A/N: Yay! Look, you only had to wait a couple of months for this updation. I hope you enjoy it, and sorry for the wait. But if it helps, here is the explanation that I have been wanting to give you. Our computer had broken, so I didn't have any access to Fanfic. Now, obviously, I have a computer again, but once I did get my computer back, I wanted to finish my book. And now my book is 300 pages and done…for now. Anywho, enjoy. ;D
It was almost as if the world had stopped. There were over twenty people in the precinct and not one of them moved. Not one of them breathed. They all merely stared at Shawn in shock, though that shock quickly elapsed into joy and the spell was broken when Gus ran over to Shawn and pulled him into a tight hug.
The physical contact made Shawn flinch, but he endured the hug for his friend. He could feel how badly Gus needed this. Gus needed the hug more than Shawn did, but considering Gus's diligence, he had earned at least that much.
Once Gus finally let Shawn go, Juliet came over and gave Shawn a quick but gentle hug and told him how glad she was to see him back. Still feeling awkward and like his social skills had rusted, like he had left it out in the rain, Shawn gave Juliet a quick nod and a small smile.
"It's good to have you back, Mr. Spencer," Chief Vick said, keeping professional and not swooping down and hugging Shawn as she wished to.
Shawn replied with another nod and then turned to face Lassiter who, though glowering at him, was also glad that he was back. Of course he would never admit it, not even under torture.
"Shawn, what made you change your mind?" Gus asked.
"My dad," Shawn replied with a shrug. "Thanks for talking to him Lassie."
"I did nothing of the sort," Lassiter instantly denied.
Shawn smirked, but didn't pursue the subject. Turning to the chief, he held up the manila case file. "I'm going to need to go and talk to this girl's parents," he said.
"Of course," Chief Vick nodded. "Will you need O'Hara or Lassiter to accompany you?"
"No," Shawn shook his head, "just Gus. We'll call you if I get anything."
Neither Shawn nor Gus said a word as they left the police station and got into Gus's blue company car.
"Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Gus asked as they pulled out into traffic.
"No," Shawn whispered, sounding nervous, "but I have to do this. This is what, the girl's third day missing? The window of opportunity to save her is closing."
"How do you plan on doing this?" Gus asked as he recalled from memory, the address of the girl's house.
Shawn took a deep breath and thought.
"The old way," he finally said. "I don't know if I can use my powers."
Gus nodded silently, but didn't say anything else. The rest of the ride was spent in silence.
The house was small, though well kept. The front yard had a large flower garden that wrapped the whole way around the house. The house looked like it had been given a fresh coat of white paint recently and the porch was partially painted a light blue color. It was half finished, like something had come up, preventing the owners from finishing. Three guesses as to what that "something" could have been.
As the two men waited at the front door, after ringing the bell, Shawn did his best to compose himself. The sorrow that he felt coming from the house was almost suffocating.
With a slight squeak, the door opened, revealing a young man. He looked no older than Shawn or Gus. His short, sandy hair stuck up at odd angles, the clothes that he wore were crumpled, as if he hadn't changed them in a few days, and large dark circles sat under his eyes, aging him almost ten years.
"Hello?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"Mr. Glendale, hi," Shawn said, speaking in a professional manner, "I am Shawn Spencer, Head psychic at the SBPD, and this is my associate Burton Guster. The Chief sent us down to talk to you."
"Yes," Mr. Glendale said, blinking a few times to clear his thoughts, "I just got off the phone with her. Come in."
Stepping aside, the bedraggled father allowed the two men to come inside. The inside of the house was clean. Very clean. The wooden coffee table and bookshelf were polished so much that they gleamed. The books on the shelves were straight and ordered from largest to smallest and not a speck of dust could be seen. Truthfully, the house was reminiscent of someone else's apartment.
Gus gave Shawn a sidelong glance. Shawn shrugged in reply.
"A bit disconcerting isn't it?"
Shawn and Gus turned to see a young woman standing off to one side of the room, a duster in her hand. She looked just as bad as her husband.
"The house has never been so clean," the woman went on to say, "but I can't seem to stop. The only room I haven't been able to touch is…Cammy's," her voice broke.
"Everything will be all right," Shawn assured her, hoping that he sounded convincing. "Why don't you show me where it happened."
As Shawn was shown through the house and backyard, while being taken through the events that occurred right before the kidnapping, he wasn't able to pick up on anything. Everything had been cleaned, even the back yard. The small things that Shawn might have been able to pick up on, that the police never seemed to be able to, had been washed away.
"Excuse me for a moment, while I go and confer with my partner," Shawn said to the grief-stricken parents, once they were back in the living room. Pulling Gus off to the side, Shawn whispered, "I can't find anything."
"Are you sure?" Gus asked.
"Positive," Shawn said, casting a quick glance at the two parents, who at the moment were hugging each other. "I think maybe…" he trailed off, biting his lip.
"What?" Gus asked.
"Maybe…" Shawn looked at the parents again, "I think that I need to go into the girl's…into Cammy's room, and get something of hers."
"Can you handle that?" Gus looked at his friend in worry.
"I guess we'll see," Shawn replied with a weak smile.
Giving his friend a nod, Gus went over to Mr. Glendale and talked to him. After about five minutes, the two men seemed to come to an agreement and came back over to Shawn.
"Her room's this way," he said, leading the two men down the hall and into a room.
The room that they entered, was very much the room of a five year old girl. Almost every inch of the white walls were covered in something pink. The puffy comforter, which lay askew on the bed, was covered in pink flowers and lace. And the room was almost brimming with stuffed animals that, though appeared to just be scatted about, if looked at closely, actually seemed to have a pattern to were they lay; showing the care in which the girl took, to keep her toys safe.
"Here," Mr. Glendale said, walking over to a small white desk that was covered in sparkly stickers. Bending down, he opened up a small jewelry box and, gently, he lifted out a long pink ribbon. "Your partner here, said that you needed something of Cammy's. Something that she loved…loves. She's worn this ribbon almost everyday since she got almost seven months ago. We didn't let her where it to the funeral," his voice broke and tears started to well up in his eyes. "Here."
Almost reluctantly, Mr. Glendale held up the carefully folded ribbon to Shawn. And, visibly reluctant, Shawn held his hand out to take it. Shawn couldn't recall being so nervous in his life. What would he feel when he touched the ribbon?
Gently Shawn, closing his eyes, took the ribbon into his hands, and squeezed them shut. Suddenly his eyes snapped open.
He felt nothing.
A/N: Well, there's the chapter, I hope you enjoyed and, as usual, I ask you for reviews. Also, and this is important, I am going to be on vacation for the next week, so I will be unable to work on my fanfic. Oh well, considering that I'm the author, you're all probably used to waiting. I'll try to update soon though. There are, after all, only a few chapters left.