'A few hoops' ended up being about five minutes of a paramedic checking Gus for signs of a concussion and then an hour of sitting around while he waited for Rossman to be caught several blocks away. Shawn had argued with the paramedics about needing an X-ray, but Henry had overruled him, and they'd left for the hospital shortly after Gus had been given a clean bill of health. Apparently, Shawn had already maxed the out-of-pocket limit to Henry's insurance, and he wanted to make them pay for as many things as possible.

Gus smirked as he remembered Shawn's indignant, "I'm just a pawn in your desire for revenge!"

Henry hadn't disagreed with him.

Gus fidgeted with the keys in his hands as he waited. Henry had joined Shawn in the ambulance after giving Gus the keys to his truck along with specific instructions to not stop by any giant drug busts this time. Gus had agreed, but really it wasn't a fair complaint. Shawn had been the one driving last time.

"Guster, what are you still doing here?" Lassiter asked as he walked up.

Gus shrugged. "I figured I'd wait to give my statement instead of wandering off while a bad guy was still loose."

"I'm glad at least one of you has some sense of self-preservation," Lassiter grumbled. He groaned as he sat on one of the chairs lining the hallway. "This is going to be hours of paperwork…"

"Sorry." Gus eyed up the dark circles under Lassiter's eyes and wondered when he'd slept last. "I can come down to the station tomorrow instead…"

"Nah, let's get it done." Lassiter pulled out a small notebook and circled his pen in the air as he prompted, "Whenever you're ready."

Gus sat next to him and talked about going to Shawn's apartment, the video call, and meeting with Rhianna and the mercs. He glossed over most of the visit with Jack, but made sure to give as many details as he could about Shawn's injuries when he'd been able to check him out. He had a sudden realization when he started talking about the MRI machine. "Is anything going to happen to those scans?"

Lassiter raised an eyebrow and the reverb in Gus' chest seemed to hitch, as though the question made it want to change its pattern. "I think they're considered medical information and you can control what happens to them."

Gus tried to keep his relief from being too visible as he said, "Oh, ok. Good."

He explained Rhianna's twisted logic with the texts and mercenaries, but lied about how he'd been able to unlock her phone, saying that he'd managed to see her screen one of the times she'd put the code in. Several times he felt Lassiter's thoughts stutter, and each time they fell back to their old pattern with an almost grim desperation.

"So, after your… headache," Lassiter gave him a look that clearly said he knew something else had happened, "how did you know Spencer was running?"

Gus winced; in the hour of downtime he'd had, he still hadn't come up with a good excuse for that. "I just had a gut feeling. Shawn always gets into extra trouble when he's dealing with bad guys, right?"

Lassiter groaned and put his pen down so he could rub at his eyes. He seemed to be talking to himself more than Gus when he muttered, "Sure, that's a completely logical explanation. Just like it makes sense that you convinced a scientist you were psychic within five minutes of meeting him, that you knew the code earlier but still didn't grab the phone, that you knew Spencer was running… and you knew what Spencer was saying when he was gagged, and you knew Dahmer was going to use the needle, and you knew exactly where Novikov was…"

Lassiter's reverb finally shifted, and Gus learned that there was a specific color for when a person's entire worldview was shattered. He found himself morbidly fascinated by the blood orange wave that flickered with static as it crashed through Lassiter's thoughts.

"But Shawn's not a real psychic, right?" Lassiter asked desperately.

Gus wanted to reassure him, but there were some things he couldn't say. "I'm sorry, Detective, but that's all I know. You were there for the rest of it. Can I go now?"

"I miss when my life was simple," Lassiter complained as he buried his face in his hands again.

Gus hesitated before tentatively patting him on the shoulder. "Look on the bright side. You got to mount two different rescue missions within twenty-four hours. That has to count for something."

Lassiter groaned and the canon reverb pulsed as a thought was shot into Gus' mind: A hand holding up a middle finger.

Gus smirked and patted his shoulder one more time. "I'm going to go pick up Shawn and Henry from the hospital. Try to get some sleep."

