Chapter |1|

•Eight Weeks Later•

"Where's the doctor? My sister's awake!" Eliot Pereira called out into the hallway outside the hospital room they had all spent the best part of two months in.

A short while later, the doctor charged in, accompanied by a few other nurses. Everyone immediately focused on the girl on the bed looking around in disorientation.

"Eden," the doctor greeted as he approached her bedside. "How are you feeling?"

Her response was to blink up at him. "Who are you?"

"I'm Dr. Lahey, you've been on my watch since you came out of surgery. And might I say, you, Eden Pereira, are one hell of a fighter."

She continued to blink in confusion. "What's going on? Why am I in a hospital?"

"I'll answer all your questions in due time." He checked her vitals as he spoke. "But please answer mine first."

After a moment of pause, she gave a tiny nod.

"Can you tell me your full name and age?"

"Eden McKenna Pereira. I'm thirteen."

The room went deathly silent. It took the doctor himself a few seconds to recover. "Okay then. How are you feeling? Any lingering pain?"

"Not really. My throat just feels scratchy."

"That's a given. You've been out for a while. Anything else?"

"Um...my head feels really fuzzy and I can hardly feel some parts of me."

"That's the pain meds. Your family insisted we keep you on them throughout so you didn't feel any unnecessary pain. I personally approve. Feeling pain of any kind, especially too soon, could be upsetting. We have to be real careful with you, and you have to be careful yourself. I'll advise you to just relax and focus all your strength on getting better. No trying to catch up, at least for now. Okay, Eden?"

"Yeah, I guess." She smiled weakly.

"No problem on that front." This came from the farthest corner of the room, spoken by the hard-eyed blonde on the couch. "Unless she really thinks she's thirteen. Do you really, Eden, or is this another one of your stupid jokes?"

"What are you..." Eden broke off, suddenly crying out in pain. "My head!"

The nurses worked fast, injecting her with anaesthetic that put her out instantly. Dr. Lahey, now grim-faced, turned to the family. "Can I see you all outside?"

They stepped outside of the room, leaving behind a nurse who stayed to keep monitoring Eden.

"What on earth?!" Eliana exclaimed once the other nurse had left, leaving only the doctor out there in the hallway with them. "This has to be a sick joke. She can't really think she's thirteen. And why were you so relaxed about it?"

"Keep in mind you were warned of the possibility. It's a very common occurrence for patients in this situation to experience some deterioration of memory. She'll be fine."

"Really?" Regina, the straight-faced blonde, asked doubtfully. "This is normal?"

"Yes," the doctor emphasized. "And I need to ask that you all to refrain from saying anything that may upset her." His eyes were fixed solely on her. "Anything at all. We told you the first week of her regaining consciousness would be almost as delicate as her time spent in coma. She needs no form of strain on her, especially mentally. Am I clear?"

They all acquiesced, Regina merely shrugging.

"How long till she gets back the rest of her memory?" Eliot asked.

"I can't say, every patient is different. It may be very soon, or much later. But what I do know is we are not to rush it. Once she's feeling up to it, we'll run some tests to know what exactly is wrong. For now, be really happy she pulled through the first hurdle."

•• •• •• ••

In the next couple of days, Eden drifted in and out of consciousness, finally coming awake fully one evening. When she came to, she was less confused than the last time, her gaze immediately taking in the room she was in. She was alone except for her mom and Eliot.

"Baby, you're awake!" Eliana rushed to her side, making for her hand.

Eden abruptly pulled away, turning to her other side where Eliot stood. "Water," she requested to which her older brother obliged, holding a glass to her lips for her to guzzle down.

"You okay?" he asked once she had wiped her mouth and laid back down.

"Yeah. Where's the doctor?"

"I already hit the call button," Eliana said, to which Eden didn't respond.

"Where's dad?" she asked her brother. "And Rubin?"

"He's in London for a year. I don't know if you remember that."

