Title: A Job to Die for

Author: Green Randomness

Rating: K+

Warnings: None

Genre: Mystery (Part of the psych fic virtual season)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize

Author's Note: This is technically part of the Psychfic Virtual Season, but you don't really need to follow that to read this. I'll inform you of anything you need to know pertaining to a chapter in the author's note...so read it and you should be fine (I can only think of one thing anyways, and I'll tell you that in the next chapter most likely) I do suggest that you read the Psychfic Virtual Season though, all of the authors so far are fabulous at what they do. :)

Chapter 1-Is There an Echo in Here?

1987

A young Shawn Spencer walked into his first class of the day with his eyelids still heavy, and his sight blurry. Given his tired state, he barely noticed his teacher, Mr. Mathis, seated at his normal spot in the front of the room

"Why are you here so early, Shawn?" The man asked as he put a black velvet box down on his desk and pushed his circular glasses up.

Shawn glanced at the clock above his teacher's head and groaned. It was only seven o'clock; he was at school an entire hour early. "My alarm clock must be broken…I thought it was 8." Shawn grumbled, glaring at the seven as if it had just destroyed his life.

"It never hurts to be a little early." Mr. Mathis mused, trying to suppress a grin, but it didn't last long. His eyes twinkled brightly in his young face when he smiled a few moments later.

"A 'little' is fine, but an hour…an hour is definitely not okay." Shawn complained, plopping his books down on a desk. He was going to have to do something about his alarm clock when he got home. 'Something' meaning throw it out a window so that it smashes into thousands of tiny pieces.

He had walked all the way here an hour early. Most days, he and Gus would walk together, but his friend had never shown up at their meeting place. Shawn had just assumed that he was sick or something, but as it turns out Shawn was immensely early.

"No one comes to school an hour early…" Shawn grumbled, glower at the clock again before looking at his brown haired teacher, "...except for you." Shawn realized, his voice curious. "Most teachers don't get here 'til later. Why're you here so early?" He asked, walking over to the teacher's desk.

"I just needed to think about things." His seventh grade English teacher responded. "The school is normally relatively quiet this early in the morning."

"Sorry. For ruining your...uh...thinking time." Shawn responded, but before he could say more the black box caught his eye. "What's that?"

"This?" His teacher asked, picking up the small velvet box from his desk. "It's an engagement ring." The man explained as he opened the box to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring.

"It's beautiful." Young Shawn replied, his eyes wide. "Who's it for."

"My girlfriend, Jenifer." He smiled, his cheeks dimpling like a child's. "I'm going to propose tonight."

"Oh, I didn't know you had one." Shawn said, looking up. He had never even thought of what his teacher's personal life was like. Honestly, he had never really wanted to know, but it was way better then hearing about his parents' personal lives. That was just wrong.

"We met about a year ago, when she was moving into the apartment across from mine." He smiled again, "I helped her with a big box she was carrying, and…well, you can kind of guess the rest."

"That's weird." Shawn replied, his voice hiding a smile.

"What is?"

"I thought teachers lived at school." Shawn supplied with a straight face. Only seconds later, a grin broke through, and he started to laugh. Mr. Mathis's cheeks dimpled again as his laughter joined Shawn's. Maybe being early wasn't such a bad thing.

Present

Shawn grinned as Gus glared at him fiercely.

"Where are we going?" Gus asked for the third time that morning. The first had been when Shawn had jumped onto Gus's sleeping form, at six in the morning mind you, jubilantly declaring 'Time to get up sleepy head, places to go, people to see!'

He hadn't even had time to ask Shawn how he had gotten into his apartment before he was pushed out of the building. It had seemed like only seconds before they were in the car and on their way.

"It's a surprise." Shawn replied happily, not even looking at Gus.

"Shawn." Gus groaned. Why couldn't the man just give him a straight answer?

"Someone's sounding a little grumpy." He replied, his tone light, and his eyes sparkling.

"You kidnapped me at 6:30 on a Saturday, stole my car, and won't tell me where we are going. Of course I'm 'grumpy'!" Gus cried throwing his hands in the air.

"Okay, I see your point." Shawn responded, his voice serious. "We are going to school."

"What?" Gus asked, puzzled, as Shawn turned a corner.

"To. School." He repeated slowly, suppressing his smile in an attempt to stay serious.

"I heard what you said, I want to know what you mean." Gus growled unhappily, glaring once more at his friend.

"You'll see." The 'psychic' replied in a singsong voice as he stopped at a stoplight happily, which was strange in itself. No one stops at stoplights happily.

"See what?" Gus asked, looking at Shawn's amazingly cheery self. 'People should not be that happy in the morning,' Gus silently mused, 'it's just wrong on so many levels'

"Where we are going." Shawn answered, slowing down as a car pulled out of a parking lot ahead of him.

