A/N: Yes, I know I'm supposed to be writing on two other projects, but I finally felt inspired to write my promised post-Season 6 multi-chapter. I plan on a three-shot (at least), with the possibility of a sequel later on. I've never written an extended road trip piece for this fandom, so I thought this might be a good time, since Jane and Lisbon have to find their way back from Florida to Texas. And after that kiss at the end of "Blue Bird", I imagine they have a lot to talk about.

The Long Gray Ribbon

Chapter 1

Before the TSA agent could come into the detention room and physically break them apart, Jane sat back in his chair, trembling in reaction. He reached for Lisbon's hands across the table and laced their fingers while she stared at him with flushed cheeks and dazed eyes.

"Well," he managed, willing his heart rate to slow. And then a grin spread across his face as he realized the enormity of all that had happened over the last few hours, including the last glorious minute, when he'd finally felt Lisbon's lips beneath his.

"Yes," she replied, and her slow smile answered his.

"I suppose this changes a few things," he said wryly.

She shook her head at him, green eyes dancing. "You could say that."

It was then that they heard the familiar deep voice of their boss, Dennis Abbott, speaking to their monitor in the windowed observation room. They both tensed, awaiting the verdict. When Abbott joined them after a moment, Lisbon tried to withdraw her hands self-consciously from Jane's, but he held them fast. He'd spilled his guts to a plane load of people; he wasn't about to hold them in now.

"Well, well, well," Abbot said, his face deceptively sober, but Jane detected the hint of amusement there. He set Jane's overnight bag from the hotel on the table beside them and eyed their joined hands, but made no comment. "You really screwed the pooch this time, didn't you?"

Jane nodded toward Lisbon in amusement. "Lisbon said something similar."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure we're both understating this mess."

"Sir," ventured Lisbon hesitantly. "I'd like to withdraw my transfer, if you'll still have me in Austin."

Abbott's smile was so wide, it actually showed teeth. "I'm glad to hear it. Of course you're welcome back."

Hearing she was officially staying made Jane's heart do a little flip in his chest. He caught her eye and gave her a tender, appreciative smile.

"Well, I have some more good news," Abbot said. "They've released you into my custody. But the bad news? You are on the no-fly list until this can be completely investigated, so I guess it's the nearest Greyhound for you."

"I'll drive him," offered Lisbon.

"You don't have to do that," Jane protested. "That's a long trip. Go see if you can exchange your ticket to DC."

Lisbon looked to Abbott, using this rare opportunity to go over Jane's head for a change. "Sir, he injured his foot, so I'm sure it wouldn't be very comfortable for him on a bus. And he can't drive with his right foot in that condition…I really think it would be best if I drive him back to Austin, if that's okay."

Abbott considered both his team members. It might be a good idea for them to have a chance to hash out all their problems before they got back to Austin; maybe then they could both focus more on their jobs and leave their personal lives outside the office. Things were just starting to click for everyone in Abbot's new team; it would be nice if things got back to normal around there.

"Fine. But no dawdling on the road."

"Then it's settled," said Lisbon. She shot Jane a warning glance, daring him to disagree. He shrugged in resignation, though he was secretly thrilled at the idea of their upcoming road trip.

"And speaking of rental cars," added Abbott. "It's lucky we found your keys to the Caddie in your hotel room. You sort of stranded us down there, Jane. I enjoyed driving it though; felt like a real gangsta." His smile turned wry. "I turned it back in to the car rental place here in Miami. Cho just picked up the SUV you borrowed, which was towed, by the way. That will definitely come out of your paycheck."

He didn't argue. "Thanks," said Jane.

"I talked to Shultz," Abbott continued. "She was pleased at how the case was wrapped up, though I left out the part about how you faked that letter. You're lucky I don't throw you into a cell for breaking our agreement about good behavior."

Jane looked duly chastised. "I appreciate that. And I am sorry about deceiving everyone."

"Wow, an apology. Well, I'd appreciate a head's up next time."

Jane grinned. "I'm a work in progress."

"Hmm."

Abbott looked from Jane to Lisbon and back again, feeling inordinately pleased with himself as his eyes briefly touched on their clasped hands.

"I see you're in good hands, here, Jane, so I'm going to go make my flight. See you two in a couple of days."

"Yes, sir," said Lisbon.

"Thank you, Dennis," said Jane meaningfully. "For everything."

"You're welcome." Abbott nodded, and then he left them. She looked after their latest boss in wonder.

"I can't believe he was so cool about all this. I was worried he'd be so pissed off you'd be remanded to the nearest detention suite."

"He got what he wanted," Jane said.

"What do you mean?"

