A/N: WOW! Ok, so sorry this has taken this long to post, but work got busy, and I got sick and this chapter just wasn't ending! While most of it was as I planned, certain sections got away with me a bit (and for the better, in some places) and I'm proud, overall, of how this played out. I toyed with the idea of breaking this into two chapters, but I couldn't find a good place to cut it and I really didn't want to so I'm leaving it as one massive chapter. So, my gift to you, the long awaited conclusion of "Out for a Pound" (though I did toy with the idea of waiting to post until the 29th). Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or otherwise enjoyed this fic. I'm humbled and proud by many of your comments and praises, so thank you. I probably wouldn't have had the balls to continue with this if it hadn't been for the words of encouragement coming from all directions, so pat yourselves on the back and know this one is for you guys (unless you hate it, than forget that part). As always, I own nothing, the characters etc are all products of their creators, networks, blah-blah-blah and all that jazz. Hope you enjoy!


Out for a Pound
Chapter 4

The phone was taunting him.

It sat on the desk, just sitting there, not ringing, not being used. It just begged to be picked up, dialed, and held to the ear. He had to mentally restrain himself from grabbing the iPhone and checking to assure the battery was charged, that he hadn't missed the tell-tale ringtone. He had to remind himself why Gus told him it was such a bad idea to pick up the phone and call her.

So, he did what any self-respecting thirty year old would do. He glared at it.

And wished the damn thing would just ring.

And not be his father again, asking for some odd chore to be done. At least, that's what he assumed Henry was calling about. It's not like he answered those calls, he shuddered at the thought. Henry probably even knew by now and would yell the instant Shawn answered. Shawn knew that he wouldn't even be able to finish his greeting before his father would rant and rave about how stupid his son is. And this time, Shawn knew his father would be right, so why even bother answering the calls? He didn't need Henry's help to know he messed this one up big.

He sighed, running his hands through his hair. His hand reached for phone and he let it flop back onto the desk. He couldn't call her. He couldn't. Gus said he had to give Jules time and damn it, he had agreed. He couldn't remember why, but what Gus had said sounded logical and Gus was right when it came to logical and serious things like this. Not that Shawn would ever tell his best friend that.

The waiting was going to kill him.

He survived just shy of 18 years under the roof of one Henry Spencer. Easy. He survived years with nothing but what fit in a dufflebag and his motorcycle. Easy. He survived being shot. Easy...ok, not very easy, but he got through it. He beat Yang. He nailed Yin. He won every challenge ever sent his way, but waiting for Juliet to just...do whatever it is she was going to do...it would literally kill him. He didn't know how much longer he could take. He was standing on the edge of the Earth, and the wind was blowing a million miles an hour and his pinwheeling arms were the only thing keeping him there. He couldn't keep this up much longer; something had to happen and happen soon.

He groaned and collapsed face-first onto his desk. he needed this to be over and be over soon. This was truly torture.

The door dinged as it opened and Shawn couldn't bite back the heavy sigh.

"Gus, I told you, I'm"

"Spencer."

Lifting his head, Shawn blinked in surprise as Carlton Lassiter moved further into the office. Shawn leaped up from his seat and backed away from the angry look in the Head Detective's eyes.

"Lassie, what brings you to"

Before Shawn could finish, what he thought would be, a witty greeting, Lassiter grabbed the Psychic by his shirt and shoved him into the wall. Shawn winced as his back collided with the wall. It didn't hurt exactly, but it didn't not hurt at the same time.

"Fix it," Lassiter stated, his voice dripping venom as he stared directly into Shawn's confused eyes.

"What?"

"I don't care what you did...but O'Hara has been moping around for three days, and damn it, I miss my happy partner. Whatever it is you did, you fix it."

"Lassie"

The snarl from the Detective caused Shawn to reconsider what he was going to say.

"Carlton, believe me, no one wants to fix it more than I do."

Lassiter's glare did not go away, but he seemed satisfied with the answer. With a light shove, Carlton released the psychic and backed away.

"You don't fix it, not even a psychic will be able to divine your pieces."

"I have no doubt in your abilities, Lassie."

Carlton nodded once and left the office. Shawn winced slightly as he rubbed the back of his shoulder.

"What was Lassiter doing here?" Gus called as he stepped into the office a minute later.

