AUTHOR'S NOTE: Again, I have to thank Loafer for inspiring me to keep writing – and keep writing Lassiets! Since I last posted a fic, I went back to college and finished my degree at the same time I was also homeschooling my 4 kids. Since graduating in December, I've made daily writing practice a priority, and this was one of the first ideas that came in my head. This is the absolute longest story I have ever written, and feedback is always welcomed and encouraged! Thank you for being such a supportive community!

Count On Me

by Snapeaholic

Juliet O'Hara's seemingly infinite patience with Shawn Spencer and his immature, jackass behavior finally snapped when she opened the door of her home Friday afternoon to find a giant slot car racetrack covering the majority of her living room, hallway, and dining area. She sighed in annoyance and frustration. This was going to be nearly impossible to navigate through. Just what she needed after a long week at work.

She tried to step over a large piece of track, and one of her heels slipped on the hard plastic. She lost her balance and fell, flailing wildly as she scrambled to find purchase on anything that would stop her fall. She gasped with pain as she felt a piece of track break under her back. Her head bounced off the hard, wooden floor, and her last coherent thought before she blacked out was, "Fuck this shit. I'm done."

Juliet came to and was startled to find Shawn and Gus looming over her, but she remembered quickly why she wanted to kill them both.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Shawn chirped. "You were a naughty girl and broke our track. Whatever are we going to do with you?"

Juliet growled in rage as she tried to sit up to throttle him and then gasped as a spasm wracked her lower back, and she fell back to the floor to ride out the pain. "Why...the…hell," she started, but Shawn interrupted before she could complete her thought.

"So, Jules, how much do you like it? Our very own Super Deluxe Grand Prix racetrack. It took eight sets to get it this complex, but it was worth it in the end. Well, until you broke it." He gave her a big happy grin, and she was reminded of her nephew Dylan when he was four and had tried to get out of trouble with a smile that said, "You can't kill me 'cause I'm adorable, and you know it." Shawn was too old, too pudgy, and nowhere near cute enough to pull that look off.

Juliet's face tightened in a combination of anger, pain, and annoyance which only Gus seemed to recognize. Shawn, on the other hand, remained odiously oblivious. If she could only get past the pain and get her hands around his neck...

"Ummm...we better go. We...uhhh…have a case to work on," Gus stammered nervously as he tugged at Shawn's arm.

"That's right!" Shawn said excitedly. "The Facts of Life marathon starts in an hour, and we still need to get supplies. Chex Mix, pudding, Go-Gurt, at least three flavors of ice cream, pizza and breadsticks from Gino's. Oh! And taquitos and cheese dip from El Cielo."

"Yeah, yeah. Sounds good." Gus yanked him quickly out the door, and Juliet could hear him hissing as they left. "Dude, if she could get up, she would kill you. Kill you!"

"I know! I know! Chill out and call Lassie. He'll get her calmed her down and sorted out in no time," Shawn hissed back and then turned at the door to call back over his shoulder, "Bye, sweetie! We'll be back tomorrow to fix the track and show you how everything works."

Juliet lay seething as the door slammed behind them. Shawn had just left her lying in pain on the fucking floor, and instead of helping her up and taking care of her (especially as it was his fault you fell in the first place, her mind helpfully supplied), he was foisting her care off onto Carlton so he wouldn't miss his orgy of TV and junk food. His empathy had always been lacking, but she was hurt, and he couldn't even bring himself to get her up off the floor? She had finally had enough, and the death knell was sounding for their relationship.

She had wondered many times why she had started dating Shawn in the first place. She had known him for five years before they got together, knew his behavior and personality quirks quite well. She dismissed the red flags and warning bells by telling herself that his rampant narcissism and selfishness were just a big façade, put on for show to hide the real, grownup Shawn underneath. Much to her chagrin, he had proved her wrong time and time again.

Their relationship hadn't been all bad, though. In the early days, his carefree, playful nature had been a bright spot in her life. Her career was so filled with the darker and seedier elements of humankind and so many potentially life-threatening situations, it was nice to let go and have a little fun, but Shawn's juvenile brand of fun wore thin quickly as she grew up and he didn't. They had steadily drifted apart after the first few months and had been holding a stalemate for almost a year. They didn't fight; Juliet had given up fighting him because it just wasn't worth the hassle. Shawn didn't argue; he evaded, deflected, distracted, and never, ever addressed the heart of the disagreement. So, instead, she hung out with Carlton in their off time, while Shawn, Gus, and Gus' credit card remained inseparable.

The physical side of their relationship was equally nonexistent. Their sex life had dwindled down to nothing, and it had been months since they had actually slept together. He was either unwilling or unable to perform, and she had absolutely no desire for him. His childish antics turned her off, and his atrocious diet and lack of exercise left him gassy and bloated. When he slept over, he slept on the couch or in the recliner instead, something Juliet appreciated greatly. She longed for someone more stable, more mature...someone more like her partner Carlton.

