3. "Goodnight, Travel Well" – The Killers

Shawn was used to being late. He'd been late to his own birth, and he'd been consistently late ever since. He was fashionably tardy for every appointment he made, regardless of how important said appointment was. He never turned in his taxes on time, despite Gus' incessant prodding and prompting. From preschool to high school, not one of his assignments had been delivered by the due date. It was just who he was. Punctuality required effort, and Shawn hated words that started with "eff-" and ended with "-ort."

Despite all the lateness, Shawn wasn't used to being too late. Over the years, not one doctor, dentist, masseur, or manicurist had refused to treat him, even when he showed up two and a half hours late to a Swedish massage. He'd never been fined, audited, or sued by the IRS. And once, in 11th grade, he'd turned in the most important essay of the year three months late… and got the highest grade in the class.

Now, though, he really was too late. The clock had run out. Shawn wished he'd run out with it.

He took a sip of his champagne. He hated champagne, almost as much as he hated weddings. He just didn't understand what there was to celebrate in two people deciding – stupidly – to spend the rest of their human lives together. Marriage only ended in heartbreak, especially for cops. Shawn's parents were living proof of that. Hadn't Lassie learned anything from his weekly fishing trips with Henry? Shawn guessed not. After all, Lassie looked so happy over there, dancing with his ex-ex-wife. Shawn downed the rest of his champagne in a single gulp. He'd never even gotten to say a proper goodbye to that stupid, too-lanky leprechaun with the too-big ears.

But maybe that was for the best. Shawn had never been good at goodbyes.

Lassiter happened to look in his direction, and Shawn suddenly realized he was staring. But then Lassiter started staring right back at him, and Shawn couldn't bring himself to look away. They stayed like that for a few moments until Shawn forced himself to smile and raise his empty champagne flute in a toast to Lassie's formerly broken, now fixed marriage. Lassiter hesitated and then returned the sad smile of his former lover, now friend.

There was nothing Shawn could say and nothing Shawn could do to change things now. It was too late.