A/N: So after a long hiatus, I am back with a new chapter. It's a little longer than other chapters so hopefully that makes up for my absence. Also I should admit that following chapters won't be coming as fast as they used to. Not because I don't want to finish but because – gasp, I have plot bunnies running around in my head from another fandom. So yeah, if anyone reading this a fan power rangers, be on the lookout for my newest ranger-fic. I will be devoting some time to that for awhile. Anyhow! Please enjoy the chapter, as always reviews are adored and appreciated!

Chow!

~Matilda

P.S

JOIN MY FORUM! The link is in my profile!

Tuly

Shawn paused, this lady coming up to him – who was she? She didn't stop in stride until she and Shawn were standing neck and neck.

"What. The. Fuck! ?" Kayla snapped. "You're dead! You're dead!"

Shawn blinked. "No I'm not?" He tried to keep his face stoic, who was this girl and why was she freaking out? Did she kill Derek? If she did she was no longer showing it, as soon as Shawn spoke she was shaking her head.

"Wrong voice." She said apologetically. "I'm sorry, you just – my brother just died, and you – fuck man. You look just fucking like him."

Aw shit, Shawn felt bad for the girl now. "Derek." Shawn said, and Kayla looked up at him.

"Yeah." Kayla said. "How did you know?"

"Sorry." Shawn held out his hand. "Shawn Spencer, I'm a Psychic with the police department, helping with your brother's case."

Kayla blinked at him. Then she blinked again. "What?" She said, and this was followed by a short pause before another. "What?"

"I'm a Psychic?" Shawn repeated. "Working with the police department...?"

"Oh. I heard you. " Kayla stated. "I just don't fucking believe you."

"I have quite a long list of references." Shawn promised. "I've solved over 55 cases for the police department. I will find who killed your brother."

Kayla chewed the inside of her cheek for a second. She looked like she was mulling something over in her head. Finally she thinned her lips a bit. "I get it. I get it. This is a joke to you isn't it? Just one big funny joke."

"No." Shawn sounded quite serious. "Fresh Prince? Funny. Murder? Not so much."

"You're so full of bull shit!" Kayla accused. "Well, we'll see whose laughing after I talk to the police. I'm on my way there now psychic. Five bucks says they've never fucking heard of you!"

In spite of himself, Shawn grinned. It was stooping a little low, but hey five bucks was five bucks. "Care to shake on it?" Shawn asked. "No take-sies back-sies?"

Kayla just stared him down like there was something seriously wrong with him. "You're on drugs psychic."

Shawn shrugged a bit. "Maybe." Obviously he wasn't, but since he just tried winning five bucks off this poor girl he figured he'd let her believe anything she wanted about him. "I will see you at the station." With that Shawn turned on his heel and left. Knowing his way around Santa Barbara pretty well he knew a short cut to the station and knew he'd be there a good ten minutes before Kayla. Kayla would then have to eat her words. If Shawn was around anyone who cared right then he would've done an evil laugh. Instead people passing by just had to wonder what he was grinning about.

Shawn got to the station, and was greeted by McNab who was on his way home for the day. "Hiya Shawn." McNab greeted cautiously this was followed a very small. "Do you have a second?"

Shawn quirked a brow. "Sure buddy, what's up?"

"I uh...I'm sorry." McNab said quickly. "Last night was so confusing, and this morning I was so tired and just – I'm sorry."

Shawn took a step back holding up his hands. "Whoa buddy, hold up. You don't need to apologize. Last night was really confusing and you were at the top of your game. You were awesome."

"Not what I'm apologizing for." McNab said sheepishly. "I was really tired, and this morning after you left, I accidentally let it slip about Marcus' dad screaming at you."

Shawn took a deep breath; well at least it wasn't a major secret. "It's not a problem buddy." Shawn insisted. "I'll explain everything."

"Oh thank goodness!" McNab sounded relieved. "I really didn't know what to think, and Detective Lassiter looked so put off when it slipped. He immediately tried contacting Mr. Tuly for questioning. He's obsessed with this case, been working it from every angle."

