Int. Psych Office

[It’s heading towards early evening in Santa Barbara. Shawn is alone at his desk in the Psych office, leaning back in his desk chair, looking around the office in search of something not easily found---a cure for his boredom.]

It was an idea that couldn’t have been more perfect.

     He was sitting in the Psych office waiting for Juliet to get off work. She had some paperwork to finish up but promised to be there in time for the John Hughes movie marathon showing at the theatre that night.

     Shawn had already exhausted facebook-ing, wastebasket ball and obnoxiously texting Gus random trivia. His eyes scanned the desk for something else to do while he waited for Juliet. That’s when his eyes landed on the multicolored post-it note pack unopened on his desk.

     He grabbed it up and unwrapped them, taking careful notice of its accordion-like appearance as he stretched it out his arms length. He smiled, pleased with his findings.

     Shawn returned the post-it stack to its original state. Suddenly aware that he had nothing with which to write on these colorful pieces of paper, he opened his top desk drawer to unearth the 24-pack of Sharpie pens he’d insisted Gus buy for the office. Shawn had managed to convince Gus that they were an office necessity and that they couldn’t be legit without them. Gus conceded only because he was a fan of the color variety---either way, they each got what they wanted.

     He pulled out the brown and green pens, pleased that the yellow post-it would serve as the fill-in for the yellow pen when he finished outlining the pineapple. He drew the outline, careful to make it proportionate on either side.

     As he drew, though, he remembered the time Juliet had tried to cut a pineapple one night at his apartment. She had never had occasion to cut a pineapple before, so this was kind of a big deal to her. Unfortunately, Juliet hadn’t quite anticipated how rough the exterior could be to cut, especially with the size knife she was using. She ended up cutting her index finger.

     It wasn’t a deep cut, but the knife drew blood. Shawn, who was used to kitchen accidents, had a package of band-aids and some triple antibiotic ointment at the ready in a nearby drawer. He fished them out, and promptly went to work on her wounded finger.

     When he was finished, he noted Juliet’s brow furrow.

     “What?” he’d asked.

     “Aren’t you forgetting something?” she replied using her other finger to point to the band-aid.

     He looked at her perplexed. He wasn’t sure what she was getting at.

     “A kiss to make it feel better…” she said with a smile.

     Shawn took a step forward, “I can’t believe I forgot the best part!” he laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

     “I meant the finger, Shawn,” Juliet corrected.

     “Well I think I can take care of both,” he replied, not hesitating to close the distance between their lips.

     Shawn laughed, remembering their little moment. He put the finishing touches on the pineapple and pulled the post-it from the stack. He flipped the stack over so he could pull off a turquoise post-it.

     He grabbed a red pen, not surprised that the red didn’t show up against the dark background.

     I love when we play doctor. He wrote, drawing a crude first-aid cross as an illustration.

     Pleased with that post-it, he separated the pile to expose the lime green and hot pink post-its.

     What followed was a flashback to every moment he had ever spent with Juliet that meant something to him, reduced to one line and a clever depiction.

     I love when you can’t resist my boyish charm, a line accompanied by a drawing of a roller skate, referring to the time he’d convinced Juliet to skate with them and they held hands.

     I love that even when you’re angry, you’re cute, this line was accompanied by a gold star, the only fight they’d ever gotten into was over Shawn trying to get information from her, blaming Juliet’s refusal to tell him what he wanted as her punishing him for Abigail.

     I love that you stole my chair.

     I love that you’re a big ball of sunshine---all the time.

     I love that you’re my best friend.

     I love that you won’t let me get away with anything.

     You know what I’m trying to say, even when I don’t.

     I love that you keep my secrets.

     I love that you make me a better person.

     I love your shooting skills.

     You’re the only one I don’t hate when you call me out.

     I love that I love you.

     Every line brought him closer and closer to a conclusion:

     He had to marry this girl.

