A/N: I own nothing. The characters and plots from Signed, Sealed, Delivered belongs to the lovely and talented Martha Williamson. I'm just along for the ride. This series of fics will follow the characters through canon from the original movie through the television series and eventually through the film series. It will cover what I imagine happened between the screen scenes, as well as the thoughts of the characters during key scenes. Please read and rate, thanks!

The Merry Mix-Up

June 18, 2014

"Denver?!" the blonde beauty shouted at the paper she had just pulled from her box. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stormed through the hallways of the DC branch of the United States Post Office until she found the office she was looking for. The stylish brunette behind the desk noticed her through the window and waved her in with a smile as she concluded the phone call she had been on.

"Shaney!" Rebecca Starkwell stood up and embraced her friend once she hung up. She didn't want Shane to know, but she had just been confirming the transfer she had put through for her friend. Shane had been torn up over her boyfriend's lack of commitment to her and Becky had decided that a change of scene would be good for her.

Shane pulled back from the embrace to wave the paper in front of Rebecca's face. "Becky, you won't believe this! I've been transferred! To Denver!"

Feigning surprise, Becky took the transfer order from Shane's hand and glanced through it before sitting at her desk and logging into the USPS Employee Database. It only took a few clicks to bring up the page that detailed the transfer she had ordered only the day before. "OK, it says here that you report to DLO at the Denver branch on Monday morning, June 22. Well, at least you're still Direct Line Operations," she laughed, glancing over at her friend. Coughing, she turned her attention back to the screen. "You are booked on the red-eye tonight and it looks like you have been reserved a room at the Brown Palace Hotel for the next two weeks to give you time to find yourself a place." Becky didn't add that she had sprung for the room at the Brown Palace herself, knowing that the Motel 6 that would have been covered by the USPS for her first weekend in Denver would not have added to her friend's peace of mind over an already-loathed transfer.

"Monday? I start there Monday? And I have to leave tonight? What about my apartment here? I can't pack up my life within the next twelve hours! And what about Steve? He and I are supposed to have dinner when he comes back next Sunday!" Shane fretted.

Becky sighed. "Shaney, Shaney, calm down," she soothed. "I will pack up your apartment myself and ship everything out to Denver when you find yourself a place. You and I will only pack up your clothes and electronics and toiletries today – just the necessities that you won't be able to live without for the next couple weeks – then we will go out for drinks and a late dinner before your flight. You'll have the weekend to explore Denver before starting work on Monday, so I am sure you will have your morning coffee place picked out no later than tomorrow or Saturday," she winked. "As for Steve," she continued, eyeing her friend, "maybe it's not such a bad thing, this transfer coming in now."

"What do you mean?" Shane asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I mean, Steve isn't exactly what one might call…relationship material," Becky explained. "He's a good man, don't get me wrong, and he is certainly patriotic and dedicated to his work. I just never saw the same level of dedication to you as I did to the 'Department of Agriculture.'"

Shane closed her eyes, nodding. She couldn't really argue with Becky, since she knew that the words she spoke were true. Steve was a good man, just not a good boyfriend. It was something she had noticed herself, every time he broke plans with her to head out of the country unexpectedly. Still, he was familiar and she did care for him, just as she was sure he cared for her.

"OK, Becky," Shane conceded, shrugging. "I will try to make the best of this transfer. For you. Like you said, at least I am still Direct Line Operations. What's the worst that could happen…I decide I hate it and request to transfer back?"

"That's my girl!" Becky laughed, trying not to even imagine Shane coming back to the emotional abuse Steve had put her through. "OK, you and I are taking the rest of the day off so that we can get your things packed up. Where do you want to go for drinks tonight?"

"Off the Record? At the Franklin-Adams?" the blonde suggested. She had always loved that bar, and secretly had always wanted to stay at that hotel.

"Perfect!" Becky cried, picking up her phone. "I kind of wanted to go to The Oval Room for dinner, and it's just around the corner from the Franklin-Adams!" She dialed the number for the restaurant, made the reservation for two for seven o'clock that night, then grabbed her purse and ushered Shane out the door.

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Eight hours later, both ladies flung themselves onto Shane's couch, exhausted. They had spent the entire day packing up Shane's closet, and throwing out anything in the kitchen that would grow mold in the next few weeks. Now there were four suitcases neatly stacked next to the front door, along with a folded garment bag containing her blazers and some of her dresses; a satchel containing all of her shoes; an oversized purse with all of her identification, travel documents, tablet, and cell phone; a toiletries bag containing the contents of her bathroom for personal care and hygiene; and a carry-on containing a few emergency clothing items in case her checked luggage got lost, her laptop case containing her prized laptop, and all of her chargers. With only about three hours until their dinner reservation, the ladies agreed to take the next hour to shower and change before they met at the bar.

