A/N: In my universe, everyone has a first-aid kit in their car. It's just like a spare tire if you live in the murder capital of the world.


Rhianna was talking, and Gus was ignoring her. He knew it wasn't the smart thing to do, but all of his attention was locked on the fading sounds of ponging balls, making sure Shawn wasn't immediately being hurt as he just walked away.

"... and of course, MRIs have been a good start, but I'm sure it won't surprise you to know that it's very difficult to actually find a real psychic to study." Rhianna slowed slightly and looked back at Gus. "Surely you've gone looking… And you'd be able to tell if they were faking. Have you-"

"No," He answered flatly, deciding it didn't count as lying if he hadn't heard the whole question.

"Hm, too bad." She shrugged and sped back up as she commented lightly, "Jeffery seemed to have a knack for finding them. Though, I suppose he did think your friend was real, so he wasn't perfect."

Gus stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at her as his arm prickled. "... No, he really wasn't."

Rhianna turned around with a small eye roll. "Despite what you might think of him, Jeffery was absolutely brilliant. Did you know you were only the tenth non-psychic he tested his formula on? A sample size of ten and he achieved success. That's unheard of."

"So, he tortured nine other people to death," Gus translated for her as he crossed his arms. "And that makes him 'brilliant'."

"Yes. The fact that it was only nine other people makes him brilliant," Rhianna agreed. She turned around and kept walking, calling out over her shoulder, "Keep up, we don't have all day."

Gus ground his teeth and followed her as the ponging balls faded out range. Rhianna kept talking, oblivious to whether he wanted to hear it or not. "Really, his methods were crude, but the sheer amount of data Jeffery was able to obtain just from dissections and interviews is astonishing. I was only able to look through a handful of his research before it was taken away, but hopefully soon…" She sighed and the smell of lilies twinged in annoyed regret before she continued, "this would go so much faster if he was still here. The man was a visionary."

"He was insane," Gus corrected, unable to keep his thoughts to himself anymore.

Rhianna gave him a disappointed look as she turned onto another sidewalk. "All great thinkers are thought of as insane in their time. It's the price of greatness."

"... And did any of them rename themselves after a serial killer?"

Shawn had found that tidbit of information after Dahmer had kidnapped them the first time and before Gus had asked to not be told anything else about the mad scientist.

"Nikola Tesla fell in love with a pigeon," Rhianna pointed out.

Gus gave her a disbelieving stare. "That's not the same thing!"

"Sure it is," Rhianna said as she stopped in front of a blue house. "We're here. My friend is brilliant, in his own way, but also short-sighted. He won't understand what I'm doing, and you aren't going to tell him."

"Uh-huh," Gus said sarcastically. "You're not doing anything wrong, so clearly you have to hide it." Rhianna's face hardened and she reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. Gus' gut clenched at the reminder, and he quickly asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Rhianna rotated the phone in her hand as she told him, "I expect you to show him your abilities, answer any questions he has, and be polite."

She glanced down at her phone and angled it away as she unlocked it. Gus focused on her pulling electrodes, but the only thought he could sense was a long series of numbers attached to a circle with a line running through it. He tried to hide his disappointment as he realized the unlock code could be any part of the number pi, or she could have just been reciting it to mask the real number. She nodded in satisfaction as she put the phone back away and informed him, "I've just bought another five minutes of safety for your- for Mr. Spencer."

Gus raised an eyebrow at Shawn's upgraded name and asked, "Am I supposed to thank you for that?"

Rhianna just sighed and walked up the porch to knock on the door. She glanced over as Gus joined her and a small grin crossed her face. "No, Burton, you're supposed to smile. After all, we're friends, and you're excited to be joining this project."

Gus gave her a flat look before putting on his most neutral salesman smile as the door to the house opened.

A slightly overweight man peered around the partially open door and the laugh lines around his eyes creased as he blinked in surprise when he saw who was standing on his porch. He opened the door fully as he asked, "Rhi? What are you- Is something wrong?"

