Confrontation

Lassiter and O´Reilly turned around to Shawn. Their eyes fell on the new guest that had joined their meeting unasked and they froze. Shawn had the odd feeling that something was about to happen now. A shooting maybe or something similar. The old man passed Lassiter and looked at the newcomer with a dark face.

„So it was you, Angus McCleary." he said. „I should´ave known. Seamus had many things in petto but to darken oor luck he wasn´t powerful enough. Not even ten years ago."

„What?" Shawn cried. Now he was totally lost. What was that old dude talking about? He looked at Lassiter for an explanation but the detective looked as gloomy as the old man.

„Spencer, get in the car." he ordered.

„What?" Shawn cried now offended. „Are you kidding? I want to know what´s going on here!"

„I told you I need time to think about it." Lassiter cried but this time he was talking to Creepy-guy Angus McCleary. „I´m not ready." he said. „I won´t talk to you now."

„I´m afraid I can´t give ya more time." Angus said.

„Yo infamous …" O´Reilly began to head for him in a rather cute looking old man anger. Creepy-guy just raised a hand and then something happened that blew not only Shawn´s mind away but also the old man. O´Reilly flew at least ten feet through the air and probably would have hurt himself hadn´t it been for his grandson and his friend who suddenly had arrived on the scene. He landed pinpointed at them and threw them to the ground along with him. Shawn couldn´t believe what he just saw.

Lassiter looked at the three fallen figures and then back at the attacker. He did the only thing he knew to do in a situation like that. He pulled his gun. But instead of backing away, Creepy-guy just laughed.

„Wha´is that, Seamus?" he asked. „You wanna shoot me? With´at thing? Come on. You should know better than´at."

He waved his hand again and the weapon flew out of Lassiter´s hand and vanished somewhere behind some bushes.

„Really, Seamus." he said. „Slowly I get the impression that ya don´t appreciate the offer I made ya."

„Offer?" Kyle asked from halfway under his grandfather´s legs. „What is all this here about?"

„Good question." Shawn cried and raised his hand as if in school. „I would like to know that too. Because seriously, dude. That was some kind of a trick. How did you do that? I mean … and how comes that no one but me is freaked out because of that?"

Angus turned to Shawn, looking at him in a creepy way that made the fake psychic back off.

„Leave him alone!" Lassiter yelled. „He´s got nothing to do with this. Spencer, for the last time. Get in the car and drive away. This is none of your business."

„It´s what?" Shawn cried. „Is this supposte to be a joke?"

„It is no jook, boyo." O´Reilly said struggling himself back to his feet. „It´s far from that." Then he faced Angus again. „What didya mean ya have no time?" he demanded to know. „What did he offer yo, Seamus?"

„Yeah and that´s another thing." Shawn chipped in again. „Why the hell do you keep calling him Seamus?"

This time Creepy-guy raised his hand in Shawn´s direction and from one moment to the other Shawn found himself flying through the air, the way the old man had been flying before. He landed on a bush, what was probably the only reason why he didn´t break some bones in the process. But he was pretty shaken up anyway. What the hell did just happen? Where did all these leaves all around him come from?

„Dammit Angus, this is not the time nor the place for this." Lassiter yelled angry.

„I´m afraid´t has to be." Angus replied. „Ye see I´m a little short on time. That´s why I´m here. To get yer answer. Are ya coming to claim the throne again?"

„I knew it." Kyle cried.

„I told you, I need time to think." Lassiter repeated.

„And I told ya there is no time." Angus repeated himself.

„Why?"

Instead of an answer Angus pointed up into the sky. Lassiter and the others looked up but didn´t see anything.

„Ya can´t see it yet." Angus told them. „But very soon, ye won´t be able to miss it."

„I know what he´s talking about." Russel suddenly cried. „There is a total eclipse today. That´s what all this is about, isn´t it?"

They all looked back at Angus again in shock. He just smiled whimsically at them.

„So that is what you really wanted." Lassiter understood. „You want to build a bridge between the worlds."

„What does that mean, Granda?" Kyle asked uncertain.

