The last chapter is here! The ending is very different to the rest of the fanfic. You'll see.
Please review! Good, Bad, Fantastic, Terrible. I want it all!
Shawn walked into the police station, very curious about the call he had just received. Carlton had called him, telling him to come to the station. He said nothing else. He sounded very pissed, but that was it. That was all Shawn could make out of the entire conversation. Gus followed Shawn closely, something he did very often ever since Shawn got out of the hospital. At first Shawn complained, but he figured that soon enough Gus would get it out of his system. Then, everything would be back to normal again. He hoped.
Shawn approached Carlton's desk, with a huge smile on his face. Carlton looked up to face the smiling idiot and groaned. Juliet smacked him on the back of his head, trying to make him be nicer to her boyfriend. Shawn stared at Gus confused. Wasn't Carlton the one who told them to come down in the first place?
"What's up, Lassie?" Shawn asked. "Do you need some of my expertise?" Shawn was already placing his hand to his forehead. Carlton just laughed.
"I will never need your expertise" Carlton said.
"You hear that, Gus? Lassie just admitted my expertise!" Carlton stared at Shawn, debating smacking him. "Look, the sooner you tell me why you brought me down here, the sooner I can leave and return to my Jaws marathon." Carlton sighed.
"Natalie wants to see you." Shawn looked at Carlton, taken back. It had been three days since the trial. He thought he had seen the last of Natalie. He thought wrong.
"Okay" Shawn said calmly. This caused Gus to stare at him and then explode.
"No!" Gus yelled. "Not okay! She kidnapped you, Shawn! She might have helped you, but that doesn't take away from the fact that she did kidnap you!"
"Gus, relax. It's not like I'm going unprotected. It's going to be, what? Interrogation room? Or the visiting room? There will be cops everywhere." The look on Carlton's face told him how wrong he was. "Or not."
"She wanted a private room. Wanted to talk to you about the case and didn't want anyone to hear about it" Carlton said angrily.
"He's just annoyed because he's been trying to get that private room with Marlowe" Juliet answered Shawn's mental question. "They won't let him. Despite him being a cop. And now they're letting you go with someone who tried to kill you."
"She didn't try to kill me" Shawn said, already making his way towards the private rooms. "She tried to save me."
Shawn met his father outside of the room. The door was closed and there was only one guard there. And also his father. Carlton quickly approached Shawn and stopped him before he entered the room. He handed him a device.
"This is a sort of distress signal" Carlton said. "We aren't allowed in, so if anything goes wrong – whether she attacks you are tries to escape - just push the button and we'll come in." Shawn nodded, not even a little bit worried.
"We'll be right outside if you need us" Henry said. Shawn shrugged and put his hand on the door knob. Carlton pulled him back.
"Will you understand how serious this is?" he hissed. "She could have killed you. I don't understand why you defended her so much in court. She should be rotting in jail. But instead, she's going to get out in less than four years!" Shawn just smiled.
"You don't know the whole story" Shawn said, patting Carlton's shoulder. Carlton just stared at him and watched him turn the handle and push the door open.
Shawn walked into the room to see Natalie in an orange jumpsuit sitting by a table in the middle of the room. She looked up as she heard Shawn enter the room and smiled.
"Shawn" She said happily. "I… didn't think you would show…"
"You have something about the case?" Shawn said. Natalie's face fell slightly.
"Not really" Natalie said. Shawn raised an eyebrow at her. "Not at all, actually. You figured everything out. I just have questions for you. And this seemed like the only way to actually get a hold of you, seeing as you would never visit."
"Why would I visit?"
"I don't know. I just thought you might." There was an awkward moment of silence before she spoke again. "I killed a man." Shawn stared at her. "Drake Remoray. I killed him." Natalie met Shawn's eyes.
"No. you didn't. It was an accident-"
"I killed him. If I hadn't gone in that booth that day, he would still be alive-"
"And then Helga Duff would be dead." Natalie opened her mouth to speak but then shut it once she realized she was lost for words. "Natalie, it was an accident. Santa Barbara's finest said it themselves. You never went to the theatre with the intention to kill. It was an accident."
"I pointed my gun at him-"
"Yeah, but the safety was on." Natalie stared at him, confused.
"How did you know that?"
"You just confirmed it." There was another awkward moment of silence.
"I guess my marriage is over…" Natalie said grimly. Shawn nodded. "Looks like I'm going to be alone, then…" Natalie stood up and took a step towards Shawn.
"Seems like it…" Shawn said, feeling uncomfortable with where this was going. Natalie smiled at him.
"I don't want to be alone…" Natalie closed the distance between herself and Shawn. Her face was inches away from Shawn's.
