A/N: Final chapter. Enjoy :D

Chapter Eleven

"I don't want to feel like this anymore."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm a victim."

"You're not a victim, you're so strong and brave."

"It doesn't feel like it."

"You are."

"It's only because I have you to help me."

"As great as I am you are seriously underestimating my skills. You have this bright light burning inside you and nothing can put it out. Something truly awful happened to you but you're still here, you're still standing. You are the most amazing man I have ever met."

"I'm glad you're here. It makes everything seem more bearable when you're next to me."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Sy."

It had been hard, the last couple of months but things were starting to settle down. Syed had been seeing a counsellor twice a week and was making progress. He could now talk to Christian openly about what had happened and his feelings on the subject.

He still had nightmares though, often really bad ones that left him shaking and crying in his sleep with Christian desperately trying to wake him up. He rarely spoke about his nightmares with Christian though, but he did talk about them to his therapist.

Christian made sure that everything they did was on Syed's terms so not to scare him away. Syed had become comfortable with Christian touching him, holding him and even kissing him but they hadn't made love since though, which Christian understood but it didn't stop him from feeling frustrated from time to time.

"How's it going with the therapist?"

"Good. I actually feel a lot better because of it."

"Sy?"

"Yeah Christian?"

"I have a suggestion to run by you. If you say no then that's okay but I just want to ask."

"What is it?"

"Now that I'm better and cancer free and now that you're here I was wondering how you'd feel about Laura coming to live with us."

"What brought this on?"

"It was always meant to be the plan, things just got thrown to the side of the road. I wouldn't do anything without talking to you first though. I know you've been through a lot so the final decision is up to you."

"I'd like it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it would be nice to have her around."

"We'd need to find a bigger place to live."

"Then we'll find a bigger place to live, it's not a problem."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes I'm sure. A year ago I wasn't ready for any of this but now I am. It's been a horrible year for me but things are finally starting to get better. I want to be with you, I know it might not seem like it sometimes. I know there are days when I can't even let you touch me but I appreciate everything you've done for me. You could have walked away after what happened but you didn't. Thank you for that."

Syed shifted in Christian's arms so they were snuggled close together. He closed his eyes and breathed in the unmistakable scent of Christian. He felt so calm and relaxed in that moment, something he hadn't felt since he'd been attacked.

"I would just feel a lot safer if they'd caught David."

After the attack, Syed's ex had disappeared and so far the police had not been able to catch him. This terrified Syed because as long as he was out there then there was always the possibility that he could come back and finish what he had started. That thought had caused Syed more panic attacks than anything about the entire incident and no matter how much Christian promised that he would protect him, Syed couldn't help but feel terrified at the thought.

"They'll get him eventually."

"I hope so, I don't want to feel this way forever."

"You won't. There'll come a day when you'll wake up and your first thought will be about something mundane like 'do the bins go out today?' and you'll be fine."

"You really are the most amazing person aren't you?"

"That's what I'm here for."

They fell into a comfortable silence, neither one of them wanting to break it by talking. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours until Syed finally broke the silence.

"Christian?"

"Yeah?"

"I know it's been hard for you with me not ready to be intimate with you."

"I've had easier challenges in life."

"You've been so patient and understanding and although I'm not ready to fully make love with you I do think I'm ready to start being intimate with you, if you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean and I understand. But there is something else I want to ask you."

"And what's that."

"Now that we're back together and we're going to have Laura living with us I just wanted to ask if you would marry me…"

A/N2: Yes, I'm ending it there (bit evil really). I do intend to continue this in another story, I just thought that was the best place to wrap things up for this story and I want to get my other fic finished first