Shawn didn't know if it was the rain that woke him or the weirdness of the dream he'd been having. He stayed in bed for a moment, listening to Juliet's steady breaths and the irregular rhythm of the rain against the bedroom window before the mugginess in the room drew him from the covers.

He moved slowly off the bed to avoid waking Jules and felt his way across the dark room. Walking into the hallway he shivered. His t-shirt and boxers were damp with humidity and sweat and made him cold now that he was out from under the blankets. Wishing he'd thought to grab a sweatshirt before leaving the bedroom, he continued into the small living room of their apartment, wrapping his arms around his ribs.

A flash of lightning lit up the window behind their couch and was quickly followed by a large clap of thunder. Shawn shivered again as a gust of wind increased the spatter of raindrops against the window.

He sank down into the corner of the couch and pulled Juliet's blanket off the armrest and around himself with a sigh. His right hand moved automatically to his wedding band, twisting it on his finger. Ha, he thought, and I thought that would be the biggest event of my life.

And now . . . Now they were having a baby. The dream that woke him hadn't been the first scary “Jules is pregnant” dream he'd had since she'd told him, but it was possibly the weirdest.

He had been at the Psych office with Jules, and he was talking to her about the merits of eating Smarties two at a time verses one at a time and then her stomach had started growing. She had looked at him and said, “It's time,” and then somehow they were at the station and the Chief was yelling at them that Jules couldn't have the baby there, and then he was on his motorcycle with Jules and Lassie going to his dad's house. His dad had come out of the house with his fishing hat on and his scaling knife in hand. “The backyard, hurry!” he had said. Then they were all sitting on the grass and Juliet's stomach was still growing, and then Gus had appeared wearing the silver suit from Iron Man 2. “Jackal mode!” he had shouted, and suddenly there were explosions all around them, and Shawn had tried to shield Juliet but his dad had yelled that he wasn't enough, and Lassie screamed that it was all his fault, and Juliet had looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. “We can do it, Shawn,” she had said. Then he had woken up.

Shawn rubbed a hand across his face and reached for the remote on the cushion next to him, eager to replace the frightening images from his mind with some late-night TV. Before his thumb could hit the power button though, he heard the bedroom door open.

“Shawn?”

The hallway light came on, chasing away some of the darkness, and Jules came down the hall. She squinted at him across the dim room. “What are you doing, babe?”

He lifted the blanket in a silent invitation, noticing the goosebumps on her arms. “Thunder woke me up,” he lied, just as there was another boom outside.

Juliet crossed the room to him and snuggled up against his shoulder, pulling the blanket around herself. “You're telling me you can sleep through Gus calling you over thirty times in one morning, but a little thunderstorm wakes you up in the middle of the night?”

He chuckled and wrapped both arms around her, the fear for her safety he'd felt in the dream still lingering. “My unconscious mind is very finely-tuned, Jules. It's immune to phone calls before ten AM.”

She laughed sleepily and draped her arm across his stomach, shifting her head from his shoulder to his chest, her hair tickling his neck. “Uh-huh. You had another dream, didn't you?”

He dropped his cheek to the top of her head. “Maybe.”

She hugged him tighter. “Tell me about it.”

“I don't think you want to know. Do you think me and you and Lassie could all fit on my bike, though?”

She was quiet for a long moment and he thought that she'd fallen back asleep. Then, suddenly, she sat up and looked him in the eyes. “Are you okay?”

He opened his mouth to tell her that of course he was fine, and did she want to watch late-night TV with him? Because there was this Japanese game show he'd been dying to see the conclusion to, but she touched his lip with her fingers. “Shawn, it's three in the morning and I asked that question because you're obviously not okay, so I don't want any jokes.” The sternness in her face softened at his slightly crest-fallen look. “Usually, I love your jokes. I promise.” She smiled.

She watched him expectantly and he avoided her gaze, one hand absently reaching up to twirl a strand of her hair in his finger. “I guess I'm just freaked out,” he muttered, admitting to himself that Jules was not letting him out of this.

“About the baby?” she asked quietly.

He shifted uneasily and started fiddling with the remote, digging out remains of the chocolate ice cream he'd spilled on it one time from around the buttons with his thumbnail. “Yeah, sort of. I just . . .” he sighed and fell silent. It was really too late to be telling Jules he had doubts about being a good father.

There was another long silence and Shawn noticed that the rain seemed to be dying down. Juliet moved beside him, resting her head on his shoulder again and pulling the blanket tighter around both of them. “Me too,” she said.

She sounded about as freaked out as he felt and his chest tightened. He put the remote down and turned so he could wrap both arms around her again. “I thought you were excited.”

“I am!” she said, and he felt her body tense with sincerity. “But I'm scared too. I mean, there are just so many things that could go wrong! And I still have another seven months of being pregnant – if everything goes well, and then I have to actually give birth and I don't even want to think about that, and then after the baby comes, what if we do something wrong? Or the baby gets hurt? Or-”

“Jules,” Shawn pleaded. He hated it when she was scared, or sad, or even a little disgruntled. “I'll help you, okay? Just . . . How about you be excited and I'll take care of the worried part.”

She lifted her head and looked at him in surprise. “You'll take on the worrying?”

He fiddled with her hair again, looking everywhere but her eyes. “Well, if it means you won't have to . . . I mean, I can take one for the team. Maybe even two or three.”

She laughed, lightening the weight that seemed to have settled in his chest. “I love you.”

He smiled at her. “I know. It's my worrying skills isn't it? I'm sure my hair plays a factor too.”

She rolled her eyes and ruffled said hair. “How about we both be excited and let Gus take care of the worrying?”

Shawn chuckled. “He is well-practiced.”

