AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is set in the "Born This Way" and "Made This Way" universe but didn't seem to fit in either story. It's set a few months after "Born This Way." though and is important for what I am posting next in Made This Way... you'll see ;)
*Spoilers for Yin 3 in 2D*
A Most Admirable Foe
Santa Barbara: November 1990-
"Great, rain." Shawn grumbled as he biked home. It was only a sprinkle so far, but it was enough turn the air and his skin cold. He specifically remembered the weather man saying it was going to be warmer and sunny today. If he had known it was going to rain and mess up his hair, Shawn would have asked his mom to drive him to the arcade. I'm never going to listen to a weatherman again. He shivered a bit and was glad he wore a hoodie.
Apparently the rain had caught other people unawares as he saw a few of them, including the mail man, on the side walk huddling under jackets. He smiled in their direction, and they nodded back, acknowledging the mutual wet and miserable situation they found themselves in.
Looking to his right, Shawn saw the back of a young woman with dark curly hair. She was reaching in and taking out groceries from the trunk of a station wagon. He noticed the bags were paper and getting them wet would cause them to break, so he stopped his bike and went to go help her. Shawn knew he'd be late for supper, but his dad always said it was important to help people.
"Hey. Um, did you want some help carrying those?" He asked and pointed to the bags of groceries. The woman turned to him and gave him a toothy grin.
"Sure. My Daddy's not here and some help would be great."
Shawn raised an eyebrow, hearing a woman in her early 20's call her father 'Daddy' was a little disturbing. He stopped calling his father Daddy when he was four, unless he was sick, or wanted to make him annoyed. He held out his hands and took a couple bags from her.
"What's your name?" The young woman asked.
"Shawn." He replied as they carried the bags to the house.
She seemed to ponder for a moment, tilting her head to the side in contemplation. "Shawn… I like that." She grinned again before opening the door and ushering him into the house.
"Henry! Have you seen Shawn?" Maddie called from the living room of the Spencer home. For the last hour, she'd been playing with the new Instamatic camera Henry had bought for her photography class and she didn't remember him coming in yet. It had also started to rain and that worried her.
Henry popped his head into the living room from the kitchen. "No, and he better get his butt here soon or dinner will be cold."
"I'm going to go look for him." Maddie called and rose from the couch. "I need a couple of rain pictures for my class anyway." She put the lens cap on and hung the camera around her neck before heading out the door to her car.
She spotted Shawn's bike leaning against a rock wall five minutes later while heading down Grayson Street, which was only three blocks away from their house. An uneasy feeling churned in the pit of her stomach. Shawn was a naturally trusting kid, she hoped he hadn't gotten into any trouble.
Pulling up next to the rock wall Maddie got out and looked around. There was a station wagon with the back of it still open sitting in it in front of a gray house. She put the pieces together and figured he was helping their neighbor. She started to breathe a little easier.
Looking up, Maddie saw Shawn emerge from the house with a young woman, they were smiling and talking. "You sure are a bright one Shawn." She mussed his hair as they made their way to the car.
Shawn spotted his mother right away. "Mom!" He shouted, running up to her. He felt bad as soon as he saw the worried look on her face. "Sorry I didn't go straight home. I was just helping her carry in some groceries."
"It was totally my fault." The woman stepped forward and put a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Shawn and I got talking."
Maddie took a good look at the woman and instantly felt sympathy for her. Her eyes held a deep sorrow and the fact that her son made the woman smile at all was probably a huge accomplishment. "I'm Madeline Spencer. Shawn's mother. I'm happy he could help you." She turned to Shawn. "Your dinner is getting cold Goose. Head home okay?"
Shawn nodded.
The woman's eyes fell to Maddie's neck. She still had her camera draped over it. "Oh my gosh, is that a camera? Could you take a picture of me and Shawn?"
Both Shawn and Maddie looked at each other apprehensively. Shawn liked the woman okay but it was kind of a weird thing to ask someone you just met, unless that person was a celebrity.
Apparently the woman saw how uncomfortable they were and explained. "It's just that- Shawn is so lucky to have a mom like you, concerned for his safety. He is just the smartest, handsomest kid I've ever seen." She shifted a bit in place. "He also has really kind eyes. He didn't have to help me."
Maddie's resolve crumbled. The woman seemed to shrink into herself a bit and it seemed a picture with Shawn would make her happy. "Goose? Did you want to?"
Shawn shrugged like it was no big deal. "Okay." He took off his hoodie and handed it to his mom.
The woman clapped her hands giddily as she and Shawn lined up next to the car. She put her arm around Shawn's shoulder and smiled. Both blinked heavily after the flash of the camera hit their eyes. "All done." Maddie announced and put the camera back around her neck. "I'll get it to you as soon as I get them developed."
