A/N: I'm very sorry it took me so long to continue this story. I can only hope you'll stick with me. One thing's for sure: the next chapter will be uploaded much sooner.

Disclaimer: The lyrics in this chapter are from Adèle's Someone like you with some adaptations, because in this case it's a man thinking about a woman, not the other way around.

Arranging

Hathaway seated himself in one of the comfortable chairs in the living room. He'd just enjoyed the delicious Christmas dinner Nadia had made for him and her family. She was now putting the kids to bed so he and Tom had some time alone. They'd met at university and had been friends ever since. Hathaway was very grateful Tom had invited him over this Christmas. Otherwise he would really have been miserable.

"There you go" Tom said, putting Hathaway's drink in front of him.

Hathaway silently nodded and smiled. Tom sat down on the couch, his own drink in hand, and glanced at his friend. Hathaway's thoughtful face worried him: he seemed to be miles away. Knowing Hathaway wouldn't give up the information spontaneously, Tom asked the obvious question:

"What's on your mind?"

Hathaway blinked and turned towards Tom. He was genuinely interested, Hathaway knew that. So he reached for his inside pocket and handed Tom the photo.

"Do you remember her?"

Tom took the photo from his friend and looked at it. He smiled.

"Elenora, right?" He glanced at Hathaway for confirmation. Even without him answering, he knew he'd guessed right as Hathaway's face lit up just by hearing her name. "I do remember" he said suggestively.

Hathaway's face clouded again. The suggestion made him feel uncomfortable; he'd never had that kind of relationship with Elenora.

Tom looked at him properly and burst out in laughter. "Look at your face! Like I just accused you of a heinous crime! As far as I know, she wasn't with anyone back then. So if you..."

"I didn't, we weren't..." Hathaway interrupted.

Looking at his friend's face, he snorted and smiled. Tom was just messing with his head; he knew they hadn't been a couple, despite his efforts. Hathaway leaned forward and grabbed his drink.

"I met her the other day. She didn't recognize me" he said as he sat back and took a drink.

Tom's joyous facial expression turned to surprise. "That's very unlike her. She used to remember everything, every word, every move. She was able to reproduce an entire lecture!"

"I know" Hathaway responded. "But it turns out she has amnesia. Or so I'm told."

"By who?"

"Her husband." Hathaway witnessed the change in Tom's expression yet again and knew right then and there it had been a mistake to tell him. "I spoke to him relating a case" he tried, hoping it would create a way out of what he knew was coming.

It didn't.

"James, do you still like her?" Tom asked, sounding worried. His friend didn't have the best track record concerning women but a married one, well that was bad. Really bad.

"I never..." Hathaway protested. It was pointless.

"No?" Tom flashed him the photo. "Look at this! I even wrote it on the back."

Hathaway shot his friend a glare.

"Why else would you be walking around with this picture in your pocket?" Tom continued, alarmed by Hathaway's stubborn denial. "What is going on with you? First, you fall in love with a woman who turns out to be a man and who tries to kill you, then you return to an old girlfriend who is about to get married and also covered up a murder and now this? Do you see the pattern here?"

Hathaway muttered something unintelligible. He could do without those memories.

Tom looked at him and felt sorry for saying that. But he was trying to save his friend from making a grievous mistake.

"Don't get involved, James. Stay away, for your own good." He waited for Hathaway to meet his eyes. "I mean it. She's married, leave it."

Hathaway nodded slowly. He knew Tom was right: Elenora was married, didn't remember him and was probably happy. He should leave it. But why couldn't he?

Nadia walked in with a broad grin on her face. "The kids are really happy with their presents, James. They almost didn't want to go to sleep without them. But I conned them into letting go."

Hathaway knew the feeling.

"What's this?" Nadia said, pointing to the photo that was now on the table.

Before Tom could even open his mouth, the question was answered:

"It's a memory. One I need to let go, like she did" Hathaway said, pocketing the photo.

He pretended to be okay with it as he met Nadia's questioning eyes with a smile. She accepted.

Later that night, when not only the kids but also the adults were supposed to be sleeping, Hathaway was still thinking about Elenora.

I heard that you're settled down

That you found a man

And you're married now

I heard that you're dreams came true

Guess he gave you things

I couldn't give to you

I hoped you'd seen my face

And that you'd be reminded

That for me, it isn't over

"I'm going for a walk, anybody wants to join me?"

"Oh, Edward, isn't it much too cold to go outside for a walk?" Sophia Hartly said to her husband. Her tone of voice expressed both her deep love for him and her unfulfilled desire to cure him of his quirks, like this one. But she knew there was no stopping it, certainly not when his daughter encouraged him.

"I'll join you, dad."

She got up from her seat and walked over to her father. He offered her his arm and together they walked out. Aaron was left alone with his mother-in-law.

The clicking of the door was followed by just a few seconds of complete silence, in which Aaron and Sophia contemplated their thoughts. Sophia spoke first.

"Aaron, what's on her mind? She seems distracted."

When Aaron didn't answer her question right away, she continued:

"I tried to talk to her more than once these past few days, but she's holding something back. I can see she's got you worried too."

Aaron intently waited for her to express their shared concern. He needed it to put his plan into work.