"Hey Jack," Rhianna answered with a smile that almost looked genuine. "Sorry to drop in unannounced, but I just received fantastic news and couldn't wait to share it with you." She put her hand on Gus' shoulder, and he had to fight to not immediately shrug it back off. "This is Burton Guster, you remember me telling you about him? He's just agreed to work with me on my project! Burton, this is Jack Brown, one of the researchers from the lab I work at."

Jack gave Gus a polite smile before stepping out of the house and closing the door behind him. "I've told you before, Rhi, I don't work at home. Can we wait-"

"This is important. Please," Rhianna practically pleaded as her electrodes pulled in distress. She turned to give Gus a deliberate look. "Burton, show him."

Gus sighed and focused on the taste of blueberry pancakes and the feeling of writing with a good pen: Exasperation, a broken crystal ball, pork chops in the oven, Rhianna, Worry.

"You don't believe in psychics, dinner's almost ready and you don't want to make anyone wait on you, and you think Rhianna needs therapy," Gus relayed, smirking slightly at the last one. "Though, to be fair, I probably could have gotten that from a cold read, so it probably won't convince you of anything. Your wife's cooking smells delicious by the way."

"Yeah, it does," Jack agreed as he looked at Gus carefully. "You think you're psychic too?"

Gus shrugged. "Either that, or I have very accurate hallucinations." Movement caught his eye and he glanced over, seeing Rhianna's phone turning in her hand again. His jaw tightened before he remembered himself and hid back behind his smile. "Why don't I make this easy? Think of something I shouldn't know. An equation, or your favorite food, or your high school locker combination..."

Jack's lips quirked into a self-deprecating smirk as he ran a hand over his balding hair. "I know I look youthful, but I forgot that one a long time ago."

Gus shook his head at himself; sometimes he forgot other people didn't have Shawn's memory. "Sorry, they were just the first examples I could-"

The taste of pancakes grew, and an image dripped into his mind like syrup: Men in jerseys skated across the ice, vying for control of a black puck. A hockey stick snapped out and the puck flew into the net, just barely missing the padded glove reaching for it.

Gus' words morphed in his mouth and he started talking before he knew what he was going to say. "It was the first hockey game you ever saw. The home team was the underdog and they still won. You loved every minute of it, even though you didn't know to pack a coat and were freezing the whole time."

Jack's face went lax and he gaped at Gus as Rhianna beamed. "See, Jack. I told you I was right."

"You… I- Wha… How?!" Jack stuttered out.

Gus looked between the two scientists. "She didn't tell you how?"

"I mean, she did. But I didn't-" Jack looked at Gus in fascination before looking back at the house. "I can't… Dinner's in ten minutes."

"We'll make sure we're gone by then," Rhianna promised, a grin stretching across her face. "We have more stops to make today anyways."

Gus could feel the pen writing quickly and braced himself for a flood of questions as Jack opened the door and ushered them inside. Rhianna walked with sure steps, and Gus followed through a hallway with kid art hanging on the walls and into a living room with mismatched chairs and a black lab sleeping on a large couch. Jack walked past them and ruffled the dog's ears before pushing him gently off of the furniture. "Come on, T, let's give our guests some room."

The dog grumbled and moved slowly, giving Gus a halfhearted sniff as he walked past before finding an air vent and flopping over it to resume his nap. Jack shook his head fondly as he sat on one of the chairs facing the couch. "Someone could break in right now, and he would just make sure they didn't have treats before going back to sleep."

Rhianna rolled her eyes. "Yes, he's a dog. You must have questions, ask them."

She perched expectantly on the edge of the couch, and Gus sat next to her, his palms starting to sweat as his mental clock ticked down the time until Shawn wasn't 'protected' anymore.

Jack gave Rhianna a look that was both fond and annoyed before giving her a sharp smile and asking, "Either of you need a drink or a snack?"

"Jack…" Rhianna sighed.

"What? I just learned psychics are real. I'm going to need a minute to sort my thoughts," Jack complained.

