Massive tear jerker warning. Get the kleenex ready and enjoy.

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Juliet O'Hara never cared for being alone.

She had grown up in a house full of people, and it was hard to find anywhere that was quiet. So when she was a kid, she couldn't wait to get out and have her own home, all to herself.

Then she had gotten her first apartment, and she had never felt more alone. She missed her family, the noise and the chaos.

She rolled over in her bed, staring into the darkness.

A few months ago, just when she thought that she was finally adjusting to the loneliness, a massive shift occurred in her life. One that she could not deny.

Shawn Spencer began spending the night.

She smiled softly. When they first met, she had felt an attraction that she spent years denying. But that had all shifted one day, after solving a crime in Canada. Now she had him, and she didn't think that she could be happier.

A soft sound caught her attention, and she sat up in the bed. "Shawn?"

Her boyfriend stood in the door of the bedroom. "Hey, Jules."

She smiled at him. "What are you doing? I thought tonight was your night with Gus."

"It was." He leaned against the doorframe, watching her intently.

"So what are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining."

"Just stopped by here to say hi." He smiled warmly at her.

"What's that smile for, Shawn?"

"I just love you, Juliet."

"I love you, too, Shawn."

He winked at her. "Good night, Jules." He turned to leave.

She laid back down. "Night, Shawn. See you in the morning."

He hesitated before whispering softly, "No, you won't." Then he left the room.

Juliet snuggled under the covers and returned to sleep.

A few hours later, Juliet's cell phone rang. She groaned and reached out, grabbing it. Looking at the caller ID, she recognized Gus' number. Still exhausted, she tossed it aside. She could call him back later.

She settled back under the covers, barely managing to drift off before there was a loud knock at her door. She moaned. Finally sliding out of the bed, she pulled on her robe and emerged from the bedroom.

As she approached the front door, the knocking grew more insistent. "I'm coming!"

Finally she unlocked the door and opened it, frowning as she came face to face with her partner. "Carlton? What's wrong? Do we have a case?"

He hesitated. "Juliet..."

Her stomach sank. He never called her by her first name. "What?"

Reaching out, he gently grasped her arm. "It's Spencer."

She jerked her arm away as though he had burned her. "What happened to Shawn? Where is he?" She started to panic. "What hospital is he in, Carlton?"

He sighed softly. "Juliet..."

"No..." She shook her head, taking a step backward. "No, no, no! Where is Shawn? I have to talk to him!"

Following her, Lassiter gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Juliet, he's gone. I'm so sorry..." He had done family notifications before, but this was killing him. Watching her fall apart was tearing apart his own heart, and he had no idea how to comfort her. "I'm so sorry."

She stared at him, then shook her head. "You're wrong! You're wrong, Carlton. Shawn wouldn't leave me!"

"It was a drunk driver, Juliet. He... he hit Shawn's bike a few hours ago."

Suddenly she began to laugh hysterically. Lassiter stared at her. "You're wrong! Shawn can't be dead. I saw him last night! He was here!"

"Juliet, that isn't possible..."

"Yes, it is! I saw him!" She pulled away from Lassiter's hands. She had seen Shawn. He had been in her bedroom, spoken to her.

Sighing softly, he did something he never did with his partner. He reached out and gently drew her to his chest.

She struggled against him. "Let go of me, Lassiter! I have to see Shawn!"

"He's gone, Juliet! I'm sorry, but he's gone."

She groaned, dropping to her knees.

Lassiter followed her, his heart breaking for his partner and friend.

As Lassiter held her, she started to sob openly into his chest. Shawn couldn't be gone. He would never leave her without saying goodbye... Her heart suddenly skipped.

Why hadn't he kissed her, when he showed up in her bedroom?

Lassiter held her tighter as she cried into his chest. He had never been comfortable with emotional women, but this was his partner, and she was falling apart.

Juliet clung to Lassiter, shaking. Had it been a dream? Had she been hallucinating?

God, what she would give if she was dreaming right now.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Three nights later, Juliet stumbled into her apartment. She could barely see through her tear-filled eyes, but she managed to get to the kitchen. Rifling through the cabinets, she finally found a bottle of whiskey in the very back. Grabbing it, she went into her bedroom.

The room was silent, and Juliet put her bottle down long enough to pull off her black dress. Today had been the second worst day of her life, and now she wanted to drink herself into oblivion.

She dropped down onto the bed and took a long drink from the bottle.

"Jules?"

Juliet looked up, her eyes widening.

Shawn grinned at her. "What are you doing?" His eyes drifted to the bottle she clutched in her hand.

She stared at him. "Shawn..."

He nodded. "In the flesh." He looked down at himself. "So to speak."

Shaking her head, she took another long drink from the bottle. "I buried you today, Shawn."

"I know you did, sweetheart." He looked sad. "And I'm sorry."

"If you're so sorry, why did you leave me?" she snapped.

"I didn't want to leave you, Jules. Believe me, I didn't." And it had broken his heart to watch her cry at his funeral.

"But you did." And now she was sitting there, talking to the ghost of her dead lover.

He came closer to her, until he was directly in front of her. Then he knelt down, studying her intently.

She turned her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Don't do this, Shawn," she begged. "I can't do this." She had to find a way to let him go.

"Juliet, listen to me." His voice was firm, and finally she looked at him. "I always told you that I'd never leave without a goodbye, right?"

A strangled sob escaped her. "Yeah..."

"Well, this is my goodbye."

"Shawn, please don't..."

He smiled sadly. "I have to, Jules. I don't want to, but I have to." He tipped his head to the side. "I love you, Juliet. More than I ever loved anyone in my life."

"I love you, too, Shawn," she choked out. "I love you so damn much."

"I know you do. And you'll be okay."

"No, I won't." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was alone in the room.

And her heart shattered all over again.

The End.

A/N: I'm considering a short epilogue for this. Thoughts? Comments? Sound off in a review! Thanks for reading!