There weren't many things in her life that April MacArthur regretted doing. Sure, there was that one time when she mistakenly thought that red was a good color for her. And that other time when she let herself believe that going out with that cute seal trainer from Uruguay was a good idea. Still, the list of regrets was a short one. Becoming friends with Juliet O'Hara was on the longer list of things she was glad she did.
Of course, Juliet was a really busy person--Santa Barbara never really ran out of crime, despite its sunny exterior. There was always some case to investigate and some person to interrogate. But Juliet never bailed on their bi-monthly girly get together. Whether it was watching the sappiest chick flicks currently available on DVD or getting their hair done at the mall salon, Juliet was always there. She could tell that Juliet really needed this kind of company--she was pretty sure that the people at the precinct didn't really appreciate the difference between salmon and coral pink in trying to find the perfect accessories, just like the people at the aquarium never really understood her need to color-coordinate her earrings with her shoes. Jules was a girly-girl after her own heart, and with both of them in professions largely populated by the male of their species, they had come to depend on each other for advice, chats and bitching sessions. Loyalty was one of April's best traits, and whenever Juliet came to her place, disillusioned, cranky and craving for ice cream, she never let her friend eat it alone. After all, sharing in the calories was one of the best things about girlfriends. That, and having them to try on outfits at boutiques with.
Still, sometimes, she wondered if Juliet would be as good a friend as she was if she had ignored her gut instinct and asked Shawn to go out with her.
There was something about him that had tugged at her the moment she met him. Maybe it was the impish grin or the casual slouch, but she knew right away that he was special. That he was different. April wasn't dense--she knew that he had expressed interest in her. She wanted to get to know him more before agreeing to go out with him, so really, that was why she talked to Juliet about him in the first place.
She thought it was an innocent question--"What about Shawn?"
Normally, her old friends back in college would immediately express their approval or disgust at her "Boy of the Moment" and rattle off things that would either make her swoon or cringe. She didn't expect Juliet to be forthcoming exactly--she HAD just met her, after all--but she didn't really expect her to react that way--all surprised, nervous and anxious. She had seen their banter at the police station earlier, and honestly thought they were just colleagues, or at a stretch, friends. She even thought she could get Juliet to put in the good word for her in case Shawn ever asked.
But looking at Juliet from across the table, sipping through her straw as if her life depended on it, she knew there were some toes being stepped on. April was no poacher. She didn't know Juliet all that well yet, but she liked her a lot. Her shoes were really cute. Enough to maybe step away from this equally fascinating and irritating guy. After all, she hadn't known them for more than a few days. From the looks of it, they had been dancing around each other for awhile--there was some tension there, but not enough for her to think that they were exes or something. She would have picked up on THAT right away. So she backed away from the topic, watching Juliet's shoulders visibly relax again after the uncomfortable conversation passed.
Though her insides went all slushy at the thought of having dinner end with him kissing her with those really amazing looking lips, when the time came when he finally asked her to have dinner with him, all she could think about was how Juliet would react if she told her on their very first girly bonding trip to the mall that coming weekend that the guy she wasn't really sure she was all that into had asked her out.
Ever since moving out to California from the Midwest, April hadn't really had a lot of good friends. There were more guys than girls working at the aquarium, and even they were more interested in the fish than in grabbing coffee together after their respective shifts. There was the occasional office get-together, but no one she could really dish to, woman to woman. She missed that--getting along with someone who didn't want to sleep with you. Which was why she sacrificed potentially the date of a lifetime for the sake of her future friend. The minute she walked out of that office, she was heading for the nearest ice cream parlor, and she'd be ringing up Juliet for lunch to thank her for all her help with the case and to observe her as she casually dropped down anvil-sized hints about Shawn, just to see how she would react.
She just hoped that she wasn't wrong about Juliet and Shawn, because if she was, well, she'd be really pissed off.
In the years they had been friends, she never had had to knock on her door--it was always open to her. This time, though, it was different. She strode up to the worn out oak of the door and knocked softly. When there was no reply, she rang the doorbell, hoping it wouldn't be too loud.
