(English wasn't OW1's first language, it isn't any of the first two OW's first language and the only OW who's first language was English is OW3 but he's dyslexic so.. I, OW2, apologize in advance if OW1's writing seems badly written. I tried my best fixing his grammar mistakes but I'm still not that great at english.. OW1, as well, apologizes. He did some research to make this seem realistic to make up for his terrible grammar.)
It was a dark afternoon. The skies darkened with malicious intent as water started to carefully pour from the dark clouds. The sun's glow was dimmed by the continuous pour of rain. Clouds hid the sun behind their white and dark exterior.
It was an atmosphere fitting for what tragedy will befall the Grimaldego family.
It was the year 2012, currently the 16th day of the 3rd month of the year.
The 7 heirs of the Grimaldego family were all waiting outside a surgery room. Waiting… watching… Their mother was giving birth to their 8th offspring– heir.. They had so much hope to get a girl. After all, none of them looked like their precious mother. It'd be nice to have a turn of events, wouldn't it?
After the clock chimed 9, the baby was born. The 7 heirs were unaware of what was happening inside the delivery room, they only knew one thing, and one thing only. They were gonna get a new baby! Gender reveals were.. Not to be expected in their family. After all, surprise was their favorite element.
Meanwhile, inside the delivery room. The mother gave one last push before the baby came out of her. It was… a girl! our girl..
The mother gave a sigh of relief as she lovingly stared down at her newborn, that's when it all went black. The doctors tried to act fast but they, too, were disposed of.
The last one standing, the perpetrator, was smiling. Though it wasn't a smile that reached their eyes. Taking out a needle from their lab coat, they injected the liquid inside the needle into the woman's bloodstream. Ensuring to give the woman enough dose of Ketamine to cause permanent amnesia–or in other words–memory loss.
The perpetrator disposed of the doctor's remains then swiftly took the woman into their arms then sat her down in a wheelchair. and made sure to remove any trace of their identity. And with that, they pressed the emergency 'help needed' button as the panic set in outside the room and the red lights flickered, they wheeled the wheelchair away and ignored the chaos happening behind them, escaping before the doctors could enter the room.
They looked back for a slight second, glancing at the clearly distressed children and the tensed father. Their smile lifted ever so slightly then they turned and continued leaving, not turning back anymore as they got into the parking lot and set the woman in the back seats of their car, ensuring her safety. The baby was seated and fastened in the seat next to her mother.
The perpetrator drove off, eventually arriving at switzerland. It was a beautiful country, especially at this time of the year. They eventually stopped for gas and were talking to someone on their phone: "Expect a visit from me. I have a present for your little bundle of joy.." the perpetrator instructed, "okay.. But did you really have to call me at 3 in the morning to tell me that?" The man on the other side of the phone grumbled, "Now now.. Don't be so grumpy, Rae-rae.." the perpetrator mumbled teasingly.
A groan could be heard from the other side of the life, "Whatever, Gaby.. Just.. be careful, okay? We already lost Khian, we don't wanna lose you too.." The man from the other line as he hung up.
Our dear perpetrator, now identified as 'Gaby', let out a soft chuckle as they ran a hand through their hair.
"Rae-rae you're lucky I love you.." Gaby chuckled as they finished filling their gas tank then bought a couple of dairy queen nut chocolates, they couldn't help but shiver at the thought of eating the nut chocolate with raisins.
The road trip began as they drove, Going to Siena to stay at hotel Athena. It was currently 3: 45 in the morning, they needed to rest before driving all over to natural Iroise marine park in france. What did they call it in France over there? Erm.. Parc Naturel Marin d'Iroise, was it?
Gaby carried the woman and baby with surprising ease as they checked in their room, "Chi sono il bambino e la donna che hai portato con te, amico?" the man at the registration desk asked, "Sono la moglie e il bambino di mio fratello. Mio fratello è occupato, quindi ho dovuto prenderli dall'ospedale, ma la casa di mio fratello è lontana da qui, così ho pensato di fermarmi e registrarmi in questo hotel." Gaby said, fluently speaking italian.