„When the sun gets dark, the border between the two worlds, the world of humans and the world of the leprechauns, is swapped away." O´Reilly explained, never letting Angus out of his sight. „Usually no one notices´at because it goes by so fast. But when someone is building a bridge between the two worlds in that moment, the gate will remain open forever. Whoever takes the opportunity to build a steady bridge like´at, can rule both worlds. Yo are such a …" he turned to Angus again in rage but stopped talking when Angus raised his hand threatening.

„So that´s your plan." Lassiter finally understood. „Keeping the gate open." He shook his head. „Do you have any idea what that would do to this world? To both of them?"

„It would bring a new order." Angus replied. „Under our care. What do ya say, Seamus? Are ya ready to take over yer throne? Or do ya want to live the life of a mortal and die as an old man?"

Lassiter looked around at the O´Reilly´s. Then he looked over to the place where Shawn was still struggling to get back to his feet after he got kicked out of this discussion so unpleasantly. Lassiter sighed. When he faced Angus again, his face was stern.

„I think I take my chance with a mortal life." he said.

For a moment Angus seemed truly thrown off balance by his answer. But then something else happened. Something that no one had expected in that moment. Another car arrived at the scene.

Shawn who had just managed to get back to the session, looked over at the newcomer and raised both eyebrows. „Jules." he called her. „What are you doing here?"

But he didn´t even need to ask. He had already a pretty good guess, why she was here. Of course it was his fault. If he would have been able to keep his mouth shut back at the station, she wouldn´t be here now. He had talked weird stuff about Lassie and of course that had worried her. He had already seen that back at the station but he had ignored it. How could he have known that something like this would happen anyway? But now she was here and that was his fault.

He didn´t seem to be the only one who expected trouble. Before he even knew it, Lassiter rushed forward and yelled: „Juliet, stay away from him!"

This time it was him who got thrown backwards by that invisible force that came out of Creepy-guy´s hands. Shawn couldn´t do anything but watch. Lassie landed some meters behind him and when he looked back at Jules he suddenly had the strangest impression. It almost looked as if there was some sort of a glowing around her. Did he hit his head that bad? Was he seeing things now? But next to him the old man gasped in awe and Shawn saw on his face that he was seeing the same thing. As well as the boys. But the worst thing was, that Creepy-guy saw it too. And when he saw it, his face was lighting up in a way that couldn´t be good.

„Look a´this." he said. „A Scottish Maiden. And so powerful." He grabbed her so fast that neither Jules nor anyone else really knew what happened before it was over. He was holding her as if he was using her as a shield against gun shots. Only that no one around had a gun. Not even Lassiter. Not anymore.

„Let her go, Angus." the detective now demanded.

„I don´think I will." Angus replied. „Ya really care about her don´t ya, Seamus? Oh, she is powerful. Full of life energy. She will feed our world pretty good for a while."

In this moment, Lassiter didn´t bother to talk any longer but rushed forward to attack. Shawn had no idea how this happened but suddenly they all were doing that. As if Lassiter had given a silent signal, they all rushed forward to attack this Creepy-guy that was holding Juliet hostage. Only that they didn´t come very far. In one moment they were running at him, and in the next … nothing. No movement. They were frozen solid. Like in some bad fantasy movie where the evil wizard stopped his enemies with a wave of his wand. Only that this guy didn´t even have a wand. He didn´t seem to need one.

Angus just laughed and walked over to them, Juliet still in his grip. All her struggling seemed useless against him.

„Ya know what happens to lives like hers when they stay in our world until night comes." he talked to the frozen Lassiter. Of course he got no answer but he nodded nevertheless as if he had gotten a confirmation. „I want ya to take yer place as the king." he repeated his request. „Or yer pretty little maiden here will be a beautiful shooting star tonight. Beautiful but dying in the process." He looked straight into Lassiter´s eyes to emphasize his statement. „Ya have one hour, Seamus. Then I want ya to be there. And so ya can cross the bridge … I give ya back what ya once gave up to live a mortal life."

He waved his hand in front of Lassiter. Nothing happened. At least there was no difference visible. But there was something in Lassiter´s face that looked like he wanted to cry.

„Only for one hour." Angus told him. „If yor not there then …" he looked at Juliet. „... yo can wish on this beautiful shooting star tonight."

