A/N: I am so, so sorry that this has taken so long!! My life has never been more busy. Anywhere, here it is, the continuation. Please be aware that it may be awhile for me to get the next chapter up. And please remember to read and review!

Chapter 3

"I know the road is long
But where you are is home
Wherever you stay
I'll find the way"

Ryan stood pouring over a vic's personal effects. He grabbed the camera and took a picture of a dime bag full of small white pills before opening it and taking one out, looking at it closely under the microscope. It was labeled VICODIN ES.

Sighing deeply, Ryan took a picture of the pill before returning it to the bag. Vicodin…Greg's drug of choice. It sounded so strange still to use the word "drug" and "Greg" together in the same sentence. Greg, who had witnessed first-hand how drugs fucked up people's lives…how could he be a drug addict?

So many times the families of victims were left wondering why, with no answer in sight. Ryan found himself in these shoes. There was no answer for why Greg had chosen drugs over him. There never would be a concrete, comprehendible answer. That was one thing Ryan would have to learn and accept.

But he would never be able to accept Greg being on drugs, which was why he laid down the law. And he would not renege that law. As much as he loved Greg with every ounce of his being, he was truly doing this for Greg's good, not just for his own.

But he missed Greg. It wasn't the deep, echoing despair he had felt previously when he and Greg were apart. This was a much deeper and more emotional yearning, because Greg was so close, and so willing to come back to him, and all he had to do was take back his demand that Greg go to rehab and get clean. And surely, surely it would be worth it if he got to see Greg, got to hold him, got to melt in his chocolate eyes everyday.

Then reality set back in. It would be so much sweeter and more wonderful if he and Greg could be together without impediment, without the giant elephant in the room with them. It would be a beautiful day when they could be together, but that day would not, could not come til Greg was clean.

His mind made up yet again, Ryan turned back to his work, a certain resolution in his movements. The day would come when he and Greg could be together, and until then, he would be content to wait.


Greg paced nervously in front of his therapist's door. He was having his first one-on-one session that afternoon, and he was nervous as could be. Though the group session had gone surprisingly well that morning, there were no guarantees that this would be even remotely as successful. When the door finally opened, Greg was greeted by a short, balding man with a wide smile. "Mr. Sanders," he said, extending a hand. "Do you mind if I call you Greg?"

"Not at all," answered Greg, smiling as well. Something about this guy made Greg feel at ease. Maybe it was the bright colored swim trunks he was wearing like a pair of shorts, or maybe it was the equally bright Hawaiian shirt he had paired with them. "What would you like me to call you?"

The doctor smiled. "Dr. Theotokopolous is not only incredibly difficult to pronounce, it's also extremely formal. You can call me Theo."

Greg gave him a quizzical look. "Your parents named you Theo Theotokopolous?"

Laughing aloud, Theo said, "No, my first name is Francis, but who the hell goes by Francis? I decided to go by Theo 'cause it sounds cooler." He walked with Greg into the office.

Greg stopped in shock. His office was not at all what he had expected. The office was much more like a study, with bookshelves occupying almost every wall. Instead of a desk, there were two squishy armchairs settled next to a rustic, albeit fake fireplace. Theo took his flip-flops off and nestled into the cushions. Greg sat down opposite of him, still feeling slightly uncomfortable. "So you're a San Gabriel boy," said Theo, smiling at him. "I'm from El Monte."

"Oh!" said Greg in recognition, his eyes lighting up. "So we're both California boys. Where did you go to school at?"

Theo grinned. "I was a Berkley kid—" he started, but Greg cut him off by booing.

"C'mon, Stanford is the only place to be in Cali! A Berkley grad…shame on you!"

Holding up his hands placatingly, Theo explained, "Hey, I went to Stanford for my PhD, ok? That should at least count for something, right?"

A small smile flitted over Greg's face as he pretended to consider it. "Fine, I suppose that's alright," he allowed, settling more comfortably into his chair.

Theo leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "I suppose we should get down to business," he said, sighing heavily as if this were as unpleasant to him as it was sure to be to Greg. "Let's start with your expectations. What do you want to get out of your stay here? I don't just mean getting clean, because of course you want that. I mean, are there any changes you want to make to your life while you're here?"