"Oh? Se lo dice lei... Vuole che la accompagni alla sua stanza o preferisce trovarla da sola?" The man asked. "Starò bene da solo, però grazie per l'offerta." Gaby said as he strolled off and found his room.
They set the woman down on the bed nearest to the door with the infant beside her. Gaby sighed in relief as he laid on the other bed. The bed immediately gave him the escape from reality, time flew by like the water flowing through a river but then he bursted awake at 5: 23 in the early morning, the baby was crying. They expected this to happen. They sat up and cradled the baby in his arms, humming a soft lullaby.
"Rest, little one, close your eyes,
The stars are singing lullabies.
The moon is bright, the night is kind,
And dreams are waiting, soft and wide.
I'll be here, don't be afraid,
The dark is just a gentle shade.
The breeze will hum, the trees will sway,
And carry all your fears away.
Sleep, little one, safe and sound,
With love so big, it wraps around.
When morning comes, I'll still be near,
To hold your hand, to keep you here."
Or
"Hush, my love, close your eyes,
The stars hum songs in velvet skies.
The moon leans close, its silver light,
A lantern glowing through the night.
I'm right here, don't be scared,
The dark is soft, the night is fair.
The wind will croon, the branches sway,
And carry all your fears away.
Sleep, my heart, safe and sound,
Love so strong, it wraps around.
When dawn peeks in, all gold and bright,
I'll still be here—your guiding light."
The infant went back to sleep as the lullaby came to an end.
Gaby smiled at the infant they were cradling. Adorable.. Say.. What was the infant's name? Eh.. He'll let the little ray of sunshine name her. After all.. She was meant to be his.
Hours ticked by and he was back in the car with the woman and infant. As he drove along the road of sand lan franco. He's been driving in the car for about 4 hours and 12 minutes. He estimated it'll take exactly 11 hours and 30 minutes to arrive at Brest in france. Then It'll take another 30 minutes to get from Brest to Le Conquet. The it'll take ANOTHER 15 hours just to wait for the freighter ship to arrive. And then it'll take another 7 - 10 FUCKING DAYS for the Le Conquet to arrive to the halifax port. And then from that point they'll be on car so they'll have to drive 53 FUCKING HOURS just to go from Halifax to Lake Oswego in oregon. That's a total of 10.5 days of non stop travelling!
From Hotel Athena, to San Lanfranco, to Brest, To Le Conquet, then the wait of 15 hours, to exactly 10 days to arrive at Halifax port, and then 53 hours to arrive at Lake Oswego of Oregon.
13 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes... Rae-Rae and sunshine better be fucking grateful for all the work they had Gaby doing just to send them the package.
Though, Gaby did do this willingly and without telling them so.. He was the one at fault, right? Whatever.. That's not important…
By the 9th day and 7th hour, the woman stirred awake and sat up. "What the… where..? who.?" She mumbled as she stirred awake.
"Good morning, Archielle. You have a pleasant dream?" Gaby asked, as if it was the most normal thing ever.
"Yeah..? Archielle.. Who's Archielle..? Am I..?" The girl, identified as Archielle, mumbled as she rubbed her head.
"Your Archielle." Gaby confirmed with a slight nod as he gave a quick glance at the rear view mirror. Analyzing Archielle for a couple seconds before returning his focus on driving.
"Where.. are we.?" Archielle asked, glancing around, taking every detail of her surroundings.
"freighter ship. We're heading over to your husband's house, remember?" Gaby stated as if it was the most obvious thing ever.
"Hus.. band.?" Archielle mumbled, as of testing the name on her tongue.
