PAYBACK
copyright 2014 by The Elf
DISCLAIMER (I can't! I've never met her! rimshot): Unfortunately, I do not own anything to do with Psych and that's a damn shame, because I could have so much fun! Also, no disrespect intended to the characters and the respective wonderful and talented actors who made them so fun for 8 years.
November 1985...
"Alright, everybody! Get 'em booked!" Henry Spencer, SBPD walked around watching as his men cuffed the idiots from the club. He ran a hair through his hair as Officer Mitchell came up to him. "Henry, we got a problem."
Spencer rolled his eyes and glared at the younger man. "What? What else could possibly go wrong tonight?" Mitchell nodded over at a bench and Henry could see a thin woman with purple and black hair, sitting in cuffs next to his son. As if she felt people staring at her, she turned her head and stared right back at them, eyes defiant and a decided smirk on her face. Henry raised an eyebrow. Okay, not a woman exactly. "Please don't tell me-"
"She's under eighteen. What do we do? It's not the first time we picked her up."
"Juvenile record?"
"Sarge, this kid...Chief is saying it's your call. I say call the social worker. Ain't like she hasn't been before the juvie judge before."
"Yeah, I'll-what the hell? Oh no...nononono." He went up to the girl and pulled up his 10-year-old son, who had apparently decided to get a crush on an up-and-coming felon. "Shawn, go wait in the conference room."
The sandy-haired youngster huffed, "But Dad-"
"Now Shawn!"
"Yeah, kid. Get going. Wouldn't want to be a bad influence or anything." Henry stuck a finger in her face. "You zip it. I'll deal with you in a minute. Go Shawn. Your mom's coming in a few minutes." He ignored the eye roll and the smirk. Shawn sighed. "Okay. Well, bye Kiki. Thanks for teaching me the words to 'Take On Me'."
Henry's eyes widened in surprise as the juvie smiled and her hazel eyes seemed to soften from the hardass little brat he had witnessed a few seconds ago. "Bye Shawn. Thanks for the KitKat."
Henry watched as Shawn walked into the conference room and closed the door. He turned back to Bonnie Parker's soul sister and grab the file from Mitchell as he passed with a junkie in tow. "Okay, Kiki, is it?" He ignored her eyeroll. "So, Kiki. First of all, I'm pissed off because I couldn't leave on time tonight because we had to bust a drug ring in the Dragon's Den. Then I find I'm going to be stuck here longer because now I find out I have a minor we busted for being underage in a bar, oh!" He pointed to something on the first page. "And lookie here! It says a 15-year-old juvenile female with prior busts was picked up in the bar with underage drinking AND a baggie of weed AND some cash, which tells me she sold it. So, KIKI, I also see that you live with your older sister who's out training and therefore is not home and that she's your legal-"
"Look, just-call the social worker. Don't bother my sister. She has stuff to do and already knows I'm a fuck-up, okay?" Her bravado was was dropping and her words were mumbled. Henry could see a glassiness to her eyes. "Kid, I got a job to do."
"That's fine." Henry looked over at her as she slumped back against the bench. She was young. Barely out of diapers in his eyes and he wanted to know why the hell she was living with a sister that wasn't home because she was trying to make it in the Coast Guard. He rubbed his hand over his eyes and looked over at her. Large dark eyes were unreadable, but had dark circles under them from lack of sleep. Definitely not from burning the midnight oil studying. He looked at her hair. That ridiculous black and purple dye was starting to grow out. His sharp eyes picked up the hair just barely growing out at the roots. Blonde. She would probably look a sight better with blonde hair. And maybe not the nose ring. Or the ridiculous black eyeliner that looked like she was the child of a raccoon. Henry shook his head. Anyway…"Kid, look-"
She practically jumped back to the other end of the bench. "Don't touch me. You leave me the fuck alone!" Her body was rigid, and Henry could see her widened eyes held nothing but fear. Henry put down his hand that had only been going to touch her shoulder. He studied her rigid posture. One foot was placed on the floor with weight on it. Henry Spencer knew she would run, given the chance; which would be stupid. Still, she was scared. The defiance was back and her green-gold eyes were narrowed. "You touch me and I'll cut you. Keep your damn hands to yourself and just call the lady who's the social worker. Just get it over with." A sickening feeling was developing in Henry's stomach and he sat back on the bench, watching her sink further against the other side out the corner of his eye. The nausea grew worse and the suspicion grew. He swallowed and stood up, trying to ignore her sharp inhale and attempt to make herself look smaller on the other side of the bench. Holding up his hands, he spoke slowly. "Kid, just sit here. I'm not going to touch you, okay? I'm going to go check on my son-"
"He's a cute kid. Sweet." Her soft comment caught him off guard and suddenly she looked very much like the frightened child she was. "Okay. Uh, thanks. Look, sit here. I'm going to-"
"Call the social worker." She leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes. Henry couldn't shake the sick feeling in his stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maddie waving at him. He went towards her, only to be stopped by Perez. "Sarge, you want me to get her dropped off to juvie?" He looked over Perez's large, intimidating 6'3" frame. "No, let her sit there for a sec. She's cuffed. She's not going anywhere."
"Call the social worker?"
"Nope. Still making a decision. I have to go talk to my wife. She's here to pick up Shawn."
"Okay."
