Note: So here we are at last: the final chapter. I'd just like to send out a great big thank you to all of my readers for sticking with me through all the delays. Please enjoy.

Chapter 8

Vinnie was so numb he couldn't say a word during the ride back to the garage. Barely aware of how tightly he was clutching the handlebars, he kept silent and waited for a sign - a sign that the worst case scenario didn't just come true. But that sign never came.

Instead, there was every sign that Charley had no memory whatsoever of the time that had passed between when she fell off his bike down the side of the hill and when she shook herself out of her daze after being rattled by the explosion just a few minutes ago. She had a few vague memories of their afternoon at the outdoor festival, but that was about it. She listened, incredulous, as his bros explained how she had taken a bump to the head and ended up with amnesia for over two weeks.

The two of them were kind enough to leave the details fuzzy about whose fault it was that she had fallen like that...but it didn't really matter. She didn't have any reason to be mad about something she couldn't remember, and she brushed the conversation aside with a brief wave of her hand before heading into the garage. Just like that, the last two weeks were gone.

There was a short, quiet discussion between his bros about whether or not they should stick around to make sure she was okay...but they quickly decided against it. The tired, distracted look on Charley's face as she locked up for the night clearly said that she wanted to be alone. She needed to rest, but she didn't need them to keep an eye on her anymore. Didn't need anyone to hover around her throughout the day. Didn't need anyone to bring lunch up to her room. Didn't need anyone to come tuck her in after she went to bed.

As he rode to the scoreboard, Vinnie wondered distantly how many times his heart could break in one night.

The next morning dawned even grayer than yesterday - or maybe it was just him. Ordinarily Vinnie would unload his troubles on his bros...but not this time. He needed to keep all this to himself, and he tried hard to keep the pain he felt inside from showing on his face as the three of them, out of habit, road straight to the garage as soon as they woke up. He could tell that his bros were as anxious as he was to make sure that Charley was really all right - and Vinnie had another reason to be anxious. He wanted to know if, somehow, something had changed while he slept.

When they got to the Last Chance, both his bros breathed a sigh of relief...while Vinnie's shattered heart sank like a stone. Looking around, it was like everything that had happened since Charley came home from the hospital had been smoothly and swiftly erased. The garage was open for business and the sounds signaling that the owner was hard at work in the back were loud and clear. Inside, her tools had been taken out and there were parts lined up on tables, ready for her skilled hands to work their magic.

"You okay there, bro?" Throttle suddenly asked. "You're being abnormally quiet."

Vinnie felt too beaten to get annoyed by the remark. He knew he needed to be more energetic and talk more than he was - he had barely said a word since they road home last night - but he just didn't have it in him right now. Maybe he'd fake getting sick or something so no one would get suspicious.

Sighing, he gave a shrug and mumbled, "I dunno. Something's missing."

Looking around the room, at how every last detail was back to the way it used to be, it dawned on him that something was missing. He didn't trip over Tabitha as she rubbed herself all over his ankles the second he stepped through the door today.

They soon learned that Charley had given her away first thing this morning. Vinnie wouldn't have thought it was possible, but he actually missed her jumping on his lap whenever he sat down.

The kitten wasn't the only thing missing. Charley's girlier wardrobe had also disappeared, no doubt shoved into cardboard boxes bound for the curb. She had also stopped wearing her wrist brace during the day, since it got in the way as she worked. His bros, having no reason not to be, were perfectly happy with having the old Charley back. Vinnie was too - it didn't matter how she dressed. Charley was still Charley, whether she was wearing a sundress or covered in motor oil. The only thing wrong with her getting her memory back was the fact that she had forgotten all the times she'd told him she loved him.

But maybe that was the problem, he reminded himself darkly. Maybe she never loved him in the first place - maybe it had all just been a mistake. All the times she had smiled at him, touched his face, kissed him so tenderly...just a mistake.

He didn't want to believe it, but as the days went by, he never saw any hints that he might be wrong. He tried not to hover too obviously while he kept a close eye on Charley-girl, but he didn't see any sign that suggested that the memories they had made together were still around, lurking in her mind somewhere. More than once when he wasn't looking he suddenly got the feeling that she was watching him...but each time he turned around, she was facing the other way.

