Traditionalists

Well, they'd got him; they'd really got him, California's most notorious serial killer. But it didn't matter; at least, it didn't matter to Jane. Not right now anyway. The only thing that did, to him, was the small dark haired woman lying on the bed in front of him. She'd been in the hospital for weeks now. It had been nearly three weeks since she'd come out of her coma.

He'd nearly lost someone he loved to Red John yet again. Now that would never happen. She would no longer be in any kind of danger from the murderer.

Jane didn't have to hide anything from her now, namely the fact that he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Suddenly the woman, who he thought had been sound asleep, spoke and pulled him from his thoughts.

"If you don't stop thinking so loud I'm going to have to get a nurse in here to remove you."

At the end of her statement Lisbon opened her eyes and smiled at him. Jane smiled back.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," she answered. "So, what were you thinking about just now?"

"So, -I was thinking, when you're well enough to be sprung from this joint, how'd you feel about getting married -to me?"

Jane's casual tone and facial expression belied his real state of mind, which was as nervous as all get out.

Lisbon thought that this should feel unexpected, but really, it didn't.

"You sure pick a fine time to ask a girl, don't you?"

"Yeah, well, I figured I'd hit you with it when you were weak, vulnerable, and not in possession of all your faculties."

Lisbon laughed, she couldn't help it.

"You really are an idiot."

"Sometimes," he agreed. "So what do you say, Little Pepper?"

She smiled at the memory of the nickname Jane's carnie friend, Sam, had given her.

"I don't know. Shouldn't I be saying something like, 'this is all so sudden'?"

"Not really, we've been working toward it for a while now. And with everything we've been through together, a little thing like marriage should be a piece of cake, right?"

In spite of his flippancy, Lisbon knew Jane was serious.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So?" he asked again. "What do you say?"

Lisbon took a breath and answered. "I say, we're in for one heck of a 'till death do us part', Patty."

He grinned at her use of his own carnie nickname.

"And I'm looking forward to every minute of it."

"Oh, really?" she smirked playfully, "every minute of it? Even when I want to punch you in the nose?"

"Especially when you want to punch me in the nose."

She laughed at him.

"No really, you're a thing of beauty when you get riled up, love."

Lisbon rolled her eyes at him.

"There's no need to butter me up now Jane, I already said yes."

"Technically you didn't say yes," he reminded her.

"And you didn't get down on your knee or present me with some ridiculously expensive ring, so I guess neither of us are traditionalists."

"Well, I thought you might like to choose your own ring. As for the other, I can do that if you want, however, I'm not sure I won't need help getting up, old man that I am, but I can definitely manage it for you, dear."

As he said this Jane made a big show of starting to get down on one knee. Lisbon started laughing at him again. He really was such a nut.

"No, no, please don't."

He straightened up and looked at her with answering laughter shining in his eyes.

"As you wish, but I would like to, at least, give you the traditional kiss that goes along with these things."

Lisbon's amused expression changed to a soft smile.

"I think we can manage that. In the name of tradition of course."

At her consent Jane moved closer to the bed. He gently took her right hand with his left, leaned over her, and steadied himself with his right hand near her left side. Then he slowly leaned down, stopping just a few inches from her mouth, and grinned mischievously.

Lisbon couldn't not smile back.

"If you expect me to come up to you, you're going to be disappointed," she said playfully, her eyes fairly twinkling up at him.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll come down to you."

With that, he closed the last distance between them and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, a playful kiss to the tip of her nose, and lastly, a loving kiss to her lips.