"Hey, hon." He gave Maddie a quick peck on the cheek. She smiled. "Let me guess. Won't be home anytime soon?" Henry shrugged. "I'm sorry Maddie, but we made a bust and it includes a juvenile."
Maddie Spencer nodded in understanding. "Ah. Well, then I'll just take Shawn and be going-"
"Actually, Maddie, I have a professional question." He looked over at the teen, still with her head resting back on the wall, but her eyes were open and staring at the ceiling. Maddie followed his gaze. "That her?"
"Yeah. You're a psychologist. Tell me why a kid would be living with her older sister instead of her parents and would flip out from me trying to touch her shoulder."
Maddie sighed. "Henry-"
"Maddie, she is only a kid, but I've done juvenile crimes. And I was reading her files. Something's not right here, but she's not going to talk to a man."
"Henry-"
"Please."
Maddie looked up at him and they both looked at the girl. As if feeling eyes on her, she looked over at them, hazel narrowed suspiciously. Her eyes drifted to Maddie and Henry watched as she bit her lip and seemed to pull back into herself. Maddie looked up at him. "I'll talk to her. Can we use the conference room?"
"Yeah. Let's put Shawn at my desk." He walked over with Maddie, watching as the juvenile kept eyeing them with suspicion. "You're not the social worker."
"No, she's not." Henry gestured to his wife. "Maddie Spencer, police psychologist...and my wife. She was coming to pick up my son, but will be talking to you first."
"Why?" The defiance was back. Henry shrugged. "Haven't made up my mind what I'm going to do, but since you're a juvenile and supposed to have counseling, here you go."
"No. Why aren't you just shipping my ass to juvie or calling my sister?" Henry could hear the curiosity rather than the anger. He shrugged. "Kid, I have no idea. Maybe I've lost my goddamned mind." He went to pat her shoulder and shot a look to Maddie as she flinched. Maddie frowned in concern and gestured to the conference room. "You don't have to talk to me. But if you would like to, we can go in there." The teenager shrugged. Maddie took a breath. "We can even get something to eat. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah. Kinda." Maddie smiled. "Why don't we go into the conference room and talk? And Henry can get one of the men to get you some food. What would you like?"
"Ummm…" The girl stood up, shifting her weight as she looked from Henry to Maddie and back again. "Um, am I going to juvie tonight?" Again, her face looked so young, made more evident by her big hazel eyes. Henry nodded. "We'll worry about it later. What do you want to eat?"
"For real?"
"Yes, now spit it out," Henry snapped.
"Quarter Pounder with fries and a Coke."
"Fine." He gestured to a uniform passing. "Simpson, go on a McDonald's run. Get a Quarter Pounder combo with a Coke, a, uh," he looked at Maddie, who held up five fingers, "a number five, and get my son a number one with a Sprite. Here's twenty and I'll pay you back if you need to cough up more." He handed the bill to Simpson, who stared at him. "What?"
"Sir, should we be-I mean, she's juvie-" He didn't miss the girl's narrowed eyes, almost gold in the flourescent light of the station. Really, he was pretty sure if you took of the goop off her face and her hair was its natural blonde, she'd be a pretty kid. "Yes, I know, but Chief said it's my decision and I haven't decided, but either way, whether we keep her here tonight or send here to juvie, they're not going to give her anything to eat and I'm not letting a kid starve." He nodded at the uniform to get going.
Maddie smiled and tentatively put an arm around the girl's slender frame. Her spine stiffened. Maddie didn't let go. "So let's go into the conference room." She gently pushed the girl in and asked Shawn to come out. Her young son smiled at the girl, his ten-year-old face practically lighting up. "Hi, Kiki! Wanna play rock, paper, scissors again?"
"I-" Kiki looked over at Maddie, who ruffled Shawn's hair. "Goose, go sit at your dad's desk. Now. I need to talk to-" she looked over at the girl who was slumped against the wall, and damn if Maddie couldn't see a glassiness in her eyes. "I need to talk to Kiki."
Shawn frowned. "Okay. Bye Kiki." She nodded and looked away. Maddie watched him go to Henry's desk and closed the door. She gestured to a seat. "Please. Sit."
The girl slumped in a chair to her left and stared at her. Maddie could see the fear making the slightly curiosity. "Umm…"
Maddie smiled. "You made quite an impression on Shawn-and Henry. Kiki?"
She mumbled something. Maddie leaned forward. "I'm sorry? I couldn't hear you."
Her large hazel eyes looked up at Maddie. "I said it's a nickname."
"Oh. Okay. Well, how about we start with your real name?" The girl looked away and Maddie could see a tear falling, turning black with eyeliner. This kid was in pain, that much Maddie knew. She also knew if Henry was asking her to get involved, he saw something in her worth saving. "Honey, I could just read your file, but I'd rather just talk to you. What's your name?"
A pale face and large amber eyes met hers. "Am I going to juvie?"
Maddie smiled. "I don't know honey. I'm not a lawyer. I'm just a psychologist. I just want to talk. I'd like to know who I'm talking to. So, what's your name?"
Silence. And then, a soft throaty voice…"Karen. Karen Dunlap."
TBC? Dunno….
Y'know, I always wondered why Karen kept Shawn around when she knew he wasn't psychic. Like, why was it so important? This is my theory.