“Mr. Spencer!” The Chief bellowed, bringing her fist down on the desk. “What is wrong with you?”

“Well…” Shawn sighed, sliding casually into the plush chair across from her and crossing his legs. “I think it all started when my parents got divorced…”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she pointed an unamused finger at his chest.

“This is not a joke, Mr. Spencer!” She warned. “You interfered with an investigation and an armed fugitive got away because of it!”

Detective Lassiter and Juliet silently stepped into the office, closing the door behind them.

“Can I book him, Chief?” Lassiter growled, his eyes spitting even more venomous darts than usual at the psychic detective. “Or at least cuff him?”

“No!” Vick snapped, indicating two vacant chairs. “Sit! Now!”

Lassiter and Juliet quickly took their seats, neither of their eyes leaving Shawn for a moment.

Vick sat behind her desk, her hands clasped in white-knuckled fury in front of her.

“What the hell happened out there?” She demanded, glaring at all three of them simultaneously.

Lassiter spoke first.

“O’Hara and I were making a collar…routine stuff…” he started, but was cut off by Shawn.

“You were only making the collar in the first place because I told you who held up the jewelry store!” He spat.

Lassiter stood up angrily, ready to pummel him.

“Sit!” Vick ordered sharply in a tone she’d been affecting lately with her toddler.

Lassiter quickly sat down again, still glaring at Shawn, who returned the glower unflinchingly.

Juliet was still uncharacteristically quiet, her eyes darting back and forth between Shawn and her partner.

“We were making a collar…” Lassiter started again, his eyes daring Shawn to interrupt him one more time. “We had it under control, when this moron plows into me and knocks me over!”

“I barely touched you!” Shawn argued. “It’s not my fault you’re easier to knock over than a Jenga tower!”

“Mr. Spencer!” Vick snapped. “Let him finish!”

“That’s it, Chief.” Lassiter shrugged, thrusting an angry thumb in Shawn’s general direction. “This moron knocked me over, and the scumbag got away. O’Hara tried to chase him down, but by the time I was back on my feet again, he was gone.”

Vick’s eyes turned back to Shawn, who was slumped in his chair, his arms crossed angrily over his chest.

“He had a gun.” He muttered.

“I know he had a gun!” Lassiter barked, nearly knocking his chair over as he stood up again. “I know he had a damn gun! I’m the one who took it from him!”

“Not that gun!” Shawn shouted, standing up and going nose-to-nose with the pissed-off detective. “He had one strapped to his ankle! He was going for it! You didn’t see it!”

“He did not!” Lassiter shouted back.

“Yes, he did.” Juliet said quietly from her seat.

All eyes were suddenly on her.

“What?” The Chief asked.

Juliet leaned forward.

“He had a gun strapped to his ankle, Chief. I saw it. He was going for it. Shawn was trying to take him out.”

“Even if he did,” Lassiter snapped, not ready to concede anything. “That doesn’t change the fact that Spencer helped him get away! It’s aiding and abetting, Chief. And assaulting an officer! Charge him!”

“Go ahead!” Shawn growled, falling back into his chair. “Charge me!”

Lassiter’s cuffs were in his hands in a flash, ready to finally take down Shawn Spencer.

But the Chief stopped him before he could take a single step.

“Detective,” she intoned. “Right now, you have too much work to do tracking down an armed fugitive to worry about charging Mr. Spencer with anything.”

“But, Chief--”

“Detective.” Her eyes were unyielding. “Out.”

Lassiter scowled. He spun on his heel, making sure he rammed Shawn’s shoulder on his way out the door.

Vick sat down again, leaning back in her chair and regarding Shawn thoughtfully.

“You’d better get a psychic lead on where he is, Mr. Spencer.” She said firmly. “And you’d better pray he doesn’t rob or hurt anyone before we catch him. Because if he does…”

Shawn nodded stiffly.

“Yes, ma’am.” He mumbled, staring at the carpet in front of him.

Vick stood up again and walked to the door.

“Detective O’Hara.” She barked, glancing over her shoulder. “You’re on this case, too. Let’s go.”

“Coming, Chief.” Juliet answered, slowly getting out of her chair to follow Vick back out into the precinct.

She paused just before she left the room.

“I saw the gun, Shawn.” She said quietly, turning back around.

“Yeah. I know.” Shawn mumbled, not looking up at her.

“He was going for it. You were right.”

“I know.”

She hesitated, wanting so badly to say something else…

“If he got to it…” she continued, her voice soft. “He wasn’t going after Carlton. I was in front of him. I was in the line of fire….if he got to his gun, Shawn…he was going after me.”

“Yeah,” Shawn shrugged, standing up, his eyes finally meeting hers. “I know.”