Beta'd by redwolffclaw! Thank you so much you wonderful person you!

"Jules, have you ever been up this high before?"

The blonde detective thought carefully, trying to consider her words and her current environment. "Well, I've flown in an airplane so, yes."

Shawn shook his head, clearly not satisfied with that answer. "Don't be the guy who replaced Steve on Blue's Clues. You know that's not what I was looking for."

Juliet's brow furrowed momentarily and she let allowed her curiosity to act out, despite the horrible situation they were currently cornered into. "Shawn, you seriously watched Blue's Clues? C'mon! I was sixteen when that show came out. That would have made you—"

Shawn cut her off proudly. "Eighteen!" He smiled at her and momentarily Juliet could feel warmth emanate off of him, rather than the cold distant snowman he'd been recently. She should have known that he would have a meltdown eventually. There were so many signs; trying to repay his fines to Gus, being a slave to his dad with almost no (almost) arguments, and suddenly becoming the "clingy boyfriend" type, and all without an explanation to anyone.

She was his girlfriend, the one he could share intimate details with, but she hadn't seen this coming. It wasn't due to lack of trying though. Shawn was sneakier than a raccoon – minus the creepy masks he hated so much – and whenever she'd had the time to approach him he would just disappear off everyone's radar. Suspiciously, whenever she was stuck under a pile of paperwork or so dead tired she collapsed at just the sight of her bed, he would come back. He'd probably memorized everyone's schedule.

"Fine. Once when I was younger Frank took me to New York and we went to the top of the Statue of Liberty."

"Don't be silly Jules." Shawn waved her words off like they were offensive. "Everyone knows the Statue is in Washington, D.C."

"Shawn, that's the Pentagon," Juliet laughed. She could feel tears begin to prick at her eyes. Said eyes dropped to stare at her companion's right hand. "Shawn…"

"But you could see the people? Just like this?" His voice shook and he gave a small glance behind him. "Were they looking up at you?"

"They were, but only because they were jealous. Shawn this is different! Those people are terrified! I'm terrified!"

"I know! I know, Jules. Stop telling me things I already know."

Juliet's eyes darted right then left in an odd metronome. It was almost dizzying watching Shawn pace back and forth, his teeth gritting and grinding together, and his face grimacing due to years of emotional pain.

What could she do in an instance like this? Training didn't cover, 'How to Talk Your Boyfriend Down From a Ledge.'

Think. Think. Think!

He needs to be brought back to earth, he's not thinking like himself. Talk to him. Distract him. Just don't let him leave you like this. She'd heard that saying someone's name enough and touching them helped, but obviously touching was out.

"Shawn, can you at least put down the gun?" His eyes met hers. He looked down at the cold piece of metal and then back to his girlfriend.

He took in a deep breath. "I can't, Jules. I don't know what I want to do yet, but I know giving up my gun isn't one." He took in another breath and spun to hop up onto a cemented ledge. Shawn dramatically juggled himself over the edge, both to simply look below, as well as give off a quite dangerous implication. The gun he held was hugged to his chest protectively, and half his body balanced on one foot that barely glued him down to the building's ledge. He heard a startled squeak from behind him. For her, and only for her, did he take the time to ground himself, but time was running out. The steely cold of the gun in his right hand had already begun to seep into his eyes to squash the man she knew.

"They look like little collectable action figures, Jules. Do you think they're all here for me, or maybe there's a fireworks show starting soon? If they want a show, I'd be happy to give them one." Juliet's frown deepened at his words. "Oh! I see my dad." He leaned over slightly and cupped his mouth with his hands. "Hey dad! You got front row tickets, huh?" Shawn turned back to his girlfriend. "You know I think I want a refund on that dad action figure, or is he more of a Barbie doll? What do you think?" He stopped to point out what he saw was a very important fact. "Take into account that he takes bubble baths."

Dissociation…she was losing him.

"Shawn...you and I both know that those 'action figures' are living, just like you and me, and that your dad didn't come here to see a show. He wants the same thing as me, to have you SAFELY come down from there and return to ground level."

"Living action figures? Do you mean like Bride of Chucky?" Shawn quipped, completely ignoring her words of wisdom. "Because, Jules I'm not a serial killer doll nor was I reanimated from the dead. Although… I wouldn't mind being Buzz Lightyear, as long as I'm a life-sized version, and my weapons work."

Juliet bit her tongue for a long moment before calming herself and squashing any comments that could be harmful. She was sure that would only put them two steps forward and one step back, and at this point a single step backward was deadly.

"We're not toys, Shawn, and neither are they. If you jump, you could seriously hurt someone if you fell on top of them." She saw a flicker of understanding and worry that was then quickly veiled with his usually lovable humor. Today, however, it was more horrifying than humorous. "And don't you dare make any jokes about pan-"

"Pancakes, Jules! Make sure Lassie brings butter and syrup, maybe some eggs sunny-side up as the side-dish." Shawn rushed. God, she wished she had been faster on that one. His smile was bright, painfully bright. It was making her stomach twist and attempt to liquefy itself until it could escape through her throat easier. "Jules this is super important." His voice went low, as if he were about to tell her something scandalous.

