A/N: Sorry for the longer break between updates. My brain finally demanded a break after so much writing between these stories and the whumptobers. As you can probably guess, I ran out of my buffer chapters. I had 4 for this one! There's maybe 2-3 chapters to go on this fic, updates might take a bit more time, but I'm still going!

He opened his eyes and saw only white. A few slow blinks brought a ceiling into focus, filtered through a set of puzzle pieces. He wondered how he could be seeing both at once as he blinked again and studied the strange phenomenon. The ceiling felt more real, but the puzzle felt more important. Other sights started trying to crowd the edges of his vision.

He tried to push them back, somehow remembering that he'd been able to do that once. A sound caught his attention, balls ponging on a wall, and he turned his head towards it, seeing brown hair and a warm smile. They were ok, he was waking up, things could go back to normal. They could forget- they could pretend like nothing ever happened.

More sounds pressed in and the visuals grew louder, squeezing him inside.

"Hey there sleepy head, welcome back."

The words chased the other sounds back, but it didn't last long as he wondered where he was coming back from. Other feelings ran across his skin, but only one caught his attention, an ache pulling on both of his arms, one of them feeling distinctly wrong.

More sounds joined the cacophony, including loud, fast beeping, and he wanted to hide as memories flashed by of a knife and pain. His arms were too heavy, he couldn't move, he was trapped. Smells and sounds and tastes all pulled and pressed on him, threatening to take him away.

He didn't want to go away.

"Woah, Gus, easy. You're safe, we got out."

The name caught his attention and he knew it was important. It helped with the feelings overwhelming him. He opened his mouth and was surprised to hear a rough voice ask, "Who's Gus?"

There were quiet words spat out, and the balls ponged faster in distress. "Help me up, I need to-"

"You're not going anywhere, I got it."

Something was wrong, but he knew what helped last time. The question was, why? He didn't know why, he just knew everything was too loud and he was being pulled apart and he should probably be screaming, but that required remembering how to make his mouth open again. Maybe that was a good thing. He was pretty sure he was supposed to be quiet.

"He, uh- he had a necklace on him."

"Yeah, I know. I've got that too."

Something warm pressed against the back of his neck, and he could breathe easier as a collar he hadn't even noticed loosened. The puzzle pieces moved around him, pushing everything else further away, and the overwhelming pressure eased slightly. In the fragile bubble of safety, something was pressed into his hand and a memory came back to him, though he couldn't tell if it was coming from his memories or someone else's.

"When we're up shit-creek and we need a miracle… I trust you."

He clenched his hand around his necklace and remembered his protection. The thoughts around him were suddenly more distant, like they were being blocked by a shield, and he remembered who he was.

Gus let out a quiet breath as he reoriented to being able to feel his own thoughts again.

"Hey buddy, you back with us?" Shawn asked, his hand gripping his sheet like he was having to physically force himself to stay in the bed.

Gus nodded, feeling Henry's hand shifting on the back of his neck. He worked his jaw, making sure he remembered how to open it before he answered, "Yeah, I'm back."

He glanced at Henry and immediately looked away again, not ready to answer any questions.

"The drugs hit you pretty hard, huh," Henry said with a small smile. Gus nodded, glad to have been given such an easy excuse.

"Man, you shoulda seen me when I first woke up," Shawn said with a shaky grin that was undermined by the worry coloring his thoughts. "I was high as a kite."

"It's true. He spent at least five minutes trying to come up with the exact word for the color of his cast," Henry said seriously.

"Psychonic green," Shawn answered the unasked question as he gestured to the bright green cast. Gus huffed a laugh, realizing it was the exact same color as the sign on Psych's window.

His eyes slid up from the cast to take in the bandage on Shawn's arm and the way he was propped up so he wasn't lying on his back. "You're really ok?"

"Yep. All stitched and surgeried up. The docs said I might need a second one, depending on how things look in a few days." Shawn's grin was a bit stronger as he said grandly, "I'm Alex Murphy now!"

Henry groaned and snapped back, "For the last time, a few plates and screws do not make you an android!"

"Cyborg," Gus corrected absently.

Shawn pointed at him in agreement, relief slowly edging into his thoughts. "See? Gus gets it."

"Does it hurt?" Gus asked as memories of pain and fire and screams tried to make themselves known.

"Not really," Shawn shrugged carefully before pointing to his IV stand. "They got me on the good stuff."

