DISCLAIMER - I do not own any of the Psych characters, buildings, sets, or props.
He sat at his desk, a small smile on his face, contemplating his actions of the past ten seconds. For eight years - EIGHT years - he had proclaimed loudly to all who would listen, that he would get the truth out of the man-child who humiliated him week after week; he would get the fraud to admit, and come away the hero - the man who would put Shawn Spencer in his place, once and for all. But he never saw this moment coming. When had he softened? When had he come to regard Spencer as more than just a pain in his side, a walking target practice for his itching trigger finger? Slowly, much to the new Chief's chagrin, the faux Psychic had, over the years, chipped away at his initial (and fitting) impression of the snarky man. Probably O'Hara's fault - she had, after all, fell in love with the fool, which meant seeing Spencer more than he would have ever cared to- and hearing about him was even worse. It could have easily been the fact that, no matter how many times he threatened to strangle the supposed Psychic, the man just wouldn't go away - perhaps this acceptance was just Carlton's way of admitting defeat. After all, how many times did one have to receive death threats before he would take them seriously? For the love of a 9 mm handgun, how could one man be wrong so many times, and yet still come, infuriatingly, out on top?! But deep down, Carlton knew that maybe, just maybe, somehow along the way, Spencer, the man who refused to see the worst in people, had wormed his way into Lassiter's rumored cold heart, one case at a time - especially after O'Hara left for San Francisco, and his attempt to scare off his new Head Detective backfired. He knew it was only a matter of time before Spencer took off - either up North or beyond, leaving Gus to clean up the pieces of their little agency - and out of his hair for good. He wasn't stretching the truth when he reminded Shawn why he had been Head Detective - a subtle, yet foreceful reminder that he still knew the truth behind the lie. And then, the DVD showed up - under a stack of case files that were lying on his desk. Putting his coffee mug down, Carlton powered on his laptop, and popped in the DVD, surprised and suspicious when Shawn appeared on the screen. Whatever he had expected or thought would be said, he wasn't ready for the man's heartfelt thanks - or the realization that he, Chief Lassiter, had changed over the course of the last eight years. The once stoic man, who had walked with a chip on his shoulder and at a wide distance from everyone else, had found a second chance at love and healing. Who was he to hold onto the past, when his future was so bright - an amazing wife, beautiful daughter, and the job he had dreamed about since his first visit to Old Senora? And as Spencer continued to talk, it dawned on him that it didn't matter anymore - besides the legal aspects and impending court cases that the truth would create - he no longer felt the need to win this war, to seek revenge for his wounded ego, and drag the animosity out further. It was time to bury the proverbial hatchet - to allow Spen..no, Shawn, the freedom that he had so recently discovered for himself. And, while he wasn't a very sentimental man or good with gifts, he knew that in doing so, he was giving his former partner - the woman who had stood by him, protected him, and showed him immeasurable patience and love - the life and love she deserved. So, there he sat, a myriad of emotions and thoughts swirling through his head - knowing that, in the end, in his own way, he had won. More than he had ever imagined he would. And with the smile still lingering on his face, he picked up the phone to call home.