Sorry for the long update time, I wasn't sure how I wanted to continue this. But I've figured it out. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it!


Sometimes life seems so unfortunate,

That's why I don't give a shit

The poor stay poor, the rich get richer,

It's just so disproportionate

You don't know just what I go through,

That's why I would rather show you

Just how far that I can take it,

Every rule I'm breaking it

-"Above the Law" by Bad Meets Evil

Salem Washington: 2019

He opened his eyes and waited for his pupils to adjust to the dim light of the room. Once he could see, he sat up and stretched. His back popping pleasantly. The room was simple. It held only the furniture necessary and nothing more. He walked quietly down the hall, not wanting to wake anyone else in the house.

"Morning daddy." He was greeted in the kitchen by his four year old daughter.

"Morning sweet pea." The little girl's black hair was sticking up at odd ends. "I put your hair in braids last night, what happened?" he smiled at her as he grabbed a mug to pour coffee in.

"It felt weird daddy." The little girl played with her doll. The pale white skin of the doll contrasted against the brown skin of the girl holding it.

"I know baby, I know. But try and keep it in next time." He leaned against the counter, sipping the hot liquid.

"I made this for you." His daughter handed him a pink paper. "Zuri" was written across the top in purple glitter.

"Thank you Zuri." He smiled at her. He was about to talk again but a knock interrupted him. "Stay here." He set his mug down and walked over to the door. "Yes?" he asked viewing the man in front of him.

"I have a package for… Shawn Spencer?" the man looked up.

"That's me." Shawn nodded grabbing the clipboard he'd been handed. Shawn signed his name and grabbed his package, shutting the door behind him. He threw the package onto the counter without care and grabbed his mug. Shawn put it to his lips and noticed Zuri's eye on the lump.

"Zuri?" Her head snapped towards him.

"What's in the box daddy?" Shawn hurriedly put the cup on the counter before Zuri could jump into his arms, her arms going around his neck.

"I don't know, I'll open it later." He shrugged and smiled at her.

"You're so silly daddy." Zuri giggled as Shawn tickled her sides.

"No, I think you're the silly one." Zuri squirmed in his grasp. "Alright, now, go get your coat. We've got to get going." She jumped down and ran down the hall. Shawn slid the box over to him and opened it with his pocket knife. Inside were two bottles of pills. Shawn placed them into the cabinet above as Zuri ran back into the kitchen, a pink backpack slung around her shoulders.

"Come on." She grabbed Shawn's hand and started to pull him.

"Hold on kiddo. I've got to put on shoes and finish my coffee." Shawn swallowed the rest of the coffee and slipped on his shoes that Zuri had brought him. "Ready?" he grabbed his keys from the hook by the door.

"Ready!" Zuri grabbed his hand and waited with him as Shawn locked the door before they turned to his 2014 Ford Escape. Zuri was loaded into her car seat and Shawn was buckled in. "Well you stay with me dad?" Zuri stroked a head of a doll she'd pulled from the pink bag.

"I'll be with you for a little while, daddy has to work." He slowly drove down the street to the little daycare that everyone in the area used and trusted to watch their children.

"But what if Bobby bullies me again?" Zuri looked out the window, stroking her dolls head.

"You kick bellow the stomach." Shawn smiled at her reflection.

"His pee-pee parts?" She smiled at him and Shawn laughed.

"Yes." He parked the car and was just able to grab Zuri's hand before she bounced into the door. "Slow down." He picked her up and swung her over his back.

"Put me down daddy." She tapped his back lightly. They both laughed until they reached the front desk.

"Hello Mister Spencer." The woman smiled at him.

"Hello Heather. Where should I leave my luggage?" Shawn put Zuri down in front of him. She faced the large desk and leaned back into Shawn, her head resting on his stomach.

"Well, you're just in time for breakfast. Are you hungry Zuri?" Heather got up from her chair and held out a hand to Zuri. Zuri looked up at Shawn.

