3 Weeks later. 6:00 PM

The last three weeks had been interesting, to say the least. The dog was definitely a handful, and adjusting to a new routine was hard but the changes he had brought for Drew… Major Florence had thought it was a wonderful idea and highly approved. She had told Rick the idea of taking care of something would do Drew a world of good and help give him back sense of control. Which of course, it had. The last few weeks had seen the other almost completely coming back. There were still a few tense times, but he seemed to be so much more relaxed.

Hell, he'd even been able to finally tell the whole story of what he'd been through. At least the parts he remembered. It was the first time he'd been able to actually go over and examine the events with other people and it was amazing how much that seemed to help him. Still though, listening to what had happened to him, that had been hard and Rick had never felt so angry and yet so proud in all his life. Drew hadn't had a panic attack or flashback in almost two weeks. The closest he'd gotten to was the night before returning to the ER. It had been several hours of having to convince him that the bastard who tortured him was lying when he said he was more of a killer than a doctor. And it hadn't even really been a fight to do that, just more going over things and talking.

Of course Scout was there to help mediate, making sure things didn't get too tense. He was a skittish dog, liking loud noises and sudden movements about as much as Drew did, but all things considered he was tough. He was settling in fairly well, slowly coming out of his shell. It was amusing as hell to learn about all his little quirks, like only eating if one of them were eating. Drew's favorite was how the dog laid down and started waving his one forepaw when he wanted something. He needed some obedience training, and some socializing but he was a good dog.

Currently, Rick was headed home, and extremely anxious however. A sudden storm had hit the area, unleashing torrential rain and a violent display of lightning and thunder. It was exactly the kind of thing that sounded and looked like an artillery fight and would trigger a flashback. It had before, on several occasions for Drew. Hell, it could normally be a trigger for him too. He had tried to call his boyfriend several times at the start of the storm but there had been no answer. It was all he could do not to use the lights and sirens to get home. Walking into the apartment, Rick had no idea what to expect. It was dark, no lights on, and there was no sound except the dog whimpering. Heart in his throat, Rick called out, "Drew?"

"Hey, in the living room," came the instant reply and that was followed by a loud thunderclap than a series of whimpers. "Hey... it's alright, you're alright…" Rick heard Drew say as he walked into the living room, his anxiety turning to confusion. He found the other on the floor behind the couch, pinned in place by an eighty-pound dog trying very hard hide inside his chest. Giving Rick a tired look, Drew said, "He doesn't like storms."

"I can tell…" Rick sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"You okay?" Drew asked with his brow frowned in concern.

"Yeah… I'm just… I'm fine…" Rick grumbled coming over to sit next to Drew and Scout.

"You thought the storm was going to get to me, didn't you?" Drew said, teasingly.

Rick bowed his head, blushing slightly, "Yeah, a little bit, and I tried calling but you didn't answer…"

"Phone's in the bedroom, charging, and I've had him on my lap since the storm started," Drew said apologetically.

Rick laughed softly and leaned against his boyfriend, resting his head on his shoulder. He reached out and stroked Scout, who had shifted so he was between them. "But you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Promise," the other assured him, "what about you? Huh? Storms set you off too."

"It caught me off guard at work and I had a moment… just the same night as always but I'm fine," Rick said.

"Want me to give you the you're safe speech?" Drew teased.

"I will hit you," Rick declared, getting a laugh from the other.

"I love you too," Drew sighed, and the three fell into a semi silence, the only sounds from the storm and Scout.

-line-

2 Days later. 1:15 PM.

Drew nervously waited in the dinner's booth. It was a small, family owned place that Syd had said was Riley's favorite. He was supposed to meet the thirteen year old and her grandmother there at 1330 hours. It was going to be a sort of birthday celebration for her and an apology that he was home instead of her mom. Syd had helped him set it up, grateful that he was taking care of her but also reminding him he had nothing to feel guilty about. But he couldn't help that guilt, especially since he could remember being her age and waiting for his dad to come home.

He looked down at his wrists, making sure that the scars were hidden under the cuffs of his shirt. Getting the splints off meant that the angry red marks of new scar tissue were clearly visible. He hated them, hated the memories they invoked, and took great lengths to cover them. He didn't want to have another conversation about them with some curious stranger. Especially when Rick wasn't around to work as a buffer. He was lucky that the bruising on his face had all faded and his hair distorted the new scars on his head, even though it was newly cut. Major Florence had told him the scars would take time to get use to, that eventually he'd only notice them every now and then.

He was still relearning to accept his new reality, so it was okay if he wanted to hide them or if he felt uncomfortable when people saw them. What wasn't okay was feeling ashamed of them or not wanting himself to be seen by others. She had suggested long sleeved shirts in public and t-shirts around friends to help him get use to exposing the scars. Rick's solution to the issue was equally as practical, and had the bonus side effect of helping with his own self-image; they had sex.

