A/N: Sometimes you just do what you're told to do!

Happy Freaking New Year!
Their Evening

Patrick froze and slowly raised his hand, tightly gripping the Courvoisier. His mind racing, he realized it had to be Lisbon. "Oh, I do hope she's in a good mood," went through his mind. "Getting shot hurts."

The "freeze" command was quickly followed by, "Whatever, you're holding drop it. Now!"

"She's not in a good mood," he thought. "Ah, Lisbon, you can shoot me, but I'm not dropping a bottle of Courvoisier XO!"

"Jane?" The question and doubt in her voice was obvious. "Real slow, turn around." He started turning. "Easy, now," she said. "Too fast and I will slow you down." The threat was clear.

Very slowly, he turned till he was facing her. She'd moved to where she could reach the light switch. As he faced her, she turned the lights on, blinding him. He squinted trying to protect his eyes.

"OK," she said. "Very carefully, set the bottle on the counter, behind you, and stop awaaaaay from the bottle." She extended the word away in a parody of the phrase. "Keep your hands up."

Staring down the barrel of a gun, he was not inclined to disobey, so he did as told. "Lisbon, this is not funny. I know that damn gun of yours is loaded, and I am not amused."

"That's funny," she retorted. "I am." She grinned. "When I recognized your voice, I put the safety on. You're not really in any danger." The smile faded. "From the gun!"

He lowered his hands, relief showing in his face.

"Hold it! I did not say you could put your hands down." He heard the "snick" of a safety being released.

His hand shot back up. "Lisbon. Really. This is not funny. One of us, could get hurt."

"And I wonder which one of us that would be." Her grin was that of an evil pixie!

Jane looked at her and felt an overwhelming affection for the feisty little Lisbon. "OK, he," he offered. "I could get hurt. May I please put my hands down now?" He started lowering his hands.

"Hey!" She flicked the barrel of the gun. His hands shot back up. "Under one condition."

He sighed. "What's the condition, Lisbon?"

She smiled and holstered her pistol. "You have to share that Courvoisier. You know much I love that. It would be cruel and unusual punishment if you brought it around me, and did not share. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

oOo

Patrick took a sip of the warming tea and smiled. "I really needed that. If I'd gotten any more chilled, you shooting me would have been a relief."

Lisbon shook her head. "I don't see how you can sip tea and brandy."

"Oh, look who's being my holier than thou! I've seen you put rum in coffee. Now, that is gross!"

"Not if it's a good dark rum," Lisbon retorted. "Then the flavors compliment each other."

"You Irish. You'll drink anything, won't you?"

Lisbon shrugged and took a small sip of the brandy. They only had coffee mugs from the coffee area, and Jane had poured her a more than generous portion. "You went out, walking, in this weather to get a bottle of brandy?"

He shook his head. "Not exactly. The original idea was milk at the corner store, then the walking felt good, so I thought a nice walk to the liquor store would be a good idea. That's before the wind started and I realized how cold it really was. By then I was over half way there and the wind was at my back. There was no way I was going to walk into that wind!"

"So, when you got there you decided to stock up an antifreeze?"

"It seemed like a good idea, at the time. If he hadn't been closing early, I might still be there, but since I was right across the street, I figured it wouldn't hurt to drop in and have some nice warm tea and thaw out."

"Patrick, don't go down that road. I don't want someone else I care for hurting themselves that way. You really don't need that."

He didn't even to bother to pretend he didn't know what she was talking about. He sighed. "It's really not often, Teresa. Holidays, mostly. That's when I feel it the most. Especially Christmas and New Year's."

She put her hand over his. "Think there's room on your couch for both of us?"

He nodded. "I'm sure we can make do. It's a lot more comfortable than these wooden conference table chairs."

They'd pulled a small table near the couch, on which the bottle and their mugs rested. Teresa had sat in the corner of the couch, slouched down, leaning against the high arm and the back. Jane, taking advantage of the situation and flopped onto the couch, and lay down, his head in her lap.

Her eyes widened. "Comfortable?" He tone was only slightly challenging.

Patrick smiled. "If you don't hurt me, I will be."

Lisbon sighed and rubbed his hair. "No, I don't think I need to hurt you. You do fairly well on that score for yourself. I think you may be your own worst enemy."

Jane bit back the all too obvious retort he started to make and grimaced. "Maybe second worst?"

Lisbon shook her head. "Where do you want this to go, Patrick? Suppose you catch and kill Red John, what then? What do you want then?"

The pain literally clouded his eyes. "Then I want my family back." He closed his eyes very tight. "Then I want my family back and I want it the way it was." He paused. "Before I screwed up." Before she could speak, he sat up and finished the remainder of the brandy that was in his cup. "Do you want me to freshen yours?" He splashed some more into his cup.

"Do you really think that's the answer?" Lisbon looked sad.

"No, not really, but it sure makes the question more bearable."

They were facing each other, separated by mere inches. "There are a lot of questions in life," Teresa said. Her soft, brandy scented breath tickling his cheek. He leaned forward and touched his lips to her's. Not really a kiss, just a light touch.

Her lips parted and her sharp little tongue flicked his lips as she pressed firmly against him. Putting his arms around her and opening his mouth to return the kiss was an automatic response. Their breathing was the only sound in the room.

Finally breaking the very pleasant contact, both of them leaned back, taking long deep breaths.

They turned their heads and stared into each others eyes. "Now that asks a totally different question, doesn't it," she asked softly.

He gave a tiny smile. "That it does, and here's the answer." He leaned forward and kissed her again.

oOOOo

A/N: I've been asked to continue this story. There will be at least one more chapter...
Thanks to all who have reviewed and commented