run of the mill.

22nd

Shawn pulled up to the Knowles's house two days later in an escort car that was only stopping to pick up more people before heading to the airport. He checked his watch to make sure that he had arrived on time. He didn't want her to have any excuse to me upset with him... well any more upset with him than she already was.

He knew she was pissed. True to his word, Robert had told Beyonce that for whatever reason, she was not going to be able to stay with him. Shawn wasn't sure what the exact excuse was but he knew it was something about being an adult and one thing or another. Whatever it was, it convinced Beyonce to accept Shawn's offer to move back to Miami with him. She had no reason to stay since she was pissed with her own family. She'd figured she might as well.

Shawn hated himself even more for breaking her down but what did he have left? He was going to make all of this up to her if she would just let him. He was confident in his love, sure that it would work out. Robert was even confident in him. He was sure that now what he was doing to her, forcing her to abandon everything once again, was sneaky and devious but he had no choice. Robert told him that Beyonce would thank him for this one day. He'd hoped like hell the man was right because the look on her face when she opened the door made him wonder.

"What did you say to my dad?" she spat through clenched teeth and seething bloodshot eyes. Shawn took in her puffy face and red nose and still thought she looked gorgeous. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

"What?" This was already going badly.

"I know you said something to my dad." Shawn hung his head in shame. He wasn't going to lie to her and say he didn't. Of course he did. But he was tired of lying to Beyonce. He wanted what they were going to start to be fresh and innocent like their relationship was before they started sleeping with one another. Beyonce sucked her teeth and looked at him in disgust. "You're a lot of shit Shawn. But you were never manipulative."

Shawn felt the words in his chest but he sucked it up. She was only saying it to hurt him like he'd hurt her. He deserved it. "I had to. To get you to come home."

"You selfish-," Shelby started, appearing over her shoulder with a small bag in her hand and a slightly larger one in her other. She was stopped short by a hand on her own thin shoulder.

"Shelby, watch your mouth," Robert said in a stern tone. Shelby nodded and glared at him. Shawn knew Beyonce hated him deeply but if he had to choose one person that hated him more, it would have been Shelby with Deals as a close third. He had never felt so much hate in his life when she looked at him. He was use to the little girls her age swooning over him and purring like kittens when he spoke. He was not ready for the spitfire that took every chance she got to remind him that he wasn't shit. And from such a cute, innocent face. She was gonna grown into her own and be a heartbreaker when she filled out. Shawn pitied the fool that fell for her. She was just like... Beyonce.

And he was a fool.

"Sir," Shawn greeted, nodding stiffly.

Robert took Shawn's hand in a friendly manner. "Robert."

Shawn smiled, though he knew the gesture would piss Beyonce off more. He was happy that he'd gained the trust of Beyonce's father. It was very important to him. "Robert."

Beyonce looked at him through slits but she didn't say anything. Then she shook her head and backed away. "I gotta get Jamie," she huffed backing into the house and disappearing.

Shawn nodded and reached for the bags from Shelby. "Let me get those for you."

She snatched the bags out of his reach evilly and glared at him. "I can get them myself." Shelby pushed passed him and marched out to the car, mumbling to herself furiously.

Shawn turned to Robert and let his mouth fall open at the smile on the older man's face. "One you can handle," he said holding up a finger. "If just one of them is mad at you, you'll be alright... but when the two of them are upset together..." Robert let his words linger in the air as he chuckled softly to himself. "Shawn, I'll pray for you."

Shawn shook his head and looked away from Robert so he wouldn't see how upset he was at the new developments. Robert brushed his smile away when Beyonce reappeared with a car-seat hovering in the air gently. Shawn couldn't fight the smile that tickled his cheeks when he saw Jamie frowning with her eyes unfocused and dilated. She was only two days old now and she was still just as breathtaking as she was the first second he'd seen her.

"Hey angel," he cooed grabbing the handle of the car-seat and lifting her higher so that they could be face to face. She couldn't look him in the eyes but Shawn liked to think that she heard him. "You ready to go home?"

Jamie opened her mouth and then closed it. And that small gesture was her response, absolutely nothing. Shawn chuckled until he lowered the car-seat and caught Beyonce's cold glare. His smile fell and he cleared his throat. "I'll go strap her in."

