Lisbon's jade eyes scanned her dimmly lit office for any signs of life. She'd been trapped inside the CBI headquaters for the past twelve hours now, and she was getting no where with the ever-growing pile of paperwork, which seemed to consume her desk. She clicked her tongue and began tapping her pen. HEr eyes adverted to her computer screen. 8:38pm. She sighed. The team had escaped the dismay of not having a case a couple if hours ago, and Lisbon hadn't been disturbed by Jane since.
The thought disturbed her a little more than she'd like to admit. Usually Jane would hang out in her office until they ran out of topics to talk about, then he'd walk her to her car and bid her a goodnight. But tonight, Jane had left with the others when she'd dismissed them, like a teacher would it's students, a couple of hours ago. Silence had rested on the bullpen and Lisbon was beginning to feel a sudden emptiness. She missed Jane's boring antics. Ever since he'd began dating Kristina Frye, he'd been more than a little distant. Especially since the Red John collusion a few weeks back. She'd tried and failed to re-gain his attention, and was now stuck wallowing in her own self-pity. If she couldn't get him to open up to her, she was going to have to open up to him. So, she reached for her phone, which had previously been lying motionless on her desk in the silence, patiently awaiting an in-coming call.
-Where are you? We need to talk.
She sent the message. Placing the phone back down on the desk, she began massaging her temples, and then ran her hands through her dark hair. She waited for his reply, and soon enough, she was rewarded with one.
-I'm on my way.
She sighed again. Jane was on his way to the office. Obviously he' left Kristina's to be with her. No. Don't be stupid woman. She mentally told herself. This is it, you're telling him.
Lisbon wa panicking. Where had she put those case files? She straightened her desk, searching for the file. Where had she been today? She headed for the bullpen, scanning Grace's desk and then Cho and Rigsby's. Her gaze landed on the table that the team used for case discussions. Noticing the file she quickly hurried over and picked it up.
She ws now extremely nervous about talking to Jane. It had been twenty minutes since she had text him and she was beginning to shake. She spun round, and was about to head back to the comfortness of her office, when jade eyes met blue. She gulped, leaning back on the table to steady herself.
"Hey." Her blonde haired blue eyes consultant greeted her in a whisper.
"Thank you." She smiled slightly at him, their eyes locking on eachothers.
"For what?" He aproached her slowly, drawing to a hault just in front of her.
"Coming."
"Oh."
The silence became unbareable soon after it fell, so Lisbon decided it's now or never.
"Jane..."
"Lisbon..."
They spoke at the same time. A blush appeared on their faces.
"You first." Lisbon sugested. After a while, Jane nodded in agreement.
"I'm sorry." He began, noticing Lisbon's confused expression, he sighed. "For lying to you."
"You lied to me?" She'd tried to keep the sound of complete shock out of her voice, but, being Lisbon, she could'nt quite hide her emotions as well as she'd hoped.
"A numerous amount of times." He stated soothingly, although to be honest, it actually stung to admit to being a coward. "I'm really sorry, Lisbon. I don't want to lose you over this." He swallowed.
"Remind me Jane, why did you lie again?"
"To protect you." He confessed, after being stared down by Lisbon for the good half of two minutes.
"How many times do I need to tell you Jane, I dont' need protect-"
"You always say that, Teresa. One day you'll need my protection and I won't be able to save you." His voice raised, scaring Lisbon in the process, and believe me when I say Lisbon doesn't get scared easily.
"But-" She protested, but was silenced by Jane's finger on her lips. He leant ever so slightly closer.
"Please, Teresa, let me finnish." He wispered calmly. "I promised you that I will always protect you. Always. How can I do that If you won't let me? Listen, sweetheart, I didn't tell you this because I didn't want to hurt you. But, I care about you and I really can't keep lying to you." His finger slowly slipped from her lips and came to rest on her shoulder. Lisbon gulped when she felt her heart leap in her chest at his sudden confession. Did he just say that he cared about her?
"Jane, If you really cared about me, you wouldn't lie."
"I know, but Lisbon, I didn't want to hurt you." He sighed, his face inches away from hers.
"Just tell me, Jane." She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Something did happen with Red John. Something I linked with Kristina."
"What?" Lisbon pulled away to look him in the eyes.
"When I was on a date with her," A pang of jealousy raced to Lisbon's heart. "She said something, Roll Tide." His gaze adverted from Lisbon to the floor, finding his shoes suddenly interesting.
