I had hoped to start posting this story sooner, but real life and a lack of inspiration kept getting in the way.

Oh well, better late than never. I will try to get this story done as quickly as life permits.

This story is a sequel to my Halloween story and will reference events that happened in it. While not necessary to read it first, I highly recommend it.

This story is dedicated to my father, whose is celebrating his 54th birthday today.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Shawn stared at the items laid out on the bed. Heaps of clothing, toiletries and other assorted objects covered most of the bedspread. There was no way all that was going to fit in one suitcase. He didn't understand why Juliet needed all this stuff. They were only going to be gone a week.

He looked over at the much smaller pile sitting on the edge of the bed. His stuff would fit no problem. Maybe he could shove some of Juliet's things in there as well, so they wouldn't have to pay to check an extra suitcase.

Shawn heard a thumping in the hallway. He turned as Juliet dragged two suitcases into the room one at a time. "Got them," she said, placing them next to the bed. "Though one was half filled with green Jolly Ranchers and five tubes of toothpaste." She looked expectantly at Shawn, clearly hoping for an explanation.

"I guess I forgot to empty it after Gus and I took that trip to San Francisco over the summer." He grinned fondly as he remembered that trip. "Gus ended up locked in one of the cells on Alcatraz. It took them four hours to find the keys to let him out."

"And I'm sure that happened completely by accident," Juliet said dryly.

"I told him not to bad mouth the ghosts," Shawn said with a grin. He pulled Juliet towards him, rubbing the back of her hand gently with his thumb. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she said decisively. "I think I finally kicked that stupid stomach bug. I was a little nauseous this morning but I feel fine now."

"You certainly look better," Shawn agreed. The color had returned to her face and she had this glow about her that had been absent the last few days. "In fact, I would say you look even better now than before you got sick."

Juliet grinned at him before dissolving into a huge yawn. "Let's hurry up and finish packing. We need to be up early and I hope to get some sleep tonight. We could have had this done hours ago if you weren't out with Gus all day."

"I'm not going to see my buddy for a whole week. We needed some time to prepare for that, build up a reserve tank of awesomeness for the both of us," Shawn explained.

She shook her head as she walked over to the bed, surveying the items on it. "Is that all you're bringing?" she asked in surprise.

He shrugged. "I learned to travel light. You can't carry much on the back of a motorcycle." He waved at her own pile. "Besides, I think you're bringing enough stuff for the both of us."

"I want to make sure I have everything I need," Juliet protested.

"Well, despite this huge amount of stuff, I know one thing you're forgetting," Shawn said teasingly.

"What?"

"You didn't pack anything to wear to bed."

"Yes I did." Juliet pulled out a worn pair of shorts and an old tank top from the pile. "See?"

"I was thinking something more fun. This is a vacation after all," Shawn said, lifting one eyebrow suggestively.

"Except we're staying at my brother's house. That means we're going to have to behave ourselves," she said, poking him in the chest.

Shawn pouted. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"No sex."

"Not even a little?" he pleaded.

"How do you have sex a little? You know what, forget I asked," she said quickly as he opened his mouth. "The answer is no. Going a week without sex won't kill you."

"But it's already been almost a week because you've been sick," he whined.

"Shawn, you're going to behave during this trip or it will be much longer than another week," Juliet threatened.

Shawn winced. He knew from unfortunate experience that that was not an idle threat. "All right," he said reluctantly. "I guess I'll probably survive." He gave a long suffering sigh but didn't push it any further, not wanting Juliet to decide to carry out her threat.

She started to lift one of the suitcases onto the bed when Shawn stopped her. "Let me," he said, grabbing it with his right hand. "You shouldn't put too much stress on that shoulder yet." She had dislocated her shoulder when she had been kidnapped by a killer on Halloween. She had only recently stopped wearing the sling and he didn't want her to overwork herself.

She let go with a bemused smile. "Only if you watch your own arm." He had been shot in the left arm by the same killer. His own injury was taking longer to heal and right now he had very limited use of it.

He carefully put both suitcases on the bed and they started to pack. He immediately saw that his guess was right; Juliet wouldn't be able to fit everything. "Need any help?" he asked slyly.

"I got it." She packed the clothing as tightly together as she could, trying to cram it all in.

"Maybe you should leave some things behind. We're not moving down there, you know."

"It will fit, Shawn," she growled stubbornly. Shawn watched as she crammed the last item in and attempted to close the lid. There was a good four inch gap bursting with fabric.

"I have some room in mine, if you need it," Shawn said.

"I don't." She leaned on the lid, trying to force it shut.

"Maybe if we repacked it," Shawn tried to suggest.

"Are you saying I don't know how to pack a suitcase?" Juliet snapped.

Shawn put up his hands, taking a step back. "I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need help. I can do this on my own." She climbed onto the bed and sat on the suitcase. The halves got closer, but there was still a gap. She pulled on the zipper stubbornly, wincing as the movement yanked on her injured shoulder.

"Okay, enough is enough." He didn't know what had gotten into Juliet, but he wasn't going to see her hurt herself. He got up on the bed next to her and gave her a nudge. "Move over."