Gus nodded, feeling exhaustion creeping in on him. He looked down at his own injuries, noticing that his bad arm was propped up on several pillows. He flexed his hand experimentally and only felt a deep ache mixed with a strange pulling sensation. It felt wrong, but it didn't hurt.

He yawned as he looked around the room, remembering bubbles on a fishing boat. "Where's Jules?"

"She went to get a few things. She also promised me a smoothie…" Shawn answered.

Gus nodded, his eyelids already growing heavy. Henry gently squeezed the back of his neck. "It's ok, you can go back to sleep."

Gus shook his head, even as he yawned again. "Don't wanna sleep. Don' wanna dream…"

"I think they've still got you on something for that."

Gus wasn't entirely sure who'd answered as his eyes closed and the fuzzy warmth of unconsciousness embraced him.

The next time Gus woke up, he was able to stay awake for more than five minutes. He figured that not being psychically pulled apart as well as some of his medications being dialed back probably helped.

While he'd slept, Henry had moved his chair to sit between him and Shawn, casually propping his arm up on the bed to be in easy reach. His hand was currently laying loosely on the non-bandaged part of Gus' good arm, his puzzle pieces adding to the mental shield. He didn't say anything, and Gus didn't draw attention to it.

The pain was numbed, Shawn was nearby, and they were safe. But the hospital was still mentally loud, and his mind was still exhausted by everything they'd been through. Gus didn't like needing the help, but he was glad that it was there.

After it was clear that he was going to stay conscious for a while, Henry had called in a nurse to check him out. She was a small redhead with thoughts that smelled like the sea breeze, and she worked with a consideration that Gus appreciated as he continued to flinch whenever someone not-Shawn or Henry touched him.

She told him with a warm smile that his vitals were healthy, the doctor would come to check his stitches soon, and that his oxygen numbers looked good enough to lose the tube under his nose. Her best news was saved for when Juliet entered the room, and he was told that he was fit enough to drink the extra smoothie she'd brought with her.

It only took a second of internal debate before Gus slid his arm out from Henry's hand and reached for the drink. He could handle slightly louder thoughts if it meant quenching his thirst and tasting something other than bile. Henry sat back and used his now-free hand to open up the fishing magazine Juliet had brought him.

Gus sipped his mango surprise smoothie and savored the coolness that soothed his swollen throat. It was, quite possibly, the best thing he'd ever tasted. Shawn's loud noises of delight echoed his own thoughts and he forced himself to drink the treat slowly so he wouldn't be sick.

"I can bring some real food in next time," Juliet offered, watching their enjoyment with amused fondness. "You guys have any requests?"

"Not noodles."

"Not Mexican."

Shawn and Gus answered at the same time before pointing at each other as they said in unison, "What he said."

Juliet looked between them and seemed like she was on the verge of asking why before shrugging and changing the question. "So, Chinese?"

Shawn looked at Gus and they had a fast, silent conversation without any broadcasts needed before Shawn turned back to Juliet. "Panda Express, rice instead of noodles."

Juliet's raised eyebrow told them clearly that she was judging them as she said, "Panda Express isn't Chinese."

"Nope," Shawn readily agreed. "But it's delicious."

Gus pointed in agreement around his smoothie cup before bringing it back for another sip. It felt nice to argue about normal things. Even if they weren't actually arguing.

He knew he couldn't ignore what had happened to them, no matter how much as he wanted to. But for now, he was content letting it stay lurking in the background as he relaxed in the safety of bubbles, fishing lines, and bouncing balls.

'Soon' for the doctor meant another hour as Shawn and Juliet chatted away. The taste of steak joined the rest of the sensations surrounding Gus, and he watched the door quietly until Doctor Hunt walked in.

"Hello again, Mr. Guster," Hunt said as he checked Gus' chart. "How are you feeling?"

Gus shrugged, uncomfortably aware of everyone watching him. "Ok, I guess. Nothing hurts much."

Hunt nodded and put the chart down, seeming to notice the other people in the room for the first time. "Do you want them here while I talk to you?"

"Yeah, they're good."

Hunt glanced at the monitors before saying, "I'm going to check how your arm's looking so far."

Gus nodded and forced himself to keep his arm still as Hunt walked up to him and peeled up a side of the bandage. Gus looked away, not wanting to risk seeing something he didn't have to. Hunt finished his inspection and walked down to Gus' leg, catching his eye before pulling away the blanket and checking under that bandage as well.

