Chapter Five, Jess Who? The conclusion

A few hours later, Becker was driving Jess out to lunch.

"Tell me something else," she said.

"You like science fiction movies."

"I knew that. That's one of the things that got me confused. Connor likes them too, but Abby doesn't seem to care for them."

Becker smiled. "No, she doesn't. I don't either, but they do sometimes have good explosions."

Jess laughed. "Where are we?"

"It's a surprise. Now, stay put. I'll be right back."

Becker ran into the shop, and came back with bags of food. Jess didn't know what kind yet, but it smelled yummy.

"No peaking," he said when she tried to open the bags.

"I'm hungry!"

"Hold on, just another moment. We're almost there."

"Where?"

"All I'll say is that it's one of your favorite places to have lunch."

Jess sighed. They were at a park. Becker led her a ways inside, and they sat down on a bench.

"So?" she said. "I don't get it. What's so special about here?"

"Look across from us," he said.

She did. "Oh!" she cried.

They were seated directly across from a little glade with a row of pink and yellow flowering trees beside a copper fountain of a little girl holding a small bird.

"It's lovely," she whispered.

Becker chuckled. "I'm glad to hear you say that. You really like this place."

"I do," she said. "Becker, I really do!"

He laughed. She looked at him. For the first time, she felt like she was seeing the real Captain Becker, a sweet, kind, and caring person. Someone she could fall in love with. She was beginning to feel it, too.

"And...," he said, pulling out the food. "You like this too."

"Chinese?"

"Mm-hm, these dishes here, are your favorites, but you always seem to steal a lot of mine."

"What's your favorite?"

He didn't tell her, but held the dish out to her.

She popped it in her mouth. "Prawn crackers," she said. Again, she got that shivering deja vu feeling.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She had a strange look on her face.

"I remember."

"What?"

"Prawn crackers," she said. "Something about them. Something about you and me and eating Chinese."

He looked anxiously at her. "It's OK, Jess, don't force it. That's good, really good. We eat Chinese together."

"We do," she said. "Yes, we do. The memory is there, Becker. It's so close. It's a nice memory. It's you and me, we're in a car. I'm happy." She laughed. "I fell asleep on your shoulder."

Becker stopped eating and looked at her. He nearly cried. "That's right, Jess."

She smiled widely. "I remember!"

He smiled too.

"But there's something wrong. I mean, there's an unhappy part too."

Becker snorted. "That's an understatement."

That snapped her memory. "Oh, my gosh! The bomb! Becker, I diffused a bomb!" She jumped up and started dancing. "That's the trust thing! You told me how to disarm the bomb, I trusted you, and I did it!"

"You did. You saved my life that day."

She screamed, "Becker! I remember!" and then she flung her arms around him.

"Easy! You'll spill the crackers."

She laughed, and sat back down. "I remembered," she said.

"That's brilliant, Jess. It really is."

She looked at him, and smiled. "You made me remember, not Connor, not Abby, you."

Becker loved the look she was giving him. He'd missed it, that sweet, loving look, the one she had briefly been giving Connor. It had made him crazy. Now, however, the look was back where it belonged.

"Make me remember something else," she said.

"Like what?"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Becker. I can't remember, dummy."

He laughed. "OK. Why did I tell you that you were brilliant?"

She thought. "I don't know. Give me a hint."

Becker ate the last of the prawn crackers. "Okay, but not much of a hint. You need to remember on your own, mostly."

"OK. Fine."

He thought a second, and said, "docks."

"Ducks?"

"No, Jess, docks, like ships. Actually, it was a barge, a huge one with lots of containers."

"OK. No. Nothing."

He laughed.

"It isn't funny! It's not fair, either. You remember, so why can't I?"

"Ask the creature that made you bump your head."

"You're mean. Not really." She felt deja vu. "There's that feeling again. Why do I get that weird feeling every time I say you're mean?"

"I'm nice, really," he said. "And lovely." He chuckled.

Jess stomped her feet excitedly, and thumped his shoulder.

"You have lovely hair!"

He looked at her.

"I said you were mean, and then I apologized, and then I embarrassed myself by saying you had lovely hair!"

"And you wanted to touch it."

"Yes! That's right, Becker!"

She started jumping around again.

He laughed. "Why?"

"What?"

"Why did you say those things?"

She stopped dancing, and got very quiet. She sadly walked back to the bench and sat down.

"It's OK, Jess. It will come to you."

"It already did, psyche! It was after the beetle bite, and you held me in the car, and I was delirious. Funny, that I can remember all of that now. I was a little out of it."

"A little," he said. Then he got very serious. "You had me scared."

She stopped smiling. "Did I?"

"Worried sick. You were dying."

"You saved me, Captain. You got me the epi pen."

"I couldn't let you die."

They stared at each other.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

He smiled back. "You're welcome."

"Becker?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I touch your hair?"

Two days later, and Becker sat in Jess' living room. They were watching the second Star Wars movie.

"Where's the explosions?"

"Not so much in this one, mate, sorry," said Connor.

"Not even a big spaceship battle?"

"Not really," answered Connor.

"How do you people watch this?" asked Abby.

"Sh!" said Jess, engrossed.

"See, it's like her first time," whispered Connor.

Becker smiled at the girl beside him. She remembered more each day. She remembered how she'd figured out that Matt was in trouble at the docks.

She remembered how she had watched Becker at the school, and waited anxiously thinking he had died. She claimed that she didn't remember hitting his injured knee later on, when she helped him get dressed.

Becker was fairly sure she was fibbing.

When Han Solo was put in carbon, Jess cuddled into his side. Becker put his arm around her and sighed happily.

Connor and Abby smirked at each other.

After the movie, Connor and Abby went to their room, leaving Jess and Becker alone.

Becker was standing near the dvd player, looking for a good action film.

"I thought there were bears in that movie," said Jess.

"I think that's the next movie. Connor warned me about fighting teddy bears."

"Oh my gosh! The Ewoks, of the Forest of Endor! Becker, you did it again! You keep making me remember! I love you!"

She jumped into his arms so fast that he stumbled backwards.

"What did you say?"

She blushed. "I...uh, you know, it's a figure of speech."

"Right."

She smiled, but she was so embarrassed.

He smirked. "Too bad."

"Becker..."

Before she could say another word, he kissed her. It was gentle, but not shy. Jess returned the kiss, like she'd been dying of thirst and he was a tall, cool glass of water.

"Wow," she muttered.

He laughed. "Sorry, hope that was OK. I just couldn't resist anymore."

"You've been resisting?"

"Lord, have I!"

She giggled, and pressed her lips to his.

"I do love you," she said.

"I know."

"OK, so you aren't the most communicative person on the planet. I can handle that."

"Can you?"

"Yes, I can. That I remember."

"You're remembering a lot."

"I am. Thank you. Becker, thank you so much."

He smiled, and they kissed again, a long, passionate kiss.

"Jess?"

"Hmm?" she said, her head lying on his shoulder, as he held her mid-air.

"I love you."

She laughed. "You better be sure, because I promise you, I'm going to remember."

He smiled. "I'm sure. I love you."

She smiled, and returned her lips to his.

Abby and Connor were watching from their bedroom.

"Thank the Lord," whispered Connor.

Abby laughed softly. "I'm glad this week is over. It was too weird."

Connor smirked. "One we won't soon forget."

"Ugh, Connor."

"Sorry, forget I said anything."

"Connor, I'm going to hurt you.

The End