Brooklyn at first couldn't open his eyes and felt stuck in a dream, more like a nightmare. He dreamt his family were being held by Anthony.

"Brooklyn!"

"Help us, Bro!"

"No, save yerself, Laddie!" Hudson's voice echoed. Brooklyn was mortified at what to do, scared that this could be a possibility in the future where his family was threatened in order for Anthony to gain him back. He shook his head. It couldn't be real, but he just had to save them!

Anthony smirked. "Poor little pet. How will your family be saved, hm? Perhaps if you surrender, I will let them go..." This irked Brooklyn but he couldn't bear the sight of them there or turn himself in. Crying, Brooklyn turned to run away. His family cried for him but suddenly, Brook began to feel hot and dizzy, falling to the ground, writhing about.

"No! No..." he moaned, when returning to the waking world....

The red male just barely opened his eyes, but it was a challenge. "Wh-m' I?" He slurred, thinking he was in a hospital bed back at home, but sadly it wasn't. He was still in Wisconsin but for some reason had woken up with a bad case of a fever. He began to sniffle, wiping his hot head.

"G-'liath... a-anyone... sick..." Brooklyn choked, unable to move. Why was he sick now when he wasn't yesterday?

Barry had gotten ready for the day and was now going to check on their special guest. It felt weird for him to house a gargoyle of all things, but he seemed nice and did save their lives. He knocked on the door. "Brooklyn? Are you up yet?" he asked, but he couldn't hear anything. Frowning, Barry opened the door.

He could see Brooklyn still laying in his bed, but he didn't look too great; shivering and having kicked off his blanket since feeling hot though he was really cold. Barry came closer.

Brooklyn heard footsteps approach, tilting his head weakly over to see a shadow of a human man near. His heart thumped wildly, eyes dilating in fear. The beaked gargoyle gave a little cry, taking his pillow and covering his head. "Ah! Get away!" he whimpered faintly; voice weak from his new sickness.

Barry held out his hand, eyes lit up with sympathy. Brooklyn was obviously hallucinating from his fever that he seemed to have and seeing someone he didn't like.

"Easy, it's still me, Barry. You'll be alright, you're just a little sick," Barry said gently, a hand on his shoulder. He could feel heat on the gargoyle's skin and his muscles tensing from his touch.

"No... just... go away... p-please don't hurt me..." Brook begged helplessly, holding the pillow tight. Barry shook his head, knowing that this was out of his league for comforting their guest. He needed his wife's help, who was busy making lunch since Brooklyn had woken mid-afternoon. He rubbed Brooklyn's arm. "Hang in there, I'll be back I promise," Barry said, turning to quickly go and get Thalia.

Barry went to the kitchen to get his wife. She was pouring salt on the ham she was cooking when her husband spoke up. "Thalia."

She turned to him. "Yes? Is Brooklyn up yet?" she asked.

"He's got a fever, Honey. He doesn't look well. I came to ask for your help. He's afraid of me." Barry explained. "It might be better if you try to talk to him."

"I wonder how he could have gotten it. Very well. I'll help with him." Thalia said. She made sure the food wasn't going to overcook itself before she took her apron off and went to the guest room to see to her guest.

Brooklyn was still shivering in his bed. His mind was only seeing the evil humans that he had dealt with before. Then, another vison came into his line of sight. "Don't... hurt me..." he cried out.

"It's alright, Brooklyn. It's me, Thalia. Don't you remember saving Barry and I last night?" Thalia said gently.

To the red gargoyle, the voice spoke with a female voice. It felt very motherly. He heard the question. "Mom?" he questioned.

"He's feverish." Barry said.

"I can see that," she replied, though it made them both ask themselves why he asked for his mom, or one of his moms.

"No, young one, it's me, Thalia. Do you remember me?" The woman sat down on his bed and rubbed his arm.

"Hm, hot... dizzy..." Brook mumbled.

"I can give some medicine and some soup instead of dinner if that's okay with you, Brooklyn?" Thalia asked.

Brooklyn nodded tiredly. He would need some more rest. Maybe it would be better if he ate food later. He needed some sleep.

"Barry, go get the ibuprofen." Thalia stated.

Barry did as told. He went and got two pills of the medicine and a glass of water. "Here, Hon." He said.

Thalia nudged the sick gargoyle to look at her. "Brooklyn, I need you to take these pills. Can you do that for me?" she asked of him.

Brooklyn looked up at her. "What is..." he asked weakly.

"Medicine for your headache and illness." Thalia replied. "Sit up a little so you can take it."

Brooklyn heard the motherly tone again. "Yes, Mom." Then he began to struggle to sit up. His whole body ached from the fever. It hurt to move.

"I hope he keeps the medicine down." Barry declared.

"Me too."

Once he was settled, Thalia gave Brook the medicine and the water and he took a drink to get the pills down one at a time. It would be better if he ate later. Thalia also felt his face and he was dreadfully warm.

"We'll let you rest, Brooklyn. Lay down and get some more sleep." Thalia said gently to him.

"Hmm." Brook moaned and he was glad to lay back down. His blanket was put over him like he was a little kid.

