Heya people I'm back ! Short chapter I know, but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same :) And really, over 100 reviews? You guys are really spoiling me xD THANK YOU!

Thanks to The HongKonger; 24Mentalistlover; leelou09; chocolatefan (you're my 100th reviewer :D); Mental-Fan; 1832TeaQL; ; Jisbon4ever; watchyouwalk; PriscilaOrglene; P. Schoeller for their reviews ! Thanls for the alerts and favourite too :D

And thanks to my half beta, once again :D

Disclaimer: Only Kausner and Harrison are mine :P

Sweet Fifteens - 9

Jane didn't know if he had to feel relieved or annoyed she had left the hospital so soon. Had it been up to him, the rejuvenated woman would have been stuck there for at least a whole week. But the doctors mentioned she had no serious damage and her loss of consciousness was due to exhaustion and the head bleeding was not consequential. Moreover, they would welcome an extra bed, since there was high peak of accidents lately. Lisbon didn't wish to stay there longer either and Kausner wanted her out in case the recent traumatic events accelerated her return to normal –and cause another loss of memory.

Her kidnapping by Harrison was, as Jane more or less expected, insurance. The murderer had wanted to give the expensive bottles his brother kept in the basement to the few people he owed money before vanishing, and he had kept her in case he would be caught. What Harrison did not expect though was that Kausner would remember…and he confessed everything as soon as the news of Lisbon being found came around.

They returned to her apartment, agreeing that the inventor would pass by early the next morning to check up on her. After a quick dinner, Jane helped her into her bed and headed to the guest room. Later, he was about to get up and do his midnight check up on her when his door opened and he was surprised by her silhouette in the doorframe.

"Lisbon?" he called gently.

She didn't say a word while she stepped closer and sat next to him. Wordlessly, she picked up his hand and squeezed it. Understanding her silent message, he pulled her against him with his free arm, holding her gently.

"Tell me" he whispered,

For a moment she was silent. Then, slowly, she tucked her head under his chin. He knew she was frail due to her physical change, but it still stoke him hard to feel her so tiny.

"I… it was horrible" she dropped, tears pearling in the corner of her eyes. "He hit me, kicked me and punched me… told me I was scum and nothing, that no-one would come after me. It was like with my father all over again… But I knew this was different, because he was hitting and not caring if I died. He wanted to kill me Patrick, and made sure I knew it."

Jane's blood froze. Of course, she had just come out of her fifteen's mentality. The scars left by her abusive father were still fresh in her mind and, he was certain, burning harder underneath the surface. The pain resulting from mixture of unwanted memories, added to the recent ones was hard to bear. He held her tighter as she buried her face in his chest, her fist clenching his shirt.

"You're safe now" he whispered, kissing her temple gently. "You're safe Teresa."

"I was scared" she confessed in a whisper, and he hated the way she was shaking uncontrollably. "I was praying for someone to come and take me out of there. I could hear noises, animals moving out there and it was just dark and cold and there was no-one." For a moment, she became silent, clenching to him. Jane laid her down on the bed, allowing her to cuddle him like they use to do, just a few days prior. She did not even protest and went on: "My father… my father used to lock us in the basement after beating us."

Her voice was so frail, so low he could barely hear her. He held tighter, one hand rubbing her back gently, and listened.

"When we were lucky, one of my brothers was outside, ready to free us when dad was asleep. When we were all in there… we had to wait until he remembered he had left us there. Oh it didn't take too long, especially when he was hungry and there was no more food… within the hour he opened…" she paused a second before adding: "One evening, I broke a plate while doing the dishes. He… he took me by the arm and kicked me while I was down. Afterwards, he brought me to the basement… and he forgot I was there. My brothers weren't home when it happened and I… I thought I stayed there a whole week. In fact when Ray eventually found out, he told me I was locked for three days."

Her voice died in her throat. Her shoulders were still shaking and for the first time in years, Jane felt lost. He didn't know how to comfort Lisbon. He didn't know how to comfort the crying and unsecured teenager.

"You are safe now" he whispered instead. "I won't let anyone hurt you anymore."

He felt her nod in his chest and not move. Some anxiety had been relieved with her crying and he could feel her relax yet tense every few seconds. She was starting to fall asleep, but fighting against it, certainly scared she would wake up in that cold dusty room again. He kissed her forehead gently, her nose, her cheeks… her watery eyes were still staring at him.

