Rachel Shore's Answers

17: Erased Memories

When I got back to the house Matt and Nolan were wrestling. It was easy to see that Nolan was going easy on him. I laughed. They paused and looked at me.

"You're back!" Matt said with a smile.

"Where's Johnny?" Asked Nolan.

"Johnny?" I paused "Oh you mean Timothy. He wanted to visit with his family because he hasn't seen them in awhile."

Charlie and Will wandered into the room.

"Wait. Where's Tim?" Charlie asked.

I started laughing. I opened my mouth to respond but Matt answered for me.

"He decided to visit with his family because he knew they would miss him. If you were listening a moment ago you would have heard that." If it weren't for the playful tone in which Matt said that it would have probably hurt feelings.

"He's got a point Sherlock." Nolan said.

Charlie laughed for a while.

"He's coming back right? He was supposed to help us with the house in Delaware."

"Yeah he wants one week with his family before he goes. Why didn't you tell me about those plans?"

"Yeah Chris why didn't you tell her?" Charlie asked turning a confused look to Will.

"I thought I did. Sorry!"

"It's ok as long as you weren't deliberately trying to hide it from me."

"We weren't" they said in unison.

I laughed at them. Anyone can tell they are best friends. I suppose the reason Will doesn't want his sister back is because he now has a brother.

"Can we talk to you Rachel?" Will asked me.

I held my heart in my hands is he going to admit and allow me to love him?

"Of course."

"Nolan doesn't know his real name or real past." Charlie started once we were out of the boys' earshot.

"Was he taken as a baby?"

"That is the memory implanted into his brain but no. He was 11 when they kidnapped him."

"Why doesn't he remember his past?"

"I thought you already knew. I know we mentioned lost memories before and kids not knowing their real identity."

"We I just assumed that was because they were too young to have remembered."

"No. They have a process designed to clean out all the old memories to place new ones in. This creates a false sense of loyalty and cuts the kids off from their old ties to the real world. Once the transition to a new identity is complete the boss burns and deletes everything he had on the kid's past identity."

"Do they do that to every kid?"

"They started doing that 11 years ago. Before that they just told kids to use a different name because they hadn't found a way to completely remove the kid from their past."

"Did they do that to the two of you?" Maybe this could explain Will not being honest.

"They tried, but we need to get back to the topic at hand. We need to figure out Nolan's real identity so he can choose his old life or a new identity."

"Can you give him his memories back?"

"I don't think so."

There was silence for a bit.