"You need your blanket over you. Your body is as cold as ice in some places." Barry said.

Brooklyn didn't argue and he just closed his eyes. Hopefully, the medicine would help him feel better in time.

They walked out of the room. "What do you think made him sick?" Barry asked his wife.

"Well, he's been through so much. Abuse at the hands of his kidnapper obviously the way he was acting and traveling so much. He's exhausted. He'll need sufficient rest if he's going to pull through and be able to finish going home." Thalia explained.

"First, his wing also needs to heal, but have you seen that brand on his arm?" Barry asked.

"Yes."

"That thing should be taken off."

"Yes, it should, but with his consent. We know that Anthony would do anything with force rather than consent." Thalia declared. She was getting angry at Brook's abuser. The gargoyle hadn't deserved that evil brand. He obviously wasn't an animal.

"We'll talk to him about removing the brand when he's well enough to be able to go under anesthesia." Barry stated. Thalia agreed.

They would keep an eye on Brooklyn until he was well again. They would also make sure that he didn't tear the wing flap open too. He was in no shape to go gliding even if he wanted to.

.....

Thalia saved some of their dinner for Brooklyn later on. But she was first going to have him have some soup to make sure he could keep it down.

Later, around ten o'clock, Thalia awakened Brooklyn gently to see how he was feeling. She knew that gargoyles were active at night, but she wanted to check and see how he was doing.

Brooklyn moaned as he woke up. His temperature had gone down. It was amazing what sleep could do for the body (even without stone sleep).

"Your fever seems to have broken," Thalia said as she felt his face.

Brook still felt shivery, but he was feeling better than he did before. "I hope so." He said.

"I made you some soup. You feel up to eating?" she asked.

As he looked back at her, he felt his belly rumble. "Yeah, I think so."

"Ok." She smiled gently.

Thalia left and got the soup that was ready for him. She brought it back on a tray for him. She set it down over his lap in the bed. He was sat up so he could eat it properly. It was chicken noodle soup.

Brooklyn still felt groggy from his fever and tired, but he wanted to at least eat something. This soup he was eating was awesome.

"This is really good soup, Thalia." He complimented her cooking.

"Thanks. My mom's recipe." She replied.

Brook finished the whole bowl. He felt full for the moment. "Thanks for the soup."

"You're welcome. Well, for now, you still need some more rest. We are about to head to bed anyway." Thalia declared. Brook nodded.

He was tucked back into his bed so he could get some more rest. Thalia and Barry went to bed right after.

....

A couple days later, Brooklyn was back on his feet again. He had rested quite a bit to get his strength back from having been exhausted. He was glad to also be eating home cooked meals again too. He had missed them. Thalia was a good cook in his mind.

But even though he could've asked the couple to phone call home Brooklyn just didn't wish to put them through all that trouble and spend their money on him. He had told them and they understood, willing to let Brooklyn do what he wishes to do to return home.

Thalia was also minding Brook's wing too, which still needed more time to heal. Barry couldn't help but look at the brand on his arm and feel ashamed that the gargoyle had had to suffer that wrath of Anthony. He also got angry when Brooklyn told him of the muzzle as well.

Brooklyn knew that something was off about Barry and Thalia. They were able to talk about his clan a bit more and about Mark and Nora who had helped him back in Montana after his escape. Brook's stomach no longer bothered him from his old gunshot injury.

Barry talked to Brooklyn that he was a retired game warden. He was a little young to be retired but he had been shot in the line of duty dealing with poachers once. He had been shot in the leg and it left him disabled.

Thalia still worked at as a veterinarian. She had to go into work a bit nearly every day to help animals. She knew that perhaps Brooklyn should be told about Anthony.

Barry got tired of looking at that evil brand on Brook's arm and he got up the courage to go to him soon enough. "Brooklyn, I'm sorry you had that brand put on your arm. What do you say that Thalia removes it for you?" he asked.

"Could she? The damage has been done to me. It won't remove the shame that I still feel for what was done to me." Brooklyn looked away sadly.

"I know, but it'll be well worth it to not have to at least look at it anymore." Barry tried to persuade him. "Thalia would be glad to do it for you. After all, you saved us and want to repay you."

Brooklyn knew that he would still have a scar on his arm even after the brand would be gone, but it would be better than looking at that brand, or any other humans and having him returned to that cruel man.

"Okay. I don't want to take a chance of being returned to Anthony." Brook stated.

Barry smiled.

....

The next morning, after having fasted overnight, Thalia and Barry got Brooklyn ready for surgery in the surgical room. He was going to be put under anesthesia because his behavior was still more or less unpredictable. It would be better for the red male.

Thalia got him hooked up to the IV and then administered the sleep drug. Brook was nervous about this but he was letting them do it. He felt the drug take effect and he went under. His heart and vitals were strong.

Thalia then carefully began to cut around the brand on his arm. She removed it in a circle from the skin carefully. Barry helped to keep bleeding under control. Thalia then sewed up the wound with care. Then the wound was bandaged. Brooklyn was left to sleep off the drug.

When he awoke nearly an hour later, Brooklyn looked over at his arm and saw his whole bicep was bandaged. He didn't feel much pain right now, but he would likely in the future when the pain meds wore off.

