Title: A Scanner in the Night
Author: mysteriousgirl4
Pairing:Shawn/Lassiter
Rating: M for language and themes, Slash in later chapters. Oh yes, there will
be slash.
Genre: Drama/Adventure/Romance
A/Notes:I suck at titles. I don't know anything about police codes, or police protocol. Everything I know I pick up from watching crime shows, so you're gonna have to bear with me. This is my second fic, first fic written in this style. Not yet sure how long this will be. Will mainly depend on public opinion, if people like I will write more. Thanks always to jadecastle6 who is my beta, my first reader and my eternal critic. Plus she got me onto this show so am luvin her for that too.
Summary:Shawn likes listening to the Police scanner on the nights Lassiter has patrol.
The late afternoon sun streamed in through the sign on the window of the Psych detective agency. It cast a shadow on the wall of the office that looked stretched and slanted, but cool nonetheless.
Shawn Spencer was sitting in a swivel chair, feet up on the nearest desk, staring absent mindedly at this particular shadow on the wall, his eyes were narrowed slightly and his hands were clasped together over his stomach. He was listening intently. To the police scanner he had picked up for 40 bucks from that weird guy who used to work at radio shack.
'A good deal…' Shawn thought to himself while titling his head slightly '…considering how much money it's made me'.
As he had a tendency to do, when Shawn was doing something illegal, Gus walked in. He strode in seemingly preoccupied with his head down, muttering under his breath. He stopped when he saw Shawn and took in the scene.
"What are you doing?"
Shawn clicked his tongue in mock disappointment.
"Now come on Gus. That's a pointless question and we both know it. We're supposed to be detectives!"
Gus put his pharmaceutical case down, stuck his hands on his hips and stared blankly. Shawn sighed.
"I'm obviously listening to a police scanner. I'm also trying to find us a new case. Plus, I'm considering making myself a delicious bowl of Captain Crunch. I'm multitasking. Oprah say's it's good for expanding minds."
Gus no crossed his arms and gave Shawn the look he knew as the "I'm annoyed, guess why?" look.
"Aw…. Do you want some Captain Crunch too? If only you'd said something….."
Just then, the scanner crackled to life and spat out some random numbers and an address.
"Gus! Did you hear? There's a 2319 at the mall!"
Gus dropped his arms and walked over the scanner looking intrigued.
"What's a 2319?"
"Someone just got arrested for littering!"
Gus stepped back and frowned.
"That's not a case!"
Shawn smiled.
"I know but it got you to talk didn't it?"
Gus threw his arms up and walked over to his desk, shedding his gray suit jacket as he went. He unbuttoned his top two buttons on his pale pink shirt, unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his sleeves up to just below his elbow. During which time, he got even more flustered and Shawn braced himself for the inevitable eruption he knew was bubbling below the surface. Eventually, out it came.
"I've had a horrible day Shawn. I had three meetings with different drug manufacturers, one of them to tell me that their headache pills cause delayed reflexes and the other two to tell me that I'm not doing my job well enough. Then I spent the rest of the day trying to convice my boss to first, not fire me. And second, to let me go at three because I have to come back here to my other job, which has no guarantee of steady pay and requires me to put my rent cheque in the hands of a guy who flails around and pretends to be psychic! I got up at 6:30 Shawn! I bet that you didn't get up before 12 and still had time to watch Oprah on Tivo!"
Shawn sat silent for a while and processed this information. He nodded slightly, got up, walked over to Gus's desk and took a deep breath.
"Your job is boring and monotonous and you knew that the day you applied for it. Two of those drug manufacturers have their heads up their own butts because we both know you work harder than anyone else in that place. Your boss won't fire you for the same reason and also because I'm his new squash buddy and I've been telling him good things about you, expect a promotion in a few months. He is also under the impression that you have dedicated yourself to helping teach homeless children how to read and that's where you spend your afternoons. Of course there's a guarantee of us making money because stupid people will always break the law and I will always be able to catch them out because, and follow me on this, they're stupid. You don't need to get up that early you just spend way too much time choosing your outfit and you still ended up wearing a pink shirt. I got up at 10:30 I'll have you know. And Oprah is the queen. Never forget it."
After all of this was thrown at him in quick succession, Gus stood there stunned, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. Shawn however, simply leaned back and took another deep breath to fill his empty lungs. He walked off into the kitchenette and threw back over his shoulder in his usual chipper tone:
"I'll make you some cereal but I get the official Captain Crunch bowl!"
Later that night, Gus had left the office at Shawn's insistence that he "take some time, have a bubble bath with candles and get your spirit back".
Shawn was sitting lying on the lounge with the police scanner next to him. This was a regular occurrence for him some nights. He wasn't so much listening to find cases anymore, it was more like listening to an anonymous soap opera.
"I'm pulling over this guy sarge, he's weaving all over the road…Check his license for me sarge…he's drunk as a skunk…checking his blood alcohol…breath test shows a .09, gonna book him… took a bit to get him in the car sarge he's swaying all over the place…AW CHRIST!…He's vomited all over the back seat…I just cleaned this thing!"
Shawn loved it. He never wanted to be a cop; there were too many rules and restrictions. But he could see the appeal of it, meet exciting criminals and have them vomit in your car! He laughed at that.