"Well, everything seems to be looking good so far. I don't anticipate any issues with your cuts, though they may scar. We X-rayed your leg and didn't see any problems; with a bit of physical therapy it should regain full functionality. So far the graft seems to be taking well, though we'll have to keep a close eye on it for the next few days. Once we see how it's healing, we'll talk about therapy for your arm as well to maintain full range of movement. Any questions?"

Gus blinked and tried to take in all of the information at once. "...no?"

"Good." Hunt started walking out of the door as he called back, "If you think of anything, ask the nurses. They know how to find me if they don't know the answer."

There was a moment of silence after the doctor's abrupt exit before Shawn spoke up. "I like my doctor better. She's better looking too."

"Is there anyone in this hospital you aren't going to flirt with?" Juliet asked in mock-annoyance.

"Don't worry Jules, you know I only have eyes for you," Shawn paused for a moment before smirking, "and Gus."

Gus sighed, wondering how long Shawn was going to milk that joke before it died down. Shawn met his eyes and his look shifted for a split second, showing a glimpse of darkness underneath before his smirk covered it back up. "So, what do you think? If we're not out by Friday, do we postpone our date, or have Jules bring the Japadogs here?"

"And get the buns all soggy?" Gus asked, knowing his facade was probably even more see-through than Shawn's. "Come on son."

Shawn's face fell and Gus felt an echo of tape covering his mouth before Shawn shook his head slightly. "Yeah, good call. Soggy buns bad."

"First Friday we're both out," Gus offered, realizing he didn't mind keeping up the joke if it was distracting Shawn from thinking too much.

"Sounds good." Shawn looked at his cast. "That's still five days away, we should be able to make it, right?"

Gus shrugged, not knowing what the usual hospital time was for injuries like theirs. It occurred to him that it would have been a good question to ask the doctor when he'd been there. Then it occurred to him that they might be in jail in five days. He frowned and looked at the bandages wrapped around both wrists. How did that work, if someone was arrested and then kidnapped and injured? Did they go to the jail infirmary? Was there therapy in jail? Would he get to be in the same jail as Shawn? Would they get to have japadogs there?

Loud music started playing in his head and he flinched before glaring at Shawn, who was looking innocently back at him.

"You were thinking too hard," Shawn informed him. "Nothing good comes from thinking that hard."

Juliet looked at them in confusion, but Henry looked almost contemplative as puzzle pieces clicked together faster and faster.

Gus ran the beads of his bracelet over his thumb as he voiced his concern. "I don't think we're going to get to do what we want when we get out of here."

"The arrest thing? We'll talk our way out of it, it's fine," Shawn tried to reassure him.

Gus glared lightly to let Shawn know that he could feel the worry under the words. "We tried that already."

"Yeah. And it would have worked if a truck hadn't crashed into us right after."

Juliet cut in before Gus could argue further. "You guys aren't going to jail. You have good standing with the police, you'll make bail. And Shawn will be able to prove to the jury that he's a psychic, so the charges will have to be dropped. It'll be fine."

Gus caught Shawn's eye and they shared a look before Shawn pasted a grin on his face. "See, Gus? Nothing to worry about."

Gus sighed and sank back into his bed, suddenly feeling tired. He hoped they were right.

"Oh no!"

Gus barely looked up from his soup as he felt Shawn's thoughts pong in dismay. He had a pretty good idea what Shawn's rant was going to be about.

Juliet, apparently, didn't. "What's the matter?"

"There's no jello cup!" Shawn whined as he looked over his food tray. "Cheeseburger, fries, smoothie -thank you, Jules- but no jello cup!"

"Did you order a jello cup?" Juliet asked pointedly.

"We're in a hospital, a jello cup is inferred."

Gus corrected him automatically, "You mean implied."

"I mean, where's my jello cup!"

Gus tuned out the rant that followed as he focused on enjoying his chicken and dumpling soup. His throat didn't hurt anymore, thanks to the drugs still running through his IV, but it was still swollen and his voice was still broken. Soup had seemed like the right choice. Gus smirked as he looked at his dessert. Jello had seemed like the right choice too.

He tried to focus on the warmth of the soup as it filled his empty stomach and radiating warmth and comfort. It helped, slightly, to chase away the lurking feeling of dread and the phantom pressure still wrapped around his neck.

