See chapter one for author's notes and disclaimers. Haha, full shippy at last.

Good Night's Sleep

By AnitaB

Chapter six: Being ready

It wasn't easy to let go of his hand in the headquarters parking lot. But it had to be done. Lisbon knew that at least Cho and probably Van Pelt would notice the difference between them fairly quickly anyway. But why advertise the change in their relationship by walking into the office holding hands. It was a pretty clear signal that something had changed just by the bare line of skin on his left hand.

"Are you sure, Patrick? You know Hightower would give you more time off than this." Her fingers twitched and suddenly found themselves twined through his on the seat between them. "If you're not ready…"

"I'm ready, Teresa." Jane lifted their joined hands to brush his lips over her knuckles with a soft smile. "Besides, the temptation to actually snoop around in your apartment would be so much harder to resist without you there to keep me in line. I want to be here." He leaned forward to press a quick, simple kiss to her lips before pulling both hands and lips off her skin. "Let's go catch some bad guys."

"Okay," Lisbon found herself biting her lip and reaching for the door handle. Had he always had this much power over her nerves? Or was it just since he'd started touching her? Either way, it was time to force it back enough to work.

Hightower had finally relented about team romances when Rigsby and Van Pelt had gotten together the second time around, but there were still rules about in office behavior. Handholding, gazing, and especially kissing were forbidden. So she should get her eyes off his lips and get out of the car. "Come on, Jane. Let's get to work."

Mere steps from the bumper, Jane put his hand warm and low against the small of her back. His fingers were trembling ever so faintly and it was comforting. Lisbon wasn't the only one a little nervous now that they were outside the safe and private confines of home. "After you, my lady." Inside the lobby his hand fell away, but he slipped into their normal 'analyze the people in line' game without a pause. "The woman in blue over there… she's planning to quit her job. Probably has her letter of resignation in her briefcase right now."

"No, come on. Really? What makes you say that?" Lisbon found herself leaning against his arm just a little closer than their normal whispering stance. She needed that warmth against her skin, had gotten too used to having him close over the last few days.

Her breath caught just a little as he leaned even closer, his breath brushing against her ear. "See the way she's playing with her name badge, sort of glaring down at it. She wants it, and the job it represents, gone." He laughed, low and soft and she felt a shiver run through her at the sound. "The affair with her married boss didn't work out."

"And what tells you that she was sleeping with her boss?" Lisbon just managed not to jump away from Jane at the sound of Cho's whisper. She was not feeling guilty. Nope, not at all.

"Well, my friend," Jane didn't flinch at all, but she wouldn't be surprised if he'd noticed the other agent coming. That was like him to be so observant. "Do you see that antique cameo she's wearing? It doesn't match any of her other jewelry. Clearly a gift, something from a much older man. But the place it's pinned on her blouse is far more intimate than parental."

"Why is she wearing his gift if she's quitting?" Lisbon kept her voice even and steady despite the fact that her body leaned closer on its own. His hand hovered warm before resting against her back.

"Some last little vengeance, I would guess."

"Sometimes I'm sure you're just making it all up as you go. But, Jane, you're always right, I gotta give you that." Cho clapped him on the shoulder and his voice turned serious. "How are you holding up?"

The hand on her back tensed, just a little, and Lisbon found herself stepping in to protect him. Not from Cho, but from thinking or reacting. "He's going to be fine, Cho. It's been a rough couple of weeks."

"I'm sure it has. For all of us. Just be ready when we get upstairs. Van Pelt's probably going to break a couple of your ribs hugging you so hard."

The hand on her back relaxed and the laughter shook his ribs against her arm. "As long as Rigsby doesn't hug me to death next for touching his wife, I'll be fine."

"Oh, he's probably gonna hug you, too. But it won't be 'cause you touched his girl. It'll be 'cause he's Rigsby." Cho slugged him one more time on the shoulder with a slight smile. "And be ready for everyone else in the office to start cheering, crying or clapping."

Of course everyone they worked with was waiting for them, for him really. Anyone that had any contact with their team knew about Red John and Jane. There might not be enough pizza in the world for this particular case-closed party.

"Come on, guys, let's get this part done so we can get to work sometime today." Lisbon made herself pull away from his hand and led the way to the elevator. She watched the look on Cho's face change ever so slightly when Jane punched the floor button with his left hand. Dark eyes flicked to that bare ring finger before meeting hers with a silent question. Knowing that she had no real answer to give him, Lisbon simply shrugged with her eyebrows and stepped just a little closer to Jane's side.

A tiny little smile started to curve Cho's lips just as the elevator doors opened. Then they were all distracted by the redhead flying through. "Jane,"

Lisbon couldn't help the wide smile on her face as Jane took a step back to brace himself for Van Pelt's flying tackle of a hug. "Hey, Grace, is this a hug or an attack?"

"A hug, you idiot. Now hug me back or I'll shoot you." Jane was laughing as he obeyed, arms closing around her gently. He set her back on her feet after a few moments, her eyes locking on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing better, Grace. How about the two of you?" One hand rested against the curve of her stomach. Another few weeks and she'd been completely desk bound until she went on maternity leave.

"We're good, but then you know that." Grace put a hand over his on her 'baby bump' as Wayne called it fondly. Then her face twisted and her eyes dropped to the fingers against the front of her shirt. Of course she noticed the missing ring too. Grace was very aware of things in general and of the wellbeing of the people in her life far more acutely. "Jane?"

"I'm ready, Grace, it's time." Jane flashed a wide smile back at Lisbon and reached for her hand. Mindlessly, she twined her fingers through his and followed him out of the elevator to the sound of an entire office of cheering cops.

Lisbon felt her eyes tearing up at the sight before her. Cho was absolutely right. Every single person on the floor was standing within sight of the elevator and they were all crying, cheering or clapping. Some two out of the three. She was crying and laughing herself in the moment before Wayne appeared in front of them to fling an arm around each of them. Lisbon found her face tucked against heaving ribs as Jane's fingers tightened around hers. He was pressed against Wayne's shoulder by one strong arm. She always forgot just how tall Rigsby was.

"Hey, guys." That big body pulled back but left a hand on Jane's shoulder. "You guys are looking good." Wayne's voice was just a little hesitant, almost a question. Big puppy dog eyes jumped between the two of them like they were about to be 'not okay' on a serious level.

"Thanks, Rigsby. We're fine." Jane's voice was smiling as widely as his lips. His bare hand patted Rigsby on the shoulder before he pulled back to face the rest of the office. Lisbon, still attached to his hand, was forced to follow a half step behind as he gave a deep, theatrical bow. "Thank you all for your support on this case. It's been a long, difficult task, but we've got Red John."

The cheering somehow got impossibly louder and Lisbon found herself again in Jane's arms. He wrapped both arms tight around her waist and lifted her against his chest. She barely got her arms around his neck for balance before he spun a few dizzying circles, whispering in her ear. "Thank you, Teresa. Thank you so much, sweetheart, for everything."

She blamed the spinning for the extra few seconds she stayed buried against his chest after her feet touched the floor again. But if Lisbon were to be honest, she didn't trust herself to lift her head off his shoulder without dragging him down for a kiss. Right in front of everyone, including their boss. "You're Welcome, Patrick, tell me you know that."

Her chest only got tighter at the stroke of his fingers along her back and his low whisper. "I know it."

000