A/N: Okay so the end will be slightly M-rated but I've got these moments okay. It's not smut, though, but I do admit that it enters M territory. So if that's not really your cup of tea, as Jane might say, then I suggest you stop reading when Jane and Lisbon start making out in her apartment in the end of this chapter. And for questions: no I couldn't keep it completely T, I'm sorry. They are both adults and I didn't want them to have a 'holding hands' relationship. That's just too childish, they're way too mature for that even though they don't act like that often. They're not fifteen anymore, sex is just sex alright. (and yes, I'm allowed to say this as a seventeen year old who is still a virgin – just because I don't have experience with it doesn't mean that I can't say anything about it)

So, all the warnings have been made? Good! Allons-y, chapter four!


Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

'Once Upon a Child'

Chapter Four

"We should tell them," Cho said.

The team had left earlier because of a reason, not just to avoid the little family that was now reunited; they had received something and they weren't sure what to do with it.

Van Pelt groaned and looked at the letter again.

"But they are happy now!"

"How do you know? They were fighting when we left," Rigsby argued.

"Yes, but I know them well enough to know that they are never able to fight for long."

"Then how do you explain the past four months?"

"They were just ignoring each other, that's not direct fighting."

Rigsby rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and in the Cold War people didn't really fight either but it was still a war."

Van Pelt groaned out of frustration again, and slammed the letter on the table.

"I just don't want to think that two of my friends are going through an already tough situation and now he has to make it worse again. It's always about him! They can never be happy!"

"And that's exactly why we need to tell them."

Van Pelt sighed and sank into the couch.

Straight after they got the letter, they met in the canteen while Jane and Lisbon were in her office and discussed what they should do. Apparently, Van Pelt's apartment was the best place to have these kind of conversations and so they went here.

She wiped at her eyes briefly. She hadn't slept all that well that night due to what they had received the previous day, and she would do anything to get some more sleep.

She looked up at the boys again.

"I just want her to be happy." She noticed her voice going weak which felt strange to her.

Cho nodded, probably thinking the same thing, and Rigsby turned around to run a hand through his hair.

They had the mutual feeling about Jane at the moment. He had told them countless of times that he really did care about Lisbon, but he hadn't showed her and after these lonely six months, they didn't know if they could trust him anymore. They had trusted him before, and he had betrayed that by leaving.

Of course, they weren't angry because of him leaving them, but of him leaving her. They would survive without him, she wouldn't. They had each other, and while Lisbon was a part of them too, she was the one that cared the most about him – the one that was in love with him, even though she would never admit it out loud. But they knew she wouldn't be able to cope with his absence.

And that was exactly what was shown in these months.

Van Pelt sighed again.

"Guys, I really don't want to tell her."

"And we get that. We have to," Rigsby said, more insistent this time.

She swallowed and looked at the clock that was located above her small TV. It was almost time to leave for work, but she didn't want to leave this without having a mutual agreement on a plan.

"If we wait longer, she and Jordan are going to be hurt because they are not prepared," Cho stated.

And that did Van Pelt in. After all, the last thing that she wanted to happen was her best friend and her best friend's future child to be hurt.

"Fine. We'll tell them."

~OnceUponaChild~

"I'm not going to drag you two out of the car," Lisbon said, as she slammed the car door shut. She smiled though. She liked this playful banter, she had missed it in these months that Jane was gone or acted weird.

Jordan was the first one to jump out of the car, and Jane followed, his shoulders lowered, a pout on his face. Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"Remind me what age you-."

"Forty, but that doesn't mean that I have to behave like that."

"Yes, it does, actually. You don't see me acting like a four-year-old, do you?"

"No but you're a boring person."

She raised her chin and turned around on her heels. She added a little huff and heard Jane chuckling behind her.

God, this felt so good. She hadn't realized before, but this was exactly what she wanted. Light banter and a lot of good kisses. With him, with no one else.

She had tried to make herself believe that she could find someone else to live with, but it was futile in the end. She couldn't just fall out of love like that, she would've never been able to forget about Jane. He would run through her mind every day for the rest of her life, just like he did through her office in real life, and it would actually be pitiful for the man that she convinced herself to be in love with in the future – if she could meet someone like that again.