They managed to get the suitcase closed by Shawn lying across the top of it while Juliet zippered it shut. Shawn gently eased off it, eyeing it carefully in case it burst open and flung its contents across the room. Once he was sure it was going to stay shut, he quickly finished packing his own suitcase. He couldn't resist giving Juliet a smug grin as he easily zippered it shut by himself.

He placed both suitcases next to the bed, then looked at the clock. "You know, we have a few hours before we have to leave for the airport. We don't have to spend all that time sleeping."

Juliet gave an exasperated sigh. "Is that all you think about?"

"Well, I am a guy," Shawn said, moving closer to Juliet. He reached out with his good arm and pulled her against him.

"I have noticed," she said wryly. She rested her head against his chest, yawning deeply.

Shawn sighed, holding her tightly with his good arm. "How about you get ready for bed while I drag these suitcases to the door? Just sleep," he added before she could protest. "You do look like you could use the rest."

"Thanks Shawn." She pulled him for a kiss, wisely cutting it off before it could lead anywhere. "Don't take too long."

He let her go and started dragging the suitcases to the door one at a time. By the time he was finished, Juliet was already curled up in bed, fast asleep. He stood there for a minute watching her. She was even more beautiful while she slept, all the worries and tensions from the day erased from her features. He still couldn't believe that she had fallen for a guy like him.

He set the alarm and stripped down before slipping into the bed next to her. He smiled as she cuddled up against him. Closing his eyes, he quickly drifted off to sleep.

Shawn pushed his way through the crowd, dragging his suitcase behind him. He wished for the seven bazillionth time they had gotten the ones with wheels. It would have made crossing through the crowded airport a little easier.

He hissed as someone jostled his injured arm. A crowd was definitely not the best place to be with a healing gunshot wound. He made sure to stay close behind Juliet, hoping she spotted her brother soon.

The plane ride had been uneventful, despite the ungodly hour of the morning it took off. Even so it was almost five o'clock in Miami when they landed because of the time difference. Shawn had tried to keep himself occupied the best he could without annoying too many of the other passengers or getting into trouble. He thought he did pretty well; Juliet only yelled at him six times. Not bad for a five hour flight.

He had made one half-hearted attempt to convince Juliet to join the Mile High Club with him, but hadn't pushed it when she said no. With both their injuries, a cramped airline bathroom was probably not the best place to mess around. Though he wouldn't have been him if he hadn't at least suggested it.

Maybe next time, when they were all healed up.

"James!" Juliet yelled, bringing Shawn out of his thoughts. He followed behind his girlfriend to a well-dressed man in his early forties with dark brown hair and blue eyes. While not as bulked out as his brother Ewan, it was clear James kept himself in shape.

"Juliet!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug, being careful of her shoulder as he did so. "It's so great to see you. How was your flight?"

"Fine," Juliet said. She glanced over at Shawn. "Though someone got a little bored."

James finally looked at Shawn. "So, you're the boyfriend, uh?"

Shawn held out his hand. "Shawn Spencer."

"James O'Hara." He squeezed Shawn's hand tighter than normal, but Shawn had no desire to get into a contest with this man. He needed to make friends, not enemies.

"Let me grab your bag and I'll show you where the car is," James said. He picked up Juliet's suitcase with a grunt. "How much stuff did you bring? You're only going to be here a week."

"That's what I said," Shawn muttered. Juliet slapped his arm before following her brother, leaving Shawn to bring up the rear.

James had managed to score a spot in one of the closer parking lots. Shawn helped James load the luggage into the trunk, then went around and opened the passenger door for Juliet. "Milady," he said with a bow.

She giggled and started to climb in before James stopped her.

"I want your boyfriend to sit up front with me," he said. "It will give us a chance to talk."

She looked at Shawn, raising an eyebrow. She had told Shawn James was overprotective of her, to the point of scaring off a couple of her boyfriends in high school. He also refused to call them by name unless he deemed them worthy enough for her. So far, Scott had been the only boyfriend of Juliet's James had liked. Shawn was determined to change that.

"No problem," he said. He moved to open the back door for Juliet, once again giving her a little bow. She smiled at Shawn, though gave her brother a sharp look before getting in the car. James just shook his head, not intimidated at all by his kid sister.

Shawn got carefully into the car, fumbling a bit with the seat belt until Juliet helped. James waited until everyone was settled before pulling out of the parking lot and out onto the highway.

For the first half of the ride, James talked mostly to Juliet, catching up on her life while telling her what was going on with his. Shawn was interested to note Juliet told a watered down version of some of their cases, barely mentioning the incident on Halloween at all. He supposed she didn't want her family to worry too much about her safety with her kind of job.

"So, Juliet tells me you work with her at the police department," James said, glancing at Shawn. "Consulting, I believe she said."

"That's right," Shawn said. "Been doing it for seven years now."

"You must be good, if they've been using you that long," James commented.

"I am," Shawn said smugly.

"She also said you own your own business. A psychic detective agency?" Shawn could clearly hear the skepticism in James' voice.