Dammit, she wanted Carlton! Carlton would help her up, make sure she wasn't seriously hurt, and then pamper her through the weekend to make sure she was feeling better and ready to go by Monday. Carlton would never leave her lying on the floor in pain in favor of a TV marathon and junk food. If she were truthful with herself (something she studiously avoided doing the majority of the time), she had been in love with Carlton far longer than she had been out of love with Shawn.

She had no doubt that Carlton would always come for her, no matter how dangerous the situation. He had proven that when Mr. Yin had strapped her to the clock tower and left her to die. Carlton was the one who had raced up the stairs and stopped the clock, the one who had rescued her, the one who had held her close and let her sob into his chest, the one who had wiped away her tears. He was the one who had nursed her through the aftermath and had comforted her after the nightmares. She knew without a doubt that she could always count on Carlton to have her back, and that was something she could never say about Shawn.

She couldn't lie on the floor all night, and while she knew Gus was reliable enough to get her the help she desperately needed, his mere association and loyalty to Shawn made her distrustful. She would call Carlton herself. She clenched her teeth and breathed through the pain as she somehow managed to lift her hips just enough to slide her phone out of her pants pocket. It rang almost immediately.

She saw Carlton's name on the ID and sighed in relief as she answered. "Carlton! Thank God!"

"It's me. I'm on my way over. Guster just called and said you were injured."

Juliet closed her eyes. Hallelujah, Gus had had the decency to first call her partner before tucking tail and running away like a coward. "I'm so glad to hear your voice, Carlton. Yeah, I'm at home on the floor. I fell over Shawn's toys and can't get up. I've got a muscle spasm in my back."

"I'll be there in ten."

Juliet could hear Carlton's car start in the background, and she smiled. "Thanks, partner. I knew I could count on you."

"Always, O'Hara. Always."

The phone clicked off, and Juliet closed her eyes and took deep breaths to try to relax as she waited for her blue-eyed knight to come make everything all right.

Juliet jolted awake at the sound of Carlton's light knock and the creak of the door, and the motion elicited an unhappy moan as her back clenched in protest. She must have dozed off while she was waiting for him, which beat counting the ceiling tiles or ways to kill Shawn.

"What the ever-loving fuck?" Carlton sounded about as impressed as she had been when she first saw the Super Deluxe Grand Prix racetrack. She heard his footsteps as they gingerly made their way across the room and over to her. She smiled when she looked up to see his beautiful face peering down at her. "Damn, O'Hara. I told you those heels would kill you one day."

Juliet laughed ruefully. "Yeah, if Shawn didn't kill me first. This time they both almost succeeded."

"Thankfully they didn't." Carlton's strong arms slipped underneath her and carefully picked her up off the floor and cradled her gently. She curled into him, breathing through the pain as as he navigated the maze of racetrack to sit her on the couch. "I'm not leaving you here in this…mess," he said. "Let me pack you a go bag, and you can recuperate at my place."

"You are the best partner ever," she called as she watched him make his way through the wreckage to her bedroom. He emerged a few minutes later with her SBPD duffle slung over his shoulder and a roll-on pain reliever in one hand.

"Let's check out the damage before we go, just in case you need medical attention." He put the duffle down and assisted Juliet into a sitting position and helped her take off her suit coat and shoulder holster. He carefully pulled her blouse from her pants and lifted it to assess the damage to her back. He whistled sharply. "Nothing seems broken, but you're going to have one helluva bruise. It's a miracle the plastic didn't break the skin when it shattered." His broad, warm hands ghosted down over her ribs to her lower back and prodded gently to rule out any broken bones.

Juliet had imagined Carlton's hands on her body many times as she touched herself in the darkness of her bedroom in the late hours of the night, but this was better than anything her imagination could have come up with on its own; however, all licentious thoughts of her partner quickly left her mind when he kneaded the muscle that was knotted and spasming.

"Do I need to stop?" he asked as she tensed and groaned under his ministrations.

Juliet shook her head as she willed herself to relax. "It's one of those hurts-so-good things," she said with a grimace.

"Yeah, been there. Let me put some of this Biofreeze on it, and we'll get you over to my place so you can relax." Juliet hissed as the cold menthol of the pain reliever rolled over her back, and she felt it start heating up.

"That already feels better," she said as she pulled down her blouse.

"Now," he said, sitting on the coffee table in front of her and pulling her running shoes out from underneath it. "Let's get you out of those heels and into something more stable. Don't need you falling again."

Juliet smiled wryly. "Yeah, once was enough."

Carlton lifted her left foot into his lap and slipped off the offending footwear. "Your ankle looks fine," he noted as his broad hands gently massaged her foot. "Just like the rest of you." His brilliant blue eyes twinkled at her, and a spark flared deep inside her with his playful flirting, and she wanted nothing more than to kiss that smirk from his lips.

Carlton Lassiter definitely knew how to take care of his partner. He helped her change into her pajamas and then settled her on the couch with a heating pad and the TV remote before bringing her some ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer that he had left over from a sprain a few months ago.

