Finishing his nightly routine, Shawn crawled into the fluffy blankets of his and Juliet's queen bed and cuddled up next to his wife. Juliet lay on her back massaging her protruding stomach softly through her cotton nightgown, smiling when she could feel a tiny kick here or there. Shawn stretched his hand over her abdomen to feel it too.
"Shawn, do you want to wait?" spoke Juliet.
"For what, sweetheart?"
"Until the baby is born…to find out if it's a boy or girl. Wouldn't it be nice to be surprised?"
Shawn frowned. He had been counting down for weeks to the day when he could find out if he was going to have another daughter or a son. Finally, he was less than twenty-four hours away from that moment, and now Jules wanted to wait another four months.
"You don't want to," said Juliet, noticing his disappointed expression.
"Well…to be honest," Shawn said carefully. "I've just been looking forward to finding out tomorrow, and…you know, being able to pick a name, and to tell Maggie whether she's getting a brother or a sister, and most importantly so I don't have to keep calling our baby 'IT.' It's a little unsettling picturing Tim Curry as an evil Bozo the Clown every time we talk about our unborn child."
Juliet chuckled. "I see what you mean. It's ok. I just thought…well…we found out with Maggie, and maybe it would have been fun to hold out the suspense for a little longer. And…we beat the odds with this one…I just don't know if we'll have another chance..."
Shawn nodded. Even though his own impatience gave him the urge to argue, all he really wanted was for Juliet to be happy.
"But…I know we talked about finding out as soon as we could for the longest time…so…"
"No, Jules. We can wait if that's what you want. We don't have to know the sex to start picking names, Maggie doesn't even know we were going to find out tomorrow, and in the meantime I can think of a unisex nickname to call him or her until he or she is born. I'm good at that. What do you think of…Mule Leaf? Juliet's brow creased. "Dingo Star?" She looked at Shawn and shook her head. "Stimpy Toe!"
She laughed and gave him an incredulous look. "I don't think so."
"Don't worry, I'll think of something."
Juliet's expression turned thoughtful again. "Are you sure, Shawn? You're really willing to wait for me?"
"Of course, sweetheart. I'd do anything for you. All I want in this world is your happiness." She grinned deeply as Shawn pulled her close to him, spooning her and peppering kisses on her neck.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
"Shawn, put that down. We can't afford to pay for another plastic model of the female reproductive system," said Juliet as she sat on the examination table, waiting for the ultrasound technician to join them in the room.
"Jules, how else do you expect me to learn what the inside of you looks like?" said Shawn bouncing an ovary in his hand.
"If you really want to know, I have some books at home."
"I'm really more of a hands-on learner, Jules."
"Then I'll make it interactive for you," she breathed and then had to giggle at the stunned look on his face.
"That is so…sexy."
She smiled teasingly then quickly shifted to a stern tone and a look that could kill. "Put it back, Shawn!"
He uncoordinatedly inserted the round piece back into the model. Juliet cringed as the entire thing tottered precariously and nearly fell off the counter. Shawn had just got it steadied as the technician finally entered the room.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer," spoke the cheery woman in purple speckled scrubs. "My name is Sondra and I'll be performing your ultrasound today. You ready to see your baby?"
Juliet nodded enthusiastically and Shawn clapped his hand together. "Hells yeah! Let's do this!"
"Lie back, honey," said Sondra jovially. "I supposed you know by now that this gel is darn cold."
Juliet reclined on the examination table and revealed her stomach. Sondra squirted some of the gel onto it and started up the machine. Shawn took Juliet's hand and squeezed it as they shared eager smiles. They waited for Sondra to find the right position and a good view of the fetus.
"Looks like you've got an active little fella here," said Sondra.
Shawn gaped at the screen when he could begin to make out the shape of a head and four tiny limbs moving about. "Yeah…it…he…she's been kicking a lot more lately," he said. Juliet agreed with a nod.
"A healthy one too," continued Sondra. "Everything just looks fantastic." She took a few notes. "Your baby's development is progressing as normally as to be expected. All of his or her internal organs should be formed and will continue to mature, and your baby now has eyelids and should be growing lashes and eyebrows and maybe even hair on his or her little head."
"That's awesome. Just like a little person," said Shawn in wonderment.
"It is a little person, Mr. Spencer. Now…have you thought about whether you'd like to know the sex?"
"Yes, we have." said Juliet. Remembering what they had decided on the night before, Shawn started to shake his head from side-to-side. He did a double take though when he saw Juliet nodding. "Yes, we want to know," she said smiling at Shawn.
"Jules? Are you sure? You said you wanted to wait…"
"I changed my mind," she said simply.
"So you're both in agreement?" Sondra asked. "You want to know?"
Shawn glanced at Juliet for one last 'ok' and then they both nodded.
"Ok, then. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Spencer. You'll be having a little boy."
Juliet squealed and Shawn whooped. "It's a boy, Shawn!" Juliet exclaimed.
"I'll give you two some privacy," mumbled Sondra as she ducked out of the room.
Juliet wiped the gel from her stomach and sat up on the table. Shawn sat facing her on the stool in front of her, noticing the moisture in her eyes. "You're crying," he said, wiping a tear from her cheek gently with his thumb.
"As soon as I saw him on that screen, I just had to know… We're going to have a son, Shawn, and Maggie is going to have brother. This moment couldn't be any more perfect."
