April, Come She Will
By: Aubrie1234
The next day, Alex and Shawn went with Juliet to the station to investigate the Schroeder lead. As Alex watched Juliet work on the computer, Shawn found himself leaning against Lassiter's desk. He was silent, watching his wife and 'son,' and he had no idea where Lassiter was. Not like he was in the mood to tease anyway. Like Juliet had mentioned the day before, he was overstressing himself, but it wasn't because of the case. Usually he'd be making references and jokes left and right to keep up his psychic front and calm himself, but with Alex now under his care, it wasn't as helpful. In fact, in the past few days he'd only been cheerful a handful of times, so much unlike himself. He rubbed his eyes. Juliet was right, he needed to start being the fun one again.
"Spencer, what are you doing here?"
"Hey Lassie." Shawn didn't take the bait, not this time. Lassiter, who had been walking back to his desk, stopped and raised an eyebrow.
"Not able to have any 'psychic visions,' Spencer?" he quipped. Shawn shook his head. Carlton was quiet for a moment before he sat at his desk and leaned forward, looking right at Shawn, "I don't call you by your first name a lot, Shawn, but what's going on?"
"Nothing." He never took his eyes off his family, smiling slightly when he saw Juliet laugh at a joke Alex had made. The Head Detective followed the fake psychic's gaze. He nodded to himself.
"It's Alex, isn't it?"
"What?" Shawn glanced at him.
"Finally having responsibility dumped on you has thrown you off. Not only do you have a wife to protect but also a son, too. I know how it feels."
"I guess. And Alex… He's kinda my kid, kinda not."
"So many secrets make you terrified for him."
"Right." Shawn scratched the back of his neck, "You have Marlowe and Lily, who's a baby. She gets into trouble, sure, but not like Alex."
"Spencer, I understand." Lassiter nodded, "I'm a parent too, as is the Chief. We've had kids longer than you, even if they aren't the same age. Don't be embarrassed to ask us for advice."
"Yeah." Shawn nodded, "Thanks, Carlton." Lassiter smiled.
"Thank you, Shawn. Now, let me get back to work."
"Hey, you were the one who started talking to me." Shawn shrugged but left Carlton alone, moving to Juliet's desk. He asked, "Anything?"
"Well, we know where Schroeder lived." said Juliet.
"Emphasis on 'lived.'" Alex was leaning on one hand, "He went off the grid three months ago and no one's sure if he's alive or dead. My bet is on 'alive and murdering people.'"
"Alex!" Juliet gave him a glare but he ignored it. Unlike Shawn, he had a resistance to Juliet's looks. Rolling her eyes at the small smile that crossed his face, she went on, "He's right, though. No one's seen or heard from him in months."
"And he has a history of major violence, like beating his wife and shooting at cats." Shawn said, "Who even does that? Those poor kitties never did anything!"
"At least they're alive, unlike his wife, Ladzinski, and Joseph."
"We don't know if he murdered Joseph and/or Ladzinski yet, Alex." Juliet said, "And why are you being so morbid today?" Alex shrugged.
"It's a morbid day for a morbid man." He turned to her, still leaning on his hand, "Tell me how an orphaned fifteen-year-old on the West Coast that should be in England should feel, then."
"Hey hey hey, no antagonizing, okay?" Shawn put a hand on Alex's shoulder. The blond boy shrugged him off but said no more. Juliet was frowning at him but made no comment. Only minutes before he had made her laugh. What was with the sudden change in mood? This was also his first direct attack on them for being his new parents. Usually he'd never said a word about it until now, just reminiscing. Juliet wasn't saying the boy had accepted it before, but he'd left it be. What had made him go on the attack?
"Anyway," she said, "Since we have no idea where he is, we can't interview him as a suspect. And as for the woman that murdered Joseph, we can't find her. Even with your description, Shawn, it's like she disappeared. With no name, we can't exactly track her down." Alex looked like he wanted to make an input but kept his mouth shut, turning away. It was at that moment that Lassiter suddenly stood from his desk and came over.
"Just got a call about a homicide. Juliet, let's go."
