The rental car pulls into the restaurant parking lot and parks in the farthest spot possible.
"I knew he'd tell them." Shawn sighs and puts his head on the steering wheel for a few minutes.
He had spotted some familiar cars parked there as he drove in. He would see them and they would probably say they "just happened to be there for lunch."
He sat there a few more minutes before finally opening the car door and muttering. "Lets to get this over with."
X
X
X
"I can't believe it's been over a year." Gus comments as he was keeping an eye on the cars through the restaurant window. Hearing the roar of a motorcycle pull up and park made him wonder if the car rental agencies were renting bikes these days.
He watched the driver take off his helmet. It wasn't Shawn.
"13 months and 22 days." O'Hara gave him an exact count, she couldn't stop smiling. "He should be here any minute."
She wanted to tell Shawn in person she was sorry. He came to her apartment; she told him that he had embarrassed her and the PD.
And she told him to leave.
And leave her alone.
And he did.
Now she wanted to make up for that.
"You sure he doesn't suspect anything." Karen Vick asks as she watches her husband chase their toddler around.
"I don't think so. Shawn made me promise not tell anyone he was coming back to town, he wanted to talk to me first then he'd let everyone know he was back tomorrow." Gus shrugs. Shawn had even declined the offer to picking him up at the airport and that meant that Shawn would be able to get away at a moments notice. "I agreed, but then again I didn't want to risk him leaving without letting anyone know and leaving me holding the bag."
"Where has he been?" Lassiter asks, grabbing another couple of appetizers. "He's not planning on coming back is he?"
"Oh admit it, you missed him." Victoria teases her husband.
Lassiter had to admit his blood pressure had gone down several points since the boy wonder had left, but then again he was gone and Carlton could feel the void in the department, they missed him as well, especially O'Hara.
"Don't know." Gus answered honestly.
Almost a month after he left, Shawn had phoned him using a pre-paid phone card to check in and talk, and was careful not to give anything away, because he knew his dad and others would guilt or trick Gus into telling them. "But he's says he's doing good."
Gus looked around at the gathering of people. He made sure he had everyone show up half an hour early so they wouldn't show up at the same time as Shawn "by accident."
Looking back out the window, he finally sees the guest of honor walking across the parking lot. A few minutes late but he was there.
"Shhh." Gus gets everyone's attention. "There he is. You stay here and stay quiet and I'll bring him in."
Gus casually walks across the restaurant and waits as Shawn holds the doors open for a departing couple before calling out to him. "Shawn!"
"Gus!"
They give each other man hugs and size each other up. Shawn was, well un-Shawn like. He was wearing a sports suit and tie, and expensive looking shoes, probably a knock off brand. He sure was dressed to make a good impression.
Gus was sure his best friend would be back to jeans, a flannel shirt and tennis shoes by the end of the night.
"Hey, you didn't have to dress up; it's just gonna be the two of us. I'm glad you're back."
"I've missed you buddy." Shawn tells him as he follows Gus to the back of the restaurant. "I've got so much to tell you."
"Same here." Gus starts to talk as he leads him toward some tables near the private room. "We've got table over here, no one will see you."
"You know for a minute there I thought - - - "
"SURPRISE!" Shawn was interrupted as the group yelled as they pair got closer.
"Sorry we couldn't wait." Henry jokes.
Everyone was talking and sharing Shawn's attention, and when he got to Juliette, she pulled him close and kissed him, "I missed you."
"Excuse me?" A female voice interrupts the near-passionate moment.
They all turned to see a woman standing nearby, watching them.
She had shoulder length dark hair, wearing a fashionable dark blue dress covered by a green blazer, high heels and a silk scarf hanging loosely from the collar of her blazer.
Gus knew the managers of the restaurant, and she wasn't one of them. Maybe she was meeting someone for lunch; having a business meeting or was just wondering what all the commotion was about. But whatever the reason, she was standing there watching them.
"Sorry, this is a private party." Gus tells the stranger.
"Oh?" She answers coolly while raising an eyebrow
"Uh… yea." Shawn quickly removes Juliette's hands from his waist and walks over to the woman.
He says something, she frowns, then smiles and laughs saying something back to him. He shrugs, says something and then nods and puts his arm around her waist and brings her in closer to the group.
"This is everybody." He goes around the room making introductions. "And everybody this is Kay." He looks at his watch. "My wife of 27 hours"
