So…this idea popped into my head while reading someone else's story, and I just had to write it down. I'm sure it's been done before, but I just had to put in my own version…;) WARNING: It's a tear-jerker! Character death, obviously…you were warned!

Shawn Spencer wasn't a violent person. His very personality stemmed from innocence, naïveté, and compassion. He was very lighthearted – he let bad things and insults roll off his back, always making jokes.

But with that there was also loyalty, determination, and intelligence. Especially intelligence. He was observant, more so than the average person, even the not-average person. Then he was able to make deductions from the things he'd discovered. He'd solved over a hundred cases for the SBPD, and even some not for the police, but this one was the most important. This was the one that he worked on endlessly for over a week, hardly sleeping at all. Others had noticed his haggard and tired appearance, but they thought that it was because he was simply distraught, mourning. They had no idea that it was because he was finding his best friend's killer.

His face was blank, dispassionate, as he assembled the rifle. He thought of the bastard who had shot Burton Guster, right in the heart. Shawn had shown up after he'd left, and Gus was just lying on the ground, gasping for breath.

He wasn't supposed to have been there in the first place. It had been random, they hadn't even been working on a case, but Gus had tried to stop a man from robbing a small convenience store.

Shawn pressed on the wound, face panicked, and the thought crossed his mind: This is just like Spiderman after Uncle Ben tries to stop the other thief.

"That would make you Peter Parker," Gus got out, and Shawn realized that he'd spoken aloud. "And me Uncle Ben."

"You can be Peter Parker for the rest of your life if you just hold on till the ambulance gets here." Shawn said, fighting back tears. Gus was losing, and he knew it. Both of them did.

"Shawn…" A tear slipped out of Gus' eye. "I just thought you should know…"

"Yeah," Shawn choked. "I know. Me too. But you're going to be fine, do you hear me? You have to hold on, Gus!"

"It was fun, Shawn," Gus said, almost whispering. "Us. Helping the police. Opening Psych. We were good together."

"Of course we were," Shawn said fiercely, vision blurred through his tears. "We were partners. We are partners. No one could replace you – not Lassie, or Jules, or even Boy Cat."

Gus smiled a little. "It doesn't hurt anymore, Shawn." He said, sounding peaceful.

"Hang on, buddy!" Shawn said as sirens began to sound, getting closer. "Just a little longer!"

"I'm tired, Shawn…" Gus whispered, and Shawn grasped one of his hands tightly, pressing his forehead against it as tears spilled freely.

"Shawn…" Shawn raised his head at Gus' voice, and saw that he had weakly raised a fist. Shawn immediately bumped it.

"I love you, Gus," Shawn blurted. "You're my best friend. I'll never forget you, or replace you. Ever."

Gus smiled, and another single tear slipped out of his eye, going down his cheek. He didn't say anything, but his eyes reflected Shawn's sentiment.

Then those eyes closed, and his hand dropped.

Shawn walked down the alley, to the warehouse. Gus' killer was inside, he knew. Not pausing, he checked the rifle to make sure the safety was off, and then pushed the door open.

Shawn opened the door to his apartment, not surprised to see Lassiter and Juliet there. Murder was illegal, after all.

He went peacefully, not saying a word, still dressed in his ninja outfit from not an hour before. He and Gus had worn them on multiple occasions. He said nothing as he was handcuffed and put in the back of the police car.

The car pulled away from the curb silently, and Shawn stared out the window at his apartment. The blue and red of the lights shone down the street and on the buildings, though the siren was off.

"You know you're going to jail for this?" Lassiter said from the front passenger seat, a cross between wary and gentle.

Shawn stared at him in the rearview mirror for several moments before he finally said slowly, calmly, "I don't care."

"You don't care?" Juliet repeated, turning in her seat to look at him.

Shawn shrugged, though it wasn't a nonchalant sort of shrug. It was more…peaceful.

"I don't care," he repeated. "It was worth it."