A/N: I wrote this 30,000 word, AU chapter story over a couple of days while my internet was down about a month ago when my Muse was in hiding on my old stories and that whole Pike situation was driving me crazy. I wanted Marcus gone and he was determined to stay! Since I normally take all of you (my readers) into consideration when I write fanfic, this story was never meant for public consumption. However, a story is a story so here it is. Please keep in mind I was writing this insanity for myself never intending anyone else to read it so it was written however I felt like writing at the time.

It definitely didn't follow the show nor did I intend it to. ~Calla

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Cursing a blue streak, Lisbon set the black permanent marker aside and headed for the stairs knowing she didn't need this latest interruption. Not when time was running out and she was nearly done with her packing. However, she knew she'd best answer the door. Following her first inclination of ignoring the pealing bell probably wasn't her best move. It wasn't like it would make any difference if she did. She doubted whoever was out there would just up and go away without seeing her grumpy face. No flipping way. Her co-workers were much too persistent for that.

It was the nature of the beast…They were FBI Agents.

Besides, it was probably a team member dropping by to offer a last minute hand. One she didn't really need since she'd sealed and labeled the final box about the time that first ding of the doorbell sounded. Maybe it was Fischer or Cho. If she was lucky, she'd get Cho. She wouldn't mind visiting with him one last time. She'd always valued the respectful camaraderie that blossomed between them from the moment they met. From his recent remarks concerning his early days at the CBI and why he'd really stayed, it seemed Kimball felt the same.

Bouncing down the stairs, Lisbon decided one last spin down Memory Lane might be nice. They could share a few laughs and a coffee or two. It would give her a good excuse to break out that new blend Marcus had given her as a parting gift the morning he'd left for D.C. permanently. Cho would appreciate the gesture and she'd enjoy making it.

Pressing her palms against the door, Lisbon gazed through the peep hole and saw she wasn't entirely wrong in her guess. It was a member of the team standing out there. Just not one coming to help in any appreciable way.

She was sure of that.

Seriously hesitating before she threw open the door, Lisbon half blocked the entrance with her body. While she was slightly addled to find Jane standing on her stoop, she was more disturbed by his bedraggled appearance. He hadn't looked this off in a long time. Not since the Red John years. As MacAllister was long gone, there really wasn't any reason the man should look like death warmed over now.

Nothing she knew about anyway.

Shaking her head slightly clearing away images she didn't want to have, Lisbon contemplated her next move. Her gut instinct was to slam the door in his face. However, she wouldn't be much of a partner or a friend if she did. Her second inclination was to keep things light and avoid whatever issue he'd come to talk about at any cost. It shouldn't be that difficult. They'd both gotten adept at skirting things they didn't want to tackle over the years. She was one of the best. Then again, she needed to take into account Jane had that determined gleam in his eyes usually meaning the thinking would be a lot easier than getting it done. He'd clearly appeared on her doorstep with a mission in mind. One she wasn't sure she wanted to tackle.

Not given his rough appearance.

She was much too familiar with tortured Jane and, from the looks of him; he'd been tormenting himself for a while. Whatever, he could do as he darned well pleased. He wasn't her problem anymore. He belonged to someone else by default. Or he would as soon as she left town. She didn't rightly know who that person was and she didn't really care. He just wasn't hers anymore. But, that didn't mean she was going to cruelly send her old friend away. Not yet anyway. While she didn't have time to deal with a full blown Jane crisis, she could spare a few minutes to slap an emotional bandage over his wounds before sending him on his way.

She owed him that much for old time's sake.

Ignoring the voice in the back of head screaming that was the last thing she should do, Lisbon stepped back from the door and motioned Jane inside. Locking the door behind them, she walked into the kitchen to pour two healthy glasses of wine from the already open bottle she'd left on her counter earlier. Handing him one, she led the way into her den. Settling on the couch she patted the cushion beside her.

"I'd say, from the looks of things, you need something stronger than wine." Lisbon watched him fold his body into her personal space before taking a sip of wine and setting her glass aside. "Unfortunately, that's all there is."

The last of that standard case of her favorite California Red Jane had gifted her for her last birthday.

"This is fine." Jane said quietly before taking a sip. "So, are you almost done?"

"I am done…I finished early." Lisbon said quietly knowing he was referring to her packing. "Everything ships out day after tomorrow and I leave a few hours later."

Jane wasn't particularly surprised by her words. The woman sitting by him wouldn't leave something as important as carefully tucking her precious belongings away until the last minute. She'd started boxing things early and she'd finished early. It was her typical MO.

"So, this is it." Jane continued quietly.

"I guess so." Lisbon agreed. "My new life starts in a couple of days."

Setting his glass aside, Jane reached out to take both of her hands in his. "I don't want you to go and not because D.C.'s boring."

Stopping mid snort, the words she'd been thinking died in her throat as she caught sight of the hand resting so casually against hers.

"How long?" Lisbon held her breath not sure she wanted his answer.

"Three days." Jane watched her expel the breath she'd been holding knowing she'd realized the relevance of his remark since her last day at Headquarters had been exactly three days ago. "I needed some time to think things through and you needed to know this isn't spur-of-the moment."

"No wonder you look like hell." Lisbon commented knowing while she'd spent the past three days carefully packing and sipping an occasional glass of wine, he'd spent them in an entirely different way. "You haven't had that ring off your finger in twenty years."

Three days of battling the emotions coming with that action was more than she wanted to consider.

"A few years longer; but, who's really counting." Jane agreed. "It's time."

"Why?" Lisbon asked quietly dreading his answer.

"Because we both know there's unfinished business between us that we need to sort out before either of us can move on." Jane stated firmly. "Not right now of course. You aren't ready. Neither am I. But, we'll need to down the road and I'll be here when you're ready."

