Chapter Two: Sand and Surf

Summary: They spend that day on the beach, taking in the sunshine and just being grateful for friendship and being alive. Strong Gus and Shawn friendship.

A few days after Shawn is released from the hospital, Gus calls off from work (without any coaxing from Shawn, surprisingly enough), and the two of them spend the gorgeous sunny day at the beach.

Gus knows that Shawn should be resting, but he also knows that Shawn won't anyway, so he might as well spend this day with his best friend.

The beach isn't too crowded, shockingly, and they find a spot well away from everyone else.

In the beginning, they're both wearing shirts and shorts, but they soon discard them so that they're in nothing but swim trunks. They step into the water and swim. Well, Gus swims while Shawn sort of ducks in and out of the water, made awkward due to the sling on his arm that Gus insisted he keep on – even though it looks ridiculous over Shawn's bare skin.

They aren't loud or particularly talkative; they just enjoy the sun and the ocean and the company.

Eventually, Shawn gets tired of the sling and complains. "Hey, it really can't hurt too badly to take this thing off. I mean, it feels fine. What do you think, Gus?"

Gus sighs. "Whatever you want, Shawn. Just don't tell your dad that I let you take it off for this. You're supposed to be keeping your shoulder rested..."

Shawn laughs and splashes water at Gus's face. "Dude, what do you mean let me? What are you now, my keeper?"

"Hell yeah, I'm you're keeper." replies Gus, splashing Shawn back forcefully. "I've always been your keeper. Why do you think I felt so guilty when you..." Gus trails off and looks away.

Silence falls and the moment is heavy with unsaid words. Shawn can't take it, so he submerges his head in water to break away. He gives no thought to his sling, which is being thoroughly drenched on his arm, and he gives no thought to his patched up and healing wound. Instead, he sits on the ocean floor and exhales bubbles. One second, two seconds, three seconds. A peaceful realization comes over him as he sits there, calmly counting down time. He realizes that the ocean and the beach and Gus are his sanctuaries, his safe places when the world has tried so valiantly to make him crumble.

And that's why Gus suggested they come here. Because they both could use a safe place today.

Shawn comes up slowly. He's not in deep water, so all he does is stand and let himself rise to the surface.

Gus watches his best friend emerge, and when their eyes meet, they both know that swim time is over. Without a word, they head back to the shore and out of the ocean.

But they don't leave the beach, not at all. Instead, they sit on the sand by their clothes, letting the sun dry them since neither of them thought to bring a towel.

And they just sit together, watching the people in the distance and the waves and the clouds.

Shawn is the first to break the silence, but he doesn't turn to look at Gus. He just keeps looking at the horizon. "It wasn't your fault, you know. It was mine, of course. Really stupid of me to not wait for you guys. I also really shouldn't go running my mouth to suspects, either. But it wasn't your fault at all."

Gus digs his toes into the sand. "I know. But I wish I could have helped out, somehow. So that you wouldn't have had to go through that."

"It's okay. It wasn't that bad. Well, it was, but I made it through. You know, it's like everyone expects me to be a bit more...affected. Like paranoid or depressed or something. But I feel...good. Just happy that I'm actually still here. I don't see the point of dwelling on it. And hey, it sure makes for one helluva story, right?"

"Hell of a story," Gus agrees. "Gunshot wounds, high speed chases, you jumping on Lassie's car."

Shawn nods and a comfortable silence falls between them.

It doesn't last.

"I was scared, you know." says Gus quietly. "Like, you can't even imagine how terrified I was for you."

"I can imagine." replies Shawn, and an odd shiver passes over his face. " It's the same as when I let you go into the bank, only to find out it was being robbed."

"That wasn't your fault. And it's not really the same. I wasn't shot."

"No, but I was terrified anyway."

Another silence falls and they listen to the sound of the waves and the people and the birds.

There is a moment of heaviness and understanding between them. The fear and the pain and the what-ifs crash together and make them both dizzy, and they're connected with this silent storm of emotion.

It only lasts a few seconds, and then it's over.

Then the mood shifts, passes, and Shawn feels something new. A change. Quite suddenly, he is no longer afraid. He's not reliving the nightmare in the back of his mind, and he doesn't think he'll ever truly go back to that dark place again.

It happened, but that's not what matters.

What matters is that he's happy here, beside Gus. Content. Carefree.

Shawn turns and gives Gus a sincere smile. "Hey, remember that time my dad fell asleep on the beach? And he was roasted alive, pretty much?"

Gus laughs. "Of course I do. You know what the funniest thing about that was? The fact that you didn't call him dad for a whole week after that. You called him Lobster-man."

And now Shawn's laughing too. "The resemblance was uncanny, you have to admit."

"It really was."

Shawn grins and stands, and he knows they're okay. It's back to easy banter and steadfast friendship, back to the way things are supposed to be.

"Dude, I'm starving. How do you feel about splitting a ham and pineapple pizza?"

Gus stands too and begins putting on his clothes. Shawn does the same. "If we're getting your toppings again, then you're buying. For once in your life."

"But Gus! You know I don't have any money on me, and I really want some pineapple goodness..."

"Too bad, we're having pepperoni and sausage if I'm paying."

"Gus, you owe me!"

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"You wouldn't let me jump on your car when I desperately needed to! I think that constitutes a free pizza with my toppings on it."

"It's a company car, Shawn." scowls Gus, and Shawn rolls his eyes.

"Whatever, man. I'd let you jump on my company car."

"You don't have one."

"Now you're just getting technical on me."

With the sun shining down on them, and his best friend beside him, Gus knows – just as Shawn knows – that everything really will be fine now. They've gotten through the worst of it, together. All it took was a trip back to the beach, their sanctuary, to make them feel safe and at home again.

A/N: Having no medical knowledge on bullet wounds whatsoever, I took a bit of creative license by letting Shawn swim in salt water only a few days after being released from the hospital. Just ignore it if you know a lot better than I do...:P And this ending was a little cheesy, but it does work and fit the tone I was going for.