Shawn seethed a bit, oh poor Lassie. "It's cool McNab, I'll talk to him." He bid McNab goodbye and made his way into the station. He found Lassie easily enough, sitting at his desk and alternating between glaring at his watch and filling out paper work. Before he made it to Lassie's desk, Jules stopped him.

"Be careful, he's been testy since you left."

Shawn nodded. "Thanks Jules." He went over to Lassie's desk and knocked on it softly. "Anyone home?"

Lassiter looked up, and he gave an unconvincing. "Yeah I'm here." He then went back to his paper work. It seemed Jules wasn't kidding.

"I ran into Kayla on my way here." Shawn told him, and that got Lassiter's attention, he looked up. "She'll be here roughly 5-8 minutes."

"Perfect." Lassiter said quickly. "One less thing I have to worry about."

"You need sleep." Shawn didn't make it a question. "Don't you think? I wouldn't mind picking up the slack. Gus and I. We'll do some searching, we'll talk to people - you and Jules can go home and pick back up tomorrow."

Lassiter shook his head. "Absolutely not. This is our case. It'll be done when it's done, then I can rest."

Shawn's heart clenched a bit, McNab wasn't joking – he was obsessed with this case. "At least eat something."

Again Lassiter's head peeked up to look at Shawn. "Spencer, are you showing concern?"

"No, it's all in your head." Shawn joked. "I'm a figment of your imagination; you're talking to the wall behind me."

Lassiter blinked. "You're screwing with me."

"All the time." Shawn smiled. "Now come on, lunch is on me. What do you want?"

"I can get my own lunch." Lassiter wasn't exactly the type to be pandered too. Not that it stopped Shawn from trying.

"Greek Salad? Extra feta? Some dark rye bread with butter?" Shawn offered. "I know you like that place down the street from here. I really don't mind."

Lassiter sighed, but he gave in. He might've yelled, but he didn't have the energy to yell. "Alright it sounds good, just not now. Kayla's on her way here – when I'm done speaking to her."

Shawn thought for a moment, he only really meant to check in before meeting up with Gus. Darnit. Oh well he figured out a solution quickly enough. "Excuse me for a second." And he slipped away to give Gus a call.

"Hey man." Gus greeted. "Do you want me to come over?"

"Yes." Shawn answered. "Just not to my place. The station."

"The station?"

"Yeah. Lassie's going to talk to the victim's sister. Then I'm buying him lunch from that Greek place from down the street, and then you and I can go off and do whatever you want."

If Gus was annoyed by this slight change of plans, he didn't say anything instead he just gave a quick. "Sure man, I'll see you there." Before hanging up.

Shawn pressed the hang-up button and turned around to head back into the station only to see Lassie was blocking his path.

"Question." Lassiter said then. "When Davis Tuly yelled at you the other day, what exactly did he say?"

Ah crap. Shawn repressed a sigh. "Just to stay away from his son, not to work my voodoo magic to get into his pants again. Just old school judgemental ramble, that's all."

"No. That's not all." Lassiter shook his head. "Spencer, stuff like that in a case like this is important. You can't keep crap like that from me."

"It's not vital information." Shawn pointed out. "I highly doubt he did it."

"Doubt nothing." Lassiter said. "Absolutely nothing! That's information I need. Because let's say, I didn't find out. Then Davis Tuly turns out to be the lowest form of scum on this earth, and the second I turn my back he goes after you, and just because you didn't say anything." The lines on Lassiter's face seemed to deepen, and Shawn felt really bad.

"Try to see it from my perspective." Shawn tried. "Davis Tuly, is hard to deal with. He's from a completely different time, and his opinions maybe hateful but they're the result of a different way of life. Also, Derek Atkinson was killed up high in a warehouse platform. Davis Tuly is in his 70's and he walks with a cane. There's no way in hell he could've gotten up there. So – yes, he's spiteful and bitter but that doesn't make him a murderer."

