AN: Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! You guys are so generous!

"We're here," Shawn said, sliding off of his bike and holding his hand out to help her stand.

She looked around curiously before looking back at Shawn, silently asking him what they were doing. He just smiled, tugging at her hand until she followed him. Silently, he led her along the beach, the full moon lighting their path as it cast a soft glow over the landscape.

"What are we doing?" She asked.

"It's a surprise," Shawn answered, squeezing her hand in assurance. "Trust me."

A few minutes later, they were standing beside a sand dune, and he stopped. He turned to face her, shifting nervously as he met her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Close your eyes, Jules."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled. "Trust me," He repeated.

"I do," she said simply, and those two little words were enough to make his knees go weak.

She closed her eyes, and Shawn walked backwards, leading her around the sand dune. He looked around, casting a critical eye on the scene that met him. He had put up some tiki torches and spread out some blankets along the sand. He had also packed a picnic basket that was filled with some of her favorite foods. The storms he had been worried about had held off for another day, leaving the sky crystal clear and offering them a breathtaking view of the stars. He nodded, satisfied with what he saw.

He moved to stand beside her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Open your eyes," He breathed, waiting for her reaction. He had never gone to this sort of trouble for any of his other girlfriends, and he was nervous. He really wanted her to like this.

He waited anxiously, his heart pounding loudly in his chest until her eyes opened. She gasped softly and a surprised smile curved her lips as she took in the scene. "Shawn, this is…amazing."

He let out a sigh of relief at her soft exclamation, loving the way her eyes lit up as she looked around. "It's okay?" He asked, twisting his lips in uncertainty.

She turned to face him, placing her hand on his chest and smiling at him. "It's perfect. Thank you."

He grabbed the hand she had put on his chest and pulled it to his lips, giving it a quick kiss before pulling her forward to the blanket.

"But it's not our anniversary or anything. Why did you do this?" She asked, confused.

He shrugged. "I know that case you've been working on has been bothering you. I just wanted to offer you a place to escape to tonight."

The smile she gave him after that comment was softer, more intimate. "Shawn Spencer, you surprise me. And I…"

She trailed off and he waited a moment before asking, "You what?"

"I fall a little harder for you every day."

Shawn smiled, warmth spreading through him. He had planned this picnic because he wanted to give her something special. Instead, she had turned around and offered him a present of her own, speaking the words he hadn't even realized he wanted to hear.

"That makes two of us, Detective," He finally managed to say.

Shawn didn't want to wake up. He knew what would happen if he did. Maybe it would have been better if he hadn't blocked that hit to his head; then this whole thing would be over. He wouldn't be facing the reality of two more days in this nightmare; his friends wouldn't be forced to watch Cole's clinical mutilation of him…if they were even watching, of course. He still wasn't sure. He knew that there was a slim chance that they were watching, and that knowledge weighed heavily on his mind. He loved each of them, and he would do everything he could to protect them; which meant he had to be careful with his reactions and the way he answered Cole's questions. And right now, he wasn't in any place to cover up his true emotions.

He was so…so tired. And he knew, beyond a doubt, that Cole was going to go too far in one of his sessions. They shouldn't have to see that; he didn't want them to see that. He just couldn't stomach the thought that the people he cared so much for might be watching what he was going through.

Maybe they weren't watching.

He clenched his jaw, tired with the merry-go-round that his thoughts were taking. Either they were watching, or they weren't. That didn't change what he was going to do now.

He opened his eyes slowly, peering carefully around the cabin as he looked for Cole. When he found the cabin empty, he looked straight at the camera, cleared his throat, and started to speak.

"I don't know if you're watching. To be honest…at this point, it doesn't…doesn't matter. I want you to turn off the computer. You need to stop…stop watching. Cole is doing this…to get his revenge, and if you keep…keep watching, then you're letting him win. Don't let that happen. I just want to let you know…that I love you guys…and I'm sorry. I know that I lied and that it was…it was wrong. I never wanted to hurt any of you." He didn't really know what to say next. Should he make his last words to them light, or honestly tell them what he was thinking? That uncertainty combined with the feeling that he was running out of time, and he made the choice to keep it simple. "Dad, Gus…thank you. And Jules…there's something…" His throat closed, and he looked away, taking a moment to clear it and take a breath. "I was going to give you something on our anniversary next month. I won't be able to give it to you now, but I still want you to have it. It's in my bedside drawer. Do…do what you want with it."

