1x1 with Paradise; & Pooka.

[Paradise;]

Love has no past tense. Either you still love them, or you never did.

[Pooka.]

"So have you ever been caught in a sea of despair? And your moment of truth is the day that you say 'I'm not scared.'"

Age: 18
Gender: Female

[Paradise;]

❝Nᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ᴘᴇʀᴍᴀɴᴇɴᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ᴡɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ - ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇs.❞

Derek ♠ Nineteen ♠ Male ♠ "The Deep One"

[Pooka.]

Ally Shae Thatcher

"So have you ever been caught in a sea of despair? And your moment of truth is the day that you say 'I'm not scared.'"

Ally was smiling to herself out the passenger window despite her brother's loud and forceful lecture he was giving her while they drove. For whatever reason in his closed mind, Tyler had never liked Derek being Ally's best friend, and now that they had both released their feelings for one another, Tyler couldn't help but grow protective of his little sister. "Ally, none of us know what kind of guy he is! Just because he's been your best friend your entire life does not mean that he is a good guy! There's just something about him that sets me off, and I won't just let my sister go off and be alone with this guy now that you guys all of a sudden like each other!" He yelled, his last few words dripping with sarcasm.

Ally could feel the anger bubbling up inside of her and she turned her head to look at Tyler. "Tyler, you don't know anything! Just because you don't know him doesn't mean that I don't. Why can't you just trust my judgement on this?!" She yelled back, a new fury in her voice that hadn't been there before. Ally pulled out her phone and began typing a text to send to Derek that said: Fighting with my brot- She tightened her grip on her phone as she felt her brother's hand trying to forcefully take it from her. "I told you that I don't want you texting him around me! Give me your phone already!" Tyler yelled, looking at her for a long moment and not even thinking about the busy road ahead of them. Ally looked up at Tyler and then to the road as she felt the car swerve in a sharp direction, her finger slipping and hitting the send button on her text just before their car flew into an intersection with cars coming from every-which-way.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ally slipped in and out of consciousness for a good hour or so after she had been worked on, but she hadn't actually woken up fully and opened her eyes. She let out a moan as a throbbing came to her head as she tried to move it. As her eyes fluttered open slowly, a loud ringing came to her ears as did the blinding image of people in white standing all around her in reaction to the ringing machine. "Ally? Ally." Mom? She thought in her head, her eyes opening a little bit more to see her mother standing at the side of her bed. "Ally, dear, everything is going to be okay. We'll explain everything to you when you are fully awake and aren't so dosed with medicine." Her mother told her in a gentle tone. "Derek has been so worried about you. I think the doctors may let him come see you now that you are awake, dear." Ally blinked in response to what her mother told her, trying to make sense of who this 'Derek' guy was. Why would someone I don't even know be so worried about me?

[Paradise;]

{ I am so sorry for not responding. I've been Skyping with my boyfriend. I will try and get my post in tomorrow sometime after Basketball Practice. c: }

[Paradise;]

Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Tᴀɴɴᴇʀ LᴇRᴏʏ

❝ I wish it was yesterday so I could lock the gate; We'd say the things we never thought we'd say; And never let you get away ❞

Tonight was the night. The night I'd finally be going on a real date with Ally. It was a night I'd dreamed of for years. A night I'd still be dreaming of right now if I hadn't worked up the nerve to tell her my feelings. Ally and I had been friends for some many years I'd lost count. We met sometime back in grade school and have been extremly close ever since. It's nearly impossible to pry us apart; find one of us and the other is sure to be close. I knew all of her secrets and she knew all of mine, atleast now she did. Ally was my best friend. Without her I'd be lost. Part of me feared that by taking our relationship one step further that we might lose our friendship if things were to go wrong. However, the other half of me doubts that. Even if Ally and I discover we're better to just be friends it'll be okay. I'd rather try than to never know.

The weather outside was rather nasty. The roads were covered in ice and a snow storm threatened to break out. My mind was shouting at me to cancel the date and wait for a better night but my heart wouldn't let me. Tonight was going to be too special to let a little weather ruin it. Instead, I grabbed my keys and unlocked the door to my rusty old pick-up truck. The door creaked open the hinges convered in dirt and rust. The door was in dire need of some oil and a fresh coat of paint, but for now it would have to do. I didn't make enough at my job at the local vet clinic to pay for anything fancier. I checked my clock. It read 7:07. I had just under ten minutes to get to the movie theater. I slipped the keys into the ignition and listened as it roared to life slowly. Just as my foot touched the gas pedal I felt something viberate in my pocket. I grinned knowing it would most likely be Ally. Turning my phone on I watched as the screen lit up and Ally's text popped up. The text message was extremly confusing. It seemed she hadn't had time to finish the message. Maybe she was just as excited as I was and forgot to write the rest. I just shurgged my shoulder and backed out of my drive-way and made my way to the movie theater.

