Here is my gift to Maggie for her 33rd birthday. Thanks to TheShulesLovinPsycho for creating this prompt. I've been meaning to write something like this for a long time now. I almost didn't do it because I have been having a hard time finding the inspiration to write anything for a while. This is the first thing I have written in over a year! (aside from lesson plans and research proposals) I am glad I did, because now I know I still have it in me.

Maggie's Birthday Present

It was the coldest day of the year. Of course, "cold" by Santa Barbara standards isn't anything like the "cold" one would experience on an average winter day in northern Minnesota. But to Juliet, who was not even remotely Minnesotan, the chilly 41°F air on this particular December day might as well have been giving her frostbite. It also didn't help that said "air" was currently whooshing in all directions at speeds close to 20 mph. She was glad she'd worn her hair up today. Otherwise, it would have been a tangled mess by now.

Lassiter rolled his eyes at his shivering partner while she snuggled under the warmth of her husband's arms. "Toughen up, O'Hara. It's not that cold," the head detective complained, partly because he believed a good detective should never show weakness, and partly because seeing Juliet in such close proximity to Spencer was making him sick in the stomach.

Juliet gave her partner an annoyed scowl and burrowed further into Shawn, who vigorously rubbed her arms in hopes of warming her up.

The couple followed Lassiter and Gus as they ascended the creaky front stairs of a dilapidated bungalow in a sketchy part of town. They had responded to a call from a neighbor reporting suspicious noises from the vacant home. Being homicide detectives, it wasn't usually Lassiter's and Juliet's responsibility to respond to reports of trespassing, but they happened to be in the area and it had been a slow day. Shawn and Gus had only come along because the house was less than a block from Taco Bell and they were hungry.

The hinges on the front door scraped loudly as they entered, rust between them shaving off and sprinkling to the floor. Obviously, it hadn't been opened in a while. "No sign of trespassers just yet," stated Juliet.

All four detectives filed through the front door, stopping in the foyer, eight eyes scanning the small space. Every one of them silently noted the inch- thick layer of dust and cobwebs that covered the floor and everything in the room. Their own footprints in the dust appeared to be the only thing that had disturbed this home in years.

"Waste of time…" sighed Lassiter.

"Not totally," Shawn argued. "I reckon we've only lost 5 minutes if you count the minute it took Gus to free his coat tail from the car door. And now we have a much shorter trip to seasoned beef, cheddar, veggies, and sour cream inside a crispy corn shell…"

"…surrounded in a layer of black beans…" Gus continued.

"…wrapped in a warm soft taco shell…" said Shawn, as Gus began to salivate and smack his lips. Lassiter groaned and made to leave, but Juliet left the boys to fantasize about their upcoming meal while she made a round through the house just to be sure they hadn't missed anything.

"…dipped in your choice of guacamole or spicy ranch sauce…"

"…a side of cinnamon twists…"

"…Cap'n Crunch balls filled with sweet icing!..."

"…and a plate of TRIPLE LAYER NACHOS!" both guys finished together loudly.

"SHHH!" Juliet reprimanded as she returned to the foyer, catching their attention. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked Gus. All three stopped and stilled themselves listening for a noise.

"What are you guys doing in there?!" yelled Lassiter from the sidewalk, followed by two shushes and a shut-up from his colleagues inside.

They listened again for a few more moments until all of them heard it at once; a rustling in the far corner followed by what sounded like a couple of tiny yips.

"Oh God! I bet it's rats," whimpered Gus. "Let's get out of here, Shawn."

Shawn ignored his friend. His curiosity got the better of him as he made his way towards the corner, moving aside dusty boxes and rickety furniture to get to the source of the noise. Juliet followed, but Gus stayed rooted in place.

"Shawn! Are you crazy? Do you know how many diseases those things carry?"

"Relax, Gus," said Juliet impatiently. "Rats do not make noises like that." She helped Shawn move aside another box that rested in front of a heavy roll-top desk. The noises were clearly coming from the open space under the desk. Gus whimpered and prepared to run as the space under the desk was revealed. He closed his eyes, and...

"Aaawwwww!" sounded both Shawn and Juliet. Gus opened his eyes and Lassiter stepped through the doorway.

"It's puppies!" Shawn exclaimed. Sure enough, under the desk rested a mother pug and her two babies, one black and one tan, curled amongst an assortment of old towels.

"Can we keep them? Can we? Can we? Can we?" Shawn begged Juliet.

She smiled, but nonetheless shook her head no.

