Fic: Daybreak (Shelter, Shaun/Zach, PG)

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Title: Daybreak
Author: maverick4oz
Fandom: Shelter
Pairing: Shaun/Zach
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Written for picfor1000's 7th year challenge, ROY G BIV and as virtual chicken soup for pollitt who was kind enough to beta even though she's sick. Feel better, sweets. My assigned picture is at the end of the story.
Summary: Shaun would do anything to keep his family safe.


Daybreak
~*~*~*~

The wind is cold and wet as he walks down the gangplank off the ferry. Shaun's never been a fan of Oregon, every time he's visited it's been gray and bleak as if all the color has been bleached away by time and neglect. Today's no exception. But today, the weather seems to be matching his mood, rather than the other way around.

The call came last week. A cryptic message from Jeannie asking for them to come up. Or rather, asking for Zach to come up. And while there was no mention of Cody, both Shaun and Zach have a pretty good idea what she wants. It's been over two years since Jeannie moved away leaving her son behind. Two years with only a few brief phone calls which always leave Cody silent and sad for weeks afterward. So both he and Zach decided that Shaun should be the one make the trip north.

Okay, it wasn't that easy. They fought about it for a couple of days because Zach's heart is just too damn big for his own good. But once he realized that Jeannie may very well be trying to take Cody back, Zach stopped fighting because while he loves his sister, he loves his nephew more. And they both know that the happy kid they've watched Cody blossom into over the last two years would be lost in the neglect of Jeannie's care. She might have given birth to Cody, but she was never his mother.

Never.

So Shaun doesn't give a damn what Jeannie wants, she's not ripping his family apart. He's not letting her take Cody away from the only real home he's ever had. So he'll do whatever it takes. He'll suck it up and call Larry for money and use Larry's influence and high paid lawyers to make damn sure that they get permanent custody. While it might not be his style and it goes against his basic instinct, there isn't anything he wouldn't do to keep Cody where he belongs. And in the end, he thinks that's what finally makes Zach agree to let him be the one to go.

Jeannie is waiting at a coffee shop near the dock. She looks tired and years older than she should. He know she hasn't had an easy life, but Shaun will leave the sympathy to Zach. The only good choice Jeannie ever made was giving Cody to Zach, and Shaun's not about to let her renege on that choice now.

She spots Shaun and looks around for Zach, frowning when she doesn't see him.

Shaun sits down. "Zach and I decided it would be best if I came alone."

"I asked for Zach."

Shaun shrugs. "Well you got me. What do you want Jeannie?"

Jeannie goes quiet -- almost shy -- Shaun thinks, if he didn't know her better. "This would be easier with Zach," she says as if that's the answer.

Shaun's already had enough. "Cody's fine by the way. Won a ribbon for being the best speller in his class last month. We keep it on the front of the fridge." He knows he's being cruel, but sometimes that's what you have to do to keep your family safe. "And he's losing his baby teeth once a week now it seems. Making a killing from the tooth fairy. Not to mention he's growing like a weed."

Jeannie looks like she's been slapped.

Good is all Shaun can think. Good. Now that he's got her attention. "Again, what do you want Jeannie?" It isn't until right at that moment that Shaun notices a baby carrier at Jeannie's feet complete with a sleeping baby inside it. His mouth goes dry.

Jeannie picks the carrier up, setting it on the table between them.

"This is why you called?"

Jeannie nods.

"I named her Julia."

"After your Mom."

Jeannie nods again.

Little Julia opens her eyes and Shaun is lost. "They're Zach's eyes."

"Yes, they are," Jeannie says before Shaun even realized he'd said that out loud.

"She's a good baby. Healthy. Alan doesn't want kids." The not even his own stays unsaid. Jeannie picks Julia up and places her in Shaun's arms.

Of all the scenarios that Shaun ran through his head on the ferry over from Seattle, this never entered his mind. Jeannie wants them to take her daughter, to raise her along with Cody. He knows he should call Zach, should get his okay, but he he doesn't. He knows what Zach's answer will be. The same as his own.

"Cody should know his sister. It will be the last time. I made sure of that after I gave birth."

It's Shaun's turn to nod. "It has to be permanent, Jeannie. For both of them. You relinquish all of your parental rights and name Zach as their guardian."

Jeannie frowns. "Only Zach?"

Shaun nestles Julia into his arms. It's a perfect fit. "As he's directly related, he has to have custody before any other arrangements can be made."

Jeannie stands up. "But you'll make other arrangements?"

Shaun runs his finger along Julia's pudgy cheek, making her smile. "Yes. Zach and I are in it for the long haul Jeannie. We're a family."

"Good," Jeannie says as she bends down and kisses Julia's head. "Send whatever papers need to be signed and I'll sign them."

Then she's gone without even a look backward. Shaun settles Julia back down into her carrier as he pulls out his phone to call Zach. He can't stop smiling as Julia does her best to shove her entire fist into her mouth, all the while looking up at Shaun with eyes the mirror images of the ones he loves most dearly. Their lives just got even more complicated, but he can't seem to mind.