While she had been packing all her things away in suitcases, Shane had already laid out the outfit she had planned to fly in that night: a black pencil skirt with a black, white, and purple print sleeveless top and a gold chain belt. She shrugged into a black suit jacket, grabbed her keys and purse, and left the apartment within forty-five minutes. She made it to the bar less than five minutes later, settling into one of the tall tables for two and ordering herself a gin rickey while she waited for Becky.

She didn't have to wait long. The pretty brunette stepped into the bar exactly at five o'clock and slid onto the seat across from Shane. When the waitress brought Shane's drink, Becky ordered herself a pear martini, and a spinach and artichoke dip for the two friends to share.

They chatted companionably for the next hour and a half, retelling stories from the two years they had known and worked together. Becky paid the bill and the two ladies headed out into the courtyard. The restaurant was just around the corner so they decided to walk, knowing it would take longer for them to drive than to walk at this point. They arrived a little early but their table was ready so they were seated immediately.

"Let's do the tasting menu," Becky suggested eagerly.

Shane shook her head. "I'd love to, Becky," she began, "But I have to be checked in to the airport by 9 if I am going to make my flight. Transfer, remember?"

Becky nodded. "Yeah," she sighed. They both ordered the duck breast with date barbecue pulled mushrooms and a glass of wine. After dinner, they walked back to the Franklin-Adams to collect their cars. Becky had parked a couple stalls down from Shane, so when they reached her car, she turned to her friend.

"Let me take you to the airport," she said. "I'll follow you to your house, we'll load your luggage in my car, then you don't have to leave your car in a parking garage for the foreseeable future." She winked.

"I had planned on taking a cab," Shane pointed out. "But this is better. Thanks."

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Two hours later, Shane was settled into her seat on the mostly-empty plane and had pulled out her iPad and earbuds. As she scrolled idly through her movie playlist, she thought back to the last couple hours. When they had checked Shane's luggage in and walked down to the security checkpoint, Becky had hugged her hard.

"Call me when you get in, OK?" she demanded, tears running down her face despite her knowledge that this was what was best.

"It'll be midnight Denver time," Shane reminded her friend, wiping her own tears away. "Two AM here in DC. How about I call you first thing in the morning?"

Becky shook her head. "I don't care what time it is. If I don't answer – not that that is likely – then leave a message. I just want to know you arrived safely."

Shane laughed. "Yes, Mom," she had joked. After one more brief hug, Shane had handed her documents to the TSA guard, placed her electronics into a bin and her carry-ons on the conveyor belt and gone through the security checkpoint. She and Becky waved at each other one last time before she had collected her things and walked down the terminal to her gate.

Shane was brought out of her musings by the beverage cart stopping next to her. She ordered herself a seltzer water with a lime wedge and decaf coffee. She reached into her bag and carefully pulled out the dessert Becky had insisted on ordering for her at the restaurant to be eaten on the plane. It was a rich chocolate cake with a passionfruit curd and a peppercorn caramel custard. Becky had ordered herself a strawberry bombe topped with what looked like shards of meringue. Becky loved that sort of thing, Shane knew, but to her a meringue just seemed…well, like a waste of a good egg.

The flight attendant handed her the seltzer and coffee and went on to the next passenger. Shane doctored her coffee up with lots of sugar and creamer, pressed play on the screen of her iPad, and stuck her fork into her cake. She watched three episodes of Gray's Anatomy before the flight attendant announced their descent into Denver International Airport and made her last rounds to collect any remaining trash from the few passengers still awake. Shane collected her two cups and all her sugar and creamer packets into the plastic clamshell that had held her AMAZING dessert and dumped the whole thing into the trash bag as it was brought by her.

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Once the plane landed, Shane collected her luggage and made her way to the car rental kiosk. She rented herself a compact car and soon enough was making her way towards the Brown Palace Hotel. When she arrived, she was surprised to find such an elegant hotel. She had expected to be put up in a Motel 6-type place, but the Brown Palace was beautiful, charming, and loaded with amenities which she would be sure to check out during the course of the next three days. In the meantime, she followed the bellhop to the elevator. He let her into her fourth-floor room, unloaded her luggage, and handed her the key before accepting the tip she offered and leaving her alone.

Shane sighed, dug in one of her suitcases for a pair of pajamas, and changed before grabbing her cell phone and hitting the speed-dial button.

"Hello," came the curiously-wakeful voice on the other end.

"Becky, why are you still awake?" Shane demanded, glancing at the clock. "It must be three-thirty there…I would have left a message."

"Shaney, I wouldn't sleep until I knew you had arrived safely. In the absence of your mother and that crazy woman you call a sister, someone needs to look out for you."

Shane laughed. "OK, you win. I'll call you in a couple days to let you know how I'm doing. Good night." She hung up the phone, plugged it into its charger, and slid into bed, utterly exhausted.

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A/N: Well, there it is! Please read and review to let me know what you think of it! This story will cover the original movie, with (hopefully) one chapter per day during the course of the Kelly and Charlie case. Also, if there are any scenes you would particularly like to see explored, please let me know and I will do my best to work them in. Thanks! - Desiree