"Tell Shawn that I will arrest him if he gets himself kidnapped again. For his own good."

Gus' grin grew as he felt a begrudging blue color wafting through the smell of gunpowder. "Will do." He turned and walked away, making sure he was almost to the door before he called back, "Want me to tell him that you see him as a friend, too?"

"I do not!" Lassiter squawked in indignation as Gus quickly left the building.

He didn't make it far before Juliet was flagging him down from where she'd been talking to several police officers. "Hey, Gus. Have you heard from Shawn yet?"

Gus held up the phone Henry had given back to him as he answered, "He texted about ten minutes ago that they were waiting to see what the X-rays said. Or, rather, they're 'waiting for the bone thing to tell them the things about the bones.'"

Juliet snorted. "Is he staying at Henry's?"

"Until his place isn't a crime-scene, probably." Gus hoped that would be soon, before Henry's place became a crime scene too.

"Well, Shawn asked me to come over once I was done, so I guess I'll see you there?"

"I'm not sure how long I'm staying, but maybe," Gus answered with a shrug. If Shawn was hoping for a post-rescue date night with Juliet, then he was going to do his best to not be there whenever she showed up.

"Well, in that case, I'll tell you now. I'm glad you guys are ok." Juliet said with a smile before turning and walking back into the building. Gus mentally added what he knew she didn't say, 'I'm glad you two didn't get hurt like last time.'

He was glad too. Even if it had brought back some bad memories.

His phone buzzed and he checked it as he walked back to the truck: "Can't put a cast on a chest, pretty sure dad wants them to try anyways. Coming?"

Gus texted his answer back as he closed the truck door behind him: "On my way, make sure they give you the good meds."

His phone dinged as he pulled out of the parking lot: "Dad already made sure. They cost more."

The ride back to Henry's house was surprisingly quiet. Henry seemed to have lectured himself out before Gus had arrived, and Shawn was busy staring out of the window, his thoughts bouncing quickly. Gus decided not to ask, knowing Shawn would tell him what was up when he was ready.

"So, what was that psychic thing back there, anyways?" Henry asked as he pulled into his neighborhood.

Shawn looked up in interest and Gus shrugged. "You know the phrase 'someone snapped'? Turns out, it's more literal than I thought. Rhianna's mind snapped; I felt it."

It didn't seem important to tell them that she felt like Dahmer after she snapped. They already knew he'd been crazy.

"But you're ok now, right?" Shawn asked, looking Gus up and down as if he could see psychic weirdness on him. For all Gus knew, he could.

"Yeah, just a bit of a headache." Gus smirked without much humor. "It's been a long day."

"I hear that…" Shawn agreed. He pinged a quick apology before sending a broadcast: An ogre breaking up a wedding, "I need to talk to you."

Gus nodded and they drove the rest of the way to Henry's house in silence.

"I'm beat," Henry announced as soon as they were inside. "I'm going to bed and I'm trusting you two to not get kidnapped again until after I wake up."

"Haha," Shawn deadpanned with an eye roll. "You're hilarious."

Henry smirked at him from the stairs. "If you don't like it, then don't make it such a habit."

Shawn shook his head with a sigh as Henry left them alone in the living room. Gus watched him carefully and asked, "So, what's up?"

Shawn didn't answer him right away, instead choosing to walk over to the couch and lower himself down with a groan and a small grimace. Gus sat on a chair facing him and waited while Shawn wiggled around and grabbed a pillow.

Shawn's thoughts grew more and more anxious in the silence as he fidgeted until he finally blurted out, "I want to tell Juliet."

"Tell Juliet? Tell her…" Gus' eyes widened as he understood. "Wait. As in tell her. That you're not a… that 'tell her'?"

Shawn nodded, looking like he was marching towards his own execution.

Gus raised his eyebrows in surprise; Shawn was serious. "Why now?"

"Well, all of this -you being turned psychic- started because I lied, you know?" Shawn looked up with a small jolt of guilt in his thoughts before looking back at his pillow. "And I know you're getting used to it and all, but it was still because of me."

