A/N: A fanfic openly requested by SunshinyDemi on Twitter, so I said I'd write it! Not sure whether this is what she was expecting, but I've played with the character request! I hope you enjoy :)
Jane and Lisbon were both settled in Austin again after their revealing trip to the East coast of America, a break they both needed from life. It had led to a night of desperate, yet passionate love-making with strong desire that had burned their insides for years. It was a leap for Jane. Apart from the act of sleeping with Lorelei Martins, this was a step to the light at the end of the tunnel. A tunnel that had been haunted by the overlying case of Red John for the extreme length of a decade.
His Airstream was parked off-road next to the ocean, and he and Teresa often went there on their days off, secluding themselves from the world of death and secrets they both knew all too well. Lived for all too long. If they were lucky they would be granted two consecutive days off, which resulted in a quiet night, overlooking the sunset, as they had done on various occasions in the past. Patrick would stay at her house some nights, but allowed her to have and enjoy her space when he could tell she wanted to be alone. It wasn't a frequent arrangement, they preferred keeping an eye on each other, although neither of them admitted to it.
They'd both wrapped up a case that day, Jane using his well-known character of a master manipulator and Lisbon following through with her sassy techniques in the interrogation room. It was late evening and they both sat in the bullpen of the Austin FBI Headquarters. She signed some paperwork and then went to join him on his couch, where he perched sipping chamomile tea from a white teacup. He gently wafted it under her nose and let her drink the few mouthfuls that were left, knowing just how much she appreciated this kindness, especially after the day they'd both had. His cell started ringing so he dipped a hand into each of his pockets until he retrieved the device and looked at the caller ID. He frowned, clearly not recognising the number and answered.
"Hello?" He asked. Lisbon couldn't hear the response but he rubbed her knee and stood up then walked around a corner, out of sight.
He returned a minute later, the phone call ended and his face showed an expression of deep thought. She watched him curiously but not questioning him.
He bent down to her on the couch and placed his mouth near her ear.
"We need to go outside," he whispered, his moist breath brushing against her neck. She got up and he took her hand reassuringly, squeezing softly to thank her for not asking questions. When they got outside he walked her further from the building, a few dedicated agents still working. He faced her, his back to the main entrance of the glassed walls.
"Madeleine called," he murmured, if she wasn't standing directly opposite him she mightn't have heard.
"Hightower?" She asked surprised, although keeping her voice down low.
"She wants to meet with us. Well, me, but I dragged you into it."
"Is she alright?"
"She said she'd found herself in some trouble."
"And that's all you know?" She said.
"All I know. She's going to wait for us in the cove."
"Our cove?" The Airstream was parked on a small cliff, with a discrete path that wound down to the tiny curve of beach only a selected few knew about.
"Yes. She was in the force for sometime, no doubt she has her ways of tracking us down."
"Well let's go."
"This needs to be handled with the greatest discretion, Teresa."
"I know. We owe her that much."
They left with subtle urgency and when finally reaching the quiet road that led straight past their clearing Lisbon pressed her foot to the pedal, only slowing when turning onto the beaten track that took them straight to the Airstream.
They got out of the car and Teresa slid off her boots and threw them toward the makeshift wooden steps outside the front door of the Airstream, then walked across the dusty grass with Patrick shortly behind. She followed the short cliff face until the narrow sandy path came into sight and she waited for Jane to catch up, only a few seconds later. They then began the steep descent to the beach. The path twisted around large rocks making the walk a few minutes longer and Jane had already predicted she'd take the shortcut.
"Be careful," he warned her as she made the small leap onto the first round boulder, her toes scrunching together as a little dart of adrenaline coursed her body. The first time they'd found the path had resulted in Teresa clambering over the rocks and guiding Jane down to the soft sand at the bottom. He'd of course enjoyed the adventure, but was worried for her safety and in loving surprise that she'd willingly taken that route. Unless the rocks were dangerously wet she'd always insisted upon travelling down that course.
"I think I should be telling you that after what happened last time," she smiled as she sat down and shuffled forward until she lowered herself onto the next rock below.
"It was merely a graze," he defended.
"A graze more than I've had."
