AN: as this journey continues, some chapters will be longer than others depending on what is happening during that point of the journey. Again please enjoy and review...

He sat in her bright, peaceful office. It had big windows that opened to the morning sun - he stood remembering the first time he had really seen her.

2 years earlier...

For most people it would have been their first meeting but he was so out of it for the first 6 weeks after entering the Greenwood Clinic all he did was lie in bed, crying or despondently staring off into space when he was awake and sleeping when he stopped. All he remembered was her smell and understanding voice - sometimes she was alone, sometimes there was a male voice he recognized - telling him not to fight his feelings to just let them out to clear his system. He heard her say that everything would be okay.

He remembered the day he finally woke up and got out of bed, he was in the bathroom looking at himself in the mirror - although the hair was a lot longer than normal and the face was covered in a full beard the only things he recognized were the eyes - still blue but very different, very aged, very lifeless and very tortured. As he stroked the beard and assessed the grey in it he smelt her - the little hint of lavender and then he heard her say,
"Welcome back, you must be hungry."
He turned to walk out of the bathroom and for the first time realized he was nude, he looked at her and blushed. She handed him a white cotton robe as if seeing a strange naked man walking out of a bathroom was normal to her, as he put it on he got his first real look at her. She noticed his reaction and said,

"When George brought you here 6 weeks ago, you were totally despondent, we got a gurney and brought you to this room. The first few days you were in a hospital gown, one morning I came in and you were nude so we just left you that way. It was easier to put in the IV's for hydration and nutrients, also easier for the catheter."

She was a 5'6" brunette casually dressed middle age lady - she wore glasses that made her look younger than he assumed her age was, he figured she was about his age. He nodded at her question and said in a voice he did not recognize as he heard his stomach grumble,
"Yes I am hungry."
She said as she extended a hand to him which he took and in her handshake he felt her kindness and understanding,
"Since you probably do not remember me I am Dr. Sabrina Ross and you and I are going to get to know each other very well. But let's get you some real food and not the liquid diet you have been on while you slept."
He looked around the room, she noticed and asked,
"What are you looking for?"
"My clothes."
She smiled, and showed him to the closet where his clothes were. She then said as she turned to leave,
"I will be outside by the nurses desk come join me once you finish dressing."
He nodded. Once the door closed, he looked around the room for the first time, it was bright with sunlight and the greens and blue it was painted made it very peaceful. He headed into the large closet and noticed there was a dresser there also. Looking at the clothes he noticed there was more than 1 change of clothes and they were all his. He picked out a pair of jeans and a tshirt, he changed and after putting on a pair of runners he headed out.

Sure enough she was waiting for him, as they headed to the kitchen she gave him a tour explaining that she was founder and CEO of Greenwood Clinic and had 4 other doctors who worked there. She explained that all of them had patients in different stages of treatment within the clinic. She explained he was her one and only patient therefore he would have an individual session everyday with her and group sessions would be done with Dr. Stevens 3 times a week. They ended the tour in the kitchen where he met the cook Rita, she told him that the kitchen was open 24/7 just like he was at home. She also informed him that if he wanted a late night snack he could cook it himself but 'please clean your mess'. He told her to point him to the takeout menus causing them all to laugh.

Present Day...

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and Sabrina, as she expected him to call her, walked in.

"Good morning Elliott. How are you today?"

He stood up until she took a seat and then sat himself and said,

"I feel fine, but I received 2 calls from the past asking me to go back there and I am not sure how I feel about that."

She nodded,

"George called me and explained the situation. What are your concerns?"

He took a deep breath and said,

"I'm afraid if I go back I will want to stay because I might second guess my decision and think it was a mistake to leave and honestly that scares me."

She nodded and half smiled, he noticed and said,

"You have been on me from the start to be honest about my feelings..."

She again nodded and said,

"That is not what the smile was about. You have been my hardest and scariest case of PTSD I have ever had, and yet you, of all the 100s of cases I have dealt with, are the one I am most proud of. They say we are never too old to learn and you, my friend, proved that statement to be true. Sitting here listening to you speak honestly and openly about your feelings has been very therapeutic. You need to remember why you walked away it was not because of the victims."

He nodded, and asked,

"I told George I would be at the academy this afternoon if he wanted to talk to me about it. Will you sit in on the conversation please?"

She nodded,

"Yes I will. I will be your monitor through this whole process. Personally, if this was happening a year ago I would be strongly advising against it, but since you have recovered in leaps and bounds I think it will be a good test. You need to remember to go into this as the guy you are today, not as the man you were. Also, I want to monitor this for 2 reasons: 1. I want to see who you are as a detective, it is one thing to see you on paper but another to see you up close and personal, and 2. I want to meet the lady you are in love with, the final pieces of your puzzle."

AN: Sorry about the crazy formatting issue, I wrote this chapter on my iPhone and sent it as an email during a bus trip...it will be the only chapter like this...