When Jeff had arrived home earlier that afternoon, Jared and Jensen had still been curled up on the sofa together.

The next few weeks were idyllic. Well, as idyllic as they got when you were working in a drop-in center for the homeless and spent your time dealing with drug addicts, people with mental health problems and child prostitutes. Still, Jared loved his job, loved that he got to really help people; to help them to make their lives better, even if only for a brief instant.

March, 2000

Jensen’s heart was pounding when he woke up, and it took him a long moment to realize that he’d just been dreaming; for the residual fear and hopeless dread to leach from his pores and for reality to reassert itself. He hauled himself upright, shoved his pillow up against the wall and leaned back, breathing hard.