Present day- New York City

"Lizzy!"  A voice calls out as I hurry out of the New York Times building. I turn to see my best friend, Katherine, running after me.

"Are you joining me for a lunch break?" I ask and Katherine nods quickly.

"Yes, Tony and Jack have been hassling me about this article all week and I need to not be around them for an hour or so," She replies and the two of us hurry down to this quaint little restaurant on a street corner. Cars and people flood the streets of New York City rushing to and from lunch hours, doing whatever it is that needs done. Katherine and I push between people and open the door to the restaurant. The two of us find a booth and we sit down. "So, how's the investigative journalism going?" Katherine asks me and I shrug.

"I never thought I was going to have to do half of what I have been doing. Last Friday night, I snooped on a gang's secret meeting pretending to date someone who is pretending to be a gang member. Kath, you never told me that this was going to be a risky business," I say and Katherine sighs.

"I told you to stick the advice columns, but you didn't listen to me. You haven't listened to an ounce of my advice since we roomed together in college," Katherine states and I put my hands up innocently.

"I just wanted an exciting job, not necessarily a dangerous one," I explain and Katherine ignores me.

"Thought you were old enough to handle it," Katherine responds and I shoot her a glare. She scrolls her phone notifications which reveals Jack's name with a heart emoticon next to it.

"I am old enough to handle it!" I complain, "Are you sure you are old enough to handle your feelings for Jack?"

"Elizabeth Taylor!" Katherine exclaims, turning her phone off. "I thought working at the Times would be exciting enough for you, but nooooo. Apparently, it takes a dangerous job and snooping in some of my business to be exciting."

"I didn't mean it like that, Kath. I'm sorry," I apologize and Katherine lets out a huff and closes her purse.

"It's okay, Liz. I get it. You are single and you have just gotten the job. I'm a kind of a veteran at the Times," Katherine reasons, "You are itching to do something big from doing non-committal and blasé journalism jobs and investigating for a big newspaper is a really big deal."

"Yeah, but it still gives me no reason to be a jerk to you," I say and Katherine shrugs.

"I guess there is some explaining that I have to do about Jack," She says nervously as she fiddles with the sleeves of her shirt.

This whole scene seems really familiar and I get a small sense of deja vu.

Flashback to when Lizzy was 14 years old.

"Gus!!!" I shout as I chase after him, "Gus, you wouldn't! The last time you did something like this, we were what, ten years old?" I am really playing to his ego here. At least Gus doesn't care that much about his ego. Well, not as much as....

"Shawn!!!" Gus shouts and a fourteen year old Shawn Spencer comes running out from behind a bush, "Shawn, you're gonna get caught!" Shawn runs as fast as his legs will carry him.

"Got it!" Shawn says and he runs over to Gus and I holding some kind of yellow slushie in his hand.

"A slushie, really?" I ask and Gus's jaw drops.

"You risked my non-existent criminal record for a slushie!" Gus gapes and Shawn nods.

"Yep. A pineapple one," Shawn says as he plays with the straw, "Okay, Gus. Your turn.

"My turn?" Gus asks and Shawn shoots him a look.

"Go do your thing. It wasn't easy for me to steal this," Shawn says as he fiddles with the straw some more. Gus looks at me and I silently plead with him not to do what he was planning on doing.

"I'm not going to do it," Gus declares and I give a small sigh of relief. I'm off the hook.

"Why not? Scared Liz..." Shawn starts.

"It's Lizzy to you, Spencer," I say and Shawn backs up dramatically.

"Gus! Gus, help! My ego has suffered permanent damage!" Shawn starts and I roll my eyes.

"Deal with it, Spencer!" I say before running back in the direction of my house. Gus starts to run after me.

"You know you treat Chris the same way you treat Shawn?" He calls out and I resist the urge to punch my cousin in the nose.

"Shut up, Gus! There are easier people to deal with than both of them. Forget I ever had a crush on Chris, Gus. Chris has been really annoying since Junior High," I say and stick a hand in my pocket. A small piece of paper falls onto the ground when I do. Gus picks up the paper for me and something catches his eye.

"Liz, what is..." He starts to ask as he flips the paper open, "this?" Chris Peterson's phone number stares back at Gus. 

"Gus, no!" I start to say, but Gus closes the paper and holds it between his fingers.

"Liz, I thought you didn't like him," Gus says and I shrug nervously.