With that he literally vanished into thin air and with him Juliet. The moment the two of them were gone, they all were released from the spell that had hold them. Shawn and Russel hit the ground immediately. Kyle and his Granda had to struggle a little but managed it to keep their balance. Lassiter was running the last few steps as if he was still trying to reach Angus and Jules. Then he cried out his frustration loud and angry.

Shawn had to catch his breath before he found himself able to speak again.

„What the hell just happened here?" he asked. He was totally taken aback. His legs were shaking. Did this really happen what he believed, he just witnessed? But the sight of Lassie who had just hauled into the sky and was now dropping to his knees like the classic tragic hero in a Greek tragedy (Irish tragedy in this case) proved that it had to be true. At least partly.

„What was that?" he asked his other companions. „Where is Jules?"

„He took her." Kyle answered.

„Where?"

„To the other world. To Tir Na Nog. The land of the leprechauns."

Again Shawn found himself unable to believe what he was hearing with his own ears.

„Okay, just a second." he demanded. „You guys actually want to tell me that this is real? That it wasn´t just some crazy trick? That all I heard you guys talking about is true?"

The three of them looked at him as if he was the crazy guy. „You were here, weren´t you?" Kyle said. „You saw what happened. How much proof do you need?"

„No, it´s just …" Shawn was desperate. „You want me to believe that you … are fairies?"

„Leprechauns." Kyle and his grandpa corrected unisono.

„And just for the record." Russel chipped in with a raised finger. „I´m not a leprechaun."

„So what are you? A goblin?"

„No." Russel cried offended. „I´m just a guy. Like you."

Shawn turned around to where Lassiter was still kneeling on the ground his head hanging in despair.

„No, I´m sorry." he said. „No. I can´t believe you are not crazy. No. Because if I believe you, that would mean that this guy over there … is not the man I thought that he is?"

He got no instant answer. Kyle and the others were only looking over to Lassiter, with something in their faces that varied from confusion to pity to regret.

„It seems neither is he the man we knew anymore." the old man said at last.

„But … that´s Lassie we´re talking about!" Shawn cried.

The three of them gave him a startled look, he didn´t quiet understand.

„That´s a dogs name." Russel stated.

Shawn shrugged in a defensive manner and got only an amused snort from Russel.

„Tha name is not important." O´Reilly chipped in.

„Right." Shawn agreed. „What is important, is: where is Jules? And how do we get her back?"

„I have to go there." Lassiter´s voice said so close to him that he jumped violently and had to grab his thudding heart.

„Ya can´t go there." O´Reilly argued, totally ignoring Shawn´s almost heart attack. „If ya follow him now, he will use ya to build the bridge … and he will rule the two worlds."

„If I don´t go, Juliet is gonna die." Lassiter hold against it. He stumbled slightly and closed his eyes as if he had a bad headache. Then he lost his balance and would have slipped if Shawn hadn´t grabbed his arm to stabilize him.

„What´s the matter with him?" he asked concerned.

„It´s the power of ´e leprechauns." O´Reilly explained. „He isn´t used to it anymore. Don´t worry. It will pass."

„Wait. You mean he is a leprechaun now?"

„I have no time to wait until it passed." Lassiter said ignoring Spencer´s excitement. „I need to get my partner back."

„We can´t let him go." Kyle said. „He will take the throne when he is there. He always wanted it."

Lassiter looked up from his dizziness, now with fury in his eyes. „You think I wanted this?" he asked the young man. Then he rushed forward, grabbed Kyle´s collar and pressed him against the next treetrunk before anyone could do anything. „You think I wanted my partner to be taken into the other world?" he yelled into the young man´s face. „That her energy gets sucked out of her body and sole while she is alive? You think I wanted this?"

„Oh god, I feel sick." Shawn groaned.

Lassiter released Kyle and took some steps back from him, swaying a little.

„But he is right." O´Reilly said with a calming gesture towards his grandson. „As soon as ya get there, Angus will make ya king, if ya wan´it or not. Ya can´t go."

„I have to." Lassiter insisted.

„Then you will doom both worlds to be ruled by this criminal. You really wan´this, Seamus?"

„I´m a cop." Lassiter said. „I catch criminals."

