All hell had broken loose on that awful day. The damage and destruction caused to life and structure were enormous. Almost every standing structure in the city had been destroyed. The bus station where Jake was standing was also completely destroyed and all the passengers were killed. In the midst of all this madness, the chances of a single small camera surviving all that carnage were close to zero but survive it did. Imagine a camera dangling from a broken pole in the middle of a battlefield. Hanging on by just a single wire kept it from destruction.

It took the private detective that they had hired a lot of work but he was able to acquire the footage which showed Jake's last known sighting. According to the time stamp on the video, the gates started appearing only five seconds after the camera went dark. Which meant that there was no logical and rational chance that Jake could have survived the gate crash.

“After I saw that video and the time it happened I was convinced that you were dead. That was the moment I truly gave up on you. I mean why shouldn’t I? If Akari can die in that hell-storm then so can you. What could you have possibly done in the five-second window that you had? Were you anything more special than Akari that you would survive? Did she deserve it any less than you? That is what I thought until now.

The friend that I thought to be long gone, dead with my wife is standing here right next to me. Just where the hell have you been Jake? It has been five years since that day. Could you not have at least told us that you were alive? Was it necessary for us, Sylvia or Ellen to mourn you without knowing you were alive? You could have at least just let us know that you were okay.

Why Jake? I mean I am trying to think of a reason that would make you do what you did but I have no clue what that reason would be.”

Jake listened to his story with dread of the question that was coming and so it came. Andy had been through hell the time he was not here when he should have been. Jake sat close to the edge of his seat and looked at them both briefly. He held his gaze on Andy as he spoke.

“I am so sorry about Akari Andy I truly am. I can only imagine what you went through these last few years and how you coped with it. I wish with every fiber of my being that I had been there for you. All this time when I was away it killed me every second of the hour thinking about you guys and what might happen to you but no matter how much I tried I could not get back. I wasn’t even able to let you know that I was alive. I was stuck in a place where it was impossible for me to come back to you guys.

The only reason I am sitting here across from you today is because of the things I did and the challenges it took me to make the damn near impossible into difficult. It took me years but I was finally able to come back. I know I can’t rewind time but all I can do is make it up to you and Sylvia, as much as I can. Help you heal your wounds and cope with your loss as a friend should have done in the first place.”

Jake did not break eye contact with Andy as he said his piece. He needed to convey his sincerity as much as possible and also to let him know that he was not away on his own accord but was forced into the situation. And he did as much as possible to make it back to them.

They were friends who grew up together and although both orphans had found a family in each other. To Jake and Andy, this was not a friendship but a brotherhood they both had to honor, and honor they did.

Just as Jake had conveyed his sincere feelings while looking at Andy, Andy was also looking at Jake trying to figure him out. Andy always prided himself on his ability to read people's faces and measure the deception of others. Jake was an open book to Andy when it came to emotions. This was one of the reasons Jake could never lie to Andy.

All it took was one look and he could tell that Jake was hurting. He was really suffering from not being able to help his friends and family at the right time. When Jake was talking about his reason for the disappearance and where he went he saw a little hesitation and deception on his face. This a clear sign that he was lying or trying to tell a half lie. Being what it was and his sincerity Andy let it go for the time being.

“It's fine Jake you don’t really need to apologize. It's not like you were gone by choice so it really isn’t your fault. I know you enough and understand you are not the type to cut and run when things get difficult. If that had been the case you would have not taken the blame for my prank back in school and gotten suspended over it.

Anyway, it has been five years since you went away and I am pretty sure Sylvia and Ellen have missed you just as much. I really wanna see the look on Sylvia’s face when she sees you. Rather my face when I have to tell her that she was right and you were alive. I really hate it when she gets smug and says I told you so. I owe her that much I guess. Well, how about we stop talking and go meet them.”

Andy smiled at Jake breaking the tension in the air. Jake smiled back at his friend happy that he believed him to some extent and was not resentful. Jake nodded at Andy’s question and felt happy as ever. It was time to meet his family.

“As Alice has already told you they left the old house and live in the town next to us. It shouldn’t take us more than twenty minutes to reach her in a taxi. Before we go you have to do something about your get up or they might not recognize you."

Right now Jake was wearing clothes he wore in the other world. His attire consisted of a loose black t-shirt with matching trousers. He was also wearing a sleeveless vest on top that also matched his attire with some lines going up and down in golden color.

His hair was not that long but was unkempt with a scraggly beard. It made it look like he had been living in a jungle for the past month. It was not like he was not a tidy person but rather that was just how he lived in the other world.

The people of the other world liked to wear loose clothes. It was a fashion statement of sorts to wear loose and baggy clothes. The nobles loved to wear baggy clothes like this. The irony of the whole dilemma is that the trend was first started by a commoner but Nobles made it their own and ran with it. The style had stuck around for a long time because people liked this style of dressing.

"You can borrow some of my old clothes for the time being which should fit you just fine. We can get ready as well in the meantime. Alice dear please help Uncle Jake pick up some of my old clothes. I have to say Jake you really picked the right time to come back didn't you?"

