Hello again. Sorry for the late update. I hope you are still interested. Thanks for all the great reviews so far. It really inspires me to write more ;)

The Offer

Lassiter had just gotten his coffee and a bag of chicken sandwiches, when he turned around and faced what he would consider his biggest nightmare. He had thought meeting Kyle Johnson again had been a tough thing. But now he looked into a face that was much less pleasant. Oh, god there were truly some higher forces conspiring against him. Was he finally punished for his crimes now? Otherwise he didn´t know how to explain the presence of this man, who was now waving for him to come over to his table.

Lassiter threw a brief look around. Nothing had changed. No one was paying attention. And also his little but hopeless wish that the man would be gone as soon as he turned back to him, was not granted. He was still sitting there. The same face as he remembered him. Fat and ugly under the dark curly hair that he obviously believed to look good on him. Well, it didn´t. It only made him even more ugly in Lassiter´s eyes. Only that Lassiter had never told him that. God, he hated that guy. If he had never seen him again in his life it would have been too early. Now he looked at him, waiting. Demanding. Lassiter had no choice. He would have to go over to him and talk to him. Reluctantly he set his feet in motion.

„Angus." he greeted the fat bastard. He was invited with a gesture to sit down and obeyed. „What are you doing here?" he asked as politely as he could.

„Is tha´a way of greetin an old friend?" Angus asked.

„We are no friends." Lassiter replied dryly.

„Oh, that hurts." Angus said. „One might think a man would be a wee more grateful for wha´he got."

„I kept my part of the bargain." Lassiter stated now getting angry. „We were even years ago. You have no need for being here."

„Oh, but I have." Angus said.

„What do you want from me?" Lassiter demanded to know. „I have nothing that could be interesting for you. Only a life that I´d like to keep the way it is. I build me something up here. I have colleagues, a career."

„I noticed." Angus replied. „Head Detective of the Santa Barbara Police. Impressive. What gives?"

Lassiter had to swallow the words that lay on his tongue. Not that he was afraid of Angus McCleary but it was better not to tell him to go and fuck himself as long as he didn´t know why he was here. So he chose the next best way of saying what he thought.

„There is no easy answer to that." he said. „And I don´t think that you came here, to listen to the story of my life."

„Yer right." Angus admitted with a greasy smile.

„Then why are you here?" Lassiter asked getting more and more impatient. „Talk fast, I have only thirty minutes lunch brake."

Angus chuckled at this. „Ya were always up for a wee joke, Seamus." he said.

„I´m not joking." Lassiter replied. „So you better tell me now or I´m out of here."

Angus shook his head. He looked almost disappointed. „Look at ya." he said. „And tha´is the man who once wanted to be king."

„That´s long ago." Lassiter replied.

„Maybe not." Angus said.

„What do you mean?"

„What wouldya say if I would offer ya to be king?" Angus asked with a glowing in his eyes that startled Lassiter beyond everything. „Ya could´ave everything ya always wanted." Angus said.

For at least a minute Lassiter was too stunned to say anything in return. Eventually he found his voice again and managed it to ask: „Why would you do that?"

„Because if ye would be king in our world, I could rule this world." Angus explained. „The world of humans."

„What would you do with this world?" Lassiter asked startled.

Angus shrugged. „Whatever I want." he said. „So wha´do ya say?"

Lassiter was totally taken aback. He had no idea what to say. Such an offer was clearly something you didn´t get every day. But was this real? Was Angus really serious with that? Somehow he couldn´t believe that. But a look into the other man´s eyes told him that he indeed was serious with his offer. One could think about Angus McCleary what he wanted. But he didn´t offer things without being serious about it. But there was one other thing about Angus´s offers. There was always a price to be paid. Lassiter knew that better than anyone.

„I need to think about it." he said and stood up. Angus grabbed his wrist to hold him back. Obviously it had looked too much like an escape. But that was exactly what it was. So why should he pretend it to be something else? He freed his hand from Angus´ grip with a trained move. It was easy, no struggle at all. Then he repeated: „I said, I need to think about it."

This time Angus didn´t try to hold him back any more.

„Don´t think too long, Seamus." he called after him though.

