AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was written in response to a challenge and as a Christmas present to a reader. It blossomed into more than I thought because there was so much I wanted to do with it. :) Enjoy the prelude. I will add chapters as I can.

Chapter 1- In the Beginning...

The holidays were always Shawn's favorite time of the year, especially now that he actually had people to spend it with. While on his road trip he often had to spend Christmas in hotels, run down apartments or with co-workers he had barely known a couple weeks. Shawn had talked to Gus about it on the ride back to Psych. They had just stopped at the SBPD to hand out their yearly Christmas gifts and attend the annual Christmas party. Shawn, in his usual over exaggerating way, voiced his approval of his yuletide improvement. "Yep, the holidays are 200% better nowadays."

Gus gave Shawn a sideways look, "That is impossible Shawn, and are you still going to be saying that tomorrow night when you meet Juliet's parents?" Gus was a bit upset with Shawn because he had not mentioned it to him at all. He had heard it from Juliet, who was very excited for her family to meet her boyfriend.

Shawn was actually surprised his friend knew. He had been planning on telling him, eventually, when Gus asked him to come over for the traditional Christmas dinner with his family. He gave his buddy a guilty look, "I was going to tell you… I didn't want you to be disappointed I was going to spend Christmas dinner with Jules."

"Shawn, it is your first Christmas as a couple, and her parents are flying all the way from Miami to meet you. I understand and I am fine with it." Gus tried to keep his face neutral but knowing Shawn he already suspected something.

Shawn's eyes narrowed and he started looking around the car from his seat. "What are you doing Shawn?" Gus asked puzzled at his friend's reaction.

Shawn continued to search and as he reached under the passenger's seat he found what he was looking for. It was a small plastic wrapper. "Aha! I knew it!" Shawn exclaimed at a guilty looking Gus. "You've been eating caramels. You aren't fine with it." He threw the wrapper at Gus who was silent and pretended to pay attention to the road rather than his accusing friend.

Giving up, Shawn asked "How about I stop over with Jules after dinner with her parents? I still need to give you your present too." Gus nodded slightly but felt a little better about the situation.

"Great! Now let's finish up at the office. I want to get home and sleep off this eggnog." Shawn raised his fist towards Gus. Shawn hadn't really been drinking alcoholic eggnog, but he had drunk enough of the non-alcoholic kind to give him a stomach ache of epic proportions.

Sympathizing with is friend because he was feeling the same stomach ache Gus nodded and bumped Shawn's fist. "That's what I'm talking about."