“I'm glad we could get that settled,” Juliet said, leaning away from him and peeling back the blanket. “I need to get up in about four hours, so do you think we can go back to bed now?” She stood and took his hand, pulling him up.

He let her. “I guess so. Are you sure you don't want to stay up and watch Japanese game shows with me?”

She just shook her head and smiled at him, tugging him toward the bedroom. They walked back down the hall, Juliet flipping off the light as they went. Shawn walked across their room, sat on the edge of the bed, and watched as Juliet got back under the covers and settled down into her pillow with a sigh.

“Hey, Jules?”

“Mmhm?” she murmured, almost asleep already.

“I really am excited. Just scared too. Is that allowed?”

She opened her eyes and looked at him, her eyes shining in the almost pitch-black room. “Yeah, Shawn. I think we can both be excited and scared.”

He climbed into bed next to her, propping his head up with one hand. “In my dream, you told me we could do this.”

Her eyes were drifting closed again, but smiling, she reached out and found his hand, lacing their fingers together. “We can, Shawn. We can do anything.”

He grinned and leaned in to kiss her forehead before settling down on his own pillow. “I think you're right, Jules,” he whispered.

The hospital room was dark despite the early morning sunlight straining against the blinds, and the door was shut, blocking out any noise coming from the corridor. Shawn was exhausted enough to drift off in the chair by Juliet's side. She was already asleep, her breathing deep and even, and he gazed at her face, resisting the tug of sleep behind his eyes for just another moment.

There was a large part of him that still couldn't believe what she had just done, and the other part of him was terrified about what would happen now. And that was why, if he allowed himself to think about it, he hadn't called to tell anyone about the baby yet. Jules had called her family, and even Lassiter, on the way to the hospital last night sounding much calmer than Shawn had felt. Then, as soon as Owen had been cleaned up and fed and wrapped in that blue-and-green-striped blanket, she had texted them all a picture.

Shawn allowed his eyes to slide shut, picturing baby Owen's shock of blondish hair sticking up on top of his red, wrinkled head. He remembered the gentle weight in his arms when the nurse handed the baby to him, and how Owen's eyes had flickered open for just a moment to look at him.

His hand slipped into the pocket of his jeans and his fingers closed around his phone but he didn't pull it out. He could almost pretend, with Owen down in the nursery, that his life hadn't just become infinitely more complicated, but only as long as he didn't share the news with those closest to him. But obviously he couldn't pretend forever. They would bring Owen back in a couple of hours so Jules could feed him, and he was pretty sure her family would be coming soon to congratulate them. Eventually, Gus would expect him at the Psych office, and he couldn't avoid his dad forever. And he had promised his mom he would let her know as soon as Jules went into labor. With a soft groan, he stood and pulled his phone out.

He leaned over and kissed Juliet's forehead gently before leaving the room. His fingers automatically hit Gus's speed dial and he did his best to squash the anxiety in the pit of his stomach. Of course, that feeling could also have something to do with the fact that he was starving.

When Gus picked up, he didn't even bother with hello. “What's wrong, Shawn?”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “Why would you say that, Gus?”

“Shawn, it's seven o'clock in the morning. The only reason you get up this early is --” Shawn could almost hear the gears turning in his best friend's head. “The baby! Shawn, did Juliet go into labor?”

Shawn found himself smiling at the excitement in Gus's voice. “No, Gus. I just thought you should know that WalMart is having a spectacular sale on Pez dispensers.”

“Stop it, Shawn,” Gus replied habitually. “Are you at the hospital with Juliet or not?”

“Yes, I am. And do you know what? There are no Pez dispensers in the gift shop.”

Gus's frustration was almost tangible and Shawn grinned. “Just tell me what's happening. I have to be at work soon!”

Shawn's mind stalled. He knew if he kept making jokes it was likely Gus would just hang up on him and then he'd have to call him back and go through the whole thing again. On the other hand, he was having a hard time saying the words he was supposed to.

“Shawn?”

He swallowed hard. “He's here, Gus.”

Gus paused. “The baby?”

“No, the mailman.”

“Shawn!”

Shawn sighed, slumping against the wall. “Yeah, buddy. The baby.”

“Why didn't you call me earlier? Is everything okay? How's Juliet? What's he look like?”

“Funny you should ask – he looks just like you, Gus! We're gonna need to have a talk I think . . .”

Gus's patience had reached an end. “Shawn, I am going hang up on you.”

“Gus!” Shawn blurted before he could.

“What?”

Shawn cleared his throat. “Do you wanna come see him?”

“Of course I do! I'm already on my way. I just need to pick up a couple of things first, but I'll be there as soon as I can!”

Shawn was relieved. Gus was coming. Why hadn't he called his best friend earlier? “Great, buddy. Grab me some Pez dispensers. Ooh, and maybe a taco.”

Gus just sighed. “See you in a little while.”

When Gus hung up, Shawn felt a little bereft. Talking with his friend had distracted him for a moment, but now the thought of calling his parents . . . He wandered out to the waiting room, glaring at his phone. Sinking down into a hard, grey chair, he wished fervently that he could wake Jules up and ask her to call even though she would end up making him do it anyway. He sighed heavily, slumping down in the chair, and scrolled through his contacts aimlessly. Boredom got the better of him after about eight seconds and he considered going to find tacos, or maybe some orange chicken but now that he was sitting again, he felt too tired to move. He rubbed a hand across his face and sat up a little, finally deciding to start with his mom. His thumb hit the speed dial before he could think about it too much and he lifted the phone to his ear.