Because the actual man she was in love with was following her now as an obedient puppy, holding hands with yet another puppy.

Lisbon sighed and greeted Jim as they entered the HQ. He looked surprised at seeing Jordan.

"I didn't know you had a child?"

"He's not our child." Jane and Lisbon had made the agreement that if somebody would ask about it, Jordan was Lisbon's nephew, the son of her brother James. Whom she hadn't spoken to for years but nobody needed to know. They would just convince people that Jordan needed to be looked after because James was out of the country.

Jim frowned, then just smiled and shook his head.

"I'm not even going to ask then. Have a nice day, agent Lisbon."

She mimicked his smile, then heard a disagreeing huff behind her.

"Hello, Jim," Jane pressed out and Lisbon actually chuckled. She couldn't wait to tell him that Jim was no competition at all since she wasn't his type.

Actually, now that she thought about it, she really couldn't wait. She turned around, causing Jane to bump into her.

"Jim's gay," was all she said and continued walking. She didn't hear the distinctive sound of Jane's feet behind her, indicating he was actually surprised.

"He's what?"

"Oh, you're not familiar with that term? He's not attracted to women, but to men. You know? The same sex-"

"I know what it means. I just didn't know he was gay."

"Patrick Jane, you must be losing your flow."

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?"

She chuckled and headed into the direction of the small restaurant, where the daycare was located.

She hadn't known the entire existence of the daycare up until last night. It turned out Jane used some of his time where he should have been solving a case brooding in the daycare, in the good sense of the word.

He just loved children and it hadn't surprised her that he had believed Jordan's story the moment he told them. Maybe he did want to attempt moving on, he just showed it very poorly.

"So when you're missing us, just tell Jessica here and she'll bring you to us, okay?"

Jordan nodded, and ran off to play with kids his age, which went pretty well. That was the great thing about children, Lisbon supposed: they didn't need someone else's story to have a great time with them. Jordan didn't need to tell kids he was from the future, and even if he did, they would probably not be surprised by it. But he'd had a very clear instruction from Jane and Lisbon that he was not allowed to say he was from the future – that would only bring more attention to him, and there was already a lot of attention for him.

Lisbon felt reluctant about leaving Jordan, but Jane had just chuckled and already moved to lift her when she prevented him from doing so by walking to the direction of the elevators.

"First day of school, huh?" Jane asked, smiling wickedly, and she just slapped his arm.

"I'm fond of that little man already, okay. Just let me."

"Oh, I'll let you, don't worry. I'm merely emphasizing the fact that you would make a good mom. A perfect mom, I'll have you know."

Her smile faltered a bit, and he sighed.

"Teresa, it's true. Don't talk so low of yourself. I've always seen it. Don't take how I treated you as measurement to rate yourself. I've never been more than crap."

"And that's not true-"

"Just for once, could you let me finish my sentence?"

She sighed, and nodded. Just when he was about to continue, the doors opened already and he groaned. He intertwined their hands and pulled her through the halls into the direction of her office.

They totally ignored the team who were already awaiting them in the bullpen.

Jane closed the door behind her, and made her sit down in her office chair. She just let him lead her. She knew him well enough to know that he needed this kind of interaction from time to time – mysterious, leaving out the part where he was supposed to tell her what he was planning on doing.

"Teresa," he said when he turned back towards her, but she shook her head.
"Patrick, I know."

"No, you don't. You don't Teresa, and for now, that's okay. But you should never think that you're not a wonderful woman, because you are. You're amazing, a perfect person that I don't deserve. And just because I've hurt you, over and over again, doesn't mean that I don't love you with all my heart. You know why I kept pushing you away? Because I was afraid something would happen to you. Loving me is not a good idea, but still you do just that. You and Angela. And you know what happened with her. I wanted to stay away from you, prevent you from the poison that my love is, but I failed. Everything that I did in all these years, it was all a futile attempt to save you from him, but I realize I can't do that." He sighed, and lowered his head. "If he wants to hurt you, he'll get to you no matter what. Even if I had stayed away from you for another ten years, he could've taken you any moment he wanted." He looked up again. "But I can't risk losing you without ever having voiced my feelings."