"Yeah, well, um. He may have asked for it and I may have given it to him," I explain and Gus sighs.

"Lizzy, even I know that there's more to it than that. Elizabeth Taylor does not just call anyone. He has to meet her specifications. And even then..." Gus trails off and I roll my eyes.

"Fine. I may be going soft. Especially around him," I explain and Gus slings his arm around my shoulders. "Tell me more."

And I did.

End Flashback

"Liz? You good?" Katherine asks as I think about that crazy night when we were young.

"Hmm, yeah," I say and Katherine laughs.

"What was it about or should I say who?" Katherine asks with a small laugh and I roll my eyes.

"I was thinking about my cousin. We were really close growing up," I say and Katherine smiles at me.

"Oh yeah. Is it Gus? The one you talked about all the time in college?" Katherine asks and I nod.

"Yep. We talked so much in college and I hardly talk to him now," I say sadly.

"Life gets busy, Liz. I'm sure he misses you," Katherine says reassuringly.

"He's probably mad that I'm in New York and not California," I say as I play with the straw in my drink.

"Well, if he wanted to be close to his family, he should have moved out here," Katherine says and she checks her phone, "Crap! We're going to be late."

"Don't be a slacker, McFly," I joke and Katherine rolls her eyes.

"I forget how much you love those movies until you bring them up, " Katherine says with a laugh. The two of us leave the small restaurant and hurry back over to the Times building. As I walk back to my desk, the receptionist named Hannah walks up to me with a manila file folder in her hand.

"Miss Taylor, you are to go out on your next assignment today. Mr. Chip didn't like the kind of danger that you were in for this last one so he has picked something else out. He also picked out someone who you will find trustworthy. At least I hope you do!" Hannah says excitedly as she leads me to my desk. A tall man stands next to my desk and he smiles at me.

"Hey there," He says with the slightest hint of flirtation in his voice.

"Hi," I say casually and Hannah chuckles.

"Isn't he handsome? Mr. Chip definitely got you a hot date if anything else," Hannah whispers to me and I glare at her. All she does is back away and giggle some more.

"I've read some of your work and your stories are amazing. Your undercover work is fabulous!" The man continues and I roll my eyes. I decide to play the I have a boyfriend card. Technically, Chris and I are never broke up even though I let Katherine think we did. We text on a fairly regular basis and I think things are still pretty steady between us. Of course, I don't know for sure. Chris or I has never said one way or the other.

"What's your name?" I ask and the man extends a hand.

"Luke Clifton," He says and I shake his hand, "I think your byline is a beautiful name. What's your real name? It must be just as beautiful."

"Taken," I respond as I pull my phone out of a purse pocket. Scrolling through my contacts list, I find Chris. I text him:

Hey, can we talk about the status of our relationship?

He texts back: Right now? Lizzy, that's kind of sudden.

I roll my eyes. Chris really shaped up in high school which is partially why I love him so much, but seriously, he can be more rational than Gus sometimes and that is saying something. I text him back:

Please, Chris! This guy is hitting on me. I know high school was a long time ago and that I haven't visited since sometime in college, but are we still a thing?

I can almost see my high school boyfriend rolling his eyes. He probably has another girlfriend already and I am probably a thing of the past. Our relationship did kind of fizzle out.

His response: Lizzy, you moved. I don't know what to tell you. I told you in high school that I wasn't good at long distance relationships.  Even though I saw you off to the airport, I'm not sure it's a good idea for us to be together. We didn't talk for a long time until recently. I really liked you in high school, but I met other girls in college. I didn't date anyone because I felt like I still was yours in a way, but once I graduated and our silence was maintained, well.... I figured we were done. I'm sorry. Just for you, I have stayed away from dating other girls with hopes that you might come back. I know that sounds kind of sappy, but there is a whole lot of truth to it. I hope you know that I am being sincere. A lot has changed since high school, Liz. I still want you if you ever come back, but I don't think we should consider ourselves together because it's obvious that we really haven't in a long time.

That hurt. Deep down, I know he's right. I am happy that he tries to stay single in hopes that I may come back, but not letting him let go is pretty selfish.

I text back: Don't wait for me to come back another minute. Go find yourself a great date! It's okay that you haven't really considered a thing for a long time. I am sorry and happy that you have been waiting for me to come back. Thank you for doing that, but I don't want to hold you back any longer. Go enjoy your life. I will try to visit Santa Barbara someday soon and I will make sure to say hi next time I'm in town.

