Finally, I'm back! I've been bust and well... too lazy to write. However with the premiere tonight, I thought it would be a nice gift to those of you who can't watch it, like me. Enjoy!
Santa Barbara: December 24, 2012
Shawn looked around the office and sighed while slouching in the chair he was currently in. After Shawn had pronounced the man as Jonah, he had been escorted into Vick's office and told to stay put. An ambulance had been called; both his parents had gone with them. Lassiter was talking to Vick and Juliet at the moment. All though, from the way Juliet kept looking at Shawn, he could tell she wasn't paying attention. Finally after a few minutes, and worried glances, the trio made their way towards Shawn.
"Mister Spencer, why haven't we heard of Jonah before?" Vick questioned sitting in her chair. Lassiter stood beside her while Juliet put a hand on Shawn's shoulder and stood next to him.
"I don't really like to talk about him. I was just a little kid when he disappeared." Shawn answered.
"When was he taken away?"
"Do you remember in the mid-eighties a guy was going around stealing kids?" Shawn leaned forward.
"Yes I do. Their bodies usually turned up a few weeks later, after the police had given up the search." Lassiter nodded.
"Jonah's didn't. He was taken from the front yard, and we never saw him again." Shawn continued.
"And after four years he was legally declared dead?" Vick looked down at the file Lassiter had pulled up on Jonah Spencer. Inside was a photograph of young Jonah Spencer. Jonah was sitting in a while boat with a green fishing hat on and a yellow shirt plastered to his chest. Green cameo shorts were cut off by a fishing rod in his hands. You could barely see his brown hair, but in his face Vick could clearly tell he was related to Shawn. Jonah had a glint in his green eyes which Vick had seen many times in Shawn's own.
"That was taken a week before he was kidnapped." Shawn spoke up. Vick, Lassiter and Juliet watched him. "Unlike me, Jonah liked spending time fishing. That or he was a lot more tolerate towards it. He was always Dad's first choice to go do something outdoors." Juliet moved her hand to Shawn's head. She stroked his brown hair slowly.
"In the report it says you were the last to see him?"
Santa Barbara: June 2, 1986
Shawn sat down on the porch and gulped down his ice cold water. It was another scorching hot day in Santa Barbara. In just a few short minutes, Gus and his parents would arrive to sweep Shawn away to the beach. Shawn couldn't wait to waddle in the cooling waves of the ocean.
"Smell ya later punk!" Shawn looked up as Jonah waved to his friend Danny. Danny waved back before peddling away on his new bicycle. Jonah let his old bike fall onto the ground before marching up to the porch. He snatched the bottle away from Shawn and poured it on his head.
"Hey! That's mine!" Shawn protested fighting for the bottle.
"Sharing is caring." Jonah smirked throwing the now empty bottle at Shawn.
"Yeah? Why don't you pick up your bike? You know Mom and Dad don't like it on the ground!" Shawn shouted.
"Shut up twerp!" Jonah retaliated by punching Shawn in the chest. Shawn kicked outwards with his feet, sending Jonah back. "You're so dead!" Shawn took off running before Jonah had stood back up. Shawn ran around the house looking for somewhere to hide. "When I catch you, you're dead meat!" Jonah threated. Shawn made it back to the front yard. Without looking to see if Jonah was close, Shawn grabbed the tree branch and climbed up in the canopy of the leaves. He covered his mouth so Jonah wouldn't hear his panting.
By now Jonah had too made it back to the front and was glaring around. Shawn looked at the street as a white van pulled up to the fence. A tall man got out of the car and made his way towards Jonah.
"Can I help you?" Jonah barked.
"Yeah. My wife and I got lost, we were wondering if you could point us to the nearest gas station?" the man leaned on the white fence.
"Sure." Jonah rolled his eyes. He walked slowly over to the fence and pointed back to the way the van had come. "Just go back that way, make a left and go straight." Jonah instructed.
"Thanks kid. Say, how old are you? You look about… sixteen?" the man guessed.
"I wish," Jonah smirked. "I'm only fourteen." The man nodded. Suddenly the back of the van shot open and the man grabbed onto Jonah.
"Let me go!" Jonah shouted. The man easily picked Jonah up and threw him in the vehicle. Shawn jumped down from the tree just as the man got back into the car.
"Jonah!" Shawn yelled grabbing his brother's bike and starting to peddle after the van.
"Shawn!" Shawn could hear his brothers muffle screams. As the van pulled further ahead Shawn got a good look at the license plate on the van. VX3P44L and he could tell it was a California plate. Then the van took a sharp turn, Shawn who hadn't been paying attention, missed the turn and was launched into a bush. He popped up just long enough to see the van disappear.
Shawn jumped up, grabbed the bike and rode it quickly back to his house.
