Inbetween the Lines
Unfinished Psych fanfic. The idea's been in my head for a while, so I just jotted down the key scenes. Dialogue isn't my strong point, which is why, ironically, that's what it's mostly written in.
I've seen all of series one, and a bit of series two, so this would probably come somewhere between them, although it does completely derail the second series.
“You can’t get involved with a single mother, Shawn!”
“Why not?”
“She has a child, Shawn. She’s somebody’s mother. And you are not responsible enough to cope that.”
“I’m responsible. Gus, I’m responsible. Remember that time - oh, look - ”
“Shawn, are you listening to me? This is going to be a big deal to that kid.”
*
Shawn’s face clouded as his mind tried to make sense of what he’d just heard.
“Lorraine’s dead?”
“I’m afraid so, Shawn.” Juliet laid a hand on his arm. He didn’t notice. “It was suicide.”
“What? No...Lorraine wouldn’t kill herself.”
Juliet didn’t reply.
“She wouldn’t!”
“I’m sorry Shawn, but she did.”
“What about Tommy? Where’s Tommy?”
“He’s gone to his grandmother’s house. Shawn, maybe you should -”
Gus stepped forward, and put his arm around Shawn’s shoulders. “Shawn, let’s - ”
Shawn shook himself free of both of them. “I want to look at the crime scene.”
Juliet looked torn.
“This wasn’t suicide Jules, this was murder. I need to see the scene of the crime.”
Juliet looked behind her, looking for Lassiter. She saw that he’d left the room, and was talking to the chief. She turned back and nodded at Shawn. “Be quick.”
*
Nothing seemed out of place in the kitchen. Shawn looked around.
"Shawn, you need to realise-"
Ignoring Gus, Shawn walked over to the fridge.
"Gus, I know Lorraine wouldn't kill herself. So we just need to find someone who did."
He opened the fridge. Apart from a forgotten pineapple in the salad drawer, it was empty.
"Shawn, doesn't this look like-"
"No, no, Gus, Lorraine always does her shopping at the end of the month. That would be tomorrow, of course the refrigerator's bare."
"She lets it get that empty?"
"Well, not usually. But she has been a bit absent-minded lately."
"Depressed?"
*
“Well, can’t you...I don’t know, talk to her ghost, or just psychically see what happened, or get a message through one of her figurines or something?”
“No, Juliet! No, I can’t. I can’t hear anything.”
“But you’re a psychic! You’ve solved so many cases! There must be a way -”
“No, Jules, I’m not. I’m not psychic, okay? I never was.”
*
“Shawn?”
“Yeah, Tommy?”
“My mommy didn’t kill herself, did she?”
Shawn looked at Juliet.
“You’re psychic, you can talk to her. Can you talk to her for me? Please, Shawn?”
Behind Tommy, Juliet nodded. Shawn crouched down and looked into the little boy’s face. “Your mommy’s happy, Tommy. She didn’t want to leave you. And one day, after you’ve had a long and happy life, you’ll be with her again.”
Tommy looked at him pleadingly.
"She said that she loves you very much."
Tommy burst into tears, and Shawn hugged him, tearing up a little himself. When he opened his eyes, Juliet had gone.
*
“I don’t want to see you again, Shawn. I've transferred to another city.”
“Jules...”
“No, Shawn. You lied to me, to everyone, about being psychic. You let people believe that you talk to their dead grandmothers, their dead mothers...that’s not fair.”
“It helps them!”
She shrugged.
“I’ve helped people, Jules. I’ve solved so many cases, I’ve helped -”
“Goodbye, Shawn.”
She walked away.
I've seen all of series one, and a bit of series two, so this would probably come somewhere between them, although it does completely derail the second series.
“You can’t get involved with a single mother, Shawn!”
“Why not?”
“She has a child, Shawn. She’s somebody’s mother. And you are not responsible enough to cope that.”
“I’m responsible. Gus, I’m responsible. Remember that time - oh, look - ”
“Shawn, are you listening to me? This is going to be a big deal to that kid.”
*
Shawn’s face clouded as his mind tried to make sense of what he’d just heard.
“Lorraine’s dead?”
“I’m afraid so, Shawn.” Juliet laid a hand on his arm. He didn’t notice. “It was suicide.”
“What? No...Lorraine wouldn’t kill herself.”
Juliet didn’t reply.
“She wouldn’t!”
“I’m sorry Shawn, but she did.”
“What about Tommy? Where’s Tommy?”
“He’s gone to his grandmother’s house. Shawn, maybe you should -”
Gus stepped forward, and put his arm around Shawn’s shoulders. “Shawn, let’s - ”
Shawn shook himself free of both of them. “I want to look at the crime scene.”
Juliet looked torn.
“This wasn’t suicide Jules, this was murder. I need to see the scene of the crime.”
Juliet looked behind her, looking for Lassiter. She saw that he’d left the room, and was talking to the chief. She turned back and nodded at Shawn. “Be quick.”
*
Nothing seemed out of place in the kitchen. Shawn looked around.
"Shawn, you need to realise-"
Ignoring Gus, Shawn walked over to the fridge.
"Gus, I know Lorraine wouldn't kill herself. So we just need to find someone who did."
He opened the fridge. Apart from a forgotten pineapple in the salad drawer, it was empty.
"Shawn, doesn't this look like-"
"No, no, Gus, Lorraine always does her shopping at the end of the month. That would be tomorrow, of course the refrigerator's bare."
"She lets it get that empty?"
"Well, not usually. But she has been a bit absent-minded lately."
"Depressed?"
*
“Well, can’t you...I don’t know, talk to her ghost, or just psychically see what happened, or get a message through one of her figurines or something?”
“No, Juliet! No, I can’t. I can’t hear anything.”
“But you’re a psychic! You’ve solved so many cases! There must be a way -”
“No, Jules, I’m not. I’m not psychic, okay? I never was.”
*
“Shawn?”
“Yeah, Tommy?”
“My mommy didn’t kill herself, did she?”
Shawn looked at Juliet.
“You’re psychic, you can talk to her. Can you talk to her for me? Please, Shawn?”
Behind Tommy, Juliet nodded. Shawn crouched down and looked into the little boy’s face. “Your mommy’s happy, Tommy. She didn’t want to leave you. And one day, after you’ve had a long and happy life, you’ll be with her again.”
Tommy looked at him pleadingly.
"She said that she loves you very much."
Tommy burst into tears, and Shawn hugged him, tearing up a little himself. When he opened his eyes, Juliet had gone.
*
“I don’t want to see you again, Shawn. I've transferred to another city.”
“Jules...”
“No, Shawn. You lied to me, to everyone, about being psychic. You let people believe that you talk to their dead grandmothers, their dead mothers...that’s not fair.”
“It helps them!”
She shrugged.
“I’ve helped people, Jules. I’ve solved so many cases, I’ve helped -”
“Goodbye, Shawn.”
She walked away.