Author's Note: Whenever I watch "Something Good" I always wonder if Shane and Becky were best friends during Shane's time at the USPS in DC, why hadn't they stayed in touch following Shane's transfer to The Denver DLO (which we know was supposed to be Direct Line Operations instead of the Dead Letter Office). When Becky says "I thought you were transferred to Direct Line Operations" I thought it odd that Shane hadn't called Becky at some point to voice her frustration at the merry mix-up that brought her to the Dead Letter Office.

I love digging into Shane's past and found myself taking a little FanFic poetic license on this one. The story touches on Shane's life in DC before moving to Denver and, just a warning, we all know who was in her life in DC.

As always, I own none of these characters. They belong to the amazing Martha Williamson and have been brought to life by the lovely Kristin Booth and Valerie Bertanelli.

This first chapter includes a partial recap of Shane and Becky's reunion before I start digging in to the rest of my musings.

I hope this helps fill in some time while we wait for the next movie. As always I appreciate constructive criticism.

Together Again

Shane pushed through the squeaky doors of the DLO just as she heard a familiar voice say "Shane McInerney?" Could it be?

"Becky?"

"Shaney!"

The synchronized squealing commenced as the women flew into each other's arms while Norman and Rita looked on with wide eyes.

"Becky! I can't believe it!" Shane blinked twice wondering if she was seeing things.

"I don't believe it!" Becky and Shane's voices melted into one as each was unable to contain their excitement.

"Oh, look at you!"

"You look so beautiful!"

"So do you!"

"Oh, this town has done you wonders!" Becky scanned Shane's face.

"What are you doing here?" Shane couldn't believe her best friend from DC was standing in front of her.

"I'm going to be here for a few weeks!"

"How long has it been?" a stab of guilt shot through Shane knowing she hadn't reached out to Becky since she'd moved to Denver.

"Too long." Becky responded.

Shane proudly showed Becky around the DLO ending at her "steam punk on wheels" desk that Norman had made for her.

"Very impressive Norman!" Becky called across the office.

Shane asked Becky. "So, when did this happen?"

"Oh, about a month after you left. They called me in, gave me a new title and all sorts of power." Becky mischievously tapped her fingers together.

"Ooh, what were they thinking?" Shane said.

Becky told her "I fly around, doing whatever I think will improve uh, how did they put it? Awareness, goodwill and increased reliance on the work of the post office."

"I always knew you'd get your dream job." Shane's voice had an air of pride to it at her friend's accomplishment.

"And you? Wait. I thought you were transferred to Direct Line Operations?" Becky asked sounding a bit puzzled.

Shane turned to keep out of Norman and Rita's earshot and whispered. "It's a long story."

"That's why they created lunch Shaney! How's 11:30?"

"Perfect, Oh, I can't wait to hear everything about D.C." Shane's voice had a longing to it.

"And everybody?" Becky's suggestive tone told Shane her best friend could still read into what she said and she admitted to herself she was curious. Afterall, that was her nature.

"Ahem, I'll walk you out." Shane linked her arm in Becky's and showed her out of the DLO promising to meet her at the Mailbox Grille at 11:30.

Shane used the next hour to prep Norman and Rita before sending them to Deep Rock Sound in search of anyone who might know the singer on the CD found languishing in the unattached items bin. Waiting for her computer to download some needed information that could be helpful for her colleagues, Shane took a moment to contemplate the surprise visit from Becky. Rebecca Starkwell had been her very best friend, and really her only true friend, during her time at the USPS in DC. Even though Becky was on the fast track to becoming a C-suite executive having interned in the executive program she and Shane had hit it off from the first time they met during Shane's early days at the post office. They lunched together several times a week and became each other's confidants in all matters whether related to work or their personal and romantic lives or lack thereof. They routinely spent time together outside of work and Shane had come to think of Becky more as a sister than just a friend.

So how was it possible that Shane had been in Denver for months and hadn't spoken to Becky? The answer to that question went a lot deeper than Shane wanted to admit to herself.

#########

Shane McInerney's first job after graduating university was at an art gallery in Washington DC. For as long as Shane could remember she'd been fascinated by art, the techniques artists used and how they could tell a story in a painting using color and brushstrokes. Every year for her birthday, even as a young girl, she and her mom would visit art galleries around DC before going to tea and discussing their favorite paintings of the day. It was a good memory with her mom that Shane held onto especially given the more recent painful ones. Her mother's time and attention had become focused on her sister Alex whose troubles further cracked a family still living with the long-term effects of an absent father.

When the time came for Shane to leave home for college she and her mother found themselves at loggerheads over Shane's choice of art history as her major. Sharon tried in vain to dissuade her daughter rationalizing that the job market for art history majors would be thin and questioning how was she going to support herself. This frustrated Shane to no end. Afterall, it was her mother who fostered her love of art and her choice of major wasn't her mother's decision but her own. Sharon tried playing to Shane's ego saying she had a brilliant mind capable of success on many career paths but Shane would not be deterred. Call it a stubborn streak or call it rebellion but she refused to change her mind and pursued the degree she had originally chosen. In an attempt to keep some peace Shane did take her mother's concerns into consideration and added two minors, one in philosophy and one in computer science. Sharon balked at the philosophy minor too but Shane was quick to point out that a minor in philosophy would teach her strong problem-solving, critical thinking and writing skills that would be useful for any career path. She carried a heavy load of classes but once she made up her mind she threw herself into it 110%. She graduated summa cum laude in four years and was ready to make her name in the art world.

