Author's Note: In my most recent of many Psych rewatches, I decided that Shawn's parents don't ever get much resolution. And in my neurotic need to fix everything, I've decided to get some closure for Henry and Madeleine's relationship. So this story starts at the last time we see Shawn's mom on the show: when he walks in on his parents having sex.

Timing

Chapter 1 – post-Juliet Takes a Luvvah

Henry returned to the bedroom to find Madeleine buttoning up her blouse.

"Is he alright?" she asked, her expression a perfect mixture of genuine concern and inappropriate amusement.

Henry growled slightly and made an ambiguous gesture before sitting on the bed beside her.

She laughed. "Oh, it went that well, huh?"

"I will never understand how he can be so smart and yet so immature."

"He's compensating, Henry. It's a defensive coping mechanism," she explained.

"He's a pain in the ass, is what he his."

Maddie smiled softly. "I think it's probably time for me to go.

Henry frowned. "Are…are you sure? If it's because of Shawn, he's an adult and he'll get over it. And if it's this…or us…" He gestured between them. "Well, we can talk about it."

"It's both of those things. And I have to go back to work."

"But I thought you were gonna stay and help out," he replied in a small voice.

"If you can make love to me like that, you've certainly healed enough from that gunshot to cook a meal for yourself and do a load of laundry," she teased. "You don't need me, Henry."

"That doesn't mean I don't want you, Maddie."

Madeleine was instantly transported back about twenty years, when she'd asked Henry for a divorce. She had broken his heart that day, and she was about to do the same thing again.

"We've never really had good timing, have we?" she realized out loud. "We fell in love while I was still in school and you were fresh out of the academy. We both ahd priorities that weren't our relationship. But when you proposed—even though I know how much debt you went inot the get me that ring and I should have made you return it—I couldn't say no. Even if it was the day before my clinical psychology exam."

Henry smiled. "I knew I didn't want to spend another day without you." And I still don't, he thought to himself. "But you wanna talk bad timing…"

"I know," she laughed, "Shawn came along at the most inconvenient time. My practice was just starting. You were working those insane rookie hours."

"Yeah, I guess we've never really been great at this," he conceded.

"But I've always loved you, Henry. I've never stopped." She placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

He leaned into her comforting touch, turning slightly to softly kiss her palm. "And I love you. I'm just sorry I was never as good as you deserved. I guess it was just…"

"Timing," they said in unison.