AUTHORS NOTE PLEASE READ: Alright, so I think I'm finding my stride with this chapter. However I need help to be sure. I need opinions! Desperately so! What did you like, what didn't you like? Is my Mary Sue wayy too much of a Mary Sue? Your input is greatly appreciated!
Chow for now!
~Matilda
Back to Coral Haven
Morning, Shawn Spencer was not a morning person. So when the sound of Lassiter's alarm clock went off interrupting Shawn's dreams, Shawn tried extra hard to ignore it. Giving a grumble and pulling the thick blankets further over his head. In nothing but his boxers Shawn's body still tingled from the night before. It had felt nice just to lay there – if only the alarm clock wouldn't insist on becoming so damn persistent.
"Neverrr…." Shawn mumbled; if he had the energy he would've brandished his fist at the alarm clock angrily. The clock's ring getting progressively louder the longer it went off.
"Nooo…..nooooo…" Shawn whined; Lassiter usually turned the damn thing off by now. Shawn extended his leg to give the sleeping detective a swift kick to prompt Lassiter to do his morning duty of shutting the clock off. It would've worked if Shawn's leg hadn't collided with empty space.
"What – the…Lassie?" Shawn was up and looking around, his blanket fell off his bare torso to pool around his hips. Lassiter was no where to be found. Shawn had to shuffle to Lassiter's side of the bed to turn the damn thing off himself, he couldn't help but pout. Lassie's side of the bed was cold which meant that he had been up for awhile.
Upon getting up and looking around he noted with dismay that Lassiter wasn't even home. He noted with slight amusement that the living room floor still contained; a pile of clothing, a wrinkled tie and hand cuffs. But other then that there was nothing else around- just a note on the table with a key.
Got called in, didn't want to wake you, lock up before you leave.
Shawn grasped the key lightly, not really sure how to feel about this. The feeling of desertion did seem to be winning the race though. Which was weird, it wasn't like Shawn hadn't been alone in Lassiter's apartment before. When he was recovering from his appendectomy he had been there alone almost every day – but this was different. Shawn wasn't sick, perfectly healthy in fact, and in the last year when Lassiter got called in the middle of the night – if Shawn was even there he always ended up going with him. So this whole being left in Lassiter's place completely alone felt like a whole new experience – one that Shawn decided he really didn't like.
Further contemplation of this was cut off when his phone started to ring, it was Gus.
"I can't go with you today" Gus sounded so apologetic "My morning route got extended, I won't be done until later I'm so sorry!" He talked super fast not giving Shawn a chance to understand what he was saying.
"What – today, how? What?" Shawn looked to the clock on Lassiter's wall – 9:30. He then remembered he was scheduled to meet with Don Lauren at ten. "Oh no!" Shawn was alert "Gus you HAVE to come! I can't do this one alone!" There was no way in hell.
"I'm sorry!" Gus piped "I already called Don, he's cool with it – just for today, I made him promise to behave. I'm sorry I have to go!"
"Gus!"
But Gus had already hung up; Shawn clenched his jaw he wasn't even up for an hour and already he had been stranded by Lassie and by Gus. Damn them both. Shawn suppressed a groan – the day was just getting started it seemed. Shawn then noted he had neglected to bring an over night bag, double groan. Thus he was stuck having to go meet Don Lauren completely alone and in the clothes he was wearing the day before.
"Awesome, just awesome" Shawn mumbled to himself as he made quick to grab his clothes from the floor. Oh well at least he had his bike on him.
When he finally got to Psych, he was five minutes late for his own appointment, Don Lauren was there looking as if he was waiting rather impatiently. He was leaning against the front entrance and looking at his watch, a stoic expression on his face. He only came to a complete stand when Shawn parked, and removing his helmet Shawn could see right away Don was looking at his bike.
"Is this how you always run your business?" Don asked immediately "By arriving late, but in style?"
Shawn grumbled something along the lines of bite me but refused to let himself play it down to that level. Instead he settled for greeting Don with a tight nod and clenched jaw.
"Would've arrived in time" Shawn defended "but my monkey juicer makes one mean juice. Resistance was futile; I had to stay for seconds." Shawn was proud of himself for that one – he almost sounded friendly, and Don Lauren actually smiled at him. It was the first time Shawn failed to see a hint of judgement in the other man's expression. Not that he would read too far into it, they still had a whole day to kill.
"Your monkey juicer?" Don chuckled "Okay I'm curious; Gus said you were overly imaginative. Its my fault for not believing him so cough it up – does your monkey juicer have a name?"
…Don Lauren was asking Shawn Spencer questions about his monkey juicer. Creepy. Eww.
"Don't we have a case?" Shawn countered immediately, he wasn't used to Don being so….not Don.
"We do" Don said "you're right, alright Spencer lets get going my car's this way."
"I can follow you on my bike." Shawn said; he didn't want to ride with him.
"My business is in the next city over" Don said "At least the closest branch of it is, so we're going to be awhile. I want you to be comfortable."
"Next city over?" Shawn asked, he thought of it then a strange sinking feeling now built up in his stomach "Coral Haven?"