„Ya lived too long as a human being." O´Reilly argued. „Ya won´t be able to resist his tricks. He will seduce ya into taking the throne. And the world as we know it, will come to an end."

„Don´t worry." Lassiter said and managed a smile. „He won´t trick me. And the world won´t come to an end. Angus needs me to build the bridge. But before I sit on that throne, I´ll shoot myself in the head."

„What?" Shawn cried in shock.

Lassiter just reached out his hand into a random direction as it seemed. A whistling sound was audible and suddenly he held his gun in his hand again. Shawn´s eyes went wide in awe. How the hell?

O´Reilly seemed as surprised as Shawn was. But he overcame it much faster. „Good to knoo ya still knoo how to do´t." he said.

„Maybe I can´t kill him with that gun." Lassiter said. „But it will work on me."

„Lassie!" Shawn cried shocked.

Finally Lassiter turned to him again. He looked at him with a disturbingly kind smile in his eyes. „Spencer." he said gently and turned to him completely. For a moment he just looked at him as if he was searching for the right words. Then he holstered his gun and said: „I´m sorry you were dragged into this. Nothing of this was supposte to happen."

„You´re damn right about this." Shawn replied. „But I forgive you. Just … let´s just go there and bring Jules back."

Lassiter chuckled about this. „You´re not coming with." he said.

„But I will." Shawn insisted.

„No, you won´t."

„You can´t leave me behind." Shawn cried.

„There is no time to argue." O´Reilly chipped in. „The sun is gettin darker every minute. If we don´t hurry it will be too late."

With that he shoved Kyle and Russel over to Lassiter and Shawn and somehow managed it to lay his arms around the two boys so he could reach Lassiter and Shawn as well. The next thing Shawn knew was, that the old man had grabbed his arm and then there was a bright light flashing all around them. He lost the ground beneath his feet and then he was falling. A second later he was already lying on the ground again. All around him he heard groaning. Lassiter, Kyle and Russel were lying on the ground too. So was O´Reilly, but the old man was on his feet much faster than any of them. Shawn was not even on his way to a sitting position yet.

When he used his hands as support, he noticed something odd on his arms. That wasn´t the fabric of his shirt. It was much thicker and felt almost like cotton. His hands shot up to his head and found a cotton hat as well. What? He looked down on himself and had to face the fact that he was wearing a skirt. No wait. What did they call it? These things the Scottish guys used to wear. A sudden fear came up to him and his hands shot down to his legs. When he felt the fabric of the trousers beneath the skirt he exhaled.

„Oh, thanks god." he cried released and dropped back to the ground.

Next to him Kyle and his friend had managed it to sit up now. They reacted to their new dressing as well but less stunned than Shawn.

„Man." Russel commented. „Talk about Dejavu."

Shawn was speechless. He only could look around in awe. Lassie was wearing some weird stuff too. His dress was a red one, with a fitting cape and kilt – kilt, that was the word Shawn remembered now – like they all were wearing one. Lassiter was looking down on his own arms with an expression on his face that talked about stunned recognition. But even more interesting to Shawn right now was their surroundings. Where were they? They were on a hill as it seemed. There were huge stones all around them, that reminded awfully on the famous ring of Stonehenge.

„Seamus!" a voice greeted from out of nowhere. They all turned around and there was Creepy-guy again, also wearing these funny cloths and an oddly friendly smile on his face. „Yer here." he talked to Lassiter walking over to them. „Glad ya could make it."

„Where is my partner?" Lassiter demanded to know.

„Oh, she is here." Angus answered in a chit chat tone, with a motion behind himself. When they followed his pointing they could see Juliet on the other end of the place. She was bound to one of the big stones, like the prisoner of an indien tribe. But she wasn´t the only one bound to that stone. There was another woman next to her. A woman with dark skin and beautiful black hair. Both of them were wearing white ancient dresses and their gazes were terrified – and empty. They were staring into a distance only they could see. As if they didn´t see or hear anything of what was going on around them.

„Bonny!" Kyle cried in shock. „What is she doing here? She wasn´t supposte to be here."

„Oh, I colled her." Angus explained. „Thought it would be nice if she would join us."

