Changes, Challenges and Coffee Breaks

Disclaimer - Do not own Psych. Well, I own season 1 on DVD and have season 2 pre-ordered. But that is it.

Introduction # 1

Carlton Lassiter was almost smiling. Almost. But it was another perfect Santa Barbara morning, he had a fresh cup of coffee – made just so – and as he approached the SBPD there was no sign of Shawn Spencer. In fact, it had almost been twenty-four hours with no Shawn Spencer. Sigh. Life was good.

"Oof." Focused on saving his coffee, Lassiter wasn't paying attention to the woman who had run into him. Brushing off her "sorry", he barely glanced at her. Then he looked again. Wow. She was blond, curved in all the right places and elegant as hell. The woman reminded him of the actress from "Last Picture Show", one of his favorite movies. She was a little older than him, but with his divorce now final…

"I am really sorry," she said again, offering a small smile.

"No, no – really. I wasn't paying attention." His smile was freely given and his interest was peaked in the sparkle from her eyes.

The two chatted for a few minutes before Lassiter thought to ask a question that he usually would have started with. "So, what brings you to the police station, um…" With some embarrassment, Lassiter realized he hadn't even gotten her name.

Smiling again, the blond gestured at the building. "My ex-husband told me our son was here." At Lassiter's frown, she shook her head. "He works there. Sometimes. It's a bit confusing."

A colleague. She was a colleague's mother? Lassiter began to mentally review the rookies to see if he could connect her with one when she interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm Madeline, by the way." Madeline held out a hand that Lassiter happily accepted.

"Carlton. Carlton Lassiter, Head Detective, Santa Barbara Police Department."

"Lassie?"

Lassiter looked annoyed, and turned on the alleged psychic as he skipped – good god, man, a thirty year old shouldn't move like that – down the steps. "Not now, Spencer."

Shawn smiled tightly. Lassiter was a bit surprised to see annoyance in those hazel eyes. "Lassie, before you go any further in your romantic pursuit of this charming example of American womanhood, I would like to say just one thing." Taking Lassiter's grunt as acceptance, Shawn turned to Madeline and said the only thing he could. "I don't want to talk about it Mom. See you at Dad's tonight, he said he'd grill some steaks."

As Lassiter watched, stunned, Shawn continued down to the Norton he had parked a few feet away and the man drove off. Mouth still open, he turned to look at Madeline, who merely smiled. Finally closing his mouth, Lassiter turned and walked up the stairs to work, praying that Spencer was as annoyed as he had seemed or else he would never here the end of it. Approaching his desk, he saw Juliet. She said nothing, concerned as he sat heavily into his chair and lowered his head to the desk.

"Carlton? Are you OK?"

Refusing to raise his head, a stunned Lassiter confessed the unthinkable. "I was introduced to Spencer's mother – after I made a play for her."

He heard Juliet get up and walk away, muttering something about getting them some coffee.

He also heard her laugh hysterically as soon as she was out of sight.

a/n - I started this on Psychfic as part of Windscryers 100 challenge. This is fun and relaxing. In case you don't know, Cybill Shepard (from Moonlighting and yes, The Last Picture Show) has been cast as Madeline, Shawn's mother and Henry's ex-wife. Enjoy the story. - CC