Lisbon didn't remember much of her stay at the hospital. She didn't remember much of the ride home either. Shortly after the team had left, a nurse came in with more medication and she alternated between sleep and a blissful haze. Now as she settled onto her couch, she winced and realized she was probably due for some more pain killers. Van Pelt bustled about her living room, moving furniture to clear a wide path to the bathroom.
She stared into space for a couple minutes, but as she became more aware of where she was, Lisbon started to panic. She had a sudden urge to race through her apartment and hide every evidence of Jane. She struggled to stand up, her heartbeat loud in her ears. She couldn't get the right leverage without her ribs stabbing in pain. She cried out and straightened herself, grimacing.
Van Pelt rushed to her. "You okay, boss?"
"Yeah," Lisbon said tightly.
She pushed some pillows behind Lisbon to help support her back. "Need me to get your pills?"
"Yeah," she repeated lamely.
"You just sit tight, I'll bring it to you. I'm here to help. After dinner I'll help you get up and walk around the room. Take it easy." She patted the pillows into place and went to the kitchen.
Lisbon tried to take some deep calming breaths, but it hurt to breathe. She leaned back carefully. The doorbell rang and Van Pelt appeared again. She checked the peephole, then pulled the door open. "Hey, Jane. You bringing dinner tonight?"
Lisbon perked up. Jane held up a foil pan and smiled. "Yep, just toss this in the oven, keep it warm until you're ready. Salad is in the bag."
"Thanks. Lisbon is ready for some meds, wanna trade?"
"Sure."
Lisbon relaxed and was rewarded with the sight of Patrick Jane smiling down at her. He looked slightly rumpled, and his smile wasn't quite full strength, but she realized in this moment how much she had missed him. "Hey," she greeted him.
"Hey yourself." He held up a glass of water. "You ready for your pills?"
"Yes, please."
He put them into her hand, then handed her the water when she was ready. He sat carefully on the coffee table so they could look at each other without turning. He put a hand gently on her knee and she tensed slightly, then looked towards the kitchen. Jane got the message and slid his hand away. Lisbon looked back at him. "What about your stuff?" she whispered. "She's going to figure out you've been staying here."
"I took care of it," he said succinctly.
"All of it? When?"
"Yesterday. After we left the hospital. She won't even find a tea bag."
She sighed. "Why did Bosco have to stick his nose in it?"
"It was a good idea, you should have help."
"You could do it."
"Happily. But it's probably for the best. They sent around a sign up sheet for meals. Your house is going to be a revolving door for the CBI for awhile."
Lisbon screwed up her nose in distaste.
"Hey, a lot of people care about you. It's a good thing. And I'm used to sneaking around. It won't keep me away," he assured her. She smiled at him sleepily. "No snappy comeback? What's in those pills?"
"I'm glad you're here, Jane."
He smiled back. "Me too. And I don't want to go, but I shouldn't linger. It's too easy to slip up here. I'll let you girls have some time." He winked at her frown, then stood and pressed a long kiss to her forehead. "You ready for some dinner? I can help Van Pelt get it ready."
"That sounds good. Where will you go tonight?"
"I have a place." He reminded her. He squeezed her good shoulder, then walked back to the kitchen.
Van Pelt was tossing the salad in a bowl, lost in her thoughts.
"She's hungry. What can I do to help?"
"Oh, thanks, Jane. I think I saw the plates in that cupboard." She pointed him in the right direction and Jane got to work. "You're not going to join us?" she frowned when he only set out two dishes.
"No. I don't want to intrude. She's vulnerable right now."
Van Pelt sighed. "I know. I was hoping to have a bit of a buffer. I don't know what to talk about."
Jane shrugged. "Pick out a movie. You'll have some entertainment and she won't feel as much obligation as a host. Keep it low key and she might even fall asleep."
Van Pelt thought about it and made a noise of approval. "Thanks, Jane."
He nodded at her and finished dishing up some hot lasagna. "How long are you taking off work?"
"I put in for two days. We'll see from there."
"Thanks, Grace."
