"Morning, Lassieface!" Shawn said brightly. Gus rolled his eyes as he followed his partner into the precinct. Shawn planted his hands on the Head Detective's desk. Gus noted that Lassiter looked more grumpy than normal and elbowed Shawn nervously.
"Go away, Spencer. It's too early for your crap."
"It's never too early for fun, Lassie," Shawn said. Lassiter glared at him and Gus prepared to have to drag Shawn away when his attention was grabbed by a head of curly blonde hair. "But at the moment, you'll have to make your own fun. I gotta go." He made a beeline to Juliet and Gus followed him.
"Hey, Jules," Shawn said, beaming.
"Oh. Hi, Shawn," Juliet said, looking a little distracted. "Hi, Gus."
"Hi Jules." Gus nodded. Juliet fiddled with the case file she was holding.
"What's up?" Shawn asked.
"Nothing," Juliet said hesitantly, her eyes darting briefly to Lassiter.
"C'mon, Jules, you can tell us," Shawn said persuasively. Gus nodded. As much as he believed in privacy, he was curious at what would cause the vivacious detective to be so subdued.
"I... I don't know if I should," she said, her gaze still averted.
"Juliet O'Hara, you can tell us," Shawn said more firmly. "We will keep it a secret. ...Unless it involves aliens."
"Or pharmaceutical scams," Gus added. Shawn looked at him strangely. "What? I have my other job security to worry about, too, you know."
"Nothing like that," Jules said with a very faint smile, which left quickly. "I'm getting a new assignment."
Gus's stomach dropped and he saw Shawn's expression mirroring that, albeit more drastically.
"You're... you're leaving?" Shawn asked, sounding devastated.
"Not for good," Jules said quickly. "Just for a month, maybe two. It's a long-term undercover assignment, and I was the only person they could find who fit the part." No wonder Lassiter was upset. He wouldn't like Jules being gone and unreachable for so long; it had been bad enough when Jules had taken the stress leave.
"Oh..." Shawn didn't sound like he thought that was much better. Gus bumped one shoulder against Shawn.
"So what's the deal with it?" Gus inquired.
"Smuggling ring," Juliet said, shrugging. "I'll be Liz Hayden, diamond seller/smuggler."
"O'Hara, what are you telling these two clowns?" Lassiter asked, sounding angry. He came up behind Shawn and Gus and glowered down at them.
"Just what I told you, Carlton," Juliet said, sounding weary. "I trust them."
"I don't see why." Lassiter left, still looking frustrated.
"He's just worried," Jules said apologetically. "Don't take it personally."
"Aw, ol' Lassie can't scare Gus and I," Shawn said, his smile not reaching his eyes. Gus felt tension crackle between his friends and excused himself.
"I'll be back," he said.
"Where is Gus going?" He heard Jules ask as he walked away, lingering just around the corner.
"Probably to the little boys' room. He has the bladder of a baby kitten," Shawn said nonchalantly. Gus rolled his eyes. That wasn't the first time he'd heard that sort of joke.
"I see," Jules said, sounding amused.
"Don't do the assignment, Jules," Shawn said out of nowhere, his voice quieter.
"I have to, Shawn," Jules said. "I already agreed to it."
"Then back out," Shawn begged. "You could if you wanted to. It's too dangerous."
"Do you think I can't handle myself?" Jules asked, a hint of coolness in her tone.
"No. No!" Gus pictured Shawn shaking his head. "I just... I don't want to lose you."
"Shawn, I'll be fine," Jules said insistently. "I appreciate your concern, but you don't need to worry."
"But, Jules-"
"I have to go to City Hall for a meeting," the detective cut Shawn off. "I'll talk to you later." He heard the tap of Jules's heels going in another direction and Shawn came around the corner. He looked surprised to see Gus, but let out a sigh and leaned against the wall, eyes closed.
"I couldn't talk her out of it," Shawn murmured.
"I heard."
"I have a really bad feeling about this, y'know?"
"Yeah, I know." Gus put a hand on Shawn's shoulder and led him back to the Echo. "But Jules can handle herself, Shawn."
" 'course she can," Shawn said, allowing Gus to half-steer him. "But I still say she shouldn't do it."
Juliet left the next day without saying goodbye. Shawn spent the two weeks moping and worrying alternately, having hacked into the police website and finding evidence of violence in the Ring. Gus spent the next two weeks handling all the stuff Shawn usually did- not that there was much of it.
"I hate not knowing what's going on," Shawn said one day. Gus just nodded reassuringly and handed Shawn a bowl of cubed pineapple.
"What if she's hurt and the police don't know it?" He asked another morning.
"They'd know," Gus said, giving his friend some ramen noodles. "And we haven't heard anything, so she's not."
"If you say so," Shawn said.
Just when Gus thought he would explode from Shawn's uncharacteristic negativity, the "psychic" got a call.
"Lassie, what's up?" Shawn asked, sounding upbeat. He never let anyone but Gus see him in this state, if even that. He paused as Lassiter spoke, his face turning white.
"Okay. Okay. Yeah, we'll be there right away. Thanks, Lassiter." Something serious was going on then, for Shawn to not use his favored Lassie.
"What's wrong?" Gus asked, watching with confusion as the previously still man became a whirlwind of activity, grabbing things and tossing Gus his car keys.
"Jules is hurt, we need to go." He was pulling Gus out the door and they were in the Echo within sixty seconds.
"How hurt?" Gus asked, glancing at Shawn's hands tight on his knees.
"She... she got shot." Shawn's voice was strained. Gus swerved slightly on the road.
"What?" Gus straightened out and Shawn shrugged slightly, eyes on the car floor.
Gus didn't try to talk to Shawn again until they were in the hospital. His friend was in that mental place where no one could reach him, not even Gus. They met McNabb in the front area and he got them clearance to go up.
"She was half-asleep when I left," Buzz said, his brows creased in a concerned frown. It looked off on the optimistic man. "Lassiter is still in there."
"Okay," Gus said. Shawn was still silent, staying right up with McNabb. Buzz opened the door and Shawn began to hesitate. He hovered in the doorway for a moment before walking in. Gus nodded to Lassiter.
"Jules?" He said softly, his voice shaking slightly.
"Hi Shawn," the detective said weakly from the bed. Her left shoulder was bandaged and her face was pale.
"How... how are you feeling?" He asked, walking over to the bed and resting his hands on the metal bar on the edge of it. Gus came to stand next to him.
"Like I got shot," Jules said with a fragile smile. She touched one of Shawn's hands. "You were right, Shawn, it was too dangerous. I should've listened to you. I'm sorry." Her eyes teared up.
"Jules... Don't be sorry," Shawn murmured. "I'm just glad you're okay." He lifted up her hand and kissed it gently. Gus shot Lassiter a look and they stepped out into the hallway.
"Maybe now Shawn will finally snap out of it," Gus said. "And you, too." He raised an eyebrow at the Detective.
"Me? What're you talking about, Guster?" Lassiter asked. Gus shook his head.
"I saw you when I came down to the station to get our check," he said. "You were just as grumpy and worried as Shawn, don't pretend you weren't."
"Fine, maybe I was... concerned. I've gotten used to O'Hara and getting a new partner at this point could put me off my game," Lassiter said, shrugging nonchalantly. But Gus could see the relief clearly in the man's eyes and he smiled slightly.
"Whatever you say, Detective."