Shawn glanced back at Juliet. They had discussed what they would say about his job if her family asked. She didn't like lying to her family, but most of them had already heard he was psychic. It was easier to keep the charade going for now. Still, he knew how much it bothered her and had promised to play it down as much as he could.

"When you have a gift, you use it," Shawn said with a shrug. "I learned a lot growing up with a cop for a father and saw a way I could do some good."

James glanced over at him. "Prove it."

"James," Juliet admonished from the back seat.

James ignored her. "If you're really a psychic, then you should have no problem telling me what I'm thinking right now."

"It doesn't really work that way," Shawn said hesitantly.

"Of course it doesn't," James said smugly.

Well, if that wasn't a challenge, Shawn didn't know what was. He couldn't back down now. He heard Juliet sigh behind him, knowing what Shawn was planning on doing.

Shawn put his right hand to his temple, closing his eyes. He replayed everything he had seen of James so far, looking for any clues to use in his vision. "I'm sensing that someone is getting a very musical gift for Christmas. A boy with an appreciation for the classics, of rock that is. Not the youngest, but the second youngest."

There had been a cloth covered item in the back of the trunk. Judging by the shape, it was likely a guitar case. James didn't have any calluses on his fingers, so it wasn't his. Juliet had mentioned that her nephew Drake was really into music, but not that he played anything. This close to the holidays, good old dad was probably hiding a gift in his car for his son.

James nodded slowly. "Good guess."

Shawn grinned. "I wouldn't leave it hiding in the trunk if I were you. With Beth's car in the shop, both her and the boys will be using yours more often and someone is bound to find it." He had noticed a pair of woman's sunglasses in the visor and James had kept adjusting the seat and mirrors. The parking decal for Axis Technologies told him it was James' car but his wife was using it.

James raised an eyebrow. "Not bad."

Better, but Shawn wasn't finished yet. He leaned in conspiratorially towards James. "And dude, don't be ashamed of wearing glasses. It happens to a lot of people as they get older. Juliet won't think any less of you because of it." He had seen the marks on the side of James' nose, along with several aborted gestures like he was reaching up to adjust something on his face. His eyes were tearing more than usual, telling Shawn he wasn't used to wearing contacts.

James glanced sheepishly back at Juliet. "Looks like you're boyfriend caught me."

"I told you he's good," she said smugly.

Shawn suppressed a sigh. Still 'the boyfriend' though it looked like he had at least managed to impress James a little.

"How well does the job pay?" James asked.

"It depends on how many cases we get. Usually at least one a week from the department along with a handful of private cases." He wasn't sure of the exact figure. He let Gus handle all the financial concerns for the business.

"And it's enough to support you and Juliet?"

"I have my own job, James. I don't need Shawn to support me," Juliet said.

"Do you need to support him?" James asked. Juliet hesitated, looking over at Shawn. He could sense any ground he had gained with his vision rapidly being lost.

James didn't miss the look. "I see." He was quiet for a minute, then turned to look at Shawn. "Is the job dangerous?"

"As dangerous as Juliet's job is," Shawn replied honestly. He shifted in the seat, his arm giving a sudden throb as if to remind him of just how dangerous the job could be.

James looked at Shawn's arm, then turned his eyes back to the road. "I guess I don't have to ask how far you're willing to go to protect her."

Shawn answered anyway. "I'd do anything to keep her safe."

James nodded thoughtfully, a look of respect entering his eyes.

Interrogation over for now, the conversation turned back to Juliet's family and the upcoming holiday feast. Shawn didn't say much, simply listening and learning as much about this family as he could.

They had reached the outskirts of Miami and entered the suburbs. Soon Shawn found himself looking up at a large two story house, complete with a white picket fence around the large front yard. He bet the back yard was even bigger.

He let out a low whistle as he got out of the car. "That web design stuff sure pays well."

James grinned smugly. "I get by."

Shawn opened the door and helped Juliet out of the car. She looked up at the house, excitement evident on her face. "I can't wait to see everyone."

"The boys should all be home," James replied from the back of the car. "They've been eagerly waiting your arrival." Shawn went to help with the bags but James waved him away. "Go head on in. I've got them."

Shawn returned to Juliet and together they made their way up to the house. He couldn't help but feel nervous again at the prospect of meeting Juliet's family. She seemed to sense this and reached out to grab his hand. "Relax, I'm sure they'll love you."

"Of course. Who wouldn't?" Shawn said with a grin. "I'm a very lovable guy. You love me. So I'm sure your family will to. I mean, James hasn't seemed too thrilled with me but Lloyd and Maryanne like me OK. Ewan did too, but, you know." He clamped his mouth shut, aware he was babbling in his nervousness.

Juliet gave his hand a squeeze. "I do love you. No matter what they think. Everything will be fine."

Shawn took a deep breath, letting out some of the tension. "All right, let's do this." They finished walking up the pathway and to the front door.

Juliet turned to look at him. "Ready?" When Shawn nodded, she grabbed the handle and opened the door.

You'll see more of Juliet's family in the next chapter. Some familiar faces as well as some new ones.