An idea occurred to Gus and he spoke up, "Actually, I wouldn't mind a water bottle, if you have one."

"Yeah, we do. One sec." Jack stood up before pausing and holding out his hand. "By the way, I never said it properly. It's nice to meet you, Burton."

Gus found himself wanting to correct the name as he reached out to shake the offered hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Jack."

Jack walked back towards the sounds of clinking dishes, and Rhianna turned to glare at Gus. He held up his hands and spoke quietly. "You need to text about Shawn again, and I didn't know how to ask with him in the room."

Her eyebrows scrunched together and she pulled her phone back out, checking the time on the screen. She huffed quietly before masking her thoughts and unlocking her phone. Gus nervously reminded her, "I've been doing everything you said…"

Rhianna sighed and typed a message before locking the phone again. "Mr. Spencer is still safe. Which won't be the case if something like that," she pointed to the door Jack had disappeared through, "happens again. Let me worry about the check-ins, all you have to worry about is doing as you're told."

Jack chose that moment to return, and Gus fought to keep his anger from his face as he took the water bottle with quiet thanks. He took a sip as Jack sat down and stared intently at him. The pen against Gus' fingers changed its pattern, slashing down several times, and Gus focused before answering, "You're thinking about when T… Teal was a puppy with his favorite ball."

Jack grinned ruefully, "Sorry, can't blame me for double checking." His face grew more serious as he said, "Rhianna told me that the man who kidnapped her ran experiments on you, against your will. And that's how you acquired your…" he shook his head in bewilderment, "psychic abilities."

Gus swallowed down a grimace at the word 'acquired' and wondered just how much Rhianna had told Jack as he answered, "Yeah, that's right."

"That's really rough, I'm sorry," Jack said, sounding sincere. "Do your abilities hurt?"

Gus hesitated, wondering how much he should tell of the dreams that burned, of the thoughts that pulled at him, of losing himself in a crowd. "Not all of the time. Crowds are overwhelming, some people feel unpleasant," Gus remembered several accidental graphic broadcasts, "and sometimes people think things loud enough that I can't help but see them. And that can be pretty uncomfortable too."

Rhianna tilted her head slightly, but Gus didn't worry about her as Jack looked him over, his look both warm and calculating. "I know Rhi's been trying to get you to work with her since that day. I'm assuming you didn't want any more scientists poking at you, understandably, so what's changed?"

The electrodes on Gus' scalp suddenly stopped pulling and started to push, zapping an image into his brain of Shawn lying in the trunk. He shook his head slightly, the mental intrusion from Rhianna making his skin crawl as he heeded the warning and lied carefully. "I guess I just realized I owe it to myself to understand why this happened."

A small jolt ran through him as he realized he wasn't sure if he was actually lying, and Jack raised his eyebrows slightly as he said, "I'm pretty sure it happened because a psychopath with a god-complex got his hands on you."

"Jack!"

He snapped back at Rhianna, "What? He stalked you, he kidnapped you, he killed all those other people…"

"He never wanted to hurt me; He was trying to-"

"I swear, if you say he was trying to 'change the world'..." Jack sighed the sigh of someone who'd had the same argument a hundred times already. "Look, I'm glad that Burton agreed to help with your project. His-" he turned to look at Gus, "Your abilities are absolutely a breakthrough, and it will probably fuel all sorts of research." He looked back at Rhianna. "But you still won't be able to do what you want to do."

Rhianna pushed up her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "He's living, breathing proof that we can unlock psychic abilities, that we have psychic abilities."

"Yes," Jack agreed gently, "but it doesn't mean you'll be allowed to try to replicate the results."

"Maybe not here," Rhianna snapped as she shoved her glasses back into place and her electrodes flared red. "Good night, Jack, I hope you have a good dinner."

She pushed herself off of the couch and began to walk towards the door when Jack called out, stopping her in her tracks. "You don't know for certain that you're running out of time."

The smell of lilies twisted on itself, flickering like a dying flame as she answered coolly, "This isn't about me. And it's not about my father, either, before you try to say it."