Lassiter didn´t turn around again. He left the place in desperate need for some fresh air. He needed to get back to himself. There were too many ghosts from the past fooling around in his life lately. Why couldn´t they just leave him alone? He had paid his depths, hadn´t he? He just wanted to get out of here. Back to what he knew as a normal life. He looked up and stopped in his tracks when he saw another familiar face. The one face that would have caused him to curse in silence now if the circumstances had been different. But this time Shawn Spencer represented something that Lassiter truly needed now. A rope to reality. To his life. The life he knew over the last forty years. He never thought that there would be a day when he was actually glad to be surprised by Spencer.

Now that he walked over to him, Shawn gave him a rather serious nod. Something Lassiter wasn´t used to see on the always cocky fake psychic. Did he know something?

„Spencer." he greeted carefully. „What do you want?"

Instead of answering him, Shawn looked over Lassiter´s shoulder to the Starbucks he had just left.

„Who´s that creepy guy you were just talking to?" he asked.

Lassiter had to restrain a smile about the choice of words Spencer had used and that somehow perfectly fit what he thought about Angus McCleary himself.

„Just someone I once knew." he answered briefly. „Is that all you wanted to know?"

„Not quiet." Shawn said. „But let´s skip that for now. I´m actually here to tell you something, that Gus and I thought you should know. Its about your other friend. This guy from the festival, remember?"

„What about him?" Lassiter asked now concerned.

„I was curious." Shawn explained. „So I did some investigation. And as it turned out I was able to overhear some talking our young friend Kyle and his friends had."

„Friends?" Lassiter interrupted. „Plural?"

„As it seems they have some kind of family reunion." Shawn nodded. „His grandpa with the funny name showed up in this big green car that looks like Christine. Only that it is green not red, what makes the comparison somehow strange …"

„Spencer, would you come to the point?" Lassiter cried.

„Certainly." Shawn agreed. „The point is …" he hesitated. „Therefor I have to say, that Gus thinks they are schizophrenics. I think he´s wrong. In my opinion they are just loonies, you see. Only that they are the strangest kind of loonies I have ever heard of. I mean … what they said didn´t make any sense but … they actually didn´t sound like loonies to me. Does that make any sense?"

Lassiter didn´t answer that question. He couldn´t. He also didn´t think that Shawn actually expected any answer from him. The head detective suddenly felt as if he was a suspect that got questioned. And wasn´t that even true? Right now he was.

Then he saw a movement in the corner of his eye and turned his head. There he was again. Angus McCleary, walking by like a usual pedestrian. His eyes were peeking and watching closely every one of their movements. Shawn hadn´t noticed him yet. Angus was in his back.

„Get in the car." Lassiter told the fake psychic.

„What?" Shawn asked puzzled.

„I said, get in the car." Lassiter repeated. „We need to talk, but not here." When Spencer still didn´t move he pushed him over to his vehicle. „Don´t make me cuff you to get you in there." he hissed and went to the drivers side. When he got behind the wheel Spencer was sitting in the passenger seat, looking at him confused. Lassiter didn´t bother to explain himself. He thrusted his coffee and lunchbag into Shawn´s hands, inserted the key and then drove off. He had to get away from Angus.

„Would you mind telling me where we are going?" Shawn asked after they were driving a while. „What´s going on here?"

Lassiter just gave him a look. He couldn´t restrain a grin when he asked: „Your psychic visions don´t tell you?"

„I would like to hear it from you." Shawn replied completely serious.

Lassiter looked at the street again. „What did you hear them talk?" he asked. „Kyle Johnson and his friends?"

„I believe you already know that." Shawn said.

Lassiter looked at him but didn´t give a response. Spencer seemed very uncomfortable all the sudden. He looked around as if looking for a way to escape. And when Lassiter still wouldn´t say anything, he actually demanded: „Okay stop the car."

Lassiter couldn´t believe it. For the first time since he knew Shawn Spencer, the fake psychic was afraid of him. And that now. He had never managed to scare him before. Now he had and he hadn´t even tried for gods sake. That was ridiculous. This whole situation was ridiculous. What was he driving away from anyway? Angus? If Angus McCleary wanted to find him, he would find him. There was no need for keeping up this lame excuse for an escape. So he pulled over and stopped the car at the curbside. They were near the beach promenade now. There was a green field next to the street where they stood. Lassiter could see out over the sea if he turned to his left. But he didn´t. Instead he turned to his right and looked at Spencer. The department´s consultant looked out of his own window as if he truly considered to run away.

„Look at me, Spencer." Carlton demanded. Shawn did it briefly and then his eyes rushed out of the windshield. „I said, look at me." the detective repeated, this time more adamantine. „What do you want to do now?" he asked. „Running away?"