"You should've said something." Lassiter made his words clear. "So from now on, use your words."

Shawn was sure Lassiter didn't mean to sound cruel, he was tired after all and working himself to exhaustion. So instead of arguing Shawn just gave a tight nod followed by a small. "Okay."

Lassiter looked relieved, still tired but mostly relieved. "Thank you."

Aw shucks, Shawn pouted a bit and sighed. "You really need rest Lassie."

Lassiter mumbled something about sleeping later and was heading back towards his desk just as Kayla Atkinson was walking through the main entrance. Shawn bounded up to meet her. "Good afternoon!"

Kayla seethed a bit. "Seriously?" She really didn't believe Shawn's claim of being psychic.

"Seriously." Shawn answered, and he then gestured to Lassiter. "You've already met Detective Lassiter here; I will leave you two alone." He left then with a playful wave and a wink. When he reached the steps outside Gus was just pulling up in the blueberry.

"Hey." Shawn greeted. "We just have to run to the Greek place down the street, and then I'm all yours."

"Sounds fine." Gus agreed. "What's Lassiter doing right now anyway?"

"He's questioning the victim's sister a little further, trying to get more details on the guy."

"Isn't that what we should be doing?" Gus said. "Maybe we should stick around."

"In good time." Shawn said. "I know who the sister is now, first chance I get I'll sweet talk Jules into giving me her number. "

"Why not now?" Gus asked. "I feel like we're wasting time."

"I know." Shawn craned his neck a bit. He still wasn't on his full game for this case, and he started to wonder if maybe his dad was right, maybe it just wasn't his case? "We'll get there." Shawn wasn't sure if he was assuring himself or Gus.

It wasn't long before they reached the Greek place and grabbed Lassie's food, when they got back to the station Lassiter was still in questioning with Kayla and instead of bothering him Shawn opted to leave the Styrofoam container on the detective's desk. "Jules, do you have a sharpie handy?"

Juliet handed Shawn a sharpie, Shawn grinned. "Thanks!" He then drew a pair of cartoony lips on the top of the container and left it with care right in the middle of Lassie's desk. "I can't stay too long because Gus is waiting in the car, but quick question if I may?"

"Go ahead." Juliet said.

"What do we know about Kayla Atkinson; other then what Lassie's learning in the interrogation room right now?"

"Not a whole lot." Juliet admitted. "She and her brother came to Santa Barbara for a visit, Derek stayed behind an extra day to go to the party, and when we identified Derek's body we called her back here."

"I see." Shawn said, and he then thought for a second. "They came to Santa Barbara for a visit?" He noted that tourist season was over, it wasn't a huge hunch but it was big enough that pieces of a puzzle started to put themselves together in Shawn's mind. "I have to go!" He left then in a hurry, getting into the blue berry, his brain going about a million miles a second. "Gus! Don't be mad!"

"Be mad about what?"

"We're paying the Tuly household a visit."

"We are?" Gus sounded unsure.

"Yes!" Shawn was back on his feet. "I have a theory, a theory where if I'm proven right – will blow the Derek Atkinson case wide open! Also you're going to have to do some acting."

Gus slammed on the breaks. "Acting? What? !"

"Just trust me." Shawn pleaded. "You remember the address?"

"Considering I've never been there before – no."

"Okay!" Shawn said. "Directions then."

He guided Gus to the Tuly household and noted with glee that there was a vehicle in the drive way. "Okay Gus." Shawn said. "Just as we planned."

"Shawn, I don't like this – why can't you do it?"

"Because Davis Tuly knows who I am." Shawn answered. "All you have to do is go in there, look a little tough – less than five minutes."

"Tough." Gus repeated. "...I can't remember the last time I tried pulling off tough, what do I do?"

"Unbutton a couple shirt buttons." Shawn suggested, "Flex a little, and frown. Lots of frowning."

Gus pursed his lips a bit, and just shook his head as he got out of the car. He didn't take any of Shawn's advice.

"Gus!" Shawn yelled from the car window before Gus was out of site. Gus turned.

