[ Alan's doing his best to make mental notes of this; maybe he won't remember, or maybe the Dark Presence will find a way to pull the memories out of his mind, but he wants to remember this. He wants to remember everything, but that seems to be more of a tall order. ] So that's what's happening now, and it happened in 2010. And probably more times than that, but the average person wouldn't know that, right?
Just- just trying to make sure I'm following.
[ Alan's expression darkens slightly, but he doesn't react more than that. ]
Maybe you should. But maybe the Dark Presence is bigger than all of you. Maybe... [ Something seems to click in his mind, finally. Maybe no one else could force him to realize it; maybe he needed to realize it on his own, and now that he has, he realizes how stupid he's been. ] Maybe I do need to work together with you, if you'll still have me. Or interrogate me. Whatever.
[ He's really given them no reason to want to work with him, after all. He probably deserves to be detained, with the key thrown away.
Steve places the photograph in front of him, and Alan's gaze zeroes in on it almost immediately.
He jerks back from it as if something about it burned him, but that's not it. That's not why he's suddenly clutching his head again. A switch flipped in his mind, and the memories that have been blocked or repressed or whatever it is are coming flooding back.
Steve's words register in his mind even as he holds his head and stares at the picture. It takes a few tries for Alan to be able to speak, and when he does, his voice sounds strangled, but the words are clear enough: ]
Jesse... I remember. I remember telling her- promising her I wouldn't forget. [ Fingers curl tighter against his head and his eyes squeeze shut. ] Why did I forget?
[ He shakes his head and his eyes slide open again, but he doesn't look at Steve, choosing instead to stare at the picture. ] She probably doesn't even want to see me now that I forgot. Some reunion.
no subject
Just- just trying to make sure I'm following.
[ Alan's expression darkens slightly, but he doesn't react more than that. ]
Maybe you should. But maybe the Dark Presence is bigger than all of you. Maybe... [ Something seems to click in his mind, finally. Maybe no one else could force him to realize it; maybe he needed to realize it on his own, and now that he has, he realizes how stupid he's been. ] Maybe I do need to work together with you, if you'll still have me. Or interrogate me. Whatever.
[ He's really given them no reason to want to work with him, after all. He probably deserves to be detained, with the key thrown away.
Steve places the photograph in front of him, and Alan's gaze zeroes in on it almost immediately.
He jerks back from it as if something about it burned him, but that's not it. That's not why he's suddenly clutching his head again. A switch flipped in his mind, and the memories that have been blocked or repressed or whatever it is are coming flooding back.
Steve's words register in his mind even as he holds his head and stares at the picture. It takes a few tries for Alan to be able to speak, and when he does, his voice sounds strangled, but the words are clear enough: ]
Jesse... I remember. I remember telling her- promising her I wouldn't forget. [ Fingers curl tighter against his head and his eyes squeeze shut. ] Why did I forget?
[ He shakes his head and his eyes slide open again, but he doesn't look at Steve, choosing instead to stare at the picture. ] She probably doesn't even want to see me now that I forgot. Some reunion.