He was sort of relieved when her answering machine picked up after four rings. “Mom? Hey, remember how Jules was pregnant? Well, she's totally not anymore.” He closed his eyes, groaning inwardly at his own incompetence in sharing the news. “So basically, you have a grandson, and he's way cuter than those monogram pictures, which isn't surprising since he looked like a creepy alien in those. But seriously, he came from me and Jules so how could he not be cute?” He paused, not sure what else to say. “Okay, well that's pretty much all I needed to tell you so . . . I'll talk to you later. Love you.” He hit the end button in disgust. “Really great,” he muttered to himself. “Oscar-worthy performance. Mom will be really inspired.”

The hand holding the phone dropped into his lap and he stared at it. Now he had to call his dad. “He's just going to get angrier the longer you wait,” he muttered to himself. He drew in a deep breath and hit the speed dial.

His dad picked up on the first ring. “Shawn? What's wrong?”

Shawn's hesitation turned to annoyance. “Why does everyone say that?”

“Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “No, Dad. I dropped my watch in the toilet so I was just calling to ask you what time it could possibly be.”

“Shawn, just tell me what's going on.”

Shawn bit back another sarcastic comment and sighed. “The baby's here, okay?”

There was silence for a long moment. “Juliet went into labor last night and you didn't tell me?”

“Well, Dad, I was kinda busy getting my wife through having a baby. I guess you weren't my first priority at the time,” he said.

“You can't tell me you didn't have three seconds to let me know Juliet was in labor,” his dad replied, sounding exasperated.

“It's not that big of a deal. I'm calling you now, aren't I?”

There was silence for a long moment before his dad cleared his throat. “So is everything okay with Juliet and the baby?”

Shawn relaxed into the chair, glad that they were apparently dropping that argument. “Yeah, everything's okay.”

“Good.” Another silence followed. “When can I come over?”

Shawn realized that despite his initial trepidation, he wanted his dad to come see Owen. “Uh . . . whenever you want I guess.”

“I'll be there in fifteen minutes,” Henry said, and hung up.

Slipping his phone back in his pocket, Shawn made his way back to their room. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing the door silently behind him. Jules was still sleeping and he resumed his spot in the chair by her bed, smiling as he watcher her, curled on her side with the blanket tucked up almost to her ears. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against the cool mattress and let out a deep sigh, allowing his eyes to close. Then he let the quiet lull him into an exhausted sleep.

Shawn was jolted back to an uncomfortable consciousness by an incessant, cheerful bleeping coming from the neighborhood of his right hip. He jerked his head off the mattress suddenly and winced as his back and neck cried out in protest at being left so long in the odd position. Fumbling at his pocket, he stumbled to his feet, making his way to the door so he could answer his ringing phone without waking Jules up, but with the noise he was making in his half-awake delirium it would be a miracle if she was still asleep. Making it out into the hallway, he pulled his phone out and answered.

“Are you here?” he asked his dad.

“They're telling me I need a code or something to get in,” Henry said, and Shawn could just picture him glaring at poor woman at the entrance to the maternity ward.

“Stop giving Janae the evil eye, Dad. I know things have changed since you were here last but you're just gonna have to hike up your shorts and deal with it,” he said, grinning.

“Are you going to tell me the code or not?” Henry obviously didn't find his joke funny.

He told his dad the code, deciding to put Janae out of her misery.

“See you in a minute,” Henry said before hanging up.

Shawn attempted to shove his phone back in his pocket but his coordination was still hindered from sleep and the phone fell to the floor, the green case popping off and skidding across the bland linoleum. He was still trying to fit it back on his phone, muttering under his breath, when his dad turned the corner at the end of the hall and moved toward him, a strangely amused expression on his face.

“So where is he?” Henry asked, coming to a halt in front of him.

Shawn though about making some sarcastic joke about how he'd already lost his own son, but he was getting anxious to see Owen again. “The nursery. Jules is sleeping.”

His dad looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Have you done any of that recently?”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “I was 'doing that' very peacefully before you interrupted.”

Henry chuckled. “Believe me. Interrupted sleep is about to become the least of your worries.” Before Shawn could figure out what his dad meant by that, Henry was talking again. “Lead the way then,” his dad said, still wearing an obnoxious, knowing smile.

“I'm gonna check on Jules first,” he said. He brushed past his dad and cracked the door to their room open. To his surprise, she appeared to have slept through his mad dash out of the room. He glanced at the table next to the bed, making sure her phone was within reach so she could call him if he wasn't back by the time she woke up, then went quietly back out into the hallway.

“So does he look more like you or Juliet?” Henry asked, following Shawn down the hall. “Please tell me he got her nose.”

“Hey!” Shawn exclaimed, touching his nose gingerly and shooting his dad a glare. “He's a perfect mix. He's . . . he's just generally perfect.” The corners of his mouth turned up involuntarily when he thought of that little tuft of hair and those tiny fingers.

They turned the corner and approached the nursery room window. Shawn stepped up to it and scanned the twelve or so squirming bundles. He picked Owen out immediately; he was flailing around, waving a little fist that he'd managed to extricate from his blanket, and his hair was still sticking straight up.

“Right there,” he said, as his dad came up behind him. “Third from the left.”

Henry stepped closer, his nose almost pressed to the glass. He stared so long, that little grin still on his face, that Shawn started to get concerned.

“Dad, your shirt is scaring the babies,” he said finally.

Henry didn't turn away. “Don't be an idiot, Shawn. Newborns like contrasting colors.” He paused, still staring at Owen. “You were right, by the way.”

Shawn gasped and clapped a hand against his dad's forehead. “Are you feverish? Good thing we're in a hospital because this must be serious!”

Henry jerked out of his range, finally turning toward him. “Shawn,” he said, smiling. “I meant you were right about him being perfect.”

Shawn couldn't help it. A grin lit up his face and he turned to look at Owen, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Of course I'm right.”

