According to the Quantico showrunner, Josh Safran, the end is near for this fan favorite couple.

Shelby Wyatt and Caleb Haas are a lot of things to the Quantico fandom. They are part of the core group of NATs we’ve been following, they are two characters whose innocence is often questioned in regards to the Grand Central attack, and also, some would say most importantly, they are two halves of the Shaleb relationship.

Shaleb is one of the most beloved couples on Quantico, especially since Alex and Ryan/Drew/Liam are so up in the air right now! In recent episodes, Shelby and Caleb have been closer than ever, with Caleb helping Shelby through her parents’ return from the grave to town.

In a recent interview with TV Guide, Safran spoke about Shelby and Caleb’s futures, and crushed the fandom’s collective dreams.

Before he stomped all over our Shaleb loving hearts, it started off fairly innocently. Since Caleb had been missing for a while in the Grand Central timeline, TV guide asked Safran if they were going to see each other again. Safran answered, “they might. And if and when they do, I think their reunion will be surprising to both of them and the audience.”

Surprising doesn’t necessarily mean good or bad! Caleb is obviously up to something suspicious and Shelby is known to be working for the Voice in some capacity, so their reunion was bound to be interesting.

Then, the interviewer asked the fateful question…”Are Shelby and Caleb done?”

Safran responded…”They are done, but he does something else that’s even worse for her in Episode 20. And that’s really what’s the nail in the coffin.”

Should we be surprised? Probably not. After all, when we first saw Caleb and Shelby in the Grand Central timeline, we found out she had an affair with his father! It’s kind of tough to come back from that one, especially knowing the tumultuous relationship that Caleb has with his family. At that point, it was pretty easy to kiss our Shaleb dreams goodbye, since they had barely just begun.

Then, Quantico unfolded Shaleb into a beautiful, perfect love story and we thought that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for them after all! Couples have gotten over crazier things on TV right? Compared to the transgressions of other fictional partners, an affair with the father is just a minor obstacle! Surely this perfect pair could work it out!

Okay, so admittedly, they were far from perfect. They were flawed, complicated, and messy. However, they did support each other, love each other and they had a lot of potential!

If you’re mourning the loss of Shaleb as much as we are, take solace in the fact that these fans are with you.

However, not everybody is quite as upset about the news. For those of you who are feeling more gleeful than glum, this reaction may be more up your alley.

A popular theory has been that Shelby and Caleb are working together as the Voice. Safran’s statement makes that pretty unlikely, but doesn’t rule it out entirely. Even if they’re not together romantically, they could still be carrying out a plan that they’ve had for a while.

Safran also gave a little bit of insight into Shelby’s involvement, when he was asked if the Voice was just using Shelby because she hates Alex. “I don’t want to say that yet because that answer will come very soon, but I do think that whether she’s part of it or a pawn of it, the motivations are similar,” he answered.

Do her motivations have something to do with Caleb? Is Caleb completely uninvolved? We’ll likely find out those answers very soon, as Caleb and Shelby will be reuniting in the Grand Central timeline in Quantico season 1, episode 19, “Fast.”

As for the future of Shelby and Caleb’s relationship, we can still hold out some hope that Safran could be lying, or that he just means they are done in the Quantico timeline, but it’s probably best if you start preparing yourself for goodbye.

How do you feel about the end of Shaleb on ‘Quantico’?