"I'm glad I could help. Thanks for bringing dinner."
After Jane left, Van Pelt carried their loaded plates to the living room and set them on the coffee table.
"You feel like watching a movie?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure. My collection is over there."
Van Pelt ran her fingers over the DVDs. One was sticking out a bit and she tugged on it. She was surprised Lisbon owned this one, but it seemed like the perfect choice. "How about Gone With the Wind?"
Lisbon had just taken a drink. She swallowed hard, then coughed, then tensed in pain.
"You okay, boss?"
"Not that one," Lisbon said hoarsely. Van Pelt looked at her in concern, but put the DVD back without comment. Lisbon smiled tightly. She wished Jane was still here so she could smack him.
X
With Van Pelt's help, Lisbon settled into a good routine for her recovery. On the second day, Lisbon had to concede that it was causing stress to have a member of her team missing work to help her. She primarily needed help to stand up, for prescribed exercise and also personal needs. Her insurance covered some in-home care. They arranged for someone to come in the mornings and stay through lunch, just for the next few workdays. They also set up some support frames by her couch and in the bathroom so she could have some independence.
The next morning with the aide went smoothly. She spent her first afternoon alone sleeping in front of the TV, eating snacks, and exchanging the occasional text with Jane. She was relieved when the doorbell rang late afternoon. This was going to be a very long month of recovery.
She shuffled to the door and checked the peephole, then pulled it open. "Did you lose your key?"
Jane had a shopping bag in each hand and pushed his way inside. Lisbon secured the door behind him and followed him gingerly to the kitchen. Jane set the bags down and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Just making sure you're getting your exercise, dear."
"And what if I was stuck on the couch?"
"I would have let myself in, of course. But it's good to know you are capable."
"Gee, thanks."
Jane moved in to kiss her, catching her off guard. He pulled back quickly, just a tease. She opened her eyes slowly, craving more. Jane was bustling around her kitchen, putting things away. Lisbon blinked and shifted so she could lean against the counter. "What'd you bring me?"
"Some staples people won't think to include with dinner - salad dressing, fruit, favorite snacks, ice cream. Some toiletries too." He lifted up a plastic bottle. "Got you some dry shampoo to try. But I'd be happy to help you with a bath later."
She self consciously ran her fingers through her hair. The aide had offered to help her, but it was all too weird. "Bath sounds good," she declared.
Jane folded the empty bags and stood beside her to kiss her cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess. Still hurts, but it's manageable. Just as long as I don't cough or sneeze."
"Good to hear. It's been strange at the office without you."
"Staying out of trouble I hope?"
"Nothing much to do, I've been hanging out on my couch, wishing I was here."
Lisbon felt a pang of jealousy — he could have been hanging out on her couch. But she couldn't suggest that he skip work. He would make a habit of it, then the team would be short staffed again and might investigate where he was going. It was a slippery slope. "Well, you're here now," she assured him. She smiled and he leaned in again. The doorbell rang. He stepped back.
"That should be dinner," he said.
"You didn't bring dinner?"
"I wanted to sign up for every night, but decided that would look suspicious." He flashed a grin at her and walked to her front door. "Bosco!" he exclaimed. "And this must be your lovely wife."
"Mandy," a feminine voice supplied.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Patrick. Come in, come in," Jane exclaimed and led them inside.
"What are you doing here, Jane?" Bosco asked as they walked.
"It was Lisbon's first afternoon alone, just wanted to make sure her fridge was well stocked and everything is okay."
"Funny, 'cause I thought that's why we were here?"
They had gathered around Lisbon in the kitchen. "Isn't it great to have so many people looking out for you?" he asked her cheerfully.
"Yes, thanks so much for coming," Lisbon forced a smile. It looked more genuine as she turned to Bosco's wife. "It's good to see you again, Mandy."
"It's been too long," the matronly brunette smiled back. "How are you feeling? Bosco cracked a rib once, it was dreadful."
"I'm doing all right. Still kicking."
Jane took a bag from Mandy and peeked inside. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"Oh, we couldn't possibly."
