The move was going to be easy. Gabe didn't have that many things, even though Gray had offered to speak to the policeman who'd been dealing with the case and get him access if he wanted his old stuff. He knew his cello was still at the apartment he'd lived in with Sawyer, and he would want that eventually, because it meant something to him. Everything else, though? The only reason he'd get it back would be to burn it. Sawyer had never bought him anything without exacting penance for it.

While he was pushing the last of his new clothes into a gym bag owned by Owen, he had a visitor.

"Hello, Detective Brown," he greeted the man, gesturing to the lounge, where they both sat.

Gray was there, but he sat back after saying hello to the man, with a small smile that Gabe thought might have been because he was pleased that Gabe wasn't nervous. And he wasn't – the detective was definitely on his increasing list of people he felt safe around.

"Gabe," Detective Brown said, with his own pleased smile, "I hear you have your memory back."

"I have. There's some bits I'd rather not think about though. Are you going to want me to talk about them?"

"Not even a little bit," he said, his smile getting even warmer. "With the suspect deceased, the case is closed." He got serious for a moment, glancing at Gray. "Though, we would open a case against someone else if it was necessary."

"No," Gabe said, before he could think against it. Sawyer was dead – the situation that landed him in the ER was done and closed. There was the brief guilty flash that Sawyer's friends should also pay for what they did, but that was so long ago, and a time he didn't want to think about now.

As if he could read Gabe's mind, Gray leaned forward. "I think, Weston, that even if this case is closed for now, perhaps it could be something Gabe chooses to look at again in the future, when he's more ready. What about Montgomery's death? I presume that case is closed too?"

"It is. His funeral was yesterday."

Gabe noted that Gray didn't bother mentioning that they'd gone to it, though he was wondering why he was asking about the case.

"He drowned, right?"

Detective Brown sighed in that way people do when they're about to reveal something they really shouldn't.

"He drowned after falling from a great height. It was assumed he came off one of the East River bridges, but because of the delay in finding him, and the fact that he'd been caught up rather than travelling freely in a current, it wasn't possible to determine where he'd entered the water. Or exactly how. Medical Examiner ruled it death by misadventure but said she thought it was suicide – but she had no solid evidence. I had other thoughts, but I also had no evidence, so we go with what she decides."

Detective Brown seemed content with that, for now, and went on his way, wishing Gabe all the best.

"I meant it you know?" Gray said, passing Gabe a glass of water.

"Meant what?"

"I've provided therapy for people who've come out of abusive relationships. There's no one way to do things. I'm not going to say anything about how hard you avoided those men at the funeral, but I'm not stupid. I'm just saying, if you wanted to do something about them later, when you're in a better place, I'll support you. And, if necessary, Weston would, too."

Gabe appreciated it. He couldn't possibly be getting more support from everyone around him, lifting him up and-

"You should think about therapy."

"What? No. It won't be necessary, really."

"I know you're worried about paying for it."

Damn all these nosy people all up in his information, passing it around like he couldn't look after himself. Well, maybe he didn't really want to have to look after himself, not entirely, but still-

"Listen, Gabe, I can see you're not in the mood the think about it right now, but even if you don't want to have one to one – it can be pretty intense – at least think about going to group therapy. I can recommend some really beneficial ones."

And that was how, two days later, before he'd even managed to move into Ellis' – although he was at least fully packed, because Owen was going back on nights – he found himself at Brooklyn Community Center.

"Why am I doing this?"

Ellis looked at him in vacant confusion. "Um. You said Gray suggested you come to therapy?"

"I know. But I didn't know it would be some survivor's group," he hissed back, quiet, so none of the people taking the steep steps into the community center heard.

Gray had offered to drop him here, but he'd clung onto Ellis' offer to actually attend instead. The idea of having a friend who would support him meant too much right now to do anything but grab it with both hands. He was determined to do better than he had before, and Ellis seemed to want it too. To be there for him. He hadn't given a reason why, but Gabe was getting better at understanding people now his constant companion of fear had started to let up and there'd been an unspoken idea that Ellis wouldn't not benefit from speaking to people who'd survived abuse.

Gabe took the steps tentatively, letting others bustle past him, putting off the moment when he had to walk in, to acknowledge by his presence that he was ready to talk about it. But he got there eventually, despite his best efforts, and Ellis was waiting inside the doorway of the depressingly bland meeting room, with a gray-haired man with an impressive mustache and bushy graying beard.