Greg looked thoughtful as he considered what Theo just said. "I guess one major change I want to make in my life is…well, see, I've always been the one to walk away. I never pursue a conflict, which I know can be a good thing, but it also means that I tend not to pursue a relationship, per say, or that I let things go too soon without fighting for the people I love."

"Like Ryan," supplied Theo. At Greg's quizzical look, he explained, "Your group counselor reports what developments have been made in group to me. It's very helpful because a lot of the time, things will come out with the encouragement of many people that would take weeks or months to come out in individualized therapy. I hope you don't mind."

Shaking his head, Greg said, "No, it makes sense. This way, I don't have to explain to you the entire situation involving Ryan."

Theo nodded. "Right. And then we can spend more of our time focusing on other, deeper issues. But that's not what today is for. Today is more for me to explain more about your treatment to you. I believe you understand group and individual therapy sessions."

"Yeah," agreed Greg, nodding. "They're pretty self-explanatory. I did have a question about the different, more holistic methods of treatment. Some of them sound pretty interesting."

Nodding, Theo leaned forward. "I'm going to be very honest with you, Greg. You're exceptionally gifted as a human being, and I don't just mean your intelligence. You came in here with a direction in mind of where you're going and why you're going there. A lot of the holistic methods we use help people who lack that same vision that you have, to help them understand the source of their problems." At Greg's crestfallen features, Theo quickly added, "However, because you do want to find a way to center yourself to avoid running away again, there may be a few treatment options. Was there one that you had in mind?"

Greg nodded excitedly. "I'm very interested in the surfing therapy idea. I love surfing, and I think that using something I love to help me with my problems is a very good idea."

A small smile crossed Theo's face, and he nodded. "I thought you might be interested in that one. Luckily for you, that might just be the perfect therapy for you. Connected with nature can help you look inside yourself for the force that will lend you strength in situations that make you want to run away." Pausing, he took a moment to write something down in a notebook. "Luckily, we should be able to start your first surfing session in the next few days, once the major withdrawal symptoms wear off. Speaking of," he said, pausing to look closely at Greg, "I need to warn you about the withdrawal symptoms you may feel."

Swallowing, Greg nodded, his features worried. "Are they going to be bad?" he asked in a small voice.

Theo took his time answering. "It truly depends on the individual and the amount of the substance that said individual has consumed over time. Since most recently you have been under the influence of alcohol, those symptoms are going to be more painful. Your Vicodin addiction, however, is just as bad if not worse than your alcoholism. You have been an addict of Vicodin, however unknowingly, for the past four years."

He paused again. "Vicodin withdrawal symptoms can include the following: restlessness, muscle or bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes, goose bumps, involuntary leg movements, watery eyes, runny nose, loss of appetite, irritability, panic, nausea, chills and sweating. However, if what your boss, Mr., ah…" He consulted his notes. "Mr. Grissom, said is correct, you have not been on Vicodin for the past week. You may have noticed yourself going through many of these symptoms."

Greg smiled weakly. "Well, that explains a lot. I thought I was coming down with the flu or something. At least now I know what it is."

Nodding, Theo went on. "Yes, several of the symptoms of both Vicodin withdrawal and alcohol withdrawal can seem flu-like. However, there are other, more serious symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal. Besides the several of the same ones as Vicodin, tremors, physical agitation, hallucinations and illusions or grand mal seizures are all possible. And, of course, there is always a risk of death." Pausing, he asked sincerely, "Are you sure you want to go through with this? There's no shame in backing out."

Greg snorted. "No shame? No shame my ass. There would be shame in my quitting after a few days. Not only would I be ashamed of myself, but there are so many people who would be ashamed of me as well." Leaning forward, Greg said intensely, "Dr. Theotokopolous, if you think that I'm not serious about this, you need to learn quickly that I am. This is the most serious undertaking of my life, and I cannot and will not fail."

Theo grinned widely. "That is the attitude that will get you through this." He stood and offered Greg his hand. "Greg, I wish you the best of luck, and I will see you later this week." As Greg shook his hand, he added, "Oh, and remember…you CAN do this. No matter what. You can."

As Greg walked away from the Theo's office, he found himself grinning ridiculously. He could do this. He really could.