She didn't talk about the last few weeks or ask any questions about what she had missed. When she wasn't focused on her work, she was interacting with them just like she always did, like nothing had changed. Vinnie tried to keep up the act that nothing had changed for him either, but after a while he got the feeling that he was putting out a vibe that something was off, because he noticed that Charley acted a little funny whenever they were alone. It was subtle, but he definitely got the impression that she was trying to keep her distance. He couldn't blame her; bad moods were repellent.

There was no helping how he felt right now. After getting a taste of what he could have, he didn't know how to cope with losing it. Acting like he'd never had it. How to accept that what he'd grasped for so briefly had slipped from his fingers. He tried to put on a smile, but inside, his broken heart throbbed like he never thought it could.

And then one day, after he'd dumped his collection of medical texts back at the library, a thought struck him. Charley had carried that notepad of hers around with her every day since the doctor at the small-town hospital first gave it to her. She had been writing down everything she saw, thought - and felt. There had to be something in there about him, and the feelings she began to realize she had for him.

He didn't know what he was going to say if that turned out to be true; hand it to her awkwardly and say 'have you read this lately?' He'd work that part out later. Finding the notepad gave him a much-needed burst of hope, even if the only person he reminded of Charley's affection for him was himself. Seeing her thoughts put into words would - hopefully - ease his pain a little. Help him remember that it hadn't all just been a dream.

But when he hunted through the garage for it, it was nowhere to be found. Not knowing what else to do, he casually asked Charley-girl, in case she had dumped it along with her clothes, but she didn't remember seeing any notepad recently. Vinnie thought hard; he remembered her having it with her the last time he took her to the doctor's office. But now that he thought about it, he didn't see her carrying it when they got back.

One quick trip to the office later, he learned from the secretary that yes, someone had left a notepad in the office a few days. But no, they didn't have a lost-and-found. Translation: someone threw it out.

Drooping in defeat, Vinnie trudged out of the office. That tapped him for ideas. "Guess you might as well face it," he mumbled to himself. "Those memories are gone."

She'd forgotten their day at the zoo, their first kiss in the park, their lazy afternoon on Lakefront Trail. It had all happened just a short time ago...but it might as well have never happened at all. He was the one who needed to forget now.

If only he knew how. The entire city was loaded with memories, and that day it felt like everywhere he looked, something reminded him of Charley. Of how much he loved her. Even if he could wipe the last few weeks from his mind, it wouldn't change anything. He had loved her for a lot longer than that, and his heart ached and his emotions burned raw as he found himself walking Lakefront Trail, retracing the steps they had taken the other day.

The sky overhead was as grim as his mood, and thunder rumbled as he dropped to the same bench they had kissed and cuddled on. There was a clink as the seat of his pants hit the wood; his heart ached worse than ever. He had forgotten all about that.

With a pain-filled sigh, Vinnie reached back and tugged the small box out of his back pocket. Inside was the gift he had been planning to surprise Charley with. A thick lump formed in his throat as he nudged the lid of the box open and looked down at the little locket nestled within.

It was simple and inexpensive, gold-colored but not gold. Heart-shaped - naturally - with a clear rhinestone in the center. It was medium-sized, just big enough to fit the photo he'd had on him that day. His bros had been in it too, but he'd hastily cut out the part with just himself and pressed it into the locket before rushing out of the shop. It was a good shot of him too, his grin not too wide and the camera hitting him at just the right angle to show off what a stud he was.

But that wasn't the best part - the part that made the lump in his throat heavier and his eyes sting and cloud suspiciously. No...that was the note he had written and tucked into the box while the cashier rang up the locket. Short and to the point: 'Now you really have my heart.'

His hands shook as he slapped the box shut. He squeezed it between his palms, but the shaking didn't stop. Swallowing repeatedly, he got to his feet and started moving blindly forward. His mind had gone numb and he was barely aware of what he was doing until his uneven steps touched the sand of the small beach on the other side of the path. Thunder rumbled loudly and the wind started to pick up, churning the waters of Lake Michigan before him. The sky was growing dark as the storm rolled in, making the waves look black.

Vinnie pictured how bright and beautiful everything had looked the last time he was here - pictured who he had been with, how the sunlight had hit her hair as she put her arms around him, the way she had smiled at him, her cheeks pink and her eyes shining with love.

Something inside him broke. His vision blurring, he flung his hand out with a strained grunt. The little box sailed up to the murky sky for a second before arcing back down and into the water with a tiny splash. It was followed by a torrent of small splashes as the clouds overhead burst open and raindrops started hitting the lake.

