Started: December 21, 2011

Finished: March 2, 2012

Deb woke up in a daze. She looked around and realized she was on a boat, curled up in the back corner. She got déjà vu and felt dizzy remembering her experience with the ice truck killer. What the fuck? She thought. Her heart beat fast. Her memory came back as to what she had witnessed and took in a sharp breath, and there was Dexter, looking out into the night ocean.

She had seen him kill someone. She remembered running. He chased after her, he tried to explain and there was a struggle. She remembered him telling her it was Travis that he had killed and him whispering he was sorry before she blacked out. Black out? It wasn't like her to black out, ever.

"Dexter," she whispered. She sat up. "Dexter," she said again, stronger. "What did you do to me?"

He turned but avoided her eyes. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's ok. Take me home."

He sighed. "I'm sorry," he said again and he truly was.

She stood and held on to the small awning above the controls to steady her. "Don't be fucking sorry just take, take me home," she said coolly.

He took a step toward her and he saw her flinch. "I just want to talk," he paused. "Travis was the doomsday killer," he started to explain.

"No shit. Let's go back to your apartment. You can explain to me when we get there." Sounding strong but at the end, only strained. She was with no gun, alone with him, in the middle of the ocean, a perfect place to tie up a loose end.

He looked out into the night. "This place is as good as any."

She seemed calm but shook on the inside. She cautiously watched him and casually sat at the control panel. She was about to take control of his boat when she felt him behind her, stopping her. She gasped and flinched away violently having a flash of when Brian choked her from behind. She threw a punch but he blocked, lost her balance and fell at his feet.

"Don't touch me," she said looking up at him as if he were a monster.

"I wasn't going to hurt you."

"This is a terrible place," she said breaking. My fiancée abducted me, took me on a boat." She held on to herself, trying to keep her shaking and her voice under control. "He was going to kill me. I can't think right now, I can't." He appeared unmoved and silent. She thought more of what to say to appeal to him. "You let me stay with you when I couldn't sleep at night. I would've lost my mind with out you. You saved in so many ways. If you care about me at all you-"

He stooped to were she sat, her body in between his and the boat. "You don't have to appeal to me Deb," he interrupted her. "I don't want to kill you. I would never want that..." Her face started to look hopeful. "But I have a son. I love him more then my own life." He looked up at her through his lashes. "And I'm going to be there for him."

She looked back and forth into his hazel eyes. "Of course," she swallowed. "I understand."

"No you don't, not yet. Travis took Harrison. Travis was going to kill him," he began.

"What?" Deb asked shocked.

"He was the sacrifice."

"How did you know?"

"You called me when I was at Harrisons play. He was taken. I figured it out from there.

"Why Harrison?"

"I don't know."

"Come on Dex," she said not really believing her brother didn't know but she continued; "Then, how did you know where to find them?"

"I found a drawing, the same drawing that you found but instead of mountains, it was of the Transcore building."

She nodded her head. "You didn't call the police because you wanted to kill the fuckwad yourself," she concluded. "God damn it. Travis was fucking dangerous…I could've lost you." She placed her hands on his "Don't do anything like that again, don't."

He looked at her and quietly said, "I had to."

"I wish you would've just called the police but…I understand."

He thought to himself, maybe she didn't see all of my, props, the plastic. She didn't come any closer and ran rather fast. "You understand? He questioned.

Dex," she said with tears in her eyes. "If it was my son, I would have killed the prick too. I do understand." She embraced him. "Or if someone would try to, to kill you and I was there, I wouldn't hesitate. I'd shoot him, drop him like a fucking rock." Dexter flashed back to killing his brother, the ice truck killer, to keep his sister safe. He pulled her away just to look in her eyes. "You're safe with me," she said as tears ran down her cheeks.

He pulled her tightly to him, overcome. He had seen a glimpse of his brother's acceptance of him in her even though she didn't know everything. This was still more then he could have hoped for.

He held her for a long moment. "And you're my heart," he said into her hair.

She didn't want to ask but had to know. "Dexter, what, what about the body?"

"It's been taken care of."

She nodded at his quick cool and confidant response and held him tighter.

"Loosing DDK could hurt your career," he pointed out.

She looked at him incredulously. "You think that makes a difference? She asked slightly hurt. "I don't care what job I have, I care about you. I'd make any job work as long as you're behind me."