A/N: New chapter, hurray! It seems my power ranger's kick wasn't nearly as strong as my Psych kick. So I'm back, though a little off and on, as you can see my updates are getting further apart. Not to worry however! With the exception of Dream Ring (It's just not coming to me! .!) I do intend on finishing all my current 'in process' fics. It's just going to take time. Also anyone who wants to take Dream Ring and make it their own – feel free to PM me. I'm not taking the fic off my account but whoever wants to update with their own chapters can, and I'll give credit to the user via author's note and request any reviews from here on out be directed to them.

So yes, no more Dream Ring for me. However! My tradition stays alive. Every time I write a fic where an OC has a more detailed past with one of the main characters, I always write a flash back on how they met, so yes SPOILER – there is a flash back in this chapter. However this chapter has a lot more to it as we are sadly almost at an end. I'm not saying anything from here, just read, enjoy (or don't), and review!

~Matilda

Hit Me! (Give me Cake or Give me Death!)

Davis Tuly's house looked completely deserted. Every blind had been pulled shut and the car that usually sat in the drive way was nowhere to be seen. Shawn and Gus had been parked outside of the house for the better part of 3 hours. Shawn was getting bored; he lulled his head back into his seat and groaned loudly and obnoxiously.

"This sucks so bad!"

"It's only been three hours." Gus countered. "Be patient."

"Three hours too long." Shawn stretched as much as he could and cracked his neck from side to side. "I say we go in."

"He's a grumpy old man Shawn." Gus reminded him. "Who is currently involved with someone you think is a murder suspect. We have no idea what's in there. We're staying here."

"Lassie says her prints weren't on the weapon, and that she gave them willingly." Shawn was talking mostly to himself, though Gus was welcome to pop in at any time. "In every way the case points away from her doing it. Her brother was the victim, she's been nothing but compliant with the police. How do I place her at the crime scene?"

"Maybe you don't." Gus interjected. "Shawn, she sounds perfectly innocent. I don't understand why you're pushing so hard."

"Because it fits." Shawn said. "She completely freaked out when she saw me, she's involved with Marcus 'dad, Marcus having been a suspect – there are just too many coincidences where Kayla's concerned."

"Hold up." Gus cut Shawn off immediately. "Did you just say Marcus is no longer a suspect? Seriously? What got him off?" Gus didn't sound happy.

"He's still technically a suspect." Shawn assured his friend. "But he didn't do it."

"You can't just say that!" Gus argued. "He's a suspect in the case Shawn, until it's over there's no saying who did what and who didn't do what. You know that!"

"Yes." Shawn ran his finger through his hair feeling a little agitated. "I also know that it's innocent until proven guilty."

"Then Kayla's innocent too." Gus said. "What are we even doing here?" He had to ask then.

"We're staking out." Shawn said. "I couldn't just wait around the office, I wanted to do something."

"We could always just google Kayla at the office." Gus suggested. "It has to be better than sitting around here looking at a house."

"True." Shawn agreed. "Alright, we'll go. Start up the car."

Gus obliged happily, and soon the two were on the road back for the office. They drove in silence as Shawn fell into thought. Mention of Marcus had Shawn re-visiting the whole affair in his mind. More so how it all started...

Marcus was dead tired, maybe an all night drinking binge wasn't the best idea before his first day on the job. Yet none the less it was 7:30 in the AM and there he was hunched over and walking down the street feeling miserable. Wincing every time a mailbox slammed closed when he made a delivery. Ugh – it was nerve racking...

Yet not as nerve racking as the shock one got when a person fell from the sky and landed directly in front of you – almost on you, which was exactly what happened to Marcus.

Marcus was coming up the walkway of a fairly nice house, not that he was paying attention. He was barely halfway to the door when he heard a booming. "LOOK OUT!" Marcus' reaction time from being hung over was cut in half, so he didn't do anything until after the other person landed in front of him. Marcus fell back with a surprised scream, and would've landed right on his ass if the 'flying stranger' hadn't grabbed him by the arm and quickly pulled him back into a standing position.