Fidgeting nervously, Drew looked up at the clock on the wall. It was getting closer to 1330, and he felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. He looked over to where he knew Syd's present for Riley was sitting next to him on the bench, just to make sure it was there. The diner door opened, he heard the little bell ring, and he looked up. He smiled, recognizing the girl and her grandmother from the pictures Syd had shown him. He stood, waving to them as they looked around. Riley saw him first and smiled waving back, before getting her grandmother's attention. The two of them approached, Riley leading the way. The young girl stopped in front of Drew and looked up at him, eyes wide.

She had her mother's eye's, expressive and warm, but she definitely took after her father more. Still, without her even talking, Drew knew that Riley was going to have her mom's intelligence and personality. Poor Syd had her hands full. "Captain Alistair?" she asked, head tilted.

Drew smiled and nodded, "Yes ma'am. But you can just call me Drew."

Riley beamed at him, and before he knew what was happening, she was hugging him tightly. "Mom told me what happened and why she had to switch tours with you," the thirteen year old said as she squeezed him gently but tight. "I'm really happy that you made it home."

Drew felt his breathe catch at the words, and his heart constrict just a little. He was already hugging Riley, but he hugged her just a little tighter now. "Thank you," he said softly, and for the first time since getting home, he felt forgiven.

-line-

1 month later. 7:00 AM

Walking out of the ER this morning, Drew was looking forward to the weekend. Rick and he both had off for the next three days and he was in the mood to celebrate. Major Florence had cleared him to return to active duty, he wasn't going to be kicked out of the Army. The JAG officials had also formally cleared him of any charges basically stating that he was operating under duress and therefore was not aiding the enemy. Syd was also coming home, and he and Riley, who he had come quite attached to, were planning a surprise party for her. The best part, however, was every day he got to wake up next to Rick. The man had promised to stay with him, and through all the hell and high water, he had. Life was finally going right.

"See, there he is! There he is!" Drew heard Rick say and it was followed by a bark. Looking up, he saw his boyfriend and their dog standing by the benches near the parking lot. As soon as Scout saw him, he came running up and started hoping around him.

Laughing, Drew bent down and fussed over the dog. "Hey buddy! Hey there! Hi!" He called as Rick came over. Looking up at him, he smiled and added, "Hi to you too."

Rick laughed, re-leashing Scout as Drew stood. He leaned into him as Drew hugged him and kissed his check. "Hey, how was your shift?"

"Uneventful. What about you?" Drew asked as they walked slowly towards the parking lot.

"Easy. Wonderfully easy," Rick smiled, "you still want to look at houses this weekend?"

"Yeah. I mean, unless you wanna do something else?" Drew asked, slightly confused. They had both been talking about getting out of the apartment, into a quieter setting. With Drew going back to work and Rick's new position they could afford a house and some land like they'd wanted. They had picked this weekend to start looking, given their schedules.

"I just wanted to make sure. I mean buying a house together is kinda a big deal…" Rick said, and he seemed fidgety.

"So is adopting a dog, but you convinced me to do that in less than two hours," was the teasing reply.

"Yeah...that's true… but I think that was more Scout. And… It's just that a house is a big commitment…"

Drew stopped and gently pulled on Rick's arm, prompting the other to turn towards him. "Everything okay? Are you... is this what you want?" He asked, heart beating just slightly too fast. He was almost afraid that the other was going to leave him again.

"I mean, what I want is a family and a life with you. I want the house with the nice fence on the quiet street that I share with you," he said, smiling softly at Drew.

"That's what I want too," Drew said, smiling back, and then something just came over him. It was a brash mix of affection, contentment, and adrenaline that made him believe, if ever there was a time he was more certain in his life, he couldn't remember. "What are we waiting for? Let's just do it. Let's just get married."

Rick smiled and blushed slightly before he started laughing. "I was actually going to ask you. I packed our bags and made a hotel reservation. We can be in Santa Fe tonight."

Drew started laughing, pulling Rick closer to him and kissing him again. "Packed our bags huh?" He said, still holding the other close, "sounds like you were pretty sure I was going to say yes…"

Rick kissed him before pulling away and taking his hand. "I was pretty sure... you're a little predictable."

Drew laughed, "oh! Predicable? Guess I have to work on that…"

"Nah, I like you this way. Right Scout?"

Scout barked happily, making them both laugh. Climbing into Drew's pickup, Rick took the other's hand and squeezed it, amazed at how the last yea had played out. After losing his leg, if you had told him he would be here, he'd have spat in your face. "Thank you," he said as Drew pulled out of the parking lot, "thanks for not giving up on me."

He felt Drew squeeze his hand. "I can say the same exact thing to you," he whispered back. "It's not the way I wanted to get here, but I don't think I can tell you how happy I am."

Rick laughed and shut his eyes, leaning his head back against the headrest. "So… who's taking whose name?" he asked, joking.

"Well, I got disowned so," Drew replied, laughing, "I guess that means I technically don't have a last name anymore."

"Well, in less than forty eight hours, we can fix that," Rick teased and he kissed Drew's hand. "Besides, Grandma always wanted a Dr. Lincoln in the family. Not sure this is how she pictured getting one, but, hey, she got her wish?"

Drew laughed, shaking his head as steered them towards Santa Fe. Live wasn't perfect, but at least it was moving in the right direction now.