"Shawn, I told you-"

"Yeah, but that's not the point," Shawn interrupted him. "I made a choice and you paid for it. And we've moved on from that. But then Jules almost dies, and she apologizes to me because she didn't realize how much I felt because of my," he spat out the words like a curse, "'psychic abilities'."

Gus sighed as the guilt in Shawn's thoughts grew, but he knew it wasn't the time to say anything.

"I made a choice, all of those years ago, and people keep getting hurt because of it," Shawn said firmly while still clearly terrified of the prospect ahead of him. "So, I want to make a new choice, so at least one less person can be hurt next time."

"Ok," Gus said slowly, "Why are you telling me, though?"

Shawn looked at him like he'd just asked why tacos were delicious. "Because you were arrested last time too, remember? This is your chance to talk me out of it. Or, to start packing for Mexico or something."

Gus made a face of disgust. "Can we do Canada instead? I refuse to do Mexico again."

Shawn's scoff was obviously forced before he added, "Besides, if I come clean about me, I'll probably have to tell her about you too."

"I'm pretty sure she's already figured that out," Gus said with a shrug. "I wasn't exactly subtle when you were in trouble. Lassie figured it out."

"Good job, Lassie," Shawn said softly with a faint smile of pride.

Gus eyed up the door. "If you want to tell her, then I'll back you up. But… I don't need to be here, do I?"

Shawn looked at him with puppy-dog eyes and Gus knew he was doomed. "Gus… what if she thinks I'm joking and you need to prove you're really psychic? And what if I get cold feet and need a push? And what if she's actually a skinwalker shifted to look like her?"

Gus could hear the real reason under the words. What if Juliet left him after finding out he'd lied.

Gus groaned and relented, "Fine. But if you two start kissing, I'm out of here."

Shawn gave him a shaky grin. "I think I can live with that." He shifted and winced before asking, "Do you think it'll go better if I play the walking wounded card with her?"

"If you're going to do it, then do it right," Gus said, trying to make his voice as encouraging as possible. "It'll be ok."

"Serious-Shawn time," Shawn said as he locked eyes with Gus. "I really, really love her."

The bright pink from his thoughts was almost overwhelming, and Gus nodded as he said, "I know. Tell her the truth and trust her."

Five minutes later, headlights flooded the window as a car pulled into the driveway. Shawn seemed to be a few seconds away from passing out as he squeezed the pillow to his chest before immediately wincing and pulling it away from his side with the broken rib.

Juliet let herself in with a smile. "Hey, guys, I'm glad you didn't have to hang out at the hospital too long."

"I think dad was disappointed they didn't keep me overnight," Shawn said, clearly aiming for a light smirk and failing miserably.

Juliet frowned at the look and asked, "Hey, is something wrong?"

"Nope, nothing's wrong," Shawn said quickly. Gus cleared his throat and Shawn swallowed hard before saying, "Uh, actually, I have something I need to tell you. You, uh, might want to sit down."

Juliet looked between Gus and Shawn, and she smiled slightly as she sat on the other end of the couch. "Is this the part where you tell me Gus is psychic?"

Shawn's jaw dropped and Gus told him smugly, "I told you she figured it out."

"Wait, really?" Juliet's face suddenly matched Shawn's as several bubbles popped in surprise. "I didn't actually- I mean, it made sense. But I hadn't… really?"

"Really really," Gus answered with a Scottish accent and a smirk.

"Huh." Juliet looked at him carefully and he fought the urge to squirm in his chair. "So that's how you convinced Jack you were psychic. He didn't say much, but I wondered how you did that. Are your abilities the same as Shawn's?"

Shawn winced and Gus answered simply, "No, they're different."

Juliet looked like she was about to ask more questions when Shawn clapped his hands together and said loudly, "So, yeah, Gus is psychic now, that's what I wanted to tell you. Thanks for coming over, but I'm really beat, and-"

"Shawn," Gus stopped him with a pointed look.

