2.14 Goodbye Means Forever

The spouse poll is now closed! Stay tuned to see the winner!! :D

Noah wasted no time in returning to his old house. Nobody lived there. Not anymore. He sat inside and took in the smell. He remembered sitting in this very spot, crying his eyes out. Yes. Noah Gray was crying. Hysterically. The girl that he loved since high school had a child. She had told him to leave her alone. But he just couldn't. He remembered sitting in this very spot brainstorming ways to win her back. He was daydreaming about spending time with little Kylie, taking her to school, doing her hair, walking her down the aisle...he had their entire lives planned out. Him and Corrine and little Kylie. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts wander. He saw a little princess sitting on the floor in a red dress. "Dada!" "Oh my gosh, Noah! Her first words!"

He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. She looked just like her mother. The love of his life. He began to smile. "I shouldn't be thinking that far into the future. I don't even know how she feels about me."

He stood up and went over to the time portal. he wondered how nobody noticed or cared about the giant contraption hidden right in the open.

"Mom!" Noah practically shouted. He ran over to his mother and pulled her into a tight hug. "I missed you so much. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to forget you. I'm sorry. Please."

"Shh...I know. I know. The memory is a faulty thing. Sometimes it tricks you and sometimes it leaves you, but what counts is the real memory thats there after all of the fallout. Let this be a lesson to cherish ALL of your memories and ALL of the people in your life because you never know when your memory will play tricks on you..."

"Mom...what are you talking about?"

She shook her head. "You can't remember everything forever. Your brain can only hold so much information...and it just deletes the rest. Time erases even the most precious memories. I couldn't tell you what my mother looked like beyond the pink hair if I were to close my eyes. I have to have her picture by my bedside to remind me. As time progresses, and I start to think about other things, the memory of her slowly fades..."

"And you think thats going to happen with the next generation?"

"With every generation. Its inevitable Noah. Thats why you have to live in the present and past. Not the future. Don't waste time worrying about the details. You of all people should understand what I'm saying. Your parents are the little details in your life. Do not worry about us."

"You, dad, Caleb, Daisy, Kayden, grandpa, Elliot and even Erin are not the little details in my life. You're all huge details because you've all impacted me in unimaginable ways. Don't ever think that I won't worry about you guys. I may have forgotten our relationship status before, but I never felt like I was around strangers. I can forget the details, but I won't forget the love. I have to look to the future and make the next generation have an incredible life. But that doesn't ever mean the past generation doesn't matter to me. Its our legacy."

Athena pushed her son's hair out of his face and smiled sadly. She bit her lip, looking for the right words until she changed the subject altogether."Your siblings are waiting to see you." 

"Oh man. Don't go in there. Don't go in there!" Caleb chanted. He was on the edge of his seat.

Kayden pulled Daisy closer to him, to which she turned in annoyance. "You boys are such cowards."

"Cowards?" Kayden scoffed, loosening his grip. "I'm no coward!"

"Thats why you're holding me for dear life right?" Daisy smirked.

"I'm doing that for you. I know you're scared."

"Yeah, right. The special effects are terrible in this."

"Shh!!" Caleb punched his little brother playfully. "She's going in the cellar! The killer is going to be there in the shadows!"

Noah smirked, seeing an opportunity. He walked in quietly and then pounced in front of his siblings. "Booo!!"

Caleb fell to the floor, startled. Kayden grabbed Daisy's arm once again and even Daisy flinched.

"Noah! That isn't funny!" Daisy frowned.

"Yes it is, petal."

"Wait...did you just call me petal?"

"Yes, that is the nickname I gave you when we video chatted, right?"

"Oh my gosh! Noah...you've got your memory back!" She ran from her seat and hugged him. Caleb and Kayden followed suit. The four sat and caught up for a while until Athena and Levi came into the room demanding their children's attention.

The four had already made themselves comfortable. Noah was glad for his parent's intervention because Caleb and Daisy were beginning to grill him about his love life. How was Corrine? Emit's two daughters? Noah was positive that he loved her but he wanted to make sure she felt the same before he told anyone.

"We have some news," Athena spoke.

Levi had leaned in and pulled her close. "You don' t have to do this."

"Do what?" Daisy inquired.

"Well, you know that Noah is in charge of the Gray legacy now. I have no doubt in my mind that he is going to choose to stay in Lucky Palms.But, my generation...it's in Lunar Lakes and I can't leave it behind. My mother, and father, their graves are there. My brother and best friend are there. The house I watched you all grow up in is there. I fell in love with your father there. I can't leave all of that behind."

Noah suddenly understood where his mother's earlier convictions had come from. She was telling him not to worry about her and to live out his life in Lunar Lakes. She was telling him to forget about her. As if it was that easy.

"Why....why do you think that you're an insignificant part of my life? Of course I'm going to stay with you in Lunar Lakes. My whole childhood is there. My friends-"

"Name one of your friends there." Caleb cut him off.

"Jolie." 

"She isn't your friend. She's the one who tried to sabotage Corrine. Corrine and us is all you had in Lunar Lakes. Corrine is in Lucky Palms. All thats left there is uncle Elliot, aunt Erin and Mom and Dad, because you know he isn't going to leave her side."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not letting Mom and Dad live alone. They're a part of this legacy too."

"Our part of the legacy is over." Levi stated. His age had really begun to show. He had to sit down before he could continue his thought. "Your mother, is stubborn. She waited by the time portal for days when she had originally discovered it. When she wants something, you can't convince her otherwise. That being said, she wants you to be happy in Lucky Palms. She knows that there are important people waiting for you over there. People that you care about. She doesn't want to hold you back from your future. But...she can't let go of her past either. She doesn't want to say goodbye but, every bird has to spread their wings and fly."

"Dad...I can't be without you guys," Noah breathed. "I just got my memory back. Don't take it away again."