Shawn had finally settled down to begrudgingly enjoy his burger when Gus felt another sensation joining the pressure on his shield. He focused on the faint thrumming in his chest: Determination, a pad of paper, a list of crime scenes, a briefing on talking to traumatized victims, self-control.

Gus sighed and picked up his jello cup to toss it gently at Shawn. Shawn caught it on reflex before looking at it in shock before meeting Gus' eyes. His eyebrows went down before sending a concerned broadcast: An alarm with blinking red lights.

Gus shook his head and went back to finishing his last few bites of soup. He might not usually share food, but he was pretty sure he knew what Lassiter was here for. And he wouldn't be in a jello mood afterwards.

It wasn't long before Lassiter strode into the room with a paper pad in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Gus looked at the cup longingly and wondered what the nurse's opinion was of mixing caffeine and morphine.

Lassiter cut right to the chase as he stopped inside the door. "Rhianna Millers is currently sitting in a holding cell while we figure out exactly what to charge her with. Brown isn't awake yet, so the only thing we have so far is what you've told us."

"Carlton," Juliet chided softly.

Lassiter rolled his eyes and scanned Shawn and Gus over before saying, "You two look better. Spencer, that cast looks ridiculous."

Shawn waved grandly at his leg. "You're welcome to sign it, Lassie. I'm trying to get everyone on this floor. And you're on this floor now."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "You didn't ask me to sign it."

"Of course I didn't," Shawn said with a scoff.

Gus noticed just how dark the circles under Lassiter's eyes were when the detective sighed and held up the pad of paper. "Just… can I get your statement now so we can actually pin this lady with something, or not?"

Shawn met Gus' eyes and jerked his chin forward with a worried look. Gus sighed but nodded slightly; they needed to do it eventually, and he didn't want Rhianna to go free.

Shawn shot over a quick question: Henry and Juliet.

Gus chewed his lip before finally making a decision and shaking his head. As much as he appreciated having Henry next to him, he needed to not have any extra thoughts or emotions around them while they talked about the last couple of days.

"Hey Jules," Shawn said with an obviously fake smile, "think you can take Dad and get some coffee or something?"

Juliet gave him a small smile back before patting his hand and standing up. "What do you say, Henry? Want to see if hospital coffee is as bad as the station's?"

Henry gave them both a calculated look before agreeing. "We'll be back in a bit."

"Thanks," Gus said quietly.

Henry's only answer was a nod of understanding before walking out of the door with Juliet.

The door clicked closed and Lassiter moved to sit in the chair Henry had abandoned. "You've both given statements before, you know the drill. You can give as much or as little detail as you want, just make sure it's the truth. Anything you can tell me about Miller's involvement will help nail her." He looked up to make sure he had both of their attention before looking back down and readying his pen. "Now, what can you tell me about the crash?"

Shawn started talking. "Well, the agent dude decided to take a break in the parking lot and cuntshit decided it'd be a great time to ram his truck into us…"

Lassiter looked up from his motionless pen with a pained look on his face. "Please don't make me write that."

"He didn't let us have names, so he doesn't get a name," Shawn answered back stubbornly.

"Just replace all of the cunshits with the real name," Gus advised Lassiter. "You're not going to win this one."

Lassiter groaned and started to write.

Gus let Shawn do most of the talking, only adding details when he thought it was necessary or to nudge Shawn back on track when he started following tangent thoughts. Everything they went through in the first day, from the crash to setting Shawn's leg to being restrained and questioned were all distilled into only a few sentences. The words didn't seem to properly convey the level of fear and helplessness of the situation, but instead only gave the basic facts of who, what, when, where, and how.

"So, they actually thought you'd been turned psychic?" Lassiter asked with a bewildered head shake.

"Yeah, they were nuts. But we figured it was safer if they thought the drugs worked so Gus wouldn't be poisoned again," Shawn lied easily.

Lassiter nodded in agreement before continuing to write.

Shawn stumbled slightly when he reached the point where Dahmer had gagged him, and Gus took over, being careful to not mention any of their psychic communications. It was harder than he thought it would be, and he found himself wishing even harder for the coffee that would have helped his mind focus. He glossed over more and more details through the long first day before his voice cracked and Shawn picked up the narrative again.

Lassiter's thoughts stayed steady as he asked questions about Rhianna's involvement in their questionings and their punishment afterwards. Shawn's voice grew flatter as he answered, and Gus could feel the memories pressing against his shield as Shawn worked to suppress them.