     Shawn had never considered just how many of these moments had occurred before Juliet had even agreed to go out on a date with him. Juliet had become his best friend before they’d become a couple. That had never happened before…and for whatever reason it felt like some sign he couldn’t ignore. She had taught him how to be romantic, how to put in the time and effort to make their relationship special.

     He shocked himself. Shawn Spencer was considering marriage---a lifetime commitment to one person.

     And it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

     And he knew exactly how he would ask her too.

     A knock drew his thoughts back to the state of his desk.

     “Shawn?” Juliet’s voice called.

     His desk was littered with a rainbow of four colors he couldn’t hide all of.

     “I’m in here, Jules,” Shawn said, attempting to gather up as many of the notes as he could before she came in. The attempt was mildly successful.

     “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the mass of colors he had managed to collect only half of in the time it took her to walk through the door and to his desk.

     “Just me reminding myself of some…uh…upcoming events,” he replied, shoving them into his top desk drawer.

     Juliet laughed, “Well, let’s hope that rainbow you just shoved in your desk drawer does the trick.”

     He smiled and pulled himself up out of the desk chair, “I won’t need them to remind me…” he said, pleased with himself that Juliet had no idea what was coming.

     “That makes two things you won’t need help remembering. The other is this marathon. Now if Pretty in Pink is included---then I am so in,” Juliet replied with a smile, knowing she would be sold on the marathon either way. Shawn was going to be there, and she loved when he imitated the characters, knowing every single line to every single scene.

     “I think that can be arranged,” Shawn said, taking one more look back at the post-its still in plain sight on his desk as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his desk chair.

*********

     It took about two week for Shawn’s plan to become a reality. One ring and one hundred post-it notes later, Shawn had exactly what he needed to propose to Juliet.

     The plan was simple, outfit one of the interrogation rooms with his massive display, expertly mask it with one of the evidence boards and get Juliet into the room so Shawn could pop the question.

     It took Shawn and Gus two hours to get the display together, but in order to secure the interrogation room, Shawn pulled Buzz in on the plan.

     “Buzz, you’re job is to make sure Lassiter doesn’t get wind of this…he barely handled Jules and I dating in the first place. I literally thought he’d entered into a vegetative state after that news. I was afraid he’d pull his gun and literally start firing at will. He’ll definitely need a little time to digest this,” Shawn said, laying a hand on Buzz’s shoulder conveying his seriousness.

     “You got it, Shawn,” Buzz replied, making his way towards the door, “No Carlton past this point,” he said, making a gesture towards the doorframe.

     Shawn gave him two thumbs up as he shut the door and turned back to Gus.

     “Okay, so we’ve got Lassiter covered. Him and Juliet should be on their way back to the station, so I will let you know the second they arrive…” Gus said aloud, making sure they hadn’t missed anything.

     Shawn shook his head in agreement.

     “So what are you going to say?” Gus asked, hoping to get a preview of the proposal.

     Shawn just looked at him like he was crazy. Why would Gus think that was something he was going to share?

     “Wouldn’t you like to know…” Shawn replied, a childish air about the comment.

     “Wow, you went to all this trouble and you have no idea what you’re going to say? This isn’t you asking Jules out on a date. You are asking her to effectively spend every waking minute of the rest of her life with you… and you didn’t even plan how you were going to convince her to take that chance?” Gus said, not sure whether to be appalled or to have expected this from him.

     “It’s not a chance, Gus---it’s a safe bet. I am a safe bet…Look, I have got this. You have done everything I asked of you---and I appreciate it---but right now I need you to go watch her desk and tell her she’s needed in interrogation room A. Can you do that for me?” Shawn pleaded, sure that Gus was sizing him up based on his response.

     Gus nodded, perhaps wishing he hadn’t been so doubtful of what Shawn was capable of when it came to Juliet. He was just afraid, despite the unwavering look of certainty in his eyes, that Shawn might actually choke. He walked out the door and closed it behind him, leaving Shawn alone with his thoughts.

