Daddy's Little Girl Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Psych!
Shawn adores his little girl, who isn't so little anymore. Juliet finds out it is hard to be the mother of a 16 year old girl who has a personality identical to hers. Regardless, the Spencer family makes it work, just the three of them. But what happens when a case threatens to break everything they live for?
I had been thinking about doing one shots to build up the background to this story, and that still might happen (depending on what you guys think of the premise), but for now look for tidbits of flashbacks to see Jules' and Shawn's relationship with their daughter.
The first half of this chapter is the background that I felt necessary just to build on the premise of the story.
Shawn and Juliet never really discussed having children, not until the day Juliet peed on a stick and the words read pregnant.
After Juliet had finally forgiven Shawn for lying, and learned to trust him again, Shawn realized the only way Jules would not have to testify in court, if god forbid it ever came out that he was not a psychic before he retired from Psych, was if she married him.
She said no, the first five times he asked her, because he had been practically joking, comparing themselves to various couples from Noah and Allie of the Notebook (which Shawn had only watched because Jules had forced him) to Bella and Edward. And after many oxymoron's and pleads that Gus would be devastated because he wanted to plan her bachelorette party, Juliet blew him off.
It wasn't until he sat her down in an interrogation room, the very one where their relationship was discovered by Lassiter, and began to explain things to her, that she realized he was serious.
How she took such good care of the Fruit Loops when he was gone. (She rolled her eyes at that one.)
How the fact that she always believed him and had his back meant more to him than pineapples.
How perfect she fit into his arms, particularly in bed. (He earned a gentle, teasing slap for that one.)
How much he loved her and could never forgive himself for ever hurting her, even if it was not intentional.
How he was willing to grow up, at least in this aspect, for her and only for her.
"Jules, will you do be the honor of becoming my wife?"
Her answer had finally been yes, and three months later they were married.
And two months after that, was when Jules and Shawn wished they had spoken about children, and not a fleet of pugs or pineapples carved to look like children.
"We are having a baby," Juliet whispered.
"Hey, come here," Shawn sighed, inviting her to come into his arms. "It will be okay."
"Shawn are we even ready to have a child?" she started to cry. There was not much Shawn could say, because he didn't believe they were. But it was happening. And he was in for eight more months of this question. As well as Jules' grumpy face when he would not allow her to have coffee, or when Chief Vick stuck her with desk work, or when she met Lassiter's new temporary partner.
Their fear disappeared the day they welcomed Grace Madeline Spencer into their lives.
"Grace Madeline Spencer! If you do not come to breakfast in ten seconds," Juliet threatened, checking her watch. At this rate she would be late for work and her daughter would be late for school. She growled inwardly at her husband as her thoughts strayed to their conversation last night. Case. Big one. Early start.
Perhaps for the first time in the 16 years they have been married Shawn was out of bed before her.
"GRACE!" Juliet snapped.
"Take a chill pill Mom," a voice said suddenly from behind her, in a snarky tone she might add.
"Do not speak to me that way," Juliet warned.
"Or what you will shoot me?" Grace put her hands on her hips. "I'm pretty sure they frown upon that and I'd have no choice but to call the cops to arrest my detective mother." Frustrated, Juliet slammed down the cereal on the kitchen table before spinning around and pinching the bridge of her nose to keep herself from doing or saying something she would regret.
"Just eat your cereal, if you miss the bus and I have to drive you," Juliet narrowed her eyes.
"Well if I could get my own car," Grace tested but Juliet spun around and was standing face to face with her daughter. Though they were dressed fairly differently, Juliet in her typical work pantsuit and heels while Grace dawned shorts, flip flops, and a simple shirt. They were like twins, with an age difference, but that was about it. Shawn always said that was why they clashed, because their personalities and everything about them were so identical.
That was why she needed Shawn to play mediator, while he never really helped their fights when they were full blown, he could be prevailed on to distract both of them and eventually get them to forgive each other. Which wasn't hard, because mother and daughter loved each other very much, even if sometimes it was very trying. Although he did spoil Grace too much for Juliet's liking, particularly when she spoke as she was this morning.
"Fine," Grace sat down with a bump, shooting daggers at her mother, before pouring her cereal. Juliet poured coffee and leaned against the kitchen counter, watching her daughter closely. "Is Dad out on a case with Uncle Gus?"
"Yes," Juliet answered shortly.
"Without you," she raised her eyebrow.
"It is not with the SBPD," she said.
"But you want it to be," Grace guessed.
"What makes you say that?" Juliet asked.
"Actions speak louder than words," she took a bite of cereal and winced as she heard the bus beep from outside of the house.
"See this is what happens when you do not come down the first time I call you and this is why I cannot trust you to get to school on time if you had your own car," Jules snapped. "Now I will be late, and while Chief Vick understands, Carlton does not!"
"Leave Uncle Lassie to me," Grace shrugged. "He may not be dad's biggest fan, but he doesn't mind me."
"He does when you call him that," Juliet's mouth twitched slightly with a smile, she did not want to give Grace the satisfaction as she was testing her patience by the second. "How is studying for your finals coming along?"
