A/N: And finally, we have come to an end. Thank you for your continue support. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoring and following. I hope you enjoyed the story and also hope we´ll find again in another one. Bye!

Chapter 43: Catching up

The sun was good today; it was warm but not too hot, as it used to be a few weeks before. The annoying heat and humidity were gone and now a gentle breeze was caressing Danny´s face, which was already almost free of bruises, only a yellowish shadow under his eye and check was the only reminder of the bathroom accident. Along with the bruises and the heat, slowly and silently, went away Danny´s angriness and crankiness. They started to recede when his frustration was put on the table in front of him at Dr. Hale´s office and he spitted out everything that was rotting inside of him. Along with that, the incident in the bathroom was the lowest he had gone during the rehabilitation period, and a place where Danny wont allow himself to fall again. He recognized, during this past weeks of internal struggle and also blossom, that he had shamedly allowed himself to settle and conform with his demons and that he had stopped trying; he had stopped fighting and was ok with letting his friends to fight for him to keep his head above the water. He had, inadvertently and progressively, submerged himself on a process of giving up. Dr. Hale´s lecture when he appeared in his office with a black eye and blue and purple face was something he would never forget for the rest of his life. The doctor knew that he was supported with all the love and care Danny needed right then, coming from his friends and family, so he hadn´t had the need to be caring or careful himself, nor to measure his words, so he didn´t. He gave Danny´s heart the shock it needed to take the right path again, to remember his place and what was he supposed to be doing. And it had hurt. Not because of the hard words or the tone of the reprimand, which, although speaking the truth, were heavy, but because they showed Danny that he had stopped fighting and that he was apparently content with just receiving sympathy and for letting all be served to him. But he actually wasn´t fine with it, that´s what his frustration screamed to him, and that´s what really hurt. He couldn´t give up, and his psychiatrics' wise move reminded him of that and made a permanent mark on his brain and soul that would be actually very difficult for him to forget about.

Dr. Hale obviously knew what had happened before he went to the appointment after his fall, and had put up with that extensive monologue in which Danny had no time and no room to say a word in between. His friends had obviously informed his doctor of what had happened. Everyone was a lot of steps ahead of him, and Danny was eager now to catch up.

These past weeks of internal organization, self-forgiveness and healing did Danny good, very good. He was on the right path, forcefully put there by his psychiatrist but now staying there on his own power and will. Well grounded. After the strong lecture, Danny was moved to spit out, voluntarily, to his doctor all he has experienced and all his fears, without measuring the information he gave out. His doubts somehow cleared themselves at the time he put words to what was pressed painfully inside his heart. Recalling things he had avoided to go near before helped with his confidence and he was stronger now. He was much stronger, and with an intense desire to keep fighting and become even more strong, mentally and physically. Healing in the mind also helped healing in the body. He was eating more and managing to do a little exercise that started to build up his muscles.

His soul was higher than it had been in a long time. The impact of the fall, hitting the bottom, and the lecture, everything contributed for its new rising. He was accepting. Accepting what had happened, and accepting his current situation and what he had to put in to get better. He was also learning to let go and forgive. If he didn´t, he wouldn´t move on.

That night in which he stuck the fork at Steve´s scrambled eggs with fury was long gone. It had been his breaking point. The ´click´ he needed to make to realize he couldn´t continue like that. That he should commit harder and make up his mind with more will to get better. But he was scared and still doubted himself, he was not sure he could do it. But that lasted only until the next day, when his psychiatrist gave him the last push he needed to carry out his wish.

Tonight he would spend the night with Grace and Charlie, alone. Just him, the father, with his kids, after a long, long time that has been stolen to them. He was confident enough. He could do it. The sun was setting, and they would arrive at any moment. Danny let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. Facing the sun, he let the breeze caress his relaxed and happy face. He was happy, because he had taken control of his life again. He was its owner and he had become stronger than his emotions, he could control them. He was capable of it.

A hand on his shoulder cut his moment of solitude, and Danny found a cold beer being handed to him. He took it, and smiled. Steve. His partner, his friend, his brother. What could have he done without him? Nothing, actually. Everything he owed to him. Everything. And everything Danny had been working and talked with Dr. Hale, he had also shared with Steve. Everything he had been through was perfectly clear to his partner, and that gave Danny an extra quote of security, for some reason.

"I´m gonna be heading out, to my house. They´ll be here any minute." Regardless of the announcement, Steve sat down. Danny nodded, and then reached with his bottle and they sheared a toast.

"Thank you".

Their eyes remained fixed for a few long seconds. Steve knew Danny was not thanking him for the beer. He smiled, and then both turned their eyes towards the setting sun.

"I love you, brother".

"I love you too".

THE END.