     Shawn was finally alone with his massive display, the engagement ring it had taken him all of three days and more than six jewelry stores before he could track down the exact ring he wanted to give to Juliet, and the mildly rehearsed speech he had been outlining in his head. The problem was, no matter how many times he ran through it, it never seemed like quite the right words or to possess just the right tone he wanted to convey.

     He had never felt so nervous in his entire life, and as he paced the length of the interrogation room, he realized just how big of a deal marrying Juliet was going to be. He was so used to the thought of being the eternal bachelor that the thought of spending the rest of his life with someone was almost more than he could take. But as he made each of the one hundred post-it notes that made up his proposal, he couldn’t think of any person besides Gus that he would want to spend the rest of his life with unless that person was Juliet. She was as much his best friend as she was his girlfriend, and his standards for best friend-ness were rather rigorous.

     No matter what standards there were, though, she always exceeded them.

     And that was why Juliet O’Hara was perfect.

     And that was why Juliet O’Hara had to say yes.

     As he leaned against the table he decided that whatever he said, it was going to come from the heart.

     As he came to this conclusion, though, he could hear the clicking of heels and the sound of Gus’ voice as they approached the room.

     The door handle began to turn and he could hear Gus muttering about something having to do with real estate. He never could be cool when it came to things like this.

     “…and that’s why market value will always trend upwards,” Gus finished, a single bead of sweat on his brow.

     They really needed to work on his covert operative skills.

     Shawn didn’t have time to worry about Gus’ problems, as he started developing issues of his own. It started with the increased heart rate, then progressed to sweaty palms that he hid by folding his arms.

     But nothing remedied the fact she took his breath away the minute she came into view.

     She was wearing a white dress shirt tailored to fit her in all the right places, a black pencil skirt (a distinction between skirts that only Juliet could teach him and he actually remember), and those black heels that gave her enough height to reach his shoulder. Her hair was down with the off center part she always made in it.

     Then there was that smile as she leaned against the doorframe, her face riddled with suspicion.

     “Hey, Jules,” Shawn greeted, reclaiming his cool demeanor.

     “Well you don’t look much like a suspect that needs interrogating---although I think I should have known the minute Gus launched into an explanation of the housing market that I should have assumed something was up,” Juliet replied, pushing herself off the doorframe and closing the door behind her, “So what is it?”

      “Why does there always have to be an ‘it’,” Shawn asked, stalling and being witty for the sake of his confidence at the same time.

     “Well I suppose it could always be a someone,” Juliet suggested with smile, “Is it?”

     Shawn, trying to be coy, took a moment to ponder the thought, “Well there is a someone in this case,” He replied, making a move towards Juliet, who had walked half the distance to the table during the duration of their sparring.

     He took each of her hands into each of his.

***************

     Inside the viewing room, Gus and Buzz stood watching what was about to unfold.

     “He’s really going to do this, isn’t he?” Buzz asked, realizing he had seen this in the making the whole time.

     Gus folded his arms over his chest, “Yeah, I really think he is……aren’t you supposed to be watching the door?”

     Buzz looked at him sheepishly, “Uh, yeah, right,” he stuttered, making his way into the hallway to look for any sign of Lassiter. Satisfied that he didn’t see Carlton, he took back his place next to Gus in the viewing room---he wasn’t missing this for anything.

     “So he’s really going to pop the question?” A voice asked, startling both Buzz and Gus.

     “What are you doing up here, shouldn’t you be identifying dead people or something?” Gus asked, addressing the coroner, who was uncharacteristically roaming the halls of the police department.

     “You think I’d miss Shawn popping the question? No way, he totally let me in on it,” the coroner replied, taking a place between Gus and Buzz at the viewing window.

     Gus and Buzz exchanged confused glances.

     How were they supposed to keep this under wraps if Shawn blurted the information out to everyone?

************

     “So, Jules---you know how I was doing that thing the other day with the post-it notes?” Shawn began, wondering why he was jumping so quickly to what was supposed to be the climax of his proposal.