"Well, you know… plenty of fish in the sea and what not…" Shawn quickly said, taking a step back. He then felt the wall and Natalie once again closed the distance between them. She looked up into Shawn's eyes, and leaned in, hoping to steal a kiss.
Shawn pushed her away.
"I'm dating a detective" Shawn said quickly. Natalie stopped. "She carries a gun." Shawn hinted again. Natalie stepped back, going red in both cheeks.
"I'm such an idiot" she said, barely above a whisper. Shawn approached, finding himself trying to comfort her.
"Look, Natalie… one day – after you serve your sentence – you're going to meet someone. And you're going to realise why no other relationship worked. You won't be alone." Natalie started tearing up.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because you're a great girl. You're caring and nice-"
"Yeah, that's why I'm in prison."
"It is, actually" Shawn said. Natalie looked at her. "You cared about me. You cared about Helga. You cared about every single person William threatened. You turned yourself in, because you realized what you were doing was wrong. You could have run away. But you didn't. You'll meet someone one day. But I'm not that someone." Natalie smiled, already feeling better.
"Shawn Spencer… You are incredible. I am so sorry for what I've put you through. I don't know how I'll ever make it up to you." Shawn smiled.
"Get your life back. Be that happy girl who started a charity in memory of her grandmother. Then we can call it even." Natalie smiled at him, tearing up again.
"Can I ask you for one more favour?" she asked, wiping away a tear.
"Sure." Natalie pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Shawn.
"Can you give this to Helga? I owe her an apology… And I worry I'll never get to do that in person…" Shawn smiled and nodded.
"Of course I will" Shawn said, taking the letter and putting it his coat pocket.
The door then opened and Henry walked in.
"Ten minutes are up" he said. Two guards then went in the room and escorted Natalie out. Shawn then left the room, following his father back up to the main entrance.
Gus, Juliet and Carlton were waiting for him there. The first they did was question him. Shawn made up a quick lie about how Natalie had asked to speak with Shawn to confirm that she had nothing to do with the sandbag that should have fallen on Helga's head. Juliet and Carlton accepted the lie immediately, but as soon as Shawn asked Gus to take him for a smoothie, Gus knew he was hiding something.
Gus and Shawn went in line at the new smoothie factory. They both ordered a pineapple smoothie and sat down at a table. Gus didn't even take a sip of his smoothie before he went straight into Shawn's interrogation.
"What did she really talk to you about?" he asked. Shawn stared at his friend, shocked.
"I don't know what you're talking about…"
"Natalie. Don't lie to me, Shawn. I know she didn't talk to you about Helga." There was a stare off before Shawn caved in.
"Fine, fine. But don't tell Jules" Shawn said. Gus's eyes opened wide. "Natalie… might… have tried to make a move on me…"
"Shawn!"
"I told her no!" Gus stared at him in the eye again, trying to find the truth. Once he was satisfied, he took a sip from his smoothie.
"So why hide it from Juliet?"
"Are you kidding? She has a gun." Gun nodded in agreement.
"Why did you want to leave the station in such a hurry?" Shawn pulled out a piece of paper.
"I need to deliver this to Helga" Gus stared at the paper in fascination.
"What does it say?"
"I'm not reading it, Gus. That's private. And reading someone else's mail is illegal."
"You know what else is illegal? Kidnapping someone." Shawn sighed.
"Come on, Mr Grumpy Gills. We need to see Helga."
Shawn knocked three times on Helga's door. Almost immediately, it was opened to reveal the beautiful Helga Duff. She smiled at the sight of her favourite detective and then frowned at his crutches.
"Ah. Shawn. Where is Mr Jenkins?" Helga asked. Shawn looked at her confused.
"Who?"
"Your… partner?"
"Oh! He's just staying in the car. He's a bit upset with me."
"Nothing to serious I hope. Come on in." Shawn smiled and entered the woman's lovely home. "I do apologise for the state you're in."
"Why? It wasn't your fault."
"It was my money they were after" Helga sighed. "What am I to do with this damned money."
"What do you mean?" Helga smiled.
"78, remember? Now I've got no one to leave my money to." Helga then looked at Shawn with new inspiration. "How would you like four and a half million dollars?"
"f-f-f-f-f-f-f…million?" Shawn stuttered. He then shook his head. "nono. I couldn't."
"I insist."
"As do I" Shawn said, surprising even himself. "Ms Duff, you're wasting your life."
"I'm… sorry?"
"Look at you. Throwing away money as if it meant nothing!"
"It does mean noth-"
"No! Helga, you are seventy eight years young. You have four and a half million dollars to spare! Do you have any idea how many people are fortunate enough to be in your situation? Not very many! Please, do me a favour. Do Drake a favour. Hell, do yourself a favour! Go live your life." Helga stared at him in shock. "Go on a cruise! Go visit Egypt! Go to Antarctica! Rebuild the theatre, invest in a charity, anything! Don't spend the rest of your life stuck in this room wondering who needs your money. When you're in your nineties, then you can start worrying about your money. Then you can start thinking about your will. For now, please, just enjoy your life and keep your money to yourself!"