"Yeah? My baby bro? Your acting strange, Archielle.. Did the doctors do something?" Gaby mumbled, His brows furrowing in worry. "Maybe I should call Rae-Rae to tell him we'll be late for sunshine's birthday." Gaby added.
"Oh- nonono!- It's fine.. I'm fine, I just.. feel weird, is all.." Archielle mumbled, waving a hand as if dismissing the idea.
"Alright then.. Can you take care of the baby for me? Can't believe you'd actually let her stay nameless until sunshine's birthday.. I never thought you to be one who'd let her infant stay nameless.. though, you did promise sunshine you'd give em' a new friend.." Gaby reminisced as he started the car engine, the engine roared and then he felt the ship stop.
"Here's our stop." Gaby stated, "Better buckle up, Archielle. Rae-Rae and sunshine'll be sad if their precious gets hurt." Gaby added as the ramp slowly descended to allow the vehicles and passengers to exit.
"You can rest or stay awake if you want. Just know it'll take 53 hours of driving to get back home." Gaby added as he drove off the ramp, and into the road.
He had one last destination. Oregon, Where his home stood firmly.
Gaby let out an exhale and smiled. He's close to home. And he knew it
The road stretched endlessly ahead, its gray surface blurred by the soft patter of rain against the windshield. The wipers moved in a slow, rhythmic dance, clearing the droplets only for more to take their place. A poetic kind of futility.
Gaby hummed to himself, fingers drumming against the steering wheel. The weight of the long journey pressed against his spine, but exhaustion wasn't new to him. Neither was responsibility. He had a woman without a past and a baby without a name in the backseat, and that was a bigger burden than the miles ahead.
He glanced at the rearview mirror.
Archielle was quiet, her fingers curled loosely around the edge of the baby's blanket. She hadn't spoken much since she woke up, and that was fine. Memory loss hit people in different ways. Some panicked, clawing at the missing pieces, desperate to fill in the gaps. Others—like Archielle—seemed to drift, untethered from everything, as if they had simply awoken in the wrong life and were waiting for someone to explain how they got there
The baby stirred in her sleep, a tiny fist rising before settling again.
Gaby smirked, tapping the side of his head. "Still no name, huh?" he thought. "Guess we really are waiting for Sunshine to fix that."
Archielle suddenly turned her gaze to him, sharp despite the haze of confusion still lingering behind her eyes.
"How long was I out?" she asked.
Gaby exhaled through his nose. "Nine days and seven hours," he answered. "Not bad, considering."
She frowned, looking down at her hands as if they belonged to someone else. "And… you know me?"
Gaby chuckled, but it was more for himself than her. "That depends. Do you want the long answer or the short one?"
Archielle hesitated. "… The truth."
That made him pause. He had been expecting deflection. Evasion. Maybe even fear. But she was looking at him like she needed something to hold onto.
He considered her for a moment, then sighed, tilting his head slightly. "Alright, here's the truth: I know of you. I know your name. I know you belong to my little brother. I know you just had a baby, and I know that someone didn't want you to remember any of that."
Her grip on the blanket tightened. "And you just… took me?"
Gaby snorted. "No, Archielle. I saved you."
Silence settled between them, thick and heavy like a storm cloud before the lightning struck.
Archielle's gaze dropped to the infant beside her, as if searching for something familiar in the tiny features. But whatever she was looking for, she didn't find it.
Gaby didn't push her. She'd get there. Or she wouldn't. Either way, it wasn't his problem to fix.
His only job was getting them home.
Oregon – 53 Hours Later
The drive was long. The kind that sunk into your bones and made time stretch like old taffy. They had stopped when necessary—food, gas, occasional stretches of legs—but Gaby pushed through most of it. He was used to running on fumes.
Archielle, on the other hand, barely spoke. It wasn't that she was quiet—no, she thought loudly. He could see it in the way she traced invisible shapes against the window, the way her brows knitted together as she stared at things that didn't seem to register.
She was trying to piece together a puzzle with no edge pieces.