"This should stop the spasming," he told her as she swigged the pills down with some water. "You'll be sore tomorrow, but the worst will be over."

She smiled at him gratefully, and his heart skipped a beat. "Thank you so much, Carlton," she said, reaching out to take his hand and squeezing it gently. "I'd still be lying on the floor if you hadn't come for me."

"I'll always come for you, partner. You know you can count on me." The words and the emotion behind them slipped out before he could stop them. Juliet was his best friend, his most trusted confidant, and he loved her more than he had ever loved anyone in his life, but he had never intended to share the depth of his emotions with her. He would risk nothing that would come between them, nothing that would jeopardize either their partnership or their friendship.

He turned his head away in embarrassment, but Juliet reached out and touched his cheek. Her blue eyes captured his, full of a heady blend of emotions that he could scarcely make himself believe was directed at him – gratefulness, tenderness, love, and attraction. He couldn't move, could scarcely think. He was lost in her gaze, and the moment seemed to take on a life of its own. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, and his eyes widened as she slowly leaned forward and brushed her lips softly against his. His breath caught as a ripple of fire flamed deep in his belly.

"Ditto, partner," she said as she sat back, her gaze still locked with his. "You can always count on me."

He swallowed thickly and excused himself to the kitchen before she could see the rampant evidence of what her kiss had done to him, both body and soul.

Juliet sat staring blankly at the television after Carlton left. She knew she shouldn't have kissed him, but there was no way that she could have not responded to the pure, unguarded emotion that had slipped out with his words and shown so brightly in those baby blues. Oh, how she adored that man! She had never allowed herself to imagine that Carlton would reciprocate her feelings, but the knowledge that he did opened up new and glorious possibilities for the future.

Juliet grinned to herself. All thoughts of Shawn had been driven from her mind in that moment Carlton's eyes had locked with hers. My ex-boyfriend. The words sounded wonderful Their stalemate had finally been broken with tonight's kiss, and she would break it off with Shawn as soon as possible because she had to do things right. Carlton knew the sting of betrayal and would never give her a chance if she wasn't free. The feel of his lips, brief and light as it was, had felt so right, and she yearned to launch herself into his lap and lose herself in the deepest parts of his soul, to pledge herself to him for now and forever.

And she would just as soon as she cut Shawn loose.

Juliet kissed me. Juliet kissed me. Juliet kissed me. The words were a constant litany in Carlton's mind as he mechanically began to heat up the grill and prepare supper for the two of them. He closed his eyes and gripped the sink, willing himself to stop thinking about it, to block out what had been the sweetest, most chaste, yet most satisfying kiss of his life. It had felt so right, so natural to have Juliet pressing her lips against his. He had to let it go before it drove him crazy, before he broke down and kissed her again, this time deeper and with more meaning and passion than she could ever possibly want.

The sensual possibilities of that kiss sparked in his brain, allowing previously forbidden fantasies to run rampant through his mind. Pictures of Juliet underneath him, moaning her pleasure as he pushed slowly into her…Juliet bent over his couch as he pounded her roughly from behind…Juliet on her knees before him, looking up at him through her lashes as her mouth sank over him…Juliet against the tiles of his shower, her legs wrapped around him as the warm spray pelted over them…Juliet's legs splayed across the arms of his favorite armchair, his face buried between her thighs as he devoured her.

He groaned, tamping down the want, the need that threatened to engulf him completely. He could never act on these feelings, never acknowledge them. He could not taint his partner's career like he had with Lucinda Barry. Juliet was his world, and he could not risk having her banished to another precinct in another city. He needed Juliet by his side to keep him sane, to keep him stable. He wanted to make a life with her, not just satisfy his lust.

He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep, shaky breath as he ruthlessly banished all thoughts of her sweet kisses, her touch from his mind. He grilled the steaks and prepared the salads and baked potatoes, and by the time they were done, he had regained his composure. He helped Juliet to the table, and as they ate together, they debated hotly whether Lethal Weapon or Die Hard was the better action series and if 24 or Lost Boys was Kiefer Sutherland's best work. He was confident that there was no outward sign that he had been so close to spiraling out of control.

He could lie to himself, just never to her.

Juliet woke Saturday morning as expected, sore, tender, and stiff, but the muscle spasm itself was thankfully gone. She felt feverish and unsettled. Erotic dreams of Carlton making love to her in every possible way, in every possible position had dominated her night. Her nipples were hard and pebbled, and she was wet and throbbing.

She took matters into her own hands, rolling her nipples roughly and pinching them sharply, gasping from the pleasure. One hand slipped down between her thighs, and she lost herself in imagining Carlton inside her, moving with her. She imagined her hand was his, and that he was the one rubbing and tweaking her pleasure to higher peaks, that it was his fingers slipping inside her. She shamelessly rode her hand as in her mind she straddled Carlton, riding him hard and fast. His hands grasped her hips, and he met every stroke with a hard thrust of his own. She turned her face into the pillow, biting back the scream of his name as she came, her body pulsing around her fingers.