Gus frowned and listened to the faltering thoughts: A man in a wheelchair with confused eyes and a lopsided smile, stuttering words that used to flow. Still being able to open and close both of his hands, relief. A calendar with a blood-red circle around a fast-approaching date, fear.

"Well, it's not just about helping people either," Jack answered, meeting her gaze without blinking. "Otherwise, you'd be obsessing over things being safe, not being right."

Rhianna's lips tightened and she spoke softly. "I just wanted you to understand…" She seemed to give herself a mental shake as she looked over at Gus. "Let's go, Burton. We still have a few more things to do tonight."

Gus gladly stood up, the ticking clock in his head only sounding louder with Rhianna's frustration glowing behind it. He fidgeted with the water bottle in his hand, hoping that frustration wouldn't be taken out on Shawn as they filed back to the door in awkward silence.

Jack saw them out onto the sidewalk before hesitating and asking, "Look… are you planning on visiting Heightmeyer next?"

Rhianna sighed and her shoulders seemed to loosen as she answered, "Don't worry. I know that I'll have to practically shove the MRI scans into her hands before she'll even think about listening to me."

He nodded before stepping back to close the door. "Good luck, Rhi."

"Goodbye, Jack," Rhianna answered before turning and walking away without looking back.

Gus hurried to catch up with her, torn between not wanting to know any more about her and needing to know anything he might be able to use to their advantage. He hadn't made up his mind yet when he found himself asking, "Your dad had a stroke?"

"Yes," Rhianna answered as she narrowed her eyes.

"You think you're going to have a stroke too."

"It runs in the family," she answered in a clipped tone. "But it's not about that anymore; Jeffery showed me how small I was thinking. My work is bigger than all of us. We can change the world."

Her electrodes were pulling fanatically again, and Gus let the conversation drop as he focused on the sound of ponging balls in the distance. He was relieved to feel that Shawn didn't seem to be in any distress, but he knew he wouldn't believe it for sure until he could see him with his own eyes.

Rhianna shook her head distractedly. "I knew Jack wouldn't understand all of it, but I thought… I thought he'd understand at least a little if I just showed him I was right. Showed him what was possible." The smell of lilies faded even further as she straightened her shoulders and began to walk faster. "I forgot that not everyone can see what's necessary. If this lab won't back up my research, then I'll take it to someone who will. I'm sure the military would be thrilled to find a way to read the enemy's mind…"

Gus clenched his hand around the water bottle, focusing on the plastic bending under his fingers to keep himself from snapping at her. Any sympathy he might have felt at her situation was quickly burned away as an image of an alien strapped to a table in Area 51 popped into his mind before morphing to an image of him being strapped to the table instead.

He shook his head and dismissed the thought; they'd find a way out before it came to that. They got out last time, they could do it again.

Rollins was lounging against the side of the car with a cigarette in his mouth when they returned, and Rhianna walked to the driver's door with purpose, snapping out as she went, "We don't have all day, let's go."

Shawn's thoughts started bouncing faster, and Gus stopped at the trunk, crossing his arms as he reminded her, "You said I could help Shawn if I cooperated."

"You'll be allowed to do so at our next stop," Rhianna said in a hard voice. "Get in."

"Can I at least see him? Make sure he-"

Rhianna's electrodes flared red and an image slammed into his mind: Dahmer's grin stretched across his face as he stood behind a bound and gagged Shawn, his fingernails digging into the back of Shawn's neck.

Gus flinched back violently, and his heart pounded in his chest as he stared at Rhianna. She narrowed her eyes with a small smile. "Like I said, all you need to worry about is doing as you're told. Get in."

Shawn sent a concerned ping, and Gus wasn't sure how to respond to it as Rollins opened the back door and cracked his knuckles pointedly. Gus let out a shaky breath and climbed back into the car, flinching slightly as the door slammed closed behind him.

Shawn sent a broadcast as the car started to move: A chewed up jeep with its wheels in the air, "Well… we're back… in the car again."