Thalia later disconnected him from his iv and he was allowed to return to his room to sleep some more. He wanted to be more awake before he ate anything.

Later in the evening, Brooklyn was served some chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, and peas. There was some squash for dessert.

The red gargoyle was by now feeling some stinging pain in his upper arm and would have to be careful with it for a little while. It would also work out better this way while his wing was still healing too. It should be healed around the same time.

Brooklyn tried not to let the pain get to him, but Thalia also offered him pain medicine. He was grateful for it.

.....

Over a week and a half later, the injuries were nearly done healing.

Brooklyn had by now seen the stitches in his arm and was ready for them to come out. They were itching by this point and annoying. He still wore bandages over them. He wanted to scratch it so badly. At least the brand was gone.

Barry wanted to tell Brooklyn the truth about him and Anthony but had wanted to wait until he had gotten to know him and his wife more. He knew he had to tell him.

They waited until they were sitting down in the living room one night. While it was commercial time on the tv set, Barry muted the tv and then he spoke up, "Brooklyn, I have something we need to tell you."

"What about?"

"This won't be easy to hear, Brooklyn, so hear him out." Thalia said gently.

Brooklyn knew this had to be something bad when hearing her say that. "Okay."

"Brooklyn, we haven't told our last name yet. It's Roberts, like Anthony's last name." Barry admitted.

Brooklyn's eyes widened and it made him tense up. "Oh no! You're not taking me back to him!" He shouted in panic.

"Brooklyn, calm down. We will do no such thing!" Thalia raised her voice so he would hear her.

"You have been so nice to me, and you suddenly want to reveal this to me? Why?" Brooklyn demanded. He was wanting to flee at this moment in fear of them taking him back.

"Brooklyn, I knew who your abuser was when I saw the brand on your arm. Me and him are brothers." Barry went on.

The gargoyle still didn't like what he was hearing.

"Listen, we are brothers, but we didn't get along growing up. We don't even see or talk to one another. Believe me when I say I am ashamed of what Anthony did to you. From what we know you to be, a kind and gentle soul, compassionate and lonely too, you didn't deserve to be treated like that." Barry explained. "I promise we wouldn't tell Anthony that you're here. We just want you to get better and you're almost healed."

Brooklyn had wanted to get out of here before but when he heard Barry tell his story to him, it made him calm down more. Yeah, there were dysfunctional families out there. Apparently, Anthony and Barry had been part of one.

"But why do you live here?" Brook asked.

"I wanted to get far away from him. His life is his own business and want nothing to do with him. But I had no idea you would show up here. But it worked in our favor. You were able to help us and we can return the favor by helping your injuries heal. And getting my brother's mark off of you." Barry explained.

Brooklyn began to relax more but he was still concerned. He didn't want to turn on friends. He didn't like being used.

"I don't like being used by anyone. I just don't want Anthony to show up here looking for me." Brook declared.

"He won't. We promise." Thalia said. "Your secret will always be safe with us. You just need to get well so you can be on your way."

Brooklyn missed Lex and Broadway when he had heard the word brother earlier, but he was still worried about his abuser showing up. He hoped his friends were true to their word.

.....

Two days later, Thalia finally removed the stitches out of Brooklyn's wing flap and his arm.

Thalia smiled. "You're all set to go."

His wing flap and arm had mended nicely. "Thanks, Thalia," he said.

Ever since he had been told about Anthony, Brooklyn had remained standoffish toward his human allies. He wasn't going to stay much longer anyway. He had to keep going to get home to his clan.

"Look, Brooklyn, we're sorry we deceived you. We didn't mean any harm and wouldn't do what he did to you." Thalia tried to tell him.

"I know, and I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. You have been so kind to me. The first adult humans in a long time being kind to me." Brook said. "And thanks for healing my injuries."

"We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, very likely, or we would have been the ones injured seriously." Thalia stated.

"I really want to be on my way now that I'm healed, Thalia." Brook declared.

"I understand. It would be better to wait until tonight so we can get some stuff packed for your start out again and get some rest before nightfall. It's better for you so you won't be seen so easily." Thalia explained.

"Yes, I know."

.....

Later on in the evening, Brooklyn had his pack on again, full of food and water supplies, plus a first-aid kit in it. He still had a long way to go, but not nearly as far.

"Take care of yourself, Brooklyn." Barry said.

"I will." Brook replied.

Thalia gave him a hug and a kiss on his beak. She had grown to love him almost like a son while he had been here. Brooklyn's eyes lit up. This was the first time he had been kissed by a human. It brought a smile to his beak.

"Uh, thanks, Thalia." He said.

"I'll miss you. Be careful." Thalia stated. "You were almost like the son I never had."

Brook took that as a compliment. Not many humans would ever say something like that to him.

"Well, thanks for all you have done for me and healing my injuries. I must be off now. I won't forget you." Brook said as he turned toward a tree in the backyard and climbed it. He was soon on a good branch, and he spread his wings for the first time in over two weeks.

Brooklyn took off into the night sky, happy to finally be on his way again. He would miss his allies, but he had to get home.