Eighteen Months

a Jane and Lisbon Story

By Hermione Potter1990

Summery:

Jane and Lisbon have parted ways, they broke off their partnership and their romantic relationship and found other people to be with. But sometimes, they still think about each other. . . and they call each other just to say that. And when that happens, it's hard for them to be faithful. Based on "Lips of Angel" by Hinder. For my Summer Secret Santa, jisbonsessed.

Other Dedications:

My sisters, Heather and Hannah, and to my brother, Andrew

And for all of the friends I've made on these past few months, Jisbon-Fan, Tallie14, Simonisthecutestmentalist, webuiltthepyrmaids,

and for Tracie for being such a HUGE HELP during this whole process of preparing for Summer Secret Santas

.

Honey why are you calling me so late? It's kind of hard to talk right now

Honey why you crying? Is everything okay?
I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud

Well, my girl's in the next room

Sometimes I wish she was you

I guess we never really moved on

It's really good to hear your voice saying my name

It sounds so sweet

Coming from the lips of an angel, hearing those words it makes me weak

Let it down

Never wanna say goodbye

But girl you make it hard to be faithful with the lips of angel

Flashback:

"This is the best thing for us," Jane told her. "Moving on, seeing other people. . . forgetting we ever had anything between us."

"Putting the past behind us," Lisbon added, one single tear slid down her cheek.

"Come on Lisbon, don't make this harder than it has to be," Jane said, pulling her into his arms and trying to embrace the pain away.

"Don't tell me that after everything we've been through, you want us to end," Lisbon whispered. "Come on Patrick, admit it. . . we make sense."

"We make sense," he whispered back. "We make sense. But. . . if we're ever going to start living again, we have to move on."

Lisbon closed her eyes, and held onto him a little more tightly. "I love you Jane."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then to her lips. "I love you too Lisbon. I will always love you."

And then he was gone.

End Flashback

It had been eighteen months since they broke up, eighteen months of sheer hell. But if you asked him, Jane would have said he was happy. He had met somebody new, she wasn't Teresa Lisbon, but she was almost as good. Like Lisbon, she liked him for him and let him be himself.

It had been eighteen months since they stopped working together, eighteen months of sheer hell. But if you asked him, Jane would have said he was happy. He had found a new job, and a new partner. Sure, his new partner was BY THE BOOK, and all of his methods had to be ETHICAL. But at least he was doing something he loved; catching the bad guys, closing cases, and seeing that justice was served on a silver platter.

Sometimes though, when he was all alone at night, he would think about Lisbon and all that they shared. But he would never call her. He had done that once, and when she said his name, he was totally lost. Especially to his new girl. . . and she didn't deserve that.

.

It had been eighteen months since they broke up, eighteen months of sheer hell. But if you asked her, Lisbon would have said she was happy. She had met somebody new, he wasn't Patrick Jane. . . he really wasn't even as good. Jane knew what she was thinking, and where she liked to be touched. He knew exactly where to kiss her. She was lucky if the man she was with now, remembered to meet her for dinner. Still, he liked her for her, and he let her be herself.

It had been eighteen months since they stopped working together, eighteen months of sheer hell. But if you asked her, Lisbon would have said she was happy. She had been promoted because she had caught Red John. And she had gotten a new partner. Sure, her new partner was BY THE BOOK, and all of her methods had to be ETHICAL. And she didn't close nearly as many cases as Jane did. But at least she was doing something she loved; catching the bad guys (most of the time), closing cases, and seeing that justice was served on a silver platter.

Sometimes though, when she was all alone at night, she would think about Jane and all that they had shared. When that happened, she would call him. . . and every once in a while, he would pick up. But whenever he said her name, she was totally lost.

That alone should have prevented her from calling him again that night. But she couldn't help it, he was her lifeline. . . and she needed him. So, as the telephone rang, she tried to steady her beating heart and tell herself what she was doing wasn't really wrong. But when she heard the phone pick up, and Jane's voice coming over the line, she wasn't so sure.

"Honey, why are you calling me so late?" He asked in a low voice after they had exchanged pleasantries.

"What? You're not happy to hear from me?"

" No! It's not that I'm not happy to hear from you! I love hearing from you. It's just that it's kind of hard to talk right now. . . she's in the next room. We were watching a movie."

"Oh."

"Are you crying?" Jane whispered. "Is everything okay?"

"I just miss you," Lisbon replied. "Oh Jane. . . when did everything become so complicated?"