"Where are we going?" His friend questioned again, looking out the window to the slightly familiar scenery. He recognized the area, but he couldn't quite place what was there.

"Is there an echo in here?" Shawn wondered aloud, glancing with wide eyes at the interior of the car. "…A slightly reworded echo that—"

"Shawn!" Gus interrupted, knowing that the fake psychic would ramble for hours on end if he let him.

"I didn't know your car was so spacious, Gus. That's truly impressive. Few cars are big enough to produce an echo."

"It's way to early for this." Gus groaned, sliding down in his seat so that his head was below the headrest, "I surrender."

"Good, you lasted waaaaaaaay longer than I expected." Shawn replied, sneaking a peak at Gus's petulantly slouched form out of the corner of his eye.

Gus sighed, not even bothering to grace Shawn with a response. A moment later, he tiredly slipped even further down in his seat, but his slumped position didn't last long. Seeing a group of brick buildings come into view, he sat up just in time to read the sign declaring their destination, "University of California, Santa Barbara." He stated slowly, seconds later he voiced his confusion, "A college?"

"Yep." His friend replied, driving slowly down the road as he passed hoards of students on the sidewalk.

"Shawn, why are we at a college?" Gus inquired, completely straightening in his seat so that he could see the campus.

"I'm here to congratulate a friend." The fake psychic answered lightly, giving his friend the first straight answer of the day.

They neared the main office building in a minute or two, and as Shawn was parking he saw two police cars and an ambulance near one of the other buildings. Shrugging, he got out of the car quickly and waited for Gus to join him near the large glass doors.

Allowing Gus to enter first, Shawn followed closely behind his friend. Once they were both inside, he tried to shut the door, but a strong wind nearly pulled it from his grip. Tugging sharply, he slammed the door closed, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Deciding to use this sudden popularity to his advantage, Shawn proclaimed loudly, "Hi, I'm looking for Professor Rick Mathis's office."

A redheaded woman behind the front desk stared at both he and Gus for a moment before saying, "His office is in the English and Psychology building. It's two down to the right, but…" She trailed off, realizing they were already gone as the door slammed once more.

While they were leaving the main office, Gus asked, "Who's Rick Mathis?"

"A college professor." Responded Shawn evasively, a smile in his voice, and a spring in his step despite the strong winds buffeting him.

Gus glared, fighting against the wind to try and keep up with his friend, "Why are you being so vague today?" He questioned almost angrily. His voice was tinged with annoyance as he slowed down, deciding to no longer attempt such a ridiculously fast pace.

"I…just think your annoyed face is funny." Shawn smirked again, before slowing down to match his companion's steps. As their steps evened out the 'psychic' saw the look on his friends face and realized that he had aggravated Burton Guster to his breaking point.

The aforementioned, feeling a little guilty, explained, "He was my seventh grade English teacher. I read in the news yesterday that he received an award for being the most dedicated faculty member. So…we are here to congratulate him. "

"Were you really that close to him?" Gus asked, remembering Rick Mathis only slightly.

"Nope." Shawn quipped as they reached the double doors of the English building. Pausing outside of them, he looked to his partner in crime solving and continued, "I was just really bored."

Gus rolled his eyes good naturedly, and reached to open one of the doors. Before he could pull it open, hands from the inside pushed the door out to reveal two very familiar police officers.

"Lassie! Jules!" Shawn cried, opening his arms wide as if to hug them.

"You better not hug me, Spencer." Lassiter scowled, causing Shawn to take a step back in mock dismay.

"Shot down." Gus mumbled, grinning when Shawn obviously heard and scoffed in response.

Detective Lassiter, not hearing Gus, crossed his arms and frowned, "Why are you here anyway? We don't need a psychic to tell us that this is a suicide."

"Suicide?" Shawn asked Juliet in confusion, but two paramedics pushing a covered gurney out of the building was all the explanation he needed. Another harsh wind nearly blew the white sheet completely off as they passed him, and they scrambled to fix it. The loud bang caused by the wind slamming the door against the wall barely fazed him as he briefly glimpsed who was under the sheet.

It was Professor Rick Mathis. He looked nothing like Shawn remembered. More lines, graying hair, and a neat bullet hole in his left temple made the man look like a sad imitation of his former self. The blood matting his seventh grade teacher's salt-and-pepper hair was the last thing he saw as the paramedics managed to get everything in order.

As the body was wheeled away, Shawn turned to a slightly green looking Gus and whispered; "I guess I won't be congratulating him any time soon."

TBC

Author's Note: Please read and Review I would love you forever if you did...and I would update :)