The Secrets He Kept

Chapter 4

- One year and nine months ago -

It's early morning. Shawn Spencer, or now known as Justin Kramer, has been living in Santa Barbara for three months. His kids are adjusting well. He works for the SBPD as a psychic consultant with his best friend Gus.

Justin and Gus are arguing about something stupid, just like they did as children. Justin didn't think anything of it until he saw Paloma covering her ears as she closed her eyes tightly cowering in a corner, and then he heard Celeste's little voice.

"Daddy, don't fight with Uncle Gus. He might get mad and hurt you like Mom did." Celeste told her father

Justin sighed as he turned to his children, "Oh sweetheart, Uncle Gus will never hurt me." He picked up Paloma, "Loma, it's okay to open your eyes. Nothing bad is going to happen to me. Uncle Gus won't hurt me. We argue all the time."

"It's true, kids." Gus agreed, "Your dad and I have been friends practically our whole lives. We're more like brothers. We argue almost all the time about silly little things, but we love each other like brothers. We'd never hurt each other." He pats Justin on the shoulder.

Paloma unplugs her ears. She doesn't hear any arguing anymore. She covers her eyes with her hands. Still a bit weary, she peeks slightly through her fingers.

Justin stretches out his arms to his daughter, "Come here, sweetheart."

Paloma practically launches herself into her father's arms and buries her head into his neck.

Justin holds Paloma in his arms as he stands up. He rubs her back to soothe her, "It's okay, Dovey. I'm sorry that Uncle Gus and I scared you."

"It's okay, Daddy." Paloma utters as she sniffles.

Lionel is heard crying over the baby monitor.

"I'll get him." Gus announces as he walks down the hallway to Lionel's room. He hears Celeste's footsteps following behind him.

Gus opens the door, enters Lionel's room, greets the toddler with a smile and a 'hey, good morning' as he picks him up. He balances the little boy on his hip.

Lionel smiles at Gus. He looks over at his big sister, "Estie!"

"Hi Bubba." Celeste tells her brother as he holds his little hand in hers. She remembers when her brother was born two years ago. Happiest day of her life. And the only time she can remember her mom being nice to her dad.

- Present Day -

It's been a week since the incident with Kendra. A week since she killed herself in front of Shawn and the kids. Shawn isn't coping too well, and Juliet is slowly dying inside. The memories of hearing her children crying for her as Kendra ripped them is something no true mother should ever have to experience.  And then there's the kids, who have been having nightmares about hearing the gunshot. Every night, they wake up in the middle of the night crying.

Aside from the nightmares, Celeste is coping better than her sister and brother. Well actually she's good at pretending that she is for the sake of her brother and younger twin even though she's been told that she doesn't have to. Paloma is more of a touchy-feely type. She's very emotional. The situation with her biological mother from a week ago caused a lot of old trauma to resurface. Now she's terrified to leave Juliet's side and doesn't want to go to school any more. And given Lionel's young age and the trauma of being ripped out of Juliet's arms by a woman he doesn't remember, Lionel has practically glued himself to Juliet's hip.

Because of their trauma, Paloma and Lionel haven't been to school in a week which neither Shawn nor Juliet have a problem with. Chief Vick gave both of them six weeks paid leave to recover from the trauma, but they are also required to see a department psychiatrist. Shawn wasn't too thrilled about that so he called in his mother. If he has to see a psychiatrist, it might as well be his mother. Juliet doesn't have a problem with it either. However what they did have a problem with is Celeste bottling everything up inside. Acting like nothing is wrong. Like she's completely fine, when they both know that she isn't.

It wasn't until two weeks after the incident with Kendra that Celeste finally broke down. She was at school playing with her friends. One of her friends, Phineas has a cop for a father. Phineas was telling his friends a story about his dad's on the job life that he had overheard his father telling his older brother. When Phineas imitated the sound of gunshots, Celeste tensed as she covered her ears, closed her eyes tightly and started to cry.

"Estie, what's wrong?" Phineas asked

Celeste didn't hear him. All she could hear was the gunshot ringing over and over again in her ears. She just curled up into a ball on the floor and started rocking back and forth.

Phineas not knowing what to do ran to find the teacher.

Celeste didn't know what was happening around her. To her, if felt like she was back in that warehouse hearing the gunshot that her mother killed herself with.

It felt like only seconds had passed by, but I'm reality it was thirty minutes. Celeste felt a pair of arms wrap around her, picking her up. The scent of the person was familiar. It was Uncle Gus.

"Uncle Gus?" Celeste muttered

"Yes. It's okay, Leste. You're safe." Gus assured her

"But..but I heard it. I heard the gunshot." 

"No, it's okay. It's over. I'm going to take you home to your mom and dad."

Celeste finally relaxed in Gus' arms, "Okay."