"Wow, Shawn. Just wow," Gus said, shaking his head at his friend.
"No, Gus, you don't understand. I'm serious! How often am I this serious?"
"Never. Which is exactly why I think that you are absolutely insane!! You're getting over your head, Shawn. Take a break. The lightning must be messing with your head. I'm going home."
"Gus, don't be a blue shell from Mario Kart, you heard me. That serial killer is after me, and I can't stop him without you!" Shawn screamed, and as he did, a pineapple plush flew across the room from behind Shawn and hit Gus square in the face. Gus freaked.
"Shawn! How did you do that? What's happening?" Gus couldn't help but be frightened of his closest friend.
"I - I don't know..." Shawn said. His body began to shake and he starting crying silently. Gus stared at Shawn, now sitting on the couch next to him. "Gus, what's wrong with me?"
"I don't know, Shawn. I don't know." Then a phone started ringing, playing the tune of 'Mr. Bootyman'. "I told you to change that ringtone!"
"It's Jules," sniffled Shawn. He hit answer. "Hey, Jules."
"Hey Shawn. I was going to visit, but then Sylar came to Santa Barbara and then I heard that you were discharged and -"
"Jules, it - it's okay. I'm gonna be at the station soon anyways," he said. He took a deep breath, and the tears were gone.
"Okay," Jules smiled from her desk into the phone, "see you soon."
He hung up and turned his phone off. Completely. "Gus... I can't believe that you fell for that!"
"I'm sorry about bursti- wait, what?"
"Yeah, you totally missed my insane ninja throw of that pineapple plushie! Which is good, I guess, because it was a ninja throw," Shawn chuckled.
"Come on, son!" Gus shouted.
"Oh, yeah! I got you so good. Anyways, why don't you take the car. I'm going to take the motorcycle and then kidnap Jules from the station and take her on a lovely walk on the beach," Shawn lied. Well, about the first part. Maybe I'll take Jules anyway.
"Uh-huh. Yeah, whatever. I'll see you there," Gus said as he grabbed his keys. After making sure Gus was gone, he turned his attention to a pen on his desk. He stared intently at it, willing it to move. After about a minute, it rolled off of his desk and onto the floor. He grinned in satisfaction.
**********
Shawn pranced gleefully into the station, beaming at all of the officers as they walked by him. "Shawn! Where have you been? I've been waiting for fifteen minutes!"
"Gus! You would never believe it! I hit every single red light on the way here," Shawn said, hoping that the lie was enough for him to be able to get through.
"Every single one?" Gus asked, eyebrows raised.
"Yep," Shawn replied, popping the 'p'.
"Wow. That's rough, man."
Shawn nodded, though inside, he was ecstatic that Gus was so easily persuaded. Sorry buddy! Shawn thought. He walked past Gus to Juliet's desk. "Hello, my lovely lady!"
"Shawn, I'm working," Jules said. Shawn extended his lip out into a dramatic frown. "You know, if you leave your lip like that, a bird will come along and poop on it. Or so the legend says."
"Jules, don't be ridiculous. We're inside. Plus, why would I let anything ruin my lips that are so perfect for kissing you with?" As he said the last six words, he leaned in and pecked her on the cheek.
She giggled. "Stop it Shawn! I'm working."
"Spencer! Leave O'Hara alone!"
Shawn rolled his eyes and sighed at Jules, then turned to Lassiter. "Lassie! The spirits are telling me that you don't want me here."
"Damn straight," Lassiter said.
"They're also telling me that you should suck it!" Shawn said, making Jules laugh again. Lassiter rolled his eyes and went back to his work.
"Mr. Spencer! Care to join Mr. Guster and I?" The Chief asked. "There's a murderer to catch."
"Of course Chief!" Shawn walked into her office, where Gus was already sitting comfortably.
"So, as you may or may not be aware, there is a man going by the name of Sylar, and he is after all psychics. He recently came to Santa Barbara, and has already killed two of the psychics in the city. We kept this in the dark, even from you two, because we didn't want your antics getting you killed any sooner than he would have come after you."
"Aw, thanks Chief," Shawn said, covering his heart with his hands. Suddenly, a pounding headache hit and Shawn cried out softly.
"Shawn! Are you okay?"
"Mr. Spencer?"
Shawn replied to neither Gus nor the Chief. He was in a stupor, eyes glazed over.
**********
Shawn was at his dad's house. He wandered inside, then heard a gunshot. "Dad!" He yelled. No reply. He raced to the basement where the sound had come from. He saw a man, dressed in all black, holding a still smoking gun. His dad was the floor, unconscious. "NO!" Shawn screamed. He raced at the man, hoping to knock him to the floor, but instead ended up going through him. He turned back to his dad, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Shawn?"
"Dad?" Shawn was confused. It was his dad's mouth that was moving, but Gus' voice.
"Shawn!"
**********
"Shawn!" Gus shook his friend's limp body. The haze cleared from Shawn's eyes.
"Gus... my dad..."
"What happened? Shawn, what just happened?"
Shawn looked sadly at the concerned people surrounding him, and shrugged Gus' hands off of his shoulders. He looked at his best friend with a look that said I'm sorry, then raced out of the station and hopped on his bike and drove to his dad's house.
**********
Knock! Knock!
"Hey, Shawn."
"Dad! You're okay!"
"Of course I am," Henry said as Shawn pushed past his dad into the house. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I - I was at the station and I had a vision. Like a real vision. And some guy... he shot you! And I couldn't -"
"Hey! Hey. Shawn. Look at me. I'm fine, aren't I? Nothing to worry about," Henry calmed his shaking son down.
"But, that's not it. You know how the doctor said that it looked like my brain activity was high? Because I'm "psychic", he shrugged it off. But we both know that's not true. Watch this." Shawn took a deep breath. He then grabbed the remote and put it on the table. He stared hard at it, and quicker than the pen, flopped off of the table. "Dad, the lightning did something to me."
