Carlos felt his heart sink suddenly. His hands went numb as a loud buzzing took over his head. His ears rang loudly and his breath came in short gasps.

He was sitting in his lab but that barely registered anymore. The specimen that he had been prodding escaped from the Petri dish and scuttled away with a clicking sound.

Carlos felt himself stand up slowly. He felt as if he were drunk. His head spun forcing him to grab onto his desk until he could get his bearings.

He managed to make his way to the door of his lab. Carlos walked out into the oppressive heat of the desert. He stared across the street where the subway entrance had popped up.

"Cecil is on the subway." He whispered to himself. As if he had been struck he grabbed his phone out of his pocket his surroundings suddenly in crystal clarity. He dialed Cecil's number bringing the phone to his ear.

It rang twice before a hissing sound was heard followed by an inhuman screech. Carlos took the phone away from his ear walking slowly towards Cecil's apartment.

They had tried everything to rid his house of the snakes that all the wheat and wheat by products had turned into to no avail. In the end Cecil had been forced to mark the house as condemned where it was promptly destroyed by the strange yet menacing government.

Every step Carlos took felt heavy and leaden with a dead weight. How could Cecil have been do wreck less? Had he not understood the words that he himself had spoken?

As Carlos entered Cecil's apartment complex he managed to climb five stairs before he collapsed. He realized that he probably should have stayed by the radio and waited or driven to the radio station to investigate the station Cecil had entered.

He had just automatically walked to where he assumed Cecil would go, hoped Cecil would return to. Carlos took a deep shuddering breath. What if Cecil never returned?

Carlos felt the panic return as did the buzzing in his ears. He brought his hands to his face as he began to sob. Cecil would return, he had to. He wouldn't leave Carlos alone, not his Cecil.

"Cecil. Please baby, come back." Carlos moaned out between sobs.

"Carlos." Cecil's voice sounded as if uncertain. Carlos whipped his head up quickly standing just as fast to gather Cecil up in his arms.

"Cecil! Oh my Cecil!" He managed out as he buried his face against Cecil's shoulder. Cecil responded slowly as if he were uncertain what to do. Carlos backed off slightly holding him out at arms length. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No Carlos. It's just, I've been gone for so long. Years. I-I don't know exactly how long it's been. Everything is the same though. You are the same, Nightvale is the same as I left it...the weather was playing when I returned." Cecil said distantly as he attempted to focus on Carlos but failed miserably. "I understand it all now. Everything. All the secrets of the universe; past, present, and future but I...I missed you terribly."

Carlos brought Cecil back to him as Cecil began to cry. He grabbed onto Carlos's lab coat tightly as if he were afraid Carlos would disappear. Carlos laid soft kisses against Cecil's forehead to soothe him.

"Let's go inside. I'll make you some tea." Carlos said. Cecil shook his head once slowly. "Vodka?" Cecil nodded his head once slowly. "Mi corazon. Me sigue." Carlos stated softly in Cecil's ear leading him to his apartment.