They both stared through the window at the tiny, wiggling baby, hands in their pockets, Shawn feeling momentarily relieved. But as he looked at Owen, doubts came fluttering back. What if he wasn't good enough for that little person? What if he let him down? What if Owen got hurt or sick and it was his fault? He suddenly had a new appreciation for the man standing next to him. How had his dad done it?

“Dad?” Shawn said it softly, almost hoping his dad wouldn't hear him.

Henry stepped toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. “You'll do fine, kid.”

Shawn looked at him wondering, not for the first time in his life, how his dad could read his mind like that. “What if I don't?” It was almost a whisper.

“Shawn, look at me.” Shawn reluctantly turned toward him, the weight of Henry's hand still settled on his shoulder. “You'll do your best, and it'll be enough. You've screwed up a lot of things, kid. I'm sure you'll screw up a few more. But not this. At least not totally.”

Shawn shrugged his hand off, turning away. “Gee, thanks Dad. You've always been so great at these little pep talks.”

Henry rubbed a hand over his face. “Listen, son. I know what it's like to stand on the other side of the glass and look at that little person and be scared out of your mind because you realize you're responsible for him, and you know your life will never be the same.” Henry was staring intently back at Owen, his hands gesturing widely. “And you want so badly for him to be safe and happy and . . .” His fist clenched and fell back down to his side.

Shawn blamed it on his lack of sleep when his eyes started to sting as he realized what his dad was telling him. He ducked his head as Henry turned toward him again, not ready to look him in the face.

“Shawn, you won't be perfect. You'll want to be, but you can't.”

Henry's voice sounded strangely husky and Shawn's head snapped up in shock. Was his dad actually getting emotional?

“I really did do my best, kid,” he said, smiling.

Shawn stared at him for a moment in surprise. Then he stepped forward and grabbed his dad in a hug because it was the only way he could think of to say “sorry” and “thank you” at the same time. After a moment of surprise, Henry returned the hug and a not-so-quiet voice in the back of Shawn's mind told him that this was cheesy and ridiculous but at the same time, he let himself admit that it felt good.

They broke apart, both embarrassed, and looked back toward Owen, hands returning to their pockets.

Henry cleared his throat. “Want to go down to the cafeteria and grab some breakfast?”

Shawn smiled. “I thought you'd never ask.”

As they turned to go, Shawn gave Owen a little wave even though the baby's eyes were closed. “See you soon, buddy. And don't ever tell anyone what you just witnessed.”

Shawn and his dad quickly returned to their usual pattern of Henry giving unwanted advice and Shawn firing back sarcasm and ridiculous statements, and Shawn was glad for it. The Spencer men could only handle so much “feelings” stuff in one day.

Just as Shawn was mopping up the last of his syrup with the remnants of his sixth pancake, his phone started ringing in his pocket. Pulling it out he glanced at the screen and answered quickly seeing it was Jules. “Hey, sweetheart.”

“Hey, where'd you go? Did you get any sleep?” Her voice was sleepy and a little hoarse.

Shawn smiled. “A little bit. I'm down in the cafeteria with my dad.”

“Oh! Did you go see Owen? Is he okay?”

His smile broadened at her maternal anxiety. “Yeah, he told me he was a little hungry, so I'm gonna bring him some pancakes. Think the nurses will be cool with that?”

She laughed and he closed his eyes and drank in the sound. “It'll probably be okay as long as there isn't too much syrup. Hey, did you call Gus?”

“Yeah, he's on his way now.”

“Good. My mom will probably be here this afternoon and the rest of my family is planning on flying in on the weekend. Is that okay?”

“Your brothers aren't gonna hurt me, are they?” he asked, not entirely joking.

She laughed again. “They like you more than they let on, you know.”

“Yeah, well, they still scare the Skittles out of me,” he said, letting a grin color his words.

She laughed again. “Don't worry. Owen and I will protect you.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Shawn,” Henry said, and Shawn look up; he had almost forgotten his dad was there. “Ask her if she's up for visitors. I just want to say hi.”

He nodded. “Hey, Jules? We're done here so -”

“Bring Henry up! I'd love to see him.” Shawn grimaced. Jules got along way too well with his dad. “And will you stop by the nursery on your way and see if you can bring Owen up? Then your dad can hold him before I need to feed him.”

“Are you crazy, Jules? He'll start brainwashing the poor kid or something and then we'll be paying for therapy,” he said, shooting a smirk at his dad.

“Just get your butt up here,” she said, and he could hear the grin in her voice.

“Yes, ma'am,” he intoned, his own grin still firmly in place.

He hung up and they headed back to the nursery. Shawn apprehended a nurse as she was about to go in and pointed at Owen through the window. “Um, I'm that kid's . . . d-dad.” He stumbled over the word, still unused to the thought. “Can I take him back to the room? Oh, and is it possible to put syrup in a bottle? 'Cause I think he'd really like it. I mean, who doesn't like syrup? It's practically just sugar with some maple-y goodness thrown in.”

The nurse smiled. “I see where he gets his hair. Let me just double-check your bracelet.”

Shawn obediently held out his wrist, grinning at the hair comment. The nurse glanced at the bracelet and continued into the nursery. She returned quickly, wheeling Owen's little cart. Shawn peered at him, something fluttering around in his chest now that he was so close to his son again. He almost missed it when the nurse started speaking.

“Does you wife need someone to come check on her or help her with breastfeeding? I noticed he's due for another feeding in about twenty minutes.”

Shawn's brain stalled. He had no idea what Jules would want. “Uh . . .”

The nurse chuckled. “I'll give you guys a few minutes and then come check on you, okay?”