He walked to the car and slid the car-seat into the back, securing the little thing carefully. Shawn cooed about one thing or another to Jamie while he strapped her in. It was easy to become attached to a small person that depended on you. She was so gorgeous... of him. She was the fruit of his loins. The product of him and the woman he loved. And in all the millions he'd made and all the insignificant commercials he'd shot, Shawn was more than positive that that child was his best work yet. His most prized possession.

Shawn ran a finger over her cheek and she winced, her gums bearing as she showed her discomfort. Her wispy eyebrows furrowed and Jamie turned her head away from him. The tiny movement caused her pale pink had to ride up and expose her soft brown curls. She smelled so soft, Shawn thought as he waited for Beyonce to return to the car. Baby lotion and innocence radiated off of her pale skin thickly, quickly filling the car. The smell was something Shawn knew he could get use to smelling. It was nice.

The ride to the airport was so stiff and filled the tension he driver even wait for a tip when Shawn got their bags from the back. He just sped off quickly and disappeared into the traffic of the airport. Shawn placed the bags on the curb while Beyonce sat on a bench and checked on whatever it was she felt she had to check on with the baby. He got the attention of a bellboy and instructed him to take bags to the private landing dock, D.

He and Beyonce walked through the airport, him holding Jamie and Beyonce holding the baby bag. Shawn lead her to the security gate and all Shawn did was flash his ID. They walked through the medal detectors and through the gates.

"You want something?" Shawn asked, gesturing towards the little cluster of restaurants in the room. Beyonce looked around and shook her head. He nodded in understanding. "Well, I want a coffee. Come on."

Beyonce strolled beside him, silent as she had been the entire time. Shawn went to the Starbucks line and reserved his spot. He lifted the car-seat to his face and smiled at the peacefully sleeping baby inside. "Is she asleep?" Beyonce asked trying to stand on her tiptoes and peek in. He realized that was the closest they'd gotten in weeks besides the emergency room and she was trying to make it seem like the only thing they had in common was the baby. There had to be more right? Something there... anything.

He nodded and moved ahead in the line, noticing that it took little time for them to get to the cash register. "Can I have a grande' White Mocha Latte with whipped crème' and..." Shawn glanced at Beyonce. "A mocha frappuccino with an extra shot of mocha, whipped crème', and chocolate drizzle."

Beyonce looked at him. He could see it in the corner of his eye. "I didn't want anything."

Shawn shrugged and handed the lady a twenty, telling her to keep the change. "Just in case you changed your mind."

He opened shifted Jamie from one foot to the other and heard Beyonce mumble a very meek thank you, like she didn't want to do it. He knew she didn't but it was only polite. That it was another trait he loved about her, she was so generous and she always used her manners. For the first few months they were friends she would ask to speak to him even when they were on cell phones. He use to make fun of her lightly, saying she was wasting her time since it was his cell phone and he could always answer it but she just kept saying the same thing; 'It's only polite.'

Shawn was glad that he'd had his first born with her and a smile prickled his lips as he thought of how well-behaved and polite his own child would be. All because her mother was an angel.

"You're welcome," he replied.

They got their drinks and Beyonce sipped hers like he assumed she would. He was proud of himself for remembering her order to the T. But it was a hard choice to forget. She use to get the same thing every time they went to Starbucks.

They went to their gate and Beyonce looked around curiously, there was no one else there. "Are we early?" she asked.

The flight attendant smiled at them politely as they approached. "Na, we're right on time actually." He smiled at the attendant and asked her how she was doing as he flashed his ID to her. Beyonce looked at the transaction curiously, wondering where the boarding passes were.

"Thank you Mr. Carter," the perky attendant said. "We hope you enjoy your flight."

Shawn nodded. "Thank you, come on." Beyonce followed him down the terminal that lead to the plane and when she saw the small door she was even more confused until they walked through and Beyonce saw the few plush white seats and gorgeous hardwood floors in the private jet. Another perky attendant met them and smiled.

"Hello Mr. Carter," she said as she stepped aside to allow them to choose seats. "We will be taking on shortly. Can I offer you and your guest a drink of some sort? Water, Chardonnay, a nice coffee?"

Beyonce looked down at her own Starbucks and began to feel, overwhelmed. She sat on the couch and almost gasped at how she sunk into it.

"Ok baby," Shawn cooed to the car-seat as he sat her beside Beyonce and began to buckle the chair up. "I know you just wanna be still. Yeah, daddy does too."

The take off went smoothly. Jamie whined when her ears started to pop but Beyonce got the idea to put her pacifier in her mouth because the more you swallow on a flight, the less your ears pop. The infant quieted and eventually nursed herself to sleep. Shawn sat in front of them looking at a laptop screen in front of him that apparently came with the plane because it was literally sticking out of the armrest. Beyonce shook her head at all the extravagant stuff.