"Coming to inform me he would make due on his threat if I didn't fix what was going on with Juliet." Shawn stated, looking more depressed as he sat down in his chair once again.

Gus looked worried and seemed to consider Shawn's statement.

"Well, at least when you turn up missing, I'll know who to point a finger at."

"Don't bother," Shawn muttered. Gus frowned and studied his best friend for a moment. He was about to push Shawn further about what transpired when the phone rang. Sighing, Gus picked up the phone.

"Psych, this is Burton Guster...oh, Hello Mr. Spencer." Shawn's eyes widened behind Gus' back. As Gus turned to face him, Shawn waved his hands back and forth and shook his head, all indicating a negative. Gus rolled his eyes at his friends' antics. "Yeah, he's here. Hold on a second."

"GUS!" Shawn hissed, looking angry and betrayed at the same moment.

"Yeah, Shawn, like you could avoid Henry forever."

"I can try." He muttered.

"Talk to your father."

"I hate you."

"I know."

Shawn glared as Gus held out the phone, moving it side to side, waiting for Shawn to take it. Shawn pursed his lips, snatched the phone and sighed.

"Hi, Dad."

"Shawn, I was the market earlier and they were having a sale on steaks. I got one with your name on it. You coming to dinner tonight?"

Shawn was silent for a long moment, analyzing the words. There was no angry tone. No growling. Was that a touch of sympathy? No...Henry Spencer didn't do sympathy.

"Shawn?"

"Uh...yeah, I guess." Shawn stated, not seeing another way around it.

He said no, his father would ask why and while he could lie about having plans with Gus, he knew he would just be ordered to invite Gus and that was out. If he wanted to keep what was going on with Juliet quiet, he had to keep Henry and Gus out of the same room, and hell, even the same city, for that to remain buried. Same if he lied even further and said something about Juliet. He had no cases, and even if he made one up, Henry would find out eventually...especially once he got Gus on the phone again, and that would make him even more suspicious.

Essentially, he was screwed. He hated Gus. He had avoided Henry's calls for this very reason.

Shawn glared at his best friend as his father prattled on about dinner and something about boxes. He knew it. Dinner always had a catch with his father. Sighing, Shawn made affirmative noises in all the right places, promised to be on time (yeah right) and hung up the phone.

"I hate you."

"You'll get over it." Gus stated with a shrug, not even looking up from his computer.

"You're lucky it's too late and too much work to break in a new magic-head."

Gus snorted his thoughts on the matter and said nothing else.


Detective Juliet O'Hara sat inside her car, staring at the house before her, and questioned her reasons for coming here for the millionth time. Several times she had restarted her car and put it into gear, only to put it back in park and shut the engine off.

She wasn't sure what she was thinking and she wasn't sure if this was a good idea now that she was here. She couldn't remember a time she ever talked to Henry Spencer without someone else around her and never for something like this. The two definitely did not have a relationship beyond cordial and she wasn't even sure if he would let her in his house without his son.

Even knowing this, she couldn't leave. Taking a deep breath, Juliet took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car. She slammed the door and pocketed her keys as she moved to the front door. Steeling herself, she knocked on the door, uncertain what kind of greeting she would receive.

The door opened and Henry Spencer looked momentarily confused.

"Detective O'Hara, Shawn's not here..."

"I know, Mr. Spencer..." She winced at those words and shook her head. "I mean, I didn't know he wasn't here, I was just..." She cleared her throat and started over. "I was actually looking for you."

Mr. Spencer look amused as Juliet was speaking, his expression looking curious when she finally finished. Henry gave her a small smile and opened the door wide, indicating for her to come in.

"This isn't about a case, is it?"

"No, Sir." She stated as Henry closed the door behind her and led her into the kitchen. He gestured for Juliet to take a seat and she did so.

"Detective, you've been dating my son for awhile now. I think when we're out of the office, you can call me Henry." He stated as he went to the fridge. "Would you like anything?"

"I'm fine, thanks. And...You can call me Juliet."

Henry nodded as he poured himself a glass of water and sat across from her.

"What's going on?"

"I...it's about Shawn," Juliet stated, looking down at her hands, unsure how to ask her questions.

"Juliet, Shawn maybe my son, but I can't claim any responsibility for 99% of what he does."

