I've been avoiding putting this chapter up almost lol. I can't believe its over either. But...it's time. I hope the ending doesn't suck. :/

They could see flames rising into the sky from blocks away. Shawn shifted in the seat next to her. "Give me a gun," he ordered.

"That's never going to happen Shawn."

"Then drive faster," he hissed, kicking his good leg against the car.

She shot him a look, which quieted him, but she complied, speeding up even further.

Lassiter was already on the scene. So were the fire trucks.

Shawn, his leg now in a brace hobbled out of the car and over to Lassiter as his childhood home was enveloped in flames. His eyes instantly darted to the pickup truck still parked in the driveway. His dad was still in there. Shawn shoved his way past Lassiter towards the house, fighting in vain as Lassiter easily tugged him backwards, throwing off his precarious balance.

"Damnit Spencer," he heard Lassiter mutter half heartedly.

"What the hell is going on! Where's my dad!" Shawn screamed.

Lassiter swallowed hard before pulling an evidence bag out of his jacket, "We found this, tucked in the windshield wiper," he handed it to Shawn, avoiding his eyes.

-Shawn

You blow up my house. I blow up yours.

-Yang

Shawn felt his legs give out beneath him. The roar of the flames seemed to be all he could hear. She'd done it. Yang had finally taken one of his parents. He couldn't breathe.

His hand came up shakily, handing the note to Gus, who read it silently.

Shawn's eyes felt drawn to the flames as he watched his childhood home burn. The firefighters were trying their best to suppress the flames, but the house was looking like a lost cause. His room was long gone. Firefighters were yelling for them to back up the police line; the fire was getting dangerously hot.

Shawn couldn't feel it. He felt numb. He was vaguely aware of Gus dragging him to his feet and tugging him back towards the new police line. Something on the upper floor exploded and the remaining windows shattered, the glass tumbling into the grass like shrapnel.

Shawn stared at the burning mess. "He's gone Gus," Shawn murmured weakly, his voice lost in the roar of the flames and the wailing of the sirens.

Gus looked at him sadly, "I know," he held his friend tightly, aware that he was the only thing keeping Shawn upright.

"We've got movement!" A firefighter's voice suddenly broke through the haze and all eyes darted towards the house, where a hazy figure was emerging from the wreckage.

Yang stumbled out, her clothes singed, coughing. She grinned when she caught sight of Shawn and waved. Officers swarmed her instantly. It took three to put her into cuffs.

Shawn felt a swell of hate in his chest like he'd never felt before. She'd killed his dad. The toughest most stubborn old man who'd ever…he was dead and it was her fault.

At that moment McNabb walked past Shawn. Reacting instinctively, Shawn grabbed McNabb's gun from its holster and pointed it at Yang, his hand trembling.

"Spencer!" He heard Lassiter pull his gun; knew the gun was trained on him. He couldn't see it but he was pretty sure Juliet's was pointed at him too. He almost smiled. She'd shoot him in the hand before she'd let him throw his life away by killing Yang.

Dully, he realized that he didn't care. Even if Juliet pulled the trigger he'd pull his faster. Yang would be dead. He could put the bullet right between her eyes the same way she'd put a bullet between her predecessors. It would be almost poetic. Five pounds of pressure and she was dead. That was all it would take; was all that was standing between her and death. And Yang knew it.

Then why was she grinning?

Her gleeful expression only made his hand shake harder.

He stared at her a long moment, blood pounding in his ears. "You want me to do this. Don't you," he challenged her quietly.

Out of his peripheral he saw Lassiter glance to Yang.

"You ruined everything Shawn. You ruined years of work-of planning. Yin put me in charge of training you, he shouldn't have. But he did. He thought you were destined to be the best of us," Yang was furious, her feet lifting off the ground as she writhed against her captures, practically spitting at Shawn, "But you ruined it. We may not be partners now Shawn, but I still plan on accomplishing what Yin wanted. You needed a catalyst," she glanced back at the burning house," Now you have it," she smirked, daring him to take the shot.

Shawn shivered, feeling his face curl in hatred. She needed to die.

'No kid, she needs justice,' his father's voice echoed in his head.