"You've proved that it is possible to live without us, and you've done so well. When you meet that one girl you love, you'll be willing to give up EVERYTHING just to see her smile. Your mother, she's just making that a bit easier on you."

"I'm not going to win with you guys, am I?" Noah frowned.

"Nope." Athena concluded. "Your father and I are going back to Lunar Lakes. Don't worry though. Technology has progressed so much in Lunar Lakes. We can visit each other now. It isn't the same isolated world it used to be."

"In that case..." Caleb stood up. "I'm going to Lucky Palms with Noah."

"What? Why?" Noah asked. "I thought you wanted to shut those bullies up in Lunar Lakes?"

"Mom and Elliot. I want that relationship with my siblings. I want to be the uncle to your kid that Elliot was to me. The future is in your hands, but nobody said I couldn't guide it."

"Me too!" Daisy rose from her seat. "I'm staying in Lucky Palms."

"He's that special, huh?" Athena mused.

Daisy blushed, "How did you know?"

Noah was baffled. "What?"

"This guy in Lucky Palms. She's in love. Finally. You know she spent a bunch of time there looking for you while you were here in Oasis Landing."

"Really now?" Noah smirked.

"Shut up!" She defended.

"Kayden?" Levi asked. "Are you going to go with your siblings to Lucky Palms?"

He shook his head. "No. I understand what you're saying about the next generation and all that but you're forgetting something really important. You have to preserve the former generations. You can't just forget about them and move on. I refuse to leave you guys. I don't have what Noah has. I'm still searching for myself, and I know I find him in Lunar Lakes."

Levi nodded. He wasn't shocked. Kayden had always been the more reserved of all the Gray children.

Daisy took it well too. She had noticed the separation between the two of them. There was no such thing as the twin promise. The one that kept them together always. They were adults now. All of them. She had her dreams and he had his. There wasn't anything stopping them from being best friends. Distance was no obstacle.

"Before we leave..." Noah started, "I want to say goodbye to Puzzle. I owe her an apology."

Caleb frowned and took his brothers arm. "She isn't here anymore. I mean, she is...but she isn't human."

"What do you mean?" Noah asked in disbelief.

"She's over there." He had led Noah down into the basement of the building. In the corner there was a doll house. It was loud and brightly decorated just like her. "She turned back into a doll. Not a stuffed animal, but like a porcelain one." He leaned in and held the doll in his hands. She looked exactly like she did as a human. The same half purple and white hair, cupcake dress and strap up heels.

"How...?" Was all he could think to say.

"The chemical that Mason guy used to bring her to life wore off. She turned back into a doll. But...for some reason, she didn't react to the imaginary friend doll that I had. That doll is just a shell. It doesn't move or speak like it used to when it was Puzzle. Instead, she became her own doll. I tried to use the potion that Grandpa gave me...but, it didn't work. Puzzle isn't my imaginary friend anymore. She's just a doll and thats why it didn't work."

"So...this is her?" He turned to leave abruptly. "It isn't fair. None of this is fair. How do you take a person's life away? She was human. You can't do that."

"Nobody took her life away. It's like dying of old age. Her time was up. She was happy, Noah. She told me to tell you that."

"I...wish I could have said goodbye."

"You can." He handed his little brother the doll.

"Puzzle...thank you for everything. You've been a great friend and I promise to never forget you."

"Come on, Noah. Let's go home."

Noah shut his eyes and let out a short breath. He was given the role of legacy leader before, but only now was he feeling like his life was really going to begin. "Goodbye Puzzle."
_________________________________________________________________________________
So, Farina/Puzzle has been eliminated as possible spouse. Theres Corrine, Lorie and Leia left. Who do you hope it is? Next chapter it will be revealed! 

2.13 The Truth Hurts

There he stood in front of the familiar door. It wasn't like the first time he had met her in Lunar Lakes. That was a happy moment, when the two shared their first kiss. Noah smiled at the thought of her lips on his and also at the fact that he could remember that at all. Slowly, he felt all of his memories of her come flooding back to him. Their first date, the holidays together, prom. Everything. Except there was still a hole in his  heart. How did the Grays fit into all of this? Was Emit telling him the truth? He hadn't heard from the blue haired time traveler since his dream and even then he hadn't seen him physically. He knocked on the door and braced himself for the rejection. He now remembered clearly the last time he had stood in this very spot. Corrine hadn't waited for him like she promised. He didn't expect her to, but a part of him wished that she would have. They were so young and she had already taken the next step in a relationship with somebody else.

"Noah! How are you?" Curtis asked.

"I'm good, how are you?" Noah answered back.

"Just great. You know, Corrine isn't home right now." 

Noah waited for him to finish his sentence but he just looked at Noah. He only wanted him to know that she wasn't home. "But...didn't you invite me here for dinner?"

"Yeah. I did. Until I found out that you were the guy who told her to dump me."

"Excuse me?"

"You were the guy here last time. Her high school boyfriend who actually thought she wouldn't kiss any other guy but you. Yeah right. She's in love with me now. I'm not having you interfere in our lives anymore. Now if you don't mind, my daughter is hungry and I've got to feed her." 

Noah didn't even get to explain himself. The door was slammed in his face. He was hurt, yes, but not as much as he was the first time he stood there. Hearing Curtis' jealous words only made Noah's pride swell. Noah had people to fall back on this time. Leia and Lorie. They cared about how he felt. He wasn't giving up on Corrine yet, he just had to find a time where she wasn't being guarded by her crazy jealous husband. He was so close to getting his memory back, there was no way he was going to stop now, especially by abandoning the only girl he could remember from his past.