"What does that mean?" Her hand rested on his chest.
"I'm still not sure, but, Red John said the same thing." Jane said, catching her gaze once again.
"Jane, you should have told me this sooner. This is a lead. Everyone within hearing range is a suspect. We could call the resturant to see if they have the booking records and then inter-"
"It's no use, Teresa." He sighed again, resting his forehead against hers. Lisbon's eyes slid shut automatically at the contact. Her hand creeped up his chest to his shoulders, slipping around his neck. His hand fisted in her hair, the other slid down to the small of her back, pinning her to his chest. "I'm sorry."
"I know. You wouldn't be this affectionate otherwise." She stated, imeadiatly regretting her chouce of words.
"Shut up Woman, you love it really." He smirked, using the hand that had been rfisted in her hair, to intertwine with hers.
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"What are the other lies Patrick?" Lisbon suddenly broke the silence.
"Patrick?" He smirked again.
"Well, you've been calling me Teresa so..." The words died on her lips. "Stop avoiding the question Jane." She huffed.
"I know, I'm sorry." He shifted to rest his head in the crook of her neck. If you asked Lisbon right then, If she loved Jane, she would without a doubt say yes.
"Stop saying sorry, Jane." She nuzzled her head into the back of his, smelling his hair silently. hmmm, apricots and pear. Odd choice of shampoo, she thought. "Just tell me." She knew that he was trying to avoid further questioning. He feared it would turn into a full blown argument if he told her the truth, and he definatly wouldn't enjoy that.
"It's about Sam." As soon as he mentined Sam Bosco, Lisbon had pulled out of his friendly embrace, putting too much distance between them for Jane's liking. He missed the warmth she'd been providing him with. He watched her eyes flicker with hurt. He'd done that.
"What about Sam?" She asked, sternly, her mask glued back in place.
"He said something to me in the hospital." Lisbon stepped even further away from him.
"He didn't tell you to take care of me?" She said, her eyes becoming watery.
"No." Her heart sunk. "He told me to never hurt or leave you. He told me to return whatever feelings you have for me becaue you deserve so much to be loved and to be happy. Because he really couldn't bare to eave you here in pain. He asked me to promise him that i'd always be there for you and to never leave your side. To be the one that you cried to when you're upset, who you laughed with when you're happy and the one who loves you back when you love me." He watched as the tears in her eyes finally escaped onto her cheeks. Reaching towards her, he wiped them away with his tumbs. "Don't cry, Sweetie." He wispered, pulling her towards his chest once again. Instead she pulled back, fighting her way out of his grasp.
"Why would you lie about that, Jane? Why?" She asked, trembling.
"Because I was scared." He shot back after a while. Lisbon's breath caught in her throat.
"About what?"
"About what he said being true. About the fact that I will always love you, and he knew it. I was scared because you would never return those feelings for me because you were in love with Sam-" He was cut off by a tiny force against his lips. Trapping his words forever. It took him a little while to figure out that the tiny force was Lisbon's lips, and, when he did, he just wrapped his arms tightly around her, responding to their passionate kiss eagerly.
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The next morning Jane and Lisbon were sat in the bullpen, drinking their morning coffe, and in Jane's case tea, and eating their breakfast. Shooting eachother the odd seductive glace. A while later, when Lisbon was about to bite into her bear claw, Wayne Rigsby strolled into the bullpen.
"Moring Boss." He said walking past her, and snatching the bear claw out of her hand.
"Heeey, I was eating that!" She whinned, hearing Jane chuckle softly she shot him an evil glare.
"You're not now." Rigsby smirked, taking a huge bite out of his prey and eyeing it in his 'me and you will get a room' look.
"Ugh, Rigsby, you Pig." Lisbon complained, swatting im on the arm. In return he just ruffled up her hair. They were interupted by a small voice.
"Morning." Grace Van Pelt spoke, causing Rigsby and Lisbon to glance at eachother awkwardly.
"Good Morning Grace." Jane piped up, sipping softly at his tea. Just then Cho swaggered into the bullpen.
"Boss, we have a case." Cho stated. Lisbon sighed.
"As always." She smiled, watching her team walk out of the bullpen. Everything was back to normal. With the odd bonus of course. All she new now, was that, she was madly in love with Patrick Jane, and, she always would be.
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R&R PLEASE!
Taz X