Author's note: Despite the long hiatus, I never intended to let this story go unfinished. Life (both ups & downs) got in the way, and admittedly when I did have time my writing was in different places. However, after picking up where I left off, i did have more chapters written, and do have an ending completed. I hope to have this all up and complete by the 7th anniversary of this story at the end of August. Thank you to everyone who left feedback along the way, it's much appreciated. I'm sorry that I left Walt blacked out for 2 years...

When Walt started to come back to reality, he first felt like his senses were under water.

Things were muffled, and it was dark.

Then things started to become clearer, yet not to make any more sense.

As his senses evolved, smell and touch were first to return. It was to the feel of chilled air and the sound of beeping machines. To the smell of something strangely chemical.

As he stirred, it became evident that his hands were bound. More movement proved so were his legs. He tried to move, and found resistance. He felt a cold, hard surface beneath him.

He grunted as his vision slowly returned, and the image of the room starting to form, accompanied by a alarming sense of panic overcoming him.

Just before the image in front of him became crisper, there was a wave of darkness again.

He fought it.

He lost.

When Walt came to again, the sense of returning lucidity was met with anxiety. Despite the foreign, blurry setting from moments ago, he now found himself back in the lab, in the present.

He realized with unease and confusion that he was on the floor. He was beside the chair he had just been sitting on moments before, a stoic but frowning Gus standing – no, looming above him.

Remembering the feeling of being restrained, he immediately jerked against his restraints, only to find he wasn't restrained at all.

He stared down at his hazy limbs in confusion.

He realized his movement must have seemed crazy.

A moment passed. Then, a small paper cup of water was offered, outstretched in Gus's hand.

"Walter," the other man spoke. "Are you alright?"

Walt felt his heart beat in his chest, fast and strong. Gus's nonchalance was infuriating. "What happened," he demanded hoarsely, barely able to voice the question. His vision was still blurry but a quick swipe of his hand to his temple confirmed his glasses were on.

"You tell me," Gus replied, voice steady and calm. "You seem to have gone faint, Walter. Have you had enough water to drink? Here, please take some."

Walt narrowed his eyes at the small paper cup of water hovering in front of him more insistently; despite feeling unsettled, he then acquiesced and accepted it.

The details of their recent conversation flooded back to him.

Tests.

Upside.

Experimentation.

He again felt a sense of anger, dread, and despair.

"You…" Walt slowly began, accusingly. "You were…"

"We were simply talking," Gus gently interjected, "and you suddenly seemed to be lightheaded…" Gus paused, allowing time for him to sigh. His voice was too calm. He looked at Walt with raised eyebrows. "I helped you to the ground, so that you wouldn't fall. Do you remember?"

"How long was I out?"

"Minutes…" Gus responded. "Barely that." His expression was curious, as thought anticipating Walt's next question.

Walt took a small sip of water, steadying himself, and then began to get to his feet. He used the chair beside him as a lever. "Where are they?" he demanded.

"Where are who?" Gus asked calmly. He took a step back as Walt rose to his full height. "Not too fast, Walter… You'll find yourself on the floor again…" He briefly glanced back towards the doorway at the top of the stairs before returning his focus to Walt.

Once standing, Walt hastily finished the small cup of water and crushed the paper vessel in his fist. "Mike and Jesse. Where are they?"

"You're agitated," Gus told him, speaking as though reading a fact from a page. "No doubt by what I just shared with you. You do recall that, don't you? The conversation we just had?"

Walt looked at the other man incredulously. "You mean the ridiculous premise you just outlined that took full advantage of an unsuspecting and unwilling participant? Turned Jesse into someone else, and assumed I'd be interested in participating? Oh yes, I remember," he finished bitterly.

"There is tremendous upside," Gus told him, confidence not swayed by Walt's unabashed skepticism. "Our partnership has already proven to be quite valuable, Walter… That you cannot disagree with. This would be an opportunity to…. diversify our portfolio…"

Walt felt a whole mix of emotions. Anger. Confusion. Part of him was grasping at his scientific background, trying to make sense of it all. The breadcrumbs were only giving him part of the story. Something had been planted on Jesse, taking full advantage of his typical behavior, knowing he would take the bait. The timing had perfected a variety of conditions, and was that including a full moon?

