Chapter Text
Sitting on the Santa Barbara pier, Shawn and Gus never thought that the world could be this beautiful as they ate their meals. It was a bright afternoon at the restaurant that the two men frequented. Their waitress quietly continued to serve them and Shawn, obviously, flirted with her causing Gus to roll his eyes.
“You can’t keep doing that Shawn.” Gus remarked.
“Do what?” Shawn was completely oblivious.
“Keep getting in relationships- or at least promising them. You’re already in three.” Gus gestured annoyed. Shawn nodded.
“But what’s wrong with one more?” Shawn joked. Gus sassily side-eyed him, clicking his tongue at him.
“Come on…are you jealous, love?” Shawn prodigally spoke and leaned over, brushing his hand against the other man’s. Gus, with floridity, shrugged him off as Shawn chuckled.
“Fine, you’re right. Our system is fine as it is.” Shawn lifted his arms, admitting with a hint of laughter in his voice. He took another bite of his food.
“You know that’s right.” Gus agreed, they both knew that their new dynamic with the two detectives was already a tad complicated but they liked it that way. They all found a way to complete one another. Juliet was thoughtful and mature but could be as silly and quick-witted when she wanted. Carlton could put on a sour façade from time-to-time but he was mostly a mellow person who always had time and patience for others. The four knew they all fit together well and that’s why it worked.
Shawn and Gus were surprised by how successful their dynamic was at first (even with challenges) but they soon came to realize that if you’re perfect for each other, you’re perfect for each other. Shawn and Gus finished their meals and began their stride to the blueberry when Shawn received an urgent call from the chief. She demanded they both be there as soon as possible and with confused, anxious expressions they sped away in a blue streak.
🍍
When the two arrived they were thrown into chaos. Everyone swarming and collecting papers, it was a disastrous mess. They walked further into the precinct to see their partners looking at the projector. It was a mysterious note and a flash popped into Shawn’s head. As soon as the two stumbled closer and saw the letter, Shawn became sure. The Yin-Yang killer.
“Attention Everyone! We received this letter an hour ago, so I want all ears when Detective Lassiter reads this out.” Chief Vick yelled and the chaos ceased. Carlton started to read out the note. It was a disastrous accumulation of a variety newspaper and magazines that created the ransom-like note. Yang was ready for a challenge, a new competitor. Someone was going to die tonight but whose responsibility was completely up in the air. Lassiter was head detective and it did make sense for the sake of the theme but when the note was flipped over they all knew who it was. Eyes fell towards the psychic who stood shocked at the note. He glared at his own face on the back. He was the challenger. He was the one Yang wanted. Gus placed a hand on his shoulder, consoling him.
A serial killer was after him and it was like his mind completely malfunctioned. He took a deep breath and Chief Vick guided him to a man with strawberry blonde hair who wore blue ankle weights. He was an expert, fascinated by Mr. Yang and has been following their moves since the first group of victims in ’95. He understood Yang more than he should, I guess that’s why he was perfect. That fact, however, didn’t stop from Shawn getting a pit in his stomach when he even looked at the guy. His name was Mary, odd enough but fitting. Apparently, it was some family name which didn’t change Shawn’s opinion but they moved onto Yang’s behavior. His pattern, psychology. Yang was the stereotypical serial killer: calculated, sociopathic and somewhat overly theatrical. Mary was delighted to talk about it, which continued to churn Shawn’s stomach. He pushed it down as the riddle was read.
“She serves the General
Well today whose soldiers wait to die.
In a white river they shall pay
for them she will not cry.
Who is she?
It came with a stopwatch already running, a classic Yang move.”
Mary added lightly while starting a stopwatch of his own. Lassiter started to jump the gun, shouting to get this done fast. Shawn just stood, glaring at the typography. Trying to attach meaning to these words. He put his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes. Flashes came from behind his lids, the waitress. The waitress from where they ate just before arriving.
“It’s the waitress from the restaurant Gus and I went to before we got here!” Shawn shouted and started to guide the group before he was stopped by his father. Shawn walked passed him with little acknowledgment.
“Shawn! Shawn! I’m not letting my son be bait for a serial killer!” Vick tried to calm him while Shawn continued to lead the group. His father’s yelling got louder and Shawn stopped.
