They'd almost missed it.

Juliet cursed herself for being so stupid. But then she cursed him for being even more stupid. If they hadn't have noticed it at the station while the perp was being arrested, he could have died. That's what the hospital said anyway – left it too much longer, Shawn probably wouldn't have survived.

The thought of what could have happened scared her. In fact, it terrified her. This led her to be angry even further with Shawn for hiding it in the first place.

Nevertheless, she had stood by him for those agonising two days, watching blood drip slowly back into his body from the sheer amount lost from his side. Watching his pale face scrunch up and relax periodically as he remained unaware in a half unconscious, half sleeping state. Waiting for him to finally open his hazel eyes until she was told to take a day off by Henry, partly because she looked dead on her feet and partly because he wanted to see his son alone for a while. Juliet wasn't going to argue.

And now, a day and a half after she last saw him, she turned round the corner and entered Shawn's doorway. She'd gotten updates from Gus by text on Shawn's condition and the last thing she had heard from him was that Shawn would be okay to go today, though he was medically advised to stay for another night. Although, since when did Shawn ever listen to any authority that went against what he wanted to do? So that was that, AMA forms signed and Shawn would be leaving as soon as his ride showed up.

She froze as she looked in the doorway to Shawn's room. The dramatic change from the last time she'd seen him was...unbelievable. He was a far cry from the corpse she had watched over for three days running, and apart from the residual pallor and his slightly hunched posture as he sat on the edge of the mattress, his legs dangling over the side, he seemed completely back to normal.

Even the scrubs had gone and he had dressed in jeans and was seemingly about to button up his shirt, but let his hands drop as Juliet came in, "Jules!" he acknowledged in greeting, sounding incredibly pleased at her presence.

Not taking her eyes of Shawn, she quietly closed the door behind her.

She couldn't help herself, either. That or her eyes were no longer controlled by her brain as she felt them wandering to the gap in his shirt.

No. She was angry with him.

She mentally shook herself. Now was not the time.
She wrenched her eyes back to meet Shawn's. "Hey, Shawn." She moved closer towards him, trying to re-conjure her anger, and failing miserably. "How's...?" she asked, gesturing weakly to the bandages covering his side.

He looked down at them briefly and dismissively, "They're fine. I'm good to go."

Juliet's eyes lingered on them a moment longer.

"So you got in contact with the police, hoping it would throw them off your scent. So they'd question you, but not suspect you," Shawn revealed loudly, pointing at the lead witness in their latest homicide case. They were in the middle of the police station, the main suspect about to be arrested until Shawn burst in with his latest reveal. He and Gus were surrounded by intently listening police officers, and Shawn was openly enjoying the attention, "And it would have worked if you hadn't insisted we be put on the case."
He raised a hand to his temple, before continuing, "It was your desperation to stay off the suspect list that first aroused... suspicion." He stopped there, looking a little lost, "Well it started off good anyway. The point is, we caught you." He added almost mockingly.

"You know that's right," Gus commented next to him, nodding self-assuredly.

"What..." Shawn exclaimed under his breath, holding out a fist.

The lead witness, Rico Chispa, shifted uncomfortably for a moment before suddenly bolting towards the door. Everyone around him, including Shawn automatically reached out to stop him, but Shawn only ended up with a swift, hard punch to the side, causing him to jump back in surprise and pain, doubled over.

Meanwhile, Chispa had been subdued by three other officers, including Buzz McNabb and was being dragged to the interrogation rooms. Shawn leant against the wall and watched as they took him away, their eyes meeting in a mutual glare as he was forced round the corner and out of Shawn's sight.

Gus appeared in front of him, "Shawn!" he looked a little frantic.

Shawn looked up at him with a frown, "Dude, I'm fine. Don't be such a can of sugar free cola."

Gus frowned at him but said no more as Karen signalled them to come with her into her office along with Juliet and a rather nervous looking Lassiter.

As soon as the door closed, Lassiter strode up to the Chief's desk, "Chief, I really should go and..."

"Sit down, Detective," she said sternly, cutting him off, "You can go down to Chispa as soon as we're done in here."
Lassiter sat down in the chair opposite Karen's desk, as rebellious as he dared to be in front of Vick.

She looked back up at Shawn, "Mr. Spencer that was rather impressive."

Shawn beamed, though still looked a little uncomfortable, "Thanks Chief," he said looking genuinely pleased.

Gus expected him to carry on – maybe call Karen a few more variations of her title. He looked back at him concerned when he lapsed back into silence.

Vick frowned, "Are you alright, Mr. Spencer?"

Great now the whole office was looking at him. Shawn raised his hands defensively, immediately regretting it as something pulled at his side. He must have had a really good right hook.

"I'm fine. Seriously."

The Chief's gaze lingered on him for a few more seconds, before addressing the rest of the office in general, but Shawn found himself lost on what she was saying. He was hot. Far too hot to be just from wearing his jacket; beads of sweat ran down his face in little rivets. The room spunaround him and everything the Chief was saying was turning into white noise around him.
He frowned and looked down at his side – his hands were unconsciously clenching and unclenching at it periodically without him noticing. He became aware of Juliet frowning at him in concern but it didn't really click with him what she was doing. He slipped one hand underneath his jacket, hoping maybe the warmth of his hand would ease the surely bruised muscle underneath, but was shocked when he felt wetness. A lot of wetness. What the hell?