_______________________

I'd only been at the theater for around twenty minutes when I got the message. Ally and her older brother, Tyler, had been in a car. Their parents didn't know how severe the injuries were but that they were probably going to be okay. I'd arrived at the movies only a few minutes early and after about ten minutes of waiting in the snow I had sent Ally numerous text messages. When she failed to reply to those I phoned her cell atleast five times. Just as Ally's parents sent me a text I had been about to think she'd backed out. That she hadn't wanted to come. Instead I find out she's been in a crash. For all I knew she could have broken limbs, wounds that would need surgery or stitches, maybe she had been hurt so much that she'd go into a coma. My mind was going into overdrive and my heart raced in my chest. I could see the increased rise and fall of my chest. Adrenaline had kicked in and I had ran to my truck. Leaping in I turned it on and drove as fast as I could while keeping the icy roads in mind. The last thing I needed was to lose controle and get in a crash myself.

Upon my arrival at the hospital my parents met me in the waiting room and I ran into my mother's arms. Tears soaked my shoulder as she wept. All my dad could say that he was so sorry and that they hadn't heard anything yet. On my drive there my mind had jumped to the worst conclusions possible. I had to see her. I had to see Ally. My Ally. My best friend that had just been in a car crash. A sob escaped my lips and my body trembled. Taking a deep breath I tried to regain my composure. When my heart beat had slowed and the tears had ceased, I asked which room she was in. Room 218. I ran. I didn't walk; I ran through the halls. When I had finally made my way to room 218 I barged through the doors.

There she was. My beautiful Ally, weak and fragile. She appeared so tiny in the giant hospital bed. "Oh Ally," I whispered as a tear slid down my cheek. Some machine was hooked up to her and there were little holes in her arm where the nurses had pricked her with needles. I took a step forward my legs trembling. My hands shook as I reached out for her hand. When my hand grasped her hand I brought it to my lips and lightly kissed it. Her hand was ice cold. "Oh Ally, are you okay?" I asked. Just looking at her sent pain through my body. I didn't even care who was watching. I probably looked like a fool but none of it mattered. My Ally was hurt and I was going to be there for her.

[Pooka.]

Ally Shae Thatcher

"So have you ever been caught in a sea of despair? And your moment of truth is the day that you say 'I'm not scared.'"

Much before Derek had even arrived, the main doctor was in and out of her room as the machine's she was hooked up to continued to change in a rapid way as her brain changed inside. That's when the real pain hit her though. The beeping machines, the bright lights in her face on the ceiling, the large gash on along her head somewhere throbbing with every thought she had, and the faces, each with the same worried look as if she were a zoo animal. Ally had started to cry silently as the doctor kept pulling her mother away from her.

When her mother finally returned to her side, Ally's eyes were somewhat glazed from the tears that layered them. "What's going on..." She choked out, her voice a bit froggy when she spoke. Ally's mother had tears in her own eyes as she looked at her daughter. "The doctor will have to tell you, sweetheart. He's still running some tests, important ones. I know you're probably tired and are hurting, but we just need to be patient." She whispered to her gently.

Ally looked away from her mother and glanced down at the rest of her body. Her right leg was propped up by a few pillows slightly, and there was a large cast-like wrapping that was around her knee mostly, but also part of her shin. She didn't understand what had happened, and she began to wonder if anyone would ever clue her in on the situation. Her eyes closed with frustration, her heartbeat growing faster, a beeping growing faster with her heart.

She opened her eyes though as she heard her mom faintly say something as the door burst open suddenly. A young boy about her age walked in and whispered something before coming to her side. A confused and scared look moved onto Ally's face as the boy took her hand in his shaking ones and kissed it before saying something to her. Her heartbeat grew even faster, as did her breathing and she weakly tugged her hand away from the boy's grasp. Ally searched the room for her mom, and their eyes soon met, her mother rushing over to the opposite side of the bed as the boy. Her mother leaned her ear down toward Ally's mouth. "Wh-Who is that?" She stuttered in a whisper in her mother's ear that was barely above her breathing. Ally's mother let out a sudden but slightly quiet gasp at what her daughter asked her. She held up a finger to Ally, waiting until Ally nodded before her mother went over to Derek and pulled him gently away from Ally and her bedside by the arm.