“Dad, now’s not the time. If you want to worry about me that’s fine but I have to save someone’s life.” Shawn turned away, walking away with everyone. Henry hung his head to the side as they left his view. The ride to the restaurant was awkward and anxious, they wanted to save the girl but they also wanted to get away from the Spencer’s family drama that littered their precinct. It didn’t take much driving to get there, the stopwatch blinked with only 10 minutes on its face but that didn’t seem to be enough. They came upon the waitresses locker and it was Yang, taunting them again in cereal. Shawn joked while trying to grab the next clue, which made Gus roll his eyes even if he knew the true motivation behind his behavior. When Shawn opened it the clue he sighed, he felt like this was leading nowhere. He felt like he was chasing a ghost. They had to head back to where they started. The station was a lot less chaotic than the last time, everyone was silent with anticipation. No one knew how they were supposed to feel, Yang was such a big threat and they didn’t know if anyone could hold up. Even their best.
Shawn felt a vibrating in his pocket and his mother was calling him. He answered.
“Shawn? Goose, is that you?” His mother questioned,
“Yes Mom, why did you decide to call?” Shawn walked into the empty conference room.
“Your father told me about Yang-‘ Shawn groaned, ‘-Shawn,” She projected, “I’m in town-“
“Mom, don’t let Henry worry you, I have this under control! You can head home, just please-“
“No, Shawn. I’m here because I care and I don’t want you hurt, you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am…” Shawn let out a defeated sound and his mother continued.
“I’ll be down there soon so please stay safe, honey.” She added sweetly, Shawn agreed softly and their conversation ended. The psychic was still mad at his father for worrying his mother in such a way, he had it under control but he guessed that he couldn’t be trusted. He took a deep breath before noticing Mary and Gus walk in with McNab that carried a hamster cage with a small, white rat inside. He heard the sound of the stopwatch beep as it was placed onto the large, wooden table. They all moved closer, the two detectives coming in with them to examine the cage. Silence dropped as they searched solely with the clue that Mary had read out like before.
"Meet my little buddy Ben.
Pitter patter is your hint.
If you can't remember when,
just read the fine print.”
Fine Print? They searched the cage wondering what it meant. Lassiter pointed it out and held the rat as they removed the newspaper. They read out the sections, previous cases worked by their agency. It was Mary who did noticed this but Shawn was too tired to feel even slightly freaked out more than he already was. They worked together, learning too much about Gus’ interests in the process but they quickly moved on. In those clues led to the train that would be passing in Santa Barbara in around twenty minutes. Another race to a location led them to jumping in a train cart which the next letter laid.
"A moving picture is worth a thousand words,
so read the story and follow the birds.
P.S. Once you're there you'll hear a phone.
You have eight rings to pick up,
or the girl is dead.
Shame on me, that didn't even rhyme.”
Shawn glared at the letter, he thought closely before being cut off by Mary finally catching up. Ankle weights, a man’s only weakness (Mary’s only weakness and possibly Ryan Reynolds’??). He went back to the page, it was obvious to him now. So obvious, he heard the birds and looked towards the sky. Gus and Mary followed behind as they began to hear rings. They sped towards the device and the psychic grabbed it.
“The phone! That’s five rings, answer it.” Shawn just looked at it, examining it. Shawn looked around, Gus shaking him.
“Answer it!”
“It started ringing when we were only three feet away…”
“So?”
“He’s watching us…” He paused, “I won’t be your pawn anymore! I’m not gonna play your little game!”
“What’re you doing? You know this means that you might be killing someone.”
“No, I’m not. Yang wants someone to play with, that means he needs someone to play, engage. So- if I don’t….he won’t.”
“I hope you’re right.”
🍍
“Shawn! What were you thinking? You could be an accessory to murder if Yang goes through with it.” Lassiter yelled while the four sat in the Psych office.
“He won’t, trust me Lassie.” Gus stood awkwardly before picking up a model plane. The three stared at the man in confusion.
“Hey, guys, check it out! This plane is much smaller compared to me,” He started to swat at it, “I’m King Kong.”
“Baby…no..” Juliet shook her head and Carlton followed. Shawn gave him a hidden thumbs-up, Gus smiled.
A ring then jumped from the phone. Shawn grabbed it and a message was received.
“What is it?”