Shawn nodded still speechless as she pushed the cart into his hands. He looked down at Owen who was squirming around a lot, though his eyes were still closed. He'd managed to get both little fists out of his blanket, and Shawn watched him wave them in fascination.

Henry got tired of waiting and gave his shoulder a little shove. “C'mon, kid.”

Shawn shook his head a little and started forward, but the movement of the cart woke Owen and he started whimpering. Shawn stopped, feeling a little panicky. “He's crying.”

“I can see that, Shawn.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do? I don't know what he wants!” He did know that he didn't like it when the little guy cried.

“Shawn. He's fine. Juliet's room is about ten paces away. Do you think we can press on?”

Shawn ignored his father's sarcasm but started moving again anyway. “Geez, Dad. Forgive me for being concerned.”

“You're not concerned, you're freaking out for no reason,” Henry said.

“I was not freaking out!”

Owen's whimpers escalated. Henry nudged Shawn forward when he tried to stop again. “He's fine.”

They hurried the rest of the way to the room, and Henry opened the door so Shawn could push the cart through. It was still dim in the room but Shawn could see the concern on Jules' face as she sat up.

“Hey! Everything okay?” she asked, craning her neck to see into the bassinet.

Henry reached in and carefully cradled Owen in both hands, bouncing him gently. The baby quieted immediately, his small limbs relaxing. “Everything's great, Juliet,” Henry said, smiling at her. “How're you feeling?”

“Happy,” she replied with a grin, reaching out for Shawn's hand as he came over to the bed after flipping on the light. “Exhausted, but happy.”

Shawn squeezed her hand. “Do you need anything, sweetheart? 'Cause now that my dad's here we can make him go get stuff for us.”

She smiled up at him.“I think I'm good. How was breakfast? A nurse just told me she would bring me something, but who knows how good it will be.” She wrinkled her nose and Shawn grinned. He hoped Owen had inherited that adorable expression.

Henry came around to the other side of the bed, cradling Owen in the crook of one arm so he could pat Juliet's shoulder. “Congratulations. He's a great kid, I can tell.”

Shawn rolled his eyes even as Juliet's misted over. “How could you possibly tell that, Dad?”

Henry looked at him. “Do you disagree?”

Shawn watched in silence for a minute as Owen yawned, his entire tiny body tensing with the effort. “Okay, fine. But no more of that being right crap.”

“Shawn,” Juliet interjected, well-practiced at diffusing fights between the two of them. “Did you talk to your mom? We were supposed to tell her when I went into labor, you know.” She smiled at him, still holding his hand tightly.

“I left a message. She's probably in meetings or something,” he said, his expression softening as he turned from his dad to Jules.

“She's at a conference in Hawaii this week,” Henry spoke up.

Shawn looked up, eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”

His dad shrugged. “We keep in touch. You should call her once in a while, you know.”

Just in time to diffuse another potential argument, an aid bearing Jules' breakfast came up, followed by the nurse that had told Shawn she would check up on them. Henry excused himself upon realizing that Owen was about to be fed, and even offered to bring back lunch in a few hours.

With some help from the nurse, who had now retreated, Juliet was feeding Owen, and in the quiet, Shawn found himself growing sleepy. He sat in the chair next to Juliet's bed and watched her concentrate on Owen. He didn't notice he was falling asleep until his head bobbed forward abruptly.

“Shawn, come up here,” Jules said quietly so she wouldn't disturb Owen.

He blinked twice and rubbed a hand across his face. “Are you sure? Will you still be comfortable?”

“I'll be more comfortable,” she assured him, scooting over.

Lying down sounded like a great idea to Shawn and he needed no more urging. Kicking off the tennis shoes he had hurriedly thrown on nearly twelve hours ago now, he carefully crawled into the bed next to her, resting his head on her shoulder so he could see Owen.

Shawn sighed in contentment and Jules chuckled, bouncing his head. “I told you it would be comfortable.”

“You're right,” he murmured. “I think I'm about to slip into a coma, so if you need anything, call a nurse okay? Just not loudly.”

Shawn woke up, once again, to the happy bleeping of his phone. Shawn lifted his head, which had, at some point, ended up on the pillow instead of Juliet's shoulder. Jules was curled up next to him, sleeping, but he didn't see Owen. He rolled off the bed, stumbling a bit as his sleep-heavy limbs refused to function properly, and answered the pone.

“Hey, buddy,” he said, seeing it was Gus.

“Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“Yeah, but it's cool. You here?” Shawn glanced around, locating Owen in his little bassinet on the other side of the bed with relief.

“Text me the code. I'm pulling up to the hospital now.”

“Hurry up, Gus! This kid isn't getting any younger.”

Shawn could almost hear his friend's eye roll. “Don't forget to text me.”

“Okay, but do you have my Pez?”

Muted silence on the other end told him his best friend had hung up on him. Shawn fired off a text with the room number and maternity ward code then dropped his phone back in his pocket and looked toward Jules, fully expecting her to be awake. She wasn't. He looked at Owen. He wasn't awake either.

He wandered over to Owen's cart and gazed down, watching the baby's stomach rise and fall with each breath. He reached out and touched the baby's cheek, fascinated by how soft it was. He knew his brain had already memorized Owen's face in exact detail, but for some reason he couldn't stop looking at him.

“I hope you like classic 80s films and playing Xbox,” he said softly. “If not, that's cool too, I guess. Just please tell me you won't enjoy going fishing with your old gramps. I mean, I'll try and protect you from having to do that, but no guarantees. He's not above blackmail and forcible coercion.” He paused. “Huh. Not even sure 'forcible coercion' is a thing. We'll have to ask Gus when he gets here.” His finger gently traced Owen's ear. “I can't wait for you to meet your Uncle Gus, little dude. Do me a favor and puke or pee on him or something, okay? He will freak out.” Shawn frowned. “Except maybe work that so he's not holding you at the time. I don't want him to drop you.”

