Disclaimer:
I DO NOT own any characters from Psych. They are the works of a better writer than myself.
Christmas was one of Juliet's favorite holidays. She loved seeing the greenery and the lights that lined the streets. There wasn't snow in San Fransisco, but the stores rolled out fake snow in an attempt to mimic real snow.
As Juliet left the doctor's office with its evergreen wreath and red ribbon decorated front, there was an extra bounce in her step. She had taken the day off for this appointment and since she didn't have to go to work Juliet decided Christmas shopping was in order, especially now.
Shawn and Gus were enjoying a festive pineapple and mint smoothie when an idea struck him. It was fantastical and completely out of the box, but a perfect way to celebrate their first Christmas together as husband and wife.
"Gus! I think I had a vision!" Shawn exclaimed, holding a hand to his head.
"I think that's a brain freeze." Gus said smoothly.
"No! I know how Jules and I can celebrate our first Christmas together! It's perfect and I know she'll love it!"
"Okay Shawn, calm down and tell me this fantastic idea of yours."
Shawn put his smoothie down on the round wood table they were currently sitting at, he leaned in with his arms halfway across the small table.
"We go into the mountains." He whispered.
Gus looked at his friend skeptically, but Shawn kept talking.
"There's this friend of my dad's who operates a winter lodge up in the mountains. I know Jules would love snow for Christmas and we could even cut down a poor animal's home if she wanted. It's brilliant!"
"I don't know, Shawn, it seems very different and not traditional at all. Plus, who's going with me when I visit my parents?"
"Don't be a melted snowman. Besides I thought they were coming up to meet Brittany."
"I need you to distract them from asking my girlfriend when we're going to get married."
Shawn huffed. "Sorry Gus." He stood up, smiling. "You're on your own, maybe next year."
As Shawn left (without paying, of course) Gus sighed heavily and wondered what it would be like to have what his best friend had. It really got him thinking.
Juliet had a doctor's appointment and she hadn't come back yet so Shawn had plenty of time to make the calls he needed to. By the time he was finished he was practically giddy. Now that was a fun word: giddy.
Shawn wanted to tell Jules the plan over a nice dinner that evening, but the SFPD called him in to psychically read a suspect, so romantic plans were put on hold.
He jogged up the well lit steps of the police department and met Chief Vick in the foyer.
"Mister Spencer, glad you could join us."
"The spirits are abuzz, chief, point the way!" Shawn held a finger to his temple in his signature psychic gesture.
"Alright then, this way."
Shawn followed the chief down to the interrogation room. The only furniture in the room was a table and two chairs, currently occupied by the guilty party and a detective Shawn hadn't learned the name of yet.
Instantly Shawn noticed the sweat beading on the guilty man's brow and the way his hands fidgeted. He also noticed how the sharply dressed detective looked haggard and unkempt.
"He's definitely hiding something, chief." Shawn said after two seconds.
"Uh, well, um. Can you divine anything else?"
Shawn closed his eyes, but he could clearly remember everything that he'd seen minutes earlier. He remembered the weird stitching next to the front pocket of the man's shirt, oddly out of place.
"Ohhh!" Shawn exclaimed, stretching his arm out and pretending it had a mind of its own. "Chief!"
He raced down to the interrogation room and yanked the door open. Shawn made a very dramatic show of gasping and straining as he pointed to the shirt pocket.
"Check his pocket! Check. His. Pocket!" He yelled until the detective did indeed check the guilty party's pocket and saw the odd stitching.
The chief joined him in the briefing room and looked from him to the notebook in the detective's hand.
"Well then, good job, Mister Spencer."
Shawn smiled and gave a small, almost imperceptible, bow. "Thank you, chief."
"I suppose you're free to go." The chief glared at the guilty man. "Not you!"
Juliet came home to a dark empty house, Shawn must've been out somewhere and that meant dinner alone.
The quiet time gave her time to think of a way to tell Shawn the news. She wasn't sure how he'd react and that made her a little nervous.
After a reheated dinner of spaghetti and garlic bread, she pulled sat on the sofa in the living room and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed her mom's number and she answered on the fourth ring.
"Hi, mom."
"Juliet! Hi, how are you?"
"Great, mom, but I need to ask something of you." Juliet said, trying not to let her happiness shine through just yet.
"Is something wrong? Are you and Shawn having problems? Are you okay?"
"Maybe, but it'll be awhile before we can tell."
"What do you mean, honey?"
Juliet took a deep breath. "I mean that something's going to happen in a few months that's going to change our lives."
"I don't understand."
"Do you want to be a grandma?" Juliet asked.
"A... what? What!" Her mom suddenly screamed, realization dawning. "You're pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you. What does Shawn think."
"I haven't told him yet." Juliet admitted.
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled."
"Yeah, I just don't know how to tell him." Juliet sighed.
She heard her front door open.
"I'll talk to you later, mom. Shawn's home."
"Love you."
"Love you, too."