Noah had no choice but to leave. He followed his feet. They were moving on their own, out of habit probably. He felt like he had made this trek before. He ended up in front of a small house. He pulled out his phone to see if Lorie or Leia had texted him. Nothing. He decided since they weren't waiting for him, that he'd investigate the house. Something had told him to come here. This was where he used to live in Lucky Palms. Where he came after he had been rejected by Corrine the first time. It was all coming back to him. 

 He found a weird contraption. Similar to the one he used to leave Oasis Landing. Maybe he could get back there? He didn't know what help that would be, but it was good to know about. He would take all of the information he could get at this point. He stood in the machine, kicked it, poked it. He tried everything he could. How did Puzzle get it to work that time?

"Do you mind not breaking my property?" 

Noah backed up. "Where did you come from?"

"That portal over there. You know, the one you were kicking. Your mom did that the first time she saw the portal too. Tell your kids not to kick the portal. I'm sure enough of it will cause it to break and they're not easy or cheap to fix."

Noah nodded. "Right...sorry about that."

"Its alright. I see you're back here. It took you long enough. I see my girls weren't able to fill you in on day one," Emit spoke.

"According to them, they weren't even filled in."

He sighed, "I ran out of power. I couldn't transmit much longer to both of their dreams. I hoped they would have gotten my hints."

"All they really know is that you're a time traveler and one is convinced you're her dad, the other not so much."

Emit sighed. "I know which is which. I can't be here in this time with them as much as I want to. I fell in love with their mother and we had a fling. But I had to go back to the future. There was no way the time keeper could stay here in Lucky Palms. I wasn't as lucky as your father who was able to make the switch. I love those girls and I've been keeping an eye on their timeline, but I can't be there. I just want you to let them know that. I care so much about them. Thank you Noah, for being there for them."

"You're thanking me? I should be thanking you for leading me out here. None of this is possible without you..."

"You should have never lost your memory. It means I failed my job, guarding the timelines. But here, I've tried to mend it as much as I could. This book is filled with all of your memories. One by one, the pictures should stir up some old memories. I don't know how long it'll be before you get all of your memory back but its a good start."

"Thanks you!" Noah said graciously, taking the book from his hands. He placed it in his bag and headed over to the window of the house.

"You don't want to read it?" Emit asked.

"Its not that. I remember this house perfectly. I want to make sure it's exactly how I remember it. It shouldn't have been long enough for anyone to come and switch things up." Emit nodded. It had looked unlived in for a while. There were magazines scattered on the floor, and some dust over everything but the furniture was exactly how he had left it. "Thank you Emit."

"No, thank you, Noah. Once you get your memories back, I want you to use this portal to go back to Oasis Landing. You have to see your family and straighten everything out. From there, your future will be clear. You'll know what you have to do. I need to go, but keep doing what you're doing." Before Noah could say anything, Emit was gone. 

Noah took the book to the park and began to read it. Page after page he was hit with reminiscent pictures.

 Him as a toddler, trying to hang out with the guys. He didn't remember his years as a toddler, but he could hear his mother's voice telling him all about how he was Uncle Elliot's and Caleb's shadow, constantly wanting to be with the older boys. He wanted to be accepted.

Building a snowman with his father. He had insisted that someone go out and build a snowman with him. It was the first snowfall of the year and Caleb had locked himself in his room as usual. Who was going to play with him? Levi heard his pleas and went out with him, despite his dislike for the cold. He had a good father.

Going out to the park with his father and brother. Noah was getting jealous of all of the attention the twins were getting. They were toddlers after all, they needed a lot of attention. His father let him wear his halloween costume and Caleb didn't even make fun of him. He learned patience and acceptance.

Reigning over his kingdom. Noah had grown way too old to play with Puzzle, but it didn't stop him from using his imagination. His mother played along with his ALL of his games no matter how tired she was.  He had an amazing mother.  

Playing chess with his grandfather. Bruce was one of the most important people in his life. He taught him respect, discipline, and how to win any game of chess. After his death, nothing seemed to matter until he embraced his dreams of becoming a doctor. Eventually, he learned to let go.

His sibling's birthdays. Preparing himself to teach Kayden all about how to woo a girl and fighting off all the boy's who tried to talk to his sister. They were only becoming children, but Noah didn't care. he could finally be like the older brother he cared so much about. He took on responsibility.

Prom. The first time he had seen eye to eye with his older brother. They were always close, but it was the first time Caleb had let anyone in at all. He had to beg his brother to go to the dance in the first place, but Caleb was glad he went. Noah learned to be persistent.

As he sat there, tears began to fall from his eyes. How could he forget such wonderful memories? His mother and father were amazing parents. They gave him everything he needed and more. They encouraged him to go and chase his dreams in that boarding school, no matter how much they wanted him to stay home. His older brother, Caleb, was annoying. He ignored him when he wanted to play. He was always locked up in his room. Despite all the trouble he was going through though, he still had Noah's back. He gave Noah his prized imaginary friend, Puzzle. Caleb encouraged Noah to do what he had to do. Caleb was the one who held him and told him everything was going to be alright after Grandpa Bruce died. The twins. Daisy was always the one to call Noah when he was away at Smuggsworth. She called just to check up on him and see how he was doing. He wished he was there to fend off the boys like he promised on their birthdays, but Daisy didn't care. She was happy just hearing his voice. Kayden was more of the silent type. he locked himself in his room to paint and because of boarding school, Noah never got a chance to spend as much time with him. As a toddler, Noah was always the one to feed or play with Kayden. Despite their silence, they were still looking out for eachother. Kayden understood the role Noah gave him when he left to boarding school, watch out for his little sister and Kayden definitely delivered. His family. They were a huge part of him. He had a legacy to fulfil and he couldn't believe that just a few days ago, he didn't even know if he was really part of that family. Some of his minor memories were still hazy, ,but he remembered all that mattered. His mother's words began to echo in his mind, "Love takes you in so many different directions. What you say now isn't final. Life will twist your plans around in a second flat. I know the plan was for you to stay in Lunar Lakes...but I'm almost positive that with your good will Noah, you can change the future from anywhere."

