Juliet quickly decided that she didn't like stakeouts. When studying how to conduct one properly at the academy, the whole concept just didn't seem very appealing. Of course, sitting in a disclosed position for an indeterminable amount of time watching people do illegal things is never fun. Unless your name is Carlton Lassiter.

December 23, 2010. A navy blue Crown Vic sat in the shadows fallen over a parking lot for an apartment building. The two detectives inside had gotten a hint that there would be some suspicious activity going on, but the tipper couldn't specify. This left them with an entire night stuck in a car together, staring at a back door. They were accompanied only by the police radio, but it's not like they could leave on another call anyway.

Juliet, fed up with the silence, turned to her partner.

"Carlton, what are you doing for Christmas?"

He looked at her, frowning, but not in a disapproving way. "Well...Lauren's staying with me over the break. We're going to our mom's for dinner on Saturday. Why?"

"Just curious," Juliet replied lightly. "Your other siblings aren't coming?"

Carlton shook his head, absently shifting his hand on the steering wheel. "They live too far away. It'd be even more hell-ish with them here, anyway."

"Elaborate?"

He gave her a look, to which she smiled sheepishly. "I don't like sitting in silence, Carlton. You know that."

"That's very true, O'Hara." He paused, collecting his thoughts. His fingers absently started drumming on the steering wheel. "My older sister lives in New Jersey. She moved there after marrying a guy named Raul, and my mom wasn't too pleased with that. If you catch my drift." O'Hara's eyebrows rose, but she didn't comment. "My asshole of an older brother lives in South America. He just vanished one day, until I tracked him down. I think he's after some 'gnarly waves, man'," Carlton continued, putting on his perfected surfer slur for the last few words. He shook his head, his hand sliding down the wheel and back to his side. "She always likes to criticize us. Only the adult children, though. Lauren gets off easy because everyone loves Lauren."

Juliet nodded; from what she had heard, Lauren sounded like someone she'd be friends with. Of course, there was the possibility she had the apparent Lassiter temper, but it didn't sound like it reared its ugly head as much as her brother's did.

"Did the Chief ever show you the tape of my inauguration?" he asked, looking at her. His eyes seemed brighter in the dim blue light coming from the apartments. Juliet shook her head, not wanting to speak. Carlton never talked this much to her. Maybe he secretly loved the holidays. "The whole time she was either glaring or shaking her head. Kinda funny, actually. She expected me to go straight from detective to chief." He had gone back to watching the back door of the building. "I guess I shouldn't have talked to her so much about the position."

"Well, if it's worth anything, Carlton," Juliet said, as the apartment door swung open, "I think you'd make a great chief." Pause. "Not that I hope that something happens to Vick, hell no, but-"

He cut her off, smiling at her - genuinely smiling - and after a second she thought she imagined it. Carlton pulled out his trusty Glock and cocked it, grabbing the handle of his door.

"Thanks, O'Hara. Now let's go catch some bad guys."

a/n; Yay, Christmas!

I assume the episodes "Dead Bear Walking" and "Yang 2 in 3D" happened after the New Year, considering Shawn was on suspension until then. So this happened after "The Polarizing Express".

This is based a lot on Lassiter's blog, which contains a great deal of personal info on him. It's worth reading. ;)

Next chapter: And just like that, she was gone, out like a light.