"Right." Everyone stood up. As the two officers left, Alex made to go after them but Shawn stopped him.
"Aren't we going along?"
"You're not going to a crime scene. I know I fudge it all the time but there is no way anyone is gonna let you come in, my son or not." Alex frowned and shrugged his arm away.
"Not your son." Alex said.
"Then tell me what's going on with you today. Didn't you make Jules laugh earlier? What's wrong?"
"Leave me alone." So that's how it was going to be. Shawn had to focus on not getting mad at Alex.
"Would you rather be left with my Dad all day?" Alex gave nothing away. Either he was being a moody teenager or something had set him off. Shawn rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Look, if you stay in the car, you can tag along. I mean it, you come inside, you're grounded."
"Got it." said Alex. With no emotion to his face, Shawn had no idea if Alex would really follow the order but there was nothing he could do to figure it out otherwise. Shawn pulled out his phone to call Gus. But as he tried to call his friend, he knew the other man was ignoring his calls. Looked like it was time to make a scene again.
Gus was typing away at his computer when one of the other employees there, a recent (and likely gullible) one named Brad, looked into his room.
"Um, Mr. Guster? A Mr. Walsh and his son are here to see you. It's very important." Before Gus could say anything about accepting or declining the visit, Shawn was already striding into the room, followed by Alex.
"There you are!" said Shawn, voice full of inflection and clearly hamming it up. Gus hoped it wouldn't nearly get him fired again as Shawn went on, "Andie was really worried about you, asking all the time where his favorite uncle was! Weren't you, Andie?" Shawn nudged Alex, who rolled his eyes but put on a wondrous look. Either Alex had been into acting or he was a natural.
"Uncle Gus!" The boy dashed forward and took the dark man into a hug.
"He has strong anxiety, y'know?" Shawn was telling Brad, "Sometimes we have to indulge him or things go downhill fast!"
"Really?" Gus whispered to Alex.
"Shawn's idea." Alex said through clenched teeth, "Go along with it."
"Don't have to tell me, I lived with this guy." Gus straightened up, "John, I'm happy to see Andie, but really, I need to get back to work."
"C'mon, can't you just take a break for a few hours?" Shawn said, "Do you want Andie to get an anxiety attack?"
"No, but-"
"I can put a word in for you, Mr. Guster." Brad offered, then ducked back out. Gus gave Shawn a dark look.
"Really? What do you need me for this time?" Shawn dropped the smile and gestured at Alex, who was untangling himself from the hug he'd commenced.
"He's coming along with us to a crime scene. And before you say anything, I don't like this either but he's kinda hard to get rid of."
"Yeah, like a tick." Alex said, "I suck your blood, too. Mmm, blood."
"Shawn..." It was at that moment Brad came back in.
"You can go now, Mr. Guster. I hope the trip goes well." He was smiling. Gus hated how gullible the guy was.
"4400 Cathedral Oaks Road." Shawn read off the address, "Must be the place."
"The swarming police weren't your first clue?" Alex quipped from the back.
"Ignore him, he's been angry all day." Shawn said in response to Gus' look. He turned to look in the back, "Remember, you stay in the car. If you need to get out for anything, don't go inside. You go in, you're grounded. I'm not budging on this, okay?"
"Got it." Alex drawled.
"He's still gonna follow us in somehow, isn't he?" Gus asked as he and Shawn left the car.
"Probably, but then he'll get grounded. I'll send him to my Dad, he'll learn a lesson from staying with him."
"Maybe." They went up the steps and went inside the two-story house. Alex watched the house and the police presence for a moment before exiting the car from the other side, where people couldn't see him. He walked to the other side of the street confidently, acting as if he knew where he was going. Once there, he walked down the street, away from the scene, and then moved back to the side he had started from and went to the backyard of one of the houses. He would go through the backyards to reach 4400 and get inside and find out what was going on. He didn't need to get involved at all and he was going to get grounded if he did this, but he was not Shawn's 'son,' he could do his own thing. Once he'd reached the right backyard, he knew the place would be swamped with officers, inside and out, and so he'd have to sneak in. He checked how people were moving about, seeing a pattern, and when there was a break in it, he ducked through the backyard and into the house. There weren't as many inside but he knew Shawn, Juliet, Lassiter, and Gus were around. If any of them found out he was in here, he was as good as dead. Crouching, Alex peered around doorways, ears perked for any approaching sound. All he had to do was see the body and get back to the car, prove to Shawn that he could handle himself. Clearly there had been no mention of where it was located around him so he wouldn't go looking but he knew he could find it as long as he wasn't found first. And where the cops were, the body was.