Shawn laughed but it was a nervous laughter. „Now let´s not be ridiculous." he said. „Why should I try to …?" He interrupted himself when looking into Lassiter´s eyes, what seemed to give him the creeps one more time. But there was also confusion in those hazel eyes, Lassiter could see that. Spencer was scared but he didn´t know why. And for some reason that Lassiter didn´t understand himself, this look made him sad.

„You know me for over five years now." he said and confused Spencer even more. „Who do you think I am?"

Shawn blinked in confusion. „You are Carlton Lassiter." he stated matter of factly, a nervous smile on his lips. „Head detective of the S.B.P.D. For over 15 years. A devoted … and sometimes creepy cop, who has a tendency to freak out his coworkers. Like now for example. Especially now."

Lassiter nodded grimly. Then he couldn´t help but smiled. But even with this smile in his face he felt like crying.

„You are right." he said. „That´s me. Has been me for over forty years." He turned away from Spencer and looked out of the windshield, his hands clawing into the steering wheel. „Did you ever wonder, if your life is the right one?" he asked without looking at Spencer. „How things could have been if you did something different on a certain point?"

For a while he got no answer. He hadn´t expected one anyway. If he could have brought himself to look at Shawn right now, he might have seen the most disturbed face ever. Of course. What else could he expect? How was this overgrown kid supposte to understand what he was talking about? He didn´t understand it himself and he was right in the middle of it.

„We all take choices." Shawn suddenly said, much more gentle and understanding than Lassiter would have expected it from the fake psychic. „Sometimes we regret them." Shawn went on. „I took some choices in my life that I regret too. But its not important what could have been. Important is, where we go from there. Every time."

Now Lassiter did look at him. For a moment he hold this gaze sternly. Then he just laughed.

„Look who is talking." he said.

Shawn had to laugh too. „Yeah, look who is talking." he agreed. „That brings me to the question why you asked me in the first place."

Lassiter brushed his hand over his chin, looking out of the windshield again. „I don´t know." he admitted massaging his jaw. „Maybe I just needed some reality."

All the sudden he couldn´t stand it to stay in this car any longer. He had to get out. Out into the fresh air, where he knew he had the sky over his head and not a metallic roof. He walked over the grass a few steps and watched out over the sea. Spencer followed him and stood next to him in silence for a while. It was weird but it wasn´t even awkward to stand side by side like this. Especially since Spencer didn´t talk for a change.

Eventually it was Lassiter who broke the silence again.

„The man you saw me talking to before." he said. „You were right. I know him. From long ago. He came here to offer me … let´s say to offer me a job."

„What kind of job?" Shawn asked.

„That´s complicated." Lassiter avoided a clearer explanation. „But it is a big one. Bigger than being the chief of the S.B.P.D. or even the FBI for all I care."

„Wow." Shawn stated. „But I guess there is a catch."

„I would have to answer him." Lassiter nodded. „He´d be my boss so to say."

„And you don´t want that?"

„I guess he could be up to something." Lassiter explained. „If not today then someday in the future.

„What, you mean … something illegal?" Shawn asked carefully.

„Or even worse." Lassiter admitted frankly. „Angus McCleary is capable of a lot of things. Don´t ask."

„Uuuh. Lassie …" Shawn began, unsure what to make out of that.

„But I was waiting for this opportunity literally my whole life." Lassiter went on without waiting for Shawn to figure it out. His eyes were somewhere at the horizon. „Never really expected it to ever come to me." he said almost dreamy.

Shawn looked at him unsure. „Sooo … then why do you hesitate?" he asked.

Lassiter was still looking over the sea. He took a deep breath. „Living a life like this, changes things." he eventually said. „As strange as it seems but I actually like my life. I like it being the cop that I am. I like the people I work with. O´Hara … the Chief … Dobson … and McNab." He finally turned to look at Shawn. „Even you guys." he said.

„Wow!" was all the fake psychic knew to say.

„I know." Lassiter chuckled. „I barely believe that I´m saying this myself." He looked out over the sea again. „But this is the point right now. My life. And if I like it or not, you and Guster are a part of it. The way my work is part of it. And my marriage. Even the criminals I arrested. This is my life. And I really don´t think that I want to lose it."

Shawn chuckled a little nervous again. „Who said anything about losing your life?" he asked. This time Lassiter didn´t answer. He just looked at him briefly and then back out over the sea again.

