[OOM] Juliet And Henry (and Probably Carlton)

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Juliet has a pretty decent idea of what's going on now. It's not even her business. She's tried to ignore it. But the more she thinks about the incredible weekend she had with Shawn, the more it sticks in her craw.

How could something so safe, so solid-looking, just disintegrate?

She finds Henry by the donuts, naturally, and approaches as coolly as possible.

"We need to talk," she says.

The tone she uses is not notably conciliatory.

Comments

[sbpd_papabear]

Henry's still flying high from mending fences, as best as he can really - he's still on a sort of probation - with Karen after his stunt with the traffic camera. He can't blame Shawn for it, it was his choice to play along.

He's halfway into a Bavarian cream when she startles him out of his wandering - a smudge of powdered sugar landing on his favorite blue tie.

"Uh, yeah... which case?"

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Jules eyebrows at his tie, then crosses her arms protectively across her chest.

"It's not a case," she says. "Or really even work-related," she admits.

[sbpd_papabear]

Henry licks his lips, one eyebrow half-cocked as he clears the remainder of the evidence of his doughnut.

"Okay..." he responds cautiously, "I take it you've got a problem with my son?"

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Juliet's fingers flex around her coffee cup. "Shawn and I are fine," she says firmly. "It's about something that's...almost none of my business but it kind of is."

[sbpd_papabear]

His lips draw together in a curious half-frown, but he takes her answer as her way of saying something really is wrong, but he's not supposed to know about it.

"Sure... sure," he nods toward the empty conference room as he picks up his half-empty coffee. "We can talk in the conference room."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Juliet nods briefly, her cup tightly held as they make their way to the sanctity of a more private locale.

And once they're alone she lets out a low sigh. "I need you to confirm something for me. And normally it's none of my business, but it might put Shawn in danger if we don't know for sure."

[sbpd_papabear]

He doesn't know what he could possibly offer, but it doesn't shock him that Shawn could have gotten himself mixed up in something or other as usual.

"Yeah, sure... what's the problem?" He asks, taking a sip of his coffee.

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

She inhales slowly, then says, "I'm only asking this to protect Shawn, because he's curious and he's been digging around and I don't want him to get fired as a consultant which would ruin Gus' life..."

[sbpd_papabear]

Henry sighs a little loudly, shaking his head. Protecting Shawn is a position he's more than familiar with.

"Juliet... look, you're a nice girl, but if he's in trouble you need to get far, far away from him."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Juliet sighs and rubs her temples. "That's not the problem, it's what he COULD do."

She puts down the cup on the conference room table and says, "all right - I'll just say it. Just don't HATE me for saying it..."

[sbpd_papabear]

Color papabear puzzled.

"Just out with it, O'Hara. Okay?" He's pretty sure he won't hate anyone, least of all her.

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

She takes a deep breath and blurts it out.

"Are you in love with Karen?"

[sbpd_papabear]

It's a good thing his coffe's on the table or it'd be on the floor. Henry's eyes widen slightly, his palms go sweaty and he looks Juliet straight in the eyes before managing actual real words.

"That question has nothing to do with Shawn."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

This is no picnic for Juliet, but she's managed to provide him with actual eye contact.

"It does. Karen's been acting strangely lately, and he's convinced that there's something wrong with her."

[sbpd_papabear]

Slowly, Henry licks his lips and then shakes his head.

"There's nothing wrong with her. You need to tell Shawn that it's none of his business, but yeah - she's fine."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

"You know what Shawn's like." She's a truthful girl, and a good one, and can't quite admit that her concern and curiosity are also partially hers.

[sbpd_papabear]

He sighs, feeling the pink flush behind his ears.

"Yeah, and I know that he likes to stick his nose into things that are none of his business." He sighs, still managing to hold eye contact as he is telling the truth - just not to the question she had asked.

"The Chief is fine. Whatever he thinks he knows is wrong."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Juliet gives a little sigh of relief. All of her detective senses are at full allert, but she has no reason to believe that Henry would lie to her. "All right," she sighs. "You might want to talk to him soon."

Juliet can get through to him, but some matters should not be meddled with.

[sbpd_papabear]

Henry's been avoiding telling him anything, at least until things were on more solid footing, but the way things are going even he knows they can't go on keeping secrets forever.

At least once he puts in his resignation there won't be need for secrets unless she still wants them.

"Look... Juliet..." he sighs, scrubbing one hand over his scalp. "I know you're just trying to keep him from doing something really stupid."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

He gets a sarcastic shake of the head. "As usual."

[sbpd_papabear]

Hesitant, he quietly admits; "There... may be something more to things than anyone knows about."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

"...In.." she glances toward the closed door and then back at him, "which way?"

Jules would normally believe Shawn purely on the basis of his psychic ability, but his judgment tends to get clouded when it involves his family.

[sbpd_papabear]

Following that glance, Henry sighs and replies under his breath; "In the way that involves myself and Karen."

His ears flush hot and he takes a long, awkward sip off his coffee.

"Of the personal sort."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Oh God.

He's BLUSHING.

"It's really true, isn't it?"

[sbpd_papabear]

If he lowers his head any further he might actually be hiding under the desk.

Still, in a soft grunt he manages to reply; "Yeah."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

"...Oh."

Shawn was right. But Shawn usually tends to be right about things that are less-than-obvious.

"I won't tell anyone..." saying this out loud is like swallowing a hot poker, so Juliet amends that with, "but you guys really need to tell everyone else as soon as you can."

[sbpd_papabear]

He sure as hell hopes Shawn doesn't have all the details - especially not when they're barely sure of exactly where things are sitting.

Unable to look her in the eye, he manages; "Yeah, we're uh, we're working on that." More than anything, he's working on a way to tell her that he's going to retire - mostly because he doesn't ever want to put her in a position of choosing between her dedication to the job and him ever again.

"Just give it some time, all right?"

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Unless there are contextual clues he won't know. Hopefully.

It feels better and yet worse to have things confirmed, but at least it IS confirmed and not a lingering question in the back of her head anymore. "Good, because you know how I feel about the truth." She straightens up her stance. "I'm fine with pretending we never had this talk, Henry."

[sbpd_papabear]

Henry's hoping more he doesn't know because it's something he won't want to know - he won't let himself see the clues.

"I know how you feel," he replies quietly, reaching out to barely let his fingertips brush the top of her hand; "It'll be all right. I'm going to take care of things."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

She only hopes she won't have to listen to him wail and moan about it for hours, if he does.

"Okay," she sighs, fixing her hair. "If you need to talk about it more, you know who to go to."

[sbpd_papabear]

It'll happen, sooner or later they both know it'll come out and Shawn won't take it well. He's already planning a nice, quiet dinner where they can gently break the news.

"I'll be fine," he offers with a grim half-smile. "Just... don't mention any of this to anyone, okay?"

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

Probably sooner, knowing them.

"You can trust me," she promises. "My lips are sealed."

And this is Juliet- you know she means what she says, Henry.

[sbpd_papabear]

Offering a gentle nod, Henry once more scrubs a nervous hand over his scalp with a sigh.

"Thanks, Juliet. I appreciate your discretion."

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

"You can always count on me."

He is kind of like a dad to her. As weird as that sounds...

[sbpd_papabear]

"Thanks, uh... Detective." He offers a wan, if not grateful, smile.

The way Shawn's taken a shine to her, assuming she can get past his less-savory traits she may as well be like a daughter.

[craftylildoodlepumpkin]

She tries to ignore his less savory traits.

TRIES being the operative word.

"You're welcome...Henry."

You know she's the affectionate sort.