Luke is peering over my shoulder and I see a look of disappointment shoot across his face.

"You lied to me!" He says loudly and I sigh.

"I didn't know for sure if I was or not," I say as I set my phone down on the desk.

"What? Lying or taken?" Luke asks angrily.

"Well, both," I say softly and Luke shakes his head angrily.

"Shouldn't have signed up for this. You want another surprise? I know exactly who you are," He says and I whirl around.

"You said you didn't know my real name! Why are you getting so angry about me lying if you lied to me?" I ask and Luke chuckles darkly.

"Because I didn't think reporters lied like that," Luke replies and I cross my arms.

"Reporters sometimes get paid to lie," I answer.

"Doesn't make it right," Luke retorts and I sigh,

"You're not wrong at all, but you have got to let it go," I mutter and sit down at my desk, "Alright, where we are headed? A private club?" I turn to Luke and he smiles widely at me. "Who are you supposed to be?" I ask.

"A rich boy," Luke says as he adjusts his leather jacket, "the ultimate piece of work and art." I roll my eyes and my phone lights up with a phone call. I shut it off sending the call to voice mail. Grabbing my subway pass, I take note of what stop the private club is at.

"Ready to go snoop on some rich people?" I ask and Luke nods, putting on some sunglasses. The two of us head to the subway stop and climb onto the right line. Luke sits down next to me and the subway begins to roll out of the station.

"So, who in particular are we snooping on?" Luke asks me and I hand him the manila folder. He rifles through it and he takes off his sunglasses. "No action? All we're doing is snooping on fashion designers?"

"Mhhhmmm," I reply as my phone vibrates inside my purse. Another phone call. Without looking at the name, I shut it off again.

"You're popular," Luke comments and I nod.

"I'll get to my endless amounts of fans later," I say and Luke chuckles.

"You have a great sense of humor, you know that?" Luke says and I chuckle.

"Aww, thanks," I say. Luke and I exchange some small talk as the ride goes on.

"You're from California?" Luke asks me as we get off at our stop.

"Yep," I respond and Luke shakes his head in disbelief.

"What are you doing here? New York's not bad by any means, but California! I mean come on!!" Luke exclaims and I laugh a little bit.

"New York's more fun. I never really liked California," I say and Luke stares at me in disbelief as we walk out of the station and onto the street.

"You never really like California? I would be all for living there!" Luke exclaims and we make it to the club.

"Okay, enough about me. We're here. Let's do some investigating," I say and the two of us walk inside to the private club.

That evening...

"And then I jumped over this bush on my skateboard and it was pretty amazing!" Luke says, finishing off yet another story as we exit a restaurant near Queens. I laugh at his story.

"That sounds pretty amazing!" I say and Luke smiles.

"Yeah, I did some crazy things in high school," He says and I smile at him.

"Well, good night. It was nice meeting you. Thanks for dinner and I'll see you tomorrow?" I say and Luke nods.

"It was a great pleasure meeting you, Miss Taylor," He says and I shoot him a look. "I said I knew who you were," Luke states and I nod. 

"You did," I answer as I start to walk away, "Well, good night."

"Good night, Elizabeth," Luke says with a wave. Maybe having him around as a friend won't be so bad after all. I pull out my phone and see that there is a new voice mail. The caller ID name surprises me more than anything else.

"Gus?" I whisper and I quickly hurry to the subway station. Absentmindedly, I swipe my pass and push through all of the various gates. Finding my line, I stand off to the side and hurriedly begin to dial my voice mail. The subway arrives and I climb onboard as soon as I can. I find the voice mail from my cousin and I quickly put my phone to my ear so I can listen to it. My cousin's voice sounds through the phone.