Carlton was still asleep when she emerged from the guest room to use the facilities. She padded into the kitchen to start the coffee and took a look in the refrigerator. She found a package of bacon and set it to frying while she mixed up pancake batter and heated up the griddle. She let her thoughts drift as she cooked breakfast, relishing in the gorgeous sunshine that streamed through the kitchen window and made the whole world seem alive and teeming with new possibilities. She had just finished flipping the last pancake when Carlton shuffled into the kitchen, bleary eyed and scratching his stomach.

"Shouldn't you be resting your back?" he asked with a yawn. Juliet's eyes widened. The sight of a sleepy, scruffy Carlton with tousled bedhead, wearing only an undershirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants was enough send her imagination into overdrive. She wanted to bury her fingers in his thick, silky mane, to push him down onto the closest kitchen chair and straddle him, to kiss him thoroughly while she impaled herself on him

"I'm fine," she said quickly, putting those thoughts firmly out of mind. "Stiff and sore, but no more spasm. Take a seat. I've got coffee, pancakes, and bacon ready to go. Just my way of saying thank you for all the TLC last night."

Carlton snorted dismissively as he poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. "You don't have to pay me back for that. You would do the same for me, and you know it."

"True." Juliet said, placing a loaded plate in front of him. "But it still means the world to me." She squeezed his shoulder and sat down across from him to eat her breakfast. She marveled at how natural it felt for the two of them to be waking together in the same house and sharing a leisurely Saturday morning breakfast. She wondered how it would be to wake up in Carlton's bed, his arms around her, his morning erection digging into her thigh.

In that moment, she looked up and met Carlton's eyes. "Good breakfast, partner," he said. He smiled at her then, and Juliet's heart raced. This man held her heart in his hands, and he didn't even realize it. She wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life doing everything in her power to see that heartbreaking smile more often – and she would, just as soon as she rid herself of the dead weight of her last relationship.

Carlton took his time browsing through the grocery store. O'Hara had decided to stay at the condo to do her yoga and stretch out her back, so he was on his own. He felt as if his sanity was fraying and that his tenuous hold on reality would snap if he didn't get a break from her intoxicating presence.

His sleep had been fitful, his dreams haunted by her blond hair, the smell of peaches, and the feel of her mouth on his. In the wee hours of the morning, he finally took himself in hand, stroking quickly and efficiently. He imagined Juliet writhing underneath him, her head thrown back in pleasure as he claimed her, and he came hard, biting his lip so that he didn't damn himself by shouting her name. With his desire momentarily quenched, he had finally fallen into a dreamless sleep.

That kiss, though, was constantly on his mind. The paranoid part of his brain wondered briefly if she was toying with him, but then he berated himself for having so little faith in his partner. She was not a woman who played with men's emotions in order to build herself up. Juliet was no Victoria, and in thinking of Victoria, he idly wondered how low his self-esteem had been that he had allowed that woman to make such a fool out of him. Why had he put up with her machinations and manipulations for so long? She had dragged out their separation for two long years before she finally admitted that she would never reconcile with him and that their marriage was over. He had been so angry and so bitter during that time, but then he had gotten his new partner.

He had initially hated being saddled with someone so young and optimistic; it made him feel old and out of touch. But…she had grown on him. From the first moment she had stood up to him, he had admired her guts and determination, and then a few weeks into their partnership when he had overheard her defending him to Spencer, he had felt a little spark of hope, and the anger and bitterness started to melt away. She had built up his confidence, made him see that he was valuable, a treasure to her, and that she cared about him. She knew him, knew who he was deep inside, and she loved him for it anyway. He had never dared to imagine it could be romantic love until last night.

Carlton sighed as he picked out a chicken for tonight's dinner. Roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes sounded good to him, maybe some crème brulee for dessert. He enjoyed cooking but didn't do it very often as it wasn't worth it to cook for just himself, but he especially enjoyed cooking for Juliet. She was always effusive in her praise and in expressing her gratitude and appreciation when he took the time and effort to treat them to a homecooked meal.

For just a brief moment, he allowed himself to imagine a life with Juliet, the two of them waking up in the same bed, planning meals and doing the Saturday morning grocery run together, making love leisurely in the afternoon, her belly swollen with his child... He shut that line of thought down ruthlessly as his body started to betray him.

The last thing he needed was an erection in the middle of the supermarket.

Juliet was in downward dog when her phone rang, and she groaned inwardly when she saw Shawn's name on the caller ID. Her stomach quivered anxiously. She hadn't formulated a strategy to deal with him and the inevitable fallout from their breakup yet, but she knew she could never go back to him again, even if she had no chance at all with Carlton. She would just have to play it by ear. She steeled her nerves and answered the phone. "Hello, Shawn."

"Where are you, Jules? I told you we'd be back today to finish the track and have the big race. We need you in your Daisy Dukes to start the race off right."