"He's been playing cupid the last few weeks, hadn't you noticed?"

"No way."

Jane raised an eyebrow as realization dawned on her. "He had been trying to get me to open up to you more before I left…"she said.

"And remember the dinner on him at Il Tavolo Bianco?" Jane asked. "He's been trying to get me to do something about your leaving. Hell, he even gave me the keys to his SUV so I could get to the airport faster."

"Seriously? I didn't realize he was such a big old softie," she said, and chuckled.

"Meh," he scoffed. "Don't think this was some altruistic, romantic gesture, Teresa. He didn't want you to leave because he feared—rightly so—that if you were gone my heart wouldn't be in closing cases anymore."

She squeezed his hands. "I'm glad you finally wised up then," she teased. "For the sake of murder victims everywhere."

He brought one soft hand to his lips, his eyes filled with love. Her breath caught at the feel of his warm mouth on her skin once more. This time they were interrupted by an airport security officer pushing an empty wheelchair into the room.

"Mr. Jane? I was told to escort you outside the airport security area. You understand you are not allowed to purchase a ticket or enter beyond the ticketing area of any US airport until further notice?"

"Well, I do now," he said wryly.

He rose, allowing Lisbon to help him into the wheelchair. She placed his bag and his missing shoe in his lap. He could probably hobble along on his own, but he enjoyed having her fawn and fuss over him. And besides, he was dead tired. Outside the security area, their escort left them and Lisbon pushed Jane to the nearest car rental counter.

"Too bad they don't rent Airstreams," he said.

"Yeah, too bad. But we're renting something much more fuel efficient. No motor homes or boat-sized gas guzzlers from a bygone era."

"Hey, that Cadillac was sweet, you gotta admit."

She remembered how happy she'd been before she'd discovered his lies, and accepted it was at least partly because of the lovely convertible they'd driven all over southern Florida.

"I had fun," she admitted. "But all good things…"

He reached up and touched her arm. "Not all good things end."

"True," she whispered.

The rental agent cleared her throat and Lisbon looked up from Jane with a blush and requested a Toyota Camry. She purposely ignored Jane's eye roll.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Lisbon glanced at Jane as he sat in the passenger's seat, his eyes heavy, though he seemed supremely content. She didn't even stifle her yawn; away from the recent drama of the airport, a wave of tiredness washed over her.

"I have to get a few hours' sleep before I can drive to Austin," she decided. "And since I checked out of the lodge, and your room is now a crime scene, according to Cho…"

He cringed a little at the memory. "Sounds good to me," said Jane, but his pulse kicked up with the remembered disaster that was their recent brief stay in a hotel. He'd had such plans for the Blue Bird Lodge…

Lisbon took the next exit with a chain hotel looming ahead.

He found that he was too emotionally exhausted to do more than nod in acquiescence as Lisbon got them two separate rooms and handed him his key card. He definitely wanted to sleep, to prop his foot up, but as Lisbon helped him limp down the hall her nearness made him wish he was in better shape for other things.

But of course, that was too soon, right? They'd only kissed the one time. He was so out of practice with this stuff that falling into bed with her seemed both extremely desirable and terrifyingly well…terrifying.

She stopped in front of Room 103.

"This is you," she said.

The awkwardness wasn't new, considering the past month of nothing but. But Jane would have thought some of that would have dissipated after The Kiss.

One of the problems was it was the middle of the afternoon, and it seemed somehow unnatural to be going to a hotel room to actually sleep this time of day. They looked down the hall as a kissing couple laughed and entered their room together.

My point exactly, he said to himself.

"I'm setting my alarm for four hours from now," Lisbon said, looking away from the other couple and blushing as her thoughts obviously reflected his. "You want me to call you then?"

"Please," he said politely.

"Okay. See you—"

"Teresa," he said. She stopped and looked up at him askance. The sudden heat in his eyes captivated her, and she felt her heart picking up speed. Their bags fell to the floor with a simultaneous thud, and he pulled her gently into his arms.

It started out as tenderly as their first kiss, but soon his lips parted hers, and his tongue touched hers tentatively. She moaned softly and tilted her head, allowing him to delve deeper into her hot mouth. He drew a sharp breath through his nose and gave himself to the kiss, letting her feel his long-banked passion as he backed her against the closed door.

Hands glided over arms and shoulders, brushed over sensitized skin, slid into soft hair. Jane had the sensation of drowning, of falling beneath the waves, her faint perfume and the sound of her delicate gasps surrounding him, pulling him under. He was flush against her body, her breasts flattened against his shirt, his hips pressing into her stomach, leaving her no doubt of his desire. He was just fumbling for his key card, his mouth still fused to hers, when he felt the air change around them as a family of three walked down the hall past them.