The rain was thick and cold and the drops were soon soaking through his fur and jeans, but Vinnie barely noticed. He shuffled absently back to the bench, where under the cover of rainfall and thunder he sat and sank his head into his hands.

Big, buff mice like him weren't supposed to cry. But in the rain, no one would be able to tell.

It was so dark when Vinnie finally hauled himself off the bench and got on his bike, he wasn't sure if night had fallen already or if it was just a really bad storm. It was pouring hard and heavy and he was soaked to his skin, and so chilled he could barely steer from shivering so hard. He grumbled inwardly as he navigated crookedly through the empty streets, grateful to be alone in his misery - just him and his bike. All he needed to do now was catch a nice big cold and his life would be complete.

He really needed to get to the scoreboard and dry off, but the rain was coming down in thick sheets and the sky was pitch black, so he could barely see where he was going. He switched his bike's headlights on, but that was no help; they just illuminated the rain, reflecting back a wall of white that stung his tired eyes. At least his helmet visor was keeping his face dry. Well, keeping his face from getting wetter.

After squinting into the deluge vainly for a little longer, Vinnie gave up and loosened his grip on the handlebars. Go on, he thought tiredly, knowing his bike would understand. Take us home.

His red sweetheart hummed quietly in response before picking up speed. Unaffected by the relentless rain, she turned corners and steered smoothly down side streets before turning and parking in a rain-slicked lot. Vinnie scrubbed the back of his hand over his visor and looked up at the sign above him, brightly lit as if to welcome him back.

His heart sank. They were at the garage. But the sweet girl didn't know any better, and he gave her an affection pat before he dismounted and shuffled to the door. Better to head inside and grin and bear it than stay out here and get pneumonia. Shivering harder than ever, he sloshed through a puddle and went in.

The lights were on outside, but there weren't any on inside that he could see. He couldn't see a thing, and he stumbled in the darkness, bumping into things and knocking something over. Groaning quietly, he held still - or tried to, at least. He hunched over and rubbed his arms, trying to coax a little warmth back into his body, but he couldn't stop shivering.

He was still grumbling about it when a door creaked open. A soft light appeared, warm and golden, silhouetting the figure standing in the doorway. "Vinnie?"

The tired mouse flashed a weak smile. "Hey, Charley-girl. Sorry to drop in like this, I just..."

Charley hurried forward, pulled his helmet off and pressed a hand to his cheek. Vinnie hoped she didn't question the dampness. "You're freezing," she said, sounding dismayed.

Before he could respond, she had taken his hand and tugged him through the garage. They stepped through the doorway leading to her apartment and were soon standing in the little hallway outside her kitchen. The mysterious golden light was brighter here, but his tired eyes hadn't found the source yet.

Charley let go out his hand, rushed upstairs and came back with a towel. She wordlessly began drying him off, and Vinnie wordlessly held still and let her...while he was painfully reminded of that day they came back from the zoo and he did the same for her. In his mind he saw himself drying her hair, the soft kiss they had shared...

His eyes clouded again and he quickly squeezed them shut before she noticed. Slowly, his shivering eased a little as Charley rubbed warmth back into his arms and hands. She reached up to dry off his shoulders and neck. Pausing, her hand suddenly rested on his cheek. Her thumb brushed his muzzle. "Hey."

Vinnie cracked his eyes open slowly. They blurred a little, but he blinked them clear and opened them fully. Charley came into focus, lit by the golden light from head to toe and looking like she was glowing. Vinnie stared.

Charley had her hair pulled back on one side with a fancy gold clip. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips were pink. And she was wearing a dress - a green velvet one, with a cinched waist and a knee-length skirt that flared a little and a neckline that showed just enough to get his blood warming. There were decorative gold buttons at the base of the wide straps, and there was a gold bracelet on her wrist. For shoes she had on green heels.

She was an absolute knockout, and the unexpected sight stole his breath clean away. He would never have thought she'd go for a look like this in a million years. It was as if the innocent flirty girl with amnesia and the smart tomboy mechanic had shaken hands and said 'let's compromise.'

There was no way she could possibly look more beautiful, and seeing her like this made his heart throb as he remembered all over again that she wasn't his anymore. He couldn't act on his sudden impulse to pull this vision into his arms. Vowing to keep his eyes dry until he got out of here, he forced a smile. "What's the occasion?"