He started laughing and she looked back, hands on hips and the gentle breeze floating through her hair. He dropped down onto the same rock and kissed her on the cheek, then took over the role as leader. He stepped across a gap, where a rock pool beneath inhabited an array of seaweed and a few pieces of coral bobbed on the surface. He let her jump over - as her step would've resulted in an unbalanced lunge - and rested a hand on the small of her back to help stabilise her landing. They carefully walked along the flat surface that took them closer to the beach and with a few more strategic leaps and jumps they landed on the soft sand. They walked toward the middle of the small beach so they could have a clear view of the cove, but also so they could be easily identified from wherever Hightower was waiting.
"Did she say a time?" Teresa asked the fine haired man beside her.
"Nope, just the location…" He paused for a couple of seconds, then continued. "If it wasn't for the fact that our ex-superior could be lurking behind a rock, I'd take you right here."
"Sex on the beach," she grinned.
"Sexy sex on the beach."
She beamed, feeling slightly aroused. He studied her smile for a few seconds and then she turned to the ocean, watching as dusk slowly grew into night. He sat down, as the duration of their waiting was indefinite and she soon plopped onto the sand next to him.
They waited patiently, Teresa transferring sand from one hand to the other and Patrick leaning back on his arms either watching the sea or his sweet princess.
"I'm sorry I kept you both for so long," Madeleine's velvety voice said from behind them. They both jumped a little and turned to face her. "I had to wait to ensure no one had followed you."
"We know," Jane said, offering a small smile.
She nodded and looked between the two of them. "Thank you for meeting with me. I understand you're both living the hectic lives of FBI agents, or at least Lisbon is," she smirked, looking at the dark-haired agent who was standing up.
"Something like that," Teresa joked.
"I also heard that Patrick here, interrupted a plane departure of a major airline?"
"I'm very interested to see where you receive this information, Madeleine," Jane said curiously but not withholding a chuckle, he too getting up.
"I may be out of law enforcement but I still have some reliable sources."
"What is it you needed to discuss with us?" Lisbon asked after a brief moment of them all gazing at the ageing sunset.
"Some previous actions have finally caught up to me. I wish I could leave it all behind, come out of hiding, but security has clamped down and I can't risk endangering my family."
"How are they? Your family," Jane questioned.
She took a harsh breath and regained control of her wish and longing to see her dear children again. "I had to send them away, for their own protection. They were given strict orders not to contact me until I confirmed my safety. Keeping them in the dark means they don't have to lie about my whereabouts. I can't have my children lying for my welfare when I'd taught them that God disapproves of all false stories, lies, no matter how much they need and want to believe them. They're two good children, and they take comfort in having God watch over them, I can't take that away."
"Who're they with?"
"I'm unwilling to share any information on their location, Jane."
"How can we help?" Lisbon asked, moved by the extreme lengths Hightower had taken to protect her family.
"One of the allegations against me is that time I held a gun to Jane's head," she said with a hint of sarcasm piercing her strong accent.
"Ah, yes… I do recall. Quite vividly."
"Jane," Lisbon snapped. "How do you know this?"
"Like I said, I still have some contacts. Patrick was assisting the government and officers of the law, charges won't be dropped easily."
"It's Jane, I'm sure I can find a judge who's still pissed with him. They'll drop charges with empathy and slight disappointment that you didn't finish the job."
Lisbon and Hightower both smiled with content at the look of fake shock and hurt on his face.
"You're working for Agent Dennis Abbott at the FBI?" Hightower asked them both.
"Indeed," Patrick confirmed. "He's not heard from you in a while I take it?"
"I'm sorry?" She exclaimed.
"Ah, wait. You contacted him a couple of weeks ago, when you first realised you were in some trouble?" He read her like a book.
"You're still like this, huh? Thinking you're always right?"
"Yep. I just have more proof than I did the last time I spoke with you."
"That time wasn't too pretty either. That's another reason I'm here, you owe me, quite possibly, your life, Patrick Jane."
"I still had another nine fingers to bereave Dan Hollenbeck of first. I'd have concocted a plan."
"Thankfully we didn't wait around to find out. You know Dennis?" Lisbon interrupted, putting the conversation back on topic.
"I do, yes."
"That's where your children are, isn't it?" Jane predicted.