"That's what the rooms are for," muttered the angry father under his breath as he attempted to shield his family from the sordid scene.

"What's that man doing to that lady, Mommy?" asked the little girl at the end of her father's hand.

Jane dragged his lips from Lisbon's, looking up in time to see the mother's disapproving glare. She hushed her daughter and the family picked up their pace until they disappeared around the corner.

Lisbon, of course, was mortified. She closed her eyes and buried her scarlet cheek against his shoulder, her breathing ragged and loud in his ears. Or was that his own?

"Sorry," he said, grinning against her hair. "I got a little carried away."

"We both did," she managed. She hugged him briefly, her movements to extricate herself from between him and his door not helping his self-control much. He gritted his teeth in thwarted desire and reluctantly stepped back, meeting her eyes sheepishly.

"I'd better go," she said, picking up her bag. "I'm uh, three doors down."

He raised an amused eyebrow. "Didn't trust adjoining rooms?"

She grinned, her face still beautifully flushed. "And rightly so, I'd say. Get some sleep," she ordered. "We have a long trip ahead of us."

"As you wish, Agent Lisbon," he teased.

She stopped in front of her door to look back at him, her dimpled smile and passion-filled eyes tempting him to follow her.

"I love you," she whispered, and her voice carried perfectly to his ears, even from down the hall.

His hand stilled on the door handle, his heart in his throat. He swallowed, his grin turning wobbly.

"I love you too, Teresa."

Her smile became absolutely radiant before she disappeared into her room. Jane stood in the hallway for a full minute, still smelling her scent, trying to keep his head above water.

He expelled the breath he'd been holding, then opened his door with shaking hands.

"No way I'm sleeping now," he said to the empty room.

But both of them fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow, sleeping the sleep of the truly contented.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

They grabbed a quick bite at the hotel restaurant, and then they were on their way, just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Once they were out of Miami traffic, Lisbon looked sidelong at Jane, sitting comfortably in the passenger's seat. She took a deep breath and Jane tried to control his grin as she prepared to say something serious.

"I was thinking that we could use this trip to sort a few things out."

"What sort of things?"

"Oh, come on, Jane. We haven't exactly had any deep conversations about anything in awhile."

"True," he agreed. "Not since you raked me over the coals on the plane ride to New York."

"Which you deserved," she said tightly.

"And which I took to heart," he said quietly.

"I noticed. You've been so good at staying out of my life—until this trip, that is—that you almost let me leave for Washington without telling me how you really felt about it. About me."

He sighed melodramatically. "Women. When I asked you what women wanted, I really felt like I was losing my touch in that department. I mean, you basically asked me to mind my own business, but then you kept waiting around for me to get in your business again. So, I put the decision in your hands—like I thought you wanted. I told you I just wanted you to be happy, which was the truth. You've been driving me crazy for weeks with your mixed messages."

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel, and then she relaxed in resignation.

"You're right. I assumed that since you've always been so good at reading my mind that you'd get that all I wanted was for you to tell me how you really felt. That you wanted me to stay for you, not just to keep the damn team together."

Jane chuckled humorlessly. "I don't know why I could read you like a book with everything else, but I seem to have a blind spot where your true desires are concerned. I suppose I thought you deserved better."

When she would have protested, he took her hand across the console, lacing his fingers with hers, feeling her pulse jump at his touch.

"But I was telling the truth, Teresa. At least, half of it. I meant it when I said I want you to be happy. Your happiness is the most important thing to me. Still is."

"But what you weren't telling me was that my leaving wouldn't make you happy, right?"

"I guess I thought that went without saying."

"Unlike you, Jane, I've never claimed to be psychic."

"See? Final proof there's no such thing as psychics."

This time, she brought his hand to her lips, kissing the back of it, daring to touch his taught skin lightly with the tip of her tongue. She was pleased to hear his softly indrawn breath, and in the fading light of the sunset, she glanced over in time to see his eyes darken with the sensuality of it. Jane found her unusual forwardness extremely exciting, and delighted at his glimpse into what she would be like in the bedroom.

She set their hands back down on the console and smirked knowingly as she directed her attention back to the road, while Jane began thinking of ways he would make her pay later for the burgeoning discomfort in his pants. He shifted in his seat, then he grinned as another thought occurred to him.

"Funny isn't it, how we only mange to be completely honest with each other onboard airplanes."

She laughed. "Well, let's make a pact then. We'll be completely honest in cars too, from now on."

"So I can still trick you on a train? Jive you on a jitney? Obfuscate on an outrigger-?"