"I remember now. He's working a case there."

Eliot frowned. "You remember that?"

"Yeah. Why won't I?" She started to rise again, groaning and giving up. "God, what parts I can feel, feel so sore. How long was I out again?"

Before he could answer, the doctor came in. "I see Sleeping Beauty's awake." With a half smile, he arrived at her side while Eliana stepped back, still staring at her daughter in confusion.

Eden faced the doctor with a blank look. "I doubt I would have liked that comparison at any point in my life, and definitely not now. When the fuck can I leave, doctor?"

"Language!" reprimanded Eliana but Eden continued to act like she wasn't in the room.

"I have some questions to ask you," the doctor said, unfazed.

She groaned but nodded for him to go on.

"Full name and age?"

"Eden McKenna Pereira. Sixteen years old."

From behind, Eliana drew in a sharp breath. "No."

Choosing to ignore the obvious tension between them, the doctor focused on his patient. "Headache, Eden?"

"Fuck yeah. It's barely tolerable. Where's dad, Eli?"

"Calm down, Eden," Dr. Lahey instructed when he saw her trying to sit up. "You shouldn't get worked up. You're recovering from a very serious accident. Can you tell me the last thing you remember?"

"I don't recall being in an accident." Her tone grew less terse at this information.

"That's no surprise. It'll all come back to you soon. Tell me what you remember last before waking up here?"

Her voice was steady but barely audible when she answered. "I think I was having dinner out with my two brothers. We wanted to cheer ourselves up when we found out we were down a parent." She acknowledged her mom for the first time by sending her a very short look loaded with barely contained anger. "Doctor, why did I think I was thirteen before?"

"First, can you tell me what you remember from the time?" he questioned.

"Not much. I remember some things you said and I said, but not much else. I know there were people with me in the room but I can't see their faces."

He nodded. "Get some rest, Eden. Don't worry about anything for now. I'll come check on you again soon." When she listened, closing her eyes, he turned towards Eliana. "A word please, Mrs. Pereira?"

Eliana stepped outside with the doctor, and for once didn't immediately demand an update. She was busy staring into space instead.

"As usual, good news and bad news," Lahey started. "A fighter like your daughter, there is hope she makes a full recovery. Most people get back parts of their memory after months. She took a couple of days. If nothing hinders her progress, she might be able to make a full recovery in only a handful of weeks."

Eliana finally looked on him, managing a shallow smile. "That's good."

"But, I suspect she may suffer from PTSD and that won't be easy to deal with. There may disorientation, catatonia, and migraines the first few months. She may experience loss of self, frequent mood swings and loss of consciousness if she puts too much strain on herself. This accident will change things about her. The Eden in there might not be the same one you've always known."

Hearing the news, Eliana blinked back tears. "I'll tell my family."

•• •• •• ••

When she woke again, Eden roused with a groan. This time, it was her entire family who rushed to her side, though Eliana stayed a few feet back.

"I've called for the doctor," Eliot informed. "You okay, sis?"

She mumbled incoherently under her breath, blinking a few times to clear her gaze. Once she did, she noticed her mom hanging back with tear-soaked cheeks. "Mom, please don't cry. I'm okay."

Eliana's eyes widened. "You're talking to me again?"

Eden frowned. "Why wouldn't I talk to you?"

Eliana came closer, sobbing in relief as she brushed her daughter's cheek. "No reason, baby. I'm just glad you're okay. You were unconscious for days again. You had us all worried."

"What about dad's heart?" With widened eyes, she began to rise, ignoring the protests not to.

Rafael took her pale hand in his to put her at ease. "I'm fine, pearl. In fact, I've never felt so relieved." He planted a kiss on the back. "All you need to worry about is recovering, and I know you will. You've shown even the doctors here what an amazing fighter you are. I'm so proud."

She smiled back weakly.