His gaze slid to the door of the cabin and then back to the camera. "Cole's going to be…back soon. Turn off the computer. It's time," He nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "Good…goodbye."

Shawn let his head fall back to rest against the chair. The magnitude of what he had done, that he had just severed the only link he had to the outside world, hit him suddenly. His eyes slid closed as he fought against the heavy weight that had settled on his chest and made it so difficult to breathe.

His hunch that Cole would return soon was correct. The door slammed open and Shawn flinched, scrambling to clear the ragged emotions from his face.

"You're awake," Cole said in surprise. "I didn't expect you to wake so soon."

Cole walked into the cabin and Shawn wearily tracked his movements.

"I was planning the rest of our time together, Shawn. You see, yesterday we had to take it slow because of the sedatives. They only allowed us enough time for two sessions. However, you are past the point of needing them, which gives us a lot more freedom. I do hope you will talk now, but I've come to realize you really are just as stubborn as you said you were." He leaned against the table and narrowed his eyes at Shawn, as if he were still thinking.

He took a deep breath and reached for the black bag he had tormented Shawn with earlier. "So Shawn, it's really your choice." He put his hand in the bag, rummaging around before pulling out the black chord. "Tell me about Juliet, or we jump right back in."

Shawn tore his eyes away from Cole to look down at the floor.

"Tell me. When did you fall for her? What did she say when your secret came out?"

Shawn hesitated. Should he talk? What could it hurt? He'd already asked them to stop watching, so she would never know. But he just…couldn't. Finally, he shook his head.

"Why do you refuse to talk about her?"

"Because…I love her."

"Ah," A triumphant smile curved Cole's lips. "You love her. Does she love you?"

Shawn just kept silent, disappointed that he had given Cole that little bit of satisfaction by answering his question. He didn't want to talk about her. Talking about her here, with Cole, would taint the memory of their relationship. He couldn't let that happen. His memory was the only escape he had left.

Cole nodded slowly as Shawn kept his silence. "I didn't want to use this so soon," He said, twisting the chord between his hands. "I'm worried it might damage your voice and stop you from talking when you finally break; but to be honest, I think we'll be okay."

He circled behind Shawn's chair and Shawn watched as the chord passed in front of his face. He closed his eyes as it rested against his throat, his hand clenching as it slowly began to tighten.

She was exquisite. The black dress she was wearing was beautiful, her makeup subtle, but stunning. But to him, it didn't matter what she was wearing. It was her eyes that caught him, that grabbed his heart and refused to let go. She was elegant, breathtaking. He literally couldn't breathe as he stared into her eyes and held out the rose.

The rope was loose again, and Shawn coughed roughly as he sucked in air, the black spots that had covered his eyes slowly disappearing.

All too soon, the rope was getting tighter again.

Yin walked to Gus, the poison-filled needle moving until it was resting against Gus' arm. Suddenly, Shawn couldn't breathe. His mind was screaming out a denial as he said anything and everything to get Yin to stop. Gus' voice mixed with his until Yin suddenly pulled back, unable to pass on the opportunity to tell them the reason he had played this game with Shawn. And still, Shawn couldn't breathe. The threat was still there. If Yin wanted to, he could kill Gus. Shawn wouldn't be able to stop him.

"Breathe!" Cole ordered. He slapped him across the chest, and finally, Shawn was able to suck in a huge breath. His chest was heaving and his throat burned. The chord tightened again and all other pain was forgotten as he struggled to free himself, his hands futilely trying to reach for the rope wrapped around his neck.

Shawn couldn't speak. Garth, or whatever the heck his real name was, had his fingers on Shawn's throat, squeezing. His father was right there! Right there! Dad…He kept moving his mouth, hoping something would come out. Garth tightened his fingers, and Shawn felt his eyelids grow heavy when his air was cut off. Dad…please…He watched his father look down the road, watched as he and Lassiter walked off…He couldn't believe they were just walking away, that they were leaving him there to die.

The chair had been knocked backwards, and Cole was leaning over him, one hand pinching Shawn's nose and the other tilting his chin back. Understanding bloomed, and Shawn felt a tear slip down his face. "Why…why didn't you just…let me die?" He rasped, unable to completely revel in the breath that filled his lungs.