She looked heavenward. "We'll be honest in all modes of transportation."

"You drive a hard bargain, Lisbon," he said, enjoying the return to their familiar banter.

They were comfortably quiet for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts, though still connected by their hands. Jane rubbed his thumb over her delicate knuckles, finding it surreal that he could do this, that she wasn't pulling awkwardly away from his touch. Indeed, like him, she seemed to revel in it, craved it even. He began to wish they could have stayed a full night in Miami, regretting that he hadn't pulled her into his room after their brief make-out session in the hotel hallway.

He glanced at her in the twilight, noting how tired she still appeared. It had been an emotionally and physically draining couple of days for both of them.

"Sorry I can't do some of the driving," he said, flinching as he tried to flex his bum ankle.

"I don't mind; I wouldn't have offered otherwise."

"Yes, you would. You are the most selfless person I've ever known."

Her brow furrowed in disagreement. "No I'm not."

"You're thinking of Pike," he said.

She didn't deny it.

"I called him earlier, in Miami," she began. "I was hoping he'd get really angry with me for breaking things off like that. I wanted him to yell, because I felt like I deserved it. But he was only calmly disappointed. It just made me feel worse."

"I don't imagine he was too surprised though," said Jane. She turned her head to look at him.

"What?"

"He must have sensed your heart wasn't in it when it came to him, good FBI agent that he is. And everyone seemed to see the writing on the wall except for you and me. Oh, and Cho. That's probably why Pike pushed you so hard—he was desperate to hang on to you. I don't really fault him for that."

"He didn't push—"

"Truth, Lisbon. New rules, remember?"

"Okay, I'll concede he was very…persuasive."

"Pushy."

She sighed in exasperation. "Fine. He was, a little, I suppose. But he was sort of under a deadline, what with his new job and all. When you weren't exactly begging me to stay with you, I decided to just cut my losses and go for it. It wasn't like I had any other offers pending. And then there was my biological clock to consider…"

"I'm sorry," he felt compelled to say. He'd probably never apologized so much in his life. Well, not and meant it.

"The thing with Pike was all my fault, Jane. It wasn't fair to him to mislead him like I did. In my defense, I had planned to make a go of it." He felt the sudden tension in her hand. "But I definitely shouldn't have agreed to marry him."

His eyes widened. He'd known that if Lisbon moved to DC with Pike, that's where their relationship was heading. He'd even said as much to Lisbon. But to hear her confirm it made his stomach lurch sickeningly at what he'd nearly let happen.

"Wow," he murmured. "That was…fast."

"I was trying to hurt you," she admitted sadly. "After I found out you'd duped me on Islamorada, I thought of the most spiteful thing I could possibly do to get back at you. That is what came immediately to mind. It was probably the most selfish thing I've ever done. Marcus didn't deserve that."

"No," Jane agreed. "But I have to tell you, Teresa, as far as vengeance goes, you gave even me a run for my money. I have no doubt that would probably have done me in. I was already being driven slowly insane, seeing you kiss him, imagining you making love to him, having a life with a man who wasn't me. Cutting me completely out of it. It was a hundred times worse than when I was in South America, because there, I could imagine you in your little police station in Washington, solving small-town crimes and going home alone to your comfortable little house, just as Sam had described for me. I didn't have to actually watch you find happiness with another man. But knowing you were lost to me forever, married to a man who loved you, who you loved in returned—it was the worst thing that's happened to me since Red John-"

"Stop, please," said Lisbon, finding his confession nearly unbearable. Tears sprung to her eyes and she let loose of his hand to wipe them from her cheeks. He felt bereft with the sudden lack of contact.

"Okay, I'll stop; but that's more of the truth I've been withholding, and it's not very pretty. Clearly, we've both made mistakes—some real doozies. But what's done is done, and if there's one valuable lesson I've learned from you, Lisbon, it's the power of forgiveness. You've certainly forgiven me enough transgressions to apply for sainthood. We have to cut ourselves some slack now. And as for Pike; he'll get over it. He'll realize that he wouldn't have wanted someone who wasn't really his, that you did him a favor by breaking things off."

She sniffed a little and turned to look at him. The headlights of an oncoming car briefly lit her ravaged face. "Do you really think so?"

He captured her hand again, gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Yes," he said simply. He fished into his pocket for a slightly used handkerchief and leaned over to wipe her cheeks. He finished by kissing the one closest to him, moving away with the salt of her tears on his lips. She let go a tremulous sigh and stared ahead into the gathering darkness, trying to get a hold of her emotions.

