands surrounding us as a door from the back opened and I heard more pairs of shoes coming towards us.

I watched as an older man with a round belly and a smiling face walked into view.

"Well this is exciting", he said after a moment of looking at each of us, "I have never seen infected listen to orders before."

"We are not infected", said Hunter taking a step forward.

Seth raised his weapon and I was worried he would shoot hunter, so I stepped in the way, raising my arms like a shield.

"El…" Hunter started to say, but he was interrupted when a figure flew by and smacked the one called Seth in the face as he grabbed the weapon and pointed it back at the young man.

"You don't ever point a weapon at her", the man said with a dangerous tone.

The young man stared up in shock and I noticed even the older man seemed surprised.

"What are you talking about Nicholas, you can't just…", but the older man was interrupted when I heard the name Nicholas. A faint tugging sensation in my memory began to take place as I noticed the white coat hanging on the man before me, his back like in almost all the memories was turned away from me, but still…

I reached a hand out towards him hesitantly; I noticed some of the men around me getting nervous as I moved. Just as I was about to reach out to touch him, Hunter dove at me and shoved me down just as one of the men fired.

"Don't shoot!" screamed the older man in horror.

"Hunter!" I screamed as I looked up at him, his face contorted in pain.

"Sorry sir", the man who had fired said, "he started to move and…"

"And you got nervous boy!" the older man yelled, "Go inside and get the first aid kit, we will talk about this later."

The young man nodded as he took off inside.

"Ellie, are you alright?" Hunter asked me as he looked down at where I was pinned under him.

I nodded as I glanced up and noticed the man with the white suit was having a heated dispute with the older man.

Just who was he?

*Nick*

When the gunshot went off, my breathing nearly stopped. I watched as Ellie hit the ground as one of the infected with her jumped and covered her with his own body.

After Isaac screamed at the man who had fired the weapon, I felt anger radiating off me as I stepped towards the younger fellow who cowered back and took off inside.

Mr. Porter grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

"Don't go after him Nick, he is young, he shouldn't have fired, but you don't have to beat him up for it."

"He fired at her!" I yelled.

He glanced at the girl on the floor and then back up at me, understanding crossing his face.

"She is the one isn't she?" he asked.

I nodded as I glanced down at her. She was talking with the one still pinned above her and he seemed to be in a lot of pain which was the only reason I wasn't yanking him off of her.

"Then please by all means Nicholas, let's meet this angel of yours."

*Hunter*

Moment later I felt some strong arms pulling me off of her. My entire back ached and I felt the fire building through my chest as well as the pain upped a notch with the movement.

"It's okay Hunt", said Smokestack as he kneeled beside me, "they went to get some medical supplies."

I just nodded as I watched Ellie stand up. She brushed herself off as she walked over to me, fear on her face.

"Are you alright commander?" she asked me.

I nodded, "Fine Ms. Hayden", I said, reminding her to call me Hunter.

She smiled, "Good, glad to hear it hunter."

I smiled back.

"Ellie", said a gentle voice.

I watched her as she turned towards the voice, her body becoming stiff. I was about to ask her what was wrong, when Rochelle touched my hand motioning me to stay silent. I realized she knew who he was and she wasn't afraid of him, so I had the feeling Ellie wouldn't be either.

My thought was proven correct when I watched her launch herself into his arms, as they embraced each, no doubt in my mind, that this was the man she had spoken of.

"Her husband", I whispered and smiled.

*Ellie*

When I heard my name, I turned slowly. I knew it was the man with the white suit, but as I turned, I was afraid that I would see him still not remember. For some reason, I didn't want to not remember this man.

I guess I didn't have to worry though. As soon as I saw his face, the fear and love in his eyes, I remembered everything. Every battle, every kiss, and every word he had ever said to me.

"Nick", I whispered and jumped into his arms.

He smiled as he embraced me and swung me around. He held so tightly to me, I almost couldn't breathe, but I didn't want him to stop. Now that I knew him, now that I could see him and feel him once again, I didn't ever want to lose him.

"Oh Ellie", he whispered, "I am so sorry I didn't come find you. Instead you found me."

I laughed into his neck as I pulled back so I could see his eyes. Still the beautiful green color I now could remember him having.

"I love you Nick", I said as he embraced me again.

"I love you to Ellie, now and forever", he said and kissed me.

From behind us I could almost feel their gazes, but I didn't care as I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth and safety I felt surround me upon being once again in the arms of the man I loved more than life itself.

How I could have forgotten was a mystery to me, I thought, but I knew it would never happen again. He was here with me and here we would stay by my side.