"Cuntshit got out his knife, played a bit of Edward Scissor Hands on our arms, went upstairs and played Lady and the Tramp, but replacing the spaghetti with apple-"

"Shawn," Gus cut him off, shooting him a soft glare. He knew why Shawn was neglecting an important detail, but he knew they still had to tell it right. "He didn't just cut us up, he had a- a needle. It was supposed to hurt like the form- like the stuff he gave me last time. I was supposed to pick who got it."

Lassiter hesitated before asking, "What happened next?"

They both began to falter as they talked about the events leading up to Gus being taken upstairs and they were trading off every few sentences when Lassiter held up a finger. "Wait, you said Dahmer went back downstairs, but Millers was in the car with you still?"

"Yeah," Gus confirmed, silently fighting the faint burning running through his body.

The burning ebbed away as Shawn chimed in, his eyes lighting up. "She had the keys on her. He gave them to her to pop the trunk."

Lassiter nodded and made a note before prompting, "Dahmer went downstairs…?"

"He used the needle and left," Shawn answered, the light quickly dying as the fire returned. "I don't remember much after that."

Gus knew that was a lie, but didn't call him out on it. It wasn't anything Lassiter needed to know. Gus took over, talking about his attempt to fight, being shot, and the trip to the lab afterwards. He had to stop several times for a drink and noticed that Shawn was paying close attention, hearing about that part of the night for the first time. Gus was careful to gloss over the needle, his panic attack, and Dahmer's reaction to it.

Lassiter didn't ask any questions about Gus' time in the MRI machine, and Gus found himself strangely grateful for the fact. It was nice, not having to answer anything about his psychic abilities.

When Gus mentioned leaving a message in the trunk, Lassiter nodded and told him, "We found that, by the way. It helped. Good work."

Gus smiled slightly at the rare Lassiter-compliment.

Shawn summarized the rest of the night in two sentences. "Cuntshit left us alone, we were bored, Gus napped, Cuntshit left in the morning for coffee. And he didn't bring any back for us, the bastard."

"So, Millers was left alone with you two, again, and didn't do anything to help?"

"Yeah, though I'm pretty sure she was asleep for most of the time," Shawn answered with a small shrug. At Lassiter's questioning glance Shawn smirked and held his hand up to his temple in his psychic move. Lassiter rolled his eyes and Shawn dropped his hand, answering truthfully, "The floors were creaky. We didn't hear her moving around."

Lassiter blinked in surprise before making a note and gesturing for them to continue. The rest of the day was summarized quickly. They were only stopped when Shawn mentioned Rhianna coming down to the basement without Dahmer. Lassiter prompted them with several questions to document as many details as he could of the encounter; Shawn gave several quotes word-for-word to help build the case against Rhianna.

Gus' memories seemed to grow heavier and it took more effort to talk as his exhaustion began to make itself known again. He knew Shawn was doing the brunt of the work, but just remembering everything they'd been through seemed to be churning up muddy waters that had only just started to settle. And he knew worse was yet to come.

"He gave Rhianna the scalpel?" Lassiter asked in surprise.

"Yeah. The bitch didn't even think about using it," Shawn spat out before shaking his head and returning to his monotone voice. "She cut me loose, cuntshit was threatening Gus, so I had to take the crutch and do what he said. I went upstairs, he got too close and forgot about the crutch. I figured it was the best shot I was going to get, I hit the gun out of his hand and got a good hit across his face before he got me onto the ground." He jerked his thumb towards his back. "You know the rest."

Lassiter's thoughts glowed red before quickly fading; Gus found himself thankful for the detective's ability to compartmentalize. It was hard enough remembering everything and dealing with his own emotions.

Gus frowned as he realized he was only dealing with his own emotions. He listened closer to the ponging balls and realized just how quiet they were.

"Cuntshit shoved me into the trunk and said something about 'the true meaning of consequences'. And he went back into the house."

"Leaving Millers with you again."

"Sure. It's not really what I was worried about at the time."

Lassiter nodded and quoted a previous part of their statement. "He was using you two against each other."

Gus pointed to the cut on his face. "That's when he did this before bringing me to the trunk to make sure Shawn would behave."

"Sorry," Shawn said quietly.

Gus sighed, but Lassiter beat him to the answer. "Last I checked, Dahmer was the one with the knife, not you. You both saw openings and took them. Just because you failed doesn't mean you shouldn't have tried."

