The ending was rushed and not all that good, so I am adding an alternate ending. I'm sorry, guys, for rushing through it before. I was trying to get my life together, and I hadn't gotten very far yet by July. Now here I am after ditching my ex, changing jobs, and taking on a lot more responsibility. I finished my little pet-project - a Lassiet community with a large collection of stories - and now I am here to finally finish this the right way. So without further ado, here is the alternate ending of "Partners in Crime."

SATURDAY

Juliet smiled as she awoke in Carlton's arms. She tried to move, but he pulled her even closer.

I guess I don't need to get up quite yet.

She smiled at the thought, then settled in and went back to sleep.

For breakfast later that morning, they decided to make egg and sausage stir fry again. Lloyd and Maryanne slept in to enjoy their last full day of vacation, so Carlton and Juliet had quite a bit of time. They slept in a bit, too, before going on a long run. By the time Lloyd and Maryanne were waking to the delicious smells of stir fry, it was nearly ten AM.

Carlton and Juliet had booked a wine tour in advance for the day, and Lloyd and Maryanne were thrilled with the idea. Juliet cautioned that it would not be quite like Nappa, but that they had been to this particular vineyard in the past and knew it to be pretty good.

Mira Gaffney herself welcomed them in, though she did correct them about her current name. "It's 'Alasie' now. I met some kind Inuits while skiing in Alaska with some polar bears. I'm going back next week; would anyone like to come?"

Though both Lloyd and Maryanne thought the quirky girl to have a well-developed sense of adventure, they all managed to escape without planning a vacation with her. The wine was good, and the group was happy.

By the time they finished the tour, it was quickly approaching evening. Carlton decided this would be the perfect time to reveal his surprise. When he did, Juliet kissed him on the spot. For their last night, Carlton had made reservations for everyone to a five star restaurant called Downey's. He had made all the arrangements, and Karen and Richard Vick would be joining them.

Maryanne was absolutely thrilled, as she had enjoyed meeting their boss and looked forward to meeting Karen's husband.

Dinner was a jovial affair, with great food and great company. Richard, whom even Carlton and Juliet had only met a scarce few times, was a sweet man with a wicked sense of humor. He was 6'3" and had chocolate brown hair, and they could see where Iris got her emerald green eyes.

Lloyd got a kick out of sharing financial anecdotes with Richard, who worked at a law firm with quite a few tax attorneys. Lloyd was even able to help Richard decipher an anecdote that a coworker had sent with a great deal of acronyms and references.

A good time was had by all, and the food was immensely delicious.

They began with a lobster & angelhair salad with asparagus, sundried tomatoes, olives & basil. Maryanne swore it was the best seafood salad she had ever tasted.

Karen and Juliet ordered the butternut soup with warm cranberries, and Carlton shamelessly tasted some of Juliet's bowl.

Carlton, Richard, and Juliet ordered the natural angus filet mignon with porcini sauce, roasted artichokes & potatoes. Maryanne and Karen, meanwhile, opted for the Mary's farm chicken breast with wild mushrooms, chives & fettuccini with spinach. Lloyd ordered the Colorado lamb loin with roasted garlic, tom shepherd's green beans & rosemary. He added many anecdotes about a client of his from Colorado with serious financial problems, and Richard offered to ask coworkers for a recommendation about good tax attorneys in the Miami area.

When the bill came, Carlton tried to pay the whole thing. No one would let him, though, and the bill ended up being split three ways with Carlton paying nothing. Juliet paid for his meal and hers, Lloyd paid for his own as well as Maryanne's, and Richard paid for his and Karen's entrees plus everyone's appetizers.

When the night drew to a close, everyone was sad to leave. They hugged the Vicks goodbye, though, and headed off to get some sleep.

SUNDAY

Juliet's parents left fairly early in the morning, but made sure to say their goodbyes before leaving. Juliet promised to call more, and Maryanne promised they would return much sooner this time for another visit. Lloyd added a note about their economic situation, but Maryanne shut him up.

Carlton and Juliet each hugged Lloyd, then Juliet hugged Maryanne. When it came time for Carlton to hug her, she also kissed his cheek and whispered something in his ear. He turned bright red. Then she and Lloyd got in their rental and drove away.

"What did she whisper?" Juliet asked, looking at the lobster-like shade of her partner and now boyfriend's face.

Carlton shook his head in wonderment. "She said, 'I know what you did for my Julie. Thank you,'" he began. Then, his crimson blush returning, he continued. "And then told me to marry you soon."

Juliet laughed. "I was wondering whether we could actually fool her. Her choice in men may not be that great usually - my dad was a con artist and Lloyd had some gambling problems - but she is pretty smart in all other aspects."

Carlton nodded. "You got that from her."

Juliet laughed. "Well, my taste in men is a bit better than hers. I happen to love an amazing man."

His eyes widened and he stood stock still. "You… you love me?"

Juliet nodded, kissed his cheek, and began to head inside. She turned to look over her shoulder. "Oh, and Carlton?"

"Yeah?"

She smiled. "You can marry me any time you like."

TWO YEARS LATER

"Thank you again for having us out here, guys," Maryanne gushed. "It's been amazing!"

"Quite a trip," Lloyd agreed, looking down at the gaudy Hawaiian print shirt he'd borrowed from his new friend Henry Spencer, "Though nothing like that first visit."

Carlton laughed. Juliet just smiled.

Carlton stood up and looked over the large group seated at various tables of their luau, then over to his beautiful wife who wore a lei, a coconut bra, and a grass skirt. Smoothing his own guady Hawaiian shirt and walking up to the microphone on Shawn Spencer's makeshift DJ booth, he faced the crowd. "So, time to get down to why we invited you all here today. My wife and I have some amazing news for you."

Juliet smiled, looked directly at her mother, then back up at the party and her husband.

"We are going to have a baby!"

The whole party erupted in cheers and catcalls. After Carlton stepped down and got an array of congratulations, Maryanne approached and dragged him away from the crowd.

"Congratulations."

He blushed. "Thank you. You have no idea how long I've wanted children. And to be having a child with her…"

He trailed off as he caught her gaze across the room.

Maryanne just smiled.

"Things like this don't happen to me, Maryanne," he told her. "Things like Juliet and this baby…. I can still barely believe this is my life. I keep waiting for her to wake up and realize she could do a lot better."

"She could do a lot worse."

Carlton shrugged. "All I know is even if I woke up tomorrow and none of this had really happened, it would be the best damn dream I've ever had."

"I'm glad I wasn't wrong about you, Carlton Lassiter," his mother-in-law told him. "You're an amazing husband, and you're going to be an amazing father. I'm so glad my Julie made the right choice by bringing you into all of this. Just don't be afraid to keep taking chances, okay?"

He hugged her tightly. "If I'm even half the man you and your daughter seem to think I am, they aren't really chances at all."

The End

Hopefully a better end this time.