"What?"

"Work your swagger! Tough guys have swagger!"

Gus clenched his jaw, but to Shawn's amusement he did put a bit of a jaunt in his step as he walked around the bend and headed for the front of Davis Tuly's home. He knocked, and waited.

It didn't take long for the old man to answer, he looked just as bitter as he did the day he yelled at Shawn at the police station. "The hell do you want?" Tuly barked at Gus immediately.

"Just checking out my competition." Gus jumped right into character, he felt silly doing this, but if Shawn was right then things would start making sense and Gus was all game for that.

"Competition?" Tuly snarled a bit. "No idea what you're yammering on about, get off my property."

"So Kayla doesn't come around here?" Gus asked. "I'm to believe my girlfriend is going around town with some other Tuly?"

"She never mentioned anything about a boyfriend to me, and even if she did – he wouldn't be of your particular breed." Davis Tuly didn't put any emphasis on his wording. He said it very matter-of-fact.

Gus'eyes widened, then widened a little more. The old man didn't use any racial slurs but Gus knew exactly what he was referring too. "Ah hell no!" Gus barked immediately. Like Shawn he was somewhat logical over the whole 'Davis Tuly is from another time' argument. So he didn't jump straight to ripping the old man a new one. Instead his 'tough' face just got a lot tougher. "Listen up man! Kayla is my girl. Got it? I don't care what she's told you; stay the hell away from her!" He didn't mean a single word of it. Davis Tuly in all his ignorance just rolled his eyes.

"You can't tell me what to do boy." Tuly responded. "I suggest you find someone else to harass. Someone who gives a shit about people like you!" He slammed the door in Gus' face. Gus was pissed. Yes, he confirmed Shawn's theory that Kayla and Davis were involved however it came at a price he wasn't entirely comfortable with.

"You owe me!" He yelled at Shawn the second he was back in car. Shawn who had been playing Tetris on his phone, jumped up and blinked.

"What owe you? For what?"

"What do you mean for what? !" Gus hollered. "For sending me over there to talk to that old ass, ignorant as hell racist jerk!"

Shawn had only heard Gus go off like this a handful of times growing up, it was always an uncomfortable situation. He felt really really bad now. "Aw man." Shawn tried. "I do owe you, I'm really sorry."

Gus sighed the fire going out a little he never really was an angry individual. "I'm over it." He leaned a bit in his seat and put his seat belt on. "On the bright side, I got what you wanted. Kayla Atkinson and Davis Tuly are involved with each other."

"Yes!" Shawn cheered. "Gus that's awesome! You're the best!"

"Yeah yeah." Gus grunted a bit. "You still owe me."

"Anything you want." Shawn promised. "You're right, I do owe you. Next time we visit your parents, I'll let your dad tell me all the reasons he never wanted you to hang out with me. Every painful detail how does that sound?"

"You're reckless, a poor scholar, and a bad influence – you already know the reasons." Gus said. "Something else?"

Shawn thought really hard. "Oh! Does your crazy aunt Mildred still believe I'm the reincarnation of her dead husband Cliff?"

"Yeah." Gus said. "She sure does – I don't know why though, she was never married and no one in the family knows anyone named Cliff."

Shawn laughed a bit. "Oh what an eccentric treat your aunt is. How about the next time we're in Catalina we'll pay her a visit and I'll tell her I like men?"

Gus grinned. "I think she'd like that. Oddly. Anyhow you got yourself a deal. Shake on it?"

The two did an exploding fist bump. "It's been decided." Shawn said then. "I am still sorry though."

"It's cool, besides we have pizza and rock band waiting for us at the office, you promised."

"Yes I did." Shawn remembered. "We'll touch base with Lassie first thing in the morning to see what else he learned about Ms. Atkinson."

"But for now." Gus insisted. "Rock band and pizza."

"Done deal."