Shawn blinked, his face suddenly open and raw as several thoughts coated in guilt popped into existence. The thoughts quickly disappeared as he covered up the moment with a large grin. "And then Gus got to share a trunk with me and we had our first kiss."

"Cuntshit was a terrible driver," Gus explained, not caring that it didn't actually explain anything. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at Shawn and his quieted thoughts. "Lassie, can we have a minute?"

Lassiter looked between them before nodding and grabbing his coffee cup. "Sure, I'll be back in five."

Gus waited until the door was closed to tell Shawn, "Stop it. If you keep hiding your emotions, they're going to get stuck like that."

Shawn set his jaw and stared back as he asked, "You can feel everyone around us, right?"

At their mention, the sensations pressing against his shield seemed to crowd in closer before Gus pushed them back.

Shawn seemed to take his silence as an answer. "I'm not adding to all that."

Gus sighed and rubbed his forehead where pressure was building up. It didn't hurt, but it felt like it should. "I told you before, your thoughts are never too loud. You don't have to hide them. You shouldn't hide them."

"Maybe I don't wanna feel them either," Shawn looked away, his voice as quiet as his thoughts.

"I know." Gus dropped his hand to fidget with his bracelet, knowing he wouldn't mind hiding from his memories and emotions either. "I won't bring it up again. Just… don't hide them because of me. Please."

Shawn winced at the last word before letting out a breath and nodding. Some of his thoughts came back, colored in fear, relief, and guilt.

"Thank you," Gus said quietly. He looked where Lassiter had been sitting and found himself asking, "Do you think this'll actually help?"

"Two felons' word against a small woman who'd been kidnapped by her stalker?" Shawn asked dryly. "Oh yeah, we've got it in the bag." He sighed and continued in his normal voice. "If Jack wakes up, she's history. Without him, we'd need actual evidence and we… don't…" His thoughts started cresting loudly before he sat straight up and fumbled for the phone next to his bed.

"What?" Gus asked, happy to see Shawn looking like his normal self for the first time in almost two days.

"The gun, man! We've got her." Shawn only had to wait for a few seconds before speaking quickly. "Lassie, get back here. I got something. I can get you physical evidence."

He hung up the phone and his good leg jittered under the sheet. As soon as Lassiter stepped into the room, Shawn started talking. "He gave her his gun, in the lab. You can dust it for prints. She had it and didn't shoot him and that's how she took Jack hostage and that proves they were working together and she was complicit in all of this."

Lassiter looked at him for a moment before asking, "You know the word 'complicit'?"

"Lassie!"

"We can check it, but your prints are going to be all over it too, right? And Dahmer's. There's a good chance there won't be any useable prints from her."

Shawn's thoughts crested again and he closed his eyes, bringing both hands up to his head as he concentrated. Gus saw a series of memories flick by of Dahmer holding the gun, the gun in Shawn's hands, and Rhianna holding the gun. Shawn's eyes snapped open as he said, "Outer side of the trigger guard and right side of the slide. He always had his finger on the trigger, I only touched the edge of the guard, and she held it weird when he first gave it to her. It'll be her right index finger for both."

Lassiter was only stunned for a second before he pulled out his phone and made a call. "Johnson, tell the CSIs to check the gun for prints, focus on the trigger guard and slide. Test them against Millers."

He hung up shortly after and looked at them both before holding up his notepad. "You two good to keep going?"

They both nodded and he sat down, bringing his pen back out.

There wasn't much left to tell about the car ride, and before Gus knew it, Shawn was giving the details about Rhianna holding the gun on Gus. He swallowed against the phantom collar as he knew what was coming next.

"He got me ready for the MRI -had to take off the belts so the metal wouldn't go supernova- and took over for bitchshit so she could run the scans." Shawn hesitated and glanced at Gus before continuing. "She didn't like blood. I guess he figured he needed a different way to control us, so he put my- put one of the belts around Gus' neck."

Gus winced, wondering why the added detail of who's belt it'd been made the damn thing that much worse. Shawn continued until he reached the point where Dahmer had taken Gus into the hall.

Gus didn't really want to remember the hall. He tried to make it sound like he'd just talked Dahmer into giving him the splint by pointing out that Shawn was behaving and would need it, but he knew neither of them were buying it. He fast forwarded to the house alarm going off, making it sound like they'd been in the hallway when it'd happened.