She could actually hear the leer in his voice, and her anger came rushing back with a vengeance. How had she let herself be caught up in the Shawn Show for so long? Why had she stayed with someone who claimed to care for her deeply, but couldn't be bothered to pick her up when she fell? This was his first call to her since her injury, which was his fault, and there was no concern for her wellbeing, no asking how she was feeling or if she was okay, only a demand that she be a sex object for his viewing pleasure. Plan or no, she had had enough.

"Shawn," she snapped. "One, I don't have Daisy Dukes and I wouldn't wear them for you even if I had any, especially not in front of Gus. Two, I'm at Carlton's. Three, no, I did not want to watch the big race. Four, I'm pissed off that you left me on the floor last night, injured and in pain to watch a fucking Facts of Life marathon."

"But Jules, you weren't hurt that bad, and besides, Lassie took care of you, right? We called him right away to come help you up."

Juliet couldn't believe the audacity. " Really, Shawn? You expect me to be okay with you leaving me on the floor because you knew Carlton would come get me? I have a bruise the shape of a Hot Wheels track on my back, and it was only after some serious care that the back spasm you caused finally stopped. And all you can say is it's fine because Carlton took care of it?"

"Slot car track, not Hot Wheels, and yeah. Of course I..."

"Look, Shawn," she interrupted. It took everything she had not to end it right then. She knew she had to do the decent thing and break it off face-to-face, for her own sake if not his. "I don't want to do this over the phone. Meet me at the park around the corner from Carlton's, okay?"

"Okay. But, Jules…"

"Be there in ten minutes. I'll meet you at the bench by the statue." She hung up and grabbed her shoes.

She would make this as painless and as quick as possible, though whether Shawn would cooperate with her plan was another story. She locked the condo behind her, pocketing the key Carlton had given her when he bought the place, and then walked over to the park, letting the feel of the breeze in her hair distract her from the wave of anxiety that threatened to overwhelm her.

She was not looking forward to this confrontation. She had no idea how well Shawn would take their breakup, and her stomach clenched with the thought of him making an epic scene with a public declaration of love and begging her for another chance – or worse yet, showing up at her house at midnight, holding a boombox overhead and blasting "Don't You Forget About Me" in a jumbled homage to his favorite classic 80s movies. She prayed God would be merciful and spare her the humiliation.

She was surprised to see Shawn had beaten her to the park. The "spirits" must have clued him in him that he had fucked up majorly this time. He smiled when he saw her approach, stood up and reached as if to hug her but changed his mind and stuffed his hands in his pockets instead.

"Hey, Jules," he said, consternation clearly evident on his face as she came closer. "Good to see you up and around today."

"Thanks," she answered mildly as they both sat down.

Juliet studied him critically. He was handsome, charming, and incredibly intelligent, brilliant even, but he was also crafty and scheming, an incredible liar and a fraud. He was narcissistic and self-absorbed to the point that he hurt those who loved him most – her, his dad, even Gus – without a second thought. She wondered why she had been willing to put up with his bullshit for so long, but in his defense, he had never claimed to be anything other than who he was, and she was the one who had deluded herself into thinking that an honest, trustworthy grownup lurked somewhere beneath the surface.

She cleared her throat and steadied her resolve. "Yesterday was the last straw, Shawn. The last in a very long line of straws. You're my boyfriend, and I'm supposed to be able to count on you to be there for me when I need you, and I can't. I can't even rely on you to pick up milk at the grocery store when I ask much less pay your share of the rent or be there when I need you. You proved that last night with your actions."

Shawn had the decency to look abashed, though not entirely ashamed. "I'm not proud of that, Jules. I should've stepped up instead of leaving you to Lassie."

"You've hurt me more times than I care to count. You've disrespected me, disrespected my partner and best friend despite me telling you over and over to stop. You've stomped over my boundaries and ignored my wishes when they got in the way of what you wanted. I should have broken up with you months ago...hell, years ago…but instead, I let you keep running over me because I didn't want to fight." She stopped to swipe angrily at a stray tear that had slipped down her cheek. Her voice cracked as the years of frustration, disappointment, and anger were released. "I can't do this anymore, Shawn. I can't. I tried my best to make things work between us, but one person can't do it all. I don't want to see you anymore. It's over. I'm done."

He shook his head as if denying her very words. His voice was soft, pleading, and panicked. "Please, Jules. Just give me just one more chance to prove to you I can be the man you want? The man you need? I can change. Really, I can. Please? One more chance?"

"No, Shawn. No way," she said firmly, shaking her head for emphasis. She hadn't realized how much raw emotion she had been holding in until now or what toll this miserable standoff had taken on her psyche. She had had a taste of freedom, of something better, and there was nothing that could make her choose to live in misery again. "We are done. If you really wanted to change, you would've done it long before now. I need more, Shawn. I need a man, a grownup, not a perpetual adolescent."

Shawn stared at the ground aid nothing for several long seconds. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely."

His shoulders slumped, and he sighed as he ran a hand over his face. "So, you finally realized you're too good for me." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.

"No, I just need more than you can give me."