Ally's mother took Derek outside of the room into the quiet hallway. "D-Derek..." Her mother started, taking his hands gently in hers. "She...She doesn't know who you are right now...The doctor said that anything wrong with Ally's brain could very well heal itself..." She paused with a heavy breath as she looked at the boy whom had never left her daughter's side after all of these years. "Derek, honey, you are her best friend, and her boyfriend, she needs to know it.... I don't care if tonight was supposed to be your first date... she wasn't able to stop talking about how much she was glad that you guys were making the big step forward to being a couple. She'd never been so happy before." Her mother told him in a caring way before she pulled Derek into a strong hug, knowing that the reality of Ally not knowing who he was, was almost worse than finding out she was in a crash in general.

Ally couldn't control her crying now, the amount of people in the room was driving her insane. Her cheeks were tear-streaked, and her eyes were slightly bloodshot from the stress of all of this. I just want to know what happened to me... I just want to know why that boy was so comfortable with me that he kissed my hand when I don't even know who he is...I...I just want to be heard and answered.. She thought in her head, closing her eyes as she felt more pain when she tried to move her leg. Ally let out a pain-filled moan and opened her eyes lazily. She was growing agitated from the pain.

[Paradise;]

Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Tᴀɴɴᴇʀ LᴇRᴏʏ

❝ I wish it was yesterday so I could lock the gate; We'd say the things we never thought we'd say; And never let you get away ❞

My stomach dropped. Something wasn't right. The emotions that I saw flash before Ally's eyes weren't relief or effection, nothing even remotely close to happiness. Instead such emotions were absent due to the presense of pain, sorrow, fear and confusion. All those feelings seemed to be jumbled up into one package. A wave of confusion passed through me as Ally pulled away from my hand. I barely managed to hold in my objections. This wasn't Ally. When the words slipped through her mouth asking who I was my knees gave out. I crashed to the floor as if I were crippled. "You...You don't know who I am?" I asked, my voice weak. "I'm Derek. You're Ally. We're best friends. We have been since grade school!" I exclaimed. The simple idea that Ally didn't recognize me was baffling. Any minute now someone would jump out at me and tell me it was all some cruel, twisted prank. However, I knew that wasn't the case. It was genuine confusion in her eyes. It pained me to see her like this, to see her suffering in such a manner.

For a moment I was reluctant to leave Ally's side, but when I felt her mother's arm grab mine I followed without any complaints. Tears threatened to spill over, but I knew I had to be strong. I had to be strong for Ally. For both of us. Out in the hall I listened to every word Ally's mother said. Her words were gentle and supportive, but were stern at the same time, signifying that it was real and there was little we could do. I didn't bother asking any questions. The only real question I had she wouldn't be able to answer. I wanted to know why this had happened to us. Why Ally and I? We were both good people. Both got excellent grades, were always nice to others, we'd never done drugs or alcohol before. We were two average teenagers on the right path of life. Now all of it had been torn from us. Taken from right under our fingers.

I knew I was being selfish, and I didn't care. Ally had to get better, she had to get her memory back. She had to remember me. There was no other way and I would do whatever it took to help her remember. Pulling away from Ally's mother's embrace, I wipped away a tear that had streaked down her face. I gave her an ecouraging smile and turned away. Taking a deep breath I opened the door to the hospital room once again and stepped in. Seeing Ally once again lying so weak and helpless in the bed only made things worse. It made it all sink in much deeper. It was reality and I had to get over it and help her overcome it. Together we were unstoppable.

I approached Ally, taking it one step at a time. My breathing inscreased and I was forced to close my eyes to try and stay calm. It wuld only worsen the current situation if I started to panic now. Staring into my best friends eyes that appeared lost and were filled with agony, was a feeling I would never forget. It was like a kick in the gut. "Ally, you have to remember. You have to remember me. Today, before the crash, you and your brother were driving to the theater to meet me. We were going on a date. Does that sound familiar?" I quizzed her, praying something would connect. That a light bulb might go off inside her head. Even if she remembered that she was heading to a date it would be better than nothing. I could work with that, but I couldn't work with nothing. I watched her eyes intently, trying to catch any change in emotion.

[Pooka.]

Ally Shae Thatcher

"So have you ever been caught in a sea of despair? And your moment of truth is the day that you say 'I'm not scared.'"

Ally had had no idea what was going on before her mother took the boy out. She felt hopeless and confused even more as the boy crashed to the floor and began speaking about more things she didn't remember, other than her own name. She was getting worked up at the sudden statements from him that he was claiming were true, but she was too confused in everything that was going on then, to not let the stress from all of it break her down. Ally lifted her hands to her face to hide her eyes from the hurting boy, feeling as if she would burst full of things that she had no idea about.