Gus sighed and thought about whether he could get away with answering back when Rhianna met his eyes through the mirror. Her voice was cold as she told him, "I need to think, so you need to be quiet. If you aren't, my associates will have a free minute with your friend before you can tend to him."

Gus clenched his mouth shut and looked away, watching the neighborhood pass by in silence as he tried to convince himself that his hands were shaking because he was angry. Shawn gave him a mental nudge with a broadcast: A deformed Starfleet captain in a chair, "Two flashes means no."

Gus' thoughts calmed when he understood, and he looked around quickly before dropping his hand down to knock once at the plastic between the seat and the door.

Shawn sent an image of a thumbs up before asking: The old man from Monty Python.

Gus sighed in annoyance at the question that had been coined in the basement, and he knocked once to say that yes, he was ok.

A folded note being passed in class, flashing police lights.

Gus felt a twinge of guilt as he knocked twice; he hadn't been able to find a way to send a message to the cops.

Blue words on a computer screen, "Shall we play a game?"

Gus rolled his eyes and knocked twice. He didn't want their communication found out just because they'd been bored.

"Anyone hear that?" Rossman asked, looking around the car. "Like a weird knocking sound?"

Rollins looked back and Gus tried to keep his face looking innocent as he was scrutinized. The mercenary rolled his eyes and looked forward again as he said, "You're hearing things. Don't worry about it."

Shawn sent an annoyed ping with a final broadcast: A newscaster with an obnoxious mustache, "and I'm Ron Burgundy. Go fuck yourself San Diego."

Gus risked one more knock in agreement before bringing both hands forward to fidget with the water bottle. He watched the sun set ahead of them, wondering where they were being taken next.


The sun had fully set by the time they pulled into a parking lot of a building on campus. As soon as the car stopped, Gus was reaching for the door handle to check on Shawn, but a large hand grabbed his shoulder stopping him. Metal scraped sharply on a cymbal in amusement as Rossman told him, "Nuh-uh, wait your turn."

"You enjoy your job too much," Gus informed the smirking thug as Rhianna and Rollins exited the car.

Rossman's smirk grew, but he didn't answer besides letting go as the door next to Gus opened. Gus quickly climbed out and headed for the trunk, but another hand grabbed his shoulder, squeezing hard enough to bruise as Rollins kept him back.

Gus gritted his teeth and stopped, his hand clenching the water bottle tightly as the trunk was opened and Rossman leaned in.

"Oh, hey, big and ugly. Where's Gu- Woah!"

Gus startled forward at Shawn's surprised cry, and Rollins pulled him back roughly as Rossman straightened and pulled Shawn up and over his shoulder. Rhianna walked past without a second glance and headed straight for a side door next to the parking lot. Rossman followed as Shawn complained tightly, "I can walk, you know!"

Rossman jerked his shoulder, and Shawn yelped slightly as he was jostled around. Rossman shook him again as he growled, "Shut up."

"Every single time…" Shawn grumbled, just loud enough for Gus to hear.

Rollins didn't let go as he marched Gus through the open door behind Shawn, and Gus quickly looked around to get his bearings. The building looked exactly like every other university building he'd ever been in, with laminated floors, doors with frosted windows, and chairs lining the hallway. Shawn was dropped into one of the chairs, and he was clearly having to fight back pain as he squeezed his eyes closed and breathed slowly.

Gus' side ached and he glared at Rhianna as she stepped towards him with a small bag in her hand. She raised her eyebrows at the look and said, "I told you, I'm not a bad guy," she handed over the small first-aid kit, "I just see what needs to be done and am willing to do it."

"You sure look like a bad guy from over here," Shawn said as he opened his eyes to glance at the two mercenaries with guns.

Rhianna shook her head with a small, frustrated sigh before she turned to Rossman. "Send him in when his time's up."

"Sure thing, boss lady."

Rhianna turned and walked into a room further down the hallway, and Rollins finally let go of Gus' shoulder. Gus immediately went over to Shawn, tossing the kit and water bottle on another empty chair as he looked his friend over for any new injuries.