"Patrick-"

"No, Teresa. I want you to know that it will be difficult, and that I will hurt you-"
"Patrick-"

"Teresa, will you-"
"Jane! No! I will not be quiet and listen to what you have to say to me because it doesn't matter! I know all about it! I've been by your side for ten years. I know all about your flaws! Dammit Jane!"

She groaned in frustration and jumped up, storming towards him in long, firm strides.

"Dammit," she hissed, and brought her face to in front of his, just inches away. When she continued talking, her voice was nothing more than a whisper, though her cop voice was still in there.

"I don't care that it will be dangerous. I know I'm in danger all the time. Dammit Jane, I'm not some weak princess you have to defend. I'm not your damsel-in-distress you have to safe from the angry dragon or whatever. I can take perfect care of myself, and you in the process. Stop treating me like I'm weak."

"Teresa..." he breathed, and she shook her head. She brought her lips to his, just a brief touch. She put her hand against his cheek when she pulled away, then lowered her hand and intertwined it with his.

"Patrick, I love you, but you have to stop being so damn sad about things and just live for once. With me. Just for once. Please?"

"Teresa, I... I..."

She hushed him by linking their lips, just a brief kiss again, while she gently squeezed his hand. He whimpered, but didn't pull away. He raised his free hand to her neck and pulled her closer.

He tore his lips from hers and went to her neck. "I love you, Teresa."

She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand again. He lifted their intertwined hands and placed a kiss on the top of her hand. She shuddered, and he smiled briefly.

"I don't want to alarm you, my love, but I think your team wants to tell you something," Jane whispered against her ear, and she pulled away slightly.

She looked into the eyes of the team, and it was as though what they had wanted to say slipped away, just like that. It was there one moment, and then it was gone.

"Never mind," Van Pelt said, and pulled the boys with her.

Lisbon shook her head and pushed away completely from Jane, running after the younger agent.

"Van Pelt, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"There is. Grace, tell me what's wrong."

Van Pelt turned around and Lisbon saw there were tears burning in her eyes.

"I just want you to be happy," she whispered, and Lisbon frowned.

"Grace..."

Van Pelt lifted her arm and showed a letter. The only thing it said was...

Hello Teresa.

Lisbon's eyes grew wide with shock and anger. She glared at the letter, then at the young woman's face, and she immediately started running towards the elevator. She heard Jane following her, and once they were both inside, she started explaining.

"Dammit Jane, he knows."

Jane froze, and stared at her. "About... us or Jordan?"

"About us, at least."

She hugged her body with her arms. The elevator had never went downstairs as slowly as it did now, and she felt trapped, her heart hammering inside her chest. She had to get to Jordan, right now.

She pushed herself through the doors as soon as they opened and Jane was hardly able to catch up with her.

She almost broke down crying when she saw Jordan in the corner of the daycare.

"Oh my god," she breathed, and Jane pulled her closer.

He was still there. Alive and kicking. Nothing was wrong.

Her whole body started shaking and Jane's heart clenched a bit. He still hadn't registered everything that was happening but apparently, Lisbon had. She had immediately put pieces together and even though they didn't fit, neither of them had seen that when she had tried fitting them.

And it had been close.

Red John knew about them. And that had been the main reason that Jane hadn't wanted to give in to his feelings. Because she now had a bull's eye on her forehead. And on her back, and practically the rest of her body as well.

He shivered and ran a hand through her hair. She was clutching him as though for dear life, and his heart clenched again.

So Red John wanted a fight? He could get one. Because Jane was about to show what he would really do for the people he loved.

~OnceUponaChild~

"Would you do that for us?"

Virgil Minelli looked from Lisbon, to Jane, to the little man in Lisbon's lap, and then to Lisbon again.

"Teresa, I can take a lot, but this-"

"You don't need to believe it. We are going to try and find him, hunt him down if necessary. We need someone we trust looking after Jordan."

