"Could you please say that again?" asked Miranda in disbelief as she sat in the small office talking with the doctor who had earlier interrupted her phone call with Gordo.

"What I said Miss Sanchez is that it is my conclusion that your friend Lizzie is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." said Doctor Johnston as he looked at Miranda.

"But....but... " stammered Miranda in shock "Isn't that what soldiers who fight in wars suffer from?!"

"Yes, it is true that the study of soldiers who had suffered through horrible experiences during war time was how the syndrome was first discovered." said Dr. Johnston nodding his head "But the fact is that anyone not just soldiers can come down with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Anyone who has went through a very traumatic situation in his or her life can suffer from it. And it's starting to seem that since Lizzie has already went through years of suffering both physical and mental abuse by her husband she has already begin to show symptoms of it."

"What kind of symptoms are you talking about Doctor?" asked Miranda wondering with worry and with guilt over the fact that she might have had noticed the symptoms before in Lizzie and not known enough to have helped her.

"Typical symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder include episodes of repeated reliving of the trauma in intrusive flashback type memories or they may suffer from sever nightmares, which is a very common symptom. These sever nightmares have been known to lead to insomnia for the person suffering from them." said Dr. Johnston. "Other symptoms may include the person becoming numb to any emotions. Or the person may start to become detached or begin to distant themselves from family and friends.Drug and alcohol abuse is common and the person suffering might also have thoughts of suicide."

"Hold on a second here doctor." said Miranda as something came to her "The other doctor who examined Lizzie earlier said that when she tried to talk to her about what happened, she never said one word about what happened in the house tonight."

"That is correct Miss. Sanchez." said Dr. Johnston nodding his head again "I was in there with Doctor Curtis during Lizzie examination and Lizzie never answered any of Doctor Curtis questions."

"Than just how in the hell do you come to your conclusion that Lizzie is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder if she never talked to you?"

"Well you see Miss. Sanchez." said Dr. Johnston "One of the interesting things about the study of psychology is that sometimes it's not what a person says or does that is important, but what they don't say or don't do that is an indicator on what's wrong with them."

"Ok I get it now,but what can I do to help her Doctor?" asked Miranda "Because Lizzie is like a sister to me and so I'll do anything I can to help."

"That's good to hear." said Dr. Johnston smiling at Miranda "Because what Lizzie is going to need now more than anything is for the most important people in her life to love her and make her feel safe. But in the end she's probably going to need a good deal of therapy to also help her deal with this."

"Well, you can count on me doctor." said Miranda nodding "Because I meant what I said I'll do anything for her."

"Since you have been a big part of her life Miss. Sanchez you will be very instrumental in her recovery but...." said Dr. Johnston.

"But what?" asked Miranda detecting the doctor hesitation.

"I need to ask you this question Miss Sanchez and I need you to be truthful on it no matter how embarrassing you may think it to be to Lizzie." said Dr. Johnston.

"Ok doctor"

"Who is this Gordo that Lizzie been talking about?"

"It was a boy that Lizzie and I grew up with. His name is David Gordon and he,Lizzie and I were best friends growing up." said Miranda not holding anything back "Gordo was his nickname and for years he was madly in love with Lizzie but he never got the nerve up to tell her."

"So what happened between him and Lizzie?" asked Dr. Johnston.

"One night at a party during our sophmore year of college Gordo got the courage up to go find Lizzie and tell her how he felt about her." said Miranda not wanting to think about that night long ago.

"I'm taking it that it didn't go well for Mr. Gordon when he told Lizzie his feelings?" asked Dr. Johnston but already knowing the answer before he asked the question.

"No, it didn't." said Miranda shaking her head "Lizzie had just met Kevin her future husband a few months before the party and the party was their first night out as a couple.You see Lizzie can't handle alcohol very well and that night at the party she was loaded. So when Gordo found her and told her how he felt about her Lizzie freaked and accused him of being jealous of Kevin.She than went as far as to say the only reason he said he had feeling for her was the fact that he wanted to break her and Kevin up for his own selfish needs.Well after that they both begin to go at each other pretty rough saying some very hurtful things to one another.And than Lizzie...." Miranda paused for a second thinking back to that awful night in college.

"What did Lizzie say Miss.Sanchez?" asked Dr. Johnston.

"She told Gordo if he couldn't be happy for her and Kevin being together she didn't want to ever see him again.I know for a fact that Lizzie regretted saying it the next morning and would have told Gordo she was sorry,but by than it was to late.It seemed that Gordo had gotten it into his thick head to do what Lizzie said.We found out later from his roommate that after the party he had came back to his apartment and packed his bags.The next day he went to the registration office on campus and dropped out.Than before Lizzie or I could find him he just disappeared on us. It took me two whole years of non stop looking and harassing his parents before I finally found him living in Vegas."