"Nonsense. This looks tasty. Lisbon's been alone for awhile, I bet she could use the company."
"Of course," Lisbon responded politely. "It would be great to catch up with you." She straightened and winced.
"Bosco, why don't you take Lisbon to the living room and help her with her meds while Mandy and I get dinner ready?"
Lisbon took her cue and shuffled back to her couch. Bosco glared at Jane, but dutifully followed. He stood awkwardly as she opened her own medication and swallowed the pills with bottled water. She settled against her pillows and raised her eyebrows at him. "You can sit anywhere," she suggested.
He sat in the chair opposite her. He was still glowering.
"Bad day?" she asked.
He exhaled and smiled weakly. "I guess I wasn't expecting Jane to be here."
"Oh." She echoed his smile. "The whole team has been keeping tabs on me. He got here about five minutes before you — he's been checking in throughout the day and put together a shopping list. He just stopped by to help me out."
"You sure that's all it is?" When her face fell, he hurried to continue. "I swear, the way he looks at you sometimes."
"How is that?" she asked cautiously, curious.
"You've seen it. He's got this possessive twinkle," he fluttered his fingers and looked at her sideways while doing something weird with his eyes. "Caveman."
Lisbon struggled to keep a straight face. "I don't know what you mean," she said evenly.
Bosco looked about the room. "What's with these boxes? Jane moving in?"
"They are my boxes," she said, slightly defensive. "I don't usually spend much time at home, I figured I would use this opportunity to sort through some things. Van Pelt got them out of storage for me and I'll get to them when I'm a little more mobile."
He looked away. "Sorry. I guess it was a bit of a leap."
"Yes. And inappropriate. Jane and I work together."
He looked at her intensely. "I don't understand the dynamic."
"So you think the only reason I would keep him around is if we're sleeping together?" Lisbon put on her most incredulous face. "Come on, Bosco. You know me better than that."
"Yeah, well. You're full of surprises. Granted, I don't know why you would want to sleep with him in the first place, arrogant prick that he is. But I suppose he has a certain appeal with the ladies. Maybe if he caught you on a bad day, or —"
Bosco's rambling line of reasoning caught Lisbon off guard. "Stop." He snapped his mouth shut and she took a moment to compose herself. "These kinds of rumors have followed me my whole career. They don't really faze me anymore. But if you are feeding them, Sam — I can't hurt you myself right now, but I wouldn't have to look very far to get someone who would do it for me."
Bosco stopped fidgeting and looked a little ashamed. "I just don't know how you do it."
"Which part exactly? We're a team, we've been working together a long time."
"He can be such an ass."
She straightened carefully. "That's true. But he closes cases. He approaches things differently than the rest of us. Sometimes he causes some fallout, but I've learned how to respond to it. Most of the time."
"That's the thing, Teresa." Bosco leaned towards her. "You shouldn't have to deal with his fallout. He's unprofessional and he doesn't belong at the CBI. Let him make his messes somewhere else."
She closed her eyes as a headache started to form.
"Hope you fancy some tea as an appetizer," Jane strolled in holding two steaming mugs.
Lisbon's eyes flicked open again. "Where did you get tea?"
"I brought you a box. You should limit your caffeine now with all those meds."
She rolled her eyes and he looked at her in amusement. They paid no attention to Bosco's studying look. She took the mug he offered, then he turned to Bosco and handed off the other mug. "Dinner will be ready in five. I'm going to head out."
"You're not staying?" Bosco seemed surprised.
"I was just stopping by to drop off groceries. Don't want to get in the way of your visit. It was lovely to meet your wife, Bosco." He turned again. "You up for some football tomorrow, Lisbon?"
"Sure, you want me on offense or defense?"
Jane grinned. "The team wants to swing by and watch the game with you, if that's all right."
She looked stunned for just a moment, then nodded. "I'd like that."
"I'll call you later, settle the details." He winked at her on the side Bosco couldn't see.
Lisbon hid her smile behind her tea. "Sounds like a plan."