"We both know the change wouldn't have lasted anyway," he said. "I've tried to be relationship material, but I'm not. I'm selfish. I know my faults, and I know I've been dragging you down. I wanted to keep you for myself, even though I wasn't making you happy. But, you've known me how long now? I figured you must have liked me the way I am, so why should I change? But I made you miserable, Jules, and I'm sorry for that." He stood up and stuffed his hands back into his pockets before he spoke again. "I'll have my stuff gone this afternoon, and I'll leave my key on the kitchen table."

She stood as well and nodded. "You're not the only one who needs to apologize, Shawn. I should have told you that I wasn't happy instead of letting things ride for so long. I should have talked to you. I should have ended things long before it got to this point."

He shook his head and turned to go. "Don't be sorry, Jules. It was only a matter of time before you got fed up with me and called it quits. You lasted a lot longer than anybody thought you would. Bye, Jules."

"Good-bye, Shawn." With those two words, the suffocating weight of their dead relationship slipped from her shoulders, and relief flooded through her.

He took two steps, but then looked back to her. "Jules?"

"Yes?"

"Tell Lassie he's a very lucky man."

Juliet was flabbergasted. "H-how…"

He gave her a sad smile. "There's never been anyone else."

And with that, Shawn Spencer walked out of Juliet's life. Maybe eventually they would be able to salvage their friendship, but for now, Julie was happy to see him go.

Carlton was home and putting some cans away in the pantry when Juliet made it back to the condo. "Hi," he called. "You feeling better?"

He turned around, and Juliet met him there. She pulled him down into a passionate kiss, and he felt her tongue flick enticingly against his. He quickly pushed her away before all of his blood flow could rush south and leave him helpless to his base desires. He wanted Juliet, but only if she were unfettered. Spencer may have his moral perfidies, but Carlton did not. He held her at arm's length, panting as he regained his breath.

"Juliet, as much as I have dreamed about doing that…" he started, but she interrupted him.

"I'm free, Carlton. I broke it off with Shawn. He and his things will be out of my house this afternoon." She sat down at the kitchen table and said, her voice full of wonder, "I'm finally free."

Carlton's eyes widened, and he sat down across from her. "How did he take it?"

Juliet shrugged. "He knew it was coming. Our relationship had been over for a long time, but I felt like I didn't really have a reason to end it – until now." She smiled at Carlton, and he felt his heart clench in his chest. "Coming home to a racetrack in my house was bad enough, but then I fell. I was hurt and in pain, Carlton, and all I could think of was how much I wanted you there. You and only you. You're the one who makes me feel better when I've had a bad day. You're the one I run to because I know you'll be there for me no matter what."

"Always, O'Hara. Always." His voice, just like the night before, revealed the true depth of his feelings, his love, admiration, dedication, and devotion to her, and that truth was echoed in his brilliant blue eyes. He reached out and took one of her hands in his, and she clutched it hard as she continued.

"You're my other half, Carlton. You know me better than I know myself and vice versa. We take care of each other, build each other up. We complement each other's strengths and bolster each other's weaknesses, and we are so much more together than we are apart. I love you, Carlton, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you."

Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, and Carlton reached out and touched her cheek gently. "Juliet," he whispered reverently. Her name was like a prayer on his lips, and he could feel his heart constrict with the force of his emotion. "I love you, too."

With a cry, she flung herself into his arms. She was on his lap, tangling her hands in his hair and kissing him, and this time, he didn't push her away until he was desperate for a breath.

"Are you sure?" he asked her as they separated, their foreheads resting together.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said as she ran her hands over the silver streaks at his temples. "I just can't believe I wasted so much time with Shawn when I could have been here making a life with you."

"I didn't think there was any way in hell would you want a cranky, old bastard like me. But ever since Yin..." He swallowed hard at the memory of that night and the terror that had flooded through him when he saw her suspended there, how he had flown up the stairs and desperately jammed his Glock into the clock's gears to stop Juliet from plummeting to her death. "I almost lost you that night on the clock tower, and I…I would have never forgiven myself if I hadn't…" He took a shuddering breath, lost for a moment in the old nightmare that still showed up under times of considerable stress. In it, he was always too late to save her, and her body lay splayed and bloody on the pavement. He clutched her tighter.

"It's okay, Carlton," she whispered soothingly as she stroked his hair. "You came for me. You saved me that night."

"Yes, I did, and I always will," he said fiercely, meeting her eyes again. "I will always be there for you. I love you, O'Hara."

"Juliet," she corrected gently. She brushed her lips against his before pulling away again to look deeply into those beautiful blue eyes. "Your Juliet."

He nodded his head in agreement. "My Juliet." He watched her eyes darken with desire at the sound of her name on his lips, and he captured her mouth with his.

The touch of his lips to hers was like coming home, and in that moment, Juliet felt that huge missing piece in her life snap into place and knew without a doubt that Shawn had been right - it was Carlton; it had always been Carlton. She had ignored her desire for him for so long, thinking he would never see her as anything other than his partner and his friend. She had tried unsuccessfully to forget him with other men, but Shawn, Cameron Luntz…none of them had been anything more than a pallid, unsatisfying substitute for this man.