“A message. ‘You’ve been a naughty, naughty boy Shawn.’”
“Sounds like another chance to catch this guy.” Lassiter stood up.
“For you.”
“What do you mean for me Spencer?”
“I’m- done. I’m not a pawn or a puppet. I’ve played these games enough, if he wanted to kill that girl he would’ve just done it.” Lassiter shook his head.
“Game? This is serious Shawn.” Juliet exclaimed.
“When you have a serial killer chasing after you, I’ll have my pompoms ready but for now, I’m not playing this sicko’s game!”
Juliet stormed off and Lassiter followed close behind. Gus looked on, still holding the plane.
“So it’s over?”
“‘Course not, it’s just easier to do my thing alone.”
“You mean our thing?” Gus smirked
“You know that’s right.” Shawn laughed.
Shawn and Gus sat at Psych, trying to pull anything together to track Yang. Then, it came to Shawn. The car that she drove. She drove a Black Jeep, he saw the same car at the beach earlier when they were chasing Yang. He had her car. Find the car, find the girl. Shawn picked up the Psych office phone and called Lassiter.
“Lassie, try looking for a Black Jeep. It belonged to the waitress, that is the key to finding Yang and the girl.” Lassiter was silent on the other line before a sigh was heard by Shawn.
“Well, we are looking at it right now at the Stonewall Hotel and Suites. Meet us in room 1863.” Lassiter hung up.
🍍
The room was small, and had a cast of warm light from the shapely lamp in the corner of the room. The wallpaper was bland but obviously tampered with by the serial killer. They found the girl next to the oak table near the window. She looked tired, she was tied to a chair and gagged. She stumbled as she was moved out of the room by help of an officer. Shawn entered the room and Gus followed. Shawn stopped, that purse. He knelt down to the chair next to the lamp and held it in his hands, looking to his side to see the inner contents of the bag on the closet door of the blank hotel room. It was the Yin-Yang symbol, with a 12-year-old Shawn’s face on the side of Yin. Yang would stop at nothing to get him to play. He looked closer at the symbol, it made his suspicions more likely. Juliet picked up a note far from Shawn’s perception.
“Shawn no longer wants to play,
Stakes too low to make you stay?”
“No..No…” Shawn kept repeating, bearing his head into the purse. Gus stepped forward and Shawn lifted his head with horror. Gus could see Shawn’s eyes through his shades, they were wider than he’s ever seen.
“He’s got her Gus….He- has my mom.” Shawn trembled and Gus embraced him.
“You’ll find her.” Shawn nodded, nuzzling his face into his shoulder.
“Shawn!” Lassiter directed Shawn to the bathroom. The room was bright and a mirror consumed most of the room. The mirror that not only held reflections but a riddle written in lipstick. It was from his mother’s purse, he recognized the color from years of wearing it. It taunted him like every other thing that Yang did. Another detail to cause as much pain as he could muster. Monstrous. Yang was monstrous.
“You should be moving as most people do,
But you sit and enjoy the vu.
P.S. Mom says, ‘Hi’ or ‘Bye’ just in case.”
“Why’d he spell it like that?” Shawn leaned forward, Mary stepped into the bathroom.
“Misdirect. We’re nearing the end of the game.” Mary examined and looked at it with glory. Shawn just looked.
“I know what he wants me to do.” Eyes were moved to him.
🍍
The drive in movie theatre had been around since the beginning of Santa Barbara or at least it had seemed that way. It was a time capsule of the people before their time, harvested from history. It was quiet with everyone in their cars. The night was still and the moon poked from behind the clouds as the SBPD stepped onto the grass of the outside cinema. Eyes were drawn to it in an instant, a trained red dot with an unseen target. The officer’s split and Shawn walked into the crowd of alined cars in pursuit of his mother. He saw her, looking forward and gagged in horror. She was forced to watch her own death. Shawn looked at the dot again and then back at his mother. She looked at her hands and a threatening red light flashed from betwixt her hands. Shawn knew Yang had taken the game more serious. He released his mother from her gag. She pointed her eyes towards the same Black Jeep he had known to look for and inside, a woman. A familiar woman. Shawn stood from his crouching and slowly walked to her. Yang’s black eyes trailed over his face, they seemed to say ‘come in, make yourself comfortable’. The psychic got inside, sitting next to the killer. They didn’t speak a word for a moment. Shawn took in every detail like he had been trained. He saw her hands, they were clean but dry and clutched a detonator. The clairvoyant looked at her and he felt words bubble in his throat. They emerged with no bounds and as a silent whisper.
