Shawn jumped over the yellow tape with Gus in tow as was his usual procedure. "Shawn!" Juliet said happily, then she began to give him the story, handing Shawn the case file, "Thirty year old male we think he was poisoned eating a steak dinner at his house last night. The nephew visiting from New York found him this morning."

Shawn nodded but looked at her smiling. He asked, "Well, not that that's not interesting… But is that all you have to say to me?" Juliet raised an eyebrow and said, confused, "Uh…Is there something else I should be saying to you?"

Gus explained matter-of-factly, "It's his birthday and he's under the impression that that makes today a world-wide holiday."

"Well, it is." Shawn countered as if this were obvious.

"Today is your birthday?" Juliet asked. Shawn looked hurt - although she could never tell whether he was acting or if that's how he actually felt. "Yea, I told you that last week." Suddenly she remembered the conversation - one where they'd been joking and laughing and she'd wound up promising to buy him a present.

She put a hand over her mouth, "Oh, Shawn! I'm sorry! I completely forgot." he shrugged, "No big deal." He was trying to act unaffected but Jules thought she saw the twinge of sadness in the way he lowered his shoulders. So either he's sad, or he just wants me to think he's sad which means he's acting happy with a little sadness, or he's actually pretending to act happy so I won't know he's sad.

Wait…huh? Jules had to mentally shake herself. Why do men have to be so confusing, or Shawn, at least?! SHe could understand murderers and criminals - they seemed to have a code of conduct that they followed to some degree. But somehow - when it came to Shawn he would never cease to surprise her. Whether or not Shawn was acting Jules still felt guilty; but she still had a case to solve.

"Well, I'm sorry, but - Happy birthday." She said, he grinned, but not his classic big Shawn-grin. "Thanks."

Jules cleared her throat as the awkward silence stretched on. "So about the case…" she started.

"Oh right the case." Shawn said with the air of one who'd forgotten, probably because he had in the presence of Juliet. "Yea it was the nephew." They were now at the scene of the crime - they'd been walking throughout this whole conversation, into the building and now in the man's apartment.

"What?!" Jules asked incredulously.

"The nephew." Shawn said casually, "He did it."

"How could you possibly know that?" she asked him.

"Well if you look in that garbage can there - that's a plane ticket dated to yesterday from New York, where you said the nephew was from. So he obviously lied about when he came in. Plus, according to the report - the poison found in the man's body is a specific type of insecticide used only in New York, where the horn-rimmed beetle resides. So - uh -you got your killer."

Shawn scratched his nose. Jules blinked and closed her mouth. He'd only flipped the file open and glanced inside for a time span of about 3 seconds.

"Ok. I guess we do... Good work." She said, honestly impressed. "Well, I'm gonna go find Lassiter and bring him the news so we can bring the guy in."

"You can tell the chief to mail our check to the office - we'll be there all day." "Shawn and I have a cake coming out." Gus said.

"And dozens of balloon animals to make" Shawn added enthusiastically "- see ya Jules." he finished as the three parted.

--

After Juliet told Lassiter about the case - she found herself with a free afternoon. She'd planned on spending all day working on the new case - but Shawn had solved it for her. So now she found herself sitting at her desk, paperwork in front of her, though long forgotten because she was daydreaming.

She still felt bad about his birthday. He had told her. She had promised him a gift. She'd been joking but had fully intended on buying him a little something. And then she had forgotten completely. She almost wanted to go out right then and buy him something - granted, a small something. But something. But she had no idea what to get him. She pulled out her cell phone and started flipping through various pictures she'd taken. Her cats, a friend of hers, a pretty flower she'd seen, a murderer… Then she came across a few in succession of Shawn and Gus. Shawn had stolen her cell phone one day and snapped some pictures without her knowing. She smiled at the memory. In one picture she saw Shawn holding a prized possession and it gave her an idea.

She stood up and left mumbling a hurried response that sounded something like "My break." to the questioning Lassiter. She was on her way to the grocery store.

--

Jules knocked three times on the door to Psych, but no one came to the door. She knocked another three times, louder. They said they'd be there all day - baking a cake or something. She gave it one more try but it was evident that no one was coming. Well, I did come all the way out here - it couldn't hurt to try the door. She shifted her weirdly shaped package to her left arm and reached for the doorknob with her right. It opened.

"Hello?" she called tentatively through the now open door. "Jules!" it was Shawn, coming out of the back room followed by Gus who was wearing oven mitts. "What are you doing here?"

Jules lifted the wrapped gift in her arms and replied, "Well… I felt kinda bad about your birthday so I decided to get you a gift. I hope you like it."

He looked absolutely delighted.

"You didn't have to do that…" he said uncharacteristically bashful, but he reached for the gift all the same. He peeled off the wrapping paper and burst out laughing. Gus looked up at her an eyebrow raised and asked, "A pineapple?"

"Well I thought he'd like it." Jules replied smiling.

Shawn was still chuckling as he said, "Aww thanks Jules. Man! This is gonna go great with the pineapple cake Gus just pulled out of the oven! Want a slice?"

"I'd love one." Jules said closing the door behind her as she came inside.

--

First ever Psych fanfic. Hope you like it. Please, please, please review! J