Part Two
Disclaimer: The plot's mine, just borrowing the rest.
A/N:- Thanks for the reviews! I have to admit I had a lot of fun writing the misleading opening.
A couple of hours later Lisbon finally ventured out of her office. "Where's Jane?" she asked, walking into the bullpen.
"He's getting kitted out."
"Did you brief him on the tactical plan?"
"Yes," Rigsby nodded.
"Did he sound like he was actually listening to what you were saying?"
Rigsby exchanged a look with Cho telling Lisbon all that she needed. She sighed. "I'll go through it with him again. You two grab Van Pelt and meet us at the park."
She walked upstairs and into the prep room. Jane was standing there in a T-shirt, psycho-analysing the tech.
"It's alright, I've got it," Lisbon said to the tech who looked relieved to be able to get out of there.
"You talk in your sleep you know," Jane said, watching her closely as she took a tiny microphone from the box and fastened it with tape to his T-shirt.
"No, I don't," she said walking to the other side of the room and pulling a Kevlar vest out of a locker.
"You do. It's cute," he smiled, bending down so she could put it over his head.
She pulled the straps tight on purpose and he winced. "Fine, what did I say then?"
"You said your constant irritation is just a mask for the intense feelings of passion you have for me."
"Wow you got me totally figured out," she said dryly, fastening a tracking device to the inside lining of the bag containing the money. The only time she could truly let Jane's comments bounce off her was in times like this when she was so completely focussed on the case and the operation at hand.
This of course didn't go unnoticed. "You're actually worried about this."
"Yes. Going undercover is a big deal."
"Undercover or under covers?"
"Jane, listen to me," she said looking at him seriously. "Don't try anything funny, just walk into the park, leave the bag under the bench and walk away."
"If it's as simple as that then why do I have to wear this vest?" he questioned, putting the earpiece in.
She passed him his shirt and jacket. "It's a precaution in case they realise it's a trap …… which they're not going to because you're actually going to stick to the script this one time, right?"
"Right."
An hour later Lisbon was sitting in the van watching on the computer screens as Jane pushed the bag under the bench.
"Good, now walk away," she instructed into the headset.
"There's a homeless person on a bench over there," Jane muttered.
"I know. He's one of us,"
"Really? Cho or Rigsby? My money's on Cho going on the height …."
"Jane!" Lisbon hissed. "Walk away."
Jane took a couple of steps back. "Okay, final guess Lisbon, who do you reckon? I'm still going with the manager or possibly the valet."
"Walk away Jane. Come on walk away."
"If I'm right, I think you'll definitely have to let me take you to dinner."
"There's someone approaching from the North East corner of the park," Van Pelt said, pointing at a figure wearing a hood and dark glasses on her computer screen.
"What? Who comes to pick up practically two minutes after the drop off??" Lisbon said, agitated.
"The murder probably got him freaked. Maybe this is the final job before he skips town?"
"Boss, perp's approaching," Rigsby confirmed from his position. "He's armed."
"Jane, get out of there." She moved to the door of the van and took out her gun. They needed to wait until the perp reached for the bag of money before they could make their move but if it came down to it, she would choose Jane's life over making the case at a push.
She watched the monitor as Jane looked around and realising he didn't have time to head for the gate without being seen, he ducked behind some trees. She prayed they wouldn't have to make use of that vest.
Thankfully the perp seemed to think the coast was clear and reached under the bench.
"He's going for it," Van Pelt said.
"Okay, on my count," Lisbon said. "One, two, three."
All the agents planted in the park moved out from their positions and surrounded him. Lisbon and Van Pelt left the van and jogged across the road as Cho handcuffed the suspect. Jane strolled out from behind the tree and pulled off the perp's hood and knocked his sunglasses off. It was the valet.
He turned round and grinned at Lisbon triumphantly. "I told you he was watching us."
Lisbon wasn't going to lie: she was glad this case was over. Locked in close quarters with Jane was always challenging at best but yesterday he had talked incessantly about everything from favourite breakfast cereals to, oddly enough, the varying degrees of attractiveness of the CBI mail room employees until she was on the point of wishing he would put her in a trance just so she wouldn't have to listen to him any more. Then there was the whole elevator and car episode and his new obsession of asking her to dinner. She was looking forward to the peace and quiet of her home.
That thought had barely passed through her mind when she pulled up outside her house to find him sitting on her doorstep. It was so tempting to just put the car in reverse and get the hell out of there.
"I thought you were still on the sofa in the bullpen when I left," she said getting out of the car.
"I drive fast don't you know."
"What could you possibly want now, Jane?" she asked exasperatedly.
"You."
"Be serious," she chided. She knew firsthand about Jane's dogged perseverance and decided to admit defeat from the get go. The sooner she played his little game, the sooner she could be in bed catching up on sleep. She sat down next to him on the step tiredly. "And make it quick."
"Can I ask you a question? Just one question and I promise it doesn't have the word 'dinner' in it anywhere?"
"If I say no, is that going to stop you?"
"No."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine, what is it?"
He turned to face her with a playful look on his face. "Did you, or did you not, think I was going to kiss you earlier?"
"What?" Lisbon responded, feigning ignorance but she could already feel her cheeks start to redden.
"When we were outside the hotel by the car and I leaned in to tell you about the valet, did you think I was going to kiss you?"
Lisbon looked away. "No," she said defensively. One of these days she hoped that her prayers would be answered and the ground would actually open up and swallow her.
Jane grinned. "Yes you did. Look, you're blushing."
Lisbon bit down on the inside of her cheek. She knew that making her squirm was the favourite part of his day and she hated that she couldn't even deny this accusation with any degree of conviction.
"Come on, don't be embarrassed; just admit it."
Lisbon felt something akin to the fight or flight response come over her. "Fine," she admitted reluctantly. "Fine. But what was I meant to think? We were undercover and it's just like you to want to take the act too far."
"Lisbon, I hope you know when I kiss you it won't be for a charade or an undercover operation to solve a case, it will be because I want to."
"Hypothetically. Stop talking like there's a hope in hell this little scenario is ever going to play out outside of your head because anything remotely like that is never going to happen."
"Are you sure about that?"
"What do you mean am I sure? Of course I am because if you ever try to pull a move like that then I'm going to-"
He kissed her.
His hands in her hair.
His lips on hers.
Kissing her.
On reflection, she should have seen that move coming a mile off.
He pulled away and smiled but it wasn't a smug victorious smile, it was just a smile. "You're going to what?" he said softly, resting his forehead against hers.
She blinked.
"Lisbon?"
"Hmm?"
"Say something."
She thought about all the things she should say like "you shouldn't have done that" and "never do that again" and yet what came out was something entirely different.
"I think you said something about dinner."
"How's tomorrow at seven?"
She nodded, still in shock.
Jane stood up and pressed a kiss on her cheek before picking up his suit jacket and swinging it over his shoulder and heading towards his car.
"I told you you had feelings for me," he said over his shoulder, beaming.
She didn't even bother going through the motions of denying it.
A/N:- Happy Valentine's Day or as I prefer to think of today as, Happy Chinese New Year!