Shawn stared at Helga, slightly out of breath from his speech.
"Well, Shawn…" Helga said at last, breaking the silence. "You've given me a lot to think about…" Helga started showing Shawn the way out. Then Shawn remembered Natalie.
"Oh, and one more thing" Shawn took out Natalie's letter and handed it to Helga. "She's very sorry. She's afraid she'll never get to tell you just how sorry she is herself." Helga picked up the letter and stared at it. "I would talk to her." Helga then smiled a true and genuine smile.
"Of course I will" she said. She opened the door for Shawn. "Thank you" she said. "You remarkable young man."
Epilogue. Helga Duff's Funeral.
Shawn held Juliet's hand and together they walked in to the ceremony. Shawn had a frown on his face and Juliet gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. The relationship Shawn had with Helga was messed up, complicated, confusing and weird. But they meant a lot to each other.
When Shawn forgot to pay the bills one month, he found that some mysterious woman had paid them for him. When Helga found herself needing an extra hand building the theatre, she could always rely on a young man to come and help. They didn't see much of each other. Helga was often out, seeing the world. Just as Shawn had told her to do. Every so often, Shawn would receive a post card from her. And he would post it up, proud of this wonderful woman.
When Natalie got released from jail, Helga offered her a job almost immediately. Natalie was set for life. Natalie managed to apologise in person for the way she had acted and she explained her whole situation. Or at least, she tried to. Helga simply told her to shut her mouth. She didn't care about what she did as long as she was willing to help now. And she was.
"Mrs. Jones?" Shawn called out. Natalie turned around and faced Shawn. She hugged him tight.
"Oh, Shawn" Natalie said, tears instantly falling. Shawn gave her a supportive pat on the back.
"Where's Mark?" Shawn asked.
"He went to get me some tissues" Natalie said. "I've been a mess. Oh, Juliet. Thanks for coming." Juliet smiled at Shawn's former kidnapper – something she never thought she'd do.
"Don't mention it" she said.
"And Gus?" Natalie asked.
"With the kids" Shawn said. Natalie sighed. She knew what that meant.
"He still hasn't forgiven me, has he?" she asked. Shawn thought back to Gus and the day Natalie was released. No. He hadn't. and he never would. Shawn quickly shook away the thoughts of the kidnapping fourteen years ago.
"Afraid not." Natalie nodded. Mark then approached them and kissed Natalie on her forehead, comforting her in her time of need. He then shook Shawn's hand, understand his complicated relationship with Helga as well.
At some point during the service – Shawn wasn't sure at what point exactly – he had started to cry. Silently, the tears would stream down his cheeks and fall to the ground.
After the service, a man asked to talk to Natalie and Shawn about the will. They both groaned, having had enough with the damned will.
To their surprise, they found out that most of her money was gone. She had left Shawn a book with strict instructions not to open them until he got home. She left Natalie the theatre, as well as five hundred grand.
Shawn hugged Natalie goodbye. She had offered him a drink, even offered him dinner. But Shawn refused, wanting nothing more than to go home and sleep off this major depression he was feeling wash over him. Natalie understood and didn't push him.
Juliet and Shawn went into their car and Juliet drove them home. Shawn walked in the house and didn't even greet Gus. When their children asked what was wrong with Daddy, Juliet simply said "You're daddy's not feeling to happy right now. He's just had to say goodbye to someone he really cares about."
Shawn walked up to his room and sat on the bed. He found he was still holding the book Helga had left him. Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the book. A letter fell out and Shawn picked it up. First, a cheque for 2 hundred grand. Shawn shook his head. Of course she would find a way to give him money. He then read the letter.
My dearest Shawn,
The money, of course, is for emergencies only. I hate to think that you can't pay for your bills again. Or if Juliet or yourself find yourselves in the hospital with no way to pay. Keep the money safe, for once in your life. Just put it in the bank.
Shawn laughed, finding himself crying once again. Even in death, Helga would lecture him as if he were her child. He kept reading.
I lived my life, Shawn. Just as you urged me to. Please, open this book and live these memories with me.
Lots of love,
Helga Duff.
Shawn put the letter down, already crying his eyes out. He opened the book and saw pictures. Pictures among pictures among pictures. Helga in Egypt, by the pyramids. Helga in Antarctica, fully covered in her winter coat. Helga on an elephant, Helga rebuilding the theatre, Helga on stage, Helga at a soup kitchen, Helga on a horse.
Shawn had a smile on his face as he cried and cried.
Helga Duff was 92 years old. She lived her life.
The end