"Shawn!" Gus waved happily from his car as Shawn jumped off the bike and raced to the house.
"Mom! Mom!" Shawn shouted before remembering the fact that neither of his parents were home.
"Shawn what's wrong?" Gus's Dad asked grabbing him.
"Someone took Jonah," Shawn gasped out.
"What?"
"I saw 'em. They stuffed him in a van and took off .I tried to chase them, I really did." Shawn said as tears started to pour down his face.
"Winnie call Henry! It's okay, it's okay." Bill Guster took Shawn into a hug. Gus scrambled out of the car and over to his sobbing best friend.
"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Gus said quietly. Shawn looked up at him and hiccupped.
"My Mom's gonna be so mad." Shawn sniffled.
"You tried your best son. They won't be mad. They're going to happy that you're okay." Bill assured patting Shawn's back.
"I couldn't get ahold of Henry or Maddie," Winnie said walking over and squatting next to Bill and Shawn. "It went straight to voicemail."
"Mom!" Shawn shouted running over to his Mom who had pulled up to the drive way.
"Shawn where's Jonah? The school called and said he didn't show up." Maddie looked surprised when Shawn grasped onto her legs and continued to sob.
"Maddie," Bill sighed and walked over to them.
"Bill what's going on?"
"Jonah was taken away." Shawn whispered.
"What?" Maddie peeled Shawn off of her and bent to his level. "What do you mean he was taken away?"
"They came and took him. Some man took him away in his van. I chased after them Mom, I promise." Shawn whimpered rubbing his eyes.
"No." She shook her head.
"Maddie," Winnie rushed over.
"No! Jonah? Jonah!?" Maddie shouted running into the house.
"Shawn did you get a license plate?" Bill asked. Shawn nodded and closed his eyes. He remembered the white van driving away. The letters and numbers floated in Shawn's head before they pieced together.
"VX3P44L" Shawn nodded. Bill quickly wrote that down as Winnie joined the now crying Maddie on the steps.
Santa Barbara: December 24, 2012
"Look, I don't wanna talk about it." Shawn rubbed his temples. "I'm sorry. I'm hungry. We haven't since lunch."
"Of course. Go on ahead and get something to eat. Don't go too far." Vick said.
"C'mon Shawn, let's see what's in the kitchen." Juliet placed her hand on his arm and helped him. They walked out of the office and into the Station's kitchen. While Shawn collapsed into one of the chairs, Juliet raided the cabinets for something to cook up. "Chef Boyardee? Mini Ravioli?" Juliet asked holding up two cans.
"Sounds good." Juliet opened the cans and poured them into two separate bowls. She put them in the microwave and waited for the beep. Once the beep came, Juliet carefully took both bowls out and placed them on the table. One in front of Shawn and the other in front of the chair next to him. She grabbed two plastic spoons before joining him at the table.
"You should eat," Juliet said after a few minutes. Shawn had done nothing but stare at the tomato covered ravioli, his spoon exactly where Juliet had put it. Shawn shrugged and Juliet took a deep breath. "Please baby? Just a little bit? For me?" she begged. Shawn nodded and picked up some of the ravioli in his spoon. He placed the contents in his mouth and chewed slowly.
"This is hard Shawn. I'm sorry-"
"Don't say that!" Shawn snapped glaring at her.
"Shawn…" Juliet was breathless. Shawn had never snapped at her like that before.
"No! People always say that and they never mean it. They say they're sorry and that makes me feel guilty and they're off the hook!" Shawn ranted. He went silent and took a few breaths. "Just don't say I'm sorry, please." He looked down.
"Shawn, you didn't let me finish. I'm sorry that I don't know how to handle this." Shawn looked at her. "I don't know what you're feeling and I don't know how to make you feel better. I love you with all my heart but I don't know what to do." She finished.
"You don't have to know what to do. Just be here I guess, okay?" Juliet nodded and kissed his cheek.
"Do you want to call your parents?"
"No. I don't really care right now." Shawn leaned his head on her shoulder.
"You tired?" she asked knowing he was exhausted.
"A little." He mumbled his eyes closing.
"How about you finish your dinner, then we'll go see what else Chief and Carlton need? After that we can go to a motel and get some sleep." Shawn nodded. Juliet and Shawn ate the rest of their food in silence. Juliet kept a close eye on Shawn as they finished. Juliet took both bowls and washed them in the sink, she placed them upside down on the counter so they could dry. She took Shawn's hand and they walked back to the Chief's office.
"Do you need anything else from us Chief?" Lassiter and Vick stopped whispering and their head shot up.
"No we don't. You and Mister Spencer are free to go. Lassiter will accompany you to a motel, where we will have officers on your door at all times. The two of you go nowhere without at least two officers, am I clear?"