"Yes, it is" he answered, turning his chair so he could face Sophia. But he didn't look her in the eye just yet.

"She met an old friend from university the other day..." he lifted his eyes up to her level "... and she's trying to remember him, things about him, against my advice."

"Why?"

"She said she needed to know but I'm a little bit worried that this might trigger other inquiries into her past" Aaron replied. He and his mother-in-law where on the same page concerning Elenora's amnesia: what's in the past should stay in the past. So he knew she would find this as worrying as he did but for a different reason. He could use that.

"She found an old picture of the two of them after we saw him on Saturday and then he stopped by last week to ask us if we had seen anything concerning Donna's murder."

"Your neighbour?"

"Yeah."

"But you think this is not the end of it? That she will continue digging into the past and that he'll enable her if he gets the chance? Like he's her way in?" Sophia thought aloud.

Aaron nodded. His mother-in-law paved the way for his plan and she didn't even know it.

"I think so, yes. But I'm not sure she's ready for all of that. She doesn't remember anything specific about him to begin with and I don't know if he's a reliable witness to that part of her life. What if..."

Aaron purposefully left the sentence unfinished. Sophia finished it in her head and thus reached the conclusion that this man could be a threat to her daughter's happiness. She wouldn't allow that. Thoughtfully she said:

"She said she needed to know, yes? What if we, or rather I, explain the situation to him and express my concerns for her well-being if he tells her all he knows?"

"Would you do that? I mean, I could try myself but I don't think he'll accept it from me."

"I can be pretty convincing if I want to, Aaron" Sophia smiled.

Aaron mischievously smiled back at her, knowing she'd miss out on his sentiment. If only she knew...

"Have Elenora set up a dinner date with him. You'll be there, of course, to support her. Leave the rest to me."

Aaron took Sophia's hands in his and delicately kissed them. "Thank you."

"Let's hope this makes her drop her inquiries for a while" Sophia said, blushing. She pulled her hands back and stood up. Father and daughter were back.

It had been four days since he'd last seen her and through his conversations with Tom and Nadia he'd realized that it might as well have been the last time he'd seen her. Because of that, her invite for dinner had taken him by surprise but he'd accepted without hesitation. Besides, her husband was also going to be there, so it was nothing more than dinner with an old friend to catch up. He almost convinced himself he wouldn't want it any other way.

Lewis had just left their office to get some more coffee while Hathaway was reading the toxicology report they'd gotten from doctor Hobson. It contained nothing new but with no other leads to pursue it was all they had.

Someone knocked on the open door and walked in.

"I'm looking for Detective Sergeant James Hathaway" she said.

Hathaway looked up and saw an older woman standing in the doorway. She didn't seem nervous or unsure if she was in the right place. Her features reminded him of someone. She fixed her gaze on him.

"I am Detective Sergeant Hathaway." He rose to his feet. "What can I do for you, Mrs.?"

He knew before she answered.

"Sophia Hartly." She waited to see his reaction but there was none. So she continued.

"I understand you have a dinner date with my daughter and her husband tonight and..."

Hathaway wasn't listening. After she'd stated her name, his mind went completely blank. Slowly he put out his hand and she shook it firmly, holding on to it just a bit too long. He wasn't paying attention. She tilted her head to the right to get it back. Only one question was ringing in his head:

Why?

"I understand you are meeting my daughter and her husband for dinner tonight" she started again.

Hathaway nodded.

"There are some things you need to know beforehand, that's why I'm here."

Again Hathaway nodded, unable to completely overcome his astonishment.

"As you already know, my daughter has amnesia. It has taken her a long time to accept that and get on with her life. We encouraged her to leave the past in the past, because we had no guarantee that she'd get all of her memories back. She hasn't up till now. I understand you belonged to the part of her life she has lost and that's why I'm here asking you to be careful of what you tell her and how you tell her. For her sake."

What was this? A warning to stay away? Another friendly advice? It sounded more like the first than the latter to Hathaway. Dazed, he asked:

"What should I tell her then?"

"What she needs to know" Sophia said, emphasizing the middle word. She looked Hathaway straight in the eye, without it being threatening.

"It's in my daughter's best interest" she added.

Hathaway looked at her in blank amazement while she spoke but his gaze softened now that he noticed Sophia meant what she said. She really was convinced her daughter wouldn't handle hearing about her past very well. Especially, the past she'd forgotten.

"I'll try not to hurt her, ma'am" he said. I never would, he added mentally.

She smiled, glad he seemed to understand. "Thank you."

Without saying another word, Sophia left. Hathaway followed her with his gaze until she was out of his sight. Being alone again in his own office, he was more confused than he'd ever been.

"Who was that?"

Lewis had been watching the scene unfold from the hallway. As he'd gotten back from his coffee run, he'd seen Hathaway talking to this older woman, his face expressing nothing but surprise. He'd decided not to interrupt them: if anything should happen he was close enough. Her departure was his cue to walk back in. He found Hathaway looking more confused than surprised.

"A worried mother, apparently" Hathaway answered hesitantly.

"Child missing?"

"No, amnesia."

"What? Is this some kind of riddle, Hathaway? Normal English would be nice."

"I haven't got a clue, sir" Hathaway said as she sat back down. He definitely needed to get back to work.