Chapter 114: get it all back

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: get it all back

Around them, people began to stir. Security officers groaned as they pushed themselves up from the ground. Civilians blinked awake, disoriented, the heavy pressure of the storm finally gone.

The brothers didn’t waste a second. Enzo carefully lifted Amelia into his arms, her head resting against his chest. At the same time Skye rushed to Rue, grabbing her arm.

"We have to run. They’re distracted—"

Rue barely seemed to hear her. Her eyes were wide, unfocused, words tumbling out under her breath.

"This can’t be happening. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go—"

"Please," Skye urged, voice tight. "We have to leave right now."

Rue jerked her arm free, the motion sharp with rising panic.

"This is your fault. All of this. You’ve ruined me. Everything—everything about me is ruined."

Security was already closing in, weapons raised, voices overlapping.

"On the ground! Surrender!"

"Hands where we can see them!"

Enzo’s voice cut through from behind them.

"You’d better do what you’re told."

A short distance away, Claire slowly raised both hands in clear surrender, watching Skye and Rue with a carefully blank expression.

Cuffs clicked into place. Skye, Rue, and Claire were all restrained. Rue tried to speak as they began to lead her away, words rushed and desperate.

"What you saw was a misunderstanding—please, if you’ll just listen—"

Enzo’s gaze pinned her in place.

"Do you take us for fools?"

Rue’s mouth snapped shut. She said nothing more as the officers pulled her away.

One of the security officers turned toward Enzo, eyes flicking to the unconscious woman in his arms.

"We’ll need to take the woman as well—"

The look that settled over all three brothers was lethal enough to stop the sentence mid-breath. The officer swallowed hard and stepped back, the rest of his words dying in his throat. No one else tried to approach.

Without another word the brothers moved. They pushed through the gathering crowd and debris, heading straight for the helicopter whose rotors were already spinning at full power. Enzo’s voice was sharp as they climbed aboard.

"Moonfist Hospital. Now."

***

The brothers waited outside the ward, restless and silent.

None of them paced. Every few seconds one of them would glance toward the closed theater doors, then away again. They needed Amelia to be all right.

They needed her awake and able to explain what the hell had happened. Nothing else mattered—not the destroyed mall, not Rue, not the woman who called herself Zelda. Only her safety.

The theater doors finally opened. A doctor stepped out, pulling off his surgical mask as he approached them.

"She’s stable," he said. "The blows she took should have killed her. Most people wouldn’t have survived the internal trauma. But her core and body tolerated it far better than expected. She’s not nearly as frail as she appears."

Dean’s voice was tight. "When can we see her?"

"She needs rest—"

"We’re speaking with her now," Enzo cut in, leaving no room for argument.

The doctor exhaled through his nose, clearly recognizing he wouldn’t win this one. "We’ll transfer her first. I’ll wake her once she’s in the room."

They watched in silence as the gurney was wheeled out of the theater. Amelia lay motionless under the thin blanket, pale but breathing steadily. The medical team moved her into a private ward. The brothers followed immediately, stepping into the room just as the doctor finished adjusting the monitors and began the process of bringing her around.

"It’ll take a few minutes," he said without looking up. "You’ll have to wait."

He worked quickly, then stepped back, gave a short professional bow, and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

The three of them remained standing around the bed, waiting for her eyes to open.

___

Thirty minutes passed in near silence.

Then Amelia stirred.

A soft breath left her lips.

"...Ah."

Her lashes fluttered. Slowly, her eyes opened, blinking against the gentle light. She looked around the unfamiliar room in quiet confusion before her gaze settled on the three men by the side of the bed. Relief was written plainly across each of their faces.

Her voice came out rough, in disbelief "You’re all... here. Are you real? Is this real?"

She tried to push herself up. Enzo moved immediately, one steady hand supporting her back as he helped her sit. Amelia blinked at the contact, still processing.

This wasn’t how she had expected to wake up.

She had been prepared for cold metal bars, for the possibility that she wouldn’t wake up at all. Instead the brothers were here—watching her with concern. The memories of the mall crashed back in a sharp, sickening wave. She waited for the interrogation to begin.

Gosh. After they were finally becoming nice to me... this had to happen.

The men pulled the tall stools closer and sat. Enzo remained nearest, his hand still resting lightly against her back as if he didn’t quite trust her to stay upright on her own.

"Were you yourself when the incident happened?" He carefully asked.

Amelia shook her head at once. She hadn’t expected that question at all.

"I’m sorry." The words tumbled out. "I don’t know how it happened. One minute I was trying on clothes and the next... I was watching myself hurt innocent people." Tears gathered quickly, blurring her vision. "Terrible things keep happening to me. What did I do to deserve this?"

Reid dragged his stool closer without hesitation. He reached for her hand, his fingers warm and firm around hers.

"It’s not your fault. It’s ours. We didn’t think Rue and Skye would go this far."

Amelia’s head lifted sharply at the name.

"Skye didn’t do anything."

The brothers fell silent.

Then pain lanced through Amelia’s skull without warning. She sucked in a sharp breath, free hand flying to her temple. All three men tensed at once, stools scraping slightly as they leaned in.

"What’s happening?"

"Amelia—"

The pain vanished as suddenly as it had arrived. Amelia lowered her hand, breathing unevenly. When she looked up again, something steadier had settled behind her eyes.

"It’s time."

Reid’s brows drew together. "Time for what?"

"Time to get my memories back. The ones from my past lives."