This story is the Sequel to my other stories "In Case of Murder" and "Something To Shoot For". You might want to read those first.

Disclaimer: I don´t own anything.

Games and murders

The Psych-Office lay abandoned. It had been abandoned the whole day and there was a reason. This reason was the football game at the stadium that was today. Gus had gotten the tickets a month ago and he had took a day off from work so he and the others could go there. He, Shawn, Jules and Henry, the old football-maniac. They had asked Lassiter if he wanted to join them too but he had denied. Every question from Jules if he wouldn´t give it a chance for the sake of the healing process he had answered with his usual I-deny-everything tone. Lassiter wasn´t healing because he wasn´t injured. The robot-man. If one had no feelings he couldn´t get hurt. Sometimes Gus wondered if the man was still sane. One didn´t just see his wife (not even his ex-wife) being murdered in such a cruel way without being effected by that. Especially not Lassiter. But that was what he wanted everybody to believe. True he had taken his time off … to arrange the funeral and everything that was part of this sad process. But only a week after that was done he had returned to work. And that Gus reckoned, wasn´t that healthy at all. It just couldn´t be.

But what could they do? They all had tried everything they could to give him some support. Juliet the most of course. But also he and Shawn and even Henry had given the man some calls aka visits to ask if he needed something. He had politely denied it each time. Juliet had been the only one who had managed it to talk to him a few times, so everything they knew about his recovery came from her. Until he had showed up to work again the other day. Chief Vick had asked worriedly if he was sure, he was sure he was ready and he had assured her that he was very sure. Getting back on the horse was the best way to let life go on, he´d said and who knew, maybe it was. At least he seemed better. If he really was no one would ever be able to tell.

But he was doing his job the way he had always done it. He showed up in the morning, neatly dressed, shaved and without smelling like liqueur. He wasn´t at the edge more than usual so the chief had no reason to fear he could be a risk for himself or others. He was functioning. Only sometimes there were moments when he zoned out for a moment, his eyes somewhere far away as if he was sleepy in the middle of the day. In these moments he looked as if he was about to cry, Juliet said. But they never lasted longer than a few seconds. As soon as she addressed him, he was back to his old (almost his old) self.

No, Lassiter wouldn´t accept any help and the only reason he had given them for not wanting to come to the game, was also very well known. He had to work. Not even Juliet´s usually intriguing argumentations had been able to change his mind. So they had let him be and went to the game without him. What else could they do anyway?

But now that they were here, Gus couldn´t help but wished that Lassiter would have come with them after all. He might have been able to do something against those rowdies. The fight had started two rows behind them and now it had spread itself almost over the whole rank. Unbelievable what some drunken dudes with an insane hatred for the other team could do when they had mistaken the rank in their drunk condition. Or maybe it wasn´t a mistake and they had come over here to make trouble on purpose. Gus didn´t know. The only thing he knew was that they suddenly had found themselves right in the middle of a fanfight extraclass and that there were flying fists, amongst other flying things. One of them was a half emptied beerbottle that came flying in his direction.

He had been lucky enough to duck down in time. Shawn on the other hand had stood right behind him and he hadn´t heard his cry for hitting the deck. The next thing Gus had heard was Shawn groaning and Juliet and Henry crying his name unisono. Then Shawn lay between the seats an already growing goose egg on his forehead. Fortunately the bottle hadn´t hit him fully but only graced him. But his friend had been knocked down pretty well anyway. He came back to when the first security guys showed up to end the fight. Gus had never been so happy to leave a game early.

Finally they were on their way out, Juliet almost carrying Shawn for the most part of the way, while he was whining and groaning. Gus rolled his eyes.

„Dude." he said. „You know, that´s embarrassing."

„Only if one is not in desperate need of some care that he obviously doesn´t get from his best friend … nor from his father."

„Shawn, I saw you hit more badly at the schoolyard by a girl names Rosalie Johnson when you were eight." Henry replied.

„Right. And she was armed with a loaded schoolbag."

Gus just chuckled and rolled his eyes again.

„What a shame that Lassie missed this." Shawn said. „He would have had his fun with that."

„You know that´s right." Gus replied but a second later he wondered. The situation for the head detective wasn´t that funny after all. He could see in Shawn´s face that he remembered that after his joke too. So did Juliet and Henry.

They reached their cars and got ready to get in when Juliet´s cell phone rang.

„O´Hara." she answered it. „Carlton." Everybody looked at her. „We were just talking about you. I didn´t know you already heard. Don´t worry, Shawn is ok. He has just a goose-egg on his head but otherwise he is …"

Gus exchanged a surprised look with his friend. Did Lassiter really call because he was worried? When they looked at Juliet again they knew he hadn´t. She had just frowned in confusion.

„Oh." she said. „If you didn´t call because of that then why …? Oh. I understand. I´m on my way."

„What is it?" Gus asked after she´d hung up.

„Crime scene." she told them. „Sorry guys I have to go."

„Wow, wait, what kind of crime scene?" Shawn asked. „A murder?"

„Yes, Shawn, that´s what it usually means." she said packing her cell phone away and fumbling for her car keys.

„I thought Lassie was still on the desk." Shawn replied. „You know … after what happened."

„He was." Juliet confirmed. „Until last week. The chief found him ready to go outside again."

„How didn´t we hear about that?"

„Maybe because you were too distracted with the game scores to notice anything else." Gus said.

„Me? Why just me? What about you?"

„I knew he was in the field again."

„You did? Why didn´t you tell me?"

„I did. I told you last Tuesday."

„You didn´t."

„Yes, I did."

„Guys. I need to go." Juliet interrupted and passed right through them to get to her car.