His mother really was the smartest woman he knew. Here he was in Lucky Palms. Love had taken him here. He was sure of that now. His family's love had pushed him hard enough to fight for his memories here in Lucky Palms. Now, he had to go back to Oasis Landing and confront his family. They'd want to know his plan. Would he stay in Lucky Palms? Stay in oasis Landing? Go back to Lunar Lakes? The choice was obvious to him. He didn't even have to think about it. One girl was the deciding factor and he couldn't believe he wasn't sitting with her right now.

___________________________________________________________________

Hey everyone! This was a little trip down memory lane. I knew I wanted to go the amnesia route but I didn't have a clue how Noah would get it back! Now we're finally back on track to fulfilling the legacy. Noah just has to pick his girl. She'll be revealed in either the next chapter or the one after that. You can still vote for it here: Spouse Poll

2.12 Lost and Found

"How did it go last night with Noah?" Lorie asked innocently.

Leia began to blush. "Oh...uhmm I found out a lot about him...well, I mean the memory thing..."

"What are you mumbling about Leia? You have a crush on him, don't you?" She snickered.

"No!" Leia answered quickly. "I just....well, forget it. I meant to say that he got some of his memory back..." Her voice trailed off.

"Really? He got his memory back!? How is that even possible?" Lorie asked excitedly.

"Not all of it. Jut about this girl he used to date. Corrine. We were at the bakery and he said it felt familiar. Turns out he remembers his high school sweetheart who works there."

Lorie frowned at the thought of another girl into her imaginary love triangle. It was obvious she was starting to have feelings for Noah. How could she not? He knew things about her that she couldn't even tell her own sister...and he vowed to protect her. She enjoyed joking around with her sister, but she knew she was too shy to get Noah's attention on her own and Noah was too oblivious to notice her sister's crush. She felt bad, but only one girl could capture Noah's heart and she was sure it would be her and not her dorky sister.  "So, what now?"

"We think that if he goes and meets her...like has a face to face conversation with her, he'll get his memory back, or some more of it."

"Would that really work?" Lorie asked.

"We won't know until we try, we just have to go and find her."

"Leave it to me!" Lorie exclaimed. There was no way she would let her sister be the one to trigger Noah's memory. Lorie wanted the attention and admiration from the pink haired male all to herself. Plus, she wanted to scope out this Corrine girl. She could be competition.

Later that day, Noah and Leia took to the chess table. After their day out yesterday, the two became close. Noah understood her original mistrust and Leia's infatuation grew more and more. No matter how had she fought it, she found herself giving in to whatever Noah said. She couldn't get him out of her mind. Thats how she found herself playing chess. She wasn't the best player, but she could grasp the basics. Noah on the other hand was incredible. Lorie was close by, watching the two.

"Check and mate!" Noah beamed.

"I almost had you!" Leia cried.

"No you didn't," Noah chuckled.

"How good is he?" Lorie asked, coming over.

"Really good...I can't even come close to beating him," Leia admitted.

"So are you like some kind of genius, Noah?" Loria turned her attention to him. He just shrugged. "Do you know how much money we could make with you? You can battle those ranked chess opponents. There's a crash prize if you can reach the top."

"That's impossible. the top player is the best in all of Lucky Palms. They've been practicing for years..." Leia interjected.

"So what? I think he can win and then move on to regionals. Can you imagine? We'll be swimming in cash."

"Oh come on. Even if he is that good, we can't exploit him for money!" Leia protested.

"Sure you can." Noah broke in. "You guys need the money right? I can help. It's the least I can do for all of the hospitality you girls have shown me."

"No...you don't have to..." Leia said softly.

"It's settled then!" Lorie's voice drowned out Leia's.

So, that's how Noah found himself at the chess table every free second he had. He had finally found some sort of purpose in his life, even if it was just chess.

That night, Lorie insisted that the three go to the beach near their house.

"Why are we here again?" Leia frowned. She thought it was a stupid idea but Noah seemed to give in to Lorie's demands just as easily as she had given in to his...She tried to shake the jealousy out of her head, but it was impossible. She was falling for him, and the one person she had left in her life was the blockade.

"Corrine is supposed to be here," Lorie smirked. She was acting as if she had just discovered the cure for a famous disease..

"What...really!?" Noah asked, quickly straightening out his clothes. "How do I look?"  She leaned over and fixed his hair and gave him a nod of approval in which he let a sigh out in return. He wasn't ready for this. the crazy girl could have warned him about who was going to be here.

"How do you even know she's going to be here?" Leia, the voice of reason spoke out.

"I know some people." Lorie shrugged.

"Noah...are you okay with all of this?" Leia asked him, with no response in return. He just stared ahead, with his hand on his heart.

"That's her." He mumbled. "It's really her. Corrine Blantan, my first love."

"With her husband." Leia cut in.

"She's married?" Lorie inwardly smiled.

Noah ignored the two girls and slowly made his way over to the orange haired beauty. She had taken his breath away. It was really her...and he remembered. 

"Corrine?" Noah said, breathlessly.

She turned from her husband's eyes, wondering who had the nerve to pull her away from the one moment they had together away from their child. She took a step back, shocked. "Noah...?" 

"I don't remember how long it's been, I'm sorry." Noah whispered. His heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn't control his emotions.

"What are you talking about...?" She frowned. "You remember what I told you last time we ran into each other?"

"No. I don't remember anything at all. Just you and me. I can't remember anything else."

Corrine's husband watched silently for a moment before he jumped into the conversation. "Hi, I'm Curtis .How do you know my wife?"

"We umm..well, we went to high school together," Noah said nervously. "I'm just shocked to see her here is all..." Noah looked away. He could tell that now wasn't the time to be bringing up the past.

