Hmm, it has been a little bit. Again. I find that instead of updating this, I'm writing pointless one-shots for other fandoms. Oops. But I'm back and I hope I'm still loved by all you guys.

Life Choices

Never once in his life had he been good at making choices. Whenever a crossroad lay in front of him, his first instinct had always been to run. Not from what lay at each side, but from the decision itself. What if he was wrong? What if he would regret it?

Now, he lay at another crossroad, each side calling out to him temptingly and luring him in with promises of eternal love and partnership and cuddles and beauty and joy. He bit his lip, the choice inevitable and rushing at him faster than he had imagined. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the one man who could help him through this terrible, insecure time.

Tall and broad-shouldered, with erect golden-brown hair, an impatient look, and a collared, light blue plaid shirt stood his father, wise and understanding beyond all measures, full of worldly experience of fighting crime and always willing to guide his son.

"Look, bud, I don't have all day," spoke his father. "I've gotta go pick your mom up at the airport."

"Yeah, but, I can't decide! The white one with the floppy ears or the spotted one?"

Shawn Spencer knelt down next to his young son and peered into the cage, surveying each and every bunny with care and attention to detail.

"Hmm, well do you see the white one's red eyes?"

Ryan nodded as he watched the red-eyed, floppy-eared bunny romp around the cage.

"That's kinda freaky," admitted his father. "But the spotted one, he's adorable! Hey, can we hold this one?"

The acne-scarred, impatient sales clerk who had been slouching against the wall heaved a great sigh and answered, "Sir, for the tenth time, you can only hold the animals if you're thinking about adopting."

Shawn stood up to his full height and looked the scrawny man up and down, "We are thinking about adopting. So can we hold the spotted one?"

The sales clerk unlocked the cage and removed the squirming, tiny spotted bunny and placed in it Shawn's outstretched hands. Its little nose twitched back and forth and its eyes darted from father to son. Shawn knelt down and stroked its brown-and-white flecked fur gently.

"Lemme hold him!" Ryan lifted the bunny up by his white middle and cradled him like a baby.

"Careful," Shawn directed awkwardly, laughing a bit at the clerk's scowl. "Is he the one you want?"

"Yeah!" Ryan hugged the bunny as close as he could and stroked him between his pointed ears.

"All right, we'll take him," Shawn told the clerk. "And we'll need a cage, food, a water bottle, and that, uh, mulch stuff."

"You mean bedding."

"Uh, sure?"

Ten minutes later, a very happy Ryan danced out of the pet store carrying his new bunny in its cage with great care towards the car. Shawn followed him, filled with equal happiness and love for the newest member of the Spencer family. The one question was how Juliet would react to all of this.

Juliet stood waiting outside the airport, a suitcase in one hand and an umbrella in the other, grumbling to herself a bit about her bad luck and late husband. Usually Shawn's inability to be on time didn't bother her, but standing in the rain with a half-broken, Disney princess themed umbrella that was so leaky it was almost like there was no umbrella at all did bother her. A lot.

A speeding Ford came skidding to a stop in front of her and a window rolled down, revealing a worried and apologetic Shawn.

"Jules! Get in!"

Shaking out her umbrella and throwing her luggage in the back seat, Juliet climbed into the warm car and leaned over to kiss Shawn lightly.

"You're late," she reported as he sped off again.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry," Shawn answered with a small, repentant smile.

"How was the weekend? Did you handle Ryan okay?"

"No, he burnt down the house, ran away, and killed Lassie."

Juliet glared at him and he relented, "I did fine, Jules. Don't worry. No one died and we had fun."

"Really?"

"Surprised? I've been a dad for four years now, Jules! I'm hurt!"

"Sorry, sorry," Juliet relented with a laugh. "So it really did go well?"

"Of course, it was easy!" Shawn had his little, smug smile dancing on his face as he rounded the corner towards their house. "How was the conference?"

"Boring," Juliet rolled her eyes. "I missed you guys."

"Well, you were missed too, Jules. It's so empty in our bed without you," Shawn winked at her as he pulled into their driveway.

"Of course you would say that."

"I meant it in a completely non-sexual way. I just like sleeping with you next to me!"

"Right," Juliet fished around in the backseat for her umbrella.

Shawn tugged off his jacket and draped it around Juliet. "That umbrella's no good, we can just run in under my jacket."

Juliet nodded and threw open her door, in a flash on Shawn's side of the car. He bolted out of the car and huddled under his jacket that Juliet had raised above her head. Moving as one, they hurried up onto their porch and inside the house.

"Look, your parents are back," Gus pointed from his seat on the couch. Ryan's back was to the door, but as soon as the door opened her whirled around.

"Shawn," Juliet said slowly, unlocking his arm from around her waist. "What is that?"

"A bunny!" Ryan piped up, holding him out for Juliet to see. "His name's Judd, after Judd Nelson. He was awesome in The Breakfast Club."

Juliet turned to look at Shawn incredulously, "You let him watch The Breakfast Club and you bought him a bunny?"

"Err, I didn't think there was anything bad about that," Shawn admitted gingerly. "And Gus told me that Ryan would like the movie, right?"

"I'm going home," Gus responded, grabbing his jacket and hurrying out the door.

"Thanks a lot man," Shawn sighed at the closed door and his best friend's receding figure. "Anyway, Jules, it's just a bunny and look at him, he's so cute!"

Ryan held the bunny up to his mother and she looked at Judd intently, from his little twitching nose to his tiny, furry feet. His ears were perked and at the ready and as Juliet reached out to stroke his tiny head, he nuzzled her hand gently.

"Oh, fine, you can keep him," Juliet relented, petting Judd with a small smile on her face. "But I get to hold him."

Juliet lifted the bunny gently into her arms and went to sit on the couch, cooing softly to him.

Shawn leaned down and smirked at his son, "See? I told you she'd love him?"