Careful not to touch anything, the blond prowled the hall. He was on the ground floor, but few police were around, so it was likely that the body was upstairs. It would be harder not to be seen going up the stairs but it would be worse to go outside and go through the windows. He'd have to risk it. Getting to the bottom of the stairs and looking around, he roamed upward. There was no one in the hallway when he got there but he heard footsteps approaching and so he quickly backed into a room, closing the door with silence. Whirling around, he froze as he saw his face in the glass reflection of a china cabinet. He shut his eyes tightly but it was too late, he had seen his face, even if it wasn't clear.
It's not him, it's you. It's you. he thought, But then again, he looks like you, so technically it's him you're looking at again. This didn't make him feel better. In fact, he felt worse. He leaned against the door but the images were already coming to mind, the maniacal smile, the red-yellow-orange of an explosion, the malice in brown eyes. He slid to the ground, hands on his head, breathing and heartbeat going crazy. Trying to shake off the feeling of impending doom, he got up and looked around, searching for a sink or something so he could splash his face with water. The water might help shock his system back to normal. He was in a small room with the cabinet (which he made sure to avert his eyes from), but the only way out was back through the door. He put a hand to his head, feeling both a headache coming on and dizziness setting in. Couldn't deal with this right now, no no no no- He had to calm down. But now he couldn't focus, not at all, and the pains in his chest were making things go into a downward spiral. He sat down again, head in his hands, trying to get his breathing under control, that was all he could focus on now.
He may have not been psychic but even he could tell that something was wrong, not with the body yet still in the house. Shawn rubbed his arm nervously, looking around. He blinked and glanced down when he felt a nudge, finding Gus by his side and giving him a look. Shawn closed his eyes and put a hand to his head, trying to imitate being psychic, but the bad feeling that had washed over him was still strong. He half-opened an eye and glanced at Juliet. Like him, she suddenly looked uncomfortable and it clearly wasn't because of the body hanging from the ceiling full of stab wounds.
"I see… I see…" Shawn waved a hand, "I see darkness, fear, a whole lot of bad mumbo-jumbo here."
"Like what?" Lassiter crossed his arms.
"Blood, passion, and-"
"Detective?" It was McNabb, "One of the rooms we searched through is locked back. We think someone might be inside."
"What? Show me!" Shawn felt like the floor dropped out from under his and he looked at Gus. He went right behind Lassiter and McNabb as the younger cop led the way and tried the door, but the knob didn't budge.
"This is the room with Merryweather's china, but it's locked, definitely not jammed." said McNabb, "One of the officers might've accidentally locked it but it's more likely someone went in that we don't know."
"Have you tried knocking and asking?" Carlton asked.
"Yes, but there was nothing." McNabb gave a sheepish shrug.
"Let me try." Juliet stepped up. She knocked on the door with the back of her hand, gentle but loud enough to be heard, "Hello?" There was nothing. She turned to McNabb, "Is there any way we can force open this door?"
"I don't think we'll need that." Shawn stepped up, "I sense, behind this door, is a blond who is not where he is supposed to be."
"Wait, Alex?" Juliet knocked harder, "Honey, are you in there? What are you doing here?" She turned on Shawn, "What is he doing here?" There was no response again and the worry in Shawn's gut increased.
"Grab a crowbar." Shawn tried the doorknob again, "I know you're in there, Alex, and I don't like this. Let us in." McNabb left and Shawn put his ear against the door. Faintly, he could hear the sound of crying and he clenched a fist.