He closed his eyes. It was SO good to hear her saying his name, it sounded so sweet. The sound of her voice made him weak. And he wished that the girl in his living room was her. He wished he had never been so foolish and said goodbye to her. It was hard to be faithful with Lisbon just a car ride away from him . . . with her angel lips. As she wept quietly into his ear, he guessed neither of them had really moved on. "It's funny you're calling me tonight," he managed. "I was just thinking about you.

"I had to call you, I was asleep and dreaming of you."

"Yeah, I've dreamn't of you too," Jane said, picking up the only photograph he had left out of him and Lisbon. They had been at a company picnic, their unit had just won a baseball game, and Lisbon had twisted her ankle in the final stretch. He had picked her up and put her on his back. Van Pelt had snapped a picture and framed it for them. He traced Lisbon's figure with his finger, and said, "Does he know you're talking to me? Will you two fight over our relationship again?"

"No, I haven't seen him in days. . . don't worry. What about you? Does she know?"

"No, I don't think she has a clue. She's a lovely girl, but she's. . . not you." Jane smiled. "I bet you'd know if I were talking to another woman while you were with me."

Lisbon sniffed. "There wouldn't be another woman if I were with you."

"True," Jane agreed, putting the photograph back down.

"Jane. . ."

"I don't want to say goodbye right now!" Jane blurted.

"I wasn't going to say goodbye," Lisbon whispered. "I just wanted to say, I'm breaking up with him. I don't think I've really moved on from you. And I can't be faithful to somebody that I don't love."

Jane closed his eyes. He didn't know what to say, or to do. Everything in him was telling him to break up with the girl he was with, and go to Lisbon's side. To never let her go again. It was hard for him to be faithful to somebody when he could have Lisbon. "I—"

"I'm not telling you this so you'll break up with your girlfriend," Lisbon said. "I just wanted you to know, that I love you too. And if you don't love me, I'll hang up this phone and never call you again. I'll never. . ."

"I do though," Jane replied. "I do love you Lisbon."

"But—"

"But," he sighed. "There's no but. . . just you, and just me. And just a lifetime of—"

"Patrick!" Her voice came floating into the kitchen. "Is everything okay?"

"Listen, Lisbon. . . I have to go. But I'll talk to you later."

"Jane, I'm not going to be second-string. And I'm not going to let her be second-string. So, you have to choose."

"I have," Jane promised. "Wait for me, I'll be there."

.

"So, you love her?"

"Don't be upset, please. In my own way, I love you too."

She stood up. "I'm not upset. I've always wondered why you were with me, especially after I met Lisbon. She's good for you, I'm not."

"So, you're not angry with me?" Jane asked.

"Just tell me, do you love her?" She asked. "Because if you do, go to her right now and never let her go again."

"I love her," Jane admitted. "I've always loved her. I never really did move on after I broke up with her. I thought I did, because you were amazing. And I never wanted to hurt your feelings."

"But you didn't!" She pulled him into a chaste hug. "You just reaffirmed that there are good men out there, and I'm ready one to find one all of my own. Good bye Patrick, best of luck."

.

"IS he here?" Jane asked, when Lisbon had opened her door for him only minutes later.

"No. . . I didn't mention this on the phone, but we broke up days ago. His old girlfriend came to town, and he never really had moved on either. I told him that he shouldn't have to—" Lisbon stopped as Jane moved nearer to her. "Jane. . . what are you doing?"

And he kissed her, it was something he had been dreaming of doing since he watched her walk away. It was something he had been dreaming of doing for eighteen months.

.

It had been eighteen months since they had gotten back together, and Lisbon was marrying Jane. Van Pelt, Hightower, and her new partner were her Bridesmaids. As she slipped into her wedding dress, she didn't think she could have been happier than she was in that moment. And now, she was never going to say good bye to Jane, and it wouldn't be so hard to be faithful to him.

It had been eighteen months since they had gotten back together, and Jane was marrying Lisbon. Rigsby, Cho, and his new partner were his Groomsmen. As he slipped into his tuxedo, he didn't think he could have been happier than he was in that moment. And now, he was never going to have to say good bye to Lisbon, and the girl in the next room would be her, and he would always hear her sweet voice saying his name.

And it would be easy to be faithful.

_The End_

Author's Note:

It's SO hard to write an angsty story. It starts out angsty, and then ends up happily. I CANNOT help myself! Maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm in love right now, or something equally silly like that.