It wasn't until later in the evening did Gus seem to be really okay with what happened between him and Davis Tuly, and Shawn didn't feel any less responsible despite Gus telling him to forget about it. Normally Shawn was okay with shoving the bad stuff under the rug and forgetting about it, but this one irked him. He was Gus' best friend after all, he felt obligated to march the old man's house and tear him a new one.

"How do you think Kayla and Davis met?" Gus said. "I mean, internet sure – but I'm not going on a dating site looking for girls half my age."

"That's because girls your age are barely 18." Shawn laughed a bit. "So internet is most likely, still. An odd pair don't you think?"

"I do." Gus replied. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, Davis doesn't know I know you. SO! Tomorrow, I will have a vision revealing Kayla and Davis' tryst and I will lead Lassie and Jules to Davis' house."

"So the norm." Gus pointed out. "Now how do we connect this to the murder?"

"Well." Shawn pursed his lips a little. "Kayla's attitude towards me was; a bit hostile, if not completely put off. It isn't much but it's what I was looking for when I was scouting people at the ware house."

"You think she did it?"

"Almost positive." Shawn said. "Derek knows her they were siblings. Your sister comes up to you after a night of partying and says 'hey lets go somewhere quiet' you wouldn't think anything of it would you?"

"Got me there." Gus admitted. "Still he must've known something was up, my sister would lead me to an abandoned warehouse to climb a wall."

"No." Shawn confirmed. "But they're siblings, maybe he was expecting a prank, or a lecture, he must've known something was up -but I don't think he thought he was going to die."

"Fair enough." Gus huffed a bit. "It's a pretty leap though."

"Who else is there?" Shawn said. "Marcus is totally innocent, Davis couldn't climb up that high, Peter's prints weren't anywhere on the letter opener. We're not forgetting anyone in this scenario are we?"

"Nope." Gus gave Shawn that one. "So tomorrow – the big reveal?"

"The big reveal." Shawn said. "Well, depending on what Lassie has to tell us about Kayla."

"Which hopefully, is everything." Gus pointed out.

The next day Shawn had his 'vision' and made the connection between Kayla and the murder weapon. Normally his visions were big spectacles that led to final answers but when Lassiter looked him dead in the eye and said he was wrong Shawn kicked himself.

"Her prints weren't on the weapon."

"They must be." Shawn insisted. "I can see it, as clear as day."

"They weren't." Lassiter explained. "She voluntarily gave me her prints yesterday; they didn't match any of the prints on the letter opener."

Inwardly Shawn cursed, there had to be an explanation. All the signs in Shawn's head pointed to Kayla. "I'm seeing something." Shawn insisted. "She's not telling you everything."

The police station was in an odd lull that morning, O'Hara hadn't come in yet and most of the uniforms were out doing morning patrol. As for Lassiter he was going on his third day straight with no sleep. The coffee he held in his hand was scalding hot, but he barely noticed as he brought it to his lips. It was keeping him alert. Needless to say Lassiter was irritable, and despite the growing sexual tension between him and Spencer he didn't exactly appreciate the psychic choosing to have a vision first thing in the morning.

"Spencer, she told me everything she knows. Which unsurprisingly was everything she told me the first time we spoke. Her prints weren't on the letter opener. How can you be seeing this?"

"Just trust me." Shawn insisted. He then had another 'vision' and forcing a wince brought a hand to his temple. "There's someone – someone older, a father figure – no wait." He pointed to Lassiter. "A boyfriend, a much older boyfriend! Did Davis' Tuly's name come up at all?"

Lassiter blinked, no. No it hadn't. "No." He admitted slowly.

"Maybe it should've." Gus added from the background.

"Try me." Shawn insisted. "Go to Davis' Tuly's house. Ask about Kayla. Just try or hell, call Kayla back."

Lassiter was tired, but he humoured Shawn and dialled Kayla's room number. There was no answer.

"That could mean something." Shawn went on.

"It's early." Lassiter pointed out. "She's still sleeping."

That wasn't good enough for Shawn, he turned to Gus who couldn't offer any more help then he already had. "Davis then." Shawn compromised. "His house – lets go."