"I know, Henry. I...Shawn told me the truth." She blurted out. Henry's expression did not give away anything. She decided to clarify. "He told me he's not a psychic." Henry didn't even blink.

"I'm not sure what you're asking me, Juliet."

"He lied to me," Juliet whispered.

Henry barked out a laugh and Juliet looked up, startled by the reaction. Out of every reaction she had prepared herself for, his sarcastic laughter was not something she had expected. She could feel part of herself shrink back and feel almost embarrassed by her confession. Juliet mentally shook her head and shoved that child-like side of her away. She was an adult, Henry was an adult, and they could talk like reasonable people.

"Shawn lies to everyone," Henry stated, as if he were stating the sky was blue or the grass green. "Once he started talking, he started telling stories. The kid is skilled at telling half-truths and pulling the wool over your eyes, but for every lie the kid tells, there is always a grain of truth behind it, you just have to read between the lines." Henry sighed. "But you already know that, or a part of you did. So, Juliet, why are you really here?"

"I just...I'm trying to understand."

"Juliet, I can't claim to understand why my son does what he does"

"He said you trained him. When he was a kid."

Henry sighed and nodded.

"You want the truth?" Juliet nodded, not really sure what to expect from Henry Spencer, but what came out of his mouth next surprised her.

"Do you know how hard it is to raise a child who is smarter than you are?" Henry paused and let that thought sink in for a moment before carrying on. "Every parent on the planet brags about how bright and sweet and charming their kid is, but with Shawn...he inherited his mother's photographic memory; though her gift is limited to sound, Shawn is full eidetic, but more visually oriented. Shawn sees it, he remembers it, it's as simple as that. And somehow, as a parent, you have to teach your kid how to sit through school and pay attention in class and how not to resent the other people around him because they don't see the world the same way."

Henry took a drink of his water and shrugged. "Maybe, I pushed Shawn too hard as a kid, but I like to think that I succeeded in giving him a relatively normal childhood. Do you know how many times I sat in the principal's office, arguing why my son didn't need to be medicated, or transferred to a specialized school, Detective O'Hara? How many times I had to explain that he was just bored? Do you know the looks I received every time?" Henry paused at that, and let his words sink in and silence stretched between the two. Juliet wanted to say something to fill in the silence, but there was nothing she could say. She wasn't a parent and she couldn't imagine being in the position Henry was describing to her.

When she thought that Henry had said his peace, he sighed and continued.

"I knew that Shawn isn't normal, so I taught him how to use his ability, how to focus that mind of his on the little details instead of the broad pictures. I taught him everything I knew I could teach him; I taught him how to be the best cop he could be, because, what else was I to do?"

Henry took another drink of his water and sighed.

"Maybe I went too far. Shawn grew to hate me and the idea of becoming a police officer and while I was disappointed he never became a cop, that he never went to the academy and wore the uniform...I made it so he never could."

"You mean, the arrest?" Juliet asked before she could stop herself. She winced after the words left her mouth but Henry didn't seem fazed.

"No, actually. I doubt that arrest would have kept him out if the kid really wanted to be a cop...but no. Think about Shawn and his process. Think about how the force works. Shawn is simply too good. He would never have been able to work on the force and use his abilities like he does. He would be stunted and held back. Police work is all about procedures, protocols, and rules. Shawn, even with his personality, would never be able to go through it all. His brain connects A to M and gets frustrated when no one else can figure out why. He has his own process, and ironically, the very process I taught him to use as a cop, is the same process why he can never be one."

Juliet nodded her agreement, understanding what Henry was saying. Being on the force was like being in a family. Everyone worked together and while they all celebrated one of their owns achievements, they also resented anyone who out-shined too much. They all accepted Shawn because he was expected to know more than them because of his "psychic powers". No one would be happy if they realized Shawn's abilities were all natural; there would be resentment and anger. He'd be sabotaged by his own.

"You weren't there, were you, when Shawn first started this charade?"

Juliet shook her head 'no'. Henry nodded his acknowledgement.

"I wasn't there, but I got the story from Karen much later. Apparently, Shawn used to call in tips to the department and collect the tip money."

Juliet looked surprised, she hadn't known that about him.