Owen started squirming, little hands straining under the tightly wrapped blanket. “You don't like being held down either, huh?” Shawn murmured, untucking the blanket. Two little fists popped out but Owen continued to move around, his little face scrunching up. “Hey, I thought we had a deal. No crying.” Owen let out a little whine. “Okay, fine.” Shawn reached in and lifted Owen in both hands just like he'd seen his dad do. Owen whined again, sounding more bothered. Shawn brought the baby to his chest, holding him close. Owen quieted with a little sigh and Shawn could feel him relaxing. He sighed in relief.

“Is he okay?”

Shawn looked up sharply, surprised to find Juliet awake. “Yeah, he was probably having nightmares about Grandpa Henry.”

“Be nice,” she commanded, smiling.

He took a few steps forward and leaned in to kiss her, still holding Owen against his chest. “That was nice.”

She shook her head. “When's Gus coming? I really need a shower.”

“Probably in about fourteen seconds.”

Juliet nodded and peeled back the blanket. “Okay, I'll be quick. You're okay with Owen, right?”

Shawn looked down at the baby. “As long as he's okay with me.”

She smiled and started to get out of bed, wincing a little as she swung her legs down.

“You okay?” Shawn said, ready to put Owen back in the bassinet so he could help her.

“Just a little sore,” she said, getting down and slowly moving toward the bathroom.

“Liar,” he said. “On a pain scale of nine to baby penguin, you're a tangerine.”

She ignored him and shut the bathroom door.

Shawn looked down at Owen. “Your mom is stubborn, buddy.” Owen didn't reply. Shawn moved over to the chair and sat down, leaning back so Owen could rest on his chest. He kept a hand on the baby's back, feeling his tiny lungs expand and contract.

Shawn sat in silence, listening to the sound of the shower and concentrating on the feel of Owen's tiny heartbeat thumping against his own. Just as he heard Jules turn on the water, a soft knock came on the door. Shawn stood slowly and nestled Owen in the crook of one arm as he walked over. He swung the door open and came face to face with a bunch of balloons and a giant blue teddy bear.

“Hey, buddy, you in there?” he asked, grinning and taking the balloons with his free hand and stepping back to let Gus in the room.

Gus's face appeared from behind the balloons and he lowered the bear, grinning back. “You lied. Walmart was not having a sale on Pez dispensers. But I did manage to find a copy of “The Giving Tree” and some Baby Einstein videos.” Gus hefted a large grocery sack. “And some little nail clippers because I read that newborns can scratch themselves, and I didn't know if the hospital provided diapers or what but I got some of those, and there are three different kinds of pacifiers in here, and some . . .” Gus's eyes suddenly moved down to the bundle in Shawn's arms and his eyes widened. “Is that him? You're a – a dad! Oh my gosh! I can't believe you're actually a dad! I mean, you have a kid! A real one!”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “Thanks, man, I'm glad you could clear that up for me. You wanna hold him?” Shawn said, letting the bunch of balloons drift to the ceiling.

Gus swallowed and set the bear and grocery bag down on a chair. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. He already told me he wants to meet you,” Shawn said, transferring Owen to his buddy.

Gus took him gingerly, Owen remaining sound asleep. “He can't talk, Shawn.”

“How do you know? He's my kid so he's automatically a genius.”

“Shawn, that logic is completely faulty. He -”

Just then Owen stretched and blinked, then stared up at Gus.

Gus stared back. “Shawn,” he whispered. “He's looking at me.”

Shawn came and stood next to his friend and watched his son. “Hey, buddy,” he said softly, wiggling his fingers in a greeting. “This is your uncle Gus.”

Owen made a quiet noise somewhere between a sigh and a coo and closed his eyes again.

“See? He can talk,” Shawn said, his voice still unnaturally soft. “He just said hello.”

Gus sniffed loudly.

Shawn stepped away. “Please tell me you're not crying.”

Gus looked up and glared at him through watery eyes. “I was okay until you called me 'Uncle Gus,'” he said, barely getting the words out.

“You have got to do something about your head plumbing, man,” Shawn said, shaking his head.

Just then the bathroom door opened and they both looked up. Juliet was in the doorway, wrapped in her pink robe, her hair pulled up into a damp ponytail. “Hey, Gus!” she said with a typically bright smile.

“He's crying,” Shawn accused.

Jules came over to them and smacked Shawn's arm lightly “Don't worry, Gus. You should have seem him the first time he held Owen.”

“Juuuules! I thought we agreed to keep that on the DL,” he said, slipping an arm around her waist.

She leaned into him. “I said I wouldn't tell your dad,” she corrected, grinning.

“Wait,” Gus said. “He actually cried?”

Shawn frowned. “You're lucky you're holding my kid right now.”

Gus was saved from further threats when Shawn's phone began ringing again. He pulled it out and gently extricated himself from Juliet's arms, moving toward the window. “Hey, Mom!”

“I got your message, honey! Congratulations!”

“Thanks.”

“I'm in Hawaii right now, but I'm going to come see you in a few weeks, okay? Everything's fine with Juliet and the baby, right?”

Shawn wondered why she'd decided a week before Juliet's due date was a good time to go to Hawaii. “Yeah, everything's fine, Ma.”

“How are you, Shawn?”

“I'm good, Mom,” he replied, glancing back at Gus holding his son. “I think I'm really good.”

“Good! I have to get back to the conference, Goose. Give Juliet my love and send pictures of the baby, okay?”

His name is Owen. “I will.”

“I love you, sweetheart, I'll talk to you soon.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

Shawn hung up and turned back to the others.

