All typos are mine, this was just a thing I wanted to write and could use more polish, but eh. Also, there's an Easter egg hidden in the daughter's name, if you have a baby name book handy, or Google.

Take My Heart Along

Angel, you were born to fly
If you get too high, I'll catch you when fall
("When You Come Back Down"; Nickel Creek)

There were moments when Patrick Jane's heart just stopped. Those moments were usually triggered by Emma running too far ahead, turning a corner too quickly, and slipping just out of his sight. They lasted until he caught up, until those chestnut curls bouncing with each giddy half-gallop across the bullpen to her mother came back into view.

He watched as Lisbon turned to the sound of their daughter's voice, watched as she smiled wide and warm, catching Emma just as she launched herself into her arms. It made his heart stop for a completely different reason. The happiness he felt at the sight warred with the steady strum of worry and guilt that was always present at the back of his mind. Some days it was louder than others, but most days, in the years since Emma's birth, he had learned to quiet the dark voice that told him he didn't deserve this second chance

It helped when Lisbon looked at him, so full of warmth and love that he felt whole. She knew him well enough to catch those fleeting somber looks and she would brush her hand over his, and he would feel stronger. Lisbon always had that effect on him.

Being a father again came with many struggles he hadn't foreseen. Most notably, the more Emma grew and tried to test her boundaries, the tighter Jane wanted to hold on to her. Letting her out of his sight was a daily struggle-more so than he'd expected, or experienced before. He worried he was missing out on living in the here and now all over again.

Earlier that afternoon, as Emma raced around the playground with her friends from playgroup, Jane found himself keeping an even sharper eye out for possible dangers and lurking strangers. His daughter was right in front of him, shouting for him to push her higher on the safety swing, and his eyes were locked on the balding man leaning against the bed of his black Chevy truck, hands in his jeans pockets, posture seemingly casual. Only when the man's children spilled out of the school and into the truck did Jane finally relax. By that time Emma was over swinging and had moved on to digging the toes of her sneakers into the soft mulch under the swing, not satisfied until she reached the sandy dirt below.

A few moments later, they were loaded up in the car, heading to the office to pick up Lisbon. Emma was tucked in her car seat, softly fading from a day of friends and playing, talking about nothing in particular, and not even necessarily to her father. Her murmurs became a song, and Jane's eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror, catching her as she looked out the back window. The gentleness of the moment, of this beautiful little girl who was part Lisbon, part Jane, and unaware of life's cruelties as she sweetly sang a song from a Disney movie, brought hot tears to his eyes.

Once they were inside the building and their floor, Emma recognized the route. She slipped her hand from her father's and bounded ahead in search of her mother. It was only a few steps ahead and the entire building was well-guarded, but Jane's heart still stuttered. Even now, with Emma in Lisbon's arms, Jane still felt a little out of sorts.

He watched as she situated Emma on her hip and powered down her computer. The little girl was once again drooping, worn out from a day of play and the excitement of seeing her mother but Lisbon managed to keep her balance. When she dropped a couple folders into her opened bag, Jane made a note to do his best to keep her from cracking into those case files tonight. She'd been working too hard lately, working throughout the week after Emma had gone to bed. She definitely needed a night off and he would see she took it.

Turning towards him, Lisbon gave Jane a long look, a small wrinkle of concern forming between her eyes as she took in his slightly unnerved state. He tried to quickly mask his feelings of unease from the day, tried to pull himself into the present moment and tamp down the fears that played along the fringe of his mind. Coping with the fear and anxiety was getting easier with each day, but the understanding that they could be taken from him had a way of leaving him momentarily crippled.

Now, standing next to him, Lisbon reached up and tenderly brushed his hair back from his forehead before drawing herself up to her toes for a quick kiss.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Hello." He smiled, feeling steadier with each brush of her hand.

"Good day?" She asked, her tone soft and careful as if she already knew the answer. He took a breath and shrugged.

"A better day," he offered, and she seemed satisfied by that.

"Hey, sweets?" Lisbon gently nudged Emma who only mumbled and clung tighter, her eyes closed tight. Lisbon looked over at him and without a word, he took his hands from his pockets and slipped them under their daughter. Without waking, Emma snuggled deeper against her father, her head under his chin. Then, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow, Lisbon guided him to the elevator.

"Home?" Lisbon asked as she pressed the button to the garage.

"Home," Jane agreed, giving her a little wink.

Emma let out a deep, steady sigh and his heart contracted. Despite the concerns, he would never tire of this and he would treasure it always, his lovely little family.