She took a step forward, only to have her other half, raise the barrel of his gun to train on her, and then shuffle backward slightly more. In an instant her hands were raised and she backtracked, all the while staring at how the backs of his sneakers had cleared the edge. Anymore, and he would be teetering off into a very dangerous fall. For now, her distance seemed to have put her boyfriend at ease.

He chuckled darkly. "Thanks, Jules. I don't want to hurt you." He scratched his head. "Damn, now the moment's gone. I guess you'll never know more about my soon to be infamous pancakes. They'll be named…Shankes! Shanks? Wait...isn't that what they do in prison? Can you ask Marlowe? I mean you can call her right? Or I can wait for Lassie, I see his Crown Vic pulling up down there." Shawn cupped his hands to his face and crouched down to scream, "You're slow Lassie! Gus could've gotten here faster than— Oh…Gus! Up here!" Shawn waved as if they didn't see him traipsing along a building ledge. "The whole gang's here now. Wow, I'm popular tonight."

"Shawn, please. Don't joke about this."

Shawn's shoulders fell, and an unfamiliar expression crossed his face. It was something Juliet had never seen before, not until now. It was a mixture of sadness and...She squinted hard as she tried to perceive the emotions. Anger? No.

"Jokes are all I have left, Jules...If I don't keep doing this then I'll..."

"Then keep going Shawn, please. Do anything, dance, sing, just as long as you don't jump and leave me alone."

His head fell down to stare at the ground beneath him, and then she heard a single hiccup that soon turned to many more. Shawn's shoulders quivered and small droplets fall to the cement, darkening the area. The hand that held the gun went slightly limp as he brought it up to wipe face with the back of his hand quickly in embarrassment.

"Jules, I-I…" he raised his head, his chin quivering. Shawn looked behind him, and then at the young detective before him. His mouth parted, but only air rushed out. "I…don't think I've ever been this scared. I mean Justin Beiber comes pretty close, followed by Gremlin dolls." He sniffled loudly, and then looked to the side and counted on his fingers as he tried to solidify his ridiculous list. He let out a sob, and then somehow continued. "Wait, no, raccoons are pretty high, so they go above Justin Beiber." He gave a long sniff and looked up in an attempt to control his tears.

"L-look, Jules. The point is I'm scared to die, but I just can't see any more ways out. Me, Jules, unable to find a way out, of all people. My fucking 'gift' could at least be useful for something you would think, but it's not." He groaned into his hands loudly.

Time was running out. If anything, his gift gave him the ability to see that officials were getting much more serious. Juliet had probably asked for time but that time was over. He wondered if they would use the giant parachute thing to catch him; Pre-school all over again. "Please don't tell anyone I said any of this. I have to look like a macho man up here, right? I mean jumping is my choice. Well, I have a gun I could use but…" He trailed off, deciding it best not to elaborate. "Sorry…" He sighed. "Jules, this is why you shouldn't be up here."

"Not be-? Shawn, where else should I be right now?" Juliet's mouth was slightly agape, and her heart clenched in pain. It was his pain that consumed her, his pain that had tears sliding down her face, and yet she had no idea how to help. He was scared, terrified, but what could she possibly do if he refused to tell her? Just like everything else in his personal life, he had always been silent, unless the topic was something that didn't relate to himself at all.

"Shawn," she croaked. "Please let us help. If no one else, let me help."

Shawn shook his gun as if shaking off the emotions that consumed and confused him. "No!" He lowered his tone and moved to a less harsh one. "No. Jules, I've been fighting this for so long and I'm just...I can't." He slid his unoccupied hand shakily down his damp face, over his red-rimmed eyes and stubble that had accumulated due to his lack of hygiene. "I'm tired of being both a fuck up and a freak, Jules. That's two strikes. I'm one X away from having a bingo."

"Shawn, if you're playing Tic Tack Toe that means nothing. It depends on how you use that X. If you do things right you'll win. If you do things wrong, you could lose. In this case I think it's a draw." As she said this she scooted forward steadily. If Shawn noticed, he made no action to punish it. "It'll probably always be as long as you're strong and don't let whatever or whoever O is defeat you, okay? Everyone has problems, Shawn, and some people don't have friends to help them. You're one of the lucky ones but you have to let us in that head of yours."

Juliet waited a moment to see if Shawn would comment on how close she'd managed to get. If she were to reach out at an arm's length she could brush the bottom half of his pants.

Seeing as his full attention was on her, she continued. "There are so many people who would be devastated if you were to hurt yourself, even your dad. I know you can sense how much he loves you, how much I love you, Gus, and-" She paused and cocked her head to the side and scrunched up her nose. "And even Carlton now that I think about it."

Shawn gave a wet laugh and sniffled. "Lassie? You've got to be kidding me. He'd probably chase after a bone or his own tail before grabbing me in a big 'ol bear hug. Plus, I do not want his, Gus', or – especially not – my dad's lips on mine." He lifted a finger and tapped his lips. "These babies are reserved only for you."