"Hey, Liz. I know we haven't talked in awhile and I haven't seen you in forever, but something big is happening in Santa Barbara. Your parents were in a bad car accident today. The police think it was an accident, but Shawn doesn't. Liz, I know that you don't like Shawn, but he may be able to help. Trust me on this one, please. Your parents have been talking to Shawn and I lot lately. Please don't be mad at me because a lot has happened since you left Santa Barbara. Shawn and I own a private detective agency that we call Psych. Your parents have been experiencing some interesting things which is a big reason as to why they have been talking to Shawn and I. Lizzy, you need to come home. I'm not joking and I'm not saying this because someone is telling me to. As your cousin, I need you to come home and help us. I know that you and Shawn are not exactly on friendly terms, but I need you to come home from me. Help me put this all in to perspective, Liz. Shawn and I can do it, but we need your help. Please get on the next flight to Santa Barbara. I will come pick you up at the airport. Just call me as soon as you get a flight out of New York. I hope you come home soon, Liz. Your parents need you. I need you and whether either of you wants to admit it or not, Shawn needs you. I'll see you whenever you get here. Love you, Liz."

The recorded continues talking and I stand frozen. That's not a phone call I get everyday. My parents are in bad condition, my cousin is on the brink of freaking out and my cousin's best friend thinks that something is really wrong with all of it. That's just great. I quickly call Katherine and fill her in.

"Kath, I'm booking the next flight to Santa Barbara. I don't know when I'm going to be back," I say and Katherine sighs.

"What do you want me to tell Chip?" She asks.

"I'll call him. I just need to focus on getting a flight out of New York. Gus is going to pick me up. I just need to get to my cousin," I reply.

"Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to come with you?" Katherine asks.

"No, just stay here. Gus is there. I think things are going to be okay. Everyone's adults now. I think we can handle ourselves," I say.

"That's what you think," Katherine says, "but is that what you know?"

"Gus and I haven't emailed in a couple of months not in a couple of years," I clarify.

"Okay, just as long as you're sure," Katherine responds.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm almost to our apartment," I say and I hang up. Once I get to the apartment, Katherine quickly starts to help me pack.

"How many hair ties do you need?" She asks and I shrug.

"Put in a bunch. I can always buy more if I need to," I say as I stuff clothes into a suitcase.

"Do you have clothes at home?" Katherine asks me when she notices how bulky my suitcase looks.

"No!" I say exasperated, "I can buy more!"

"How long do you think you are going to be gone?" Katherine asks me and I shrug.

"I don't know. If it looks like a long time, I'll get a part time job," I say as I shove a shove into another suitcase. Twenty minutes later, Katherine and I finish my packing. Using Katherine's laptop since mine is packed, I see a flight leaving at midnight for San Francisco. I buy a ticket and grab the paper that prints out from the printer. Katherine and I hurry to the subway stop closest to our apartment. I quickly call Gus as soon as we get on.

"Liz?" Gus' voice rings through the speaker.

"Gus! I booked a flight for San Francisco. It leaves New York at midnight, can you be in San Francisco to pick me up?" I ask. I read the flight number to him.

"Just a second," Gus says and after a second, he says, "I will be there. See you soon, Liz!"

"See you, Gus!" I reply and we hang up. Katherine and I get off at our stop and weave our way to the airport. I check in and Katherine waits with me until my flight is being called for boarding. She gives me a huge hug and I hold her tightly.

"Come back to New York, okay? Just some time," Katherine says and I nod.

"I will. Even if it means that I have to move back to Santa Barbara, I will come back and visit some time," I say. I hug my best friend and board the plane. Everything about this seems so familiar. Katherine is wiping away tears as they run down her cheeks so that maybe I won't see, but I see them and she knows I do. People cried when I left Santa Barbara and Katherine is crying when I leave New York. It feels like deja vu. Except instead of heading off to an exciting future that looks happy, I'm off to something that is going to be full of excitement and not the good kind. I board the plane and sit down in my seat. As soon as I sit down in that seat, I don't realize that my life is about to change forever.

AN:/ Well, this story hasn't been updated in quite awhile. I watched a lot of Psych the other day, so now I have inspiration to write for it. I am having conflictions over what to write because Back to the Future has been super appealing and now Psych is too and I really want to write both a lot. And I really want to write Newsies stuff too! Anyways, what did you guys think of this chapter? Sorry there wasn't a whole lot of Shawn and Gus in the actual story. They are coming really soon, well at least Gus is. I'm pretty sure that Shawn will show up in the next chapter at least a little bit though. Special shoutout to the people who answered the question about the age logic stuff. It really helped out and I hope that it makes both of you happy. Thank you so much for answering. I appreciate comments on what you like in the story, so please don't be shy. :) Thank you for taking the time to read, vote, comment or do whatever it is you do to support this story. See you around, friends!