Authors Note: This is the sequel to "A new week", which is the sequel to "Confessions and Choir Music". While I'd like you to read them both, it is not necessary to do so to understand this story. There is an established Jace relationship, started with Jane showing up to listen to Grace sing in choir at church and ended up with them in a relationship. If you have any questions and don't want to read them, just drop me a line. My daughter just figured out how to do the puppy dog look, sticking out the bottom lip, quivering it slightly, big eyes…partially the inspiration for Jane in parts of this chapter. Thanks to demonbunny7 for being my beta on this.

Disclaimer: Really, is there even a possibility that I own them?

"Come on Patrick, let's go. It's one of the busiest travel days of the year, and unless you want to call my parents and tell them why they don't get to meet their daughter's boyfriend, then I suggest you get a move on."

Jane had been slacking all morning. They had gotten up really early, well before the sun was up, which was not a happy thing for him. He had spent the night before not sleeping, he was too nervous. He hadn't had to meet the parents of the person that he loved for well over 15 years, and it was nerve racking.

He had no desire to spend Thanksgiving with Grace's family. He would have much rather spent it at home in Sacramento. But when she said she was going and that he was expected to come…well, he was hopeless to deny her anything.

He reluctantly got up off the sofa and went into the bedroom to grab the suitcase. He still had his house, but hadn't spent much time there in the last few months. Since that first time he spent the night in her bed, he'd been there.

"You know you're lucky that the Unit pulled Christmas duty, or we'd be spending an entire week in Iowa, instead of just a few days. I'll tell you my family wasn't happy about that." She was calling to him from the living room. It wasn't hard to hear her, the apartment was tiny, he had actually been thinking that it was time to move into a bigger place, and glanced behind him to make sure she wasn't coming before he slipped one last thing into his suite case and locked it.

"Alright, I'm coming. It's blackmail really. I still think they should have come here instead of us going there." He as pouting, he knew it, he didn't care.

"Stop pouting, what are you, four? There's too many of them for it to be economical for them to come here. Where would they all stay? This place is tiny and I wouldn't want to put them up in a hotel." She was rambling. She did that when she was nervous, and she was cute when she did it.

Jane walked up to her and pressed his lips to hers in silence her ramblings. In all the months that they had been together, her kiss never ceased to excite him. He felt her moving closer and pressing her body against his. She slowly drew her tongue across his lips causing him to moan and open his mouth to her. He laced her fingers threw her silky red hair and was starting to think that he may be able to get out of this trip after all when he was suddenly holding nothing but air.

"And that's the last kiss you're going to get until we get there." She said, picking up her bags and heading to the door. "The cab's outside waiting, let's go."

He groaned. How was it, that with all his mind control "powers" and genius level of intellect, he was still powerless to other, less intelligent parts of his body? She knew she had him and was enjoying every minute of it.

Jane was tempted to cause a scene at the airport, to get himself thrown of the plane, to get himself band form flying, but with the thought that he would no longer be able to get Grace's kisses, and the thought of Lisbon's face at work when he told her he could no longer fly anywhere on their cases, well, it was enough to make him simply profile the rest of the passengers on their plane.

Grace slept on the flight. She knew that once they got to Iowa they were going to have a two hour drive ahead of them. Grace hadn't told Jane that her dad had wanted to pick them up at the airport. She knew it would just freak him out even more.

They were lucky that the first big snow storm of the season had been the week before, and that the next one wasn't supposed to come until after the weekend. Their rental car was a nice size and they drove towards Grace's little home town.

"Ok, so tell me about them one more time. I want to be able to impress them when I get there." Jane said with his eyes on the road. Despite the fact that he didn't know where they were going, he wanted to be the one to drive.

"Can't you just use your amazing powers of observation like you always do?" She teased.

"This is more important than just some case or somebody off the street. This is your family. I want to make a good first impression."

"I'm sure they'll like you. But ok, my mom is Lucy, she does not like jokes about the name, so avoid that and you should be fine. My dad is named Charles, also, doesn't want any jokes, and doesn't really care for peanuts or even peanut butter."

"It's not as if his last name is Brown. It could be worse."

"His wife's name is Lucy Van Pelt; do you really think it could be worse?"

"You could have a brother named Linus." He chuckled, he just couldn't help it.

"Wipe that smirk off your face. It's not funny."

"I thought you liked my smile."

"Your smile yes, your smirk no. It means you're up to do good." She paused looking at him to make sure he wasn't smirking anymore. "My older sister is named Hope, she's married to Bill. They have two kids, Adam 3 and Sam 2. Next is my brother Jack. He's married to Sally, again, no jokes or you will not be walking straight for a week. Sally is due January, they don't know what it is, the baby wouldn't cooperate. SO we're just calling it Junior. Then there's Simon, he's in the army, he won't be here, he's still in Iraq. We will be praying for him, so please keep comments on religion to a minimum. Next is me, and well, you already know more about me than I know about me I'm sure. And then my baby sister Charity. She's 17, she still lives at home. My aunt Mary will be there, she's a hoot, and her husband Greg. Oh, and my cousin Yolanda, the psychic."

"Please tell me she's not going to be staying in the house with us." He wanted to be good, but knew that if he were confronted with someone who proclaimed themselves to be a psychic he couldn't be held responsible for his actions.

"I love you, remember. I know you want to make a good first impression; I wouldn't do anything purposely to damage that. I'll try to keep her from showing off in front of you." She reached over and placed a hand on his leg, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Jane asked glancing at her briefly. She blushed slightly and looked away; he could always tell when she was hiding something.

"Who would I be forgetting?" She asked, not looking at him.

"Oh, I don't know, your high school boyfriend, Mr. Hayfield, whom your parents were absolutely in love with and devastated when you broke it off to go to college and who still lives in town, teaches at the same school as your dad and is one of the assistant coaches?"

"What, are you jealous?" She asked laughing. "It's possible he may be there, but what does it matter, I chose you."

They rode in silence for a little longer until they got to what could be called the main part of town and Grace started giving directions to the family house. It was nearing dark, and there was just enough light left for Jane to see the neighborhood. The houses were large, but not like his, they looked cozy. They were spread far apart, with large fields and pastures between them.

"Nice town." Jane commented as he drove.

"Thanks. It's the second house coming up. White and blue." The pulled into the drive way and parked behind a large older looking pickup truck.

"Well, I guess there's no time like the present." Jane said, nearly hiding the nervousness in his voice.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine." She said, reaching over to cares his cheek with her hand and pulling him I for a deep kiss. They both jumped when there was a rapping on the window. Standing outside the car was Grace's entire family, and Mr. Hayfield himself was knocking on the window.