In Shawn´s pocket his cell phone started to ring. He picked it up and answered it automatically.

„Yeah?" he answered it.

„Dude, its me." Gus´ voice said.

„Ahem?" Shawn said still absent minded. „Oh, yeah, right." he then remembered. „You … you wanted to do that … that research thing."

„Are you all right, Shawn?" Gus asked.

„Sure I am." Shawn claimed. „Now what do you got?"

„Nothing." Gus said. „That´s why I´m calling. I found absolutely nothing about those three guys ever being in therapy."

„Wait, what does that mean?" Shawn cried. „That you hadn´t called me if you had found something?"

Lassiter looked at him frowning.

„Would you try to concentrate, Shawn?" Gus demanded.

„Sorry." Shawn said. „Sorry, I was just … go on."

„That is the point. There is nothing to go on about. Every doctor that could possibly have these three under his care never heard of them."

„They are not from Santa Barbara." Shawn recalled. „Did you think of that?"

„Of course, I did. I pulled some strings. The psychologists I know have a bigger database than I have and they checked the patient files for the offices in Utah. Nothing. So I checked the background of these three guys and their files don´t say anything about any diagnosis of schizophrenia or any other decease for that matter. If they never took any medications …"

„Wow, wow." Shawn cried. „Slow down. What did you just say?"

Lassiter became more and more interested in the talk and turned to him completely now, listening closely.

„I said, that our three suspects got never diagnosed." Gus explained using words his friend would understand better. „Means no one knows that they are ill and delusional. Means that no one had any reason to keep them from building up their paranoid delusions. And that means that they might be in a quiet delicate state of mind. They could actually cause some serious trouble. Did you talk to Lassiter yet?"

„I´m with him right now." Shawn said and looked into the detectives eyes.

„Then tell him that there are three potential labil schizophrenias on the loose in Santa Barbara that are gunning for him – metaphorically speaking."

„Don´t worry, I tell him." Shawn said. But in this moment he noticed that Lassiter´s eyes had fixed a point behind him. He turned around and saw the old man standing there, barely five feet away from him. His funny green car was parked down the street, far away enough so they wouldn´t have heard him coming.

„Dude, I have to go." he told Gus and hung up.

Lassiter had already passed him and was now standing before the old man. The two of them just looked at each other. One thing was for sure. They did know each other, there was no doubt.

„Hallo, Seamus." the old man greeted.

„My name is Lassiter." the detective corrected calmly. „Carlton Lassiter. I would prefer if you called me that way."

The old man nodded and Lassiter mirrored that nod. „What do you want?" he then asked.

„I jus´came to have a wee talk." O´Reilly said.

„About what?" Lassiter asked.

„I wanted to get some things clear." O´Reilly explained and then nodded into Shawn´s direction. „I heard what ya said."

„And?"

Again O´Reilly looked at Shawn and then threw an asking look at Lassiter. The detective turned to Shawn for a moment and understood the unspoken question.

„Spencer, would you leave us alone for a moment?" he asked.

„What?" Shawn cried. „Wait a second. Before I do that, you should know something. That was Gus on the phone. He said that our friend here is probably, no offence, a possible lunatic. Big deal."

„Me what?" O´Reilly cried offended. „That´s insulting."

„I said no offence." Shawn recalled.

Lassiter grinned amused. „Its all right, Spencer." he told him. „I can handle that."

„Are you sure?" Shawn asked. „Because this guy thinks …" he lowered his voice: „He thinks you are a goblin."

„Leprechaun." Lassiter and O´Reilly corrected him unisono and then looked at each other surprised.

But not as surprised as Shawn was. He looked from one to the other and backwards. Lassiter just gave him a nod.

„Its all right." he repeated. „We´ll only talk." He threw a glance at O´Reilly and the old man nodded in agreement.

Shawn raised both eyebrows. But then he saw that Lassie was actually serious about that and decided to let him have it his way. So he turned around to walk away and gave them their privacy. He didn´t come very far though. He had barely walked two steps when he saw that creepy guy from the café again. He was just standing there, next to Lassie´s car. There was no other car around. It was as if he had just appeared from out of nowhere.

Shawn turned his head halfway around, back over his shoulder. Still he didn´t dare to let this guy out of his sight.

„Ehm … guys!" he cried. „You have a moment? We´ve got company."