Author note: Sorry for the wait. But hopefully the wait was worth it...

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Charlie was in her office sorting out Shawn's latest prescription. With all of the excitement of the police involvement, Charlie wanted to take the precaution. Shawn agreed to it too. Drugs had advanced a lot since he was a kid and a new pill had been researched and released where the only side effect was tiredness. Shawn had often complained that he couldn't think clearly sometimes but that was about it. Shawn agreed to it this time because he had just watched two people get arrested. One for murder and one for prescribing sugar pills. Shawn remembered that Ross had been there at the time nagging him in his ear saying, "How do you know she won't slip you poison instead of meds?" Shawn dismissed the thought after only a moment's thought. Shawn trusted Charlie and he knew that she would never lie to him, she had always been brutally honest but at least that gave Shawn a sense of consistency. The phone started to ring and Shawn grumbled over to answer it.

"Hello?" she answered, not in a very professional way as this was her personal mobile phone.

There was no sound on the other end and Charlie frowned into the phone. She could almost hear whispers on the other end.

"Uh Hi" a voice finally spoke. "This is Henry Spencer"

Charlie gasped surprise.

"I know" Henry responded on the other line. "You are Shawn's carer?"

"Yes I am. Are you finally interested in visiting?" Charlie asked bitterly. Years had gone by without a squeak from him and she was beyond angry.

"Look. I'm sorry I wasn't there for him first. I didn't even want to send him there! I mean…. I'm sure it's lovely but if it had been up to me, he would have stayed, and we would have managed. But…. Custody went to my ex-wife and she wanted him there so I couldn't refuse."

Charlie didn't reply.

"Look…" Henry tried again, "I just really want to see my son"

There was silence again for several moments until Charlie finally replied.

"By law I can't stop you" she spoke at last. "Are you willing to contribute in family therapy?"

There was a pause and a hush of whispers on the other end.

"Anything" Henry agreed.

Another pause. "Come around 2 and… bring a pineapple"

Henry smiled in relief and gratitude. "Thank you and I will."

Charlie hung up the phone before staring at it for a long time. What just happened? She thought to herself. She hadn't known custody went to Maddy. Hopefully Henry would explain that to Shawn and maybe he wouldn't be so mad at him. Hopefully this would be good to Shawn though. If Henry actually started coming to family therapy twice a week, some real psychological progress could be made.

She knew what she had to do. She glanced at the clock and found it to be quite late in the evening. Thinking of where Shawn might be, she realised that he would probably be in his room by now, getting ready for bed and she rushed up to his room and tenderly knocked on the door three times.

Shawn opened the door and smiled when he saw Charlie.

"Come in" he invited and Charlie stepped inside almost hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" Shawn asked concerned.

"I have some news for you. Your father is coming to visit you tomorrow" Charlie spoke out in a rush.

Shawn froze. "What?" he whispered.

"I just got off the phone with him and he's coming to visit for family therapy" she explained watching as Shawn's face twisted into various expressions of shock.

Shawn collapsed onto the bed. "Why now?" he whispered to himself.

"Probably cos of the arrests. He was probably investigating that Gary guy too. It's not like he actually remembered about you or anything" Ross interceded and Shawn scowled.

"I don't know Shawn. Let him explain everything tomorrow. For now, just try and get some sleep. I won't force you to talk unless you want to. He just wants to meet you and I am sure that he could understand if you weren't ready."

"Thanks for telling me" Shawn whispered again.

"You're welcome. Good night Shawn" Charlie whispered back as she switched off the light on the wall and gently closed the door behind her, it automatically locked.

Shawn lay there in bed thinking about what Charlie had just told him. He couldn't believe it. His father, who abandoned him when he was eight, was actually coming to visit for the first time.

Shawn didn't notice how much time was passing until someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

Shawn blinked and looked at her. It was the orderly, Bethany.

"Yeah. I'm fine. What time is it?" he groaned and Bethany glanced over to his clock in the corner of the room.

"Ten. Sorry for intruding. I was told you would be asleep" she winced.

"It's ok" Shawn responded.

Bethany smiled before wandering into Shawn's bathroom and picking up a towel, lying on the floor. She held the towel for him to see it before smiling and saying,

"Insanity is no excuse for not hanging up your own towel" she commented.

Shawn smiled weakly back, "Sorry. It must have fallen off" he grinned weakly and Bethany laughed back.

"Ha, yeah of course it did" she replied sarcastically, but the smile never left her face.

Shawn watched as she returned the towel to the railing and she notices Shawn's intense look of concentration.

"What's wrong?" Bethany asked.

"My dad, who dumped me here when I was 8, is coming to visit me tomorrow" Shawn divulged.

"Really?" she asked bewildered.

Shawn simply nodded.

"Well that's good" she commented hesitantly.

"Good?"

"Well, yes. You can finally ask anything you want, maybe yell a bit" she smiled weakly and Shawn nodded weakly,

"I guess" he whispered. Shawn had matured over the years and no longer hated his dad. He knew there could have been extenuating circumstances and was willing to give him a chance to explain himself.

Shawn sighed to himself and fell asleep almost immediately. Bethany creeped out of the room silently, pulling the door to on her way out.

.

..

...