Disappointingly, Shane soon discovered the reality of the art world was not as glamorous as it seemed when she was a child strolling through galleries. The job kept her pinned to her desk behind a computer for many of her working hours. A great deal of her time was spent researching and tracking down paintings for wealthy clients who wanted to add to their personal collections. It wasn't what she'd envisioned the job would be but Shane remained knowing she needed to stay at the job for a reasonable amount of time or face the dilemma of answering the question why her length of employment was so brief. The other factor keeping her there was that she most definitely did not want to give her mother any opportunity to say "I told you so."

The upside of her position was that it allowed her to use what she'd learned in her computer programming classes to "creatively" locate hard to find pieces for clients. While art and philosophy fed her right brain, her computer skills spoke to the left side of her brain.

Shane's favorite part of the job were the evenings when the gallery hosted artists' showings. Shane looked forward to the gallery filled to capacity with interesting people who enjoyed talking about art as much as she did and she could flex her own art prowess with people who shared a mutual interest. The down side to those evenings was that she often felt more like a party planner than an art expert.

It was at a particularly well attended artist showing that had Shane dashing around the gallery making sure everything was running smoothly during the show and reception. The gallery staff was small so everyone took on multiple roles to make sure the evening went off without a hitch. One of Shane's responsibilities was to make sure the caterers and wait staff kept the drinks poured and food passed around. Well-fed patrons with a few drinks in them usually made for more sales.

Shane felt especially pretty that evening wearing a new, lower cut than usual V-neck sheath black dress that hugged and flaunted every curve. She'd found it on sale and had saved the birthday money she'd received from both her mom and her dad. Her strappy four-inch heels accentuated her muscled calves and made her legs look long and sleek. Shane moved quickly through the gallery ensuring everything was in order but as she came around a corner she bumped (well, really crashed) into a tall, incredibly handsome man causing him to spill his freshly poured glass of wine down the front of his black, very expensive looking suit jacket. Shane was caught completely off guard and her face immediately turned three shades of red as she struggled to stay upright on the spindly heels she now questioned as a good choice of footwear. The gentleman grabbed her forearms steadying her. She stuttered an apology while he grabbed a stack of cocktail napkins from a close by table and attempted to soak up the wine that had drenched his jacket.

Shane met his eyes and though she knew she should say something else her embarrassment had her at a loss for words. Instead, she grabbed more napkins and joined him trying to clean the wine from the lapel of his jacket. His hand covered hers as he made her stop her futile attempt to help. The warmth of his well-manicured, soft yet strong grasp sent her stomach into a series of flips and made her legs weak.

His blue eyes were mirthful as he reassuringly told her not to worry. "I'm sure it will come out but thank you for your help." Shane still had not said another word as he handed her the stack of wet napkins and excused himself to join the group he had been talking with earlier.

Shane dumped the heap of soaked napkins into the closest trash bin and made a beeline for the lady's room mortified at what had just transpired. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she could see her still pink cheeks that only got pinker as she replayed the scene in her head. "Oh Shane, how could you be so careless?" She knew she had to get back to the reception so with a quick splash of cold water to her face, a smear of fresh lipstick and a few fortifying breaths she returned. Thankfully the evening was winding down and she was kept busy finalizing sales of several pieces. Shane experienced the feeling of eyes on her and as she looked up she saw the victim of her carelessness walking toward her. She averted her eyes hoping that if she didn't look at him he would pass by uneventfully. But, when she brought her eyes up he was standing directly in front of her, close enough that she could smell the subtle, woodsy scent of his cologne. Her cheeks started to warm again and she hoped they weren't as red as they were warm. Swallowing hard she found her voice. "I, I want to apologize. Again. Please send the cleaning bill to me here at the gallery and we'll take care of it." Shane plucked her business card from the desk and handed it to him.

A smile crossed his face and his eyes softened. "I appreciate that" he looked at her card finding her name "Shane. But please don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." His continued gaze and smooth velvety voice as he said her name made Shane's heart pound to a level she thought for sure he could hear. Finally, he extended his hand to her. Shane hesitated before letting him wrap her hand in his. She remembered the effect it had on her earlier during the wine mishap and it was having the same effect again. "I'm Steve Marek. Thanks for a…well, an interesting evening."

Shane couldn't help but turn and watch as he left the gallery. She took several deep breaths trying to steady her heart. It had been a very long time since she'd been affected by a man like this. Truth be told she'd rather given up on men after a particularly difficult break up at school and decided to commit herself to her career. All she could think now is that a man like Steve Marek could make her rethink that decision.