"One day, a Detective put it together that this guy knew too much about too many crimes. When Shawn went in to pick up the check, he was pulled into the interrogation room by Detective Lassiter. I guess Shawn told them the truth, that he read the guilt off the news story, or whatever it was that tipped him off, and Lassiter didn't believe him. He told Shawn to tell the truth or he would be arresting him for conspiracy. Instead of being reasonable, Shawn panicked and told them he was psychic, spouted off some observations he made and impressed the interim chief enough to let him on a case."

"They didn't believe him?"

"Would you?"

Silence stretched between them. She was ashamed to admit, that no, she probably wouldn't have. It just seemed so...out there. That someone could do that, read guilt off the TV, to take one look at a crime scene or suspect and know if they were innocent. To appraise someone once and know they had two cats. It just didn't seem possible. And yet...it was.

"I also suspect, that Karen knows." Juliet snapped her head up, and stared at Henry, eyes wide. "She's known all along. Did you know we worked together for a short time before I retired?" Juliet nodded. "I don't remember if she ever met Shawn then...things weren't great between us at that time and the kid was determined to do anything to get on my nerves...but I'm positive he had to have come up in conversation. I'm almost certain his observational and memory skills also came up a time or two as well during rants in the squad room. After Shawn's first case, I had went to the station, determined to tell her the truth. And she asked me one question that stopped me cold. She asked me if he could help and if she could trust him to do the job. That was it; that was all she wanted to know. And I told her she could, because she could trust Shawn to get to the bottom of things, to help solve cases. So, I kept Shawn's secret."

Henry paused and let his story sink in. Silence stretched between the two and Juliet wasn't sure if it was comfortable or not, but she didn't feel the need to fill it by blabbering on. She was too busy trying to wrap her mind around everything she had learned.

"So, Detective O'Hara, I guess the question is, what are you going to do?"

Juliet sighed. That was the question, wasn't it? She looked up at Henry Spencer, trying to read his expression, but he just sat there, stoically, as if she didn't have the very fate of his son in her hands, and she realized, he already knew what she was going to do. He had known the moment she had sat down at his table. He had told her what he told her because he already had her pegged and while that made her angry, she also couldn't help but smile on the inside. Shawn really was more like his father than either man would admit.

"I think I finally know." Juliet answered.


Shawn breezed into his father's house fifteen minutes later than promised.

"Hey Daddy-oh!" Shawn called as he moved through the living room and towards the kitchen.

"You're late," Henry stated as Shawn breezed into the kitchen. Shawn just shrugged, not bothering to dignify that statement with a response. "Make yourself useful and set the table."

Shawn snorted in response and was tempted to let his father know of the injustices of putting your guests to work, but thought better of it and kept that rant to himself. Knowing he could be forced to do worst, Shawn sighed and moved around the kitchen, opening cupboards and drawers, choosing not to comment on the new syringe thingy (he needed to remember to ask Gus what the heck that was used for) and filed the info away for future use. Having found what he needed, Shawn set the table.

"Surprised you're not skinning still flopping, poor, innocent fishes," Shawn stated as he sat down at the table, trying to keep the conversation away from him.

Henry turned around to give Shawn that look that parents give their children when they do or say something stupid and went back to finishing the mac n cheese on the stove.

"It's called scaling, Shawn, you know that."

"Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to."

Henry sighed heavily, shut off the stove and grabbed a plate before heading towards the door to get the steaks off the grill. Taking that as a sign to start eating, Shawn grabbed his plate, helped himself to the mac and mixed veggies. Within moments, father and son were seated at the table, silently enjoying their meal. It was one of those rare moments between the pair where things were pleasant and no one was holding back a scream. Both of them knew it wasn't going to last long.

"I had an interesting visitor earlier today," Henry stated, breaking the silence.

"Interesting as you got a visit from aliens and they wanted to study your brain, or interesting as in an old friend stopped by and it was unpleasantly awkward?"

Henry just stared at his son for a moment, trying to understand where he came up with the things he said. Part of it made some sense, the other part...giving up, Henry shook his head and ignored Shawn's statements.

"Detective O'Hara stopped by."

Shawn promptly choked on his steak.

"Were you going to tell me you filled her in?" Henry continued, not concerned at his son's reaction.

