This is obviously not at all cannon. This chapter takes place back when Juliet was 28. Basically, nothing really happened with Shawn and Juliet past close talking.

Also, I know Lassiter is a little out of character, but I figured he might act different at this point.

"Hey, Juliet!" Lassiter greeted his fiancée with a smile and a light kiss.

She laughed weakly. "Carlton, why are you wearing your glasses?"

"Oh, I may have had an unfortunate incident with a wide-drained sink," he replied, adjusting the black frames on his face.

"Lost a contact?"

He nodded. "We'll have to order me more. So why are you here at-" he looked at his watch, "7:30 on a Tuesday? Don't you usually watch Top Model with Gus and Shawn on Tuesday?"

She bit her lip, walking farther into his apartment.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Carlton, I need you to help me with something."

"Anything, Juliet! What do you need?"

"It's... a case."

"A case? What kind of a case?" Lassiter asked, his tone excited about the possible case.

"There's a kid who was living with his dad on the East coast because the guy got custody. The dad is sending him on his private plane to the field on a plot of land he owns that has a business of his in Santa Barbara because he married some new girl, and the kid doesn't like her much, and she doesn't want him around much, and he's not even three yet, and the dad sent him on this plane with his now step-sister Stephy, and the flight is in a week," she explained quickly.

"Slow down, Juliet. So, where's his mom?"

"Uh...she sees him on some weekends when he flies out, but now it will be the opposite and the dad will see him one weekend a month if he so chooses."

"Why are you involved in this? Isn't this a case for someone of a lesser rank like...Buzz? Why is this even any concern of the police?"

"It's not a police case, per se," she began. She pulled out a very slightly outdated picture which she held facing away from him, looking at it as if to make sure it's what she thought it was.

Lassiter thought it odd she pulled it out of her pocket instead of some file.

He looked at her suspiciously through his glasses. "Hey, Juliet?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you know so much about this kid when you don't have the file?"

She bit her lip again. "I think the picture will explain it."

She turned it around to face him. "Here he is. Logan O'Hara, Age 2."

Lassiter gasped. "Juliet, he…he…he… What is going on?"

"Carlton, Logan is my son."

"What?"

"We were gonna get married, Tim Salor and I. I was 25 and I guess a little stupid. I met him a few weeks after I met you that first time."

"What happened?"

"I had him until he was a little over a year old, but Tim got custody because he could provide full time care in the form of a nanny, and I had Chief Vick's husband and a college student watching him as much as possible. Plus, Tim's pretty rich. I got the transfer, and he refused to move with me. So a week later, I brought him here. Then his dad got custody and I started dating you soon after, and-"

"I guess that explains why you seem to be busy every other weekend. What I don't understand is why didn't you tell me before, Juliet? Especially since Vick knew?" he asked, a slight hint of anger creeping into his voice.

"Well, you kept the huge secret that the former chief was your grandfather," she countered.

"I think this is a slightly bigger secret than that. Juliet, we're engaged! You think you could have at least dropped a hint?" Lassiter asked, fully angry by now.

"I didn't know how to tell you!"

"How about, 'Hey, Carlton! Yes, I will marry you! Oh, by the way, I have a two-year-old!'"

"I was afraid to," she replied, "I was afraid you'd react like this!"

"Juliet, you can tell me anything, you should know that by now! At least I told you about my grandfather before something like this happened and someone needed to know!"

"Why can't you just accept it like it is?" she asked, now crying a little.

"How could you expect me to?"

"I know I messed up, okay? I guess I just expected more from you than I should have!"

"Juliet-"

"I'm gonna take off work for a few days to get things ready. Just- just leave me alone for a little bit, okay?"

She stormed out.

~~~~~~~ Almost a week later ~~~~~~~~~~~~

A knock sounded at the door along with a muffled, "O'Hara!"

She opened the door to see Carlton, noticing by his disheveled appearance that he'd been crying. His eyes were puffy, and he looked like he hadn't showered in at least four days.

"Can I come in?" he asked, noticing she looked as bad as him.

She said nothing, but opened the door wider to let him in.

"I'm sorry, Juliet. I really...I just...I thought we trusted each other a little more than that."

"I'm sorry too, Carlton," she began to cry. "I didn't mean to- what I mean is, I shouldn't have kept it from you."

"No, but we'll get through it. It's just one secret."

She looked up from where her head was on his shoulder with a barely visible hint of a smile forming. "So you're not still mad?"

"A little, but I'll get over it. Every couple has their issues, right? Not that I'm saying he's a problem or anything, I just-"

She cut him off with a laugh. "So you still want to be with me?"

"Of course, Juliet! I didn't wait to finally man up and ask you out, or buy that diamond ring on your finger, just to let it go for something stupid like that! I love you and I'm in for the long haul," he replied, sealing his promise with a kiss. "Besides, you know I've always wanted kids."

She nodded, then hugged him tighter.

He kissed her hair and smiled. "Now let's get some sleep, we have to go to the airport bright and early tomorrow. We have a kid to pick up."

"You do realize the flight lands at 5 PM, right?"

"Well, I'm sure we can find something else to do while we rest," Lassiter told her with a wink, grabbing her hand and striding toward her bed.