"Sorry!" The boy said- he looked to be no older than 16 or 17. "Window jumping out to school, dad's in a rotten mood. I don't feel like dealing with it today."

"Er..." Marcus blinked. "It's okay, really...You just jumped out a window, it's perfectly normal everybody does it." Really they didn't, but Marcus was really hung over so he wasn't about to argue.

"Someday...Everyone will do it someday." The boy commented whimsically. "I'll make it a thing, just you see."

Marcus looked up then, and gave the boy a full look over – was he serious? Yes. It seemed the boy was perfectly serious; sharp blue eyes stared directly at him. They were truthfully the most beautiful eyes Marcus had ever seen. Then again, so was this boy. Marcus for a second didn't realize he was checking the kid out, but when he did he was immediately disgusted with himself. For one thing – he wasn't gay, and for the other, this kid was a good ten years younger than him.

"Hey, man." The boy spoke up catching Marcus' attention. "My dad has this thing where he doesn't like it when people walk on his lawn, and believe me. He knows when people walk on his lawn, he'll go all 'old man with a cane' on me so uh – do you think you could take just one step to the left so I can get around you and get to school via the cross walk?"

Marcus blinked. "Wha?"

"School." The boy repeated. "The place I'm pretending to go to make my parents happy. Maybe I'll give homeroom a try today since I'm out of the house early enough, but there's a calc test this afternoon I intend to either miss or fail...If you wanted to stand in my way before then I'd be all for it – really. Might even get an extended study period. 'Oh I'm sorry Mr. Rosdale but I just couldn't get here on time after lunch, the mail man wouldn't get out of my way.'" The boy made his voice much deeper then. "'Oh Mr. Spencer not to worry, I completely understand -statue mailmen are sadly all too common in this day and age and I'm sorry you became a victim of such an event. You're excused from today's test, always such a model student.'" The boy paused then and his voice went back to normal and he just shook his head suddenly speaking like he was seriously considering the situation. "It would never happen." The boy cursed. "Mr. Rosdale hates me."

Marcus being unable to speak just stepped aside letting the boy pass him.

"Thanks!" The boy said cheerfully, and just like that – he was gone.

Marcus was stunned, and a little ashamed of himself. He was just checking the teenager out in all the wrong ways, the hell was wrong with him? He decided it was the teen's fault, and that tomorrow because his dad would want him to he'd march right up to the teen and tell him off.

The following day Marcus was at the house again by the same time, only this time the boy came waltzing out the front door. This was it; Marcus started marching over to the kid with a few choice words. He stopped in his tracks when the boy looked up however and spotted him. The boy just quirked his brow confused, before he simply accepted Marcus' presence, and offered Marcus a smile. Something inside Marcus changed then, and everything he was going to say he forgot, instead he just held out his hand in greeting. "Hi."

The boy again smiled, and a soft hand closed around Marcus' in a surprisingly firm grip. "Hi." The boy repeated. "I'm Shawn."

"I..." Marcus forgot how to talk again, the boys hand was abnormally gentle – how the hell?...

"Shawn." Shawn repeated. "You are?"

"M- Marcus." He remembered his own name.

"Marcus. Cool." Shawn smiled and took his hand back. "Alright Marcus." Shawn winked and started walking away – Marcus watched every step he took. "I'll see you around."

It was in that moment where Marcus knew Shawn was going to be an important part of his life. The memory of their first meeting was teasing and a little too bitter sweet for his taste. He was never one for drama and having annoying flash backs was not how he wanted to start his day.

He just wanted to move on with his life, put everything rotten behind him and just be Marcus. However before he could really do any of that, he had to finish unpacking the apartment he rented – but before he could do that, he had to find a way to push Shawn out of his mind. It was easier said than done.

Shawn always reminded Marcus of a Dr. Suess character. He pranced around always in a bright mood and colour, and the longer you looked at him the longer he stayed in your head. So since Marcus had seen quite a bit of Shawn, those images were stuck. It was annoying as all hell, not because they weren't appealing but because every memory led to the hit. The one moment that defined where they stood with each other today. Even thinking about it now guilt threatened to bubble over, Marcus had to get a grip on himself, he was a grown man!