"I can't believe you are just going to abandon them?!" Shawn complained from the passenger seat as he and Juliet pulled away from the animal shelter later that afternoon.

"I am not abandoning them, Shawn. I am giving them to a shelter who will take very good care of them and then I am sure will find them a wonderful home."

"Yeah, but they will probably be separated, Jules. They are all they have! You can't let them be separated! That would be like separating Chip and Dale, Ren and Stimpy, Phineus and Ferb!"

"Those are all fictional characters, Shawn, and I don't want to hear any more. I already told you. We are not prepared to take care of a dog, and definitely not three dogs."

"We don't have to keep all of them, just the puppies."

"We do not have time to house train two puppies, Shawn."

"But…"

"ENOUGH!"

"Grrr. Dog hater," mumbled Shawn under his breath. Juliet gave an exasperated sigh.

She was not a dog hater. Not in the least! She wouldn't admit it to Shawn, but she had wanted to take home those pugs just as much as he did. At another time in her life she probably would have. But right now… She was just so overwhelmed. Certainly, life as a detective was in itself a hectic lifestyle. On top of that she had three children to chase after. Two of them being Shawn and Gus, and the third their very rambunctious almost-four-year-old Maggie. Juliet was almost always the one who took care of the house, and the finances, the cooking, and the shopping. Not that Shawn didn't try to help. He just always seemed to make a mess of everything. She couldn't even send him to the store for milk without him returning with two thirds of the candy aisle…and no milk.

It was nearly Christmas, and she was loathing the idea of having to entertain all of the guests. She hadn't even done a smidge of shopping or decorating. She didn't even want to, but felt obligated to do it for everyone else. Soon after that would be Maggie's birthday. She should be looking forward to planning an amazing party for her only daughter, but right now it just seemed like another enormous task to add to her ever-growing list of things to do.

She didn't know what she was thinking when she agreed to have a second child with Shawn several months ago. She never told him, but after losing the baby a part of her had been relieved. The guilt she felt over that feeling was tremendous. But she couldn't help it. She was relieved that she wouldn't have that extra person to take care of. That added responsibility. She had been very honestly worried whether she'd be able to handle it.

She hadn't even noticed the tears that had started welling up in her eyes by the time she pulled into their driveway.

"Jules, what's wrong?" asked Shawn worriedly.

Juliet's shoulders shook as she began to sob. "I'm so sorry, Shawn. I just can't do it," she cried.

Shawn leaned across the center console and pulled Juliet into his arms. "Hey, Jules," he spoke softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I am sure the dogs will be fine at the shelter."

"It's not that," she mumbled.

"Well then…what?"

"This!" she said gesturing toward the house. Shawn froze for a few moments until she elaborated further. "Everything. Being a wife, and a mother, and a detective. It's too much. I am just so exhausted. All of the time!"

Shawn had to admit he was a bit surprised. He had no idea she had been feeling this way. He had always been impressed with how easily she seemed to handle everything. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he knew she had been feeling this way all along.

"Jules, why didn't you say anything before? If we need to make some changes…find some help… If there is anything you need me to do, just say the word."

"You want to know what I need, Shawn?!" she said harshly, pulling herself from his grasp. Shawn startled at her sudden change in attitude.

"I need you to finally pick up the slack for once! I need you to do something, anything, without me having to ask first. I need you to do the laundry and put it away. I need you to go grocery shopping and just go grocery shopping instead of making it a day trip. When I have to work, I need you to be available for our daughter. I need you to take some initiative and take care of things, instead of waiting for me to tell you what to do. And right now, I need you to pick up Maggie from your dad's because I can't do it."

With that she got out the car and slammed the door in his face.

After he had gotten Maggie a snack and settled her in front of the TV for her one allowed show for the evening, Shawn went in search of Juliet and found her on the rocking chair in the spare room. The room, which in different circumstances would have been a nursery, still housed Maggie's old baby items among other random things they couldn't find a place for. Juliet was still sniffling as she looked through a small box of baby items that had not been Maggie's. They had bought these few pieces of clothing and toys several months back after finding out that Juliet was pregnant again. It turned out they hadn't needed them…and most likely never would.

Shawn sat on the end table next to his wife. "You OK?" he asked carefully. He wasn't sure if she was still angry with him. She nodded.

"I'm sorry I flipped on you," she said.

"Hey. You don't need to apologize to me."

Juliet leaned into Shawn's side and he put his arm around her. He soothingly caressed her arm and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"I know it's been hard," he said. "It's been a tough year, and especially tough on you. And look at me, Mr. Hyper-observant and I didn't even notice that you were struggling."