As they all shared their anxiety and relief, Eden's eyes roved all over her room. Noticing her distraction, Eliana asked, "What's the matter?"

"Something's weird," she observed. "And I don't just mean Regina looking concerned about me. Someone isn't here."

"Rubin is still away, remember?" Eliot reminded her gently.

Eden gave a shake of her head. "Not him."

Before she could elaborate, the doctor arrived, right next to a stern-looking nurse with red hair mixed with greys. This nurse Eden couldn't remember seeing any of the times she'd been awake but then, she hardly remembered seeing her family too.

Dr. Lahey approached her with an easy smile. "Eden, our prized fighter. How are you today? How are you feeling?"

"Good. And before you ask, my name's Eden McKenna Pereira and I'm twenty-five." At all their appalled faces, she chuckled. "Just kidding. I'm seventeen. Almost eighteen."

"Eighteen, wow." He went quiet for a few minutes while listening to her heartbeat. "Any special plans?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. We have a lot planned, we're both gonna be eighteen." She paused, blinking. "Ripley," she whispered. "That's who isn't here."

The entire room went quiet. The nurse who has been otherwise impassive released a small wince. "Are you sure you're okay? No more headaches?" the doctor seemed to divert.

"Just a tiny one. Where's Ripley? Why isn't she here with me?"

Dr. Lahey stepped back. "We'll run some tests now to see what comes up."

"Where's Ripley?" she demanded more loudly from her family. "You're all here, I see no reason she shouldn't. She would have been here before any of you."

Eliot smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "When you feel better, we'll catch up."

"No." She tried getting out of bed, earning her a disapproving glare from the nurse. "I don't feel like she's okay, I need to see if she's okay. She's supposed to be here. Why isn't she here? Is she alright?"

Dr. Lahey tried calming her down. "Please remain calm, Eden. You're doing so well already, you getting worked up could change that. Nik, please sedate her."

"No, I need to know where the fuck Ripley is!" Turning away from the nurse who was injecting something through her IV drip, Eden faced her mother but Eliana was unable to look her daughter in the eye. Seeing this, she faced her father instead. "Ripley, dad?"

Rafael smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Eden."

"No..." She tried fighting the drugs but didn't know how. Almost immediately, she grew heavy-eyed and dazed. "She's...she's supposed to be here. She's my best friend," she whispered right before she passed out, the nurse slowly lowering her body back on the bed.

It seemed longer but only a few hours had passed when Eden opened her eyes to find the same stern-faced nurse and the doctor on both sides of her bed. "Where am I?" she asked.

"Still in the hospital," the nurse answered, her voice sounding farther than it was.

"Oh." Eden peered up at the doctor. "Ripley was in the accident with me, wasn't she? I think I remember now. We came down here for a vacation with my family and we went to the beach. We were trying to have fun, and we took one of the speedboats out. I think it was faulty. We crashed out in the water." She grunted, holding her head. "My head really hurts."

"It's okay, Eden. Just relax. I'm gonna up your pain meds so you're comfortable while we run your tests."

As he and the nurse did so, she asked, "Is Ripley okay too?"

"Ripley was upstairs, but her parents already came to pick her up," Lahey answered after a pause. He didn't mention he was talking about the morgue and her parents had later come for the girl's corpse. "You're my priority, Eden, so let me focus on you. Okay?"

"Hmm..." The medication was definitely kicking in. She was no longer clutching her head, and her eyes had gone droopy again.

Lahey faced the red-haired nurse. "Get everything ready."

She left, and a few moments later returned with a few others pushing in a stretcher. Eden was lifted from her bed onto it, while her family watched anxiously from a corner in the room.

"Am I leaving now?" Eden hopefully asked. "I don't want to be here anymore."

Eliana decided she couldn't stand the sight, burying her face in her husband's chest. Even Regina looked away from the scene. Only Eliot managed to put his sister at ease. "It'll all be over soon, I promise."