However, the last few days were really starting to show him some perspective on his life. So maybe the flash back was forgivable. He already decided he owed Shawn so much, but he didn't know how to grovel without looking like a douche. So instead of grovelling he decided on a different route, thus whilst drinking his coffee he managed to find Shawn's work address via google and didn't think twice about grabbing his jacket and heading out the door.

Shawn and Gus had been in the Psych office for just an hour now, and Shawn was careening with joy. They had to dig a little deeper than usual, but a simple search on Kayla had brought up more then what Shawn and Gus were expecting.

"A psychologist!" Shawn pumped his fist in the air in victory. "And even better, not an actual trained psychologist, just a self proclaimed religious psychologist! Gus this is the most magical and wonderful thing I've ever seen!"

"That's great." Gus didn't sound so convinced. "What exactly does she do though?"

"According to her church page, she's renowned for guiding youth down the 'straight' path. Apparently she's really good at helping gays realize their sin and turn back to God."

Gus who was the more religious between him and Shawn visibly shuddered. "That's not right at all." He bit his tongue from there. Gus wasn't one to preach, he just felt/knew that what Kayla did was wrong.

"This is motivation!" Shawn was so happy. "Okay, whole new scenario." Shawn was in full work mode. "You're well known in your community, saaaaay for – baking. You're a famous baker in your hometown, everyone you know loves your food. Then one day, while vacationing with your sister she breaks it to you that she's diabetic, what do you do Gus?"

Gus face palmed. "Really Shawn? THAT'S your metaphor?"

"Okay it isn't perfect." Shawn leaned back in his seat. "Think about it though, you work so hard, you make all these delicious pasties and cakes – and then someone you love, someone you care about, tells you they can't share or experience your baked goods. Wouldn't you be mildly frustrated?"

"Yeah I would." Gus admitted.

"Okay." Shawn went on. "So, bigger scale = more extreme results."

"So maybe your hunch on Kayla wasn't off." Gus gave him that one. "Still, her prints weren't on the weapon."

"Dude, haven't you ever heard of plastic gloves? Honestly, this is why I hate crime shows. Sure it's all good and fun watching the police act like super heroes, but it in the end it's just a guideline for murderers on what not to do."

Gus gave a low laugh. "Alright, so what are we doing with this?"

"Nothing we can do really." Shawn yawned a bit; he was more tired than he anticipated. "I have everything I think I need. Enough that when Lassie calls, I can have an 'episode' and reveal what Kayla does for a living. They take her in for questioning; she eventually breaks under pressure and admits that she killed her brother due to their differences. We get a paycheque; we do a little dance, and cruise off into the sunset until the next time the Psych signal is flashed in the sky."

Gus gave a thumbs up. "I'm down." He stood up then. "But I'm actually hungry, so – what do you want?"

"I'm feeling a burger." Shawn grinned a bit. "Oh! Sea salt on the fries."

"Done and done." Gus said. "Large drink?"

"Oh yes please." Shawn sounded excited.

"Alright I'll be back as soon as I can." Gus was up and gone leaving Shawn alone. Shawn had cracked his knuckles and was warming up to play tetris while Gus was gone, but he never got the chance to boot up the game when his office door opened.

"Rebellious at 17, and he still manages to own his office. The system is flawed."

Shawn peeked his head up and saw Marcus standing in his office, a brow quirked, and immediately he felt a little uncomfortable. However given Marcus' recent habit of apologizing like a mad man Shawn didn't think too much would come of this visit.

"I'm surprised Gus didn't see you come in." Shawn said. "He just left, and he probably actually hates you."

Marcus shrugged. "Not surprised, the way you've always talked about him I'm convinced you two are permanently attached at the hip."

"So." Shawn said lightly. "What -uh brings you here?"

"I think I know how we can settle this." Marcus explained.

"You know who killed Derek?" Shawn sounded hopeful.