"What, there's something else?" Juliet asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

Shawn's fingers picked at the edge of the pillow as his thoughts tinged grey in fear. "Uh, yeah. There's something else. The thing is… I'm- I mean…" His thoughts changed directions and he took a deep breath before starting again. "You know that moment when you're a kid, and you figure out your dad might actually not be the coolest person ever? And, actually, he's kind of lame?"

Juliet raised her eyebrows at the strange segue but nodded, clearly knowing exactly what he was talking about.

Shawn relaxed slightly into his story. "Well. There are two kinds of kids, right? Most kids just accept it and move on. But some kids decide they have a better way, a way that lets them have everything they ever wanted." He smirked faintly and looked at a souvenir on the fireplace mantle. "They tell people that their dad's actually a treasure hunter. He's never around and is always off on awesome adventures in Machu Picchu or Egypt or Argentina. They start being known as the kid with the treasure-hunting dad, they bring their unc- someone to school to pretend to be their dad and toss around candy coins… it becomes part of who they are."

"You've already told me about having your Uncle Jack pretend to be your dad, remember?" Juliet reminded him.

Shawn scoffed, his smirk twisting into something more ironic. "Yeah, I remember. Well, sometimes those kids find a girl, as they do. And they realize, the girl just sees them as the kid with the treasure-hunting dad, and it's been going on so long, they don't know how to tell her they just made it all up…"

Juliet's thoughts grew almost deadly still compared to the frantic bouncing of Shawn's. Gus could see the pattern they were trying to avoid, like a pen rocking on the edge of a table. He could also see the crushing pressure of the bubbles crowding around the edges of his vision, threatening to send everything crashing down. It suddenly occurred to him that Shawn probably should have let her process some of what had happened in the last few days before throwing this bombshell at her.

It was too late to back out now, though. Juliet's voice was small and almost pleading as she asked, "Shawn, what are you saying?"

Shawn swallowed and powered through to the end of the story. "The kid decides it's best to not say anything, to keep lying about his treasure-hunting dad and keep everything the same … until, suddenly, his best friend actually gets adopted by a treasure hunter."

The bubbles shifted, and the pattern clicked into place. Juliet looked at Shawn, her gaze intense as she said, "I need you to tell me, right now, what you're saying."

Shawn met her eyes, his face tight as he begged, "Please don't make me say it."

"I need to hear you say it," Juliet answered, her voice as uncompromising as her words.

Shawn let out a shaky breath and glanced around the room, as if checking to make sure no one had crept in and planted hidden cameras to record the conversation. He glanced over and Gus nodded in encouragement. Shawn nodded back and looked at Juliet before saying evenly, "I'm not a psychic.'

Juliet's pop rocks pulsed against Gus' skin as she stared at Shawn, her bubbles shifting quickly as new questions and answers popped into existence. She finally asked, "How?"

"A lot of training, weird memory, good intuition, and a bit of luck," Shawn answered promptly. Gus figured it probably wasn't the right time to bring up his theory of Shawn also having slight-psychic powers after all.

Juliet's voice was shakier as she asked, "Why?"

"Because Lassie was about to arrest me, and it was the first thing I could think of to get out of it." Shawn's hands were clenched in the pillow as if it was the only thing keeping him from jumping up and running out of the door.

"But why keep it going?"

"Because I'm good at what I do," Shawn answered truthfully. His voice grew softer as he added, "And I like it."

Juliet's thoughts were quickly spiraling out of control, and Gus subtly covered his bracelet to strengthen his shield and push back on the dizzying sensations. Her eyebrows drew down as she demanded, "Was it all a lie?"

Shawn shook his head frantically. "Only the psychic parts. Only that, I swear."

"So, what?" She asked as her eyes started to glisten. "You were just going to keep lying to me… forever?"

Shawn shrugged. "I… I don't know. I didn't really think that far."

"You never do…" She shook her head and looked away as her thoughts started to settle. "You lied to me."

"But I'm telling the truth now," Shawn added desperately.

"Because you thought I'd figure it out on my own if I figured Gus out," Juliet snapped back, her pop rock fizzles growing sharper with a red tinge.