“Why?” He asked, Yang smiled with crooked teeth.
“Because, I’m done. It’s perfect, I finish my thrilling career and you get my name under your belt.”
“That- why me?”
“You’re a star, Shawn - and with our history, it’s the least I could do.” She said dreamily, his skin crawled as she spoke.
“They’re here!” Lassiter yelled as they approached the car. Shawn watched as Yang was pulled from the Jeep without breaking her eyes from him. Gazing at him with those black circles. Nothing was there but accomplishment. She had gotten what she wanted. Shawn enabled her. It was all a game, from the start like he had said falsely before. She had decided that her last time would be without bloodshed. She was pulled away out of his sight and he sat there. He slid out, seeing the last of the apprehension of her being put in the squad car. Her crooked smile stayed. The bomb squad surrounded the car where his mother sat and they slowly moved the popcorn to find only a flashing LED light inside. They all looked confused but Shawn already knew. The detonator was fake, everything organized was without any real harm. Yang smiled widened as her head lay on the window, chuckling to herself in amusement. They had really played them all. Footsteps came closer behind Shawn and a voice broke.
“Shawn, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just getting some freaky deja vu. I remember her.”
“You mean, you’ve met Yang before?” Gus looked at Shawn who nodded before continuing.
“Yeah, I remember it was weird.” Shawn glanced to the ground.
“I would think meeting a serial killer would be strange.”
“It’s even weirder when you’re 12.” Shawn glared at him as he whispered those words. Gus paused, shocked for a moment.
1991
It was late autumn, his feet crunched as he stomped and crunched on the once green leaves. The cracked street hushed as he decelerated with the concrete, his eyes glued to the ground as he continued rigid steps onto each leaf. This was Shawn’s favorite time of year, he got to live with his mom and take a break from his father’s antics. It made him happy to have quiet once in a while. The wind whipped through his hair as he continued his journey to his mother’s house. He was around a block away when he finally lifted his head. There was a forgotten piece of paper that had landed directly under his shoe and he concluded that it belonged to the woman taking the groceries out of her car. Shawn picked it up and walked towards the woman, she had dark coils that went to her shoulders that matched her black eyes. She looked to be older, possibly around 32. Shawn couldn’t be sure. He took a moment to where her arms weren’t full to approach her.
“Excuse me, ma’am. You dropped this.” He held up the coupon, the woman lifted her eyes to him and she brightened. Her black eyes shrieked as she smiled crookedly and twisted at him.
“Thank you, young man.” She held the coupon for a moment before taking it from him.
Shawn backed away and the woman stepped with him. He started to run and never looked back.
It was the next day when he saw her again. He went to his kitchen to see the woman waiting in the driveway talking to his mother. His mom looked sympathetic as she talked, nodding every so often. He could see the woman’s face as she rambled. Her black eyes never lit up, her crooked mouth never ceased its position. His mother waved at her for a moment before stepping into the house.
“Why are you talking to that lady?”
“She just walked up to our driveway this morning. She started talking about you. She wanted to take a photo with ‘the young man that helped her’.” His mom smiled.
Shawn tried arguing with her, “She’s - weird. She’s creepy mom, please!”
“Shawn!” She was shocked at his words, “She’s said all these nice things about you and she seems lonely. She’s only wants one photo and she’ll leave.”
Shawn was uncomfortable but defeated, looking at her through the window. Her black eyes glared at him. His mother grabbed his hand and harshly guided him towards the woman. Shawn cautiously stepped closer and the woman slowly snaked her arm around Shawn’s shoulders. Shawn tried to put on a smile. Beside him a devious, twisted one grew. She walked away after that without a word. His mother looked on at her, not really knowing how she would even receive the image. He would remember that smile for the rest of his life, haunting his childhood. He was told to shrug it off, but it was something inside him that kept him awake. He remembers the nightmares, sleepless nights and getting up in the middle of the night to look outside his window just in case. It was like he knew that she was there. Like he knew she was always watching. He never got any flashes from her memory, it was always instinct.