-Shawn never really understood that life could change in a blink of an eye. This time it did, in more ways than one, forcing him to grow up, well at least grow up in a Shawn Spencer kind of way -

Chapter One:

A deep breath passed through the man in his mid-thirties, however this gesture was not out of frustration or anger but it was out of content-ness. Shawn Spencer was a man who spent the majority of his life staying as far away from maturity as humanly possible. But as he laid there in his childhood bed holding onto the woman who stole his heart he felt that he finally learned a little secret about himself: he is a big kid. But he is the kid who would slide of the highest slide on the playground if one of his toys fell off the jungle gym. His girl, his father, Gus, the Chief and even Lassie were his most beloved toys at this time in his life and he would risk peeing his pants out of fear is they were ever hurt.

He laid there staring up at the ceiling where his star wars posters were adorned, just staring. It was nearing seven in the morning and he found himself worrying. This was scaring him, never had he really worried about anything. Every decision that he had ever made in his life was made on a whim but now he had reached a point in his life where worrying was a the forefront of every decision. His father, Henry Spencer was currently resting in his bed a few doors down, recuperating from a gun shot wound to the chest. Surprisingly he had survived this tragedy, after many different surgeries and many weeks in the ICU. Shawn, accompanied by Jules and Gus when their work was complete, stayed by Henry's side throughout his trying time in the hospital. Shawn could still remember, just like it was yesterday, rushing into The Blueberry with Gus driving as fast as they could to Henry's partner's house; Shawn wished that he had thought to go there sooner, if he did maybe his father would have never been hurt. Shawn tried his hardest not to make eye contact with his father, whenever he did he felt the tears begin to well up in his eyes; Shawn didn't even want Juliet to see the tears that his body was begging to be let free.

Ten hours ago Shawn and Jules took Henry home, surrounded him with blankets, pillows, bottles of water, crackers and set the TV to the fishing channel. While Shawn gave his father his medication which Henry sternly refused but then succumb to ten minutes later, Juliet took a walk down to Shawn's room. She loved it in there. Everything seemed like it had been untouched in twenty years, but the room still represented the Shawn she knew so well today. She had been in that room many times but she still loved to walk around the room, looking at every picture and every poster that were strewn about the walls; she smiled every time there was a goofy picture of him and Gus and each stage of their lives. After her usual turn about the room, Juliet sat down on Shawn's twin bed and collapsed onto her back looking up at the ceiling. She rolled her eyes when her eyes were met with the sight of Shawn's Princess Leia poster on the ceiling above his bed. After Shawn was confident that his father was okay, and ready for bed he wandered down to his room where he knew his girlfriend was. He smiled and leaned up against the doorframe when he saw her curled up in his bed; man how many times had he fantasized about having a beautiful girl in his bed. God he loved her, he finally reached the point in his life where he was comfortable admitting, only to himself though, that he loved someone other than Gus.

"Are you trying to kill me Jules," Shawn joked. She looked up and smiled, even if she was terribly sad and depressed he was able to turn her frown upside down.

"Your Dad all settled?"

His demeanor changed slightly sad, "Yeah, he has enough fishing shows to last him a lifetime," he paused and then looked down at his feet before shyly responding with, "I was thinking that it would be best for me to stay the night here with my dad just encase he needs something," he paused again, "I can, I can take you to your apartment right quick," and then looked up slightly to see what her response was going to be.

She shook her head, "No Shawn. I'm going to stay right here with you to help with your dad. The Chief gave me a couple days off to help you, Gus and Lassiter can hold down the fort for us while we're gone."

"We are going to leave the city of Santa Barbra in Lassie and Gus' hands," he said making a sour face sarcastically, "Only if you are sure."

Juliet rose from her spot on Shawn's bed and walked over to her boyfriend. She laced her fingers with his and scooted in close, touching almost all of her body with his, "I am two hundred percent sure," and then leaned completely in to connect her lips with his.

Shawn was able to fall asleep, holding onto Juliet but soon found himself awake staring up at the ceiling. Occasionally Juliet would make an audible sigh or squeak or moan in her sleep and Shawn would turn his head to look down at his girl sleeping peacefully in his arms. He most definitely wasn't going to let her out of his sight now that his father was almost killed, he would follow her into the bathroom if she'd let him. He even had a hard time letting Gus out of his sight. Juliet snuggled even further into Shawn's side, sensing that he was awake. Shawn pulled her into his arms even more and soon his eyes succumb to sleep again, hoping this time was going to stay asleep.

Twenty minutes later Juliet found herself rushing to the bathroom farthest from her boyfriends room kneeled before the porcelain toilet, regretting the choice of tater tots for dinner the night before. After wiping her mouth with a piece of toilet paper she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see her boyfriend's father standing in the door way leaning up against the door, wrapped in a blanket, "How long have you known," were the first words out of his mouth.

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