“Hey, Jules, my mom says hi,” he said, walking back over to her.

She took his hand and smiled. “How is she?”

“Good. Hey, Gus, has the kid leaked on you in any way yet? 'Cause I told him to,” he said, purposefully changing the subject. He didn't want to talk about why his mom wasn't there to answer that herself.

Gus glared at him. “That's not funny, Shawn.”

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

By the time visiting hours were over, Shawn and Juliet were both exhausted. Henry had been by again, bringing lunch as promised, and he and Gus had stayed for another hour or so after that. Juliet's mom, Heather, had gotten there just after Jules had finished feeding Owen again, and Shawn had tried hard to squash his regret that his own mother wasn't there as Heather rushed in, giving both Juliet and Shawn huge hugs and fussing over the baby. Lassiter had dropped by after his shift and when he held Owen, at Juliet's insistence, Shawn was certain he saw a genuine smile on the man's face. Gus had returned after doing his route, and he and Heather had stayed until visiting hours ended at eight, and then Heather went to get checked in to a hotel despite Juliet's offer to let her stay at their apartment.

The daylight was all but gone now, and Owen was resting peacefully in his bassinet. Shawn was laying on the small couch against the wall, his feet hanging over the arm rest, one arm slung over his eyes, and Jules was flipping absently through channels on the TV.

“Shawn?” Juliet's voice was soft, almost hesitant.

He lifted his arm and turned his head so he could see her. “Yeah?”

She looked away from the TV and her eyes were wide and bright when they met his. “You're happy, right?”

Hearing the slight tremble in her voice he swung his legs down and walked over to her. “Jules,” he said, cupping her face in one hand. “I'm so much happier with you than I have ever been in my life.”

She reached up and put her hand over his. “But are you happy about Owen?”

“Yeah, he's pretty cool. But babies do come with a return policy, right?” He smiled so she would know he was kidding.

“You're a dork,” she said, grinning.

“Jules, watch your language in front of the kid,” he said, pretending mortal offense.

She looked over at Owen and smiled, her shoulders slumping with a soft sigh. “I can't believe he's actually here.”

“Me neither,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. They were quiet for a moment, just watching their baby. Then Shawn leaned over and kissed Juliet's temple. “I freaking adore you,” he told her.

She giggled. “I freaking adore you, too.” She turned toward him and he kissed her gently. Then she scooted over and patted the mattress. “Come up here again, okay?”

He pulled back the blanket and crawled in. “The nurse will probably come kick me out.”

Jules linked her arm through one of his, holding on tight and resting her head on his shoulder. “She can try,” she grumbled.

Shawn chuckled. “Jules, you're awesome.”

“I know. You're not bad yourself.”

Smiling, Shawn settled back into the pillows and watched the steady rise and fall of Owen's chest until his eyes drifted shut.

Gus pulled up in front of Shawn and Juliet's apartment building and got out of his car, carefully locking the door behind him as usual. As he walked up to their apartment, he found himself growing excited. For the first time since the baby was born almost two weeks ago, Shawn had called for a pizza and Xbox night. It couldn't have come at a better time, either. His fiancée had just left that morning for a whole week to stay with her parents after her dad had knee surgery. And besides, it had been a while since they'd had a proper boy's night.

He walked up to their door and tapped lightly before turning the knob. “I'm here!” he called softly, conscious that the baby might be sleeping. No one answered, and he stepped further into the dimly-lit living room. “Hello?”

The only light on was in the kitchen, so he stepped around a half-empty package of diapers and a random pile of laundry towards it, but a soft snore coming from the direction of the couch stopped him. He turned and found Shawn fast asleep on the couch. He was still mostly sitting up, his head tipped back at what must have been an uncomfortable angle and his mouth hanging open. A tiny, blanket-wrapped bundle that could only be Owen rested in his lap, Shawn's left arm curled protectively around the baby.

Gus sighed. A part of him knew that Shawn deserved the type of sleep-deprivation Owen had caused; heaven knew he'd woken Gus up enough times in their friendship at ungodly hours of the night. Another part of him felt bad for his friend. Just last night Shawn had called him and asked, no, begged, if he could bring over ear plugs, but before he could respond, Juliet had grabbed the phone. “Don't you dare bring him any, Gus! He has to get up with the baby every time it's not for a feeding. That's the deal!”

With another sigh, Gus left Shawn to slumber on the couch. He performed a quick search of the apartment looking for Juliet or her mom who had been helping out. The rest of the apartment was dark and silent and Gus wandered back into the living room. He removed a bottle, pacifier, and one of Shawn's jackets from their armchair and sank into it. “Next time you wake me up in the middle of the night, I will remind you of this, Shawn,” he mumbled. Pulling out his iPhone, he quietly ordered the pizza and then started a game of Tetris.

It was only a few minutes later when Owen began to squirm and fuss. Still mostly asleep, Shawn bounced his leg, obviously hoping the movement would comfort the baby. “Buddy, no,” he groaned softly, eyes still closed.

But Owen continued to fuss, his tiny cries escalating. Shawn groaned again and his head rolled forward off the back of the couch, his eyes blinking sluggishly.

“Hey, Shawn,” Gus said cheerfully, getting no small joy at seeing Shawn jump. It wasn't often he caught his friend off-guard.

“What the – Gus? Why are you sitting there in the dark?” he asked blearily. Before Gus could reply, Owen's cries went from annoyed whimpers to angry wails and Shawn got to his feet, bouncing the tiny baby. When the change in position didn't quiet the newborn, Shawn's eyes rapidly searched the dim living room, coming to rest on the pacifier that Gus had placed on the coffee table. Shawn snatched it up and held it to Owen's mouth. The baby latched on and the apartment was quiet again. Shawn looked up at Gus and grinned, the smile barely reaching his tired eyes. “Gotta love the face plug.”

