A/N: No excuses for the time between chapters, just hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

AbsentTone: hey like i say, late is better than never! thank you so much for reading and reviewing! i hope that you enjoy the final chapter.

slippedhalo76: late is better than never (i never show up on time for a party ;) )! i appreciate the review! i really don't mean to leave you guys for such long periods of time, but i am maxed out in class load at college and i just have to keep up with my homework first! thank you so much for the review and hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

rg38: thanks for the review! i hope that i included a few things that you seemed to want included! i already had some of them in the plan, but thanks for the feedback. i greatly appreciate all of your reviews! i am so sorry to leave you hanging! thanks again for the review!

Angelinsydney: spike did have a sexy nurse! her fanfic name happened to be samspadefitzgerald! anyway, thanks for the review and hope you enjoy this chapter too!

jkolol: thanks for the review! hope you enjoy the ending!

Andorian Ice Princess – AIP: hope this is the ending you would have liked! and i know, it is sad to know that spike can't talk for that long… although getting a kiss doesn't involve an open mouth! hope you like this and you should know by now, i appreciate all the reviews you send to me!

Spike was running. His hands still tied tightly behind his back. Blood ran down his fingers from his chaffed wrists. The chilly night air seared like fire through his lungs as he sprinted. He could hear the footsteps behind him, but every time he dared to look behind him, all he could see was the black outline of the person who was chasing him. He couldn't escape. He couldn't get away.

Greg felt his heart breaking as he saw the tears rolling down Spike's face as he flailed in his bed. He couldn't open his mouth wide enough to scream because of the wiring in his jaw but the grunting sound of pure terror that escaped sent pangs of pain running through Greg's heart. Spike had been staying with him over the last week since he had been released from the hospital. It had been the same story every night, Greg would get about an hour of sleep before going to check on Spike and then the rest of the night he spent comforting the young SRU officer.

"Spike. Hey, Spike buddy." Greg kept his voice calm, trying to sooth Spike as he put his hand on his shoulder. Spike was covered in a thin sheet of sweat. "You are safe. You're okay." Greg put another hand on Spike's head, gently trying to pull him the invisible terror Spike was caught in. Spike jerked frantically, struggling to sit straight up his eyes shot wide open. "Hey, you're okay." Greg helped Spike sit up, careful not to hurt Spike's healing ribs. Spike let his head fall against Greg's chest, relishing in the comfort it brought. He could hear the heartbeat of the man who he considered a father through the ear that was pressed against Greg's chest and he tried to slow his breathing to the rhythm of it. Greg was glad that Spike couldn't see his face as the tears rolled down his own cheeks as he gently rocked Spike back and forth.

Two weeks later

"Hey Spike?" Greg knocked on the open door. Jules and Wordy were behind him. Spike was sitting in bed, reading. They had been very cautious up to this point by letting the name Theo take a back burner, but it was time to bring it up. Spike looked up, his face slightly confused. He could pick up on their tone of voice and their demeanor that they weren't there for just a light conversation. "We need to talk."

"It's about Theo." Wordy said as he sat down on the bed next to Spike. Spike suppressed a shudder at the mention of the name. He had never been so scared of someone before. "They are going to take him to trial. They need you to testify." Spike shook his head vehemently. He would have to see Theo again, in person, not just the figure that haunted his dreams and every waking moment. He never wanted to see Theo again. He hoped that a huge black hole would open up underneath Theo and swallow him and never spit him out.

"I know you don't want to see Theo again, but we want him put away for the rest of his life." Greg's voice deepened into a growl when he thought of the man that had caused Spike so much physical, emotional, and mental pain. He wanted to subject the man to years of torture, but he knew that he had to control those urges and let the criminal justice system do their job.

"We're all going to be there with you." Jules added. She wished that She grabbed Spike's hand and held it tightly. She hated the tremors that had started the second they started talking about Theo. Just the name brought out a different side of Spike, a terrified, timid boy.

"I just want you to think about it." Wordy was trying not to pressure his friend. He couldn't imagine being in Spike's shoes right now. "I can't imagine what you are feeling right now, but just know I support you." Wordy gave him a smile. Spike reached his other hand out and grabbed Wordy's hand. He nodded as he looked at the three team members who were his family. These were his brothers and sisters and he His eyes held every bit of emotion that words couldn't even have begun to describe.

"We will get you through this." Jules had to blink back tears at the strength she could feel emanating from Spike. She couldn't even imagine the amount of courage that Spike had and she was proud to call him her brother.

Once the jury had heard the tear-filled testimony from Spike, their deliberations took only ten minutes. They delivered a guilty verdict on all of the charges that Spike's lawyer could find. Spike almost burst into tears again, but these were happy tears. He knew he could finally start the long healing process now that Theo was going to be bars for more years than the man had left in his lifetime. Theo would rot behind bars. It gave everyone on Team One a great deal of satisfaction knowing how much safer they were.

"Spike?" Jules could tell that Spike was tuned out of the joyful, light conversation that was going on at lunch. They were celebrating the guilty verdict and the return of their team member. Jules gently touched Spike's hand, trying to jar him back from space.

"Don't!" Spike jumped, snatching his hand back as he jerked away from Jules. The guilty look washed over his entire face instantly. "Oh God, I'm sorry." Spike let his head fall in shame. The rest of the table had fallen silent, looking at Spike with a mixture of pity and anger. They wished that none of this had ever happened and that Theo had never been born.

"Don't be sorry. I'm sorry!" Jules wanted to shoot herself for forgetting. The psychologist had talked to the rest of the team about Spike and prepared them on what to expect from Spike as he healed. They needed to be careful not to startle him or jump out at him. They shouldn't scream at him, not that anyone could imagine that. They needed to not rough house with him and while the psychologist didn't want them treating Spike like a baby, they just needed to be careful around him while he was healing. While the physical healing was going smoothly, emotional trauma took a lot longer.

"I-I'm sorry." Spike felt terrible. He could see how guilty Jules looked. "I-I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say. The psychologist said that it was natural and that the others understood, but it still didn't make it any easier for him. He just wished he could go back to the same guy he was before all of this started, but he knew that was impossible. He would always be a little bit different than he was before, but he would be stronger. He could already feel the new strength that was surging through his body. He would not have called himself extremely immature before, but he had gained maturity he didn't even know he was lacking.

"None of this is your fault. We know you are trying your best." Wordy spoke up. The rest of the guys nodded in agreement. It had been hard for Wordy to let the bailiff take Theo away. Wordy had wanted to let his fists do their own brand of justice. Wordy had never been so close from forgetting his officer training and jumping on top of a subject.

"Thanks guys." Spike couldn't remember a moment when he had felt more loved and part of the Team One. They had been the driving force behind him and while they were trying to give him some space, someone was always close. They had told him repeatedly their couches were open, their phones were always on, and their ears were ready to listen. Wordy had offered once he was cleared by the It was extremely comforting. He had known before all of this that they cared about him, but he hadn't imagined the full extent of how much they loved him. He didn't even know how to fathom just how deep their love for them went and the wonderful, unending support they had for him never ceased to amaze him.

A/N: So this is the end. Thanks for sticking around for this crazy, long ride. Is anyone up for a sequel?