Happily Ever After

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist.

"Let's make a deal."

Lisbon almost spit out her coffee. It was almost seven –thirty in the evening, but the team had been called out at four that morning to the sight where a well-known doctor had been murdered. All in all it had been an exhausting day.

Finally, after hours of steady work they had caught a break in the case and the team had proceeded to go to the suspect's home and chase him for a few blocks until the three hundred pound mobster was out of breath and out of bullets. They called him the "Iron Fist."

Now on her third cup of coffee and almost three hours later, Lisbon had tried everything to make this guy talk. Nothing was working. Even Jane had tried everything to make him spill something useful, but it wasn't looking good.

Lisbon had decided to send home her agents for some well deserved R&R and had just settled down in the observation room again to watch Jane fiddle uselessly with the same questions and tactics that they'd explored an hour ago. She'd just been about to give up for the day when the lug in the interrogation room said his first three words that day: "Let's make a deal."

Jane was leaning against the table and opposite him a heady man with a badly shaven chin and a balding head. Lisbon sought the large dragon tattoo sprawled from his jaw to his elbow. His multiple piercing jingled as he spoke.

"What does that mean?" Jane's poker face was empty, interested.

The Iron Fist cracked a smile. "Come on doll," he said sighing at the blonde consultant opposite him. "You're smarter than that. I'm offerin' you a deal. You do something for me, I do something for you."

Jane didn't even blink. "I'm listening."

Lisbon could practically hear the seconds ticking away as the two men faced off in a staring contest. The Iron Fist keened forward and motioned for Jane to come closer. Whispering something in Jane's ear, Lisbon began to get suspicious. What were they talking about?

Jane straightened, taking off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "Deal."

Behind the two-way mirror, Lisbon was steaming. What the hell had Jane just agreed to? This was the sort of thing that got her and her status as a senior agent into trouble. She had to sort this out before it got messy. With that she put down her coffee and started for the door.

The Iron Fist sat back and sighed in contentment. "Showtime doll."

That very second a few things happened at once. Lisbon burst through the interrogation room door and Jane surprised her by catching her by the wrist and pinning her against the wall.

Lisbon was holding her breath. They were so close and it was so real. Gulping Lisbon glanced up at Jane and was instantly riveted by the sight of his eyes on her lips. Then blue met green and Lisbon could feel his hands sliding up her forearms, her heartbeat pounding in her chest. One more glance between her lips and a long gaze into her eyes and Jane tilted his head downwards until their lips met in a slow and sweet first kiss. Lisbon melted instantly and the awareness that a suspected murderer was sitting not five feet away, totally disintegrated.

All too quickly, Jane pulled away and Lisbon was already too aware of the way she missed him. All that warmth she'd just had, gone. She grabbed at the opportunity to get out while she could and slipped out of the interrogation room.

"Was that good enough for you?" Jane asked breathlessly, his mind spinning with the taste of Lisbon's late-night coffee break hypnotizing him. He had been more affected by the kiss than he'd expected.

The Iron Fist nodded.

Minutes later, Lisbon's heart was still pounding. She was leaning up against the filing cabinet in her office, when Jane came in. Trying hard to act normal under his careful eye, Lisbon began to stack random papers into a neat pile on her desk.

"I guess you got that confession, then?" Lisbon asked keeping her back to her consultant.

Jane sighed flumping down on her couch.

After several minutes of waiting for his reply, Lisbon turned to Jane. Finally he answered the question. "Yes I did, my dear. But not without your much appreciated help." Lisbon swallowed hard to keep the colour from rising in her cheeks.

Watching her closely, Jane held out his hand and waited as she came close enough. Then he caught her wrist and pulled her down onto the couch with him. "I know I appreciated it," his voice low and husky in her ear. Lisbon could feel his words on her cheek. The warmth was back and she could feel herself melting into his arms. "Did you? Appreciate it," he added cautiously after feeling her relax into his embrace.

Lisbon nodded as she curled up closer to her consultant, something she never thought she'd do. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Jane seemed shocked. "Well, we must be sure Lisbon!" And with that he pressed his lips to hers once more.

Fireworks exploded in Lisbon's office at that moment and it felt like nothing either of them had ever felt before. Not with Mashburn, Kristina, Sophie or Erica. Jane hadn't even felt like this with his wife. This was a different sensation, one that got their hearts pounding so hard, they almost burst out of their chests. The kiss was sweet and full of promise. A future of loneliness and pain melted away and was instantly replaced by love and affection.

Finally they broke apart and Lisbon fell against him, resting her head on his chest, listening to his still rapidly beating heart. After years of built up feelings and being alone, it felt good to be wanted, loved, held. So that's what they did. They held each other all night.

Well? Reviews anyone? This is my first oneshot, so I hope you liked it!

- Jamhead