How would Carlton Lassiter handle Juliet struggling with her period? Maybe he was not half as oblivious to the female of the species as Shawn and Gus may have led you to believe.

I do not own Psych

It was worse than usual today. He could see the tension in his partner's face and body that a lesser detective could easily have missed as they were driving out of town to investigate the death of a hiker. A park ranger had found the body in the bottom of a ravine and called it in. For now, she was Jane Doe, but with several possible matches in the missing persons database, they were hoping to have her identified before leaving the park tonight. If Shawn and Gus could be kept off a case, that was always ideal. He questioned how to breach the subject. Juliet, like most women on the force, was always very discrete on the topic. There was never any change in her attitude or productivity, just little cues that he had picked up on over their first few months as partners. Now it was a safe bet to say that if Juilet O'Hara was menstruating, Carlton Lassiter knew about it, not that he would ever say anything. Juliet chose to be discreet, and Carlton respected that choice. They were partners after all.

Today was different. He watched her out of the corner of his eye when she thought he wasn't looking. Her right hand moved from the arm-rest gravitating toward her lower abdomen.

"It's worse than usual today, isn't it?" He worded it as a question, but stated it as a fact. Her reaction was instantaneous, surprise and confusion. How could he know? She had always taken some pride in what she had accomplished as a woman in such a male dominated field as the police force. Part of that mentality had been making sure that nobody ever figured out when she was on her...period. Her mother had taught her from a young age that her period was just one more thing people would find a way to use against her and she treated it accordingly. She was lucky enough to not have severe cramps so she could usually grit her teeth and bear it; however, today was a struggle and apparently her intuitive partner had surmised as much.

"Your cycle, it's worse than usual today isn't it." he clarified in case there was any chance she didn't know what he was referring to.

"How?" she began, but he cut her off.

"I'm one of the best detectives in California and we spend all our working hours together. I have a sister, I've been married. Do you really think I'm that oblivious?" When he put it that way, it made sense but Juliet still felt outside her comfort zone discussing something she considered so intimately hers with her partner.

Her face flushed red. "I'm not trying to insult or embarrass you," he said bluntly. "And I don't want to go sticking my nose where it doesn't belong, but we're partners. At any moment, some perp could sneak up and take a shot at us and if you aren't at your best, I need to know about it so I can react accordingly. That's what partners do."

"It's usually not that big of a deal," she said sincerely. "This morning I just woke up cramping to kingdom come and the painkillers won't be kicking in for another 15 minutes. Then if I'm lucky, it won't bother me this badly again for a few more years." Carlton nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. After taking a moment to gather herself, she suddenly became very curious. "Wait, you're telling me you've known for months?" she questioned him. "What are my tells?"

He chucked a bit. "Oh you're very subtle. If I wasn't such a good detective, I could easily have missed it. My ex-wife on the other hand, you would have to blind to not know when she was on her cycle. She always turned into a real-" Juliet coughed and he returned to his original thoughts. You put extra sugar in your coffee, you rummage through your desk and then stare awkwardly at your computer screen for 2 minutes before going to the bathroom, and you always wait until nobody else is in there before going in.

"Guilty on all charges," she admitted sheepishly.

Carlton laughed again. "See, not a big deal. Most people wouldn't even notice."

"Fine, " she resigned. "As long as you promise to let me know when you are at less than you best, I'll do the same." She looked out the window and took a nap for the rest of the ride. Carlton decided to let her sleep. Hopefully when they arrived she would feel better. Either way, he had her back and she had his. That's what partners do, and detectives Carlton Lassiter and Detective Juliet O'Hara were 2 of the best.

If you liked this fic, please check out the other I have written. As always, thank you for reading.