„Wait." Shawn cried after her. „We´re coming with you."

„We do?" Gus asked.

„Yes. He´ll probably need our help with his first homicide after … you know."

„I´m not so sure, Shawn." Gus argued halfhearted but if he had been completely honest he wasn´t sure if Lassiter was good on his own either. He just didn´t want to go to a crime scene right now. He had had enough violence for one day.

„Believe me, I was worried too." Juliet said. „But he is doing good."

„Are you sure?" Shawn asked without expecting a yes as an answer. When he got no answer at all, he knew he was right. „Look." he said. „I just wanna be there for him … just in case he needs us."

Gus frowned confused about this. Juliet frowned too but she was less surprised than Gus.

„Wow." she said. „You really mean that, do you?"

„Of course, I mean it." Shawn said a little offended. „What makes you think I would …" he shook his head not exactly sure how he wanted to put it himself.

„All right, all right." she said. „I´m sorry." She thought it over for a second and then nodded. „All right. But don´t try to cheer him up with jokes or anything. He´ll not react positively on that."

„How do you know that?"

„Hey." Henry chipped in waving from next to his truck.

„Because I tried." Juliet answered Shawn´s question before turning to Henry again.

„Oh."

„Is anyone riding with me today, or can I go?" Henry wanted to know.

Juliet and Shawn looked over at Gus. Since they had come with Henry, he was without a car. Gus hesitated for a second. Then he said: „No, I´m going with them, I guess."

Henry threw up both of his hands. „Finally." he said and got in the car.

...

They rode with Juliet until they reached the crime scene, what turned out to be a house in a neat neighbourhood. The crime scene tape around the yard and the gathering people, made it look outstanding on this late afternoon.

When they entered the house detective Lassiter was leaned over the dead body, watching the CSI men doing their investigation.

„I´d say this man was shot from a short distance." the coroner told him. „More we can´t say before the autopsie."

„All right." Lassiter replied. „Get him out." When he turned around he spotted Juliet and the two uninvited guests. „What are they doing here?" he asked.

„We are also glad to see you, Lassie." Shawn replied.

Lassiter looked at him with an undefinable face. „I thought you would be lying in hospital with your head all wrapped up." he said.

„It … was just a bottle." Shawn replied startled. „Didn´t even got me fully."

„I´m talking about this other problem of yours." Lassiter answered and after a meaningful glance he turned around. Juliet grinned.

„I told you, he´s doing good." she said.

„Yeah. Hilarious." Shawn grumbled. He threw a look around. The first thing he noticed was the dead body. He was lying on his back as if he had dropped like a cardboard character after he had been shot. He didn´t see it coming. The next thing was the door. It was perfectly in order. No sign of violent entering. So this man did either never lock his door or he had let the killer in.

„What are you doing?" Lassiter suddenly asked. Shawn turned around and looked at him startled. So did Jules and Gus. At least he wasn´t the only one who had no idea what this was about. He was just about to say something when Lassiter already went on.

„No." he said. „Don´t say it. I don´t need your help. Get out of here."

Shawn pointed behind him and opened his mouth but again Lassiter was faster.

„I don´t need you to tell me." he snapped. „I already know that the door wasn´t broken and I also know that the man probably knew his killer. Again: I don´t need your help."

„But do you also know that …?" Shawn replied completely serious.

Lassiter took in a deep breath to not to slap him. He gave him a look and then simply repeated: „Out."

„Gladly." Shawn replied. „Seems you´ve got everything covered up."

Lassiter didn´t give a response but turned around to keep doing his work. Shawn, Gus and Juliet exchanged a glance.

„I feel like we´re back to the beginning of our relationship." Shawn grumbled. „Anyway. Glad that you´re better." he said a little more sincere this time. Then he turned around to leave. Lassiter halted in his steps for a second but didn´t turn around. Then he went on walking through the house.

„See you later." Shawn whispered at Juliet before getting out and she gave him a nod.

Outside he turned to Gus with a horrified face. „Did you see that?" he asked.

„What do you mean? The dead body? Execution stile I´d say."

„No."

„No?"

„No. I´m talking about Lassie."

Gus shrugged. „He seems to be back to his old self."

„Exactly." Shawn said. „His old old self. It´s worse than I thought. Gus. He´s regressing. I think he completely forgot the last five years. That must be some aftereffect of his emotional trauma."

„So now you´re starting to use psychological terms?"

„Psychological what?"

„I will not have this conversation with you right now." Gus insisted. „You should be glad for Lassie that he is recovering so good."

„Didn´t you just listen?" Shawn cried. „He is NOT recovering. Not at all."

„And what could possible qualify you to decide that?"

„Because I was there, Gus."

„So was I. And Juliet. And the chief. And we all think he is better."

„But I am the psychic."

„I´m going home, Shawn."

„Don´t you find it weird how he is acting?"

„What? That he is back to work? Some people need their work for coping, Shawn."

„But … he´s so out of character now."

„Why?" Gus asked. „Because he doesn´t want us on his crime scene? Or because he dumped you? Or because he is not shivering and bubbling like a maniac? Face it, Shawn. The man has more stamina than you gave him credit for. End of the story."

Shawn watched Gus walk down the street for some steps until his friend stopped and looked back at him. Shawn sighed.

„Maybe you´re right." he said and caught up with him.

„Of course I am."

„Maybe we should just let him be and trust him to find his way on his own."

„Sounds good."

„By the way, where are we going?"

„To my place. I can give you a ride home."

„You want to walk all the way to your place?" Shawn cried.

„It´s three streets from here." Gus explained not believing his friend hadn´t recognized the neighbourhood.

Shawn looked around in surprise. „Oh." he said. „Right."