Make me real

Lisbon knocked lightly before entering the guestroom.

"Hi Jane. Here's the annulment papers. You just have to sign them – I'll send them in first thing tomorrow morning."

He nodded and offered her a small smile. "Thank you."

She took the empty teacup from his hands and went out of the room.

Six months. Their fake marriage had lasted that much.

Funny that it was exactly the same span of time he'd been away in Vegas.

Six months without her, and then six months of living together.

Quite obviously he preferred the latter.

He could still recall the day he'd come to her office and told her he needed her help to catch Red John.

She'd looked at him and said that she wasn't going to lie to a jury for him. Then a smirk had crept over her lips as she'd added that there might be another way to cover their not-so-legal activities together.

She'd left him completely speechless when she'd come out with spousal privilege.

His clever little Lisbon.

It had been quite useful after Red John's shooting. Lisbon had been the only witness to the whole thing – and they couldn't have her testify against her husband of course.

She had waited for a couple of weeks after his trial before producing the annulment papers. One never knew after all.

In a short while they were going to be free from whatever bond had existed between them.

No more sharing her apartment. No more watching movies curled up on the couch beside her. No more bantering over a belated cup of tea.

Jane kept on tossing and turning between the sheets. Looked like he was going to get no sleep tonight.

It was near dawn when he finally crept inside Lisbon's bedroom.

He placed a soft goodbye kiss on her brow, but couldn't bring himself to leave so soon.

He'd never seen her like that – sleeping like a child as the grey twilight bathed her pearly skin.

His fingers threaded through her dark hair almost of their own accord.

Then he started trailing feather-like kisses down her neck.

A change in her steady breathing suddenly warned him that she was now awake. Her eyes met his own but she didn't utter a word.

She slid her arms around his neck instead.

Perhaps they weren't going to need those annulment papers after all.