As he boards the ferry back to Seattle, the sun breaks across the horizon, bright and full, and Shaun looks down at Julia and smiles. He might just like Oregon a little bit after all.

Comments

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

OH OH OH my heart.

I totally didn't see that coming and that was so beautiful. Shaun's unwavering commitment to Zach, to Cody, to his family, Jeannie's... I don't even know what. Ineptitude?

Absolutely beautiful. I hope we see more Shelter fics this year.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. And I totally didn't see it coming either. Silly muses with their own ideas.

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've had that happen before, too. :-D

[dragontatt.livejournal.com]

Oh wow...that wasn't what I expected when I started reading. This was very good...painful to read but lovely happy ending. Thank you...

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It wasn't the story I planned to write, but it was clearly the one that needed to be written.

[lisacali.livejournal.com]

Just beautiful.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thanks L.

[avid-slacker.livejournal.com]

I love fiercely protective Shaun, and the fact that he's willing to swallow his pride and ask for help if it's necessary.

The baby was a really unexpected but fantastic surprise.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

I think there isn't anything Shaun wouldn't do for Zach and Cody, so being will to go to Larry just seemed the way to show the depth of his commitment. Thanks for reading

[pairatime.livejournal.com]

I have to go with the others and say I didn't see that comming but wow well done

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[yana-ambf.livejournal.com]

I luv Shaun being protective of his little family. I do sort of feel for Jeanne, though; it can't be easy for her knowing she's such a lousy mother and sister. So glad Zach has Shaun through all of this.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

I have serious Jeannie issues, so I like Shaun will leave the sympathy to Zach. And Zach and Shaun are very lucky to have each other. Thanks for reading.

[pollitt.livejournal.com]

Thank you again, hun. I adore this so much, adore Shaun and the rightness that he knows is his family. That he and Zach and Cody (and now Julia) are a family. The real kind, not just the kind that shares blood and by genetics is "family".

Amazing job.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

All for you darlin' All for you. Next time I'll do my best to make the virtual chicken soup a little less heavily spiced with angst. But you know muses...like trying to wrangle cats.

[fizzerbass.livejournal.com]

Very surprising and very satisfying. Jeannie certainly falls short in the Mother of the Year department, but she must have one or two functioning brain cells somewhere in order to do the right thing for her children. As selfish as she is sometimes, okay, all the time, she certainly has been selfless when it comes to her kids.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

As I told a commenter above, I have serious Jeannie issues, so I'll leave the sympathy to Zach because I'm not convinced she's doing it out of what's best for her kids but rather what's easiest for her. (Which is really a testament to the movie that the character makes my teeth grind so damn much.) Thank goodness that Zach now has Shaun to help him remember what family is really all about. Thanks for reading.

[clio21000.livejournal.com]

Wow, nice work. I'm actually kind of surprised that this it the first fic I've read where this happens, cuz when you think about it, it seems kind of logical.

I love that Shawn would ask Larry for money for this. Seems very right.

I'd love to see a sequel about how Zach takes this, how Julia fits into the family, if Cody likes being big brother, etc.

Good job!

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

It does seem kind of inevitable that something like this would happen. And I thought the best way to show Shaun's commitment was for him to being will to put a hand out to Larry. And there may be more of this incarnation of the story because the picture of Shaun and Zach with a baby girl is just too cute not to contemplate. Thanks so much for reading.

[catheights.livejournal.com]

Wow! I didn't see that one coming, but found myself nodding once I realized what was happening because it so fits Jeannie's character to ask them to take her daughter. You packed a punch in a 1,000 words. Beautiful, brilliant writing.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thanks partner. I didn't see it coming either. Pesky muses with ideas of their own.

[ceares.livejournal.com]

OMG! I wanted this story so much, exactly this one--that I thought I was going to have to write it, but here it is and it's perfect, and this is why fandom is awesome, just like this story, and clearly, you!

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

So *you're* responsible for the story coming out of nowhere. That's some powerful magic you have going on. I'm glad it worked for you. And thank you for the awesome feedback.

[pride-of-erin.livejournal.com]

This was just lovely :o)

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thank E. Glad you enjoyed it.

[sleeper6.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh! Whoa, Jeannie really is something, isn't she? But this was such a surprise. Wow. Nice work.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[girloftheburbs.livejournal.com]

What a surprise, but then again from Jeannie, it makes total sense. It's good that she was willing to sign away her rights, and knew the kids were best growing up with Zach and Shaun. Imagining the boys with a new baby is just too cute! I hope there will be a sequel.

[lazorsaurus.livejournal.com]

oh lovely. i didn't know there was shelter fanfic, but i'm happy to have found it and hope that the rest is as touching and well-written as yours.

this is a rough story. you can, sadly, imagine this happening. poor jeannie - she can't get it together. it's a very lovey shaun here. i love how he's so fixated on her little zach eyes. adorable.