"Oh...well why didn't you say so!?" He grinned. "You have to come over tomorrow for dinner. Corrine and you can catch up. It'll be great. I'll cook some things on the grill. Are you seeing anyone? You could bring them over too, I don't mind at all."

"Oh..uhm, thanks. That sounds great. I'd love to come over." 

"Great, here's my address. Be there by five." Curtis smiled and waved him off. "We have to get back to our daughter. We've left her with the babysitter for too long."

"Right, it was great seeing you again, Corrine. And a pleasure to meet you Curtis." Noah shook their hand one last time. As the two strolled away, he could only see Corrine's sad smile.

The ride home was silent. After their encounter, both Leia and Lorie were extremely quite. Leia had fallen asleep  in the taxi, while Lorie looked out the window. She would shrug off all his attempts to talk to her.

The next day, the two girls sat in the house, helping Noah practice what he would say to Corrine and Curtis. Once he left, Leia wondered why her sister din't want to go with Noah to the dinner. He had asked both of them (together) to come and help him. Lorie said no instantly, saying she had things to take care of. Leia didn't understand, considering her sister had done nothing important since Noah lefty. Leia had to turn him down because she had to go to work. She was a teacher, and she was supposed to chaperon the school dance tonight. "I'm not feeling well." Lorie shrugged.

"You look fine." Leia said.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Lorie said angrily.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. There's some tea in the cabinet. You can put water in the microwave to boil it if you want." Leia offered. "Feel better." Something was bothering Lorie and she wished she would just admit it. For now, Leia would give her twin some space.

After Leia left, Lorie let out a loud sigh. She was finally by herself. Being alone with her thoughts wasn't exactly what she needed, but she didn't need Leia to know about her revelation. The only person she could tell would be Noah, but then again, would he believe her? Yesterday at the park, she had seen Officer Lutz. That creep. He was staring lovingly into that girl Corrine's eyes. He was a fantastic actor. He had completely encapsulated that girl in his stare and it made her sick to her stomach. She could still feel his sweaty palm on her thigh. He had taken advantage of her vulnerability. He had a daughter at home according to what Leia had told her. A daughter! Yet he was still despicable enough to do what he did to her... She needed to tell Noah, but she had no idea how he would take it.

_____________________________________________

Sorry for the wait. I'm working on the next chapter already. The spouse poll is still open. You can vote more than once if you please. Thank you for reading! 

2.11 Sweet Treat

In light of the spouse poll, this chapter will be majority in Leia's point of view.

"What the heck are you doing on my game?" Leia asked. She had just woken up.

"Playing it, what else?" Lorie smirked.

"But...you don't even know how to set it up! You could have broken something!" Leia whined.

"That's why I asked Noah to help me, duh!"

"Noah!" Leia cried.

"Sharing is caring." He shrugged.

Leia looked extremely put off. "Its my stuff, you can't just come in here and do whatever you please!"

"You're right. I'm sorry." Noah apologized. "It won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't." Leia mumbled.

"Relax, I told him that I had permission from you but he doesn't want to get me in trouble."

"Oh. Well in that case, pass me a controller then!"

The three played for awhile until Lorie informed everyone that they actually had to do things today.

Lorie had suggested that Leia take Noah to the library today to see if they could find out anything about time travelers. She knew it was a long shot, but her and Lorie had honestly no idea other than what Emit had told them about the future and even that wasn't much. They couldn't just wait for him to appear again. Leia didn't mind taking Noah to the library but she wasn't keen on the fact that they'd be alone. Lorie had to go to work, or so she claimed. Leia was pretty sure she hung out all day and brought home revenue from her art. If Lorie had a steady job, they might not have to be taking turns sleeping on the single bed that they had. She didn't know how long Noah would be here, but he couldn't sleep on the couch forever. 

"I appreciate you taking me, Leia. The sooner we find out what we're supposed to do about the future, the sooner I'll be out of your hair." 

"Don't get your hopes up though. We don't even know what kind of information we're looking for."

"Leia...you're the best with finding information on the computer. Don't worry about it." If Leia didn't know any better, she'd think Lorie was trying to get her to spend some alone time with Noah, for whatever the reason. Probably something to benefit her because obviously, she already expressed an interest in him. She was very sweet to Noah this morning, and very clingy but Noah didn't seem to notice. Leia scoffed at the thought. Of course those two would end up together somehow. Lorie always had a way with guys, but she had to be careful because Noah would be leaving as soon as he found out what he needed to know.

"Go now guys, before it gets late." Lorie ushered them out.

The bus ride to the library was mostly quiet. Every time Noah tried to ask Leia a question about herself, she'd give him the bare minimum. Once at the library Leia went straight to one computer and left Noah to find his own information.

Noah typed in "time travelers" but only movies came up. That was getting him nowhere so he tried to be more specific. "Emit Relevart." No results. Of course not, he hadn't technically been born yet.  Then he tried, "Oasis Landing." Still nothing. "Blue haired time traveler." That yielded few results. He skimmed the information until he reached one of those parody newspapers. 

"Hey, Leia...over here. Does this look like a real newspaper article?"

Leia looked up from her computer and scanned Noah's screen. "The Sims Chronicle has been bankrupt for awhile but it is a real newspaper. It used to be very reputable here in Lucky Palms as well as in Riverview and Sunset Valley."

"So, this could potentially be real?"

"Well whats the date?"

"August 30, 1987."

"1987? It was still around then, so it could be real. it looks legit to me."

"1987...it says that this time traveler had been intimate with an 'orange haired beauty'. If it is Emit, couldn't that girl be your mother? It matches up with the date...and he did say he was your father right?"

"No." Leia shook her head furiously without giving it a second thought. "Emit isn't my dad. I'm sure of it. If  he was, he'd be in my life. He has the power to do that. Besides, Lorie and I grew up in Bridgeport."