“It's called a pacifier, Shawn,” Gus corrected automatically.

“Heard it both ways,” Shawn replied, just as automatically. “So, I totally didn't pass out on the couch on purpose, and I didn't order the pizza, and Jules is gonna kill me because she wanted me to clean up before you got here . . .” He trailed off, his expression growing rather miserable as he surveyed the cluttered living room.

It appeared that, once again, Gus would have to step up and get Shawn out of another jam, even if it was more of a domestic jam than usual. Gus got up and flipped on the light. “Where is Juliet, anyway?”

Shawn checked the empty wrist on his free arm, patted his empty pockets and, unable to find a time-keeping device, turned to Gus.

“It's almost seven,” he answered before Shawn could ask.

“Uh, she left to take her mom to the airport around six-thirty, so we have about five minutes,” he said, hopelessness crossing his features at that realization.

“C'mon, it's not that bad,” Gus said. “And I already ordered the pizza.”

“Did you get extra garlic butter for the breadsticks?”

“You know that's right.”

As they bumped fists, Shawn smiled a little. “Thanks, buddy.”

Gus started gathering what were probably the lunch dishes but, knowing Shawn, could be yesterday's breakfast dishes, off the coffee table and Shawn went into the kitchen to put Owen into his carseat which was sitting on the table. As soon as the baby was strapped in though, he started to wail again. Shawn held the pacifier back in his mouth but Owen only cried harder. “Come on, baby! I've been holding you all day,” Gus heard him mutter.

Gus had been Shawn's friend beyond long enough to hear how desperate he was. So with more than a little trepidation – he still wasn't particularly comfortable around kids, especially crying ones – he went into the kitchen and held out his hands as Shawn lifted Owen out of the seat. “Can I hold him?”

Without hesitation, Shawn handed him the crying baby. “You can keep him.”

Gus held the pacifier in Owen's mouth. “You don't mean that.”

Shawn sighed and went into the living room. Gathering up the pile of laundry, he looked at Owen, who was now sucking on the pacifier happily from Gus's arms, with a smile. “How about you just keep him when he cries?”

By the time the pizza got there, the living room was at least presentable, but Owen was growing increasingly fussy. As Shawn carted a stack of baby blankets down the hall, Owen began crying in earnest, the pacifier Gus offered just making him angry.

“Shawn!” he called down the hall, sure he was doing something wrong.

Shawn reappeared. “What'd you do, pinch him?”

“What?! No, Shawn! What makes you think I would pinch a baby?”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “It was a joke, Gus.”

Gus frowned. “That's not funny. What are you supposed to do when he doesn't want the pacifier?”

“Give him to Jules so she can feed him,” he said, looking at the cooling pizza thoughtfully.

“Don't even think about it,” Gus said, bouncing Owen desperately. “Isn't Juliet supposed to be here by now?”

“Traffic's probably bad. Here, I got him.” Gus willingly handed Owen over, and Shawn cradled the baby against his chest so Owen's ear was directly over his heart. The baby cried on. “Check this trick out,” Shawn said, sticking the index finger of the hand that was supporting Owen's head into the baby's mouth. “C'mon, little dude. It's okay,” he said softly as Owen started sucking on his finger, relaxing against Shawn's chest. Shawn grinned up at Gus. “Cool right? I mean, he'll figure out eventually that it's not what he really wants, but-”

Gus shuddered. “Sticking your finger in his mouth cannot be sanitary.”

“Gus, don't be the bottom half of a muffin. I do it all the time.”

Before Gus could unleash his discourse on bacteria, the front door opened and Juliet hurried in. “Sorry, Shawn. I got stuck in traffic. Is he starving?” She slipped off her jacket and piled it with her purse on the couch. “Hey, Gus!”

“Hey, Juliet.”

Shawn took his finger out of Owen's mouth and held the baby out to Juliet. “Here you go, Jules. Gus wouldn't let me give him any pizza so I think he's pretty hungry.”

She leaned in to kiss him and took Owen who whined in protest at being removed from his comfy spot against Shawn's chest. “Hey, my sweet boy! Did you miss Mommy?”

As Owen began to wail, Shawn handed the pacifier to her. “Want us to save you some pizza?”

She took the pacifier and carried the crying baby down the hall. “Maybe just a breadstick,” she said over her shoulder. She grimaced. "I don't think Owen likes peperoni. Did you get extra garlic butter?"

"You know it," Shawn said, and they grinned at each other. He watched as Jules continued down the hall. “And that is why I married Jules.” he said, flopping down on the couch.

Gus narrowed his eyes. “Because she likes garlic butter?”

Shawn grinned up at him. “Among other things.”

Gus plopped down next to him sighing in relief when Juliet shut the bedroom door, muffling Owen's cries. “So, does he always cry like that?”

Shawn looked at him with harrowed eyes. “You have no idea, dude.” He paused and a slow grin grew on his face. “But he's worth it, you know?”

Gus looked at him. “You sound like a Hallmark channel original movie.”

Shawn glared. “I do not! And how do you know what a Hallmark channel movie sounds like, anyway?”

His friend shrugged and passed him the pizza box before picking up a controller. “Are we playing Halo or Mario Kart?”

Shawn readily accepted the pizza box. “You know Gus, some things never change. I will always be able to kick your butt at Mario Kart. In fact, as soon as Owen can hold a controller he'll be able to kick your butt at Mario Kart, too!”

“Oh, it is on, Shawn.”

Shawn settled back into the couch with a controller, setting the pizza box to the side after stuffing half a piece into his mouth. He looked over at one of Owen's little blankets draped across the back of the armchair. But some things do change, he thought happily.