Spencer?

The voice was gruff. It was coming from a long... long way away.

Spencer, c'mon, wake up.

He didn't want to wake up. He was so tired...

"Shawn!"

Shawn's eyes flew open. The ground tipped underneath him and he moaned, trying to curl up into himself. It felt like someone was shoving a red hot poker into his leg, and every breath sent lashes of pain across his ribs.

"Easy, Shawn," he heard Lassiter's voice come to him.

Shawn let out a shaky laugh. "You... just called me... Shawn." His laugh was cut short as chills gripped his body, leaving him trembling.

"Just take it easy there," Lassiter said. "Now, what on God's good earth happened to you?"

Kidnapped. Shot. Beaten. Shawn didn't reply. Instead, he just stared into the forest, watching the shadows on the ground sway with the wind.

"You look awful, Spencer. Even worse than usual."

Shawn simply let out a small "heh" as Lassiter grabbed him under the arms, helping him sit up, his back against a tree trunk. He glanced down and saw that Lassiter's coat hung loosely around his shoulders. Lassie, who went berserk if even a smudge of dirt got on his tailored coat, had given it to him. Just how pitiful did he look?

Shawn's small chuckle turned into a wheeze. His breath jerked in and out of his body, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't-

"Breathe," Lassiter told him. His grip on Shawn's shoulder tightened. "Don't talk, just breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth."

Shawn did as he was told. He stared out at the forest, staring, but not seeing.

"How'd... you... find me?" A word, a breath, another word.

Lassiter scowled at him, but said, "Some hiker stumbled across you. Freaked out, thought you were dead and called the police. I happened to be in the area. The others should be here in a minute or two." A pause, then, "He also said there was a horse with you."

"Midnight," Shawn murmured. Keeping his eyes open was so much work...

"Stay with me, Spencer." Lassiter snapped his fingers in front of Shawn's face and the fake psychic flinched.

Psychic! Focus!

She had never really believed he was psychic. She mocked him with the title. Ever since she had kidnapped him, that was all she had called him. Psychic.

Suddenly, Shawn didn't feel so bad about stealing Midnight. But speaking of, where was she?

"Nighty... girl," Shawn croaked. It felt like someone had taken a handful of gravel and shoved it down his throat. "C'mon, don't... tell me... you've left... me."

"What...?" Lassiter's voice trailed off as Midnight stepped out from among the trees, her hooves thudding against the dirt. She pushed her nose against Shawn's face, and he reached up a hand to rub her cheek before it flopped back to the ground.

"Lassie," he said, a lopsided grin working its way onto his face. "I found you a pony."

It felt like he was lying on top of a giant marshmallow. A very comfortable marshmallow. Not sticky at all, just soft.

Shawn took a breath of the clean, pure air, then let it out. His body felt incredibly heavy, much to heavy to move. He tried to blink open his eyes, but...

"Take your time, Shawn. No need to rush."

It was his dad's voice.

"Where 'm I?" Shawn mumbled. His mouth felt numb, like he'd just gotten a shot of novicane.

"Hospital. Better get used to it, 'cause you'll probably be in here a few days."

"Better than being locked in a stable," Shawn said, but groaned anyway.

He cracked open his eyes. Soft green walls stared back at him, along with some flowers and a pineapple resting on a table, which he had to grin at. Sunlight filtered through a small window. An IV was attached to his arm.

"How are you feeling?" Henry asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"Kinda crappy, but better." Shawn flexed his hands and felt a twinge of soreness, but the fever was gone, and whatever painkiller they were giving him was enough to douse the fire in his leg. A light bandage had been wrapped over the burns on his wrists. It felt so good to be able to move his hands.

"I'm not surprised. You almost died back there."

Shawn looked up from his hands. "I did?"

"Your infection spread through your bloodstream, causing your immune system to go into overdrive and start attacking your body. The doctors call it sepsis. You were at the last stage before organ failure when Carlton found you. Not to mention bruised ribs, concussion, broken nose..."

As he listened to his dad's words, one last small shudder went though him. He'd made it. He was safe now.

