Sorry for not updating sooner. I'm not sure if this is going to be Shules or not. I can try not to but, we all know I can't resist Shules :)
Five Months Later
"That's not how it happened." Gus argued with Shawn as they walked into the station. "Dude! That's exactly how it happened." Shawn insisted.
"How what happened?" Buzz McNabb asked looking at them questioningly.
"Nothing to buzz about Buzz," Shawn grinned. "Just a little debate between two partners," Shawn held up two fingers.
Gus rolled his eyes, "It's not a debate if I'm right," Gus walked around Shawn and over to Chief Vick's office. He opened the door and stepped inside, Shawn right behind him. Gus and Shawn stood in the back of the room, while the Detectives Lassiter and Juliet stood in front of the Chief.
"We have to keep this hidden, I don't want a single word of this case getting to the press." She glared at Shawn at the end. "We must be discrete, professional…" Shawn waved, "and most of all, respectful." She finished with a sigh.
"What case are we talking about here?" Gus asked timidly.
"There was a murder at the lighthouse," Juliet began. Shawn froze and tried to keep himself from shaking. No, not Christopher. Please not Christopher! Shawn begged silently. "A woman named…"
"Lilly?" Shawn held up a finger to his temple.
"Yes," Juliet said unsurprised. She was going to start speaking again when Shawn's cell phone rang out. He was met with glares as he pulled it out and examined the number.
"Huh, I gotta get this," he stepped out of the office and answered the phone, "Hello?"
"Mister Spencer?" a scared voice asked.
"Christopher?" Shawn took a wild guess.
"It happened,"
"What's happened?" Christopher sounded frightened.
"They killed her." Shawn gulped just as Juliet, Carlton, Gus and Vick walked outside staring at him. "Who killed her?" Shawn questioned getting curious looks from other people.
"The voices," Christopher answered.
"The voices?"
"No, the voices told me that she was going to die. They said something wasn't right, and that someone was going to get hurt." Shawn heard a sniffle.
"Alright, tell me where you are and I'll come get you." Shawn said.
"I'm at the lighthouse,"
"Okay, Chris don't move, I'm going to be there in a few minutes, and I'm going to go and help you." Shawn motioned for Gus to follow him outside. "Okay," Chris said before he hung up.
"Who was that?" Carlton demanded following Shawn and Gus outside.
"A friend," Shawn simply replied.
"A friend?" Juliet questioned.
"Yes, a friend who needs my help, so excuse me." Shawn got into the car while Gus started the engine. Gus drove out of the parking lot as Carlton yelled, "We're not done Spencer!"
"Follow them!" Vick shouted. Carlton and Juliet rushed over to Carlton's car and followed the Blue Echo. Gus drove up a very complicated road, with many twists and a turns. Shawn was able to direct Gus up the road, and down a hill towards the light house.
Carlton and Juliet had been up here just hours before when the murder had been reported. They both couldn't help but wonder why Shawn was such in a hurry to get there. Gus had just parked the car when Shawn jumped out of the car and jogged over, standing in front of the porch.
"Christopher!" Shawn yelled. The car swerved as Carlton tried to avoid smacking into Shawn, who was standing in the middle of the road. "Get out of the way!" Carlton shouted. Shawn ignored him and yelled out again, waiting for an answer. "Christopher!" Shawn cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled.
"What are you doing!?" Carlton and Juliet appeared next to Shawn. The sky was still grey, and had a spooky feeling. Shawn gulped and ran up to the house, knocking on the door. When he got no answer Shawn's hear t beat faster.
"Mister Spencer?" a small voice said. They all turned and found a boy standing in the driveway.
"Christopher." Shawn ran over to him. Christopher threw his arms around Shawn's neck and began to cry.
"It's okay," Shawn tried to comfort him.
"Who is this?" Juliet asked softly walking over to them. "This is Christopher, he's Lilly's nephew." Christopher rubbed his nose into Shawn's shoulder.
"Buddy, I need you to tell me what happened." Shawn pulled Chris away from him. Chris was in a long, baggy, red t-shirt, and scratched up jeans, mud covered his shoes. He had cuts on his arms and legs, his face was flushed red, and the dark circles around his eyes made Shawn worry more. "Chris, what happened?" Shawn gripped the boy's upper arm.
"They killed her." He whispered.
"Who did?" Carlton and Gus joined them.
"The voices," Chris looked at Shawn.
"Voices? Is he crazy?" Carlton sighed and took his pen off of his paper.
"No! I heard them again. I swear Mister Spencer; they said they were going to hurt Aunt Lilly. I told her and she didn't believe me." Chris said frantically.
"It's okay, I believe you." Shawn tried to calm him down.
"Where were you when it happened?" Juliet kneeled next to Chris and Shawn. Chris looked at Shawn, as if to ask permission, when Shawn nodded Chris began to speak. "She asked me to go to the ocean, and grab the bucket. I ran over and picked it up. I walked back to the house, and I heard a scream. I dropped it…" he pointed at a white bucket that was on the ground.
"Then what?" Juliet encouraged.
Chris sighed and licked his lips, "I walked into the house, and Aunt Lilly was on the ground. She was dead, and then the voices told me to leave." Chris gulped clutching onto Shawn's arms. "They told me to run into woods, and not to come back." Chris finished looking at Shawn. "But I heard you calling, you sounded worried, so I came." Shawn nodded.