"Beyonce," Shawn said getting her attention. She was curled up next to the car-seat with an arm thrown over it while she read a book in her lap and watched over Jamie carefully. She looked up at him and waited patiently for him to say what he wanted and stop talking to her. She wanted to be uncivil but her manners wouldn't let her. She hadn't been raised like that. "I need you and Jamie close to me."

Beyonce made a face of confusion. "We will be, we don't have a choice Shawn."

"No, that's not what I mean." He sighed and leaned forward a bit. "What are the chances of you moving back in with me?"

"... Give it up Shawn, seriously."

"Beyonce," he breathed tiredly. "This is important to me. I don't want to have to go out of my way to see my baby."

She huffed. "We were an inconvenience before we left. We can be an inconvenience now."

Shawn felt his chest ache at the words and he bit his lip. He sat back and continued to click away at the computer. "Well, where are you gonna stay until we find you a place?"

"A hotel," she said tightly.

"A what? Beyonce I have a place. Why would you waste money?"

Beyonce looked at him through eyes that lacked shine and spoke through tight lips. "Because I don't want to stay with you, Shawn."

"Beyonce that's stupid."

"Yeah, well I've made a lot of stupid mistakes haven't I?"

"Fuck, Beyonce really?" he asked tiredly. "Are you really gonna act like you hate me for the rest of our lives? All you do it bicker and stab at me."

"Is this the airplane you were in all those times I spent night's alone?" Beyonce asked in a seemingly interested voice. She looked over the luxury plane again and Shawn realized that she wanted him to answer that. It was not rhetorical.

He sighed. "Yeah, it's a friend of mines."

"And you borrowed it to come and get us?" she asked looking at him. Shawn nodded.

"This is a woman's plane isn't it?" she asked in a tight, quiet voice. She knew it. Men don't loan shit like this out to one another. This was a very nice, insanely expensive plane and nobody loaned something like this out.

Shawn looked up at her, wondering how she knew. He was beginning to hate that woman's intuition shit. That was how she found out that he had cheated and now it was discovering that the airplane they were riding in belonged to a woman. He couldn't lie to her and tell her that it wasn't. He was tired of all the lying and he wanted them to start fresh with the relationship he was trying to build this time around.

So he opted for saying nothing. He simply looked at her with this pleading look that Beyonce though looked more like wounded dog or something. She took her glasses off and peered at him closely so that she could see his face while she spoke. "Did you sleep with her?"

"No," he replied quickly. He was telling the truth. He wouldn't have kept eye contact if he had. No matter what he said, if he was lying, Shawn looked away. His heart was too good to make him look someone in the eye and lie to them. Beyonce figured that out long before they moved to Miami and their lives fell apart.

She nodded slowly and slid her glasses back on. Beyonce looked down at her book. "She wants to."

"That doesn't mean I will." Shawn knew that Angie, his friend that just so happened to be a Victoria's Secret model wanted him. She'd said it plenty of times before. She'd even kissed him right there was the baby's car-seat was. But he denied her. She was a friend that knew too much; where he lived, his phone number. All types of things that didn't fit his standards.

"Doesn't mean you didn't," Beyonce mumbled.

"Beyonce I just told you I didn't," he said through tight lips.

Beyonce knew he didn't. She was just a vengeful person. "And what I'm suppose to trust you now?"

Ouch.

Shawn let his eyes slide away from her in guilt. He touched his scratched his head and looked back at his computer. "I'll make you and Jamie some reservations then."

"You don't have to," Beyonce said. "Just drop us off and I'll make them myself."

Shawn sighed. She was a fighter and she seemed determined to fight with him. He loved it though; it was one of the things he loved about her. She would not placate him... well she wouldn't now that she had left him. Before she left, she'd changed into this obedient zombie. This, the arguing, the bickering, the no nonsense attitude it what he fell in love with and what he was going to get back.

"Oh and I guess you finna tell me you gon' pay for it," he said in a disbelieving manner.

"Yes, I am."

Shawn almost chuckled. Instead he only smiled and looked back at his computer screen. "Yeah ok Beyonce."

"... Bastard."

Shawn really did burst into laughter that time. He couldn't help it. It was the Beyonce he remembered.

Granted, it was only a glimpse, but she was still there underneath all that hate.