Epilogue: Unfinished Business

California, roughly 122 miles from Santa Barbara, 2007

"Shawn, for the last time, where are we going?"

"For the last time, Gus, the basic concept of a surprise is that the surprised doesn't know it. I'm fairly sure telling you where we're going would ruin a crucial element of that surprise."

Gus rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat in the car. He cast his eyes to Henry, who sat beside him on the backseat, but Shawn's father was merely looking straight ahead with an expression on his face which absolutely didn't let on what he was thinking.

Gus sighed. "All right, let me run this through again."

Shawn checked his mirror and changed lanes. "Gus, we've been through this about a hundred times in the past two hours. You're not getting any more information until we arrive."

"Arrive where?"

Shawn sighed and looked at his friend in the rear-view mirror as if he was daft. "The place of the surprise."

"And it was important for that surprise that we leave at six in the morning?"

Shawn nodded. "Yes, it was. The early bird gets hit by two stones and all that."

Gus didn't even bother to correct his friend. "And it was important that we take my car?"

"Yes. Because it would have been quite uncomfortable to fit all three of us on my bike. Besides, somebody doesn't let me drive it yet even though the doctors officially cleared me for all forms of traffic activity."

Henry silently raised an eyebrow. "I told you I'd let you drive the bike as soon as you figured out where I put the keys. It's just a little exercise of mind, Shawn."

"For all I know, you buried them in the garden."

Henry smiled. "I gave you all the clues as to where they are. You just, once again, refuse to see the greater picture."

Before Shawn could reply, Gus interrupted them. "Yes, that's horrible about the bike, you have my sympathies. But could we get back on topic? For example, why couldn't we take your Dad's truck? Driving in that would have been much more comfortable than squeezing us here into the backseat. Not to mention that you forced both of us to take the backseat and still haven't told us why!"

Shawn checked his mirror again and took the upcoming exit. "All right, I think I can tell you why. I needed a car with a backseat, and I needed the two of you to stay in that backseat so that you wouldn't be able to stop me in case you figured out where we're going."

"Wait!" Gus' eyes went wide. "You know that we won't like where we're going? And still you're taking us? Shawn, stop the car right now. I don't like this."

Shawn only grinned. "Oh, but you will. It might just take a little time. Can't a guy just take his Dad and his best friend on a daytrip?"

"Not you Shawn. That's why I'm worrying. So now tell me where we're going!"

Shawn's grin widened and he took another turn, slowed the car down and steered it into a parking space. "Nowhere. We're there."

Henry was already staring out of his window with a look of blatant disbelief on his face, and finally Gus turned his attention away from Shawn and looked out, too. While Gus simply gaped speechlessly, Shawn picked his backpack from the passenger seat and got out of the car.

"Come on guys, get out. Or do you want me to leave you in the car?"

"No, no, no Shawn! You can't be serious about this!" Gus leaped out of the car and slammed the door shut. Henry got out more dignified, but still he looked as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

"Disneyland, Shawn?" Gus was on a roll. "You're taking us to Disneyland? I'm thirty years old Shawn, what on earth made you think I wanted to go to Disneyland?"

Shawn shouldered his backpack, the movements of his left arm no longer impaired in any way, and locked the car.

"Gus, you're not seeing the greater picture here."

Henry snorted, but remained silent. Shawn shook his head at him, then continued to talk to Gus.

"You remember our trip to Disneyland, don't you?"

Gus nodded. "Of course. What's that got to do with anything?"

"Everything." Shawn's excitement was tangible. "Think Gus. What was the one thing we didn't get to do during our visit here? The one thing we've been looking forward to but didn't manage?"

Gus frowned. "We took all the rides. More than once. Besides, that was twenty years ago, the rides are totally different today. What are you talking about?"

Shawn grinned and started to turn towards the entrance. "You'll figure it out, Gus. And if you do, you'll know where to find me. And now excuse me, I'm off to see an old friend."

As Shawn walked away, Gus turned towards Henry.

"Do you have any idea what he's talking about?"

Henry shook his head with a sigh. "I had rather hoped you knew what this was about."

"Is he still on medication?"

"No. Hasn't been for over two weeks. He's thinking quite clearly. Well, as clearly as Shawn is capable of. But what's that business about an old friend? Do you know anybody who works here?"

And suddenly, realisation settled on Gus' face. Followed immediately by panic. Without wasting another word at Henry, he started to run after Shawn, yelling on top of his voice.

"Shawn! Shawn, stop! Those are real people in those costumes! Shawn! I swear, if I find just a single firecracker in that backpack of yours, I am going to kill you! Shawn! Stop!"

Now Shawn started running too, away from Gus and towards the entrance. Gus was still yelling. "Shawn, that was funny twenty years ago! As a purely theoretical concept! It's physically impossible to send Mickey into space with a bottle rocket! Shawn, they're going to arrest you!"

For a moment, for just a moment, Henry was sorely tempted to just remain by the car and wait for either Gus or Shawn to return. Then he shook his head with a smile and set off towards the entrance at a much slower pace than his son and Gus. He didn't doubt that sooner or later he'd catch up with them.

- The End -

Thanks to everybody for sticking around. I have two more multi-chaptered stories finished and ready for posting, but only if you like to read them, of course :D Just let me know.