"But what if she lived in Lucky Palms before you were born?" Noah asked.

"It doesn't make any sense, Noah so just drop it."

"Yes it does. We're on to something here." 

"Gosh, just stop talking Noah. I never knew my mom. She left me and Lorie in some orphanage in Bridgeport and left, alright? I know nothing about her and finding out about her affair with some blue haired freak has nothing to do with getting your memory back." Leia snapped. 

"Wait, Leia...don't walk away!" Noah called to the girl. She had already left the room and sat by the couches in the silent area of the library. "I didn't know any of that, I'm sorry!"

"Shhhh!" The librarian hushed him. 

Noah mouthed a sorry and sat next to Leia. "I'm sorry."

"Its alright, but don't ever bring up my past again."

"Leia...your past makes you who you are. I'm fighting so hard to get my past back...and you're trying so hard to lose it. You have to understand why this is so important to me."

"You probably had a good past, if you were around me when I was a child, you'd want to forget your past too."

"I don't think so. I'd still want to know where I came from and what circumstances led me to where I am today."

"No." She looked Noah straight in the eye. "It's different when your past just reminds you how nobody wants you. There was never a moment in my life that I was happy with who I was. I wasn't the perky sweet little girl that Lorie was. They always wanted to adopt her, but never me. I was the quiet tom boy. They thought I suffered from depression or something. They didn't even bother getting to know me. They wanted the easy going Lorie, but she wouldn't leave without me. Family after family would come in, fall in love with Lorie and toss her asie once they knew they'd have to take me too. Can you believe it? Why would your parents, who are supposed to love you, leave you to be in a situation like that? Lorie is just so hopeful about this time traveler guy that we only saw in a dream. He didn't even bother to come in person. If he was my dad, don't you think he'd be here with me now?" A tear slid down her cheek and Leia quickly wiped it off. She coughed to fill the silence she had left Noah in. She hadn't meant to tell him all of this. It would no doubt scare him away.

Noah let out a sigh. "What am I going to do with you?" Leia looked up, her eyes red and puffy. The tears wouldn't stop falling no matter how hard she tried to repress them. "You're an incredible person and it's their loss that they didn't want both of you. Those people lost out on such a dynamic duo. That spectacle this morning? It was hilarious. There is never a dull moment with you guys. You shouldn't waste your time on people who won't take the extra effort getting to know the real you."

Noah had insisted that he would make it up to Leia. He hadn't known how much the past had hurt her. He called a taxi and asked him to take him somewhere that girls loved. The bakery was where they ended up.

"Anything you want. Price is no option," Noah said.

"Well now that my secrets out, you need to know one thing. Money is always an option, unless it's about video games."

"Not today. Don't worry about it. I wouldn't come to another town without any money. Believe it or not, currency hasn't changed in the future."

Leia laughed. "You'd think we were in a movie. Two young adults in a famous bakery, with the guy reminiscing about the future. Except in the movies, the future guy is weird and you're not. You know what to say and do in this time period."

"Hmm, I never thought of that. It just confirms that I'm from this time period and I haven't lost my instincts. I even remember this place a little bit."

"You do!?" Leia asked.

"Yeah...I don't really know what I did here but I do vaguely remember coming here once...to see someone? I just remember her voice."

"Maybe she worked here? Is she around here today?" Leia looked around.

"Her name...." he said, suddenly remembering the dream he had in the dream pod. "Corrine. Her name is Corrine...in my dream I was talking to this girl named Corrine and she said she worked here. I recognized the voice. But, I don't see her around here at all."

"You remembered somebody!" Leia said excitedly."Do you know what that means? You're starting to piece things together. Maybe this Corrine girl can help jog your memory! Do you remember what she looks like and what she was to you?"

"She had long orange hair in my dream, with like a beige-ish dress on?" He had his finger on his chin. "I don't fully understand what we were talking about....but I seemed upset that she had a child and a husband..."

"Could she have been a girlfriend?"

Noah shrugged. He had no idea. He was starting to get anxious and the butterflies came to his stomach. Why was he feeling this way? 

"Are you guys going to order or just stand there?" A voice broke them from their thoughts. It was the cashier. A male. Definitely not Corrine.

"I'll take a cinnamon bun." Leia smiled sweetly.

"Same here." Noah agreed.

"Hey." She nudged him.

"Hmm...?"

"Why don't you ask him about Corrine?"

Noah nodded. "Good idea." When the guy came back with their sweet treats, he asked him about Corrine.

"She hasn't worked here in awhile. She stays home with her daughter now. I'm actually the guy they got to replace here, oh and that girl over there replaced her fiance. Isn't it crazy, falling in love at a bakery? Dudes a cop now. Crazy."

The two thanked him and took their dessert. Noah looked deep in thought.

"Are you remembering something else?"

He shook his head. "I was just thinking." According to that guy, Corrine was married to a cop. If he could meet up with Corrine, not only would he have a chance at regaining his memories, but he'd also be able to ask this guy if he knew who any guys with the last name Lutz. He had meant to sneak that into his research today, but he was thrown off by Leia's outburst. It was probably better this way anyway. He didn't want to chance exposing Lorie's secret.

The two decided to end the night by goings hopping for some new clothes. Lorie wouldn't be home for awhile and there was nothing to do at home anyway. At least, that's what Leia told herself. She was having a lot of fun with Noah. She had saved up enough at work to buy herself a new outfitt and Noah insisted on paying for his own necessities. The two decided to dress in their new outfits and eat at the bistro. A perfect end to a perfect night. Leia shook her head. Did she really think that? It was going to be a lot harder to forget Noah Gray than she had originally thought. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Getting these pictures was a headache! I spent practically the entire day trying to figure out why my game kept freezing. I think I got it working now! [Hopefully] The spouse poll is open here: Gen 2 Spouse Poll. You can vote more than once :)

Gen 2 Spouse Poll with Descriptions!