Coughing a few times, Shawn managed to clear his airway. He stared at his father, trying to figure out where he was going with this. It could be a trap. Did he really see Jules? If he did, it was killing him not to ask what they talked about. And if they talked...that would mean...and if they did talk...what did his father say? His father never ... ok, rarely had a kind thing to say about him. Feeling like a trapped rat, Shawn opened his mouth and closed it, not sure what to say about that.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Yeah...well...who keeps their syringe in the silverware drawer? Come on Dad, that is really unsanitary and were you even going to tell me you had diabetes? I mean, that's kind of something you should tell your only son and all"

"What the hell are you on about?"

"The syringe thingy in the silverware drawer!"

"It's a marinade injector!"

"That's not real! You're making it up!" Shawn stated lamely, trying to keep the subject away from him and Juliet.

"Yes it is, ask Gus or go look it up. And don't think I don't know what you're trying to do, Kid. It aint going to work. Now, what is going on between you and your detective?"

Shawn did his best impression of a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to think of something, anything to get himself out of this one. He avoided his father's gaze, knowing those eyes were going to be hard and unforgiving, the kind of eyes that made you squirm and spill everything. It was the look that made you five years old again and Shawn hated that look and while he could just get up and leave, he would be leaving knowing his father had won and that rebellious side of him would never admit defeat and leave before he could argue he had won the disagreement. He was stuck. Shawn slumped in his chair and sighed. He pushed his plate away, no longer hungry and held his head in his hands.

"I don't know," Shawn muttered.

"She told me you confessed you're not psychic," Henry stated. "'Bout time, Kid."

"I just...I couldn't keep lying to her about that," Shawn muttered, not looking up from the top of the table. "I knew it wasn't going to be all sunshine and roses when I told her...but I didn't...I don't know what I expected, but I just...I don't know if I did the right thing anymore."

"You did, Kid. Telling the truth is always the way to go, especially to those you care about the most," Henry stated.

Shawn sighed and looked up at his father, meeting his eyes, surprised to see a bit of sympathy there.

"She kicked me out."

"She'll come around, Kid."

"She hasn't talked to me in days...I know I need to give her space, to think things over or whatever, but I haven't gone this long without talking to her since..." Shawn shook his head, trying to remember when it wasn't a daily habit to call or go visit Juliet.

"I know, Kid. I know." Henry stated, getting up from his seat, plate in hand. Henry paused a moment to lightly squeeze Shawn's shoulder as he passed by on his way to the sink.

"What do I do?" Shawn asked, feeling hopeless.

"You give her time, Kid, you just give her time." Henry stated, cleaning up the mess from dinner.

Shawn sighed, not bothering to answer. He glanced at his plate and picked at his food, no longer feeling hungry. He didn't know how much time passed, but Henry interrupted his brooding by taking the plate. Shawn watched him as the older man moved to the sink, frowning.

"Why did Juliet come to see you?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Henry asked as he rinsed the plate and stuck it in the dishwasher.

"What did you talk about?" Shawn asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied his father. Gone was the depressed man trying to win back his girlfriend, this was Shawn on a case, Shawn analyzing every detail, every word as it was happening.

"She just wanted to know more about how your mind works. I told her I can't claim to understand what you're thinking...but she was mostly quiet and I told her what she wanted to know."

"And that was?"

"The truth," Henry stated, as if it was the most simple thing in the world.

Shawn groaned, not even bothering to soften his landing as he dropped face first onto the table.

"I'm so going to jail," Shawn drawled out, his voice slightly muffled by the tabletop.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Kid," Henry stated, and if Shawn heard him, he didn't reply.


It had been three days since dinner at his father's house; almost a week to the hour since he told Juliet the truth and he still knew nothing more than the obvious: she was upset, and apparently, went to talk to his father. He shuddered again at the thought. No matter how hard he pleaded, Henry wouldn't divulge much more to the conversation that had taken place, but one thing he was able to read. His father wasn't very concerned about the potential outcome which told Shawn two things. His father could care less if his only child was locked up in jail for the rest of his life (and Shawn kind of thought they had moved past that stage of their relationship) or he knew Juliet wouldn't do anything to lock him up.

The door to the Psych office dinged and Shawn sighed as he called out to his partner, "Gus, I swear I'm not going to touch your" Shawn broke off as he stared wide-eyed at the angel who stood in the archway. "Jules," He breathed out, unable to believe that she was really there.