Shawn was doing the same, his waves cresting as he scanned Gus head to toe before asking, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Gus answered distractedly as he took in the darkening bruises on Shawn's face with a wave a guilt.

Shawn's eyes narrowed and he conversationally pointed out, "You're freaking out."

"You got hurt because of me, of course I'm freaking out," Gus grumbled. He didn't give Shawn time to answer before asking, "Did they hurt you more?"

"Nah, it's just some bruises from earlier. It probably looks worse than it is."

Gus immediately listened to the ponging balls, looking for the lie, and Shawn rolled his eyes. "You are such a cheater…"

Satisfied that Shawn was telling the truth, Gus looked back at the bad guys guarding them. "This would go a lot easier if his hands were-"

"Nope," Rollins answered immediately.

Gus sighed in annoyance and looked back to nod towards Shawn's shirt. "Is it ok if I look?"

"Dude, seriously, it's fine," Shawn argued, "I got more hurt the last time I tried skateboarding."

"You were trying to ride behind a car like Marty McFly, that's not a good argument," Gus complained.

"But I would have looked so cool if it'd worked."

"Shawn…"

"Gus…"

Gus glared at him and snapped out, "Would you stop being stupid stubborn and let me help you?"

Shawn stared at him in shock before stating indignantly, "I cannot believe you just used my own words against me!" Gus crossed his arms and waited, and Shawn rolled his eyes before relenting, "Fine…"

"Thank you," Gus said as he reached forward to start unbuttoning Shawn's shirt. He only undid half of the buttons before opening the shirt to see the cuts underneath, but his breath was taken away when his eyes landed on a dark bruise spreading out from the middle of Shawn's chest. "Sweet baby J…"

Shawn looked down and tilted his head curiously as he studied the large purple and gray circle covering his sternum. "Yeah… beanbag rounds are way more cool on TV than in real life."

"You're lucky you only have one broken rib…" Gus breathed out before he realized he didn't actually know how bad the rib situation was.

There was a moment of silence before Gus shook away his guilt and pulled the shirt over more, showing several cuts surrounding the bruise. He could feel Shawn's gaze on him and wasn't surprised when Shawn finally spoke up to ask, "Why didn't you tell me you could feel when people were hurt?"

"I didn't want you to worry," Gus answered truthfully as he opened up the kit and found a disinfectant wipe. "I exaggerated when we were with Novikov. I just feel aches and echoes of pain, it's not a big deal."

"So, clearly you didn't tell me about it because it's clearly not a big deal," Shawn said, his voice dry.

"Yep, pretty much," Gus agreed as he started cleaning the blood away from one of the bigger cuts. "What're these from?"

"Parts of the window decided to hitch a joyride with the beanbag," Shawn told him. his voice lowered as he asked, "Don't suppose you learned anything at the last place?"

Gus sighed and found a small bandage to press over the cut. "Not really, other than the fact that she's annoyingly good at hiding what she's thinking when she wants to."

"Do we need to worry about whoever it was you guys talked to?" Shawn asked, mostly hiding his wince as Gus cleaned another cut.

"Nah, he has no idea what she's doing. Pretty sure he'd try to stop her if he did…" Gus thought about the last scientist he'd hoped that about and added, "... I think, anyway." He glanced over the rest of the cuts and decided they didn't seem bad enough to spend their remaining time on. "I'm sorry. I tried to figure out how to get a message to him, but everything seemed too risky…"

"It's ok." Shawn glanced up at the bad guys still watching them and changed what he was going to say to a broadcast: A pirate with heavy eyeliner, "We wait for the opportune moment."

Gus nodded in agreement and warned, "I've gotta check your side."

"Yeah, I figured…" Shawn sighed.

Gus pushed up the bottom of Shawn's shirt as he asked, "It's from that punch, right?"

"Yeah. Hurts a bit when I breathe."