The woman nodded and turned to Shawn, "Bye Shawn. Was great meeting you. Hopefully we'll see each other soon."
More than a little weirded out, Shawn gave a polite smile. "Yeah, soon. See ya!" He hopped on his bike and rode off towards his house with one last glance at his mom.
Maddie gave a small wave before returning to her car.
The woman watched both of them leave. Taking note of which way they went. She'd eventually find out where he lives. She was good at that sort of thing. Her Daddy taught her a lot of stuff about that.
Speaking of her Daddy, he would be returning soon. He'd probably notice the second set of muddy prints going into the kitchen from when Shawn helped with the groceries. Hopefully he wouldn't punish her too badly for it, but it would be worth it anyway. He was such a brilliant child. She'd learned a lot about him just from talking to him about his favorite movies and what he likes to do.
His mind worked like hers did, and it was rare. Her Daddy had said so. It had to be fate for both of them to meet like they did. Somehow, to her at least, it was meant to be. Shawn Spencer... She thought, I'll never forget that name.
Shawn pulled his bike up to the house and jumped off leaving it sitting in the front yard. He was about to rush in the house to grab something to eat, playing video games had really worked up his appetite, when his mother pulled up and motioned for him to wait.
Maddie was concerned. She knew her son was trusting but going into a stranger's house, no matter how noble his intentions were, was dangerous. Henry would probably ground him for life if he found out, especially after how much he had taught Shawn about that.
"Shawn, you know you shouldn't have gone into that woman's house."
Shawn hung his head. He knew, he just wanted to help. "I'm sorry Mom, I won't do it again! Please don't tell Dad."
Maddie softened. She could never stay mad at her son for long, especially when he gave her that look. "I won't tell your father, but promise me you will never go running off like that again."
He nodded vigorously. "I promise."
"Good," Maddie nodded. "I'll talk to your dad okay?"
Shawn grinned and tore into the house. His mom always seemed to have his back. He flung the door open and headed into the kitchen. His dad was waiting, trying to keep the food hot for their return.
"Hold up Shawn!" Henry practically had to pry his son away from the stove and the hotdish he'd just made. "Where were you? Where's your mother?"
Shawn dodged around his father and grabbed a biscuit, stuffing it directly into his mouth to avoid answering the question. His mother would be inside in a minute. All he needed to do was stall.
Sure enough, seconds later, Maddie walked into the kitchen and set her camera down. "Hey dear."
"Where were you guys?" Henry leered suspiciously.
"Oh, Shawn's bike chain came off a few blocks away. I helped him fix it and he beat me back." Maddie said dismissively.
Henry's mood brightened. "Oh, well… I'll have to look at it later then."
Maddie winked at her son behind Henry's back. The woman and the picture hadn't really turned into a huge deal and what her husband didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
Two weeks later, after a couple of days of trying to find the woman again, even knocking on the door of the house, Maddie decided to just put the picture she'd gotten developed in the woman's mailbox. She went up the steps and looked at the name. Rotmensen. Maybe they moved away. She wondered. Just in case though, she still left it. Maddie did hope the picture would make her happy, she seemed so sad.
As she put the envelope containing the picture in the box she wondered what could make a person so sad. Her eyes had almost seemed haunted and how she'd said Shawn was lucky for having a good mom. Maybe she lost her mother?
Whatever the case, Maddie was sure she'd never see the woman again, and didn't want to keep asking herself a question that could never be answered. It would only drive her nuts.
As she turned around and went back to her car, she didn't notice the grinning young woman, watching her leave the picture, or the woman's father who stood behind her with a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Daddy, but I liked him. She's just bringing me a picture." It's not just a picture though. She'd cherish it forever. Shawn was nice to her and they seemed to have a lot in common, even if he didn't realize it yet.
"What did I tell you? No emotional connections." Her father's tone was almost that of talking to a young child rather than a grown woman. "We can't form relationships with them, because then we start to pity them. We only have each other, right?"
"Right Daddy." She stared at the mailbox with the precious picture inside. "It won't happen again."
END NOTES: By now I hope you've guessed my clue from the last chapter of Made This Way. The summer of 1995 is next and the reign of terror will start. I've noticed a lot of Yin/Yang stories lately and it is kinda funny that my chronological order brought it up now. :) Weirder things have happened.
*Some Spoilers for Yang episodes below*I had to make this story because I believe the moment Shawn met Yang for the first time is HUGELY crucial to his later life. If he hadn't met Yang, Yin still would have noticed him and Yang never would have betrayed him to save Shawn's mother Maddie so Shawn would like her. Things would not have ended well.
Anywho there is my rant. Hope you enjoy the next chapter of Made This Way coming at you in a day.