I haven't actually had time to go in game and take pictures for the next chapter. But, I did manage to edit some of these pictures and come up with a description of each girl for the spouse poll. In the next chapter I'm going to explain a little more about Leia and Corrine. The descriptions this time are going to be a bit different. Besides summarizing their stories, I will include a scene that will show up later on in the story if Noah chooses that girl. These are paths. For example, if Noah chooses the path of faith he ultimately chooses Lorie. This way, you actually get to see what you'll be reading about. One last thing, the spouse poll right now is going to run two weeks, I'll let you know if that changes. I am nowhere near setting up Noah with one of the girls yet, so I will still be posting chapters throughout the poll time. If you'd like to wait for the next chapter before voting, it will give Noah some quality time with both Leia AND Corrine. Well, kind of quality time haha. Thank you for reading :)

Path One: Faith

Meet Lorie Relevart.
Family: Emit Relevart [Father], Leia Relevart [Twin Sister]
Lifetime Wish: Fashion Phenomenon
Hobbies: Graffiti, Drafting Table
Traits: Night Owl, Avant Garde, Artistic, Charismatic, Nurturing.
Bio: She's an artist, but not in the conventional sense. Her graffiti graces the walls of many of the buildings in Lucky Palms. She's infamous in the underground art world, unbeknownst to her twin Leia. She is the more outspoken of the two. She doesn't mind showing off her curves. She secretly wants to be a fashion designer. Why its a secret? Noah has no idea. Lorie's fatal flaw is her love for her sister. To protect her sister, she would go as far as sleeping with a police officer to stay out of jail. Who would take care of Leia if Lorie was in jail? Lorie wants nothing more than to have her family back together, including the father that she never met, Emit Relevart, the Time Traveler himself.

If you choose the path of faith: 

"What are you looking at?" Lorie asked sheepishly. He had been staring at her for the past two minutes.

"Your face. It's not hidden behind your curls today."

"We're just going grocery shopping, I didn't think I had to get all dolled up." Lorie looked away, blushing.

"You never have to put so much effort into your look. You're beautiful without all the makeup and hair product."

"What?" Lorie stopped walking. "Did you just..."

"Compliment you? Yes, I did." He grinned at her sheepish behavior. Lorie was never this nervous, and Noah thought it was the cutest thing. He slid his arm over her shoulder.

"This is nice," She mumbled. "Not spending hours on my hair and going out doing ordinary things like food shopping."

"Not being a creature of the night?" Noah joked.

"Yeah..." She laughed. "And having things other than microwaveable meals."

"I'm cooking tonight. Don't worry. I picked up a few tricks from my sister."

"Wait Noah...what if your family doesn't like me?" They were coming over for dinner that night. He had finally gotten his memory back and he was happy to catch up with his family who were working so hard in the future for him.

"They will."

"How do you know?"

"Because I love you, and that's enough for them." Lorie felt her face heat up and Noah laughed. "I mean it, you know, I really do love you."


Path Two: Trust

Meet Leia Relevart.
Family: Emit Relevart [Father], Lorie Relevart [Twin Sister]
Lifetime Wish: Blog Artist
Hobbies: Blogging, Video Games
Traits: Couch Potato, Absent Minded, Socially Awkward, Shy, Childish
Bio: She is younger than Lorie by only a few seconds, but that doesn't make a difference to her sister. Leia will always be the younger sister. She's a young adult who loves video games. Lorie keeps telling her to grow up, but honestly...she loves the Alien Invasion series way too much to give up on it. Especially since they announced Alien Invasion 6. Whats the big deal? It's like reading a book, but you're in control, at least thats what she tells Lorie all the time. Leia looks to her video games as an escape from reality. What is she escaping? Noah doesn't know, but he hopes to find out soon. When she isn't playing games, she's blogging. She doesn't have many friends in her real life because she's so shy, but she doesn't mind communicating with her fans over the internet. Leia's biggest fear is losing someone she cares about. She is so afraid to let Noah in because she knows she'll lose him one day.

If you choose the path of trust: 

"Leia...is that really you?" Noah was shocked. Standing in front of him was not the T-shirt and jeans loving girl that he knew. her hair was down and styled and she wore more makeup than usual. "You look incredible."

She blushed furiously and played with her hair nervously. "Thank you."

There was an awkward silence as Noah admired the transformation. "You weren't feeling the ironic tshirts today?" He cracked a smile.

She laughed in return. "Its not that. I just wanted to be a girl for the day. You know, wear a dress and go out with a boy."

"You look beautiful, but don't make this an everyday thing ok? I'm a huge fan of the ironic tees."

"Really?" He expected her to laugh but she looked deep in thought. "You don't think I look like a boy with my baggy clothes? I leave everything up to the imagination..."

Noah was perplexed. He had asked Leia out on a date not because of some ulterior motive, but because he thought she was perfect. She never felt pressured to show off her body, she was hilarious to talk to and he loved playing games with her. Never once had he thought she was ugly or anything of the sort. "Leia...I never thought you looked like a boy. I've always admired your style. You're so different from all of the other girls. I don't feel like I'm talking to some kind of Barbie doll. You put the real you out on the table from the start. You're so beautiful inside and out. You don't have to dress differently for me because I love you just the way you are."

"You love me?" 

"I did say that, didn't I?"

Leia nodded, biting her lip. Did he really mean it?

"I am in love with you Leia Relevart. All of you."

"Jeans and all?"

"Mhmm." He grinned and kissed her cheek. "And a lot less makeup. I like to see your face."

She sighed happily. "Thank goodness. These heels are killing me!" 

Noah laughed and swooped her into his arms. "What are you doing...!" She squeaked.

