Memories (Gene & Aimee)

Gene wiped his eyes as he laid fresh flowers on his wife and child's grave. He knew that only the one labelled, "Trinity Downie" actually had a body in it, he couldn't find Aimee, but the inferno and explosion made getting out alive a practical impossibility.

"I'm a lot better now, Aimee. I still miss you though. I sleep in our child's room now... I still work at Hogwarts and still am single! No worries there! Anyway, I brought the chocolate brownies I bought for you when we first met..." He gave a teary sort of laugh and took out a box of chocolate brownies from Diagon alley, and then, he took out his handkerchief and started wiping the tombstone where their pictures were, and he sat down in front of his wife and child's grave, burying his head in his hands before he looked at the tombstone again.

"Truth be told, I can't move forward. It's all my fault that you two have left me for good. It's all my fault..." He wept and slammed his head against the tombstone a few times and wailed at the tombstone's foot, until he heard someone behind him.

Coughing, he hastily wiped away his tears and made to look around.

"Who goes there?"

Aimee, if indeed that was her name, had been wandering around for some months now without a clue about a couple of things, who she was, where she had come from and why she had ended up in a hospital were included in those wonderances. However there was a new peice to the puzzle, apparently she had her own grave stone and she was going to try and find it.

Softly she approached the space a kindly old man said it would be but there was a person sitting there, crying, a flash of memory burst through her mind, did she...did she know him? Twiddling the ring on her finger awkwardly Aimee coughed.

"Why are you crying sir?"

Aimee asked politely:

"Did you know them?"

He blinked at the lady and he shook his head.

He stared at her again... No, not possible.

"Aimee?" He said, but somehow, he convinced himself that he was delusional, and he wiped his tears away hastily and put on that forced smile he had trained himself to give.

"Of course, they're my wife and child. Left me behind when they went to meet the angels." He sighed, and knelt in front of their tombs, and gently stroked the tombstones, trying not to look at the lady. She bore a striking resemblance to Aimee. But it was not possible.

Aimee looked at the man closely, that flash of a memory, a memory where they had kissed was still running through her mind and she thought that maybe she might have known him. Walking over to the grave she looked at the picture and unbeknownst to her a tear fell from her eyes, as if she was crying but couldn't remember the reason.

"This must be the one the man told me about, you see, this man thought he'd seen a ghost when he saw me, said it wasn't possible just like you, turns out I should have been buried right here."

Laughing a little Aimee shrugged her shoulders:

"But I'm not so, hey, what's your name? I can't shake the feeling I know you..."

"Bauer? He was my assistant. And tending to this grave was his utmost responsibility..." He whispered, not looking up, still wiping the grave stone until it sparkled, and he sat down in front of it, and opened the box of brownies he had bought for his deceased wife.

"Here, Aimee... When we met in Diagon Alley, and I pointed my wand at you... Then the little house hunting we did together... Fond memories. Remember Siberia?" He said, talking to his wife's picture on the tombstone.

"To your health." He sat to the tombstone and took out a flask of wine and poured it on the area in front of the grave before drinking from the flask itself.

He turned to look at the lady.

"You bear a striking resemblance to my wife... Pray. I do not enjoy your company... My wife and child... All gone... My life wasted..." He gave the forced smile, and coughed, trying to hold back the tears as he gave the tombstone a pat, and went to Trinity's grave now.

"Here! I bought you these!" He said, smiling, trying to lie to himself, and placed a toy doll in front of the grave, and reached into his bag and took out the photo of the scan that Aimee had given him a year before Trinity was born.

"See? You were so small then... Haha..." He smiled weakly.

"I am Gene. Gene Christopher Downie..." He muttered as a response to her question.

Aimee looked at the man and she wondered if it would be best for her to go and leave this man on his own to grieve properly, biting her lip she played with the ring on her finger, smiling she looked up at him.

"She must have been a very...wait..."

Frowning a little a memory came through, he was fuzzy but she could tell that it was this man, she also had another flash of memory after a battle, he was there, bodies were everywhere.

"House hunting...there was a battle right? I taught you something...was that you?"

Aimee looked at the picture of the baby and her eyes grew wide in recognition:

"That's my baby...Trinity. I forgot her name. How could I have done that?"

"House hunting? Yes... Correct, Aimee... I'm glad you remember. Those Death Eaters. Taught me mercy... Right there, Aimee." He said, while facing Trinity, really thinking that Aimee's spirit in heaven had replied him.

When he was dragged back to Earth, he glared at the lady and held the baby scan protectively.

"Your child? She is Aimee and MINE. Lady, do not assume things that you shouldn't. Don't rub salt on my wounds. And my wounds are deep." He spat.

"And that ring. Is that some sort of a joke? I had that ring specially crafted for Aimee when I proposed to her in France." He glared and pointed at the ring on her finger, then walked to Aimee's grave.

"Pray. Aimee, your husband will join you in the heavens soon. Very soon, I promise." He smiled, and kissed the picture on the tombstone.

"An imposter here has so many things in common with you. Must be another plan of my business opponents to kill me. But I welcome it now... I welcome it dear... I want to see you..." He took out his pistol and handed it to the lady.