"Well, whatever the past is between them he is instrumental in Lizzie recovery now." said Dr. Johnston.

"Why?" asked Miranda.

"For some reason known only to Lizzie,her mind has latched on to him as being the only safe and happy time in her life." said Dr. Johnston "So getting him here and having him spend time with her will be the best step in making her feel safe once again. So you see Miss Sanchez this young man Gordo will be our best hope in getting Lizzie out of the depressive state that she has fallen into."

"Than everything is going to end up perfect Doctor Johnston!" said Miranda smiling at the this news "Because Gordo was who I was on the phone with when you found me.And I've already talked him into coming out here. He should be at my house in about eleven or so hours."

"Well, whether or not everything is going to end up perfect is up to Mr. Gordon I'm afraid." said Dr. Johnston concerned "It's very obvious that Lizzie wants him close to her and may even want him back in her life. But what about Mr. Gordon? When he gets here will he put all his old feelings aside and be there to help Lizzie through this?"

"Oh don't have any fears about Gordo, Doctor Johnston" said Miranda still smiling "When he gets here he'll do his best to help Lizzie feel happy and safe."

Because if he doesn't and if he shows up here with an attitude I will most definitely kill him cop or no cop,thought Miranda.

MEANWHILE IN LAS VEGAS

"So California, huh?" Rodney asked David while the two of them were standing together outside in the driveway of David home. Rodney was leaned up against David prized '76 Ford Totino, watching his friend pack two bag into the back seat of it. "The land of earthquakes, Hollywood and the birth place of the oh so beautiful Angelina Jolie."

"Yep that's the place." said David turning to his friend after he placed his bags into the back seat "Are you sure you don't want to come along with me?" David asked with a raised eyebrow "I'm sure you and Miranda would have loads of fun together while we stay at her house."

"Did you sneak into the evidence locker and shoot up some of that heroin before we left work?!" asked Rodney with a shocked look on his face "Me and Sanchez not only in the same state but in the same town?! The same house?! Together?!" Rodney could only shake his head at that crazy idea "That's just a major disaster movie waiting to happen there."

"You know I just realized something?" David asked with a big grin spreading across his face. He knew his next words would going to really get his friend going "For two people who say they can't stand one another, you and Miranda sure do talk a whole lot about each another. Might start leading someone to thinking that you two have a thing for one another?"

"OH NO OH HELL NO!" said Rodney as he suddenly jumped up from where he was leaning with a look of pure horror on his face "There is no way in hell that I could ever have anything to do with that.....that....that.." sputtered Rodney lost for words"......that cut throat man hating feminist!"

"Miranda doesn't hate men." said David while laughing at the expression of outrage on Rodney face "I know that for a fact."

"Oh really." said Rodney with raised eyebrows and this time being the one with the big grin spreading across his face.

"No,no,no, I didn't mean it in that way." said David holding his arms out palms up in surrender "Miranda has been my best friend my entire life, so THAT is why I know that she dates guys!" said David pointing his finger at Rodney "And also don't even go there next time!"

"Ok,ok" laughed Rodney but than he got a serious look on his face or as close to a serious look that David had ever seen him get on his face outside of work "So this girl Lizzie,was she The One?"

"The One?" David asked in confusion.

"Yeah you know is she The One." asked Rodney "The one you should have chose, the one that got a way or maybe the one who broke your heart?"

"Ah, now I see what your getting at."said David frowning.

"Well, which one was she?"

"The last one." said David not really wanting to get into this conversation with his friend.

"Ohhh the one that broke your heart." said Rodney looking sympathetically at David "Those are always the worst ones of them all."

"Yeah they sure are and trust me she was the worst." said David opening his car door and sticking his hand out to Rodney "Well since I'm about to hit the road and on my way to visit a bad piece of my past,let me go ahead and give you the offical police speech now. While I'm gone I'm putting you in charge of the undercover unit."

"Oh goodie!" said Rodney rolling his eyes and shaking Davids hand "Since we're not on any case right now all that means is I have to do mine and than your share of the paperwork."

David only laughed as he got into his car, cranked it up and started gearing himself up for the long ten hour trip ahead of him.

"Good luck man and have a safe trip." said Rodney waving at him right before he headed to his car parked in David driveway.

It was after he was driving for a time along the desert landscape of Nevada before the situation really hit home for David. For the first time in seven years he was going to come face to face with Lizzie McGuire. And he was oh so not ready for that.