Kyle threw a gaze full of fury at Angus and then he ran over to her. Shawn and Lassiter were running too. When they reached Juliet, her gaze was still the same. She didn´t turn her head to look at them nor did she seem to breath. Lassiter brought his ear to her mouth and exhaled in relief but only for a second. Next to them Kyle tried unsuccessfully to wake up his girlfriend. Neither Bonny nor Jules would react to anything.

„What´s the matter with her, Lassie?" Shawn asked full of fear.

„What did you do to them?" Lassiter demanded to know, turning back around to Angus.

„Oh, nothing." Angus assured him. „They´re just stonned by all these wonders tha´happen all´round them. They are human, don´t forget´at."

Lassiter exchanged a glance with Shawn, before he faced Angus again. „I´m here." he said and stepped forward. „Let them go. All of them."

„Oh, I will." Angus promised. „As soon as we finished fo wha´we came here."

„That was not part of the deal."

„Until now we didn´t have a deal, Seamus." Angus recalled. Then he smiled mischievously. „Do ya want to make one?"

„I already made one with you." Lassiter replied gloomy. „And I fulfilled the bargain. I gave you all my powers. Plus the luck that I had stolen once. What else do you want?"

„I want to give it back toya." Angus said generously.

„I didn´t ask for that." was all Lassiter would reply.

„Ya disappoint me, Seamus." Angus said. „I offer ya to be a king. There was a time when ye´d never hesitated to take it."

Lassiter sighed and lowered his head. He looked back at Juliet and then at Shawn again. There was something in his eyes that startled the fake psychic. He had seen Lassiter like that before but usually this gaze would come up right before he would get a chance to fire his weapon in the line of duty. But the really creepy thing was, that this time, he didn´t seem to be happy about it. Quiet the contrary.

„All right." the detective finally said, facing Angus again. „I´m comin with you. But only if you let them go first."

„I´m afraid that´s not possible." Angus said. „I still need them ya see. Ya know how the ceremony has to be performed. Two kings from two worlds have to be crowned by two beings from each world in the contrary direction."

Now Lassiter started to remember. „And one being that contains both worlds, has to seal the crowning." he finished the description. His head turned around by itself and he looked at Kyle Johnson. „So that´s why you lured them to Santa Barbara." he understood. „It was no coincidence that his coin went black."

„Now all parts are together in the same place." Angus confirmed with a satisfied nod. „The ceremony can begin. Are ya ready, Seamus?"

Lassiter threw a desperate look behind himself, where Shawn was still trying to wake up Juliet from her catatonic state, where Kyle was holding Bonny in his arms in a protective manner. Then he looked at O´Reilly and the other young man, who he had known when he and Kyle had still been kids.

„I´m waiting for yer answer, Seamus." Angus urged, slowly getting impatient. „Will ya come with me to fulfill yer destiny?"

Lassiter looked at him again. His eyes had started to glow at these last words and after another moment he actually smiled. Now that was the look Shawn knew from Lassie when he knew he could fire his gun at a criminal.

„All right." he said. „I´m coming. After all, destiny is waiting for no leprechaun, is it?"

„Exactly." Angus agreed. He waved his hand and all the sudden three big guys appeared from behind the stones as if they had been waiting there all along. They walked over to O´Reilly and the others like prison guards. „I recommend yer cooperation, gentlemen." Angus said. Then he nodded at a fourth man who had appeared by the stone where Jules and Bonny were bound. He was big, with broad shoulders and a mean looking face. His short cut brown beard made him look like a bear in cotton cloths. He chased Shawn and Kyle away from the two women and made them join Russel and O´Reilly. The threat was unmistakable. Lassiter gritted his teeth.

„You must promise that you´ll let them go, after I fulfilled my destiny." he demanded.

„Of course I will." Angus assured him.

„Your word on it." Lassiter demanded once more, holding out his hand.

„Oh, by the love of Mike, if ya insist on that." Angus groaned and gave him his hand.

„Done." Lassiter replied and shook it.

„So can we go now?" Angus asked but it wasn´t a question.

His men shoved O´Reilly and all the others forward. Only the big guy that stood next to Jules and Bonny remained at his poste. He would watch the prisoners until it was over. Until everything was over.