Seeing his wife weeping happily had Shawn getting emotional too. "I'm going to have a son…" He realized the weight of that statement. He was going to have a little boy who would look up to him, a boy who would strive to be like him in the same way he remembered wanting to be like Henry when he was a small boy. Somewhere along the line, Shawn had abandoned that dream…but had somehow turned out much more like his dad than he would have thought. If he played his cards right, his own son would turn out to be the strong and devoted man that Shawn wanted him to be, and he couldn't imagine anyone better to be his son's mother than Juliet.
"You're having my son, Jules!" he said in admiration. His hands then cradled the back of Juliet's head and his fingers wove through her hair as he kissed her passionately.
"I'm honored to do it," she replied when the kiss was completed. "I love you, Shawn," she said leaning her forehead onto his.
"I love you too, Jules."
"What do you think about Ryan?" asked Juliet as she and Shawn lowered themselves onto a park bench alongside Bohnett Park Playground, while Maggie played on the monkey bars with a few of her little friends.
"Lyin' Ryan?"
"Ok, Ryan's out," Juliet agreed. "How about… Cameron?
Juliet was startled as Shawn scoffed loudly. "You mean Hostage Negotiator Cameron Luntz? I don't think so!"
"Oh yeah…I forgot about him…" she said as realization dawned on her face. "What do you think about…Cole?"
Shawn thought about it for a second. It had a nice ring to it, he thought. "That's not bad….oh uh no, OH no," his opinion shifted rapidly.
"What?" asked Juliet, suddenly taken aback.
"Remember that guy from the bounty hunters case…the Kangaroo paste dude. We probably shouldn't name our kid after a killer…even if he did have immaculate hair."
"Oh yeah… You did look dead sexy in that vest, you know. I still keep kicking myself for not letting you kiss me that night."
"I don't know, Jules. Close-talking is one my top five memories with you." Juliet blushed. "Anyhow, Cole won't work. Maybe we'll need something more common…you know, that won't remind us of someone you arrested."
"Nick?" she suggested. "That's common enough."
"Killed a food critic," said Shawn, shaking his head. "Unless you meant Nick Conforth, which I guess would be ok. I like that dude."
"No…Randy?"
"Randy Labayda? The hot-headed TV host?"
"Robert?"
"Multiple personality cross-dresser."
"Damn! Can't we think of any names that aren't associated with one of our past cases?" whined Juliet
"That will be hard. We've solved a lot of cases," Shawn pointed out, to which Juliet nodded. "I don't remember this being so hard with Maggie…but I guess you already had her name picked out even before we talked about it." Shawn's face contorted in thought for a few seconds. "I know! Maybe we should go get one of those baby name books."
"Nah…I don't want to just pick a random name from a baby book…."
"How about a cook book?"
"Huh?"
"We could name him Omelet, or…Stroganoff, or Gazpacho!"
Juliet's brow crumpled as she shook her head at Shawn's silliness. She still couldn't help laughing though. "Haha. No, Shawn. What I mean is, I'd like to choose a name that is special. Something that means something to us….like Burton, for example."
"Burton?! Jules, Gus doesn't even use that name. Besides, it's already a given that he'll be named after my Dad. Dad will throw a hissy fit if Henry isn't our son's middle name."
"What?! Why didn't you say that before?" criticized Juliet.
"It didn't come up. Anyway, it's kind of tradition in the Spencer family. My middle name is William after my grandfather, and Dad's middle name is…Ca - cough, mumble, cough - per…after his grandfather." Shawn made sure to fudge the name that his Dad hated and had forbidden Shawn from ever repeating.
"Wait, what is your Dad's middle name?" probed Juliet interestedly.
"Cough…uh…Casper," Shawn revealed reluctantly.
"Casper?!"
"Yeah. But don't tell him I told you. On second thought, do tell him. Friday dinner. That should make for a fun evening."
Juliet chuckled and shook it off and referred back to their son's supposed middle name. "Ok. I like that. Our son's middle name is Henry. So we just have to think of a first name that goes with Henry."
"But how?"
Just then, a young boy approached the couple. The adorable six-year-old had a thick black head of hair, a button nose, and glasses that made him look like a tiny professor. "E..excuse me," said the boy timidly.
Shawn and Juliet smiled at each other and giggled softly at the boy's cuteness. "Yeah, what can we do for you little man?" said Shawn.
"Um…I think you dropped this, Mister," said the boy to Shawn holding out a Velcro wallet with Voltron on the front.
"Whoa! You're right, I did. How did I miss that?" said Shawn, taking the wallet from the boy. "Thanks, little guy."
"Thank you so much!" Juliet repeated. "That could have been a disaster. You are our lifesaver."
The boy smile proudly before turning to walk away.
"Wait!" said Shawn. "What's your name, buddy?"
"James," said the boy.
"Good. A nice strong name. You're a good boy, James. Thanks again."
James nodded shyly and then ran off towards his mother.
"He was cute," admired Juliet. "I hope our son is as good-hearted as he is."
"He will be," said Shawn confidently. "Hey, how about James?"
Juliet thought it over briefly, looking across the playground at the generous little boy who was now playing in the sand box and sharing his shovel with Maggie. "I think it's perfect."
"Me too," agreed Shawn putting his hand on Juliet's stomach. "James Henry Spencer…not overly unique at all, but classic. I like it very much."
"So we're settled then?"
"Yup, I believe so," said Shawn. "But…just so we're clear…it's strictly James. Not Jim or Jimmy."
Juliet agreed though looked at Shawn curiously, wondering why he was so set against the nicknames.
Shawn clarified impatiently. "Jimmy Nichols? Mine and Gus's childhood bully…" Did Juliet not remember anything?
"Right," remembered Juliet. "Just plain James it is then.
