A/N: This is a one-shot I wrote a while back. I just love Juliet and Lassiter's big brother/little sister relationship! This is set during that hug scene at the end Mr. Yin Presents… when Juliet collapses in tears into Carlton.
Disclaimer: Psych ain't mine but I still obsess over pineapples.
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Her hands clung desperately to his blazer, and her face pressed into his shirt. Her tears would leave stains. But for the moment, Lassiter ignored that and focused on his partner- on his family- pressed into his chest, shaking in fear, begging for him to make it stop hurting. Moments like this he realized how young she was.
"S'okay." He said. "S'okay. I've got you. You're safe."
She shook harder at his words. She was burrowed so tightly into his chest he could feel the cut of her nose and the press of her forehead. "I was gonna fall."
Lassiter swallowed a curse. "I'd never let you fall, Juliet."
"He loosened the ropes, Carlton." She curled her hands under his blazer and held the sides of his dress shirt in her tiny fists. Lulu used to hold onto him just like this when she was little. When she got scared, she would run and hug her big brother Carlton with all her might. Carlton tightened his hold upon Juliet. "He said he would make Shawn's decision easier and then…" she grit her teeth and pressed further into his chest, "then he loosened my ropes."
That bastard. He left the rules of his own game. Had Juliet not kept her cool on that chair, whether Shawn had come for her or not, she would have fallen onto the streets below. Bastard. Lassiter mentally noted down a reminder to visit the bastard in lock up.
Reluctantly, Juliet began to pull away. "I should go see Shawn."
The Head Detective wanted to protest, but he wouldn't begrudge the Psychic his reunion with his partner. "Juliet?"
She looked up from beneath her hood of blonde hair. "Yes, Carlton?"
"I know you probably will want to be alone and all after this… but can I... you won't even notice I'm there-"
"I would really appreciate if you could sleep on my couch tonight."
The older man gave her a weak smile. "No problem, partner." He watched Juliet as she walked towards the stairs, unconsciously brushing her shoulder against the wall, eyes on the ground beneath her. "No problem at all." He kicked the chair as he followed behind her.
…