Sam stood in the parking lot of the Psych office for a few minutes trying to figure out how he was going to fix this. He ran a hand through his hair and then pulled out his cell phone. Al had said Spencer had tried to call O'Hara several times. He dialed her number and waited for her to answer.
"Carlton?" O'Hara's voice asked over the phone, she sounded confused.
"What are you doing tonight?" Sam asked her, getting straight to the point.
"I was going to go visit my parents and have dinner." She said.
"Cancel those plans." Sam snapped. "You have to be available tonight."
"What? Why?" She asked sounding a little bit angry now.
"Something is going to happen tonight and Spencer will need your help." There must have been something in the tone of Sam's voice and the odd behavior she'd seen him display over the past two days because after a minute of silence Sam heard a small sigh and then.
"Alright, I'll make sure I have my phone with me." She said.
"Thank you." Sam managed to say before she hung up. Al appeared at Sam's side. "Al, why haven't I leapt yet?" Sam asked him getting into Lassiter's car. Al was punching calculations into his link. He glanced up at Sam.
"Ziggy says you aren't done yet. There's still something you have to do."
"I saved Spencer's life right? Check the papers." Al nodded.
"Yes, there are still some deaths at the camp tonight, but Spencer and Guster survive and they catch the man who did it." Al said "But there's still Lassiter's dinner with his wife tonight."
"Right, dinner tonight." Sam said checking his watch. "Thanks for reminding me Al." With that Sam left for the restaurant. He arrived extremely early. He wasn't sure where the place was and he didn't figure Lassiter to be the type to be late.
When he walked through the door there was no one else in the dining area. He mumble an apology to the host and headed for the bar. He had bought flowers and had the necklace tucked in the pocket of his jacket. He decided to take off his tie last minute in the car so at least he would feel more relaxed.
The only other person in the bar was a woman sipping a martini. Sam recognized her immediately from the single picture he had found in Lassiter's apartment.
"Victoria," he said breaking the silence. She started and looked up at him.
"Carlton, you're here early." Sam shrugged. They sat in the bar for a while. Sam knew nothing about Lassiter's marriage other than the details Al had told him from the newspaper announcement Ziggy had found. After the longest hour Sam had ever experienced Lassiter's name was called and they went to sit at their table. He ordered some wine and once they had placed their food orders silence once again descended on them. Sam opened his mouth to say something at the same time Victoria did. She shut her mouth and motioned for him to continue. Sam took a deep breath.
"I know I haven't been the best husband. I close myself in with my emotions and try to hide them from the ones I love, but I'm ready for a new start. I want to restart. I want a second chance at a first impression. I'm ready to begin wearing my heart on my sleeve as they say." Sam reached in his pocket and pulled out the jewelry box. He set it gently on the table and opened it facing Victoria. "So from a man who has nothing to hide, I give you this." He smiled a little waiting for her reaction. He had expected joy or relief or anything that would be considered a positive emotion. He hadn't expected what came next.
"Oh God," Victoria breathed under her breath.
"I know it's a lot, but you know I've been working overtime and saving some cash." Sam said. She shook her head.
"No, I don't think you understand." She took a breath. "I think I didn't make myself clear. I asked you to dinner tonight to give you this." Victoria pulled a pale blue folder out of her purse and pushed it into Sam's hands. "Divorce papers, I had my attorney draw them up this morning. They're a little different than the last ones so you should read them over again." Sam stared in shock at the folder in his hands.
"I'll be right back." He said abruptly. He stood and made a quick getaway to the bathroom. He checked the stalls and then leaned against the counter where the sinks were. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. Lassiter's clear blue, grey eyes looked back at him. He ran a hand through his hair and then shut his eyes for a minute. When he opened them he could see Al standing behind him. "What do you want?" He asked Al. "Can't you see I'm having a hard time saving his marriage?" He pointed at the mirror where Lassiter's reflection pointed back at him.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole time Sam." Al said patiently. "You aren't here to save his marriage. You're here to sign the divorce papers."
"I'm supposed to sign these?" Sam asked holding up the folder.
"Yes! Doofus! That's what I've been trying to tell you since you got here." Al said exasperated finally getting through to Sam. "Lassiter didn't sign the papers last time. He ended up being involved in a huge divorce case for the next four years. It ruined him financially, it ended his career and when you combine that with Spencer's death it pushed him over the edge and he ended up committing suicide. Ziggy says there's a 98% chance that if you sign the papers tonight Lassiter will be back solving cases with Spencer before the end of the month." Sam sighed and looked at the folder in his hands.
"Thanks Al." He said and then headed back out to the table. Victoria was gone. Sam assumed she had gone to the bathroom as well. He pulled a pen out of his breast pocket and signed the papers. He was a little surprised when he didn't feel the immediate pull in his stomach that meant he was going to leap again, but didn't have time to dwell on it because at that moment Victoria reappeared.
"Carlton you knew this was coming," she started to say. Sam held up his hand.
"It's alright. I signed them while you were in the bathroom." She looked at him doubtfully and then grabbed the folder and looked through them. "Two years ago you would have lit them on fire."
"Two years ago I would have lit them on fire and put them in your purse." Sam corrected her. He stood up from the table. She stood in front of him and placed her hands on the lapel of his jacket.
"I don't think I'll ever stop loving you." She said and then leaned up and kissed him gently. Sam shook his head.
"This is for both of us. I'm letting you go so we both can move on with our lives." With that Victoria gathered her bag and left the restaurant. Sam sighed heavily. In all his leaps that was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do. He kept expecting to leap any minute, but it never came. He went back to Lassiter's apartment and fell asleep.
When he hadn't leapt by morning he was afraid something had gone wrong. He dressed quickly and went to the station. His first thought was that Spencer had still been killed the previous night. A wave of horror struck him. What if O'Hara had gone out there too and also been killed.
"Lassie!" Spencer's voice yelled as soon as he made it through the station's double doors. Sam sighed in relief. "You look awful." Shawn said. Sam shrugged.
"Are you two ok?" he asked looking around for Guster.
"Yeah, Gus and I are fine. Jules is too, but she's taking the day off."
"What was she doing up at Tikihama with you?" Sam asked scowling a little at the thought he could have put the junior detective in peril.
"We called her because there was a murdering psychopath at the camp." Gus said, clearly not pleased about the entire situation. "We had to be here to give our statements again about what happened and why there were three bodies at Camp Tikihama." Shawn had kept quiet and was looking at Sam very closely.
"You know Lassie, if I didn't know better I might think that these past couple of days you've been channeling my psychic vibes."
"Don't be ridiculous Spencer. I didn't have any of your 'visions' and I didn't dance around the room and invade people's personal space." Sam snapped still a little tired from the night before. "Just pay attention next time I try to tell you something. Ok?" He asked when neither of them responded. Shawn gave him a silly salute.
"Aye, aye Detective, now I vote we go get some smoothies." With that he started for the station door followed closely by Gus. Sam shook his head and went to go to his desk when that familiar sensation hit his stomach.
A blinding flash of light ended and Sam found himself astride a horse. He looked down to see he was wearing full western wear and then heard the gun fire behind him. He shook his head.
"Oh Boy!" He groaned.
The End