She poured her soul into her kiss and rejoiced as she felt his respond. Each taste of his lips, each flick of his tongue against hers fanned the flame of desire in her belly. Every touch drove her passion higher. She needed him, needed to press her naked flesh against his, needed to touch, to taste every delectable inch of his body.

Juliet tugged impatiently at his shirt, and he ripped it off and threw it, leaving it to lay crumpled and abandoned on the floor. Her shirt and sports bra joined it a half second later. They stared at each other for a few raw moments, their breaths coming in pants as the enormity of this next step in their relationship washed over them. They had denied their attraction, their love for each other for son long, but that was over now. There would be no more going back to just friends and partners after this.

She launched herself at him again, capturing his mouth with hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her naked chest against his. "Bed," she heard him gasp as she slid her lips down his neck. They stumbled down the hall together, their bodies parting only long enough to leave behind a trail of discarded clothing. When the back of Juliet's knees finally hit the bed, and she dragged him down on top of her. She moaned, desperate to finally feel him inside her, and reached down between them to guide him to her entrance.

Carlton pulled away from her. "You sure?" he asked. His eyes glittered intensely with his desire for her, but she could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

"Please," she said softly, stroking his cheek to reassure him. "Please, Carlton."

Ever so slowly, he began to push into her. Juliet gasped as he filled her completely. They fit together perfectly, two parts of one whole. They began to move together slowly, and Juliet cried out, her body reveling in the pleasure that came from the friction of their bodies moving together in that ancient rhythm. This was like nothing she had ever felt before; it was overwhelmingly right and good, and it felt as if their very souls were melding into one. She knew without a doubt that this was the first time in her life that she had truly made love, and it was because she was with Carlton - her partner, her friend, the other half of her heart and the other half of her soul.

Their desire grew into a spiraling maelstrom and engulfed them, blotting out everything else until there was nothing in the world but feel of his body in hers and the sounds of their pleasure echoing off the walls. Carlton's body tensed, and the sound of her name on his lips as he came sent her spiraling over the edge after him. Juliet gasped and shuddered as the stars exploded behind her eyes and her muscles clamped down around him. She held him tightly, her legs like steel bands around his hips as another and then yet another delicious spasm rocketed through her body.

They lay entwined and sated in the aftermath, enjoying their closeness as their breathing slowed and their heart rates returned to normal. Carlton felt he could lie here forever with Juliet in his arms.

"Are you sure you really want to saddle yourself with me?" Carlton asked a few moments later, breaking the stillness. "I'm not an easy man to live with."

She leaned up and smiled happily at him. "I know, but I love you anyway," she said cheekily. "Besides, I'm not perfect either."

"True," he agreed with grin. "You snore…loudly." He laughed as she smacked him lightly on the chest.

"Kettle," she groused good-naturedly. "Good thing I love you."

"And I love you," he said as he turned to her. "Especially when you're naked." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and she burst into peals of laughter, which quickly turned to moans as he showed her again and again how much he loved her.

They reluctantly left the condo and went back to work Monday. Juliet's back was only a little sore but sported a livid purple bruise that was tender to the touch. She had studied it in the mirror when they stopped by her house that morning so she could change into fresh work clothes. She was relieved to see Shawn's key on the kitchen table and that all of his things were gone - especially that stupid, fucking racetrack.

They were careful to act normally when they got to the station, and they agreed they needed to break the news to the captain.

"We'll do it together," Carlton said. "Present a united front."

But Juliet shook her head. "I want to talk to her by myself, woman to woman." Carlton was not happy, but Juliet was adamant. She waited until the chief had an opening and knocked tentatively on Vick's office door.

"May I have a moment of your time, Chief?" she asked. Her stomach fluttered nervously, and she felt for a brief second that she might vomit right there in the doorway.

Vick waved her in, and Juliet shut the door behind her and cautiously approached the desk. "I wanted to let you know that Shawn Spencer and I broke things off over the weekend. We are no longer dating."

"Well, that's good news. What did he do this time?" Vick tolerated Spencer because he did help solve cases, but she had no love and little tolerance for his theatrics and grandstanding.

Juliet told her the story of racetrack and how she fell Friday afternoon. "I realized I was done putting up with his crap, with being disrespected, so I broke it off. Honestly, I'm not sure why I put up with him for so long, but it's over. Carlton came and helped me up, and he spent the weekend taking care of me."

Vick eyed her for a moment, and Juliet felt a conspicuous blush flame her cheeks. "And the two of you finally realized how much you care for each other and took things to the next level, I assume."

Juliet opened her mouth in shock, but no words came out.

"Thought so." Vick's smile was smug. "Speaking personally, friend to friend, I wondered when you would finally realize Mr. Spencer was no good for you. Hell, most of us are surprised it took you this long to kick him to the curb."

"Shawn and I had been over for a long time; I was just biding my time. I never thought Carlton would put his career at risk again to pursue a relationship with a partner. Once bitten, you know."