"Hi, Gabe. I'm Thomas. I lead the sessions, it's nice to meet you."

Gabriel noticed he didn't try to take his hand, which he appreciated. He didn't mind gentle contact from Ellis or Owen or River, but anyone else still made him shake. Thomas simply nodded and smiled kindly, gesturing to the long trestle table behind him and telling them start time was ten minutes away.

"Do you want coffee?" Ellis was already there, holding out a steaming paper cup. It shouldn't go to waste. Gabriel took it from him with a tight smile, focusing on preventing his hands from trembling as Ellis turned to respond to something Thomas had asked.

"You won't have to say anything."

He span, to see who had read his mind and verbalized it so softly.

"What?"

"Today. During the session. You won't have to say anything. If you don't want to."

The boy who had spoken was shorter even than Gabriel, with glossy black hair tied into a loose knot at the nape of his neck. His skin was dusky soft, with two pale pocks under his right eye. Those narrow, dark eyes stared up at Gabriel unerringly, even as an awkward flush rose on his softly rounded cheeks.

"Sorry," Gabe mumbled when he realized he'd been staring too long, as the boy dropped his gaze to the floor and backed away. "No, wait. Please, what do you mean?"

"Just, no one has to speak. Tom won't push it."

"Do you-," he stopped himself, realizing it was probably a huge faux pas to ask personal information here, but the boy smiled a sweet but pained smile and shook his head.

"No. I'm just a volunteer. I help direct people when they come to the community center. There's three separate group meetings just tonight, you know?"

"So you don't stay?" He was clutching at straws. There was something sad about the boy, something he felt like was mirrored in him.

"I stand in the door sometimes. I like to hear the advice. I'm Kaiya, by the way."

"Sorry," he mumbled again, feeling as though he'd somehow managed to forget social norms. "I'm Gabe."

"Hi Gabe." There was finally a genuine smile on Kaiya's face, and Gabe responded with one of his own.

"Kaiya?" Ellis had turned back once Thomas had gone to greet someone else, and his voice was full of surprise.

"Hi Ellis." Kaiya lifted his chin in a sweetly defiant manner, his jaw clenching.

"How have you been?"

"I'm- I'm fine. I guess." He tilted his head back down, as if that brief confidence had been too much.

"I'm sorry about- I'm sorry what happened."

Kaiya shrugged his small shoulders expressively, announcing there was nothing that could be done about it clearer than any words.

"Where are you living now?"

"I managed to get a room until next month. I'm looking now."

"I haven't seen you at the club?" Ellis sounded tentative as he tried to catch Kaiya's eye, but the boy was staring resolutely down.

"I haven't felt like it much. Does- does he go in often? Do they go in often?"

It was Ellis' turn to flush. "Uh, not very often, no. François is kind of pissed at him. Because of what he did. It's against the rules. He actually banned him for a month, and I've only seen him one time since then."

"Really?" Kaiya looked slightly pleased at that.

"Yeah, so you'd be, you know, safe, coming back. If you wanted to. And even if he did come in, you'd have everyone's support. All the subs are massively annoyed at him. And most of the Doms too. They hate it when people break the rules."

"I'll think about it."

Kaiya looked awkwardly at his feet so Gabe couldn't see his face, but Ellis looked as though his puppy had been kicked.

"Hey, do you have a new number?"

"I do. I had to get a pre paid. Um, my old one was on his contract." Kaiya flushed, more waves of humiliation coming off him.

"Do you still have my number? Message me your number."

Kaiya nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess you need it for the club."

"Maybe, but that's not why I want it. We were worried about you when you disappeared on us. Still are," he added, softly.

Kaiya looked pleased for a moment before his face dropped again.

"Thanks Ellis. I appreciate that."

He left then, claiming he needed to be back in the lobby directing people, and Ellis watched him go with a bereft gaze.

"He's a sub too, and his ex-Dom is a total dick." Ellis admitted to Gabe with a pained little shrug. "I shouldn't say much, but I guess it's public information his ex cheated on him, and basically threw him out onto the streets. There's a rumor he got him fired, too, but I don't know that for sure. We would have helped him out but he sort of vanished for a while. He hasn't been back to the club since."

The group session began then, but Gabe had a feeling Ellis had just adopted himself another lost duckling.