Disclaimer (read the whole thing!): The characters are mine...*wait for it*...PSYCH! (as in, they're not mine)

A/N: So, who finished the coffee in the pot? This is a really short one-shot, and my first one for Psych. I hope you all like it!

…...

The Coffee Pot

Tired. So tired. So sooooooo tiiiired. Chief Vick repeated the mantra in her head over and over. Her baby kept her up for the better part of the night, and fussed even more in the morning. It drove her crazy that her husband always managed to sleep like a log in the night, despite the constant crying from the nursery. Why couldn't she do the same?! She couldn't stress enough what a relief it was to be surrounded by the tranquility of her private office.

Her desk served as a hard pillow beneath her head while her hands, outstretched, nursed her second mug of coffee. She perked up when she heard Shawn's and Gus' unmistakable voices coming from down the hallway and marched toward the door. It was about time the two slow-pokes arrived! She took one more gulp of the steaming brown liquid and poked her head to make eye contact with them.

"Alright," she addressed dramatically. "Close the blinds, shut the door and remain completely silent. This is BIG." Instantly, the two followed her exact instructions. Yeah, they better comply, she thought.

"I'm expecting you both to be professional and to keep this matter completely confidential. It involves a nanny."

The two men looked excited and up for the job. "Nanny serial killer? Nanny on the run?"

Gus interjected, "Nanny arsonist?" only to be interrupted by Shawn again. "Does she fly a blimp by chance?"

What ididots, Chief Vick thought. If they were really psychic, they would know I just want them to find me one. "No! I need you to hire me a nanny."


Shawn and Gus walked out of the office, disappointed to learn that their "big mission" was simply to find Chief Vick a nanny for her baby. Shawn sighed. Surely his talents could be better put to use on a real case. He watched as other cops buzzed about the station, taking orders from Lassiter and accepting different assignments for a case. Right now, he actually envied Jules and even Lassiter, except for his case of the broken arm. "Look Gus, a real case."

Gus pulled him to the side and bopped him on the head. "Ow! Dude, what was that for?"

"Get with it, Shawn," Gus started with determination and pride ringing in his voice. "We have an assignment to do. Chief Vick is personally hiring us, which means once we find her a nanny, we'll get paid and may actually be able to take care of some of our financial responsibilities that you keep reneging on."

"Gus, like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, our rent on the office space, for example?"

"Sure dude, I hear you. But looking for a nanny?"

"Think about it this way, Shawn. The sooner we find a nanny, the sooner we get paid. And if we do it fast enough, maybe there will be time to jump on the yacht case."

Now Shawn's face was alit and he clasped his hands together. "I like your thinking Gus. Let's get to this. But first, a coffee break." Shawn started to make his way to the coffee pot in the department and grabbed a Styrofoam cup, but Gus stopped him.

"Shawn, we haven't even started yet. That doesn't warrant a break."

Ignoring him, Shawn poured himself a steaming cup of the coffee, added some sugar and took a sip. "Relax, dude. I've had a vision." He placed the fingers of his right hand against his temple and closed his eyes. "We'll find a good nanny and Chief Vick will be pleased. It's all good." Gus only raised his eyebrows in reply and sighed, knowing there was no arguing with him. Then he poured himself a cup, too, before they made their way to the Psych office.


Back at the Santa Barbara PD, Buzz McNab helped himself to some coffee and a doughnut. He needed the energy. After all, there were a ton of witness statements to go through. He took a sip, and sighed contentedly as the coffee warmed his bones and jump-started his brain. Then he proceeded to work.

Meanwhile, Lassiter greatly accepted a cup of his own, and offered his partner a smile.

"Thank you, O'Hara. You didn't have to do that."

"Well, I thought, why not?" She replied sweetly. "After all, you're in charge of this big case, plus you've got a lot on your shoulders, with you're arm and all. And...I know Chief Vick snapped at you this morning. I saw her get some coffee just a minute ago and thought you could use some, too." Carlton couldn't help but be amazed. Often he found himself competing with her in terms of trying to be a better cop, but he admired that she could do her job so well and keep her sweet personality intact. This was one example to prove it.


Later that afternoon, the officers in the department were scrambling out to the police cars to make their way to 3192 Roscoe upon Chief Vick's insistence. "We have a 459 break-in, people. LET'S MOVE!"

"But Chief Vick," Lassiter started. "We have a lot of material to cover for the case you assigned me. Don't you only need a few officers to investigate a common break in?"

Karen only laughed as she approached Lassiter. It was only a second before she was practically in his face. "Listen, Carlton. I don't care what you're in the middle of. We have word of a break-in, and we are all going to investigate. If you want to stay here, go right on ahead, but consider yourself fired by the end of the day."

Were it anybody else, Carlton would've claimed superiority and backed his decision to stay. But this was the chief, who seemed to be slowly turning into a madwoman with each passing day. He dare not refuse. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." she replied, and soon, everyone was out the door. Karen was the last to leave, though. Something was holding her back. "Something, something, I need something." she whispered to herself as she ran a hand through her short, blonde hair in frustration. "I'm empty handed...Oh, coffee!"

Since she couldn't bring her personal mug into the police car, she grabbed a Styrofoam cup, filled it, and placed a cap on the top before she joined the rest of her minions outside. All the while, no one was around to fill up the empty coffee pot.

...

LATER AT THE OFFICE

When she came back into the office, and everyone returned to their respective assignments, Karen stormed to the coffee pot. Her need for caffeine was even more powerful than it was that morning. She was fed up with a robbery that left her with a bunch of questions, Gus and Shawn may or may not have found a nanny yet, and she simply didn't want to hear any more of Lassiter's excuses for not doing his job faster. Her heart pounded when she saw the pot. AHH! Coffee, NOW! Much to her dismay, though, there was none for gravity to direct into her cup.

"Oh, who finished the coffee, and didn't make a fresh pot? I mean, who does that?! What kind of person acts like that!"

END