"Don't give me that look, you have to-,"

"Are those crackers!?" Zuri grabbed Heather's hand and started to drag her over to the other children.

"I love you too!" Shawn called after her. He was ignored as Zuri reached the cracker's and began to eat them. Shawn shook his head and left while she was distracted. Shawn drove in silence to his work. He never used to like quiet. But after his little princess dropped into his life, quiet was nice and rare.

"Morning Mister Spencer." His secretary said as he walked past her.

"Good morning." He grabbed a set of paper's he'd been handed. The big wooden door was shut behind him and he sat at his desk. The room was nice and cool as he liked it. A laptop sat on the desk in front of him. Shawn turned it on and waited for it to boot up. A picture popped up of baby Zuri and Shawn maneuvered to his email. Nothing out of the ordinary. Junk mail, work mail, email from his dad… Dad?

"What the-?" Shawn clicked the email and read it quickly.

Dear Shawn,

You didn't respond to my last email, is everything okay? I hope Zuri is doing well. Your mother and I would love some new pictures of her. Or more grandkids, that'd be nice as well (Your mother forced me to write that) Anyways, your Uncle Jack was down here a few days ago. Trouble as usual. You'd be happy to know- in a way- he's finally gotten himself into something he can't get out of. He's sick Shawn. Real sick. And I hate to tell you like this, but I can't get a hold of you by phone since Zuri dropped it into the pool. You need to come back home son. He wants you here. We all do.

From,

Your father Henry Spencer

P.S: Call me someway when you read this.

Shawn practically lunged at his office phone, grabbing it into his hands and dialing his dad's number. "Dad?" he yelled into the receiver.

"Shawn?" Henry yawned.

"Do you have any other kids?" Shawn rolled his eyes and leaned back into his chair.

"Thankfully no… I'd be dead by now if they were like you." Shawn heard the soft click of a door.

"What are you doing?" Shawn tapped the desk with his fingers.

"Leaving the room, I don't want to wake your mom up." Shawn smiled. His parent's had strangely gotten together right after Shawn had left. Coming up to visit one Sunday afternoon with the news that they'd gotten remarried. That was also the day he'd told them about the coming of Zuri.

"So what's wrong with Uncle Jack? And uh, why the delay?" Shawn asked.

"I'm not good with this… stuff. You know that Shawn." Shawn nodded his agreement. "Jackie has cancer." Shawn took a deep breath and sat up. His stomach knotted and Shawn lost his ability to breathe. As a kid Shawn had looked up to Jack, they'd never been exactly close, but Shawn had loved him a lot. He had always seemed invincible. Apparently he wasn't.

"We found out a few days ago. He wasn't feeling well and the jackass actually went to the ER. Good thing he did. Doctors say we've caught it somewhat early. It's looking about fifty-fifty as of now." Henry spoke. Shawn clutched the edge of his desk. His chest had decided to follow his stomach and had tightened up. "Kid? Are you there?" Shawn managed to make a small noise. Breathing was certainty becoming harder.

"Relax. Relax." Henry coached. "Deep breaths Shawn. Relax, relax…" Shawn did as his father said and slowly took breaths. Within a few minutes he was able to get his breathing under control. "When you come down here we're getting you checked out." Henry sighed.

Shawn closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair again, "I'm fine dad."

"Your medication has increased, and these… episodes are getting closer together. What if one day you stop breathing all together? Then what?" A clank sounded from the receiver. "Your mother's going to want you checked out Shawn. This could be serious."

"Dad, we need to focus on Uncle Jack. He's got priority. Look, I'll book Zuri and me a ticket down there, first flight I can get. I'll call you when I have details." Shawn opened his eyes and stood up.

"This isn't over Shawn. You're getting checked out." Shawn hung the phone back on its pedestal and booked the first flight back to Santa Barbara.


You've got Uncle Jack who has cancer, and Shawn with some problems of his own. Stay tuned to read more! I plan on some flashbacks of how Zuri came to be in the next chapter. Or I'll drag it out. What do you guys think?