Chapter Text
Shawn walked into the Santa Barbara Police Department to collect another payment. It felt different now, more like home. Like he had worked there for decades already, even though it was only a week.
"Welcome back, Henry," one of the officers said when walking by him. Odd. Not even on his worst hair days would anyone think he looked like his dad.
He spotted a new and gorgeous young female officer and approached her with his most charming smile. "You must be new here," he said. "Let me show you around."
She giggled. "Oh Henry, always the flatterer." Then suddenly she appeared 30 years older, with wrinkles and grey hairs that definitely weren't there seconds ago.
Shawn got spooked and backed away, hurrying down the corridors. More and more officers called him Henry along the way. He finally reached the interim chief's office and barged in and shut the door.
"Mr Spencer!" Vick said from behind him. At least she knew he's not Henry.
Shawn turned to face her and couldn't believe his eyes. It wasn't Vick. His dad sat in Vick's chair. The sign on the desk said "Interim Chief Henry Spencer".
"Well done on the Summerland case," said Interim Chief Spencer.
Shawn ran out the door as fast as he could and bumped into an officer. It was Lietuenant Henry Spencer. He kept running and everyone he saw was Henry, even the janitor. He passed by a mirror and saw his own face - but it was Henry's face. And, oh no, oh god no, it was Henry Spencer's hair.
Shawn woke up in a cold sweat, heart pounding. He pulled a hand through his hair and sighed with relief. He was back to himself again.
The dream was right though. In the past week he had heard the name Henry more than he had for years. Everyone at the precinct knew his dad. Working at the precinct himself would mean following in his dad's footsteps. Everyone would know him as Henry Spencer's son.
Shawn didn't want to live that life. He had spent years trying to stay as far away from that life as possible.
Solving cases was fun, sure. Outsmarting the best detectives even more so. But to be honest, having to keep track of all the secrets and lies along the way was proving to require a lot more effort than it was worth. Poor Gus had to take so much anxiety medicine over it. Shawn couldn't keep doing that to him. Thinking about it, he realized he had actually already mastered this job anyway and it wasn't even that hard. It was time to move on.
Paying the lease penalty for the new Psych office drained almost all the money Shawn had left. He learned long ago that some mistakes were more costly than others, but that didn't keep him from making them. Life was more fun diving head first into new adventures and this was probably not the last one.
Interim Chief Vick seemed disappointed when he told her he shut down the detective agency. She said her door would always be open if he changed his mind, though he was sure he wouldn't take her up on it. He barely dared to look at anyone while walking through the station in case they would all turn out to be his dad again. Leaving that building behind felt like a weight off his shoulders.
Gus almost killed him. That guy cared a lot about his credit report. It couldn't be helped though. He would come around next time Shawn found something fun for them to do. Just had to let him cool off for a while.
Shawn took a stroll down the waterfront, free as a bird. This decision felt right. Free to be Shawn Spencer again, whatever that might look like. No more psychic theatrics, no more Henry, and most of all no more cops.