"No." Marcus said. "Settle this – you, me, us. Whatever we've been since – that night.."

"The night you punched my face." Shawn said it so casually, it made Marcus wince.

"Yes, that night." Marcus said. "I can fix it though; I have an idea – then maybe after, maybe after we can be friends."

Shawn thought about it, his first reaction was to jump up and start shouting 'no' multiple times. However Shawn wasn't a complete jerk, so he stood and went over to stand a couple feet from Marcus. A conversation like this was best had eye to eye. "What's your idea? How is what happened that night fixable?"

"Hit me." Marcus insisted.

Shawn paused, and stared looking dumb founded. "Ha?"

"Hit me." Marcus repeated, and he gestured to his face. "One shot, as hard as you can."

"Wow." Shawn placed both hands on his hips and pursed his lips a bit. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious." Marcus said. "I'm not leaving your office without a shiner."

"Wha...I..." Shawn broke into a nervous laughter. "Marcus you sound crazy right now. Like Tom Hanks in Castaway crazy. I'm not hitting you."

"Why not?" Marcus insisted. "You must've thought about it, at least once or twice. I bet if you could go back in time and hit me back you would."

"Maybe." Shawn admitted. "But I'm not hitting you now, what's the point?"

"Revenge?" Marcus tried. "And eye for an eye – in this case literally."

"I'm not hitting you!" Shawn repeated himself a little louder. "You're acting ridiculous."

"I learned from the best." Marcus teased a bit. "After all these years, you're telling me you're not still a little angry?"

"Okay, well yeah." Shawn reluctantly agreed. "But I don't hit people, I've never hit anybody, never intentionally anyway, and never first. I'm not a fighter."

"I think you have a little fight in you." Marcus insisted. "We were together for a few months; you're spunky when you want to be – come on Shawn, just once. Hit me."

"You're crazy!" Shawn insisted. "Marcus, I think you need to get out of here, get some sleep or something. I'm not hitting you!"

"Oh come on, one hit, just one and I swear I'll never bother you again."

"Really?" Shawn perked up a bit. "Revenge, and that's it? That's all you want from me?"

"Isn't that all you want from me?" Marcus asked.

"I'm not a sadist." Shawn crossed his arms.

"I hit you Shawn, you were a 17 year old kid and I hit you! I didn't even give you a chance, I chewed you right up and I hit you as hard as I could! You deserve this, hit me!"

Shawn paused at Marcus' outburst, and decided – yeah okay maybe Marcus had a point. "You know Marcus, I have to admit even though I was put off, and angry that day I never hated you."

"Not even a little?" Marcus asked.

"No, not even a little." Shawn promised. "...However..."

Marcus didn't see it coming; Shawn's fist had balled up so quickly and had planted itself right in Marcus' face. Marcus hunched over, holding his face in pain. "Ugh!"

"Ugh!" Shawn groaned back in pain, he was holding onto his fist like it was a baby and he too was hung over. "The hell is your face made out of? Steel? Geeze!"

"The hell is going on here?"

Before Marcus could say anything, detective Lassiter's voice broke through, and looking up he saw the detective looking slightly dishevelled and very displeased. "Shawn, what is he doing here?"

"Lassie!" Shawn's face perked right up, and he smiled. He then gestured to Marcus who was still hunched over in pain. "I hit a guy!"

"I – see that." Lassiter gawked a bit, and he took a step further into the office. "Spencer? Explanation?"

"Not a coherent one." Shawn said. "Just some unfinished business – I guess."

"I'll say." Marcus agreed, and disregarding the detective he searched out the nearest mirror to examine his face. "Oh yeah, that'll bruise." Marcus sounded pleased. "Looks like we're done here." Marcus took off in a slight run, just a little intimidated by Lassiter's 'mad dog' face. He was gone before the detective could say anything. Instead Lassiter turned to face Shawn who was still cradling his hand a bit.

"Shawn what the hell happened here?" Lassiter hadn't slept long, he had been wound too tight to stay down for long. Having woken up with an unexplained start and feeling restless he had found himself driving to Shawn's office before very long. Only to come in to see Shawn act so out of character – he saw the hit, it looked pretty hard. Lassiter wondered what Marcus had said or done to provoke Shawn to act so violently.

