Work Text:
1980 something
"Shawn did you know there's around three people who look identical to you? I just read about it."
"There's no way that's true."
"It is look," Gus pulls out a science magazine flipping to the right page.
2010ish
It was a normal day or as normal of a day you can have when you're a fake psychic police consultant, well except for one thing Shawn was missing his pal, his confidont, his best friend, his personal pharmacist, hah Gus would hate being called his personal pharmacist,
"It makes it sound like I'm your drug dealer." Shawn can practically hear the man say.
He arrives at the crime scene very Gusless.
"One psychic detective at your service, the spirits have called me her to solve your crime, hopefully by dinner time."
It was weirdly quiet, no hello from Buzz or Jules, and it felt as though everyone was staring at him with something maybe pity, he hates when people look at him with pity not that that's something that happens often, but the weirdest part of the whole thing there wasn't any yelling from Lassie no "this is my case, Spencer" or "you weren't hired to do this case, Spencer", Shawn decides that the weird silent staring must be because he was missing his usually gagging friend.
"What is with the staring, is it because Gus isn't here," he says more an accusation then a question, "he won't pick up the phone, probably "too busy" with his "real job" to come help solve murders."
At that Jules looked away seemingly tearing up a bit, maybe the silence wasn't due to Gus being missing maybe it was someone she cared about, that would probably explain Buzz's weird behaviour too he seemed the empathetic type, but does it explain why Lassie was weirldy quiet too?
Maybe it wasn't someone Jules cared about but instead Lassie's loved one that's dead?
No Lassie would be yelling just like normal actually probably worse if it was someone he cared about, Shawn just couldn't figure out why Lassie wasn't yelling at him yet, until it hit him it was someone he himself cared about.
"You guys are looking at me like it's my loved one dead on the beach." Shawn said, pushing past to see the body.
and when seeing it for once the talkative detective had nothing to say, that body certainly looked like Gus, and dressed like Gus, and being dead would explain why he won't answer his calls, but it couldn't be Gus, they were supposed to die together old and gray after all, maybe this was a weird joke, yeah that had to be it.
"Oh haha Gus very funny, but you should get up now you're worrying Jules."
"He's dead Shawn, I checked his pulse."
"And he was clearly violently murdered," Lassie mutters under his breath, surprisingly careful to not let Shawn hear.
"Wow Gus, got Jules in on the prank too, and how much did you spend on fake blood, after this you can't complain about my impulse purchases on your card," Shawn gives Gus a kick to get him to move, admit he's not really dead, "and that is some impressive non blinking, or are you blinking when I blink?"
Gus still doesn't move remaining unblinking and having not appeared to have taken a breath since Shawn got there, ok maybe he really is dead, no Gus can't be dead, so this must be someone else someone who looks and dresses scarely similar to Gus, who is definitely alive.
"Woah," Shawn gasps pretending to be flung around by his arm, "the spirits are telling me something, what is it spitits," he slaps his hand on Lassie's head since Gus's is unavailable, something Lassie despite his eye twitching has no objection to, ok Lassie definitely thinks that's Gus, almost everyone does, "that is not Gus, that's his double taker,"
No correction from anyone, almost like they don't believe Shawn, or maybe they don't know what he means.
"After all everyone has three people who look exactly like them, and that my friends is Gus's,"
Still no one reacts, weird, this whole day is turning out weirder then Shawn expected.
Eventually everyone went down to the police station, and Shawn explained to chief Vick that she can't tell Gus's parents he's dead, since he's not.
"Are you sure that the spirit's aren't in denial," Shawn knew what she meant by that, though it was never said he knows that she knows he's not really psychic, but just because he's not psychic doesn't mean he's in denial he's still a damn good detective and he knows that Gus isn't dead.
"Chief, respectfully, they're spirits they don't do denial, and Gus's spirit hasn't come up to me to tell me who killed him, which he clearly would do."
Then Shawn's phone rang, and when he checked the caller ID he felt he could cry of relief.
"Hellllo Gus."
"Shawn why did you call me 70 times?" Gus sounded so so very sick.
"Well I wouldn't've had to call you so much if you just picked up," Shawn's voice betrayed him he clearly sounded like he was on the verge of tears.
"I was asleep, why do you sound like you're about to cry?"
"The dead guy just look a lot like you, I think he was your double taker,"
"It's doppelgänger Shawn."
"I've heard it both ways."