"Look…" Henry tried again, "I just really want to see my son"

There was silence again for several moments until Charlie finally replied.

"By law I can't stop you" she spoke at last. "Are you willing to contribute in family therapy?"

Henry looked round at the Chief and shrugged at her, knowing that he would have to miss precious time at work for these therapy sessions. The Chief quickly whispered back it was fine and she wouldn't have it when Henry questioned her.

"Anything" Henry agreed finally, sensing Juliet's approval in the corner.

Another pause. "Come around 2 and… bring a pineapple"

Henry smiled in relief and gratitude. "Thank you and I will."

"Bring a pineapple?" Carlton was the first to speak.

Henry gave a dry chuckle. "He really likes pineapple… last time I saw him he was obsessed with lolly pops"

The sadness in Henry's eyes was evident and Carlton stood there feeling very uncomfortable as he was not very good at all this touchy feely stuff.

"Go home Henry. You can have tomorrow off and see your son" the Chief instructed.

"Karen? The whole day?" Henry spluttered.

The Chief raised an eyebrow at being addressed so informally but smiled none the less.

"Just, don't mess this up" she smiled and Juliet came over and squeezed his arm in assurance.

"I won't" Henry assured them all.

Carlton sighed.

"Anyway, back to work!" the Chief yelled and Carlton seemed to vanish through the door in a second. Juliet smiled assuringly again at Henry before following her partner out of her office.

"Thanks Karen" Henry thanked her. She nodded as if to say 'you're welcome' and then Henry left. He had lots to think about, he was going to see his son in the morning… well afternoon.

.

...

...

...

...

Henry awoke the next morning in an extreme state of nerves. He couldn't wait to see his son. Then ate his breakfast quickly and then ran to the store to grab a fresh pineapple.

He arrived at West Haven at twelve o'clock.

Two hours early.

Henry sighed glancing at his watch, thinking that he was going to have to come back two hours later but luckily he was spotted by one of the orderly's who ran over to see who he was.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Yes. My name is Henry Spencer. I'm here to see my son" he told him.

He gaped in surprise, "You're Henry Spencer?"

Henry nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Charlie told me you were coming. I'm David" he greeted shaking his hand. "But you know group therapy isn't for another two hours"

Henry shrugged in embarrassment. "I was nervous…. I brought a pineapple with me"

David laughed, "Yeah, he really loves pineapple"

"I know"! Henry remembered sadly.

David pretended not to notice and instead checked his watch.

"Shawn will be in meditation right now. I'll show you to Charlie's office" David suggested and Henry nodded.

Henry kept his eyes open as he followed David, keeping his eyes peeled just in case he got a glimpse of his son.

David led them to her office and he knocked before entering and Charlie looked up shocked when she noticed Henry standing there behind David.

"Henry" she said surprised.

Henry smiled weakly; it felt odd not to be in his uniform. He wasn't going to dress as a cop to visit his son. He would scare all the mental patients, maybe even his son, especially his son. Oh God. His son was a mental patient. He suddenly realised at that point that he had never actually asked what his son's diagnosis is.

"I'll leave you to it" David said awkwardly before leaving them alone.

"You're early" Charlie commented and Henry only shrugged. "And I see you have brought a pineapple" she laughed to herself, "At least you've done one thing right"

"What's his diagnosis?" Henry asked hesitantly as he was expecting the worst news.

Charlie looked at him. "He's a paranoid schizophrenic with mild sociopathic tendencies"

Henry just nodded, not really knowing what that meant.

"It means that Shawn has a hard time trusting people, technology…anything. He hallucinates too meaning his mind makes up things that aren't there. These can be things he's heard or most times in his case he sees people that don't exist."

"Like his friend Ross?" Henry interrupted.

Charlie thought for a second. "Well, I wouldn't say friend. Ross is… very pessimistic"

Henry didn't know how to respond.

"Anyway, he has mild sociopathic tendencies too meaning depending on how he is feeling at the time he can think the most disturbing things" Charlie shuddered.

Henry stared.

"But don't worry. He's on medication at the moment, although he does very well without it too." She assured him and Henry simply put the pineapple down on her desk.

"Shall I give you the tour?" she offered gesturing at the door.

"Sure" Henry smiled.

.

...

...

Charlie then took him on a tour of the facilities. She pointed out the swimming pools and saunas and all of the extra activities they offered such as tennis and basketball, although she explained that Shawn had never been the energetic sporty type.

When Charlie showed him the meditation room where Shawn was Henry desperately wanted to go inside and see his son. Charlie refused saying he would see him soon and he wasn't to disturb the session. This meant that Henry resorted to peering through the glass on the door until Charlie pulled him away saying, "He'll see you, he's extremely observant"

Henry moved away from the door then and commented, "Inherited of me probably."

Charlie then escorted him back to the office and she propped the door open with a door wedge.

"Can I offer you a cuppa?" she offered.

Henry nodded, "Please" he agreed, his stomach rumbling as he realised he had missed lunch.

The, they waited for Shawn.

Henry stood up when Shawn appeared in the door way. He could have recognised his son anywhere.

Author note: Oooh! What a horrible cliff hanger! Aren't I evil.

Don't worry. this time I won't make you guys wait nearly a month before updating!

Please review and let me know what you thought. Does it make up for being late? Forgive me?