"Marcus came in and asked me to hit him." Shawn explained. "Wanted to even the score."

Lassiter didn't believe him. "No. There's no way in hell."

"But there is a way." Shawn explained. "Because that's what happened."

"That's all that happened?" Lassiter was never sure when Marcus was involved, he didn't particularly like Marcus.

"Yes." Shawn assured him. "That's all that happened." He went over to the detective and planted a kiss on him. Lassiter was still pretty tired, but the lingering taste of pineapple and the feel of soft lips against his own had him up and alert, and without really thinking about it, a long arm locked Shawn's lower back pulling him closer.

"Okay." That's all the explanation Lassiter needed. He pulled back with the intention of asking Shawn if anything new had popped up with the case, he wanted to get straight back to work. However the second his lips left Shawn's, Shawn made a small protesting, sound and greedily pushed them back together.

It was like an electric charge, Lassiter didn't bother telling Shawn 'no' or 'stop' he honestly didn't know how. Soon both arms were wrapped around the psychic and the detective found himself in a seating position on one of the desks, Shawn nuzzled up on his lap his kisses becoming more persistent. Shawn's hands were clutched onto each of Lassiter's shoulders, holding him in place. There wasn't a thought process that motivated their moves, just instinct. The detective used his teeth, pulling lightly on Shawn's bottom lip, Shawn's response was to release the smallest of moans and part his lips gently. Lassiter took it as an invitation, and emitting a low growl his tongue pushed passed his own lips and through Shawn's. Just the possessive growl alone was enough have Shawn melt, but the second the detective took control and Shawn was shaking in anticipation.

The way Shawn tasted had Lassiter needing more, his tongue explored and caressed every inch it could reach, and knowing that Shawn was currently helpless against him drove him wild. He wanted Shawn like this – all the time. His lips moved, and he was leaving wet kisses all down Shawn's jaw line. Shawn leaned his head back, and Lassiter's kisses found their way to Shawn's neck. A single kiss against Shawn's skin had Shawn letting out another sweet moan. Lassiter bit down, and Shawn jumped in Lassiter's lap crying out – it felt too good.

"Lassie..."

The bite had stung, but it hadn't hurt. Lassiter had left a mark, and he continued to kiss and lick that same spot. Shawn's body started to burn all over, and he wanted Lassiter to strip him down and kiss every inch. He wasn't thinking, and he boldly lowered his hands to grab onto the detective's and guide them to the hem of his shirt to have him lift it off. The detective's knuckles were rough and brushed against Shawn's sides as he lifted the shirt. It made Shawn swoon – yes, this was happening. The second Shawn's shirt hit the floor, the detective's eyes travelled the entirety of his torso and Lassiter sucked in a long breathe.

Shawn pushed Lassiter down to a full sitting position on the desk and wasted no time in wrapping his legs the detective's waist and their lips were locked together again, hot and hungry. Of course it was in that moment, reason started to sink its claws into Shawn's mind, there was a detail Shawn was missing. An important one – what was it? Shawn was going to pull back to think, but the detective wouldn't let his lips go, and those rough hands of his had found Shawn's chest, pressing down on his pecks and stroking his long fingers over Shawn's nipples. Shawn made a keening sound, and his thoughts vanished again. Leaning into Lassiter so that he could feel more of the detective's hands, Shawn playfully reached around Lassiter's neck and loosened his tie. Shawn slid the tie up and off the detective's head before slipping it around his own neck and securing it.

Lassiter's tie was silk, and it tickled Shawn's skin, from his collar bone all the way down to his navel. Lassiter traced the length of the tie all the way down to the bottom before hooking his fingers into the belt of Shawn's pants.

It would've been incredibly steamy; Shawn wanted it more than anything. All the detective had to do was look at him and he was ready to strip – only the nagging in the back of his head was becoming more persistent. Then he heard it, the soft click of a door being opened. GUS!