"I can't let you walk around with your feet hurting." 

 Path Three: Promises

Meet Corrine Blantan.
Family: Kyle Blanton [Dad], Christa Landgraab [Step Mom], Curtis ??? [Husband], Kylie ??? [Daughter]
Lifetime Wish: The Culinary Librarian
Hobbies: Cooking/Baking, Watching Movies
Traits: Light Sleeper, Frugal, Hopeless Romantic, Natural Cook, Family-Oriented
Bio: Corrine moved to Lunar Lakes her sophomore year of high school. It was just her and her father. Her father was hired as a scientist and worked hard to discover how to travel to the other worlds. Noah and Corrine met one day because of a plot against the new girl. Noah's long time friend was jealous of the new girl before even meeting her and wanted to play a welcoming prank on her. Noah wasn't so keen on that idea and went to warn her. He ended up kissing her and asking her to prom that same day! They dated until Noah had to go to boarding school. In that time, contact was lost between the two and she moved back to her hometown of Lucky Palms. After boarding school, Noah attended University and when he graduated left to Lucky Palms to win his love back. There was only one problem, she was married with a child and worse yet, Noah can't remember any of this.

If you choose the path of promises:

(Oops I spelled her name wrong in the picture xD Ignore the typo...)

"I can't believe I forgot you," Noah whispered into her orange hair.

"Its ok, I deserved it. I basically chose to forget you, at least that was my intention. I couldn't stop thinking about you. Every time I was with him, I thought of you. It was so painful. I figured if I got married right away, I wouldn't have to remember all of the times I spent with you. I should have known you wouldn't give up that easily."

"You were my first love. I only kissed one other girl besides you and I didn't feel the sparks that I did with you. I mean, I didn't remember at first, but there was always a familiar flash of orange in my mind. You look even more beautiful than when we were in high school."

"You too Noah. You got really hot." She grinned.

He smirked. "I try. I try."

"It's getting late. I have to go back. Curtis and Kylie are waiting." Noah frowned. He didn't like to sneak around like this, but legally Corrine was still married. She wanted to break up amicably with Curtis, for the sake of Kylie. It was now or never. He pulled her by her wrist back onto the bench. She was positioned in between his legs.

"Just a little longer."

"But Kylie--!"

"Why don't you just break up with Curtis? I already love Kylie and I've only met her once. I promise you I'll be good to you and her both."

"But, Curtis...he has the power to ruin my reputation and yours too around Lucky Palms. It isn't fair for Kylie not to know her father either..."

"Nothing Curtis throws at me is going to stop the way I feel about you. Let me protect you and her. Forever." 

"Forever does sound nice." She closed her eyes and leaned into his chest.

The two star crossed lovers fell asleep in each other's arms, forgetting about their problems, at least for a few hours. He promised to protect her and Kylie forever and he wouldn't break a promise.

Path Four: Forgiveness

Meet Puzzle Gray.
Family: Caleb Gray [Her "owner"]
Lifetime wish: Surrounded by Family.
Hobbies: Talking, Playing Chess with Noah, Exploring
Traits: Socially Awkward, Unstable, Never Nude, Childish, Friendly
Bio: Puzzle Gray is Caleb's Imaginary friend, hence the unconventional outfit. She was brought to life by Mason Moon, Caleb's biological father and also Athena's first husband. Noah and the rest of the Gray children do not know this about Mason. Though originally being Caleb's imaginary friend, Puzzle was passed down to Noah and then down to the twins. She knows the Gray family well, especially Noah. When she was brought to life, Mason forced her to pretend that she was Noah's wife, Farina Moon. She hated lying to Noah but she did it to protect him. She never knew what love was in the romantic sense. She loved all of the Gray children. They were her best friends and playmates. But having a beating heart, was much different than that. She began to have these feelings for Noah. She didn't want to pretend to be his wife anymore. Noah was accepting of her confession at first, until Caleb convinced Puzzle that she was only hurting Noah. Can Noah look passed her lies and confusion in order to truly fall in love with her?

If you choose the path of forgiveness:

"This isn't the playground that we used to go to when I was a child but I tried."

"I appreciate the effort."Puzzle smiled. "It's a little sandy here, but its tranquil. Much nicer than the debris in Oasis Landing."

"But still no Lunar Lakes right?" Noah smirked.

"It doesn't matter where I am, Noah. While you were gone, I kept thinking that I wanted to be with you, helping you find yourself. I realized that it didn't matter where I ended up as long as I was with you. This feeling, it's all new to me."

"It's called love, Puzzle. You love to be around me," Noah said, half joking.

"I really do...I don't see you as a playmate anymore. I want to be something more. Is that weird?"

"Only if it's weird that I feel this way about my brother's imaginary friend..." Noah sighed.

"If you say it like that, it's kind of weird." Puzzle hit his arm.

"I don't care though." Noah shrugged. "Lets be weird together. I'd never live a normal life again if I had the option to be with you. You're the best thing to happen to me. You've been here since I was a child, protecting me and then you protected me when I lost my memory. Except this time it's going to be different. I'll protect you." 

"I promised Caleb that I'd protect you forever. I owe it to him," Puzzle said.

"You owe it to me, for putting me through so much hell when I lost my memory." His lips hovered over hers. "I love you Puzzle." His lips smashed into hers for the second time in his lifetime and he couldn't be happier. This was how his life was supposed to be.

_________________________________________________________________________________
There are your descriptions! It took me forever to write all this out, but I'm happy with it. Remember, these scenes will only happen if that girl is chosen. He will not be romantic with four girls, if you're looking for that this is the wrong story lol. Please vote below.

Which Path will Noah choose?

• Faith (Lorie)
• Trust (Leia)
• Promises (Corrine)
• Forgiveness (Puzzle)

Poll Widget.org

View Results