So no one has figured it out? I thought at least someone might. The closest people were FlamMabel and Wotumba1. They win some form of prize I guess. PM with anything you want :P

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The entire time Steve was asleep numbers danced through his dreams, and he awoke often. His thoughts were unsettled when he finally gave in to the waking world and sat up in bed. A small part of him that he hadn't noticed until just now had hoped that dreaming might produce some answers from his subconscious, but there was no such luck. It was more difficult to crush the disappointment than it should have been.

Looking around the dimly lit room, he could make out the vague shape of his partner on the camp bed, snoring softly. The grey light of dawn was beginning to seep through the windows, and Steve would guess the time to be about four in the morning. He was warm, too warm.

He briefly considered opening a window, but deciding that he didn't want to inadvertently disturb his partner, he slipped silently out of the front door. He stood under the porch, breathing in the crisp air, listening to the sounds of the island coming to life. There were bird calls all around him, soft songs that flowed with life. Further in the distance there was the faint sound of traffic, the people working night shifts going home, and their replacements on the way to work. The wind rustled the trees. A pigeon perched hesitantly on the fence a few metres away, eyeing him speculatively, before deciding he wasn't a threat and dropping to the ground to peck.

The cool breeze was refreshing, wrapping around his burning limbs. The heat rolling off him wasn't healthy warmth he realised belatedly, and he raised a hand to his forehead. His skin blazed. This wasn't something he needed right now, he had far too much to do. The gunshot wound rippled in pain as he flex his muscles, his head pounded with a fever he refused to acknowledge, and his thoughts were sluggish. He'd been working himself far too hard, he knew; even with various injuries, he had kept forcing himself through each new ordeal. He wondered what his shrink would make of it all. The thought had him laughing aloud.

"What's so funny?" The voice startled him and he spun on his heel, coming face to face with a dishevelled Danny. The sudden motion had his mind spinning, and he felt light headed. Trying to pass it off, he leant on the rail behind him for support.

"I was considering dear Maria's views on all this. I can imagine they would be... colourful," Steve admitted, fighting back a grin. Danny sniggered.

"I bet they would. D'you reckon that I can use the case as an excuse not to go to therapy today?"

"I think she'd hate you for it," he paused. "It sounds like a good idea." The Jersey native laughed again, leaning on the rail next to his partner. The pigeon flew away rapidly as he moved closer, squawking in indignation.

"How come you're up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep. What's your excuse?" Steve grinned good naturedly.

"Well, I stirred and noticed a certain missing ex SEAL and it got me all concerned," he mocked sarcastically. Then his voice dropped into seriousness. "Have you had any ideas about the numbers?"

Steve shook his head sadly, grimacing at his partner. "I can't think of any reference point to work with. There isn't anything in my memories that has any relevance to any of it."

"Maybe we're looking in the wrong place."

"Benji left those numbers there for me, Danny. They're the answer to this." The Jersey native looked frustrated.

"That's not what I meant. Maybe, the answers aren't in your memories. Perhaps it's something new."

"Like what?" Steve's brow was furrowed, and his partner observed how it aged his normally youthful face.

"I thought you were the Intelligence officer? You've cracked stuff like this in your sleep before. This shouldn't be any different. Just focus," he offered.

"You sound really like my team leader back then, you know that?" Danny just shrugged. "You also make it sound far easier than it is." For several minutes, they fell silent, both pondering the cryptic message. Suddenly a thought struck Steve. "What was that you were saying about something new? What's the only new thing on the case so far?"His face lit up at the thought, so simple, and so secure that he had completely overlooked it.

"Err, what?" Danny looked utterly nonplussed.

"There's only one thing so far that hasn't come directly from my memory, something that is far more recent." The Jersey native's face was still lined in confusion, so Steve decided to enlighten him. "The letter Danny! I didn't understand it before. I recognise the kind of code, but every example that I've seen before has come with a reference page. I never connected the two, but the letter is the reference page!"

Without further comment, he strode back into the claustrophobic flat and dug through his things, pulling out a photocopy of the letter, the list of numbers and a writing pad. Grabbing a pen, he began scribbling furiously.

First he tried the first number as a line, then the second number as a word on that line, but it didn't work, the lines were too short.

'Think outside the box, Steve,' he urged himself. From across the room his partner watched with mild curiosity. He observed the way the SEAL's face was bright with energy, but he also took note of the strange haze in his eyes. He was no fool, he had felt the waves of excessive heat rolling off his partner, and he could see the small beads of sweat forming on his brow. Super SEAL was sick. To be honest, Danny wasn't remotely surprised by this observation; if you run around, held together by stitches, get shot and choose to barely sleep, eventually, it's going to catch up with you.

"Danno, I think I've got it." Steve's voice was quiet, but confident, and he was at his side in an instant, struggling not to recoil from the unwholesome warmth, but eager to finally understand the message. On his piece of paper, Steve had scrawled a line of writing:

'You must find Easter, convince the gangs to trust you. Fight the war. Kill the conspiracy.'

"Well, that explains everything," Danny muttered sarcastically. He immediately bit his tongue, realising that an offhand comment like that could destroy Steve at any moment.

"But it is something," the SEAL defended quietly.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'll call the others." He reached for his phone as he spoke, but Steve grabbed his arm stopping him.

"Don't. They'll still be asleep, and they'll be needing the rest," he warned. Danny couldn't help but flinch at the burning sensation of Steve's skin, and he automatically pulled away.

"I'm sure they do. In which case, so do you, and so you're going to go back to bed right now, or so help me, I will deck you." He frowned at his partner to get the warning across.

"I'd like to see you try babe," he told him, standing and drawing himself to his full height, towering over Danny. It would have been a lot more impressive if he hadn't been overcome with a head rush that almost sent him back into the chair. The Jersey native sighed in exasperation, grabbing his arm and guiding him to the edge of the bed.

"Stay," he warned, before disappearing into the bathroom, and returning with more Tylenol and a glass of water. Steve accepted them without comment, knowing that if he fought at this point he might as well carve his own tombstone. Pills swallowed, he lay back on the bed, trying to fight the waves of dizziness that descended as his orientation changed. "Get some rest Steve. The case will still be there in a couple of hours."

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Ok, so this is really short, but it was this or nothing at all until tomorrow. So, sorry about that. I know my updates have been ridiculous, sorry. I've started school again now, so life is crazy. Another chapter is already on the way, I swear. Hope you enjoyed. Reviews might speed up the updating process :P Shameless plug now over. Love y'all