Disclaimer: I don't own Psych.
This is the second installment in the The Band trilogy. This takes place about a month after the first installment. The fact that the band is performing at a "Policeman's Ball" is, of course, a reference to the best Shassie dialogue of all time! (The quote is on my profile.)
Warning: Very mild language.
References: Small one to "Murder...Anyone...Anyone...Bueller?"
"O'Hara, I still don't think we're ready to perform live." Lassie whined.
"Come on, Carlton! Nothing scares you! And besides, we're ready." Juliet said, although she wasn't sure she believed it herself. They had a good set list, and they could finally harmonize, but the Policeman's Ball was a big step up from a weekly jam at the Psych office. Shawn and Carlton were having problems with "I've Heard it Both Ways" and Gus kept messing up the end of "Santa Barbara Sky". The Psych boys were already a bit of a joke, but Juliet and Carlton needed to be respected. She could bounce back, but Carlton didn't handle being a laughingstock very well.
Lassiter nodded. He took comfort in O'Hara's calmness. "Alright. Thanks." He thanked her reluctantly.
"Okay, guys. Tomorrow is our first gig, so we need to get cracking. Shawn, we need to do the duet since someone keeps screwing it up." Carlton announced pointedly.
Shawn laughed. "Yeah, Lassie. I'm the problem. Maestro, if you will." He said, nodding at Gus, who popped a disc into the 80s-style boom box the guys kept in their office.
"I've heard it both ways,
The right way and then yours,
I've heard it both ways,
But let's not open any sores.
I've heard right,
And wrong,
Don't 'cheech' my 'chong' anymore."
O00oo00oo00O
"Jules...wow." Shawn breathed when he saw Juliet's dress. It was a simple blue strapless number that matched the rest of the band's ties perfectly. They got in the car and drove down to the Santa Barbara Sheraton, where the SBPD was holding their 1st annual ball. When they arrived, Gus and Lassie were waiting impatiently in the entranceway. Gus dragged them backstage.
"You must be out of your damn mind, Shawn! I can't believe you told Vick we would do this!"
Shawn smiled. "Oh, Gus. Don't be a homicidal Russian nesting doll. We'll be fine. Lassie and I are owning the duet, you're rocking the back-up, and Jules, of course, is working her solo like nobodies business. Dude, stop Lamaze breathing! You know that makes my midwife instincts kick in!"
Gus nodded and tried to suppress his nervous habit. "Where's Lassie?"
"Out in the audience saying hello to the Chief. Oh, here he comes!"
Carlton approached, his usually pale skin tinged green. "Spencer, O'Hara, Guster, 5 minutes. Is everyone warmed up?" The group nodded.
An officer turned stagehand joined the group. "Hello, Detectives. Chief Vick didn't tell me how to introduce you guys. Do you have a band name?"
The group glanced at each other. The name had been hard to come up with, but they had finally agreed on one.
Shawn spoke up. "Call us Good Cop/Bad Cop." They all smiled. The name was perfect. Lassie had originally wanted the Good Cops, but the rest had declared it too straightforward and boring. But adding "bad cop" gave it that necessary dose of badassness.
The stagehand left. Jules took a deep breath. "Are you guys ready?" The men around her nodded reluctantly. "Then let's do this!" Her sudden excitement made everyone spring to life. By the time they were called to the stage, they were pumped. They entered in a showy, theatrical succession. Juliet twirled out first, smiling infectiously. She was followed by a swaggering Shawn, a sly Carlton and a "Player Named Gus". The first strains of "I've Heard it Both Ways" came over the ballroom's loudspeaker.
"I've Heard it Both Ways" went swimmingly, and so did "Santa Barbara Sky". Jules began to get nervous. Her solo was up next.
"Shawn, have a seat." She motioned to a table at the front of the audience. He looked confused, but obeyed. "This year, Chief Vick had an amazing idea. A 'Consultant of the Year' award. This award will be given to someone who not only brings in amazing results, but achieves the impossible. Someone who solves the unsolvable, and goes above and beyond. This man is Shawn Spencer." Everyone clapped politely. Shawn's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.
"He has been with the SBPD for 8 years now. He's solved over 100 cases in his time with us, and we'd all be dead now if it wasn't for him." Laughter swept through the crowd.
"I've been lucky enough to be allowed to love him, and this is for him."
Shawn's favorite song started playing. He smiled when he recognized it. Lassie and Gus started singing backup, and nodded at Jules when the lyrics came.
"Won't you, come see about me,
I'll be alone, dancing, you know it baby,
Tell me, your troubles and doubts,
I'll give you everything, inside and out.
Don't you, forget about me,
When you walk on by,
Will you call my name,
When you walk on by,
I say la!"
As Jules started coasting through the "la"s, she noticed the atmosphere in the room. All of the usually somber cops were laughing and dancing. She hit the last line with energy:
"Don't you, forget about me!"