Jake was curious as to what Andy was talking about. He had not picked any time to come back. If it had been up to Jake he would have come back in thirty years but be it fate or luck he came back in five years which was completely out of his control. Hell, he could not even pick the right year let alone pick the right day to come back.

"What are you talking about? I did not pick this day or any other day. It is just that I was able to come back today. Well, I came back yesterday but it took me a while to find your house."

Andy was surprised when he heard about Jake and the coincidence that was happening at the moment.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously!"

"Wow I mean that is one hell of a coincidence. You remember you disappeared on the birthday of Ellen right when she was turning ten right?"

"Right! As you said I had flowers and Ellen's gift in hand when I was waiting for the bus."

"Well Guess what today is."

"What?"

"It is Ellen's birthday again."

"Wait! Seriously!?"

"Yep, that's why I was saying you picked a heck of a day to come back. Today is her sixteenth birthday. Even if you had not been here we were going to their house later in the evening to celebrate her birthday."

Jake really felt thankful to the universe at the moment. Not only it had reduced the time difference between the two worlds it had also brought him back to the day before his daughter's birthday. Jake was never really a religious person but he believed that there had to be some power or entity that was the driving force behind everything. Right now he cared not if this was the work of a billion-to-one cosmic fluke or some divine entity he was just plain old thankful. He considered it a gift of sorts even if it wasn't he was happy with it.

"You can use the bathroom on the second floor Alice will help you with the clothes in the meantime I will get ready as well."

Andy grabbed the handle of his wheelchair which was placed near him. He placed the wheelchair right next to him and locked the wheels to place himself in it. He was about to drag himself in when Jake stopped him.

"You never told me how you lost your legs?"

"Oh, it was nothing special really. I followed in your footsteps and had an accident. Only this time I was on a motorcycle and was a lot more exposed than you. So, instead of hurting myself badly as you did mine just went straight off."

Jake hears the story and smirks a little. Andy told the story in a funny way as if he was describing losing some toy or something like that. Jake then stood up and came near Andy. He removed the wheelchair in front of Andy and kneeled down. He kneeled in front of Andy and placed his hands on his knees or what remained of them anyway. He caresses it a little to feel the stumps and to see the damage done to his legs.

"What are you doing?" Andy asks Jake confused at the sudden touch.

"Do they hurt?"

"Well you know sometimes. When it is particularly cold outside and on some days when they hurt for no reason. Well, you know what it's like I mean you didn't really lose your legs but you get it don't you?"

"I guess. I remember the pain like it was yesterday."

Jake felt what was left of his knees and thighs to check the damage. His left knee was completely gone it looked like the doctors had cut it off from the end of his femur. The knee on his right leg was still intact although it was not in one piece. His right leg was longer compared to his left but you couldn't really tell until you focused on it. His pants had been tied into knots at the end of his stumps.

Maybe he did not really like to let the trousers hang loose so he had tied them into knots. Jake slowly untied the knot and pulled the jeans to expose his stump. Andy was startled by this and tried to stop him.

"Stop right there buddy. No one wants to see these ugly scarred remains, trust me."

Andy was holding Jake's hands to stop him but Jake freed his hands and continued to untie the second knot.

"Just give me a minute and trust your old friend. Take a deep breath and just remember I am not a pervert."

Alice giggled when she heard Jake and Andy smiled a little. He gave up trying to stop him but wanted to ask what he was trying to do.

"I know you are not a pervert but what you are doing does not fill me with confidence. What if you changed in the last five years? What if you became a pervert in the time I did not see Aah."

Andy yelped in pain and stopped talking. Jake said nothing and stood up and held his hand in front of him and then it happened. it started on both of his legs simultaneously. The skin on the end of his legs ripped open but no blood escaped from it, there wasn't any pain from the wound. Instead, a bone protruded out of the fresh wound slowly followed by muscles and nerves. They were being visibly formed and Andy and Alice were watching in astonishment.

Andy was wincing in pain as his legs started forming in front of him. He was holding on to his thighs to manage the pain. There was no pain whatsoever from the whole process but Andy still felt a little pain because he thought it would hurt like hell. Alice had her mouth covered to stop herself from screaming. What was happening in front of her was nothing short of a miracle.

The bone would protrude out a few inches and it would be quickly followed by the layer of muscles, veins, arteries, and nerves. To top it all off the layers of skin would cover the exposed muscles. Both legs were being formed simultaneously, inch by inch. This process continued until both of his legs were fully formed.

Alice and Jake saw as his left knee which was absent, to begin with, formed bone by bone and muscle by muscle. Andy not only saw but felt the pain as well. What he believed to be a pain was the feeling of his legs coming back to him. He was not feeling pain because Jake was helping him suppress the pain.

Finally, the process stopped at the end of his toes as the torn legs became whole again. Andy touched them all over and felt them as tears started dropping from his eyes. He could not really believe that he got his legs back. They knew about the hunters that could heal in fact they had searched for one for Jake before but they had never seen wounds heal like this before which made it all the more magical. Jake was reminded of the first time he had awakened. When he first stood up and felt pain-free from both his old wounds and new coffee burns. So Jake could relate a little bit to what Andy was feeling right now.