"Yes Chief." Juliet answered.
"Mister Spencer?" Vick cleared her throat.
"What? Yeah, sure Chief." Shawn rubbed the back of his neck.
"Go." Lassiter led Juliet and Shawn outside and into his Ford Fusion. Both Juliet and Shawn taking the backseat. The ride was short and quiet as no one was in the mood to speak. Just as Vick had said, two uniformed officers stood outside the motel room when they arrived.
"I'm just going to check inside." Lassiter grabbed his gun. "Protocol."
"Sure Carlton," Juliet yawned. Lassiter went inside and checked the closet, bathroom and main room. "Clear." He said from inside. Shawn and Juliet entered the room. "Would you guys like me to stay?"
"No. Go back home to Marlowe Carlton. Thank you." She touched Carlton's arm in thanks as he passed by her.
"Night O'Hara. Spencer." He shut the door behind him. Shawn walked forward, sat on the bed and kicked off his shoes. The room was small with one big bed in the middle of the room. The floor was covered in a tan carpet, the walls an egg cream white. The bed had a blue blanket and two green pillows at the top.
"Tomorrow we can see if we can grab a few things from the house." Juliet said as Shawn took off his tee-shirt.
"Yeah okay."
"Don't be so down. You're okay and I'm enormously appreciative that you are." Juliet put her heels near the door.
"You're right Jules. We're both alive and unhurt… mostly." He smiled slowly. Juliet chuckled and went into the bathroom. She swiftly washed her face with soap, water and a cloth she'd found. Juliet turned back into the room and shut off the light. Shawn was already lying on the right side of the bed under the covers. His jeans, socks and his shirt littered the floor. Juliet stepped over them and joined him in bed.
As soon as her body touched the mattress, Shawn's arm was wrapped around her and he pulled her close. Juliet put her head on his bare chest and wrapped her arms around his figure. After a long, stressful day it was good to be enveloped in his warm embrace.
"I love you Jules. And I'm sorry for snapping earlier." Shawn whispered.
"Shawn? Don't say sorry, you don't need to. You're forgiven love." She kissed his chest.
"I shouldn't have snapped at you, you don't deserve it."
"It's been a long rough day Shawn. Just get some sleep. I love you too." She softly patted Shawn's chest and they both slowly fell asleep.
Santa Barbara: June 2, 1986
Shawn moved his legs back and forth and he carefully watched the door waiting for his Dad to walk through them. When Shawn saw his Dad run through the door, he jumped up.
"Dad!" Henry ran over to him and took off his sun glasses.
"Where's your Mom?" he asked.
"She's um…"
"Shawn! Where is she?" Henry yelled impatiently.
"In the room with the Chief." As soon as the words left his mouth, Henry ran away from him. Shawn sighed and fell back into the chair he'd been put in. It took them almost two hours to get word to Henry and a few minutes for him to actually get here. When arriving at the station, he'd been commanded to sit down and not to move by his mother. She hadn't looked at him since he'd told her Jonah had been taken. And when she told him not to move it was brisk command before she was gone.
She blamed him for Jonah's . He didn't blame her, he blamed himself too. If only he'd said something, warned Jonah to get away from the fence like Henry had taught them to. Maybe if he had jumped down from the tree he would have been taken instead. He was smaller, weaker and an easier target. The man would have been smarter to take him. It seemed like Jonah always got the attention. However in this instance, Shawn couldn't help but think about him as well.
Henry had yet to learn that Shawn had chased after the van. Hell, Shawn hadn't even told anyone but Bill about the license plate. Shawn felt embarrassed that he couldn't stop the van. Everything his father had instructed him to do in this situation flew out of his mind. All he could focus on was getting Jonah back. The brother who would give him up for a bottle of water. Jonah hated his guts, Shawn knew it.
Jonah had told Shawn before that he was nothing but a pest and one day would be squashed like a bug. Shawn felt slightly guilty about feeling happy. Jonah was gone. Gone. He was now an only child, he wouldn't have to battle and lose for his parent's attention. All he had to be was himself.
"We will try our best to find him Henry." Uncle Lou promised.
"I know." Henry took the seat next to Shawn and stared outside. "Are you alright?" The question caught Shawn by surprise.
"Why wouldn't I be?" he shot back.
"You were at the house when it happened. Bill Guster told me that you went after the van and got a license plate." Henry stretched his legs.
"So?"
"You went after a van on a bike Shawn. That's extremely dangerous. You could have been taken as well or killed. Then we would have lost both of you. That was a pinhead move." Shawn looked at his muddy shoes after his father's scolding. "Thank you Shawn. Because of you, we might be able to track down the van and get your brother back." Henry clapped Shawn's shoulder. Henry then walked away and vanished into a room.