"I didn't really make it easy for you either. I am pretty good at hiding it."

"That you are," Shawn agreed. He paused for a while until he figured out how to say what he wanted to say. "Listen…I know I am not very good at…being responsible, or…doing things in the conventional way…or being the perfectly equal half to the ham and pineapple on one side, veggie on the other pizza that is our relationship, but I DO love you. And I DO NOT want you to feel stressed out…or overwhelmed…or like you always have to take care of everything…or ESPECIALLY like you need to hide yourself in the closet and watch reruns of Glee on your iPad over and over and over again."

"Hmm…" Juliet glance up at him confusedly. "I'm pretty sure I've never felt that last one."

"That one may have been Gus, but what I am saying is, is that I am sorry for not being the supportive husband that you needed when you needed it. I am sorry for taking what you do for this family for granted. You are amazing, Jules. You are so amazing that sometimes I forget that you are not Wonder Woman. I've gotten lazy. I can see that now. My eyes are open now, and I am going to do everything I can do to be there in the way you and Maggie need me. "

Juliet rose from the chair, put down the box she was holding and sat on Shawn's lap, wrapping both arms around his shoulders and looking him in the eye.

"I need you to know that what I said earlier in the car…I was angry. I meant what I said, but I didn't mean to make it out like you are an awful husband. You are a good husband, Shawn. And you are a good father. Without you…I don't know what I would do. I will do my best to let you know how I am feeling if you can do your best to make things a little easier on me. Can you do that?

"I will so do that," said Shawn surely.

"I love you, Shawn."

"I love you so so much, Jules."

"Big fat kisses?

"Big fat kisses."

Juliet wrapped herself around Shawn tightly as she pressed her lips to his.

3 WEEKS LATER

They were up early after a late night ringing in the new year to begin festivities for Maggie's 4th birthday. Juliet was no longer overwhelmed, but excited for this day. Life had been so much easier the past few weeks after she and Shawn's heart-to-heart. He'd really taken her seriously and had been taking care of a lot of the responsibilities more spontaneously. He wasn't perfect, and didn't always do things in the ways she preferred, but she could tell he was trying really hard.

Shawn had taken on most of the party planning himself, leaving little for Juliet to do on this special day. She might have even felt a little excluded if she hadn't been so busy preparing Maggie's birthday gift. It was really a terrific idea, if she had to say so herself, and would be as much a gift for Shawn and herself as it was for Maggie. She'd arranged for a grumbling Carlton to keep it overnight and bring it in the morning so it wouldn't be discovered too soon.

By the time all of the party guests were filled with cake and Maggie had opened all of the other presents, she finally had Carlton push the enormous wrapped box in from the garage.

"Holy crap, Jules!" exclaimed Shawn. "What'd you do? Buy her the island of Oahu?"

"Even better!" said Juliet.

"Wow! What is it Mommy?!" Maggie yelled, bouncing up and down.

"Open it and find out," said Juliet pointing to a ribbon on the box.

Maggie pulled the ribbon and then several things happened. First, all four sides of the box fell to the ground. Then the balloons and shreds of wrapping paper covering the floor began to fly in all directions as two yellow and green "things" burst from the box and ran among the crowd of children. The children responded by them too flying in all directions. Lamps and tables of goodies nearly toppled over in the ruckus. Shawn and Lassiter found themselves hopping onto a nearby armchair, holding on to each for dear life. When the commotion finally subsided and Shawn released Lassiter in disgust and embarrassment, he was finally able to see what the "things" were.

They were pineapples.

Pineapples with legs…and a tail?

No. They were dogs! But not just any dogs, pugs! Pugs in pineapple costumes!

"Puppies!" Maggie shouted excitedly

"Jules, you didn't…?" said Shawn disbelievingly as he looked at his wife.

"They're not the puppies from the vacant house," Juliet clarified, "although those ones and their mama did find a home. Together, I might add. These ones aren't actually puppies at all. They are adults, 2 years old, siblings, and most importantly house-trained."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Shawn.

"Yes," said Juliet confidently. "It's time we added a little more life to this house. Maggie needs some playmates, and canine is almost as good as human. And…" Juliet quickly fished through a box of dog items that had also been inside the massive package. She pulled out a bag of poop bags and threw them to Shawn. "You are officially on poop duty for the next 12-15 years."

"I love you sooo much," said Shawn in a sarcastic tone.

"I love you too," said Juliet.

Thanks for reading Psychos! It's good to be back!