Jess momentarily stopped and then went back to his restless movements. Slim put a hand on Jess' chest feeling the fever heat. "Jess, Pard, it's me. I've come to take you home", he said a little louder.

Jess moaned, a deep guttural, desperately sad sound that sent shivers down Slim"s spine. 'No one should ever have that much pain in their lives to sound like that,' he thought. His eyes were fixed on Jess and when he saw Jess' eyelids flutter open, his breath hitched.

"Go away," Jess spoke. His voice was gruff and filled with pain. "You're not real. You never are." His eyes closed to mere slits and he waved his right arm in Slim's direction as if he was feebly shoving him away.

Slim took his right arm and worked his fingers gently down to Jess' wrist. "I am real, Pard, and I'm going to prove it to you." He laced their fingers together and reached for Jess' left arm. "Feel this," he gently ordered and helped Jess trace the faint scar two inches down from his wrist. "Now, " he said, "feel this." He worked his shirt sleeve off his own left wrist and slid Jess 's fingers over his own scar. Jess' eyes opened fully and fixed on him. "S-Slim?" he asked hesitantly, "are you real?'

"Yup," Slim smiled at him. He let out a small sigh of relief. "Now, I'm going to see how to get you out of here. You listen to Doc and I'll be right back," he nodded to Dr. Sam who had been watching them from a distance.

Jess frowned and then suddenly clutched Slim's arm. "Don't go away," he pleaded.

Slim's eyes narrowed. This was so unlike Jess. Before he could voice his concern, he felt moisture blur his eyes. Jess was hurting; worse than ever before; he was near freedom and this was the first time they had seen each other in a very long time. He turned back and slid down next to Jess again. "Not going anywhere," he smiled reassuringly at Jess, who nodded gratefully and fell into an uneasy sleep.

Much later, chain removed up to his ankle, Jess woke again. He was no longer on the floor. He wasn't even in the shack. His heart started beating faster, as panic began to seize his weakened body. He was lying on something soft. Although his eyes were closed, he knew something was wrong. He was not alone. Confused, he wondered if he was dreaming again. Suddenly, he heard a faint snore beside him and he turned his head slowly and opened his eyes. There was a tall man slumped uncomfortably in the chair beside his bed. On the table was a bowl of water and in the man's hand was a cloth.

Jess' breathing quickened as he tried to figure out who the man was and where they were. 'Maybe Peter found a doctor?' He shook his head in confusion. The man looked strangely familiar, almost like Slim! He seemed to remember Slim's voice from earlier, but that couldn't be. He was still a prisoner, wasn't he? The man stirred and opened his eyes.

"You're awake! How do feel?"

Jess knew the voice. It matched the smile on the man's face. The smile that kept him sane all these months; the light in those blue eyes that was the beacon that always welcomed him home. Could it really be true this time? His heart started erratically beating as thousands of thoughts raced through his mind. Almost instantly, the man reached over him and said softly,

"Jess, it's Slim. We found you."

"Are you real?" Jess managed to ask. His voice sounded dry as dust.

"Yes," Slim nodded as he laid his hand on Jess' shoulder and gently squeezed.

"How?"

"Your guard found us."

"Oh, " was all Jess could manage. There were too many puzzle pieces tossed haphazardly in front of him. The room, the chain still on his ankle, Slim, it seemed all too much. It's only another dream, he thought to himself.

"Where am I?" Jess asked, as he wondered how this dream would turn out.

"Peter's home, next door to your -", Slim's voice trailed off. He had no words for the hateful building that he held his brother prisoner. " Want some water?"

Jess just stared at him. He was still unsure at who he was looking at. Slim pulled him up to a sitting position and braced him from behind. He held the cup of clear, cold water in his hand and whispered in Jess' ear " baby bird sips."

"S-Slim," Jess eyes began to fill with happy tears, "you're here."

"Yup, and you are going home."