"Yeah, Coral Haven – its not too far, but far enough I think."
The last time Shawn had been to Coral Haven he had been sliced and diced by a couple of crazy doctors, he never thought of it much but the sudden idea of going back there had a surprising negative effect on him.
"I – I can't go to Coral Haven. I'm sorry Don…"
"I paid you – why not?" Don said then "Was it not enough? I can pay more; I didn't know there were extra fees for travel."
"No!" Shawn said, he really wasn't about to spill his sob story to this guy "it's just – difficult for me, a few complications, nothing major." God damn it, where's Lassie when you need him?
"Well, if that's in then – then we really should be hitting the road. I told my staff I'd be there by at least noon." Don looked Shawn over; Shawn was feeling like he was going to have a panic attack. This was NOT how he planned on today going down. First he was deserted twice, and now a man he wanted absolutely nothing to do with was taking him back to Coral-fucking-Haven.
"Okay" Shawn said "You wait here; I have to make one quick call – just wait here." He backed up and moved around the building his phone out and dialling Lassiter on speed dial.
"Detective Lassiter" Lassiter was in business mode, but Shawn was freaking out. Really freaking out,
"He's taking me to Coral Haven!" Shawn said, and if at all possible he could hear Lassiter's mind set switch.
"Shawn?"
"Coral Haven!" Repeated Shawn, "It's been almost a year, I have not thought of Coral Haven, I have not driven near Coral Haven, I don't even like the words Coral and Haven!"
"Shawn – you're talking too fast, calm down what's wrong?" Lassiter sounded more concerned then anything now.
"Don" Shawn said "The case I took, I have to investigate his office in Coral Haven I just….I don't know I wish I had known yesterday it would've made saying no so much easier."
"You didn't say no though." Lassiter said "I don't know what to say Shawn; I can't make this decision for you."
No, but you can be here to help me through it – geeze.
"I guess not." Shawn took a deep breathe "If I start sending you texts like a crazy person, will you try to answer some of them?"
"I guess so" Lassiter said "Will that help you calm you down?"
"It'll have to" Shawn said "I'll call you when I get back."
"Sounds good" Lassiter said "- just breathe okay?"
"Yeah, breathing now – got it." Shawn hung up and turned around to meet up with Don again. When Don said he had a car waiting he was not expecting a freaking limo.
"What do you think?" Don asked "Just rented her last week, at first just for a party but then it just got fun having one around."
"I think….I think okay -cool…" Shawn was breathing a little easier now, he even felt confident enough to take a picture of the limo with his phone and send it to Gus just to show him what he was missing. The driver who had come around to open the door for Don and Shawn looked the way Shawn would've imagined him to be. In a fine chauffer suit and hat, with old white features. It was like something out of a movie.
Don let Shawn slide into the limo first, the spacious area containing a television, microwave, mini fridge and bar. Shawn was genuinely impressed and actually paid Don the compliment when he came in and sat across from Shawn.
"Very cool" said Shawn.
"Thanks Spencer" Don smiled.
"So – Coral Haven" Shawn said then, he still wasn't totally okay with it. "Why Coral Haven?"
"A lot of open space" Don said "Good for business."
"I see…" Shawn said "Well that's true, Coral Haven is spacious."
Spacious enough so that no one can hear you scream….
Shawn's stomach started to turn again, was it too early to start sending Lassie mad texts? He decided yes and that instead he'd look for another distraction.
"Do you have anything I can look at?" Shawn asked "Anything at all?"
Luckily Don said yes.
"I have this" Don answered, and reaching into a pocket connected to one of the seats he produced a pretty thick yellow folder, handing it over to Shawn.
"What is it?" Shawn asked and he placed the folder on his lap, idly flipping through the contents.
"Bank statements mostly, also a list of staff members and filming locations."
"Oh wow" Shawn said "So lots of stuff for me to read, perfect."
"I even have criminal background checks on all of my employees in there, I came up with everything I could that might help you pick up any vibes or get an idea of what's happening in my company."
Shawn nodded and continued to look through the folder, nothing seemed to be jumping out at him quite yet – but he wasn't even half way through the contents when Don said filming locations, which finally pegged the question of Don's occupation.
"Don – what is it exactly that you do?" Shawn looked up to the other man, who was seated casually, arms on either edge of his seat, knees slightly parted.
"Oh" Said Don "I own a small studio in L.A, I direct music videos."
Hot damn. No wonder he was loaded.
"Well" said Shawn "I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting that answer. I thought you'd be some form a banking tycoon – you know the corporate type."
"And with the way you always acted in school I thought for sure you'd be a janitor by now." Don responded with a snide little grin "funny how these things work out."
Shawn's lips went thin, they weren't even on the road for 20 minutes and there it was -the first insult of the day. Shawn sank in his seat a bit and made himself busy with the folder if today kept getting worse Shawn thought for sure he was going to start drinking. Excessively.
Shawn never thought he'd ever consider riding in a limousine towards a music video shoot to be part of a bad day. Funny how these things work out.