"I won't." Lisbon reminded him none too gently. "I'll be in D.C."

"Will you?" Jane asked quietly. "Are you sure about that?"

"I am." Lisbon stated with quiet determination. "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

"Are you?" Jane asked again. "I don't think so." He called her bluff. "Not with this hanging between us."

It wouldn't be fair to the man she claimed to love if she did.

"Damn it, Jane." Lisbon drained her wine glass in open frustration and considered pouring another. "You have no right to do this. Not now."

Not when she'd waited months for him to do something. Like what he did best. Gum up the works somehow. But, he hadn't really done much of anything except show up at a few inopportune moments and say all that really mattered was her happiness. Well, she was happy, and it had nothing to do with him! Jane had had his chance and he'd blown it.

More than once!

How dare he show up at the Eleventh Hour and try to throw a monkey wrench into the rest of her life!

"No, I don't." Jane agreed. "But, that's never stopped me before."

He had a point there.

"Well, it's stopping you this time." Lisbon pressed forward without batting an eye. "My transfer has gone through. They're expecting me in D.C. I have to be there. Marcus went out on a limb to make things happen. I can't let him down."

"I think you can." Jane continued as though she hadn't spoken. "Besides, I'm guessing that paperwork you're referencing is still on Abbott's desk." He knew it was even if he wasn't explaining how. "I'm not the only one who doesn't want you to go."

There was still plenty of time to dot those final "I's" and cross those "T's" since she wasn't starting her new position immediately. Abbott was counting on that. Lisbon had requested a couple of weeks to settle in and get her bearings before officially entering the field. The D.C. office had granted her wish.

It was a move in his favor.

"I'll lose my deposit with the moving company and the apartment complex." Lisbon said. "I can't afford to do that."

"Consider them paid." Jane said quietly. "You know that's a feeble excuse at best."

"What do you want me to say?" She asked. "Just spit it out."

"That you'll stay." Jane said quietly. "That you'll take the chance we've never taken. See what happens. We've been together too long not to see if we can make things work."

While he wanted to say more, Jane wisely shut his mouth.

Closing her eyes, Lisbon pondered his words knowing Jane was right in her heart but still rebelling in her head. Why couldn't he have done this sooner? Stopped with all the, "I just want you to be happy." b.s. and said, "I want you to be happy with me." instead. It wasn't that hard to come clean. To stop the mind games and say how he truly felt. It really wasn't. He should have done that in the early days before she'd gotten so deeply involved with Marcus.

Doing it now was selfish and cruel.

Catching the mutinous look on Lisbon's face saying she might very well stick to her guns on principle, Jane vocalized the one thing he hoped would tip the scale in his favor.

"You'll always wonder what would have happened if you go." He prophesied firmly. "It'll destroy your relationship with Pike in the end."

Mulling his words, Lisbon turned bruised eyes to Jane knowing he was right. She could already feel the corruption starting to fester deep inside. He'd managed to taint her feelings for Marcus without even trying. Made her start to ponder all the 'what ifs' she'd successfully held at bay. She couldn't do anything else. She had feelings for both men.

She was sure of it.

"I'm still going to D.C.; but, I may be back." Lisbon capitulated. "I owe Marcus that much."

"Yes, I suppose you do." Jan agreed not liking anything about that idea since it meant she might still slip through his fingers. "It's the right thing to do."

"Yes, it is." Lisbon stated firmly. "I'm not promising anything. I might stay once I get there. If I do, I expect you to let all of this go. I need your word you'll do that. You'll accept I've finally made my choice and it isn't you."

If Marcus's arguments were half as good as Jane's, she might stay. If she did, she wasn't looking back. She wasn't having any regrets. She was giving her new life all of her and everything she had. Marcus deserved nothing less. He was a much safer bet than Jane would ever be and he adored her. Honestly, she was a fool for even entertaining thoughts of doing anything else. However, she had to.

When Jane was right, he was right.

"I'm not asking you to promise anything." Jane said. "If you decide to stay, I'll let you go."

He wouldn't like it; but, he wouldn't interfere with her new life if that was what she truly wanted.

He was counting on the fact it wasn't.

"Thank you." Lisbon finally agreed.

"You're welcome." Leaning in drop a kiss on her cheek, Jane rose to his feet. "Now that I've said my piece, I don't think you need me underfoot any longer."

"Probably not." Lisbon agreed escorting him towards the door. "I've got some thinking to do."

She had to figure out the best way to break all of this to Marcus for one thing.

"Don't think too much about it." Jane said quietly. "Just be honest with Pike. I don't think he'll be as surprised as you might think."

"You may be right." Lisbon agreed. "But, even if he's not, he still doesn't deserve any of this."

"Perhaps not; but, it's a chance he took. It's a chance we all take when we embark on a relationship." Jane gently reminded her as he stepped into the darkness. "It's never been a secret there was an indefinable something between us. I don't know a lot of men who would take the chance Pike did knowing that." It was the something that had kept most would be suitors away for years. Unfortunately, Marcus had proven more determined than most. He hadn't let an ambiguity like "indefinable somethings" dissuade him from his course. "He clearly thought you were worth the risk and I have to agree."

"Yeah, I guess he did." Lisbon watched Jane turn to give her one last look. "I'll give you a call when I'm back in town."

Or she'd give him a call from D.C. as she clearly didn't want him showing up unannounced or calling her in the interim.

"I'll wait to hear from you." He'd waited a long time to get to this point; he could wait a few more days. "I can give you that much."

"Thank you." Lisbon said before closing the door without waiting for Jane's response or watching him walk away.

She didn't need to see his shoulders hunching in semi-defeat.

She had enough to think about without adding that heart rending image to her mind.