Forgive and Forget: A Billie Joe Story

I feel my heart pound against my ribs as I continue to stare at Billie. I want to look away but can't. Susan clears her throat, attracting my attention.

"I'd like to try an experiment with you two," she says. Billie looks at her.

"What kind of experiment," he asks.

"I can't explain it to you unless you agree to it now. It might remake or rebreak your relationship with Ellie."

"Has anyone else tried this before?" She nods.

"Yes. Most of the time, though, the result was not good." I look at Billie, but instantly look away when his eyes are on me.

"I'll do whatever Ellie decides," he whispers. I look at Susan.

"Okay," I murmur. She sets our folder on her desk.

"Great, then the both of you will need to go to 618 Henderson Lane without Tysen and Robbie."

"Why can't they be there," Billie asks.

"This experiment is supposed to involve only the people that need the help this can provide. How this works..." She looks at me. "Tysen won't be happy. Robbie won't, either." Billie stands so I do, too.

"Will you be there?" She nods. We walk out to the waiting room.

"You guys are already done," Robbie asks, standing with Tysen. Billie explains what Susan told us, but I zone out. Tysen grabs my arm, bringing my attention back.

"Come on, El, Billie and Rob are probably already in the car," he says. I don't say anything as he walks me out to the car and sits in the back with me. No one talks the entire way to our destination until Billie parks and cuts the engine.

"So you guys will pick us up when I call you," he asks.

"Yeah," Robbie replies. Tysen leans over and kisses my cheek. Billie gets out so I follow suit without saying anything to Robbie or Tysen. We walk in and straight to the receptionist's desk. She looks up at us and immediately knows who we are.

"Susan and Dr. Fowler are waiting in the back room for you," she says cheerily. Billie walks down the hallway with me following and knocks on the door. Within seconds it swings open.

"Mister and Miss Armstrong," an older man greets us. "It's a pleasure to have you here, please come in." We walk into a dark room with the only light coming from a big window, which revealed another room that was completely white. It had a laying table in the center with a machine next to it.

"Hi Billie, Ellie," Susan says as she makes her way over to us. The doctor walks over and stands next to her. "Dr. Fowler will explain what exactly will be happening." She smiles reassuringly at me and walks back over to an almost identical machine.

"Ellie," Dr. Fowler looks at me. "You will go into that room and lay down on the table. Susan will hook up one plug on each of your temples which will send images and sounds through your brain. You will have no idea of what is going on around you." He looks at Billie. "You, Billie Joe, will be sitting in this room watching her and her reactions to what is going through her mind. We will have the door locked so you will have no way of getting to her."

"What exactly is the point of this," Billie asks. Dr. Fowler chuckles.

"When you raped Ellie, you couldn't really hear her. You could, but your mind did not process it. We will be 'replaying' in her mind what you did to her. She will not be harmed in any way, but you will have to sit here and watch how she reacted when you used to hurt her." Billie stares at him for a few seconds before turning his gaze on me.

"Are you sure you wanna do this," he whispers. I look down and nod. Susan walks over and takes me into the white room.

"This should help him, El," she tells me to calm my nerves. I look at the table. She sighs. "You're going to have to look like he's holding you down." My head snaps up to glare at her.

"What are you talking about," I ask.

"I need to strap your arms and hands down above your head. Your legs will be strapped down, also."

"Why do I need to be strapped down?"

"To make sure you don't pull the plugs off."

"This will help him?"

"It should." I lay on the table and she straps my wrists down above my head like she had she said. She does the same to my legs. She walks back into the black room, which I can see into, and see Billie's tear filled eyes. Susan locks the door and sits in a chair next to Dr. Fowler. I hear their voices through a speaker.

"Billie, it might be better if you sit down," Susan tells him. He sits in the chair that is set far from her and the doctor. He folds his hands and rests his chin on them.

"Ellie, you will feel yourself start to fade away. Don't be alarmed, that is just the waves interfering with reality," Dr. Fowler tells me.

***No One's POV***
[Anything said or done in Ellie's visions (that cannot be heard by anyone else) will be in italics. If it is not in italics, then she is still saying it in her mind, but she's also saying it out loud.]

Ellie feels the white of the room fade from her vision and be replaced by darkness. She recognizes the bedroom she used to have at Billie's house and feels her heart race in fear.

"Don't find me, please don't find me," she whispers. Tears drift down Billie's cheeks.

"That's what she's saying in the dream," he asks the doctor.

"Alternate reality, rather," he says, "and yes."

"Come here, you little bitch," Billie growls. He pulls the closet open and looks down at her lustily.

"No," she screams quickly. Billie pulls her out of the closet and pushes her down on to the bed. Crawling on top of her, he rips her shirt off and kicks her jeans off the bed. He takes his own shirt off along with his skinnys. "Please don't, please," she begs.

"Will you shut the fuck up," Billie yells at her. She cries hysterically as he tears her bra and panties off. He pulls his boxers off and trails a finger down her chest and stomach to her opening. He inserts one finger.

"No," she screams while crying. "Stop! I'll do anything else! Just please stop!"

"Turn it off," Billie yells, more angry than scared now. He takes his finger out.

"Anything," he asks, raising his eyebrow. She lets out a shaky breath.

"Just stop," she whispers. He slowly shakes his head and thrusts into her as hard as he can. She lets out the loudest scream Billie had ever heard from her.

"Turn it off!" Billie dashes to the door, trying as hard as he can to get the door open.

"This shouldn't be new for you, Billie," Susan tells him, raising her voice so he'll be able to hear her. "She did this every time you raped her!"

"I don't fucking care! Just turn it off and open the fucking door!" Susan looks at Dr. Fowler.

"Turn it off. He's heard enough." Simultaneously, the doctor presses two buttons: one turns the machine off (opening the latches on the restraints on Ellie's wrists also) and the other opens the door.

Ellie snaps her eyes open just as Billie throws the door open. He runs over to her and she instantly wraps her arms around his neck. His arms slip around her waist as she cries into his shirt.

"Please don't do it again," she cries. Tears come to his eyes.

"I will never hurt you again, Ellie."