     “Yeah---to remind you of…well, whatever it was you were trying to remind yourself of…” She said, wondering where he was going.

     “You also know that I am no good with words……especially when it comes to telling people how I feel…” Shawn continued, finally knowing exactly how he wanted things to go.

     Juliet cocked her head to the side, something Shawn always thought was so cute. She was questioning him without even saying a word. He suddenly wished he’d put that fact on a post-it note.

     “Well I have something I want to say to you, but I’m not going to use words to do it……,” Shawn said, gently letting go of her hands with a little squeeze.

     He took a deep breath as he made a move towards the huge whiteboard.

     Juliet looked on in confusion, thinking he was going to write whatever it was on the whiteboard. He had done stranger things in the past.

     Shawn pushed the board away, slowly revealing the each post-it formed a letter of a rather big message:

     Will you marry me?

     It took her breath away. Juliet stared at the message for a moment, her eyes filling with tears.

     “Those are words, Shawn. Very……big……words,” Juliet replied, taking a step back in surprise and laying a hand over the heart that felt like it was about to beat out of her chest.

     Shawn took a step towards the question mark at the end---also made of post-it notes---and pulled the very last post-it off of it.

     It was the only post-it without any words at all. It was the engagement ring he’d picked out for her, taped to the small piece of paper.

     Shawn pulled the ring off, replaced the post-it note, and walked towards her, settling himself on one knee in front of her.

     “And what do you have to say to my big words?” he whispered, not realizing how timid and nervous his voice actually sounded.

     Juliet opened her mouth but no words came out. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping the moment to regroup would yield a better result.

     “Yes, Shawn, yes---nothing would make me happier,” She smiled, the tears adding a delicate sparkle to her eyes.

     Shawn took her left hand in his and carefully slipped on the silver one karat diamond ring that he had spent his entire life savings on. He had never really saved for anything so important to him since the ‘80’s---something so important he really couldn’t remember what it was at the moment. Right now, the only thing that mattered was that Juliet O’Hara had just agreed to spend the rest of her life with him.

     “It’s beautiful, Shawn,” Juliet whispered, mesmerized by the perfect clarity of the stone.

     Shawn pushed off his knee and came to a standing position. He grabbed both her hands and his smile grew that much more.

     “I love you, Juliet.”

     She leaned in until their lips were millimeters apart, “I love you too, Shawn,” she said, closing the distance between them.

     As Shawn wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer, a delayed roar of muted applause erupted in the direction of the viewing window.

     Inside, a group had gathered, much to the surprise of Buzz and Gus, who had no idea the group had formed behind them.

     “SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” They both hushed together, the applause, though, were slow to cease and in the time it took for them to be completely quelled, more people were beginning to wander in the direction of the viewing room to see what the commotion was about.

     In a blind hurry, Gus pushed through the crowd towards the door, hoping to close it before any more people were alerted.

     “What’s going on in here?” A strikingly familiar voice asked.

     Gus took his time in turning around, but Henry, being the man that he is, could tell immediately that Gus was about to try and cover up something.

     “Uh, Detective Lassiter just got a confession from a serious criminal…and that’s a big deal…a lot of people wanted to see the outcome…as you can see,” He lied, knowing that Henry would never buy it.

     “Well that’s interesting, because I just passed Carlton in the hallway a minute a go going in the exact opposite direction,” Henry replied, knowing exactly who the fuss was about, “So let me just save you another excuse---I know Shawn is in that interrogation room right now---what I don’t know is what he’s doing.”

     Henry maintained eye contact with Gus until it became unbearable.

     “ProposingtoJuliet,” Gus mumbled, unaware the words were even leaving his mouth, let alone in such an inarticulate manner.

     “He’s what?” Henry asked, having thought he vaguely caught the words ‘proposing’ and ‘Juliet’ together in the same sentence.

     “Spencer is doing WHAT?!” Lassiter’s voice called, having heard the applause.

     The secret was out.