Minelli smiled at that. "You trust me?"

Lisbon rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Yes, we do."

"Well, she does," Jane muttered. Lisbon slapped him, not hard but hard enough to hurt.

"I'm flattered you trust me, Teresa." Minelli motioned for Jordan to come over to him and the little boy didn't seem to hesitate, all but falling into the older man's arms.

"I suppose I can watch after my non-existent grandson for a while."

Lisbon smiled. "Thank you."

Then, it sank in what he said, and Lisbon's smile faltered. Minelli chuckled, and shrugged.

"You're like a daughter to me, Teresa. It's only logical that your children are like grandchildren to me."

She continued staring at him with a rather meaningful look, but then smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Thank you, Virgil."

"Anytime, Teresa. Now catch that son of a bitch, please. He's been tormenting you long enough. You deserve happiness now. Oh, and," he said, looking down at Jordan who just smiled up at him, "I think I'll keep Jordan for the night." Then, he gave Jane and Lisbon a wink that caused Lisbon to blush and Jane to avert his eyes, probably to shield his blush as well.

It was doubtful if that was really going to happen this night, knowing Jane and his need for revenge, but who knew?

Lisbon squirmed in the couch a bit and got up, skillfully waving away her embarrassment.

"You coming?" she asked Jane, and he was almost thrown off guard by the speed with which she had pulled herself together, then just reminded himself that this was Teresa Lisbon, and joined her.

They both looked at Minelli and Jordan for a few seconds, before Jordan rolled his eyes. Jane took that as enough prove the boy wanted them to leave and gently grabbed Lisbon's wrist.

When they were outside, Lisbon looked up at him and he saw an emotion he hoped he wouldn't see much in her eyes – fear. He really didn't like that gleam in her eyes, wanted it gone immediately.

"Teresa, it's going to be alright. He's not going to win, okay? Minelli's got Jordan now, he's safe. And we've got each other. No matter what he'll do, he won't get to us. We're much too strong for that. What happened to that strength you were so dead set on showing me in your office?"

She didn't respond, just continued looking into his eyes. Then, her eyes filled with tears and he almost groaned. He didn't like this side of her, and though he knew that this was a side he had to accept as well, he just couldn't find the willpower to do now. He knew he couldn't force her into being strong if she didn't feel like it, but he had been stupid enough to assume that he would have her strength when they would have to face Red John.

"We're never going to have a chance to be happy, right? This is never going to end."

"It is, Teresa. I promise."

"It's not going to end, Jane, I know it. This... it was a mistake. Can't we turn it back somehow?"

"And make all the kisses un-kissed? No way, Teresa. I wouldn't want to miss that."

He sighed. He pulled her to his body and rubbed gentle circles on her back as she softly started sobbing.

"I don't want him destroying everything good we have," she managed to choke out between sobs. "He's been doing that for the past ten years. Now that I finally have you... I don't want to lose you, Patrick. And I don't want you to lose me either."

He gently pushed her into the direction of her car, making her sit on the passenger's seat.

"There's no way in hell you're going to try and face him like this, Teresa. You need to rest."

She shook her head, already wiping her tears away. Damn, she was stubborn.

"No, I can do this-"

"I love you, Teresa, but you can't do this right now. Let Cho take over the team, just for a day. Red John's going to win this way."

She shuddered and settled into the car seat, sighing and throwing her head back. He made sure she didn't escape, though he didn't find that likely, and then sat in the driver's seat and started the car.

"Call Cho," he ordered softly, and she hesitated, then nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, the team had been informed about the temporary plan and Jane and Lisbon were inside her apartment again.

While Jane sat on her couch, thinking things through a bit, Lisbon paced through the living room, obviously brooding on something.

She made several attempts to say something, opening her mouth, but closed it at the last time.

"Can this become worse?" she finally asked. He waited until she turned back around and then sighed.

"For us? No. For him? Yes."

"How?"

He opened his mouth, much like she had done the past few minutes. Then, finding no words to describe what he meant, he waved at her to come closer.