"Well I can't use my reservation if you're not here." Juliet smiled. "You might have to stick around for a while until I decide to cash in, but I can't promise I'll want to cash in only once. Do I get a lifetime guarantee?"

A bright smile lit up Shawn's face, and he jumped from the ledge onto solid ground. Before she could say anymore, he all but bowled her over to take advantage of her open arms. His nose buried in her hair, ignoring the barely audible cheers coming from the action figures down below, and getting lost in the scent of his picture perfect girl.

"Gun," she whispered to him. Instantly the lock was activated and it was thrown to the ground behind her. "Thank you, Shawn."

"Want to cash in your kiss now?" Shawn asked as he pulled back to waggle his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Juliet looked up with a thoughtful finger on her chin.

"I guess I'll go let Lassie cash in then, I can hear him yelling."

As soon as the words left his mouth Lassiter and Gus burst through the rooftop door.

"Shawn don't-!"

"It's over buddy. Unless you want an encore, but I don't think Jules would be very happy about that."

"No, I wouldn't, Shawn." She hissed.

Gus sighed and fell back to look up at the sky, a suspicious twinkle at the edge of his eyes. His best friend would live, today at least. He couldn't count all the upcoming times Shawn would probably put his life at risk on a case, but he would take that over not having him around at all.

Straightening himself, Gus raced forward to induce a flurry of slaps upon Shawn's chest. "Shawn. Don't. You. Ever. Scare. Me. Like. That. Again! I don't like having to leave work because, 'That one psychic guy is about to jump off a building.' Building? Shawn? This nearly counts as a skyscraper!" He ignored the snide, 'Dude what building are you looking at?' and continued his rant. "I will channel Miss. Cleo and murder you if you do this again."

"Ow! Gus, okay, okay! Although, I seriously doubt Miss. Cleo could re-kill me. Maybe you could just ask her if you could join me. We can be kindred—OW! Gus, I'm sorry! Free smoothies on me buddy, just no more hitting." Shawn held his now sore torso with a wince, once he thought he was cleared of Gus' wrath, he switched his focus onto his favorite beanpole-like Detective. Carlton seemed to be much less tense than when he'd kicked open the door…and he also seemed to have found his the discarded gun.

"O'Hara, this isn't yours…Spencer, where the hell did you find a gun!" Carlton looked closer. "Whose is this Spencer? Does this even belong to you?"

"Why, yes, Lassie, it is under the Spencer name."

Carlton's mouth gaped open. He clenched the gun in a white knuckled grip. "Oh you've got to be kidding—Did you steal this from Henry! Do you even have a gun license?"

Juliet shook her head and looked up to the sky as if to ask God what her partner was thinking. "Carlton! Not now!"

The older man pointed at him, continuing despite his partner's advice. "I can charge you on so many accounts right now, Spencer."

"Carlton! This is not a conversation we should have up here, on a rooftop, a very open, very dangerous rooftop."

"Aww, Jules. That's so cute. You're still afraid I'll crush those little action figures down there. Don't worry, I'm fine now, promise, and it was all you Lassie!" A devilish grin took over Shawn's face. Juliet huffed behind him. "You're lips are what totally brought me down. So, how bout we cash in on a big kiss and go home!"

"Sp-Spencer, what? Spencer don't you come near me!" Backing up did no good for the older Detective. "O'Hara!"

Juliet rolled her eyes and grabbed her boyfriend roughly by the arm before he could come in contact with the panicking Head Detective. "Shawn, not now. At least wait until we're downstairs."

Shawn grinned. "Hear that Lassie? I have my girl's approval! Now let's race each other down so we can get freaky. Elevator's one floor down; I think that'll be faster for us." With that, he took off behind Gus down the stairs.

"Spencer, w-what the—" Lassiter sputtered. "Seriously, O'Hara, what do you see in this man?"

The resounding footsteps running down to the flight of stairs slowed and then grew silent. Juliet merely shrugged and spoke a little louder than necessary, "There's no way I could explain it, I just love him and that's not going to change."

"Shawn!" Gus' voice shouted. "What are you waiting for? The air pressure from being up this high is messing with my head. I'm getting a headache."

"A-Ah, yeah, I'm right behind you buddy." Shawn said, stumbling over his words. "Wait why are you taking the stairs down all the way?"

"Gradual descent, Shawn."

"Come on son! I am not taking the stairs down."

"Then go with Juliet and Lassie," Gus huffed. "I don't want my head to pop off." With that he spun on his heels and stomped down the stairs.

"We'll see you in two hours!" Shawn waved.

A strong arm led him into a hallway and to the elevator. "Like we'd let you take the stairs. At least with an elevator there's four strong walls and no railings to throw yourself over."

"Do you have any idea what sensitivity is Carlton?" Juliet snapped.

"It's okay, Jules." Shawn said, wrapping an arm around her waist. He laid his head on her shoulder to hide a grateful smile, because the hidden message behind Carlton's words were clear. I'd miss you too, Lassie.

New fandom? WHAAAT? I'm on the line about continuing this one or not. I was thinking about going the testing his limits in a real mental hospital route. Let me know what you think?