"Come in!" Juliet's voice called out from inside.
She opened the door. "Hey," she called out in a stage whisper, switching the wrapped box from her hands to her hips. "Am I interrupting anything?"
"You mean, like the enactment of my wildest fantasies?" came the familiar sardonic voice. She looked to her left and grinned. He hadn't changed a bit. She offered her cheek, and his lips swooped down to give it the lightest brush. "That's tomorrow's agenda. Today, we're just having lunch."
She laughed and shook her head. "Where's Juliet?"
"She's in the kitchen, finishing everything before my dad, Gus and Tanya come over," he replied. He spied the lavishly decorated box in her arms. "Ooh, is that for me? You shouldn't have, April."
She angled the box away from his greedy stare. "You're right, I shouldn't have, because it's not for you. I'm giving it to Juliet."
He pouted. "She got a lot of gifts already. How about me? Wasn't I an integral part of this thing as well? You never would have even met Jules if not for me!"
"Shawn, if your reasoning were the be all and end all of everything, nothing would ever get done," interrupted a wryly amused voice. Juliet came through the archway leading to the hallway. "Hey!"
"Hi!" April said, but she wasn't looking at Juliet inasmuch as she was greedily taking in the sight of the pink bundle in her arms. With a soft white bonnet covering her light brown curls, Gayle Michelle Spencer was the prettiest baby in all of Santa Barbara. Beautiful button nose from her mom, wide curling smackable lips from her dad. She was a pretty little picture, wrapped up in lace and cotton, and April was probably the proudest godmother in the state. Gayle's round blue eyes were staring at her in wonder, although being only a few months old, she had the same rapt expression for anything that moved in front of her.
Juliet saw the look in her eyes and laughed. "Come on, fairy godmother, I know you're raring to hold her." She gently shifted the small figure in her arms as Shawn wordlessly stepped forward to take the package from April's hands.
April felt the familiar tug of love and affection whenever she got to see her adorable little goddaughter. Smelling the freshly applied baby powder, she laughed softly as Gayle cracked the tiniest smile at her. "Hiya, Gayle," she whispered to her. "How are you doing? Are you as sick of daddy's jokes as I am already?"
"Watch your tongue," Shawn retorted playfully. "I'll have you know she laughs at every single joke I dish out. She's my number one fan."
April rolled her eyes at him. "It's only because she doesn't understand a thing you're saying." She started a gentle bouncing motion that made the baby gurgle and started pacing around the room.
"Shawn, the others will be here in awhile. Could you help me bring out the lasagna?"
"Did you--"
"No, Shawn, for the last time, we are NOT putting pineapple on the lasagna--you KNOW Gus hates it when you do that."
She saw Shawn's face fall as he and his wife made their way back to the kitchen. April smiled as she saw Juliet lean her head against his shoulder as his arm came around her, bantering all the way. She admired how Juliet's head nestled perfectly against the crook of his neck and how Shawn knew exactly where to rub her back to ease the recurring post-pregnancy strain had on her. Their verbal exchanges still had the zing of familiarity, but there was a new element of real honest-to-goodness peace underlying every retort. Most of all, they still managed to glow with the happy we'll-be-married-forever vibe surrounding them even after two years of marriage.
Maybe she had regretted giving up that date with Shawn for a few months after he had asked her out. God knows the men that came after him were less than savory. But right now, standing in Shawn's and Juliet's little gingerbread house by the bay, watching them cart out pineapple-less lasagna as their baby gurgled happily in her arms, she couldn't see how she could ever regret it at all.
Story Notes:
Jash, I'd like to think this fic has everything you love and more. Throw in James Van Der Beek and it's your LIFE in a nutshell XD ILU honey! Happy happy birthday (in two weeks)! ^__^
Standard disclaimers apply.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Forgive any grammatical errors or any mistakes. They're all mine, and were made in sheer exuberance and gushiness. <3
Chapter End Notes:
READ AND REVIEW, please :) Shules babies for us all.
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