A rush of anger flowed over Gus as he saw more bruises darkening Shawn's torso, but he pushed it away as he lightly pressed over where he could feel the ache in his own side. He felt Shawn jump under his hand before stilling again, and Gus murmured quiet apologies as he pushed slightly harder, making sure he didn't feel any extra movement before checking the surrounding ribs. He let the shirt fall back down and another pang of guilt turned his stomach as he saw Shawn breathing tightly with his jaw clenched shut.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry… It's not moving any; I don't think it's too bad…"

Shawn nodded and unlocked his jaw to grit out, "Not gonna lie, I'm kind of over broken bones."

"Yeah, I bet…" Gus shook his head as he started to button Shawn's shirt back up. All of Rhianna's plans to make the world better suddenly seemed so much further away with Shawn's injuries right in front of his face. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he'd just taken her up on her first letter and given her the scans she'd wanted. They may have still ended up in the same position, but there was a chance he could have at least saved Shawn from being involved.

He couldn't help but feel like he'd chosen this.

"She's getting in your head," Shawn informed him conversationally again as Gus finished with the shirt.

Gus grabbed the water bottle and thought about the image of Dahmer broadcasted into his mind as he grumbled, "She's been in my head." He shook his head at Shawn's concerned look and changed the subject. "Need a drink?"

"Wouldn't say no," Shawn answered, shrugging awkwardly with his hands still stuck behind his back.

Gus sighed and carefully helped Shawn drink from the bottle, forcing himself to keep his hands steady as he thought about how Rhianna wanted him, but it was Shawn paying for it. His own lack of bruising or restraints seemed to burn him, branding him as being on the wrong side of the equation.

Shawn pulled away from the water bottle and Gus took it back, capping it as he felt Shawn's eyes bore into him. He had to fight a flinch as Shawn told him firmly, "It's not your fault."

"It sure feels like it is," Gus muttered as he refused to make eye contact.

"Wrap it up, lover boys," Rossman called out, tapping his watch.

Gus couldn't help but groan as Shawn snickered at the common misconception. Their eyes met and Shawn's face grew serious as he said, "Don't listen to her crap. You don't owe anyone anything."

"Don't worry, I won't," Gus promised, both to Shawn and himself. "I don't care about any of that. I just want you to be safe."

"Us to be safe," Shawn corrected.

"Sure," Gus agreed distractedly as he realized he really did believe what he'd just said, and not just for that moment. He didn't care about the world or the hundreds of thousands of people who might benefit from him giving up his freedom and life. He cared about his best friend right in front of him, and his friends who were hopefully looking for them by now.

"Dude. You just had an empanada, didn't you?" Shawn asked with a proud grin.

It took Gus a moment to translate before sighing. "You mean epiphany." Shawn opened his mouth, but Gus beat him to it. " Don't say it."

Shawn snickered and sent a broadcast instead: Shawn's image in a mirror, an ear, a traffic sign with arrows pointing both directions.

"How long have you been waiting to use that?" Gus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh my god, so long," Shawn answered with a grin.

"Time's up," Rossman said as Rollins stepped forward to pull Gus away.

Gus planted his feet and informed Rossman, "You should let him walk. You carrying him could make his broken rib worse, and he could puncture a lung or an artery. Then you don't get a paycheck anymore…"

Rollins pulled him harder and Gus tried to keep an eye on Shawn as he was forced to the room with Rhianna. His last view was of Rossman opening a pocketknife and kneeling down to cut the tape around Shawn's ankles.

His shoulder was suddenly let go and Gus was shoved into the room. He looked around, taking in the large circular machine with a table attached and the station of computers where Rhianna was typing at a keyboard. Her electrodes pulled in excitement as she pointed to the machine. "Alright, Burton, let's see how your mind works."

Gus focused on the fading sound of ponging balls as he climbed onto the table and braced for another round of being a lab rat. No matter what, he'd do whatever he needed to keep Shawn safe.


A/N: Fun fact, I climbed into my own trunk for research for this chapter. It was more comfortable than I expected...