Eden sighed. "Okay, Eli. Tell Rip I'm gonna see her soon."

Those were her last words before she was led her away on the stretcher.

Right outside where she was scheduled to undergo her tests, a mix-up had most of the nurses scurrying around to find an empty room, and in the chaos, Eden was unknowingly left on her own. Her mind was still clouded with the effects of drugs, but she realized she was alone for the first time since waking up.

Her mind hazy and confused, she tried sitting up to no avail. She didn't understand why she had been left alone, so decided it was because they were under attack. Her mind raced with what to do and how to get to safety. Not for her though.

"Gotta skip before they find me," she muttered, finally succeeding in getting up. She couldn't meet her maker today. Ripley would come after her when she found out and kill her all over again. On shaky legs, she twisted her head left and right to look around, blinking numerous times to clear her vision.

On a whim, she chose right and headed that way, leaning against the walls as she stumbled more than walked. Hardly a minute of stumbling, she noticed a really huge figure only a few feet away from her facing their back to her. One of the attackers maybe.

If his size hadn't been clue enough, the voice assured her he was male. Unlike her, he was talking to someone, yelling at them over the phone. He was describing in detail ways he would rip apart someone's insides and make them choke on it, making Eden swallow nervously. She hoped it wasn't her. Her puny stature didn't stand a chance against such a giant, especially in the drug haze she was in.

But when the giant mention the name Jack, she figured she had gotten it all wrong. He wasn't here for her. She wasn't in a hospital. She, she had landed in the world of Jack, the giant slayer. "Cool. I think that's the one fairytale I actually enjoyed," she muttered out loud, chuckling to herself.

The giant heard her, much to her chagrin, and she watched him freeze, going quiet. Before he could turn to her, she backed up against the wall, pressing her back to it and squeezing her eyes shut. If she pretended she wasn't there, maybe she'd be invisible to him.

Wrong, and it was too late to change her mind. She heard footsteps get close to her and stop, before she felt a shadow looming over her. This was it, she decided, the end of Eden Pereira's rather short existence.

"Fucking Eden Pereira?!" a baritone voice growled. Yes, growled.

Her eyes flew open with a gasp. "The giant knows my name. Save me Jack!" she yelled, then proceeded to keep her mouth shut. Not because of his hard glare though. No, it was because of his face. The beautiful perfection marred by the blood dripping down both his temples. "Poor giant. Jack already got to you."

The giant frowned at her like she was out of her mind. "I heard she was in an accident," he said but didn't seem to be speaking to her. This was when she noticed he was still holding his phone to his ear. "My fucking luck she's in the same hospital as me." He didn't sound like he considered it good luck. Weird giant, Eden thought. "I wonder where her fifth limb is. She wouldn't leave her friend by herself for a minute if she had any say, which she always does."

Eden turned somber at once, remembering she wasn't actually in a fairytale. "They wouldn't tell me if she's okay. The doctor said she went home without seeing me but he's lying. He's an asshole doctor. Can you take me to see Ripley, giant?"

His frown deepened. "Is Ripley okay? Fuck, let me call you back, okay?" He didn't wait for the other person's reply, cutting the call. He fixed Eden with an intent stare, as if confirming that all her limbs were in place. Weirdly, something about his eyes felt so familiar. "Eden, are you okay? And where the fuck is Ripley? She wouldn't leave your side even if you were in an operating room."

"I miss her too. All I know is I'm gonna die and she's gonna kill me. Wait, you're too beautiful for a giant, are you an angel instead? You've come to take me." Eden could feel her senses gradually leaving her, proven by her irrational words.

"What?" He looked bewildered. "Don't scare me, Eden. Tell me what's going on."

She really was out of it, mumbling a bunch of things to him even she didn't understand. All she knew was a large, warm hand stayed wrapped around hers, until the nurses came in search of her and found her with the giant, taking her away from him. For some reason, that hurt more than anything she had felt since waking up.