Ally's mother stared into Derek's eyes as he wiped a tear from her face and was still able to be strong enough for a smile. Her mother was feeling as if she were going to melt away in her tears because her husband was no longer with them, having died from natural causes of his own. Both of her children were in the hospital, and both of them had come very near to losing their lives. All of her family would have been gone in a matter of years. She watched Derek go into the room quietly, and she knew he needed to be able to talk with her without the buzzing of the hospital staff constantly interrupting. Ally's mother went into the room and spoke with the nurse that seemed to be leading things. Ally's body and brain were stable at the moment, so the nurse agreed to giving private time to them. Ally's mother smiled thankfully at the nurses before looking back at the scared look on Ally's face, as well as the hopeful one on Derek's. She left hesitantly, sitting down at chair that remained outside of the room.

Ally had already removed her hands from her face as the unknown boy and her mother entered, but a worried look crossed her face when her mother had the nurses leave and she went with them. Her eyes were locked on the door for a moment before they drifted to the boy fearfully, feeling his eyes lock her in place even though she didn't want to look at someone she didn't know. Ally was trembling slightly, her head hurting with her thoughts again. She felt like sleeping again already, but she also wanted to know what had happened to her, so a small determination rose inside of her to stay awake for when the doctor would next enter.

Her face remained distressed as the boy began to speak finally, the amount of information already adding to her stress even if it was hardly any information he had given her at all. Ally felt slight recognition in something that he said, her mind turning like crazy to realize which thing it was that she remembered. She closed her eyes and looked away as she tried her best to think of which it was, several tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to remember. Ally looked back at the boy, already not remember what he and her mother had said his name was. "I..I remember...being in a car with my brother...but not where we were going..." She had a hard time getting out what she was trying to say, her mind moving her along slowly as it seemed to check to make sure the things she was thinking she remembered were true. "We..were fighting...I don't remember..why." Ally finished softly, her eyes bloodshot as her stress increased more. More tears spilled from her watery eyes as she noticed the sadness inside of this boy. Ally didn't feel it right to comfort him though because she still saw him as a stranger, even if her mother did know who he was and what he was to her.

[Paradise;]

Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Tᴀɴɴᴇʀ LᴇRᴏʏ

❝ I wish it was yesterday so I could lock the gate; We'd say the things we never thought we'd say; And never let you get away ❞

I watched as the look in her eyes flashed from worry to confusion. Both were emotions I wished I didn't need to ever see in her stunning eyes. Oh my beautiful Ally. Why? You don't deserve this... The thoughts ran through my mind and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from crying. All I really wanted to do was reach out and hold Ally. I wanted to cradle her in my arms and rock her to sleep. I wanted to tell her it was okay, that everything would be fine. But it wasn't. Everything wasn't okay. Ally was in a hospital and her memory was gone. She didn't remember me. It was the cruelest form of torture in my mind.

Instead of following my instinct to reach out to her instead I just took a deep breath and remained still. It was apparent how hard she was trying to remember. Ally struggled as her mind inwardly battled to try and remember me. I watched as she shut her eyes trying to shut out everything. Trying to persuade the memories to flow back into place. However deep down inside I knew it wasn't a battle she could win. The wheels were turning but they weren't leading anywhere. I felt as if the pieces of my heart were shattering. Soon there would be too many pieces to pick up if things continued to go down hill like this.

"You have to remember. Please. Please Ally. Don't forget me. Us," I begged, my voice barely above a whisper. Without all the hustle and bustle of nurses running around checking machines the words were much louder than I had anticipated. I listened as they echoed off the walls of the near empty room. I couldn't control myself from letting a tear fall. I cursed to myself under my breath for showing such weakness. It wasn't like I was embarassed, I just hated that Ally was seeing me in such a state. She was in so much more agony then I, yet I was selfish enough to have the nerve to stand before her and cry.

"Ally, you're my best friend. I won't give up on you. I promise. I don't care if you don't recognize me. We'll get through this together. You won't have to have to face this horrible situation on your own," I reassured her, taking a step closer only to watch her cowar from my presense. My shoulders sagged in defeat. The few things I were capable of doing were only things that hurt Ally further. There was nothing more that I wanted to do but help her. Everything I did was because I wanted to help her, to help her remember. However, none of it was helping. All of it was only sending her back steps. I frightened her. My presense and voice alone scared her. It was my worst nightmare. How could I lose the one person I was closest too? The person I loved...