"Hi, Shawn," She said, shifting nervously.

Shawn noted how she didn't quite meet his eyes and he felt his heart sink a bit lower. He couldn't think, couldn't even babble nonsense as she stared back at him. His breath was caught in his chest and he was reminded briefly of the first time he saw her - only he had been a thousand times more suave then. Her blonde hair was mussed, as if she'd spent a lot of time running her hands through it. Her eyes were slightly red and she had light bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, and while she didn't look nearly as perfect as she usually did when she stood in his office, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the very sight of her.

As he stared at her, he questioned the reality before him; was this just his mind conjuring what he longed to see most? Or was his Jules really standing in the office with him for the first time in a week? As much as he longed to leap out of his chair and touch her, to affirm she was really there, he was frozen, almost terrified to move and ruin the illusion. God, he missed her.

"I um...I just..." Juliet stammered, trying to find her words and at the moment, he didn't care what she had to say. Juliet moved her gaze to the floor, unable to look at him anymore and Shawn snapped out of his funk.

Impulse overcame him and he leaped out of his chair. He crossed the room and stood before her. He placed a hand lightly under her chin and raised her head to meet his gaze. Juliet was still trying to tell him something but the only thing he could hear was the faint buzzing in his ears. She was there. She was really there and she wasn't aiming a gun at him and there were no signs of hordes of police on the way. A surge of confidence overcame him and he closed the space between them and kissed her.

Juliet tensed at first, but he didn't care. She was there and she wasn't slapping him or reading him his rights or any of that official police garbage. She was here on her own accord and damn it, he wasn't going to let her go that easily again. After the first contact, Juliet relaxed and kissed him back, tentatively, but that one action gave him everything he needed to know. His Jules was back.

"Shawn," Juliet said as she pulled away, her voice slightly stern, but he noted the way she seemed a bit more confident than she was before.

"Sorry, I just...I couldn't help it. You were there, and so beautiful that I just couldn't control myself."

"Please, Shawn. I look like crap."

"Never," He said, looking into her eyes and he saw her fight a smile and he knew that things were going to be ok.

"Can we...can we just talk?"

"Anything you want, Jules."

Juliet gave him that look, the look that said she thought he was being a bit of an idiot but he didn't care. She shifted nervously and he noted the way her eyes kept flitting about the office.

"Let's go for a walk," Shawn suggested. "I hear it's nice outside..."

Juliet nodded her agreement and Shawn didn't miss the relief that crossed her face. The pair exited the Psych office and walked across the street to the boardwalk in silence. Silence continued to stretch between them as they walked down the boardwalk, neither quite knowing what to say. Shawn tried to catch Juliet's eyes, but she was looking down, her hands wringing together nervously and Shawn couldn't stay silent anymore. This was stupid.

"OK, this is stupid," Shawn blurted out before he could stop himself. Juliet stopped walking and sharply looked up at him, surprise filling her face. "I don't...I didn't mean it like that, it's just..." He sighed heavily and decided to just go with it. Words were his thing and damn it, he wasn't going to give up on his one major asset right now. "I missed you, Jules, and I know that I screwed up and I probably don't deserve for you to forgive me or look the other way or whatever it is you're thinking and everything I say about it will just be an excuse and won't make it anymore right, but I never meant to hurt you and I said it before and I meant it then and I mean it now that I refuse to be awkward around you because you're the Velma to my Shaggy, and I know I'm rambling but"

"Shawn," Juliet said, cutting him off and slipping her hand in his. Shawn promptly shut up and stared anxiously at her. "Don't let Gus hear you talking in run-on sentences," She teased and Shawn couldn't help but laugh.

"He'd have a stroke," Shawn stated as he laughed with her.

"You're right," Juliet said, looking in his eyes and Shawn just stared at her in confusion. "Not about Gus, though you probably do have a point there, but Shawn, I just...I'm not sure how to say what's on my mind."

"Jules, it's me. Just say it," He said, pleading with her. "You know you can tell me anything."

"You hurt me." Juliet stated and Shawn opened his mouth to say something but Juliet shook her head at him and he closed it and listened. "I know you didn't mean it, but it doesn't change how I feel and while I am not going to tell the Chief or Carlton or anyone else the truth, I'm not ok that you've lied to me about something this big for so long."