"No place better than with a top ranked FBI agent."
"What's your connection with him?" Teresa questioned.
"He's my second cousin. The officers in charge of my case had already spoken to him, out of pure desperation for any type of lead. They won't be visiting him again."
"Is he not trying to help you?"
"He'd risk a lot to do so, plus he doesn't have any contacts with people back in Sacramento."
"Madeleine, you realise the CBI hasn't been there for over two years? The uncorrupted officers and judges would've scattered all over the place."
"And that's why I need your help tracking them down. If, somehow, somebody came across search history on your database log they'd simply assume you were tracking down friends and old colleagues. That's why I couldn't have Dennis risking his high status and job, they'd immediately notice something was going on."
"What other charges are you facing?"
"Basic things like disorderly conduct, and they'll create some fancy name for betraying a team member, etcetera."
"Wouldn't it work if I stated that I did not wish to press charges?" He wondered hopefully.
"We could try that," Lisbon said, looking at Hightower for her opinion.
"Go about doing it however you professional FBI cops see fit, just please consider the impact it could have on my children. I'd like them to have a mother by their side throughout their childhood."
"Of course. Can we do anything else for you?" Lisbon checked, folding her arms in an attempt to preserve her body heat as the sun had dropped beyond the horizon now.
"Look, Madeleine, you can stay in the trailer tonight. It's too cold to be out, and I don't want you showing your face around here for a bit yet. The place is inhabited by officers from the entire police force at the FBI. If anything happens, Teresa and I have our own contacts and will be the first to know."
"That's very generous of you."
"We'll continue and go about the process with the greatest discretion until your name is cleared," Lisbon reassured her.
"I want to thank you both now… Because I don't want either of you checking on me. I don't want to see your faces again, you understand?" They each nodded. "If things work, then I thank you for getting me back to my children, and Mimi and Will would be grateful and appreciative of your help in getting me home. I'm saying this now because when I hear the news, in order to protect your jobs, I'm leaving. I don't want to compromise your positions if people were to find out you helped a criminal, no matter how friendly you are with me. If things don't work out, then let them prosecute me and give me a fair trial, and I thank you for doing all you could."
"Good luck then, Madeleine," Teresa said, feeling slightly nostalgic. Hightower stepped forward and embraced her similarly built friend, who she'd grown fond of over the years she'd spent working with her. She then hugged Jane who whispered words of luck into her ear and broke away.
"Now go, and don't cause too much trouble," the dark-skinned, petite woman joked, sending them on their way.
The couple began walking away, only glancing back once as they reached the bottom of the twisting path. On a few occasions Teresa had taken to the rocks again, having to plan a route to the top as some of the boulders were too high up for her to climb. But the deep purple of night was rapidly approaching so she decided to stick to the path.
They reached the car and Jane climbed in behind the wheel as Lisbon scooped up her shoes.
"I'll drive us home," he informed her. "We'll start working on this tomorrow." He reversed out of their little haven and then cruised down the empty road. They will never know if Hightower took them up on Jane's offer of the Airstream.
He pulled up outside Lisbon's house and cut the engine.
"Do you want me to come in?" He asked, she was clearly in deep thought, probably
creating a flawless plan of action.
"Yes, stay with me tonight," she said, a pleading glint in her eye. They both hopped out of the car and walked down the paved garden path to her door. Her boots were still swinging on the ends of her fingers and she unlocked the door.
Once leaving footwear in the hall they both gravitated to her bedroom. It had been an extremely long and wearing day. Jane shrugged off his suit jacket as Teresa lazily wiggled out of her jeans and they collapsed onto the bed. He rested his head on the pillow so that his nose picked up subtle wafts of her sweet-smelling hair every time he inhaled. He draped an arm over her waist and she relaxed into him like a mould.
"How do we go to Sacramento without the others knowing?" She mumbled.
"We can ask for a day off? Tell Abbott it's personal."
"I'll get the addresses of some judges tomorrow. Or give them a call. We can't risk having the paperwork faxed through, or printed."
"Let's worry about it tomorrow, okay? Sleep now…" He picked up his head and leant over, kissing her cheek. "Goodnight, princess."
"Love you…"
To Be Continued