Juliet hung up the phone just as Shawn entered the living room. He dropped onto the couch next to her and kissed her temple.
"Hi." He said.
"Hey. Where were you?"
"Oh. The chief called, I wanted to have a nice dinner ready for you, but I wasn't able to."
"Is anything wrong down at the station?"
Shawn shook his head. "Nope, but I have great news!"
"What?" Juliet asked.
"You're supposed to guess."
"Shawn."
"Fine. I booked us a nice cabin up in the mountains for Christmas. I figured since my dad is out of town and so is your family that we could have a romantic Christmas getaway."
"What about Gus? I though he and Brittany were having his parents over."
Shawn shrugged. "Yes, but they'll be fine."
Juliet figured a romantic Christmas would be the perfect time to tell Shawn the good news.
"When do we leave?" She asked.
"The day before Christmas Eve."
"That's two days away!" Juliet exclaimed.
"Let's start packing, you know I like to shrink wrap things." Shawn said.
Juliet rolled her eyes and gave her husband a kiss. "I love you."
It was Christmas Eve, but Gus had found the only jewelry store still open. As he walked into the cool, neutral room he felt a flutter of anxiety deep in his stomach: he was there to buy an engagement ring after all.
A young woman wearing a Santa hat walked over to where he was standing, looking nervously at the rings.
"Can't decide on which one?" She asked.
Gus shook his head. "Can't decide if I should buy it."
The young woman smiled. "Well, when you're ready, call me over."
Gus nodded. "Okay." He gulped.
He gave himself a pep talk as he looked, reminding himself of how being with Brittany was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. They'd been dating for a year and Gus knew that he wanted her to be his wife.
"Miss? Miss!" Gus called. "I'm ready."
Christmas Day
They'd been in the mountains for two days, watching the snow fall and enjoying each other's company until today: Christmas morning.
Juliet placed the simply wrapped gift under the small tree they'd cut down yesterday. She hoped this was the right way to tell Shawn the news. It was still morning and Shawn wasn't up yet, but Juliet was full of excited anxiousness that she couldn't sleep.
"Jules?" Shawn mumbled, turning over in bed.
"Good morning." She said, crawling back under the thick red comforter and snuggling next to him.
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Shawn."
She kissed him before climbing out of the bed to get dressed. When she finished combing her hair into a messy ponytail she found Shawn looking at her present under the tree with a puzzled look on his face.
"What's this?" He asked, holding up the box.
Juliet smiled. "Why don't you open it and see?"
Gus took a shaky breath and stood up from the dinner table, dinner was over almost an hour ago, but his parents were still talking with Brittany.
He watched her talk vividly about her job as a legal aide and the various things she'd seen in her time working in San Fransisco. Occasionally she would turn her big brown eyes his way and smile
"Uh, Brittany? Can I speak with you a moment?" He managed to say despite his nervousness.
She tossed her silky black hair over her shoulder and nodded, but not without a bit of confusion and concern.
When they'd made their way onto the roof, Gus having been silent the whole time, Brittany looked worried.
"Gus? Is something wrong, honey?" She asked sweetly, her voice like an angel's.
A cool breeze ruffled her long hair and the flickering city lights were reflected in her eyes and somehow Gus found the words to say.
"Brittany. You're the most wonderful person I've ever met, you're charming and intelligent and beautiful. That's why..." He bent down on one knee and held out the box with the ring in it. "I was wondering if you would marry me?"
Brittany gasped and then tears were threatening to fall. "Yes! Yes, Burton Guster, I will marry you!"
He stood up and they enjoyed a long hug and kiss.
"Now we have to tell my parents." Gus said.
Brittany laughed and they walked hand in hand towards the stairs.
Shawn wasn't sure what Juliet had got him, but the look in her eye when she told him to open it made him extremely curious. He tore through the gold wrapping paper and found a simple gray box. It was pretty small, but that made him even more suspicious. He lifted the lid of the box and saw a tiny knitted cap and boots.
"Um, Jules? What are these?"
"What do they look like?" Juliet huffed.
"Baby items." He said after a couple minutes.
"Exactly. Congratulations, Shawn, you're going to be a dad."
At first he wasn't sure what to say, his brain was racing in so many directions that it made him dizzy. Finally he realized the one emotion he hadn't realized was there: joy, followed by terror, but joy nonetheless.
"You're... When... How?" He sputtered, unsure of what to say.
"Yes. I found out a couple days ago, but I was waiting for the right moment to tell you." Juliet answered.
"Jules, we're going to be parents?"
"Yes! Shawn, yes!" Juliet cried, throwing her hands up in the air.
Shawn laughed and kissed her. "I love you and I'm happy."
"I love you too, Shawn."
Shawn's phone rang, ruining the moment. He saw that it was Gus and grinned, what great news to share on Christmas!
"Gus?"
"Shawn? We're engaged, Brittany and I." Gus exclaimed.
"Jules and I are going to have a baby." Shawn said at the same time.
"Wait? What?"
THE END