Charley's eyes studied him as she folded the soggy towel and set it aside. She was searching his face, his eyes. It was much more subtle, but all of a sudden he recognized the look on her face. It was the same anxiously hopeful look she had given him right before she asked him if he loved her.

A soft smile touched her lips. "It's Saturday."

Vinnie furrowed his brow, not understanding. Not at first. But then his confused gaze looked behind her. The mysterious golden light was coming from the kitchen - from a ring of candles set out on the kitchen table. A white linen cloth had been laid out and two places had been set with fancy dishes and silverware. Two wine glasses fizzled with root beer. The plates steamed with home cooked food, fresh from the oven.

When realization sunk in, it felt like the whole world shifted. His breath hitching, Vinnie focused on Charley again. She was nibbling her bottom lip as she watched him, her green eyes anxious, hopeful, expectant.

It couldn't be. But there was no other explanation. Heart pounding and head swimming, Vinnie could think of only one way he could be sure. He cupped that beautiful face in his trembling fingers and kissed her pink, parted lips. She was so warm and felt so inviting; her lips tasted like cherries. Dizzy with hope, Vinnie wrapped her tightly in his arms, clutching her to his chest until he could feel her heart beating. He held her with an almost palpable need to never let her go again and kissed her over and over, even as he braced himself for her to push him away.

Instead, she wiggled her arms free so she could wrap them around him, hugging him as tightly as she could as she rose on tiptoe. She met each of his desperate kisses breathlessly, her rosy cheeks turning even rosier. She was trembling in his arms, and her eyes were moist as she kissed and nuzzled his face.

With a shaky exhale of breath, she laid her cheek on his shoulder and stroked the back of his head. "I didn't know what to think," she told him, a tremor in her quiet voice. "I could remember it all but it was so faint and far away, like a dream - a beautiful dream."

She gave her head a shake and tightened her arms around his neck. "I didn't want it to be a dream. I wanted to keep what I found while I forgot to let pride and fear get in the way of how I felt. But I had no idea what to say or do, in case none of it was really real."

Smiling softly, Charley lifted her head and touched his face. She traced his muzzle, his forehead, her eyes drinking him in - like she was looking at something beautiful and amazing. "So I kept quiet and waited. I remembered we were supposed to meet on Saturday, so...I knew that if you came, then it wasn't just a dream. I knew that you'd really be mine."

She cupped his face and rested her forehead against his. "And here you are," she whispered. "Mine."

Vinnie gazed into her eyes for a second more - before yanking her against him and kissing her so suddenly she let out a startled gasp. She said it wasn't a dream, but he was still convincing himself that this was real. That the woman in his arms wasn't just going to melt away and disappear. He held her as tight as he dared and kissed her lips until she was gasping for breath, and when she turned her head away for air he kissed her exposed throat, pressed his face into the softness of her hair. He inhaled deeply; she smelled as unreal as she looked.

"Yours," he confirmed, his voice thick. "Always yours."

"I know."

Smiling, she drew her hand over his head. "I remember what you told me. I'll never forget those words."

Her eyes moistened again as she lifted his chin and kissed him. "I love you too. Always."

Vinnie let his breath out slowly and closed his eyes...but he didn't mind that he was tearing up, too. He rested his cheek on his Charley-girl's shoulder and let her stroke his head, his ears, vulnerable in a way he would never let himself be with anyone else. He let her hold him and whisper that everything was all right now while all the pain he'd endured today slipped and faded away until it was gone.

He felt drained afterward, and he smiled sleepily as he picked his head up. Charley smiled in return, kissed him tenderly, then took his hands and led him into the kitchen. "You ready to eat?"

"In a minute," he said, though as they drew closer to the table he noticed that the food smelled awfully good. "I'm still savoring this."

Her eyes were full of understanding, and her smile was loving and tender as he drew his fingers over her cheek. "Now you know," he told her softly. "My heart belongs to you and only you."

His own words made him pause. He had a flash of memory of throwing the locket into the lake. His heart sank. "I-I had a present for you," he faltered. "But..."

Vinnie smiled sheepishly. "I, uh, lost it."

Charley's expression was serious as she put her arms around his neck. She gave her head a small shake before kissing his forehead. Her green eyes looked deeply into his pink ones.

"I don't need presents, Vincent. I'm happy just having you."

~Fin~