A little oneshot about broken dreams. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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This had to be some kind of cruel joke.

Juliet stared at the doctor sitting across from them, her stomach in knots and her hand gripping her husband's hand tightly. How was this happening? Her mother had delivered three perfectly healthy kids. No one in her family had a history of these problems. They just didn't.

So why did she?

"You have other options. Adoption, of course, as well as a surrogacy…"

Tears threatened to break loose at any moment. She had wanted children ever since she was a little girl. It was all part of her life plan. Graduate high school, then college and the academy before she met the man of her dreams and had at least three children with him. Now she had accomplished all of those goals and found the man she would spend the rest of her life with, and she couldn't give him children.

Her breath hitched in her chest. He wanted children. Would he leave her because she couldn't have children? The thought of not having Carlton in her life made her physically ill. Over eight years, he had become the other half of her heart and soul. She couldn't lose him, but she couldn't make him stay, either. Her grip tightened on his hand.

What was she going to do?

Three weeks after the diagnosis, Lassiter came home later than normal. In his arms was a large box, and he struggled to get the front door open. "Juliet?"

"In the kitchen, Carlton," her sweet voice called.

He smiled and kicked the front door shut before setting the box down on the floor. "Come here." He knew Juliet was still struggling after the doctor diagnosed her as infertile, and he still hurt as well. This wasn't the same as a baby, but he hoped it would help.

A few moments later, Juliet appeared in the living room. Her eyes immediately went to the large box at his feet. "What's that?"

"A present." He grinned at her and motioned to the box.

"What's the occasion?" she asked curiously as she knelt down in front of the box.

"No occasion. This is just because."

She gave him a dazzling smile before she opened the box. A moment later, a ball of golden fur jumped out and began licking Juliet's face. Juliet laughed and looked up at him with the brightest smile he had seen in months. "He's beautiful…"

Kneeling down by his wife, Lassiter kissed her temple sweetly. "I know it's not the same as a baby, and we don't have to give up trying to get pregnant. But I thought…"

"Thank you, sweetheart." She turned her head and kissed him firmly. "What's his name?"

The puppy yipped and slid off Juliet's lap, dancing playfully around them as his tail wagged exuberantly.

"That's up to you." He brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.

Juliet pulled the eager puppy back into her lap and hugged him tightly. "Max," she finally declared as the puppy licked furiously at her face.

"Max?" Lassiter rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I like it."

Max yipped again as if in agreement.

"Max it is."

Juliet hugged Lassiter again, and he knew he had made the right decision bringing Max home. He wouldn't fill the void left by their inability to have children, but anything that made Juliet smile so brightly was well worth it.

Pulling her against his chest, he rested his chin on the top of her head and breathed deeply.

Everything would be okay. He had to believe it. Somehow, everything would be okay.

It had to be.

The End.