Vick nodded. "Yes, but he's not the same man he was with Barry. You two have a very special relationship, a synergy that makes you even better together than apart. Your strengths balance his weaknesses. You temper the more extremes of his personality, and he does the same for you. You two are closer and have a better relationship than a lot of married couples I know – and I include my husband and I in that count. You two have something amazing together."

Juliet was quiet for a moment. "Are you going to split us up? Aren't personal relationships between partners prohibited?"

"Only strongly discouraged. I won't separate the two of you as long as you continue to conduct yourselves professionally in the station and while in the public eye on police business. No kissy face or relationship drama in the bullpen or while performing your duties, got it?"

"Never, ma'am," she answered. Relief flooded through her, and she felt herself relax. "Thank you so much."

Vick waved her hand dismissively. "You're my best team, and I don't want to have to break you up, so don't give me any reason to regret my decision. Now get back to work and let your partner know my terms and conditions. He looks like he's about to have a coronary out there."

Juliet looked out the window at Carlton. He was trying to hide it, but she could tell by his tense body language that he was worried. She shot him a smile and a thumbs up before returning her attention to the chief. "You know, I plan on marrying him if I can convince him I'm serious."

"Good luck with that," Vick said dryly. "If you succeed, though, I expect an invite to the wedding." And with that, she shooed Juliet from her office and back to work.

They shared Chinese takeout that night as they sat companionably side by side on Carlton's sofa. "I still can't believe Vick didn't fire me," Carlton mused over his carton of General Tso's chicken. "Or split us up. I would have sworn she would saddle me with McNabb and you with Allen."

"Thankfully not," Juliet said as she waved a bite of Mongolian beef at him. "The chief does like you, you know, and she's not the only one."

He snorted derisively. "You're nuts, O'Hara. You're the only one who likes me. I'm a paranoid hardass."

"My paranoid hardass," she said. She leaned over and kissed him briefly and then her tongue darted out to lick a stray droplet of sauce from his chin.

"Yours," he agreed as he captured her mouth with his. He could taste the sweet sauce on her lips, and he retreated for only the briefest moment to place both their cartons on the coffee table.

It had been a long day without the feel of their bodies sliding together, and they quickly stripped off their clothes, more than ready to resume their intimate exploring. Juliet pushed Carlton back against the sofa and kissed him as he reached up and cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing gently over the pebbled nipple.

She knelt down between his thighs, and Carlton's heart skipped a beat. Surely she wasn't going to…His mind went blank and his eye rolled back as her mouth sank down over him and there was nothing but the knowledge that Juliet was pleasuring him. Juliet was looking him in the eyes as she sucked him deep into her mouth and then flicked her tongue against his glans. He closed his eyes, reveling in the drag of her lips over his heated flesh. She moaned, and he gasped as the vibration surrounded him. He looked into her face. She was very much enjoying her power over him; one hand was busy between her sweet thighs as she swirled her tongue around his tip and then sucked him deep again.

It was torture to make her stop, but he finally pushed her away and pulled her up off of her knees. She looked him in the eyes and slowly licked her lips, and it took every bit of willpower not to come right then. He kissed her hard, one hand creeping down between them to slide a finger into her to test her wetness. She was soaked.

"Bend me over and take me now. I want it hard, quick, and dirty," she demanded, her voice husky with desire.

He was happy to give the lady what she wanted. He bent her over the arm of the couch and entered her roughly. She moaned with the sensation, and he adjusted to make sure his depth and angle were hitting all the right spots. He pounded her hard and fast until she gasped and then screamed out his name. Her body spasmed, clenching tight around him over and over in a seemingly endless, ongoing wave that sent him over the edge and almost to his knees.

They lay together quietly on the couch afterwards as their heart rates slowed and their breathing returned to normal. Their supper sat forgotten and cold on the coffee table.

Juliet was the first one to stir from her orgasm-induced stupor. "Wow, that was fun."

"So much fun."

She looked at him, taking in the self-satisfied smile that graced his lips. "We need to do that a lot more often," she said seriously.

"Yes," he agreed. "Any time you want, just let me know."

After that, they were inseparable. Having two residences was unnecessary and a waste of money, so Juliet gave her landlord notice and moved in with Carlton. It only took two weekends to pack up her house and consolidate her belongings into the condo. When the last box was unpacked, Juliet was surprised to see what was laying at the bottom of it.

"What the ever-loving…" She pulled out a piece of broken slot car track and showed it to Carlton. "How did this get in here?"

He plucked it from her hand and looked at it. "Hell if I know," he said as he placed it on the coffee table and drew Juliet to him. He put his arms around her. "But it brought us together after all. Maybe we should frame it."

She smiled at him as her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Maybe so."

That broken piece of track would eventually reside in a shadow box that also contained a copy of their wedding announcement, a photo of the bride and groom, and Carlton's boutonniere. Most people who saw it wondered about the track's inclusion, but no one ever asked had the courage to ask about it – most especially not Shawn Spencer.

The End