"I'm glad you did."
"You look tired." Gus spoke. "I've been in there for a few days," Chris said shyly.
"You're coming to the station." Carlton said putting his pen away in his pocket.
"No." both Shawn and Gus argued at the same time.
"What?"
"This kid has been through a lot Lassiter, let Shawn and I take him home. He can rest, eat and wash up. He'll be at the station first thing tomorrow, I promise." Gus continued.
"He's a witness, he can't be alone." Carlton pointed out.
"He'll be with us,"
"Yeah Lassie," Shawn had a look in his eyes that said Take Christopher away, and you'll die. You hear? "Fine." Carlton agreed, "O'Hara stay with them."
"What?" Shawn and Juliet voiced.
"He's a witness. I need a member from the station with him at all times, or he can go to the station…"
"I want to stay with Mister Spencer," Chris's voice was low. Shawn and Juliet shared a look before both nodding.
"Good, I'll call in a few hours." Carlton walked back to his car and left.
"Alright, let's go get a few things from your room." Shawn took Chris's hand and they walked inside. Juliet stood up and crossed her arms around her chest.
"He's good with kids," she looked at Gus.
"I think Christopher reminds him of himself." Gus shrugged.
"How?" Juliet turned to Gus.
"When he was little, Shawn I mean, he heard voices. His parents thought he was schizophrenic. Turns out he had a very active imagination." Gus leaned up against the car.
"But… they told Chris something was going to happen to Lilly."
"What are you saying?" Gus watched her.
"I'm saying… Chris might be schizophrenic or he has…"
"An imagination?" Gus finished for her.
Inside Shawn and Chris had carefully moved around the house, up onto the second story. Chris had never let go of Shawn's hand the whole way. Shawn opened the wooden, creaky door to Chris's bedroom. The room was dark, like the rest of the house. Chris had hung pictures of friends, parents and random places.
Chris let go of Shawn's hand and grabbed his backpack from the side of his bed. Shawn walked over to the wall and observed the pictures he had, some were of the Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa. Others had animals in them such as tigers, bears and birds.
"I don't know what to pack." Chris's voice dragged Shawn out of his thoughts.
"Just pack what you want; we can get you anything else." Shawn told him. Chris nodded and walked around the room, throwing things into his pack. After packing some clothes, pictures, hair brush and journal, he was ready to leave. Chris stood by the door and looked around the room, trying to see if he left something. "I'm ready." He voiced. Shawn turned around and gave a nod, Shawn grasped Chris's hand and they walked back outside.
Juliet and Gus were already in the car, not speaking. Shawn opened the back door for Chris who climbed in, Shawn sat next to him. Gus pulled away and they all drove in silence. Chris slowly inching his way closer to Shawn, who pretended not to notice. Half way there Chris grasped his stomach and Shawn heard the rumbling of the boy's tummy.
"Are you hungry?" Shawn looked at Chris who nodded. "Hey Gus," Shawn tapped Gus's shoulder.
"What Shawn?"
"You have any of those bars that taste like cardboard?" Shawn asked. Chris made a look of distaste.
"You mean my granola bars?"
"Yes, those things." Shawn nodded.
"In the glove compartment." Gus said.
"Hey Jul-?"
"I got it," Juliet reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the box of granola bars. She turned and handed it to Shawn. Shawn held the box in his hands and made a tsk sound.
"I refuse to let you eat these." Shawn looked at Chris.
"Why?"
"They taste really bad, I had one yesterday and I wanted to throw up." Shawn gave.
"That's because your body doesn't take in healthy food like a normal persons does." Gus told Shawn. Upfront Juliet snickered trying to ignore them, but failing miserably.
"Not true,"
"Very true."
"I'm still not letting him eat one of these." Shawn put the box on the ground. "Say Chris. Do you like pineapple?" Chris nodded. "I love pineapple," Shawn smiled.
"We all know you do."
"Gus shut up!"
"I'm just saying."
"Gus!" Shawn hissed while Chris giggled. "Stop making me look like an idiot," Shawn whispered.
"You do just fine with that on your own," Gus smiled and winked at Chris who burst out laughing.
"Laugh it up Chris, you just wait." Shawn sat back in the seat with his arms crossed.
"And you're not helping yourself," Juliet commented.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shawn frowned. Chris looked from Gus, to Juliet to Shawn confused.
"Never mind," Juliet rolled her eyes.
"No tell me." Shawn pushed.
"You wouldn't be able to handle it anyways," Juliet turned in her seat so she was facing Shawn. "Try me," he challenged.
"Guys," Gus cleared his throat sending Shawn a message with his eyes: Stop it, not right now.
Juliet turned around, while Shawn slumped into the back seat. The car was filled with an awkward silence, and Chris didn't know what to make of it.
"So, am I staying with you?" he tapped Shawn.
"Yeah bud," Shawn smiled.
"I'm staying with you too." Gus turned into the Psych's parking lot. "God only knows what that kid will go through alone with you."
"I'm not that bad,"
"Shawn, I stayed one night at your house and you managed to convince me to watch Chucky."
"It's a good movie." Both Shawn and Juliet said at the same time. Juliet blushed slightly, and Shawn looked out the window.
What do you guys think? Shules or no?