"Sleep, I won't leave your side" he assured her, his hand stroking her hair gently. At his words, her body got limp and stilled against his. When he felt her breathing regular and calm, he sighed in relief. The least he could do now was to watch over her sleep, and protect her from any nightmares.

-SF-

Jane was awakened by the sound of water running down a sink. Blinking to chase away the tiredness, he stood up, ready to look for the source and call up on Lisbon if there was any problem. As he came closer, he could distinctly hear a soft hum. Lisbon was in the bathroom wearing an old tee, a plastic bag on her head with a coloration product on the sink border. Dark brown one. He winced but still stepped forward, asking warily:

"You are not mad about the piercing or the locks?"

Lisbon jumped at his voice and turned towards him, smiling amusingly.

"I did it to annoy you, didn't I?"

"And you managed well" he replied teasingly.

"So I'm not mad" she shot with a genuine grin. He didn't take offence, too happy to see her smiling again.

Since none of them was in the mood of going out, they merely stayed in for the following days. The only time they went out was for her testimony against Harrison O'Brian, and her only visitors were the team and Kausner. Otherwise, they would remain inside her apartment.

Jane was doing some sudoku in front of an old show he didn't bother remembering the name of when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Jane, can I ask you a favour?"

The blond man lifted his head at her approach and smiled slightly when she let herself fall on the couch and leant against him. Lately, she had been much more affectionate and seeking his presence. He knew it was just a form of reassurance for her and not a sexual longing, to know he was around, so he let her.

"Depends" he replied gently, his hand playing with a strand of her hair. "What is it?"

"I've talked with Michel, about my… situation" she said nervously. "He is positive I won't remember anything, once the product loses its effect; and it's very likely I will never remember. And I wanted to tell you" she bit her lower lip in hesitation and he nodded, encouraging her voicelessly "These last few days, I've never felt happier" she confessed, looking away. "And… and I know you enjoyed our time together as well. I want… I wish we could go on sharing our lives. I have trust issues but I really want this to work. Even if you don't believe it, if I can't remember a thing; can you… can you promise me you will do everything to get me back?"

The request, voiced on such a trembling tone, made his heart clench. He hated to see her in such vulnerable state. She still had remaining of bruises on her face, nightmares at night, and he had the marks and traces of her nails over his skin to prove their intensity, when she literally clenched at him at night after waking up.

"I was very… happy, sharing the last few days with you" she went on. "I want to feel like this when…"

He leant forward and brushed her lips gently with his to keep her from talking. He felt her awkwardness, her uneasiness to confess what she held deep inside. He saw the prickling tears in the corner of her eyes, her sudden need to take back everything she had blurted the last few seconds… the need to flee from this room and hide somewhere he could not find her.

"I'll try Teresa" he whispered, his hand burying itself deeper in her hair to steady her head; preventing any escape road. "I promise I'll try."

"Will you really?"

His lips brushed hers again in reassurance. Had she been an adult, he knew he would have deepened this moment and showed her how much he wanted this to work. But then Lisbon seemed fine with the slow pace they had settled and he didn't want to scare her off. She needed to feel in control for the moment being, but when the time came he knew he would throw it out the window. She leant closer to him and rested her head on his chest. Fingers played with the buttons of his shirt, undoing a few to enjoy the warmth of his skin, but not too much. They both knew there was a limit for the moment, and that the limit would be destroyed once back to normal. They remained in this position till nightfall. They ordered Thai for dinner and went straight to the bedroom without bothering with the dishes.

When he lay down, she automatically rolled over him and cuddled him comfortably. In seconds, her body went limp and he knew she had fallen asleep. He stroked her head, relieving in her smooth and soft hair, smelling her scent with the feeling that soon enough, he would not be able to do it for a while.

-SF-

Jane woke up early that morning, sensing something wasn't right. The weight over his chest was not the same. When he turned his head, he understood why. The old familiar face of Lisbon was centimetres from his, and her body had returned to normal. Despite the relief, his first wonder was if she would remember anything.

And if she did not, what damn excuse he could give her for being in her bed.

Liked it? Next chapter is the last, alas.

Thanks for reading so far! :D