"Okay. Well. I propose an addendum to our new travel rules," he said. "No more talk of the last month's events. I think we've sufficiently pummeled that dead horse, don't you?"

She smiled. "Agreed. Let's talk about the future for a change."

He immediately brightened. "I'd like that."

"Me too. So let me ask you, Jane. What do you want to do with your life?"

"I don't care, as long as it's with you."

"Aw, come on. Seriously."

"I am serious. I really haven't given it much thought."

It was true. The main thing that had driven him for ten years was hunting down and killing Red John. When he got back to the States, what had kept him going for months more was securing Lisbon's place with him at the FBI. He'd gotten that too, along with his other demands, so he'd just been living one day at a time, settling into the new job, just enjoying working with her again. When Pike had entered the picture, his new goal became the constant effort of ignoring the possibility she was leaving. He hadn't had any plans beyond that; was deeply afraid of thinking about it.

"Well, maybe it's time you started making some plans, don't you think? So I'll ask you again, what do you want to do with your life?"

He didn't speak for a few moments, making a sincere attempt to contemplate his future. He pushed aside his first thought, mainly because it made his heart pound alarmingly, so he voiced his second instead.

"I'd like to travel," he said tentatively. "It's in my carney blood, I suppose. I've seen most of the US, Mexico, parts of Europe and Canada, a little of South America. But there's a big, wide world out there, Teresa. I'd like to explore it. With you, if I can," he finished almost shyly.

"I would love that! I've never been anywhere, really, except where my job has taken me. We didn't have the money for elaborate vacations when I was growing up, though we'd usually spend a week at the beach of Lake Michigan in the summers. There was that one summer when my aunt took me to New York City, but that's about the extent of it. So, yeah, traveling the world sounds amazing. I'd love to go with you, wherever you want."

"Italy," he suggested with quiet awe that he'd even allowed himself to contemplate such a fantasy. "I haven't yet been to Italy."

She looked over at him, her face fairly beaming. "Italy it is, then," she agreed. "After we've worked for the FBI a year, we get three weeks off."

"That's in just four months, Teresa."

"I know."

"Then what's stopping us?"

"Nothing," she replied, feeling almost giddy with the very thought of it.

He would take her on the most fabulous trip she could imagine, dip into those offshore accounts he'd set up back in his fake psychic days (safe from the Feds), to which he'd added most of his CBI and recent FBI paychecks over the years. He'd only withdrawn funds from it in emergencies, like when he was out of work in South America for two years, or when he'd paid for adjoining seaside suites at the Blue Bird Lodge. But he knew the balance ran into seven figures; more than enough to take her around the world if she wished it.

Lisbon had been saving her money too, dutifully investing for her retirement, putting some in savings for a rainy day. Her six months out of work when the CBI dissolved had made a dent in it, but she figured she'd replenished it enough to get her to Italy. And with Jane splitting the expenses it was totally doable.

"Okay, travel is in our future," she said happily. "What else?"

His throat tightened once more around his first thought, and because she held his left hand, he couldn't fidget with the wedding band that still rested there.

"Jane?" she said, peering at him in the dimness of the dashboard lights.

He cleared his throat. "I think it's your turn, Lisbon," he hedged.

Since her first inclination (unbeknownst to either of them) directly reflected his, she found the cat had gotten quite the hold on her tongue as well. But Lisbon knew it was her turn to be brave, so she swallowed hard and dove in.

"I'd still like to get married some day," she said, her quiet words seeming loud inside the practical midsize sedan. "Maybe even have a family, if it's not too late. And if that's what my—my husband wants." She stared straight ahead, her heart racing at her own temerity.

For perhaps the hundredth time within a twenty-four hour period, Jane felt his own eyes fill with emotion.

"I'm sure he would love that, Teresa," he managed, his voice breaking in that embarrassing way it did sometimes. That, he realized, was his one true tell. "He wouldn't be able to deny you anything," he finished.

A vision flashed in his mind of her body, ripe and full and beautiful in pregnancy, his child growing inside of her. Such thoughts had been taboo for so long that it still scared him to even allow himself to think about it.

Beside him, Lisbon let out the breath she'd been unconsciously holding. Impulsively, she pulled over to the side of the busy interstate, the passing cars making the little Camry shake as they raced by. They released their seatbelts at the same time, meeting awkwardly across the center console, their kisses passionate, emotional, and full of hope.

A/N: Next chapter, the road trip continues, as does the conversation. With the heavy stuff out of the way, there's much more room for witty banter, radio arguments, competitive travel games, and maybe even a stopover in New Orleans…

P.S.: More of "The Psychic Next Door" to come, as well as a tag for 1x11, for those who are playing along at home.

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