She did, and as soon as she was sat beside him, he pushed her down onto the couch with his body, devouring her mouth with his, and she stilled beneath him for just a split-second, but then wriggled her legs away from under his and locked them against his hips.

He went to nuzzle the skin in her neck, that was now his favorite spot on her body but he knew that would change very soon, while roaming his hands over her body. Yet instead of merely roaming, they actually cupped and stroked, gently pushing away fabric in their way.

"Red John is jealous," he whispered, starting on unbuttoning her blouse, and she squirmed beneath him, but not because of reluctance but because of pleasure.

It wasn't like she had any notion of what he was telling her now, but at least she tried to listen to him.

"He's jealous of you," he continued, "because you get my full attention now instead of him." He kissed her earlobe, triggering a moan from her, and she clutched at his shoulder when he lost patience and simply ripped open her blouse. He bowed down to place kisses on her collarbone, in between her breasts. He pulled her up against him and made her blouse slide off her shoulders. His hands immediately went to the clasp of her bra and unhooked it.

"He has always been a pathetic man, Teresa. A pathetic man with a lot of power, but pathetic nonetheless."

He quickly shed his clothes, not even bothering trying to keep them in one piece. He then continued with undressing her and when they were completely naked, hot skin against hot skin, they both shuddered at the same time.

"But he will never be a part of our happiness. I won't let him." He placed a brief kiss on the top of her forehead, then gently grabbed her waist.

"I love you," he whispered, now against her lips, and joined their bodies.

She gasped into his mouth, and clutched at his shoulders again. Her eyes closed out of a mixture of bliss and pain, and he drowned in the sight of Teresa Lisbon lost in pleasure.

He felt tears bubbling up in his eyes, and for once, he didn't fight against them. Just let them spill, falling onto her face, slowly dripping into her soft hair.

He wrapped his arms tight around her and started to thrust, soft, tender strokes, and she whimpered and moaned until moments later, she scratched his back and came, crying out his first name and calling on her deities every time. Her body arched against his, her breasts brushing against his naked skin.

It made him feel light-headed, so much happiness, so much passion, he couldn't take it anymore, but when she pulled him down even more and linked their lips, he felt he could take it again. Her strength radiated from her body and filled up his senses.

He didn't feel like fighting at all but still reluctantly gave in, his orgasm making his body jerk and he collapsed on top of her, not leaving her in any sense of the word. He did have the common sense to relieve a bit of his weight by leaning on his arms a bit, but they were shaking.

"That," he breathed against the skin of her neck, "will make him very jealous."

He linked their lips and soon, their tears mingled and he felt happy to the bones.

When he had calmed down a bit, he made her wrap her legs around his waist and lifted her. She weighed almost nothing, which surely wasn't healthy at all.

He carried her into the bedroom, placing her on the bed and he crashed down beside her, before covering their bodies with the sheets and pulling her against him.

She was suddenly unbelievably cuddly, one of her arms wrapped tightly around him and her face buried in the crook of his neck. Her free hand seemed to be the only part of her that was able to move, gently stroking through his blonde curls.

"Will you just rest now, Teresa, and stop brooding and worrying?"

She nodded slowly, and scooted even closer.

"I love you, Patrick," she managed to murmur, before he felt her relaxing and she was asleep.

He pushed her away, just a bit. Just to look at her.

His heart exploded from glee and happiness, and he had to close his eyes and push her away even more just so he didn't cry. He couldn't, wouldn't cry. She wasn't lost. She was here with him.

She wouldn't die.

He placed her head on her pillow instead of on his shoulder, then slowly and quietly got off the bed and walked into the living room.

He had to lure out Red John, and fast. Neither of them would survive if it took much longer. He had already slipped his walls just now, by making love to her, he couldn't risk getting her killed-

Unless that was the only option. To lure the killer out and finish him off forever.

He started rummaging in Lisbon's closets until he found what he was looking for.

A/N: Okay so... what do you think is Jane's plan? I'm sorry if this chapter didn't make any sense at all, but at least I tried! ^^