No, it couldn't be.

This was nonsensical.

This was the fodder of bad movies.

"None of this makes any sense," Walt said out loud.

"Yet you saw it with your own eyes," Gus said, voice composed. "I admit it, when I first heard the principle myself, I was quite skeptical. I felt that Dr. Dumont, despite my respect for him, was completely disillusioned. They proved it to me with puppies at first." He paused. "Puppies that had just days before been elderly dogs… Dogs on their last leg." He shook his head. "Forgive me for saying this, but it's just not quite the same with animals… Getting a sense of that personality, to prove it is the same being… It's just not quite the same. I thought he was tricking me."

"It is a trick."

"But it isn't…"

"It's impossible," Walt asserted. "Medically, chemically. The cells… They have—"

"Is it impossible?" Gus interjected and challenged. "You have interacted with Jesse for the last few days, Walter. Inside the youthful body, a flashback of himself, is it not still him? Or is it someone else? With puppies it's hard to tell. But Jesse's not a puppy."

Walt narrowed his eyes, quiet.

"Is it him?" Gus repeated.

"It is," Walt acknowledged, frustrated.

"It is. Yes. A clean slate if you will… Damage erased."

It was still Jesse, Walt acknowledged, mind racing. It was, but it was still not possible.

"Perhaps I broke this to you too abruptly," Gus continued to speak. "Perhaps I should have taken a different approach. Sit, Walter. Sit, and we'll continue to talk. You—"

"I'm done talking," Walt interjected. "We didn't agree to this. Jesse and I signed up to cook, and that's it. We didn't sign up to be experimented on."

"In all due respect…" Gus began slowly, smiling wryly, "your young friend did sign up for it… He took the first step, partaking in the experimental medications that were provided to him."

"Provided?" Walt echoed. "Try planted. Disguised as something else."

"Still. He took them."

"Not knowing the consequences!"

"Does he care?" Gus replied. "Walter, your friend was an easy target for this clinical trial given that specific attribute of his personality. He doesn't really care…"

Walt glared. He thought about the experience with Jesse the last few days. The smaller, weaker, and more vulnerable version of his partner. A version that cried to be returned to 'normal', regardless of what that normal was. Gus spoke of 'damage' being erased, but no one could erase the psyche.

"You said there's no way to turn them back," Walt said, clearing his throat as he realized his need to remain tactical here. "Did you even try?"

Gus's lips curved just slightly into a smirk. "Walter, I'll pose the same question back to you. Who would want to erase the fountain of youth? If it takes millions of dollars to perfect the desired outcome, why would you think we'd invest in reversing it?"

Walt felt his irritation heighten. This was insanity. "Because the person didn't want it," he snapped resentfully.

"We'll ensure compensation," Gus replied, shrugging. "Jesse will feel 'whole' again. Sometimes the best outcomes are those least initially desired. He has a chance to grow up again, to do things better. Imagine getting that chance, knowing what you know now?"

"He's whole again?" Walt sputtered skeptically. "What does that mean to you?"

"Your concern for your partner is slightly more than I admit I expected…. But enough questions," Gus interjected, raising his hand to indicate a desired break in the discussion. "I came here today to be open with you, Walter. While our partnership extends to you and your colleague, for better or for worse, you have to understand that you are the one I view as my true counterpart in this relationship."

"And now what?" Walt objected, aghast. "What do we do now?"

"You adjust to your new normal," Gus replied. "Stop speculating that there is anything else to do. Your job here remains. We can get you a new partner if you feel working independently is intolerable or too much of a burden."

"And Jesse?"

"And Jesse…" Gus echoed. "Jesse has my upmost gratitude for his participation."

With that Gus started to walk away, towards the stairs to exit the lab.

"That's it?" Walt called after him.

"No, that's not 'it'," Gus responded, tone curt and clearly disinterested in continuing the conversation. "I believe you still have a half a day's work here at least to complete the preparation for our next shipment."

Walt glared at the man, who didn't even turn around to view him for the statement.

"Keep working, Walter," Gus spoke as he ascended the stairs, a step at a time. "We gave you an extra day, but timelines go back to our routine schedule from this point on."

To be continued. Will have next chapter up soon.