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Author's Chapter Notes:

I've had this idea FOREVER.

And until now I had no way to make it work.

IT WAS DRIVING ME NUTS. @_@

But now it's done. And I can share.

This pleases me. :D

Juliet opened her door and blinked at the sight before her.

“Shawn-” she started, but he cut her off, desperation in his words, his eyes, and his tone.

“Jules, I'm sorry,” he said, blinking against the water dripping down his face. “I am. I'm a jerk and an idiot and a pig and you have every reason to never want to speak to me again. But . . . You have to give me another chance.”

His plea for mercy entered, he waited, trying not to inhale any of the water streaming down on him from above.

She remained silent, her expression giving nothing away.

Her mouth opened and his muscles tensed, his eyebrows rising in anticipation . . .

It shut again and his eyebrows dropped, alarm and surprise causing him to jerk his head back.

She opened it again and he unconsciously mirrored it, leaning forward a little . . .

She frowned and rested one hand on her hip, the other pointing to a spot over his head.

“Is that my sprinkler?”

He looked up, blinking as the water poured directly into his eyes.

Looking back down he grinned charmingly. “Yes?”

Her brow wrinkled.

“Why is it in the tree?”

His smile turned sheepish.

“Well . . . we're in the middle of a drought. The Weather Channel says it's going to be at least another month before we get more than a few random sprinkles. And I'd look stupid kneeling here in the dust and dead grass . . .”

He trailed off at her lack of reaction, his smile fading.

She looked down and his heart followed her gaze, dropping into his mud-soaked knees.

She coughed and scuffed a shoe against the porch, musing that she needed to repaint it before the summer was over.

Finally she spoke, her voice carefully neutral.

“You still look stupid.”

He swallowed.

“And you're wet and muddy.”

Her gaze flicked up to his and a smile twitched at the corners of her lips.

“But you get points for originality.”

He dared to hope and let a hint of a smile curve his own lips.

“So . . . does this mean . . .”

She rolled her eyes and nodded.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I'll give you a chance to make it up to me.”

He had started to stand but stopped on one knee. “Wait . . . What?”

Her grin widened. “Points for originality are all well and good . . . but it's going to take more than that to make up for this mistake.”

He nodded meekly. “Okay.”

She was going to make him work for it. He could handle that.

The fact that she was giving him a chance at all was something of a miracle.

She pointed at the sprinkler again.

“You can start by putting that back in the garage and replacing the hose where you found it.” She turned and headed back inside.

His grin widened and he finished standing, turning immediately to grab the hose and tug it down.

Never had he been so grateful for a second chance.

Now all he had to do was not blow it again . . .

Chapter End Notes:

Can't you just picture that? Shawn kneeling under a sprinkler wedged in a tree to simulate rain because it's a drought? Ah good times . . .

Anyway, y'all know the drill by now . . . pop on down to that little box and let me know what ya think! :D



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