"Spencer – no." Lassiter shook his head. "You were the one who docked my suspicions of the old man when you said he was too old and frail, and we all know he's cruel in his wording and overly bitter so why bother the old man further?"

Shawn suppressed a bit of a huff. An extremely tired Lassie was an extremely lazy Lassie. He knew he wasn't getting reciprocation on the matter. "Gus, give me a minute." Shawn said lightly, and he guided Lassie into an empty file room closing the door behind them. "You're not listening to anything I'm saying are you?"

"I am." Lassiter said. "Nothing you're saying is adding up though. Maybe you're having an off day or something."

"I'm the one having an off day?" Shawn turned the accusation right back at the detective. "You can barely keep a sentence together let alone listen to reason. I have a really strong feeling about this Lassie. We have to go to Davis' house. Today."

"A 'strong feeling' doesn't stand in a court of law. There has to be evidence, you normally find evidence, but you have none Spencer. Neither of us do at this point, it's just a bunch of theory and loop jumping." Lassiter was beginning to sound a bit edgy.

"We've gotten bad guys on less." Countered Shawn. "That's what we're still trying to do. Catch the bad guy."

"Shawn, we've worked every angle. Until something new pops up, we're just reaching for air."

"We're at the station." Shawn said immediately. "You never refer to me as Shawn at the station – Lassie, you're tired." He softened a bit.

"Yes." Lassiter said. "I am tired. I am tired of this whole case. Of asking numerous questions day in and day out that get me nowhere, of voluntarily putting you in situations where you could get hurt, of looking at pictures of your dead face over and over again to see if there were any clues that I missed. It's very tiring, so excuse me for being tired!" Lassiter wasn't yelling, but his tone was enough to tell Shawn the detective really wasn't happy.

Shawn felt really bad now. Lassiter was giving this case everything he had, and all because he was starting to feel things for Shawn. Shawn was touched, but also blind. He kept forgetting this wasn't just another case for the detective. Shawn stood on his tippy toes and planted his lips against Lassiter's softly. Despite being tired, Lassiter's arms wrapped around Shawn immediately. The kiss was brief, and a little wet. When they pulled apart Lassiter didn't move his arms.

"What was that for?" Lassiter asked.

"You're tired." Shawn gave a grin. "So strike a deal with me. Go home, and get some sleep. Let Jules handle the paper work today. I will call you this afternoon and we'll go straight to the drawing board, all four of us. You, me, Jules, and Gus."

"Hmm." Lassiter seemed to think about it. "You're not going to start singing songs about being super friends are you? Or start quoting the 80's until my ears bleed?"

"Hey." Shawn snapped jokingly. "I said we were going to get this case closed. I didn't say I was going to stop being who I was to do it."

"Breakfast club." Lassiter said then tiredly. "Quote anything but Breakfast club. It was on basic cable last night at like...3...I still can't get that song out of my head."

Shawn started singing. "Don't you – forget about me, I'll be alone dancing you know it baby.."

"Yeah yeah." Lassiter cut him off. "That one."

"Promise." Shawn made a crossing motion over his heart. "...Can I quote St Elmo's Fire?"

"Spencer." Lassiter used a bit of a warning tone. "I'm going home to sleep now."

Shawn smiled. "Call me as soon as you wake up?"

"Sure." Lassiter promised. With a seemingly unrehearsed ease, the two shared another kiss – this one a little longer and more tender. Shawn finally let go of the detective and let him leave after that.

As soon as he was gone, Shawn stepped out of the filing room to meet Gus.

"You guys work it out okay?" Gus asked.

"Yes and no." Shawn said. "He agreed to sleep. But I still can't shake my theory. While he's out you and I are going parking."

"Parking?" Gus looked a little concerned. "Where?"

"Davis Tuly's." Shawn answered. "Nothing big, we're just going to sit outside of his house for a bit."

Gus sighed. "I really don't like that sound of that."

"Just follow me." Shawn urged, and he started making determined steps back out of the station and towards the blueberry with Gus close on his heels.