"Do it. Shoot. I'm waiting." He stood between Aimee and Trinity's grave, clutching the baby scan.

Aimee growled and slapped Gene full force across the face, she stood up and glared over him her anger unmatched by anything, how dare he! The only thing she did remember was that child and she was her baby!

"How very dare you! That child is mine! How dare you insult the only memory I truly have left, the only thing I remember is the crash where she died, her...it should have been me...I deserved it after what I did to Kendra...Kendra? My sister? Twin."

Utterly confused Aimee looked at the gun and shook her head, she just reached out and touched Genes hand, looking up into his eyes that used to be so clear, but now were tormented and red.

"Gene...why do you ask me to kill you? I have amnesia I don't know who I am really I just have a few odd memories, I don't think I was supposed to kill you and I don't work for anyone..."

As Gene was slapped, he bellowed when he heard her answer.

"You are NOT AIMEE DOWNIE. THE CHILD IS AIMEE AND MINE! Kendra? Don't even get started about her. Aimee never dared to mention her twin sister even in front of me! You bloody imposter!" He shoved her.

"Shoot dammit! Let me see my wife again! Don't touch me! The crash... I should have died. Not both of them! If that bloody rocket only blew up MY side of the limousine! Not theirs! You work for my rivals! And don't pretend otherwise! That ring, everything! You have been sent by them to complete my misery! Someone who looks like my wife killing me! DO IT YOU BITCH! SHOOT!" He roared, a demented one if so, for he truly missed his late wife and wanted to see her and his child again.

"Then, our honeymoon together was lovely... Oh yes after house hunting... Aimee and I went to Saudi, one of my private resorts... Then she hated armies and violence... Siberia, that trip was." He said, looking at Aimee's grave fondly.

"Your only memory... You make it sound as if it was SO convincing. Back off! I saw the explosion. I saw it happen. My body will lie where Aimee's should have been. The explosion..." His voice trailed away as he closed his eyes.

Aimee suddenly remembered everything that had ever happened to her with Gene and she gasped, looking at what he had become, she felt herself beginning to cry, Genr didn't recognise her she didn't think that she could do anything else to convince him.

"Gene...please..."

She bit her lip and stood up taking one look at her Childs grave and placing a kiss upon it, smiling softly Aimee blew a kiss to Gene.

"I'll leave you to grieve, I hope that you manage to get over your wife, she would be horrified to know you have ended up like this."

Aimee gasped slightly, bit her lip again and started to walk off and thought about what she was going to do now, not adding the part she wanted to, that she loved him and missed him.

"She? Horrified? Yes. But where are you going! Wait! My gun!" He shouted and went after her, and took back his gun, and accidentally bumped into her, knocking her loosely fit ring from her.

"I... Take it back." He picked it up, and as his finger slid under the jewel, his eyes widened and he looked at it.

It said-
To Aimee Downie, From Genie

And there was an unmistakable symbol of a Genie lamp that he had carved there as a joke.

He backed away, and asked the lady silently, his tone suddenly dangerous.

"Where did you get this ring from? It is really hers..."

Aimee gasped as he knocked into her an sent her flying to the ground, she rubbed her arm and her face was scratched by a hard part of stone, her eyes filled with tears and she held her hand out for the ring.

"I can't look at you Gene. I just can't."

Smiling softly Aimee whispered:

"I have it because you gave it to me."

Looking up at Gene Aimee curled up into a ball and tried to think about all of the good things that she and Gene did together and that she probably wouldn't live much longer, Gene being mad as he was.

As the lady curled into a ball, it was exactly how Aimee did it everytime, just too similar, and her voice... Upon closer inspection, was that of Aimee's.

"Aimee..?" He whispered and went to her and knelt down beside her, and when he looked at her for a moment more, it was indeed her... Just her... No way... But...

His tears flowing now, he embraced Aimee, crying, wailing.

"I missed you... Where were you... Where were you... God... where were you... Where were you... Please... Your real... Please... Your real..." He kept repeating.

Aimee felt Genes arms around her and she felt better automatically, she hugged him close to her and she snuggled into his chest her own tears coming down thick and fast.

"Gene, you believe me, you believe me...it's me Gene, your Aimee, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't find you earlier."

Looking up into her eyes Aimee bit her lip, now she remembered she felt the cold pang of loss run through her, she missed her child and the horror of what had happened with Gene since she had left him.

"I am real, I'm here. The crash, it gave me amnesia. I was taken to a Muggle hospital and I couldn't remember a thing."

"So you were alive... I was hunted for a while... I couldn't find you..." He fit the ring over her finger and it fit perfectly, and he was choked with tears. His wife was still alive!

"It's okay. Rather you alive than anything else." He said, laughing, wiping his tears off and kissed her cheek hesitantly.

It was the same... It's Aimee...

"Rather amnesia than you dead.. Come Aimee..." He helped her up, and gave her the baby scan as he took her to his car, just a simple land rover, like how Aimee liked it.

Rain started pouring, so Gene started the engine and began to drive slowly.

"You have been okay, Aimee?" He smiled a little, only letting go of her hand after a long time so as to steer.

