Spark in the Dark

Juice parked his bike in Shawn's garage that night and walked to the back door. She always kept it unlocked for him now, so he just walked right in. Shawn wasn't in the kitchen. Juice shut the door and locked it as usual. He walked through the kitchen and into her entryway to see that she wasn't in her living room either. Turning to go upstairs, he saw her coming down. Shawn's hair was up in a bun, but clearly still wet from her shower. She was in leggings and his black hoodie.

"Hey," Juice greeted her. "You still tired from spending last night in jail?"

"You say that like you've never spent the night in jail."

"No, it's not that. I just got a really good look into what you were like as a kid these last two days. Good girl by day, car thief by night."

"Uh huh. And when do I get to learn more about what you were like as a kid?"

"You're pretty much looking at it. Except I couldn't have gotten a hot girlfriend like you back then."

"Bullshit. You could have if you tried."

"I was a tech geek in school who got into trouble a lot. Those girls wouldn't go near me."

"Those bitches," Shawn said, outraged.

"It's fine. You can make it up to me by making me some dinner, though."

"Ok," she agreed. She walked passed him and into her kitchen. "What are you hungry for?"

Juice sat at her kitchen island. "Breakfast food. Make me one of those omelettes, again."

"You got it." Shawn cooked for him as they talked. Juice filled Shawn in on Bobby being arrested. Allegedly, he was involved with a shooting of a government official. Shawn didn't ask any questions, just listened as he talked. He also told her about how Otto Delaney, Luanne's husband who was in prison, beat the hell out of Stahl. When she was done cooking, she set the plate in front of him.

"Thanks. Looks good. I kinda like having someone take care of me," Juice told her and took a bite. "Damn, that is good."

"Thanks, I kinda like taking care of you, too."

They both turned suddenly when they heard someone knocking on the front door.

"What should I do?" Juice asked.

"Just stay here. I'll see who it is," Shawn said. The knocking started, again, and this time it didn't stop. Shawn sighed. "It's Dawn."

"You can tell by the knock?"

"Yup." Shawn walked to the front door and opened it to see her youngest sister there.

"Hey, Princess, how's it going?" Dawn asked, her speech badly slurred.

"A lot better than you apparently. Isn't it a little early for you to be this trashed?"

"I guess not," Dawn said. Shawn took Dawn's arm and lead her over to the stairs. A car beeped from outside and Shawn looked out to see a cab. "Oh, yeah. Him. He needs paid."

"Just sit, alright? I got it." Shawn went out and paid the driver. She reentered the house and shut the front door. "So, what? Fawn won't pay for your cabbie anymore?"

"She's out of town with her new boyfriend," Dawn told her, then leaned towards Shawn and whispered, "who's black."

Shawn wrapped Dawn's arm around her neck and lifted her to carry her up the stairs. "Good for her."

Shawn got Dawn into the extra bedroom and on the bed. She helped her get out of her jacket and got her shoes off. Dawn laid down and it looked like she was ready to fall asleep.

"Hey, wait!" Dawn called to Shawn right before she closed the door. "Get me some water."

"Fine. I'll be right back."

Shawn went down the stairs and back into the kitchen where Juice was still sitting at the island. His face looked amused and he had eaten all of his omelette.

"Dinner and a show, huh?" He asked her.

"I'm sorry, she does this. Usually she bothers Fawn, but when Fawn isn't around or refuses to pay for her taxi, she comes here," she explained as she walked over to the fridge to get a bottle of water. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I would get it."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No," Shawn admitted.

"She won't tell Tig?"

"She's probably passed out already. She's usually gone by the time I get up. She won't even see you."

"I'll stay then."

"Ok," Shawn smiled. "Let me just get her some Tylenol and take this up to her."

Shawn went over to another cabinet and took out a pill bottle. She shook two into her hand and put the bottle back.

"You're a good sister," Juice told her.

"Yeah? Try telling her that."

"Telling me what?" Dawn said appearing in the doorway behind Juice. "Hey, who's that?"