A/N: Alrighty so here you go, back from my vacation, so here's the next chapter. : ) Hope you all enjoy, some of the secrets are revealed, but not all of them by any means. : ) Thanks to everyone who's read, and special thanks to everyone who's reviewed.
"Wakey, wakey, buddy!"
Gus groaned at the happy, upbeat voice in his ear, and rolled over, burying his head under the pillow.
"Ah, come on, Gussy-poo! It's almost noon! Up, up, up!"
Gus cracked open one eye, and glared up at Shawn, who was grinning at him like a crazy maniac.
"Dude… how long have you been awake?" Gus muttered, sitting up slowly, and stretching his back.
Shawn shrugged as he grabbed something out of his bag, and tossed it to Gus. "Since about seven… ish."
Gus frowned at the Pop-tart in his hand, before sighing, and deciding to play along. "Really, Shawn? Blueberry? You know I hate blueberry. Tell me you got some brown sugar in there."
Shawn laughed, and tossed another Pop-Tart at him.
"So what's on the to-do list today? Other than pick your mom up from the airport whenever she calls," Gus added, unable to completely let go of the issue.
Shawn twitched for a moment, before the smile returned. "Dunno. See the town, see what's going on… Maybe get some food," He said offhandedly, grabbing a set of clothes from his bag.
"Shawn… you know we have to talk about this, right?"
Shawn stiffened, and paused for a second, before nodding. "I know. But how 'bout some food first, huh?" He said, the laughing tone coming back. "I'm starving!"
It was about half an hour later when the two of them emerged from the pizza shop, dressed in clean clothes, and Gus feeling much more awake. Shawn's good mood had been infectious, and he found himself grinning like an idiot right along with his best friend.
"So you wanna ride with me? Or you wanna follow me on your bike?" Gus asked unsurely.
Shawn hesitated, before nodding. "I'll ride with you, buddy! We'll be like the male version of Thelma and Louise!"
"Uh… Shawn? They were two women, who hated men, and drove off a cliff and died at the end."
Shawn eyeballed him. "Really? I don't remember that part. Well… we'll be the male, non-male hating, non-suicidal version of Thelma and Louise!"
"Shawn… That whole movie was based off of their mutual hatred and distrust of men. And technically, I don't think they were suicidal."
Shawn sighed, rolling his eyes as he got into the vehicle. "Of course not, Gus. They were just so upset at the injustices of the world, and could find no other way out, except to go over a cliff together."
"Actually…" Gus trailed off, a grin on his face as he realized that Shawn was just purposely egging him on, trying to get a rise out of him.
Shawn grinned in response, before glancing around the car. "Wait a minute… you don't like blueberries… So you went out and got a car that –for all intents and purposes –is a blueberry?"
"It's not a blueberry, Shawn! It's an Echo; a company vehicle!"
"It's blue, Gus! Although, it is smaller than a blueberry, I'll grant you."
Gus frowned. "Remind me again why I missed you so damn much. Please. Otherwise I'm just gonna shove you out right now," He said teasingly as he threw the car into drive, and started down the road.
If he hadn't been looking, he would have missed it. The slight tremor, the brief horrified look on his face, the closed eyes… it lasted only a second or two before vanishing, but he knew what he had saw.
And he was more determined than ever to ferret the truth out of his best friend.
Shawn had complained the first half of the car ride to the airport. Then he'd sat in angry silence, arms folded over his chest.
Gus had given up trying to reason with him about five minutes earlier, after ten minutes of his pleas of reason being met by stony silence. It didn't matter anyways.
He sighed as he put pulled the car into the parking garage, and turned it off.
"Are you at least gonna come with me to get her?"
Shawn snorted, but slowly got out of the car, stretching out, and almost absently rubbing at his jaw.
"Are you gonna speak to me while we go find her?" At his friend's icy glare, Gus finally exploded. "Oh, come on, Shawn! We were having a great day! You were in a great mood! Why the hell is this such a big deal? Did you really expect me to not tell your mother you were back in town? It's been seven years, Shawn!"
The incredulous look on Shawn's face made Gus want to slap him, although he barely resisted the urge.
They had been having a nice day. Everything had been going fine. That is, until Maddie called, and told Gus she'd be arriving in Santa Barbara at six thirty, as long as she didn't hit a layover in San Francisco. That had been a little after one, during her stop over at Colorado, and Shawn had done nothing but bitch, whine and moan since then. Actually, when Gus thought about it, the silence was kinda nice. But it wasn't to last.
"You're right, Gus. I haven't seen her in seven years! What the hell am I supposed to say, huh? Hi mom, sorry I was a selfish, arrogant little shit. Please take me home and love and coddle me? Or maybe, hello there, mother dearest… Thank you for leaving me with Henry and vanishing from my life completely, which ultimately lead to… You know what, it doesn't even matter! The last thing I need is my mom crying all over me, trying to shrink analyze me. "
Gus had a sudden flash of insight, as he started pulling Shawn into the airport. "That's what this is all about, isn't it? You're worried about her ferreting something out of you!" He said accusingly.
Shawn rolled his eyes again. "Really, Gus? Do you remember my mother at all? She won't want to know anything, other than if I'm okay. All she's gonna do is blame herself for letting Henry shove her out the door, and it's all gonna be about her. How she missed me, how she felt while I was gone, how could I do that to her… Blagh, blagh, blagh, ad nauseam."
Gus eyeballed him as they entered the airport. "That last one, she would be pretty spot on about."
"Look, Gus, I never meant to be gone that long, alright? God damn…"
"If you didn't mean to be gone that long, you wouldn't have been, Shawn," Gus said heatedly, as they made their way up the stairs to the second level. "Or how hard would it have been to pick up a phone and call?"
Shawn stopped, and spun on Gus angrily.
"You know what, Gus? It would have been pretty fucking hard!" He seethed. "Seeing as how the first four years I was gone, I was kept drugged out of my fucking mind… Except when my fucking pimp was sending me off with complete strangers, like the one who tore my back apart, as you so nicely found when you were snooping. Or the few times when I wasn't completely trashed out of my mind, I was usually in too much pain to move. And after… What the hell was I supposed to say, huh? 'Hey, Gus, I managed to escape from the pimp who was selling my ass for forty bucks a pop… still got the taste of spunk in my mouth, so you wanna bring a toothbrush for me'? Tell me again how easy that would have been, Gus!"
The horrified look on Gus's face –while bad enough –was nothing compared to the small, quiet gasp behind him. Shawn spun around, only to find himself face to face with his mother.
"Oh, Goose…" She whispered, reaching a hand out towards him.
Shawn hesitated…
…Before bolting back down the stairs, and out of the airport.