Shawn sat up straight and looked her in the eyes. "No. Because three months ago I almost died, and my last thought was about how much I loved you. Because you almost died yesterday, and you said you trusted me to find you, because of this." He held his hand to his head, making the gesture small and simple. "Because I never told you who I actually was." He dropped his hand, his voice matching the seriousness of his expression as he finished. "I'm telling you now because I love you, and I want you to know the truth."

Juliet stared at him, a tear running down her cheek as the red color faded away and other colors flickered between her shifting thoughts. She finally took a deep breath and answered him, sounding lost. "I love you too. But I need some time to think about this."

Shawn opened his mouth frantically before clicking it closed again and giving her a stuttered nod. She stood up, and his thoughts edged with static as she walked to the door.

"Thank you, for telling me," Juliet said without turning around. "I just… I need some space right now. I'll text you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok," Shawn said tightly, looking like he was fighting back the urge to puke.

She closed the door behind her, and Shawn flinched as though the soft door click had physically punched him in the gut. Gus was about to say something when one of the bubbles grew larger and an image popped into his mind, an image of Shawn edged in pink with an undercurrent of understanding at the trust that had been given, and the trust that had been lost.

Gus sighed and stood up to clasp Shawn's shoulder. "You did the right thing. It's going to be ok."

"How do you know that?" Shawn asked miserably. "What if she decides space is better? What if she goes to Uganda after all?"

"There was absolutely nothing in her thoughts about Uganda," Gus said, smirking slightly when Shawn looked up to glare at him. "And I know it's going to be ok because you trusted her, and you both are still crazy in love."

"You read that?" Shawn asked, like a drowning person reaching for a lifeguard.

"I didn't have to," Gus answered. "Anyone with eyes could see it."

Shawn's shoulder relaxed slightly under his hand, and Gus gave it another squeeze before walking off to the kitchen. It didn't matter that he was tired; Shawn needed a popcorn and movie night.

Shawn parked the truck next to the Blueberry before sitting back. "Thanks. For hanging out."

"No problem." Gus watched as Shawn checked his phone before quickly putting it away. "It's ok, it's only been a few hours."

"I know…" Shawn drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "But… What if she doesn't text? It's been hours."

Gus sighed and recited the list for the fifth time that night, "She was caught undercover by a mob boss, she was almost killed, she found out you were kidnapped and thought it might be like last time, she left the hospital early to help rescue you… and then she learned you haven't been telling her the truth." Shawn winced and Gus quickly continued, "That's a lot for less than two days. She's going to need more than a few hours."

"I know, I know." Shawn sighed and continued the list. "And it's good that she's waiting so she has time to cool down, and she said she'd text, and she's probably sleeping because of the whole being electrocuted thing…"

"It'll be ok," Gus promised, thinking about Juliet's broadcast. "Call it psychic intuition."

Shawn's lips twitched up into a small smirk and his hands stilled on the steering wheel. He looked out across the empty parking lot where so many of their trials had started as he asked, "Have I told you recently how great of a friend you are?"

"I got you kidnapped," Gus pointed out.

Shawn shrugged. "Eh, I got you kidnapped first."

"See? These things have a way of working themselves out." Gus felt some of his lingering guilt leach away at Shawn's huffed laugh.

"I guess they do. See you tomorrow, man."

"See ya."

Gus climbed out of the truck and watched Shawn drive away before turning to the Blueberry. The sun was just starting to rise as Gus drove home, and he enjoyed how the pink and yellow hues made everything around him seem soft and quiet. It had been a long few days. It was time to get some rest.

Gus knew he was dreaming.

He looked up at the yellow house with the neatly painted porch and blinked, seeing a smaller broken-down house with faded siding take its place. He figured it made sense, in a dream way. They were basically the same thing. They both made him who he was.

He felt a pull and reached out, turning the doorknob that was already under his hand. The entrance way looked the same as he remembered, with steps leading both up and down, though when he looked closer, a jagged hole gaped at him on the way upstairs.