X
It was about two hours later that there was a light knock at her door followed by the sound of a key in the lock. Lisbon woke from a light doze and stayed on her couch. She looked expectantly towards the entryway. Jane appeared shortly and beamed at her. He made sure the door was locked, then made his way straight to her. He kissed her cheek and sat next to her, careful not to jostle her.
"What took you so long?" Lisbon glared at him.
"Good to see you too, dear. My previous visit was as your lowly consultant -"
She rolled her eyes. "You had to switch cars."
"Yep. And give Bosco time to clear out."
"Are you planning to spend the night?" she asked outright.
"If you'd like," he said softly.
"I've missed you," she ventured.
He held her hand. "I've missed you too."
"I suppose it is the weekend, I could use the company," she conceded.
He looked to the side and cleared his throat. "The team really is coming tomorrow."
"Right, the football game." She paused. "I miss them too, but I also really want things to go back to normal."
"That's going to take awhile," he straightened one of her pillows to make it clear he was referring to her injuries.
"No, I mean — that too, of course. I mean normal like you and me, having a weekend."
"Just the two of us."
"Yeah. Movies with your commentary, cozy dinners, lazy mornings in bed — I even miss doing chores with you."
"I like the sound of that." He sighed. "They know you, Teresa. Sitting here alone in pain, you'll go crazy. They want to help."
"But I wouldn't be alone."
"You want me to tell them that?"
She looked aside, a little ashamed. "No. It sounds nice. Bears are playing. You're coming too?"
"You couldn't keep me away."
Lisbon paused as she considered something. "You knew Bosco would be here tonight, didn't you? You wanted to be here when he showed up."
"Yeah," he admitted.
"What is it between you and him? He pretty much accused me of sleeping with you. I'm pretty sure he was fishing but…?"
"I didn't think he'd be so bold."
"Apparently you bring out the worst in him. Why did you come early if you didn't plan to stay for dinner?"
Jane rubbed a finger over his lips. "I'm playing a long game," he admitted. "I knew Bosco wouldn't make dinner, and his wife knows you from your time in San Francisco. So they came together. I spent some time charming her in the kitchen. Now when Bosco complains about me at home, she will defend me. A little bug in his ear. And then I left so he could feel like he got away with something. He got some quality time with you without me in the room. Did you have a nice visit?"
"Nice enough. I'm still confused. I know he didn't like you from the start, but it has escalated. Did you do something to him?"
"He feels threatened."
She blinked. "By you?"
"Yes. He obviously has feelings for you. I may have made my own accusations during a heated moment at the hospital."
"He… No. He's happily married, Jane. He's been with Mandy a long time."
"And she is lovely. He's not the cheating type, but he sees an alpha male hanging out with the woman he desires and can't help but feel threatened."
She could see the twinkle in his eye, she knew how to play this game. "Caveman was the word he used. I don't see it. You're good at prodding people, but you have no follow through."
"Nonsense. Not every alpha uses aggression. That's for young, testosterone laden boys with no finesse. I favor manipulation. And if I can't talk my way out of a situation, I have you to back me up." He considered her current state, then added, "Usually."
"You don't like sports, you only run when someone wants to hurt you, your favorite movie is apparently Gone With the Wind," she ticked off the imaginary boxes, then tilted her head in thought. "Maybe I'm the alpha."
"Hmm, a strong contender. You do command your team admirably. But you can't control me, so I still count the win."
"Hey, I control you just fine."
"Ah, but you fall back on physical methods - not all of them unpleasant I may add. But all useless in your current state of health. Even injured I can charm a room full of suckers."
"Amazing no one has broken your jaw to shut you up."
"I had one close call, years ago — a story for another day. I have since perfected my dodging technique, improving my alpha-ness."
"So… you dodge to put your nose in the way?" He chuckled and Lisbon continued. "Besides, don't alphas usually have a buzz of women around them?"
Jane nodded thoughtfully, then gestured to flick the idea away. "Very tiresome. I find all that noise annoying. I already have the only woman who matters."
He was looking at her with a mix of humor and unfiltered love. She was overwhelmed by it, it was intoxicating, she wanted this every day.