He pulled his hand away and inspected it. Crimson coated his hand like some sick parody of a child's attempt at finger painting, but instead coating the entire hand with red acrylic paint.

Shit.

It was then he noticed the discomfort of his jeans waistband. He touched that lightly too. More wetness.

Juliet looked back at him for a second, not really taking him in, before her eyes widened and her eyes darted back towards him, "Shawn!?"

The Chief stopped talking immediately, looking to Juliet, "Detective O'Hara..."

Gus spun round to his friend, who was looking around the office in a daze. He saw his hand, "Shawn!"

Karen rose quickly from her desk, grabbing her phone and speaking quickly into the receiver.

Shawn raised his eyes dully to Gus', looking slightly confused, before he fell against him. He almost face planted the tiled floor had Lassiter not grabbed one arm in time.
Lassiter lightly touched Shawn's saturated shirt, "Holy crap, Spencer..."

Gus and Lassiter manoeuvredShawn until he was on his back on the floor. The detective quickly cupped a hand over the gushing wound Juliet stood above them, transfixed in horror, until she saw Gus' rapidly whitening features at the sudden amount of blood that had soaked into his knees. She pulled him up by his elbows before shrugging off her dress jacket and threw it down to Lassiter, who quickly removed his hand and replaced it with the navy blue jacket – quickly stained claret.

"Why won't he stop bleeding?" Gus demanded shakily, rounding on Juliet. She shook her head in a hopeless manner.

"ETA on the ambulance is about two minutes," Karen suddenly informed them, stepping from behind her desk, "Detective, how is he?"

Lassiter shook his head in frustration, "The bastard must have had a knife hidden somewhere. How the hell did he get in the station with it?" he demanded to no one in particular, "He's losing too much blood."

She heard that phrase more than she ever had in her life over the last few days.

"He's losing too much blood!"
-
"The blood loss was extensive. We think it may have nicked his inferior mesenteric artery... should be completely treatable..."

From: Burton Guster (Cell)
To: Juliet O'Hara (Cell)
Woke up just now. Already wants to go. He should be fine to leave tomorrow afternoon. Blood levels are ok. Artery looks fine. It's all good.
Gus.

She let out a relieved sigh as she took in Shawn's form, unable to believe that he was okay – almost expecting him to shatter just by her looking at him too intently. She sighed again, but this time it turned into a half-sob as she carefully wrapped her arms round Shawn's neck, embracing him tightly, but gently. Resting her forehead into his shoulder, as he slowly wrapped his arms around her. She muttered into his neck, "You're such a jerk! Why didn't you say something sooner?" She tried once more to muster up any anger, but again failed.

Shawn chuckled into her hair. "You can't stay mad at me forever; you know that."

If Juliet was unnerved by the fact that he seemed to know her emotions before she laid eyes on him, she didn't say anything. Simply wrapping her arms round him tighter, until he winced. Pulling away slowly but keeping her hands on his shoulders, "I'm sorry," she murmured, so close to him he could feel her warm breath on his chin.

"Jules," he looked at her seriously, "I didn't realise. I swear. I'm sorry I worried you." His eyes fluttered towards the floor, "You didn't have to worry about me."

She smiled and breathed out in silent laughter, lifting his chin with her finger. "I always worry about you," she whispered. She noticed that as they were speaking, they seemed to be leaning further and further into each other, until their lips were so close, she could almost feel them brushing lightly against hers. She closed her eyes, and allowed herself to be pulled under.

The sound of the door handle turning made Juliet jump back in alarm before their lips could meet and she watched in disappointment as the door opened slowly. Her disappointment turned into a crushing feeling enveloping her heart as she realized who was standing in the doorway.

A beautiful face with deep brown eyes looked back at her, but not really seeing. She stood in jeans which hugged her small waist perfectly and a brown jacket that clung to her curves in all the right places, before she rushed over to Shawn. Juliet couldn't help but feel stupidly pathetic compared to the casual clothes that she hadn't really bothered to check before throwing them on and coming to see Shawn, and her hair that hung in little curls around her shoulders where she hadn't had time to style it, so much was her anticipation to see her friend.

Her friend.

That's all he saw her as. And who could blame him compared to her?

She knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help but feel insignificant, especially as the woman enveloped Shawn in gentle yet protective arms. "Abby," he murmured into her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," she said with genuine remorse, sounding upset. "I couldn't get a sooner flight back."

As he was cocooned in Abby's embrace, Shawn raised his eyes to Juliet who stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do with herself. Until she saw Shawn's eyes. His beautiful eyes. Shining with unshed tears of guilt and horror as crushing as the heartbreak in Juliet's soul.

She felt a new and unwelcome emotion burn at her cheeks and she realised that she too, felt guilty. She almost broke some other poor girl's heart because her own needed mending.

She took it as her cue to leave as Shawn buried his face in his girlfriend's shoulder once more; apologising for something he had never done, yet could never to confess to. He held her tightly in silent remorse.

Juliet left the room without another word, again closing the door slowly behind her as she watched the same scene between herself and Shawn play about between he and another woman.

Only this actress was the leading lady.

And she was allowed to kiss him.