But if he were entirely honest with himself, which he was not yet prepared to be, Shawn particularly liked listening to the scanner on nights like tonight. Because tonight was the one magical night of the month where Detective Carlton Lassiter was on Patrol. Lassie had been stuck pulling a once a month nighttime patrol duty. It was part of Chief Vicks idea to get everyone pitching in to help, now that there was a shortage of trained cops in the area.
He didn't exactly know why he liked listening to the scanner on those nights. He thought of it like asking someone why they enjoy chocolate. They can rarely offer better explanation other than: "It tastes good." Similarly, Shawn liked listening to the scanner at nights once a month: "Just because."
He would sit and listen, waiting for that familiar voice to come over the scanner. Usually the detective would be saying something boring. The address of where he was, letting the radio commander know when he was making a stop or signing on or off for the night. But for some reason, Shawn's heart would beat a little quicker when he heard Lassiter's voice. There was something about it. He didn't talk on the scanner like he usually did during the day. At work, he would speak to Shawn through a layer of contempt and stress. When he spoke at the station his words had a tense air to them, as though he measured every syllable and forced it out through a small gap in his throat.
But on that scanner at night… He spoke calmly, relaxed and unrestrained. As though he was finally at ease, driving around Santa Barbara in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. Shawn could picture him in his dark blue officers uniform, top button undone on the short sleeved shirt. One hand resting on the top of the steering wheel with the other holding the cup of coffee that's resting on his right thigh. He could picture the detective winding the window on the patrol car down slightly, so that the cool and gentle ocean breeze could caress his face and tousle that overstyled hair. Shawn smiled and closed his eyes as he pictured Lassiter's face. Smooth and relaxed with a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he drove along the coastal road while the sun rose.
Shawn had to chuckle to himself when Lassiter's voice came over the radio in the middle of his little daydream. As he remembered, the detectives voice was calm and sounded almost serene.
"North-side patrol here, corner of Warren and Lindsay, Miss B is sleeping soundly."
Shawn knew what this seemingly random collection of words meant. The patrol cars were being told to keep an eye on a woman with a restraining order on her husband to make sure she was okay.
Noting the time, 1.15am, Shawn stifled a yawn and picked up the scanner, taking it over to the kitchenette counter so that he could make some coffee. He wasn't going to bed yet, not until Lassiter's shift ended. That was his routine.
Shawn filled up the kettle and switched it on, then he leant back against the counter and stared at the kitchen cupboards.
He dwelled again on that image of Lassiter in the car and smiled. As he did so he looked up at the window over the kitchenette and caught his reflection. His smile immediately disappeared as soon as realized what he was smiling about. Even though the evidence had been staring him in the face, it finally hit him.
He liked Lassie.
He 'more than a friend' liked him.
He continued to stare at his reflection as if his mirror image would offer more information on the subject. But of course, it didn't. His mind flooded with statements of denial. But the more denials his mind came up with, the more he realized how feeble and desperate they were. For every denial his mind came up with, he spoke the logical answer out loud.
But you can't like him! He's a guy!
Shawn shook his head
"You can't choose who you like, I've found guys attractive before."
Yeah, but Lassiter? C'mon!
Shawn smiled.
"Yeah….Lassiter."
But we fight with him all the time! We don't like him, We hate him!
"No. I like him, I always have, we fight but I…I kind of like the fighting. It's never boring."
Maybe you…"I like him."
Shawn silenced his minds defensive denials and decided to approach this the mature way for once.
"I have a crush on Lassie-Face."
At seeing his reflection say these absurd words he burst out laughing. He bent over and clutched his stomach while trying to catch his breath, struggling to hold back the giggles that now wracked his body. He eventually slid down until his was on the floor, legs spread in front of him, back up against the kitchen cabinet. His chuckling subsided however when he heard the scanner crackle back into life with that familiar voice.
"North side patrol, have noticed lights in the Munesco warehouse, know for a fact that the building is supposed to be deserted. Am going in to take a quick look around."
Shawn's felt the familiar stirrings at hearing the detectives' voice, but that was overshadowed by worry. His dad had said something about those warehouses being used by drug dealers, and Lassiter was going in by himself. A bad feeling settled in the pit of Shawn's stomach. He picked up the scanner in time to hear the female radio controller say:
"10-4 north side, do you need back-up?"
Lassiter's voice came through, still calm, obviously expecting this to be a harmless look around, maybe kids playing with the lights.
"Not at this time no, will report back as status changes."
"10-4 north side, over and out."
Shawn stood in front of the bench, leaning over, elbows resting on the countertop and scanner clasped in his hands waiting for some indication that his worries were pointless and that Lassiter was just doing a routine inspection that wouldn't amount to anything.
After what felt like an eternity the scanner crackled back into life again.
"This is north side patrol, have spotted two males, I have a heavy suspicion of narcotics possession and am pursuing on foot."
Shawn sucked in a breath.
"10-4 north side patrol, are either of the suspects armed?"
"……"
"North side patrol, are either of the suspects armed?"
"……North side patrol do you copy?"
Shawn grabbed his keys and headed for the door. He locked the door quickly, jumped on his motorcycle and sped off in the direction of the Munesco Warehouse.