Shawn almost growled; even in death they still couldn't see eye to eye. His father was wrong. Mary needed to be put down. She'd killed Yang, she'd killed Declan, she'd killed his father. She deserved to die…

But not at his hand. Still trembling, he lowered the gun. He wasn't an executioner. Henry Spencer had taught him better than that.

Yang stared at him in horror as he clicked the safety back into place. Her mouth opened then closed, and then she screamed, "NO! I killed him, I killed your father! Shoot me!" Shawn handed the gun back to Buzz, "Shoot me! I killed him!"

"Don't count me out just yet," a voice boomed before tapering off into a coughing fit.

Shawn's heart stopped and he wheeled back towards the fire.

"Dad," he whispered, limping over to his father. He threw his arms around him, burying his head into his father's chest, inhaling the smell of smoke and fire that meant his father was alive and standing there in front of him. Shawn trembled, feeling his throat tighten, "I thought you were Vader," he spluttered and pulled back, looking at his dad, his face was covered in soot, he had a cut above his left eye, but he was ok-he was alive, "I thought you were Vader," he murmured again, embracing his father tighter.

"I know kid," his dad muttered, holding the back of Shawn's head tight to him. "I know."

Later:

Firefighters were picking through the remains of the house. His father was giving his statement to Lassie while being checked out by the medics. Lassiter was rolling his eyes as Henry was obviously being difficult. Shawn grinned gleefully. He was pretty sure his father was the only person Lassiter had a harder time putting up with then himself. The best part was his dad didn't even have to try.

He glanced around the bustle of activity. Gus was near the Blueberry on his cell phone, trying to get off of work. Juliet was standing off to the side watching the clean up, arms folded across her chest. He felt a surge of emotion swell in his chest. How many times had he nearly lost someone in the last few weeks? How many times had he almost lost her?

He started the slow trek of hobbling over to her. Juliet gave him a soft grin when she noticed his approach and he returned it with a lopsided one of his own. She moved towards him quickly, putting a stopping hand on his chest, and gently maneuvered him towards the hood of a car, pushing him against it.

"Your leg," she reminded him quietly.

The tenderness of the gestured surprised him, caused the lump in his throat to grow. He gently maneuvered her around him, pushing her down on the hood as well.

She frowned.

"Your hip," he gestured to her not even week old gunshot wound. Juliet blushed; in all the chaos she hadn't even remembered that had happened.

They were both silent as they somberly watched the fireman plod through the wreckage of his house.

"Jules I-" he swallowed feeling, of all things, butterflies in his stomach, "I nearly lost my dad tonight," he said softly, the weight of the statement finally hitting him. She remained silent, and he wasn't sure she'd heard until he felt her warm hand wrap gently around his. He turned to her, scooting slightly closer, "And last week, in the woods, I nearly lost you, and before that, with Yin, I nearly lost you and I-"he froze, feeling an almost overwhelming sense of panic as a million other memories of how close he'd come to losing her, Gus, his father-everyone-burst from his memory into the for front of his brain. "I…" he felt like his tongue was lead. Her hand squeezed his reassuringly, "I don't want…" he paused, recollecting his thoughts. This conversation was too heavy. It made his insides seize up and it gave him the urge to curl up under a rock with all the season's of Macgyver for company and just never come out and face the world again. But that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted her.

She stayed silent staring at him intently.

He sighed. "What I'm saying is…I think you-we-deserve more than popcorn tonight," she cocked her head to the side, her nose scrunching up adorably. She definitely remembered this, "And I…I think it's time I took you on a date-a proper one," he swallowed hard; they were so close he could feel her breathe on his face. Staring at her intently, he absorbed every aspect of her reaction. The way her eyes lit up in realization, the slow smile that stretched across her lips.

"I think we're about two years overdue," she whispered, beaming at him.

"I'd have to agree with you," he murmured, finally closing the distance between them.

8D

I want to thank you guys again for all of your reviews and support. I'm glad you've all enjoyed this so much.

I hope you have one more review left in you.

If you do the first chapter of Small Potatoes will go up very quickly ;)

Enjoy and Review!