"Gus," Shawn interrupted as his eyes pinned Gus back. "You said it wasn't bad. You promised. How did you get the splint?"

"I didn't get hurt," Gus answered softly as he examined the details of his blanket. "It was just more stuff like the parking lot, you know?"

Shawn's thoughts flared red before quieting. Gus looked up to shoot him a look and Shawn grimaced before the angry thoughts came back. He explained to Lassiter, "It was just mind games. Bullshit, all of it."

Lassiter nodded without adding anything to the statement. "What happened after the call?"

Shawn continued to explain, adding extra detail once Jack showed up, making sure it was clear that it was completely Rhianna's choice to shoot at him and hold him against his will. He didn't mention Gus' reaction to her snapping, and Gus gave him a small, grateful smile. Shawn broadcasted a visual of Mr. and Mrs. Smith standing back to back.

"I sensed where we were going next, Gus distracted them and I left a message. One I'm assuming you got since we're talking now."

"Yeah, we got that one too. Took us a bit to figure it out; you draw like a five year old."

Shawn pouted at Lassiter. "Sure, Gus draws a house and he gets a 'good work', but I give you a map and all you can do is insult my ability to draw in my own blood!" He snapped his mouth closed, looking as surprised as the rest of them at the anger in his voice.

Lassiter gave him a measured look before agreeing, "We wouldn't have found you without it."

Shawn nodded, still looking disturbed at the emotional outburst. His voice was back to monotone as he started talking again, not mentioning anything about the parking lot. He faltered at the garage and Gus took over, saying pointedly, "All of the bullshit was getting to me and I wanted to fight, Shawn told me to stand down so we could survive till you guys got there." He kept his eyes locked on Shawn. "He made the right call."

Shawn only met his eyes for a few seconds before looking away and Gus continued, adding more detail than was necessary to put off the inevitable for as long as possible. Dahmer coming back into the garage with the scalpel and the other belt still came too soon and the collar around his throat cut off the words that needed to be said.

Shawn took over, his hand clenched in the blanket. "You know what happened to Gus' arm. Cuntshit did that to hurt me, make me behave."

Lassiter stopped writing and his voice was surprisingly warm as he asked, "I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said it wasn't your fault?"

Shawn laughed, a hollow and ragged sound. "Nope."

Gus took a breath to argue and Shawn held up his hand. "Not now, man. We can argue about it later."

Gus felt the hurt and guilt in Shawn's thoughts, and he heard the muffled screams Shawn was trying to not hear. He nodded in agreement, wishing there was an easier fix for their deepest injuries.

Shawn told the rest of the story quickly, only saying that he'd sensed Dahmer and Rhianna deciding to try the psychic procedure on Jack. "We decided it was better to go down fighting, and there was a lot more of the 'going down' than the 'fighting'. Then you guys showed up and you know the rest."

Lassiter flipped back through the pages he'd written and the reverb in Gus' chest deepened with resolve. "I think we can get her for more than just kidnapping with this. I know it wasn't easy, but it'll help." He looked at Gus before turning to meet Shawn's eyes as he told both of them, "You did good."

Shawn's thoughts stuttered as he waited for an insult to follow. Lassiter just smirked and stood up, walking halfway to the door before he called out, "And I'm glad you're both ok."

He left the room and Shawn immediately retorted, "Nice-Lassie is disturbing."

Gus snorted as he tried to get more comfortable in the bed. It had been hard, reliving what had happened, but he also felt slightly lighter now that someone else knew it. At least part of it. He glanced at Shawn; it would have been a lot harder to tell on his own.

"Hey, thanks for doing so much of that."

Shawn's lip twitched in a small smile as he grabbed his jello cup. "Talking's what I'm good at. Thanks for jumping in when I needed it."

"We watch each other's backs."

"You know that's right."

It wasn't healing, but it was a step in the right direction.

Juliet looked up as Lassiter strode by her, clearly on a mission. She quickly stood up and asked, "Hey, where are you going?"

Lassiter held up his pad of paper. "I'm going to interrogate Millers; she's got a lot to answer for."

Juliet made a split-second decision and told him, "I'm coming with you."

"Spencer-"

"Has Henry and Gus," Juliet interrupted. "We work better in the interrogation room together, and we need to win this one."

Lassiter nodded and Juliet followed him out of the hospital. Shawn and Gus were safe; she intended to make sure they stayed that way.

A/N: The Panda Express line has been told to me verbatim. I do not claim it, lol.