Silence stretched between the two for a long moment. Juliet's words were ringing in Shawn's head, his brain analyzing the tone, her expressions, the delivery, every detail, trying to determine what it was she was trying to tell him. He didn't need his analytical skills to tell she was nervous, that she was slightly upset. He needed them to warn him what was coming, because he couldn't take this. He had thought things were going to be ok, but the way she said her last bit...

"Are you breaking up with me?" Shawn asked, his voice low, the words almost whispered as his heart sank to his feet at the very thought. Numbness already started to set in and Juliet looked up at him with wide eyes.

"No, that's...I mean...I don't know," Juliet stammered and Shawn couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips.

"That makes me feel better," He muttered.

"Shawn, I just...can we back up a bit? Slow down? I just...I need time," Juliet stated. "I need to make sure I can still trust you."

"I swear, Jules, I haven't lied about anything else," Shawn paused. "OK, nothing big...except...well, in the interest of full disclosure, I do have to inform you that I really can't bowl," Shawn said, his tone serious. "I mean, I have tried, I really have...but I just...can't...quite...get it."

Juliet couldn't help the smirk that came across her face at Shawn's confession. She sighed.

"Then I guess that settles it. We're through." She stated, her eyes shining and Shawn knew she was teasing him.

"Who wouldda thought, dumped by lack of bowling ability,"

"Real men bowl, Shawn." Juliet stated. "Everyone knows that."

"I can learn," Shawn muttered and brightened. "You could teach me," He bounced slightly, getting excited with the idea. "Oooo! You could wear that roller derby outfit and"

"Shawn, that is not bowling attire," Juliet scolded.

"So?"

Juliet shook her head and reached out for Shawn's hand again, squeezing it lightly.

"Are we, ok?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Shawn."

"Yeah, Jules, We're good." Shawn said, squeezing her hand back. They smiled at each other, and turned around and started walking back to the Psych office, Shawn swinging their linked hands like a small child. Juliet couldn't help but laugh at him and as they neared the Psych office, Juliet stopped. Shawn looked at her questioningly and she met his gaze.

"I almost forgot...I do have one condition."

"What's that?"

"I want in," Shawn just looked confused and Juliet continued. "I want to know more about what it is you and Gus are up to. I want to be there if I can and I want you two to keep me posted on what you're up to."

"I don't know, Jules. You know Gus gets jealous and"

"Shawn, I'm not saying you guys can't do your thing and Carlton and I do ours. I'm just saying that when it comes down to it, I want you to trust me to be involved a bit earlier in your...process."

Shawn nodded his agreement and Juliet smiled. The pair entered the Psych office and Shawn called as he entered the room

"Gus! Our worries are over, I got a beautiful assistant!"

"Shawn, we are not paying for an assistant!"

Juliet couldn't help but laugh at the two bickering friends as she entered the Psych office behind Shawn. While things weren't perfect, Juliet felt better now than she had in a week. Something deep down, told her that with time, the hurt would disappear and become a distant memory.

~ Finished

Final A/N: and that is a wrap! Hope you all enjoyed, please review, comment, critique, etc *hint hint* *nudge nudge* cuz the only way I will know if you loved it, is if you comment and if I don't see comments, I'll assume it's hated (or vise versa...depends on the day) so you might as well just tell me the truth. For those interested, I do have another fic in the works - well sort of. It's in my head and my Bestie is bugging me to get it to readable form. We'll see. I may get side-tracked again once the rest of the season airs. Also, I have to do a shout out to my Bestie, AJ, who is amazing and just goes with it when I text her and tell her to give me the most random kitchen utensil she can think of - and came up with a Marinade Injector. Seriously? I mean...wth? I can honestly say I thought she was smoking something when I saw that one, lol. Anyway, thanks for being a kitchen guru and rolling with my random thought patterns and telling me to stop being stupid and post what is "perfection" and stop worrying about Henry being in character and Juliet not quite cooperating and Shawn for going off on a random tangent that I hadn't intended (yes, I talk about the characters (also dubbed my Muse) as I write them...crazy? Maybe, but it works). You should all be thanking her too, cuz this little "masterpiece" would still be sitting on my hard drive/flashdrive for my random tweaking for another decade.