"You should live here," she breathed.
"With you?" he joked and was awarded with an eye roll. "I could be persuaded." His expression shifted slightly. "So… to be clear, would you want me to move in because of your undying love for me, or because you can't even stand up without help right now?"
"Ouch," she stated, her eyes clouded with confusion, the barb hitting a little too close to home.
He gripped her hands, suddenly intense. "Teresa, I very much want to live with you. If it was up to me, we would never leave this place, this safe zone." He exhaled raggedly. "I don't trust myself. I couldn't even give you your space when your life was only threatened, and now you're seriously injured. You've nearly died twice in as many weeks." His voice broke. "I am barely holding it together, and it killed me to go to work today instead of coming here. I just don't want you to look back in a month and realize you've been saddled with something you don't want."
"You keep talking about this injury like I'm suddenly a different person. I'm still here, doctors expect a full recovery. I will be fine."
"Still the same party line," he quipped. Pain radiated from his eyes.
"What do you want me to say, Jane? I'm a cop. There are risks, but I love my job."
"Yeah." He hung his head in defeat, it always came down to this.
"I hate to see you beating yourself up about this. My injury was not your fault. And I'm really glad you're here. Everyone has been very helpful, but I would be much happier if we could just get on it with it, the two of us. You're not smothering me. I've barely seen you in two days, and it was hell. Come back. It will be better for both of us."
Jane looked away, then regrouped. "Hey, that idiot gang banger that kicked you — who shot him? Rigsby or you?"
She stared him down. "I'm pretty sure we both did."
He quirked his lips and nodded. Lisbon was quiet as he mulled things over, but she continued looking at him intensely, like she was challenging him to do or say the wrong thing. She was not going to put up with his nonsense. After what seemed like forever, Jane turned back to her. A brief glance at her lips was the only warning she received before he kissed her.
The kiss was sweet and slow and he allowed her to take control. It had been days since she'd kissed him like this. Their lips moved together deliciously. Lisbon's tongue darted out to taste him, and Jane hummed in approval. She leaned into him, lifted one hand up into his hair, angled for better contact, then stiffened and pulled away as she was rewarded with a shooting pain in her chest.
Jane redirected his kiss to her forehead. "You okay?"
"Yeah." The worst of the pain passed and she looked at him, smiling at his swollen lips.
He kissed her carefully, then pulled back slightly. "Can I make a suggestion?"
She nodded.
"I can be here in my off hours — as often as you'll have me. I'll avoid dinner so there won't be any awkward questions with all these people traipsing through here. And it would be remiss of me as a secret boyfriend to leave evidence of myself all over your house, so I will be very discrete. I don't really have the option to fully move in at this moment, even if it's really what you want. So let's revisit the idea in a couple weeks. I want us both to be sure."
She didn't have to think long. "Sounds fair. But no slacking off work to spend more time here."
"My boss likes to know where I am," he deadpanned.
"Your boss likes to know you are staying out of trouble. I already have a deal with Cho. Behave."
Jane laughed lightly and couldn't resist kissing her one more time. He rested his forehead against hers. "What do you want to do first?" he asked suggestively. "Bath or Gone With the Wind?"
She twitched her head, making him move back. "What is it with you and this movie?"
"'And you, miss, are no lady… Don't think that I hold that against you. Ladies have never held any charm for me.'" Jane quoted, altering his voice.
"I think I remember that part."
"'You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how.'"
"Hmm.. I like that idea."
He kissed her, then spoke against her lips. "'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.'"
Lisbon laughed, then groaned in pain. She pushed against him. "Go start the bath."
"You have a month off work," he pointed out. "If you have time for football, you have time for a four hour movie."
"I'm sure you won't stop pestering me about it either."
"Hmm. No hurry. We'll fit it in… one of these days."
As Jane walked to her bathroom, he turned back to smile at her. Lisbon couldn't control the wide grin that stole over her features. Despite her injuries and all the uncertainties of the future, she liked the thought. One of these days. They would have time. Together.