Aimee smiled at Gene and nodded her head, she wished that she hadn't had amnesia it would have been so much easier, she had even forgotten that she was a witch for a short amount of time until she had found her wand.

"Yes, I only wish I had encountered Bauer before today, so that you could have seen me and perhaps not gotten like this."

As the rain came Aimee got up, sheltered the picture and placed a soft loving kiss on his lips and got into the car, shaking her head she cleared it of water and grinned happily.

"Oh Gene I'm so happy! I'm so happy i found you...how have you been? Not done anything stupid? Like killing someone or something."

Smiling again Aimee nodded "Yes love, I've been fine."

"Have you any idea how much I missed you.." He whispered. but decided not to blame her any further. He had missed her and that she was alive, it was all that mattered.

"No, didn't kill anyone. Tried to kill myself only. That fool Bauer found me, everytime." He smiled sadly, and rolled up his sleeves, to show her some cuts at the wrist.

"I'm happy to hear that..." He smiled and pulled up at the side of the road, and squeezed himself through the centre of the car to sit beside Aimee.

He quickly held her hand and pinched himself to convince himself that she was real, not a hallucination nor dream.

"Have you seen your parents yet?"

Aimee smiled and kept hold of his hand not wanting to do anything just in case it made them crash again, something she had no desire to do herself and she was sure that Gene wouldn't.

"I do now, and I give you full permission to install a chip in me or something so you can always find me."

As they pulled over to the side of the road Aimee took hold of Genes arm and stroked the scars, kissing them softly before glaring up at Gene it taking all her will power not to slap him again.

"That's even more stupid Gene! Never! Ever! Do that."

Nodding Aimee laughed loudly, remembering the encounter with her parents:

"Yes, I thought they were stalking me so kicked dad in the 'male area' and ran off, ah the fun."

"Now that idea is tempting. The chip..." He was seriously giving it due thought, and he shrugged, before he hugged her, and buried his head in her arms, trying to feel her warm touch against him.

"I missed you..." He sobbed slightly, and held her tightly, as if he was a child.

"We must go to Scotland at once, your parents must miss you dearly, but do you want to go home first?" He smiled a little, and got back to the front, and started the engine, and continued the slow drive with the rain getting heavier.

Aimee smiled softly and ruffled Genes hair, there was no way that she was getting separated from him again and if a chip was what it took then that was fine by her, she would gladly have one.

"I don't mind my love, I don't want to be lost from you again."

Slightly awkwardly given the angle he was lying on her Aimee hugged Gene into her arms and ran her fingers over his lips with a soft smile.

"There there. I'm here now, I'm here."

Aimee pouted and strapped herself back in as Gene started to drive again:

"Home first, I can't handle parentals just yet."

Gene drove slowly up the lane, and he stopped as they reached his house.

The house was still well-kept, but when he took her inside...

The master bedroom had been converted into something like an Aimee museum, where photos of her hung, and Gene had a mattress on the floor where their baby child was supposed to have slept, but otherwise, the house looked exactly like before.

"Ah..." Gene entered his room and his hand went to feel the cot, which was obviously empty, and he shook it a little and his eyes reddened, but he coughed and took Aimee to her "museum".

"Now that you're back, I'd dare say most of my sanity is back..." He smiled a little.

Aimee smiled as she was driven up the road to their house, she sighed happily as there was no place quite like home and she had missed hers terribly now that she remembered it. As soon as the car pulled up she jumped out and ran to the door.

"I can't wait to flop down onto the bed..."

As she was led upstairs seeing Gene rock the empty cot made her heart twinge and she hugged him from behind.

"Hush love, we will tackle that later okay?"

Aimee raised her eyebrow at the master bedroom and looked at Gene then at her mural, then back at Gene.

"Awwwh that's so sweet Gene, but, now im back, it's kind of weird, you missed me that much eh?"

"I think... When you have thought your wife dead for a year... And couldn't be bothered living anymore... Yes... I missed you..." He said, a sad smile arching his lips.

"At least I did bother to keep the rest of the house in order. I still am a hygiene freak..." He laughed a little, and glanced around the master bedroom, and now in his clear mental state, it did occur to him that he did go mad for a short period of time.

"How are you anyway?" He said, taking her to the living room to sit down.

Aimee bit her lip, scratching her head a lot had passed her by since shed been ill and she wondered what had happened exactly in that year, something truly horrible or truly wonderful could have happened and shed missed put on it.

"It's really been a year? Hm. I haven't noticed."

Smiling softly at Gene Aimee realised that if the roles had been reversed she wouldn't have done things any differently.

"But were together now! And that's what counts."

Aimee let herself be lead towards the sofa and she sprawled all over it, sighing happily, just contented to be back in her house with her husband.

"I'm alive, and that's all I can ask for myself. You?"

"I think I've been better. But seeing you makes it all the better." He smiled a little and hugged her.

"Are you hungry? I haven't cooked in a while." He laughed, and headed to the basement to bring out some bottles of wine, and two glasses, and he placed it at the coffee table in the living room and poured out two glasses worth.

"To our reunion." He smiled. He really didn't want to talk about the child, for he himself had not recovered from it.