Chapter 2

"STDs?" Gus blinked in surprise as the question left Shawn's mouth.

"Yes, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Detective." Shawn swallowed tightly, his stomach turning. Why would Lassiter be getting this now? Why not when he and Marlowe first started sleeping together? He shook his head and bit his lip weakly as the doctor continued, "Detective, as an official of the law, you must understand the importance of getting yourself treated after what happened to you."

Sickening realization welled up in Shawn as his brilliant mind finally put all the pieces together. When he had seen Lassie earlier, something had been off with the man. Memories of a split and swollen bottom lip, bandaged and straightened fingers on the man's main hand, and then there had been the dazed look in the man's blue eyes.

"Y-yes, thank you, Doctor. I'll think about. Goodbye." He swallowed and hung up the phone shakily. Gus blinked at him, having finished the detective's food.

"What was that all about, Shawn?" The psychic looked up at his friend's question.

"G-gus… I-I think there's something w-wrong with Lassie… H-he's not cheating on Marlowe; I think he's hurt… Him and Jules are covering it up."

"Why cover it up, Shawn? Everyone knows that Lassie's bound to get into a bit of a scrap now and again." Gus commented, looked unconvinced of Shawn's idea. Shawn quickly shook his head, rubbing a hand over his face much like his dad.

"No, Gus, don't you see it?"

"See what?"

"What's wrong with Lassie." He looked up, staring Gus straight in the eye, "The doctor said they were checking for STDs…"

"So?"

"Gus…! Didn't you see Lassie?! He's exhausted looking and his lip was split. He and Jules aren't sleeping together; she was trying to coax him to eat! A-and when they left, he could barely walk; he was limping…!" Shawn frantically hissed in a high-pitched whisper. He watched his best friend's face closely; he could not bear to say the verdict out lout and needed Gus to figure it out on his own. He nibbled his lip, watching the blank look on Gus' face to turn to that of sick realization.

"Oh my go-!" Shawn quickly slapped a hand over Gus' mouth so he wouldn't be heard. He got up and quickly dragged his friend towards Chief Vick's office. Shawn needed to know where Jules and Lassie had been the past three days.

...P...

Lassiter slumped down into a hard plastic chair against a wall in the station. He hissed softly in pain, the deep, burning ache in his muscles searing through him. The heated throb made it hard to find a comfortable position to rest in.

His eyes slipped shut as a groan escaped him, his body once more shifting in the uncomfortable furniture. He could hear the echoing clack of O'Hara's heels as she crouched beside him. He sensed her worry as she gently took his undamaged hand in hers.

He could feel her fingers fidget anxiously against his as he took a painful breath. He frowned softly and tried to ignore her. Sadly, he could not avoid the scared concern in her voice.

"Carlton, p-please." Juliet swallowed hard and looked him over in worry, "C-carlton, you can barely breathe. Please, let me take you to the hospital." Her frantic plea made him open his eyes. He frowned slightly back at her.

"O'Hara, this case is fresh and we must track these S. down now. We do not have time for me to be lying around in a hospital all week…!" He shifted and gritted his teeth; the feeling of his broken ribs rubbing close together ate at his nerves. He tried to ignore how the pain made it near impossible to breath as the fractured bone pressed heavily against his left lung. His situation forcing him to refuse looking into Juliet's eyes; unwilling to see the pain there.

"Those maniacs are coming back. I will not have my partner put at risk because I'm in the hospital." His words made Juliet feel sick. She looked away, tears in her eyes as she gently pulled her hand away from him. Nausea rolled in her stomach as she whimpered softly.

Juliet blinked back her tears as she moved her wrists against her bonds as they kept her strapped to her chair. She squirmed and whimpered as she looked over at her partner who sat strapped to a different chair, only a few feet in front of her. She watched his gaze become unfocused as he glared at the wall despite him looking over to check on her every once in a while.

His worry for her made her feel dirty. It was her fault, her past that put them in this situation. Though, Juliet was not sure she would be able to get them out of this. She tried desperately to ignore these thoughts as a young woman, about Juliet's age, walked out of the shadows.

"Well, Switchblade, long time no see." The woman greeted Juliet softly as she circled the pair of detectives, pulling closer to Lassiter, "But sadly, you're not here for a friendly visit." She snarled softly, hand going to rest on Lassiter's shoulder, fingertip pressing in painfully.

"I need you to tell me where the maps are stashed. And I need to know now!" Her voice hit a pitch that made Juliet flinch, "You tell me and I'll let you two run free." Juliet opened her mouth but was quickly cut off as Lassiter spoke first.

"The police don't make compromises with criminals." His defiant words didn't seem to sit well with the woman, making her face twist into a sneer. A loud snarl escaped the woman as her reprimand came as way of her fist colliding with his jaw, splitting his lip and leaving him dazed.

"No talking from you!" She turned on Juliet as the woman's hand rested over Lassiter's, gripping his pinky, "I am not asking for much, but anymore defiance and your partner pays the price!"

"O'Hara, don't you dare make a deal with this whackado!" The events after his command happened with a sickening pace, making Juliet's head spin. There was an angry shout from the woman, a loud crack, and a poorly muffled cry of pain from Lassiter as his finger was snapped.

"P-please, Carlton… I-I have to fix this, let me help you…" Juliet wasn't much one for crying, but she could not stop the flowing emotions over her partner's torment, "Just let me take you to the hospital to get your fingers fixed… O-otherwise they won't heal, y-you won't be able to hold a gun again." She whispered softly, she hated blackmailing him but she had to help him.

...P...

Chief Vick looked up as she heard the soft clack of her office door opening. She sighed softly as Shawn and Gus not so stealthily slipped in. She was a bit surprised at the lack of smiles on their faces.

"Mr. Spencer, Mr. Guster, what can I do for you today?" She asked softly, putting down her file and resting her folded hands on it. She watched them slip into the chairs before her desk and fidget slightly.

"Gentlemen, is there something wrong?" Shawn nibbled his lip, fingers tapping on his knees.

"Chief, Jules and Lassie were gone for like three days. Where were they?" The question shouldn't have seemed so odd to her but she sighed.

"Well, Mr. Spencer. The detectives were sent to a mandatory detective's seminar. They both requested that you not know until after the fact. Why?" Shawn tapped his foot anxiously as he listened to her reply.

"N-nothing, Chief. …Just, I don't think Lassie and Jules made it too that seminar…"