     “Well if I heard correctly, Detective Lassiter, it seems my son and your partner are engaged as of five minutes ago,” Henry responded turning to face Carlton, whose face was growing paler by the second.

     “Guster?!” Lassiter whined, as if looking to him for the truth.

     Gus shrugged and reentered the viewing room, satisfied with the fact that he had tried to control as much of the situation as he could. He retook his place next to the coroner and Buzz, leaving Carlton and Henry to their own devices.

     Inside, the applause caused Shawn and Juliet to break the kiss, unaware of their audience.

     “I didn’t realize we had an audience,” Shawn said sheepishly, gesturing towards the window.

     Juliet’s cheeks were red, “I didn’t either,” she said, turning her attention to the display, suddenly realizing that these were so much more than post-it’s on the wall, but snippets of their relationship on display.

     She read the messages one by one, remembering the moments they commemorated, touched that this was how Shawn chose to ask for her hand.

     “This is the sweetest thing you have ever done, Shawn,” Juliet said softly, more in love than she felt was possible.

     “You’re the sweetest thing that’s ever happened to me,” he replied, squeezing her hand.

     “I have to take a picture of that with my phone to send home to my parents,” Juliet commented aloud.

     Shawn made a move to retrieve his iPhone from his pants pocket when suddenly the door flung open behind them. They turned around to find both Carlton and Henry awkwardly standing in the doorway. Henry gestured for Carlton to enter ahead of him, which he did cautiously.

     “You heard…” Shawn said, tempted to look at the viewing window and make a face at Gus, who he knew was probably front and center in there.

     Shawn pulled Juliet with him to move closer to Henry and Carlton.

     “You did good, Shawn,” Henry said, his voice riddled with a little bit of pride, “Congratulations.”

     Shawn stuck out his hand, but before he knew it, he was in his father’s embrace. Henry didn’t hug him often, but it seemed this was a special occasion that he fully supported.

     “Carlton...” Juliet began, not knowing exactly what she planned to say to him. It wasn’t like she was going to apologize for marrying Shawn.  

     “No, wait----look, O’Hara, I want you to be happy. I warned you before what could happen if things went---you know----poorly, but you chose to ignore that advice and now you’re about to marry Spencer…” Carlton explained, knowing he should get to the point, “The point is…I want you to be happy, and if this is something that makes that happen, then it makes me happy for you.”

     Juliet had rolled her eyes at the first part of his statement, but the further along he got, the more Juliet really appreciated that he was trying so hard to be accepting.

     She grabbed Carlton in a hug almost faster than he had a chance to react to it.

     “That new therapist has done you wonders, Carlton,” She joked.

     As she let go of Carlton, she turned to face Henry, who smiled at her.

     “Welcome to the family, Juliet,” he said, holding his arms out for a hug, which Juliet took advantage of, “There is no one else who could put up with him like you do…and he loves you for it.”

     Juliet smiled, “I try.”

     Shawn awkwardly switched places with Juliet and was now face to face with Carlton, who refused to make eye contact.

     “So…” Shawn said, knowing the burden lay with Carlton to say something.

     “So…” Carlton replied, knowing he should congratulate him.

     They looked around the room absentmindedly while Henry and Juliet had a moment.

     By the time it ended, Buzz and Gus and a herd of people came into view behind Carlton and Henry.

     As Juliet made a move to hug Gus, who was eager to welcome her to the family, Carlton grabbed Shawn’s arm before he went to be congratulated by everyone else, knowing this was his last chance to really say something.

     “Look, Spencer, that’s my partner you just asked to spend the rest of her God-given life with you. If it even looks like you’re going to screw that up---I will hunt you down so fast you won’t know what hit you…and I know where you live,” Carlton warned, letting go of his arm, “And by the way……… congratulations.”

     Shawn gave him a subdued smile and a pat on the back. That was more than anyone could expect from Carlton, and for Shawn, that much was more than enough.

     So now it was official----Shawn and Juliet were getting married.

And with Carlton’s blessing.