"One, how are you so sure it's Rider? And two, how is he here? Why didn't you just drop him off with Henry or something? Spencer-"
"Shut it!" Shawn snapped. Everyone looked surprised at the outburst, even Lassiter. Shawn ignored it and put his head against the door again. He started tapping his fingers on the door, doing Shave and a Haircut. Yet nothing changed. Whoever that was in there, Alex or otherwise, was still crying. He had hoped the familiar beat would've made something happen but no. Well, Alex was from England, so maybe the English didn't know Shave and a Haircut. Shawn took a breath, "You know this one, little buddy? Shave and a Haircut. I thought everybody knew this tune." Still no response. Shawn had to back away when McNabb came back with the crowbar. Jabbing it into the doorframe, McNabb put some force to it and managed to pry the door open. Shawn put no thought to the danger and went in, pushing the door open. Like he had thought, it was Alex, sitting and crying his heart out but as quiet as a mouse. Shawn sat down and pulled his 'son' into his arms, instantly feeling the tears go through his shirt. He made soothing noises, one arm around Alex while the other hand combed through Alex's hair. Even in heels Juliet had balance, crouching down to look at her 'son.'
"He's a mess." she whispered, "Oh sweetie..." She put a hand on Alex's shoulder, "Here, I'll-"
"I'll take him home. You go back to work. And Jules?" He leaned closer to her ear, "Tell Lassie I'm sorry about the outburst. Gus?" At the last part he turned to his best friend, "C'mon." Somehow managing to keep Alex in his arms as he stood, Shawn moved out the door, careful as possible with the blond boy. He didn't look back for Gus and didn't look bothered by the looks the other officers were giving him. Already Alex was calming down and wasn't making anything but sniffles by the time he was outside. And when he got into the car, he sat with Alex in the backseat, the boy's hands gripping his shirt tightly as Alex leaned against him. Shawn kept an arm around the teen as he buckled them both in, struggling a bit but never letting go. Gus slid into the front and Shawn told him, "Just take us home." With a nod, Gus started the car and Shawn adjusted his grip on his 'son.' The ride was silent and the man looked down at Alex, wondering how he had gotten in and what had set him off. This was the second time Shawn had seen Alex cry, though certainly not as hard. The blond was going to be grounded when they got home, only after he was calmed down. Slowly, during the drive, he felt Alex falling asleep, causing him to smile slightly. At least Alex was getting rest when he'd been having none over the past few days. When they finally arrived at the apartment, Gus turned in his seat.
"Need anything?"
"Just get the doors, please." Shawn carefully gathered Alex into his arms after unbuckling them both and Gus followed them up to the apartment. Shawn carried Alex all the way despite the growing tiredness in his arms and didn't dump the teen on the couch when they arrived. Gus hovered in the door for a moment as Shawn sat with the sleeping Alex before the lighter man mouthed that he could leave, and then it was just the two of them. Alex still had a tight grip on Shawn's shirt and he didn't have the heart to pry his 'son' away.
I can't be mad at him, not with him like this. Shawn thought, I just wish I knew what made him start having a panic attack. At least it's not severe, and he might've really needed it. He looked down at Alex's tear-streaked cheeks and hugged Alex closer. He was in charge of this broken boy and so far he couldn't do it. He couldn't hold a job, he couldn't be normal, he couldn't even take care of his first child. He was a terrible parent, but he couldn't give up. Alex needed him and Juliet, no matter how much he may act like he didn't, and so Shawn would do his best to protect Alex. Leaving a kiss on the top of his head, Shawn just held Alex in the silence that swallowed them.
Notes:
The title of the chapter and Shawn's fake names in this chapter are from the movie Pretty in Pink.
Merryweather is a random name I thought up for the murder victim in this chapter.
This was actually something that I had planned recently and, even if the beginning of it didn't come across too well, Alex's panic attack was something that I really think fits. It's also not the first incident involving Alex that's gonna happen. And when the FNAF-related case is solved, things might go downhill fast. And I'm not revealing what caused the panic attack because it will be revealed in a later chapter.
Please read and review!