"As well as can be expected," Grace shrugged and dumped the rest of the cereal down the drain. She had her dad's eidetic memory, but similarly to him, never liked to use it for things such as school. "Why won't you let Caroline pick me up?"
"I do not trust her driving after I pulled her over for going 70 mph on our road," Juliet growled. "Grab your backpack and let's go."
"Maybe that is why I do not bring friends over, because my mom is a cop," she muttered and swung her backpack over her shoulder. Angrily she stalked out to the car and slammed the door. Juliet followed more slowly, breathing deeply and trying not to say the words that would keep her daughter in her hair for the next week, you are grounded.
They were both thankful that they decided to stay silent during the drive, until Juliet's phone went off and it was Lassiter.
"We've got a case O'Hara, where are you?" he snapped. "You are late!"
"One, it's Spencer now, it's been so for 16 years Carlton," Juliet answered. "And second my daughter got a lazy start this morning." Grace rolled her eyes. Immediately she reached for the radio and tried to turn it up, but before she could Juliet leaned her phone against her ear and used the hand that was not on the steering wheel to trap her daughter's hand, her eyes conveying her message very clearly. Don't you dare.
"Meet me at the scene," he growled and Juliet snapped her phone shut.
"See what you did?" Juliet said.
"All I see is that I should have my own car and we would never be in the mess," Grace folded her arms and put her feet on the dashboard.
"Feet down NOW!"
"Oh look, we are at school," Grace sighed and opened the door before her mother even fully stopped the car. "I would say see you later, but I highly doubt I will considering you have a case." Juliet leaned her head back on the headrest and prayed that Shawn would not be put on this new case, because she couldn't handle her daughter's wrath this whole weekend if they were both absent.
"You really can't keep your husband away can you?" Lassiter said as they looked up from the body to see Shawn sauntering over to them confidently. "Spencer, what are you doing here?"
"Well Lassie, I believe she is your partner," Shawn flashed a smile at Juliet who rolled her eyes.
"I thought you had a case?" she asked.
"We did, it was the nanny, it's always the nanny," he shrugged. "Now this guy… the wife did it."
"He doesn't have a wife Spencer," Carlton shook his head.
"I am sensing he has a ring on his finger," Shawn put his fingers to his temples.
"He has a life partner," Lassie snapped.
"He did it," Shawn immediately said.
"C'mon O'Hara, let's go," Carlton rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on Lassie, it's Spencer!" Shawn called after him as he stalked back to the cruiser. He turned to Juliet who was glaring at him. "I'm simply messing with him Jules."
"This isn't about that," Jules narrowed her eyes.
"What is it sweetheart," Shawn said sympathetically.
"Is it your daughter," she growled. "Who made me late to the crime scene and gave me so much attitude I almost grounded her right on the spot without even trying to reason with her."
"So she's just my daughter," Shawn laughed, moving closer. He touched her hair. "So you have nothing to do with her blond curly hair, or her adorable nose, or the blue-eyed glare she gives you that you are giving me right now."
"It's not funny Shawn I am serious," Jules hissed.
"And since when do you try to reason with her Jules?" Shawn asked. "Two nights ago I arrived home from the Psych office to the two of you screaming your heads off about what television show to watch."
"What happened to our Gracie, who thought me being a cop was the coolest thing in the world," Jules huffed.
"She still thinks that, she is just a teenager, I went through the same phase," Shawn reasoned.
"Shawn that is not helping," she winced.
"I know, but in time she will remember why she loves you for being a cop, and not why she-"
"Hates me."
"Not hate," Shawn shook her head. "Just dislikes the fact you give tickets to her friends."
"That was only once Shawn and Caroline's parents thanked me for doing so!"
"In her mind it is as if you did it a hundred, trust me, I know."
"No more getting up earlier than me, okay?" she sighed. "I can't handle Grace alone, not now; especially since soon we have her home all summer."
"Well you know we will hardly see her at all this summer anyway, she is going to Malibu with Caroline's family for a week, and the fact that she doesn't wake up until noon every day."
"And besides, she listens to you," Juliet growled.
"It will be fine sweetheart," Shawn promised. "Leave her to me."
"And ask her about her grades, I got some bullshit about how it's going as well as it could be," Juliet said and started to walk about. Shawn grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"I didn't get a good morning kiss," he smirked.
"Morning, goodbye," she sighed and pecked him on the lips. "See you at the station later?"
"You know it," Shawn smiled.
"Shawn Spencer, grown up," Gus chided. "Knowing how to handle a 16 year old girl for the first time in your life."
"Gus, don't be a whole bunch of exclamation points with a number one at the very end."
"I take that back."
So this is more of an intro to their relationship, or at least Jules and Grace's. I hope it doesn't come off to harsh, it's just when two people, particularly mother and daughter, are so much alike, sometimes they clash. And there is a hint of resentment in there as well.
Next chapter will be more Shawn and Grace and then into the actual story (with flashbacks scattered throughout!)
Let me know what you all think!