A tuneless voice started humming from the basement accompanied by clinking beakers, and Gus instinctively took a step towards the intact stairs leading up. He knew that voice, and he wanted nothing to do with him. His hand reached for the handrail before he stopped.

This was his dream. And this was his problem. He looked up the stairs again, knowing he could pretend like everything was ok and ignore the rot underneath. But he'd never been one to run from his problems.

He let go of the railing and turned to walk down the stairs.

The walls of the basement flickered, scientific drawings on a concrete wall and a small kitchenette with a sink competing for the same space. The wooden chairs in the middle of the room stayed the same, with their legs bolted to the floor and red-tinged zip ties attached to the armrests.

He allowed himself an extra few seconds to stare at the chairs before looking at the other constant in the room. A man stood in the corner, working over a table, his white lab coat speckled with red. The man ran his hand through his blond hair, making it stand on end as his other hand made a note in a large thick journal. Gus forced his feet to take a step forward, and Dahmer turned around, his wide grin showing too many teeth.

"Hello, psychic."

The voice sent a shiver down Gus' spine, but his fear felt detached and distant. He was surprised at how even his voice was when he answered, "You're dead."

Dahmer giggled and took a step forward, revealing the glass beakers and empty syringes on the table behind him. "If I'm dead, then why am I here?"

"I don't know." Gus made himself stay still as Dahmer continued to walk towards him. "But I want you out."

Dahmer stopped right in front of him, crowding into his space and tilting his head as he asked, "Why would I leave? You're mine."

"No, I'm not," Gus gritted out, hating how Dahmer said it like an irrefutable fact.

"Aren't you?" Dahmer reached out, and Gus flinched back as blood began to run down the walls. He blinked and the blood disappeared, but his vision was instead filled with crazy blue eyes that seemed to pierce through him. "Everything you've done since I made you has only been possible because of me."

"You didn't make me," Gus argued. "I'm still me."

It didn't sound like an irrefutable fact when he said it.

"Your first case back on the job, would you have been able to solve it without psychically reading the sister?" Dahmer asked, somehow stepping closer to loom over Gus. "When your friend was being hunted by mercenaries, would you have known to run? When the detective was being held against her will, would you have found her in time?"

A weight seemed to lift from Gus' shoulders as he realized, "No. No, I wouldn't have…" He met Dahmer's gaze and held his ground. "But I wouldn't have even had a chance to do any of that if you'd had your way."

"If I'd had my way, we could have changed the world." Dahmer's voice dropped to a snarl. "You just want to play pretend and act like nothing's changed."

"Things have changed," Gus agreed. He took a step forward, forcing Dahmer back. "I'm still me, but I can do more than I could before. I can help my friends and keep them safe, and I can help them do their job to keep other people safe. That's the world I'm changing."

Dahmer sneered at him, "Pitiful. You could be so much more; I didn't make you so you could be selfish and waste my work just living your life."

"You didn't make me," Gus repeated, feeling surer of himself. "All you did was give me these abilities. But they're mine now. I get to decide what to do with them."

A scalpel flashed and Dahmer held the blade to Gus' throat as he snarled out, "I should have killed you when I had the chance. Your brain could have done more good than your life ever will."

"Your loss," Gus said, staring him down without flinching. "Now get out."

Dahmer snarled and lowered the knife before stalking past him. Gus turned to watch him leave, but no one was there; he was alone in the basement. He sighed and looked around again, seeing memories of pain and fear all around the room, but also knowing those memories made him who he was now.

A flickering flame caught his attention, and he turned to eye up the Bunsen burner still burning underneath a flask of bubbling liquid. Part of him wanted to walk over and turn the gas off, to watch the flame die. But he knew it didn't work that way. The fire would come back; it wasn't something that could go away. But for tonight, it was contained. And that was good enough.

Gus looked around one more time before turning and leaving the basement.

A/N: We did it! Thank you everyone who's read this far, and extra thank you to anyone who took the time to leave a review. Every single one is treasured.

Like last time, there'll be an after-credits scene posted shortly along with plans for what's next.