Disclaimer: Not mine. Title and lyrics by the All American Rejects
xxx
Chapter 3: Move Along
When all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
xxx
While they wait for the cops to arrive, she cuffs her brother to her heavy coffee table. She hates how aware she is of her gun, ready to fire if he gets away.
He's her brother but if he tries anything she'll have to shoot. Just like any other suspect.
"So you're engaged," he says.
She nods.
"Since when?"
"Last month." Her mouth is painfully dry and she feels sick to her stomach. She'd give anything to be having this conversation with him under normal circumstances. But nothing about this is normal and she can hardly breathe.
"That's cool. Congratulations."
"Thanks."
They fall silent. When the police arrive to take Tommy in, she's not surprised to see her team among them. Of course they'd be called in. Knowing Jane, he probably requested them. Or called them himself, even.
She steps aside numbly as Tommy's taken into custody.
Cho and Rigsby stand by Jane and all three watch Tommy intensely, as if daring him to try anything. Grace moves immediately to Lisbon's side and refuses to move.
"Tess," Tommy calls before he is lead away.
She makes herself meet his eyes (eyes that match her own…)
"I'm sorry," he says. She knows what he's referring to. "I'm sorry," he adds. "Damn it, Tessa. I'm sorry. I didn't know…If I'd known…"
"Not knowing doesn't make what you did right," she says. She can't back down, as much as she might want to. She can't let him off the hook.
He simply turns away, letting the cops lead him out the door. Once he is gone, Lisbon starts to cry, sinking to the floor.
"Damn it," she whispers. "Goddamn it." She presses a hand to her mouth in attempt to stifle her sobs, but it's no use. She can't stop crying.
Grace knees beside her and wraps her in a hug.
"I'm sorry," she murmurs. Lisbon returns the embrace, burying her face in Grace's shoulder.
"He's my brother," she says raggedly. "He's a criminal and he should be punished but goddamn it he's my brother."
She's vaguely aware of Jane, Cho, and Rigsby gathering around. Part of her wants to tell everyone to scram, to leave her alone. But another (slightly unfamiliar) part is desperate for them to stay.
They stay. Of course.
When she's finally stopped crying, she pulls away from Grace and looks around sheepishly.
"Sorry," she says thickly.
Jane kisses her forehead. "Don't apologize. That can't have been easy."
She shakes her head. Rigsby squeezes her hand.
"For what it's worth," he says, "you did the right thing."
Everyone nods in agreement.
"Boss?" Grace asks after a pause. "What did he mean about not knowing?"
Lisbon glances at Jane, who nods.
"You should tell them," he says quietly, squeezing her hand (tightly, comfortingly).
So she tells. She tells them everything, from trying to raise her brothers to what her foster father did to Tommy's crimes. She talks and talks and leaves nothing out.
When she's finished, they are staring at her.
"And now you know," she adds awkwardly. She can't believe she just told them all of that. But it's out in the open now. She can't take it back.
Grace moves first, patting her arm.
"Thank you for being honest with us," she says. "I'm sorry, boss."
"We'll keep it to ourselves," Rigsby adds.
Cho nods, agreeing with both of them. After a pause, he stands up.
"We should go," he says. Nodding, Rigsby and Grace follow suit.
"Thanks guys," Lisbon says. "Sorry you got called in on a Saturday."
Rigsby squeezes her shoulder. "Anytime," he says. "See you Monday."
Cho and Grace add their goodbyes and they are gone, leaving Lisbon and Jane alone. They haven't even moved off the floor but she crawls into his lap anyway.
"Well," she says. "You got to call the cops on your future brother in-law today. Fun, huh? You got to see what kind of crazy, messed up family you're marrying into."
She wants to joke, needs to joke, but he's having none of it. He wraps his arms around her and looks at her seriously.
"I practically invented crazy and messed up," he tells her. "And you're the only part of your family that matters to me. They could be terrorists. Or part of a cult. All that matters is I get to marry you."
Smiling, she rests her forehead on his. "What if I was in cult?" she teases. He laughs softly and drops his head to kiss her neck.
"I'd still marry you. But I'm kind of glad you're not in a cult."
"Hmm. What if I wanted to be in one?"
He grazes a kiss along her jaw. "I'd help you start one."
It's her turn to laugh. "Would you, now? That would be interested." She laughs again, imagining the kind of cult he might come up with. "So," she says, changing the subject. "Where were you this morning?"
He grins. "Go sit on the couch and I'll show you," he says, removing her from his lap so he can stand. Curious, she obeys, watching as he dashes out of the room. When he returns he's holding a briefcase.
"You bought a briefcase?" she asks, wrinkling her nose. He disappears for strange reasons sometimes but a briefcase is so boring. And this one doesn't even look particularly nice or even new.
He rolls his eyes. "No. I'm showing you what's in the briefcase. Look." He sits beside her and snaps the briefcase open. "I went and looked at houses."
"Houses?" she echoes. (Houses? As in single family residences? For them?)
"Houses," he confirms. "Just looking. I picked out a couple I thought you might like. I mean, we can talk about it of course. I just wanted to see what was out there." He's bouncing in his seat like a child, eager to please.
She blinks at him. At least he didn't buy one and surprise her with it. But…
"You want to move?" she asks. "We have a nice apartment."
"Oh, I know. But it's small. And we're getting married. We might have a family someday…" He trails off, looking anxious.
A family. She hasn't even really thought about it. In fact, she hasn't thought about having a family of her own since she was a kid herself.
"You mean kids?" she asks him.
"Sure. Maybe, I mean."
She gave up the idea of kids long ago. After attempting (and failing) to raise her brothers, she stopped dreaming of being a mother. It was too hard, and besides, she doesn't think she'd be very good at it. Jane (of course) seems to read her thoughts.
"Hey," he says. "You've had a rough day. And we have plenty of time to think about it. But kids or no kids, I'm serious about the house thing." He digs into the briefcase and pulls out some folders. "Check it out."
She opens one and pages through the pictures and literature. He looks at her expectantly.
"You know," she says, "if we had a house we could get a dog."
His face lights up. "A big dog?" he says hopefully. She nods.
"Definitely."
He kisses her forehead. "That means we'd need a yard," he says, reaching for another folder. "This one had a big yard."
"Oh?" She pages through it. It is, she has to admit, nice. It's the kind of house she can see herself living in. "I like it," she tells him."
"I thought you would." He pulls her into his lap, clasping his arms around her waist. "It's just the right size. Lots of light. And a nice yard for our dog." He grins. "I think you'll especially like the bedroom."
She narrows her eyes at him. "Was that supposed to be some kind of come-on?" she asks. He shrugs innocently.
"Maybe. Is it working?"
"Not quite. You're going to have to try a little harder."
Knowing a challenge when he sees one, he kisses her deeply, sliding his hands under her shirt.
"Now?" he asks. She smiles (she's never been a flirt but it's so easy with him).
"Maybe…You know I went for a run earlier and never got a shower. Care to help me with that?"
Grinning, he takes her hand. "On one condition," he says.
"Oh?"
He kisses her again, toying with the waistband of her shorts.
"We check out the bedroom next."
Xxx
A/N: So it was a little angsty at first but you got some Jisbon fluff. I'll take votes on what kind of dog they should get :)