"Well, sure makes for an interesting story to tell on dates," Shawn said. "Hey, what happened to Midnight?"

"Who?"

"The horse. She's the reason I got back at all. I was kinda... out of it after, uh, Lassiter found me."

Henry shook his head. "I didn't hear anything about a horse."

Shawn let out a groan and slumped back. Hopefully she's not just running around in the woods. After all she did for me, she deserves better than that.

"The horse is fine," was the first thing Lassiter said when he walked in the room. "She slobbered all over my shirt, and nearly tore my arm out when the ambulance arrived, but she's fine, at a shelter for the time being."

"You should keep her, Lassie."

Lassiter jerked, one eyebrow nearly shooting up past his forehead. "Keep her? If you haven't forgotten, I am the Head Detective of the Santa Barbara Police, I have neither the time or-"

"And I'm the Head Psychic of the SBPD," Shawn said, touching a finger to his temple and half-closing his eyes. "And I'm sensing you like this horse more than you're letting on."

"Right, now I thought I'd let you know that some of the other officers went back up the path and found a house. Unfortunately, Katherine Carther wasn't home."

Shawn leaned back, scratching at the bandage on his nose. His words came out slow, flat. "I'm getting a feeling she might just show up, looking for Midnight. Oh, and if you're still looking for Stephen 'Scarface' Conners; the spirits tell me he's in a place called Maple Run."

"I'll get on it. I'm... I'm glad you made it, Spencer," Lassiter said, and turned to go.

"Hey Lassieface," Shawn called after him. "Thanks for the coat."

Lassiter turned. "Don't mention it. Ever."

"Gus, say what you want, but don't you dare say-"

"I told you so."

"Guuuuus!" Shawn whined.

Gus settled himself in a chair and crossed his legs. "That's it, Shawn. No more going on dates."

Shawn snorted. "Oh, so you're like my dad now? I'm not a teenager anymore."

"I'm just glad you made it." Gus reached out an squeezed his shoulder. "I got a bit worried when Juliet mentioned your... previous experience with her brother. We all got a bit worried."

"Me too," Shawn said, his grin slipping. "There were times..." his voice trailed off.

"Do you... want to talk about it?"

Shawn hesitated, then shook his head. "Not right now. Not yet." A smirk slid onto his face. "Well. I did have a pretty badass escape. Riding on the bare back of a horse, black as midnight, through the misty morning air. Oh, and her name's Midnight. You should really meet her some time. She thinks I have great hair, and I have to agree." He held out his fist. "To a badass escape."

Gus bumped it. "To a badass escape."

"Shawn," Juliet said, her eyes soft. "You're okay."

"Well, mostly okay," Shawn said with a shrug, then held out his arms. "C'mon, bring it in, Jules."

With a smile as bright as sunshine on a clear day, Juliet stepped forward and very gently wrapped her arms around his bruised and battered body. Shawn closed his eyes and hugged her back, practically melting into her arms.

Safe. He was finally safe. He was finally back with his friends and family, finally healing instead of hurting. In just a few days, he'd be back with a vengeance at the Psych office, ready for new cases, new "visions."

And he'd finally gotten a hug from Juliet. There was just one thing missing.

Shawn drew back and smacked his forehead. "I can't believe it! I can't believe I forgot to tell Lassie!"

Juliet looked at him, her eyebrows drawing together. "What, what did you forget?"

Shawn leaned forward, and grabbed her hand, his eyes staring into hers. "I need you to tell Lassie that he owes me the biggest pineapple mango smoothie in all of Santa Barbara."

THE END

A/N: I hope you didn't mind my little "flash" scenes with the different characters on the end. They were fun to write. ^^

And I purposely left Bree's fate open-ended, though I like to think she got Midnight back and tried to start a new life somewhere else. But I don't know for sure.

Anyway, thank you all again for reading and reviewing! I loved talking to all of you! I'm not sure if I'll be writing another Psych fic, but I'll be keeping my eyes wide open for another idea, so you may just see me here again some day. :)

Cheers!