By the time they rolled into Lake Oswego, Oregon, the air had changed. The trees stood tall and still, shadows stretching long against the pavement. The town was quiet this late at night, save for the occasional car humming by.
And then there was the house.
Large, nestled in the trees, with lights glowing faintly through the wide windows. It was the kind of place that felt more like a fortress than a home.
Gaby pulled into the driveway and killed the engine.
Archielle stared at the house, her fingers tightening slightly against her arms. She wasn't trembling. But she was bracing.
The front door opened before Gaby could knock.
A man stood in the doorway. Tall, with sharp features and a gaze that could slice through glass. His dark eyes immediately locked onto Archielle, something flickering behind them—something unreadable.
And then, his gaze shifted to the baby.
Still nameless. Still swaddled in uncertainty.
"… You're 4 days late," he muttered.
Gaby smirked. "Traffic was a bitch."
The man—a guard perhaps?—didn't react. He simply stepped aside.
Gaby turned to Archielle, offering a lazy salute. "Alright, sweetheart. This is where I clock out. You're in good hands now."
Archielle didn't move.
Gaby sighed, running a hand through his hair before stepping forward and lowering his voice. "Listen… Everything's gonna be alright now, you're in great hands. Rae-rae's not a fighter nor does he know how to throw punches."
"Hey, Gabriel.. You know I'm gonna drag you in here as well, right?" the man stated as he looked at Gaby.
"Wait– no- don't you dare!" Gaby–whom the man called 'Gabriel'–tried defying the man's will. But the Man was too strong and managed to drag him and the woman along with the infant into the house.
Gabriel barely had a second to react before the man's grip tightened, dragging him and Archielle inside with startling ease. The door shut behind them with a heavy thud, sealing them into the dimly lit entryway.
The air inside was thick, warm but stale, like a house too big for the people living in it. Shadows stretched long against polished floors, the glow from a chandelier above casting sharp angles across the walls. The scent of old wood and faint cologne lingered—familiar, but distant.
Archielle stiffened beside him, her fingers tightening against her arms. Her gaze flickered from the grand staircase to the archways leading deeper inside, but nothing sparked recognition. It was just a house. A beautiful one, sure, but empty of meaning.
Gabriel exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders as he freed himself from the man's grip. "You know, Luci," he drawled, "I don't appreciate being manhandled."
The man—Luci(?)—shot him a flat look, but his focus wasn't on Gabriel. It was on Archielle.
He studied her, dark eyes scanning every inch of her face, searching for something unseen. He looked at her like she was a book missing half its pages, like he was trying to read between the lines.
She didn't react. Didn't flinch, didn't pull away. But Gabriel, ever perceptive, noticed the way her breath hitched ever so slightly. The way she angled herself, just barely, toward the baby in her arms.
Protective. Even without her memories, that part of her remained.
Luci's gaze flickered down to the infant, his jaw tightening just a fraction before he turned away. "Follow me."
It wasn't a request.
Gabriel sighed dramatically, stretching his arms over his head. "God, you're still as warm and inviting as ever, Luci. Truly, your hospitality astounds me."
Luci ignored him, already moving.
Archielle hesitated.
Gabriel noticed, of course he did. He always noticed.
"You coming, sweetheart?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Archielle's grip on the baby shifted, as if grounding herself. Her gaze met his, unsure but steady. "Do I have a choice?"
Gabriel grinned. Not his usual lazy smirk—something sharper. Something amused. "Nope."
Her lips pressed together, but she nodded once. Then, without another word, she followed.
The house swallowed them whole, its quiet halls stretching endlessly ahead. The past lay waiting somewhere inside these walls.
And Archielle was about to walk straight into it.
(Started: 11/03/2025 - Finished: 11/03/2025 - Published: 18/03/2025)
(Written By OW1 - Edited by OW2 - Reviewed By OW3 - Proofread by OW1's Irl bestie)