Lassiter didn't hear it at all, but it pierced Shawn's ear drum like a crack of thunder, he was up and off Lassiter in milliseconds, grabbing his shirt in one swoop and throwing it back on. Lassiter hadn't gotten up off the desk, instead he just looked at Shawn, completely put off and ready to fight about it.

"Spencer! What the hell? !"

Shawn gave the most apologetic look he could just as Gus stepped into the office holding two identical paper works. "Hey Shawn I'm back, sorry it took awhile – line up and...Detective Lassiter?"

"Afternoon Guster." Lassiter understood now, and had to fight the blush that was now burning on his neck and ears.

"Uh, good afternoon." If Gus knew what had been going on seconds before he walked in, he didn't say anything, he did however quirk his brow at the detective. "Why are you sitting on my desk?"

Lassiter paused, and looked down – surprisingly he and Shawn hadn't knocked anything over. His eye line caught the photo sitting so neatly by his side; Guster's family was smiling back at him – all wearing tacky but matching Christmas sweaters and Santa Claus hats. Christ. Lassiter was on his feet. Normally the type of excuse he came up was one he reserved for the chief whenever he was flustered, and boy was he flustered. "Well, Guster I'm sorry – but my legs really hurt, and Spencer never cleans up around here. I was afraid that if I sat down in one of those chairs I'd contract a disease of some sort..."

Gus blinked. Shawn from behind him stifled a laugh. He looked down to the side scratching the side of his head.

"Okay." Gus seemed to accept it, and he placed the bags down on Shawn's desk, Shawn having forgotten how hungry he was, suddenly remembered and didn't think twice about delving his hand into the bag and picking out the first package of fries he could grab. "So I'm guessing you're here because Shawn called you?" Gus continued.

"Shawn wanted to call me?" Lassiter repeated, he had come here on his own because he had a hunch that Shawn was going to keep digging while he slept.

"Yes!" Shawn spoke up, albeit with a fry in his mouth. He quickly finished chewing and swallowed. "I called Lassie after you left, because I had a vision about Kayla while you were gone, and I wanted him here immediately!" Another fry was popped into his mouth.

"Spencer." Lassiter grimaced a bit. "Chew with your mouth closed, and tell me right now – what vision?"

Shawn swallowed. "Kayla's motivation, I really think it was her Lassie. I learned through my vision that Kayla "turned gays back to God" for a living in her home town and considering what we know about her brother – it has to be her!"

Lassiter blinked, not really thinking about his response. "Did you have that vision while we were?..." Shawn immediately cut him off.

"Talking about the weather? Yeah!" They exchanged guilty looks.

Gus wasn't stupid however, and immediately he cursed. "On my desk guys? Cmon!"

Lassiter's face was completely red now, and he cleared his throat. Normally when Spencer explained a vision, he was sceptical and wanted nothing to do with it, today however it seemed like a good way to change the subject. "Yes well, we shouldn't waste any time. You two come with me to the station and I'll give O'Hara a call and have her bring Kayla back in."

Shawn and Gus were up and following Lassiter out the door. Shawn still being hungry, had grabbed the rest of his food, out of habit he crammed himself into the back seat beside Gus and made himself quite content in downing more fries.

"Don't spill anything." Lassiter warned, and since Gus already knew what they had been doing, Shawn decided to play a little.

"No worries Lassie-frass, I wouldn't risk ruining your car, or your tie."

Shawn lifted the collar of his t-shirt to reveal to Gus that he was still wearing Lassiter's tie around his neck. Lassiter had completely forgotten about his tie and looked down to see his tie was indeed missing from his person.

"Dude..." Gus looked a bit disconcerted. "You took his tie?"

"Spencer -give back my tie." Lassiter grumbled from the front seat. Shawn just grinned and popped another fry into his mouth.

"Yes" Shawn said simply to Gus "-and no." He finished to Lassiter. It was all Shawn had to say on the matter and finishing off his fries and grabbing for his burger -he delighted in the way Lassiter's knuckles turned white against the steering wheel.