Cole pushed up from the ground, shaking his head. "I already told you, Shawn. Not until…"

There was a beeping noise coming from the computer and Cole spun to face it, his head tilting. He walked to the desk, and Shawn felt his eyes slip closed in fatigue, unable to muster the energy to be curious about the noise.

"No. There's no way," He heard Cole say. He could hear the clicking of computer keys, but it was the sudden slamming noise that startled him enough to make his eyes open. Cole slammed the desk again and began pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. Cole turned mid-pace, grabbing the knife from the table and stalking to Shawn's side. He grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him slightly from the floor. "It seems you were right, Shawn. They really don't care. That beeping noise? That told me that no one is watching anymore."

Shawn just blinked at him, the words slowly filtering through the haze that filled his mind.

"Do you understand?" Cole asked as he began cutting off Shawn's shirt. "Your friends navigated away from my web page. They don't care enough about you to watch anymore."

Shawn had asked them to do that and they had actually listened. He was disappointed they hadn't done it when he asked, especially since he had wanted to save them from more pain, but at least they had finally gone through with it. He was glad, very glad, to find out they weren't watching anymore, but it still hurt. It was an irrational feeling, since he had specifically asked them not to, but…he really was alone now.

"Do you know how angry that makes me?" Cole asked as he began cutting Shawn loose from the chair.

Shawn struggled, but Cole lashed out. The backhanded hit to his face made Shawn lose touch with his surroundings. When he finally broke from the haze, Cole was walking away from him and he was lying on his stomach, secured to the workbench that had caught his attention the day before. He was unable to stop the way his body shivered, unable to halt the new fear that was coursing through his body. A part of him realized that he was probably going into shock, that too much had happened in a short amount of time and he had finally reached his limit.

He watched as Cole started to walk back to him, his eyes falling on the whip that dangled loosely in his hands.

"Unfortunately for you, Shawn, this means we'll be finishing soon. Much sooner than I had planned."

…

She opened the door, and Shawn felt the strength leave his legs. She was crying, had been crying for some time, if her red eyes gave him any indication. More than anything, he wanted to fold her into his arms and comfort her, but he knew his efforts wouldn't be welcomed. She turned around, leaving the door open for him to enter. He took a deep breath and followed her, praying he would be able to find the words to explain, to make this pain go away.

"I'm sorry, Jules, I-"

"You're sorry? Sorry?" Blue eyes glared at him, anger and betrayal making them glitter even more dangerously than if she had been confronting a suspect.

"You lied to me!" She spat out, hands clenching into fists as she stalked towards him.

"Jules, I-" The slap wasn't exactly unexpected, but that didn't make it sting any less.

"I can't believe I fell for it! A psychic! How stupid am I to have trusted you, to have believed you?"

"Jules, please. I-"

"You never told me! After all this time, how could you not tell me the truth?"

"I wanted to! I just didn't want to hurt you! And I was trying to protect you!"

"Protect me?"

"I was going to tell you, I was just trying to find a way. And until I did, at least you wouldn't know. You wouldn't be charged with anything if my secret came out."

"How thoughtful." The words were spiteful, and Shawn flinched at the venom in her voice.

"Please, Jules-"

"Don't call me that." The words were flat, emotionless, and that scared him more than the venom and spite. She was cutting herself off from him.

"Please…"

"Leave, Shawn. Now."

He hesitated, not wanting to go. He wanted to make her understand, wanted to save her from this pain. If he left, he would never be able to do that.

"Now!"

He nodded slowly, backing away from her, his eyes glued to her face. His shoulders slumped as she turned her back to him. He left her house quietly, shutting the door on the sobs that were ripping his heart from his chest.

Hands were gripping his shoulders and flipping him onto his back. Cole was saying something, but Shawn didn't understand him.

He was finally numb.

His eyes opened slowly as Cole started slapping his cheek, the words he had been speaking finally coming into focus.

"We've come to the end of our time together." Cole twirled the knife between his hands, staring down at him. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing in thought as he moved to trace the scar from Shawn's gunshot wound. He tore his eyes away from that spot to meet Shawn's gaze. "Goodbye, Shawn."

And Shawn felt the knife plunge into his chest.