A/N: Thanks for your patience in waiting for this chapter and all your kind words for the last one. Hope you like it!

Chapter 10 – Truths & Changes

As she came closer Jane remained where he was, judging whether she was truly ready to deal with the full story. As she stood facing him he sighed and motioned for her to sit on the bed as he dragged the chair over so he could sit down and face her.

'You're right. There are things I'm keeping from you. I'm...I'm just not sure if you're ready to hear them yet.'

'I won't know if I'm ready unless I do hear them though, will I?'

He smiled at her logic, nodding. 'Okay...I told you I had a daughter. Well...-'

He closed his eyes briefly before taking a deep breath and looking at her again. 'Her name was Charlotte.' He studied her intently, gauging every micro expression before he continued.

She frowned, the name rolling around her head. 'Charlotte?'

Jane nodded. He stood up and paced the room to get some air into his lungs, her eyes following his movements. His next words came out rambling as he continued his pacing, his eyes fixed to the floor. 'I was married a long time ago. Before we met. My wife...Charlotte's mother...well she and Charlotte died the same night... her name...her name was Angela.' Upon saying the words he stopped and turned to face her.

Lisbon stared at him and nodded. She had heard his words but her brain couldn't seem to acknowledge them. As he sat back down on the chair opposite her he ran a hand through his hair. Her eyes tracked him as he took his seat, her mouth slightly parted and her expression unreadable. After a few moments she finally spoke, clearing her throat as the words came out. 'Your name isn't Agent Adams, is it?'

Jane shook his head.

She nodded again, her breathing quickening as she tried to control it as she confirmed what she had concluded. 'You're Patrick Jane.'

'Yes. I am.'

For a long moment they stared at each other. Jane watched her intently, looking for any signs that her body was shutting down in light of his words to her. Lisbon tried to assemble the thoughts in her head. A part of her mind was telling her that her husband was facing her and that he wasn't dead. She tried to close that part off, the pain in her head making her close her eyes as she did so. A larger part of her mind was angry at whoever had played this sick joke on her and the man sitting opposite her who looked like he was in more need of a hospital bed than she was. She had a million questions on what happened to his family and who could have done this to her but instinctively she wasn't ready to ask them yet.

'I'll get the nurse. See if they can get you something for your head.' As Jane was about to get off the chair she opened her eyes and touched his hand.

'Wait. I...I need to...' She shrugged, pulling her hand back and searched his face for the words she needed to get him to stay with her. She had no idea why she didn't want him to leave but every part of her being just wanted him to stay with her for another few minutes until she processed the information he'd just given her despite not being ready yet to ask him for more details.

As he took his seat again she sensed he understood. 'I'm sorry' he whispered, pursing his lips and averting his eyes.

'Why? None of this is your fault.'

The look of consternation on her face was matched by the look of surprise on his. 'Teresa. Someone's done this...someone's played with you like this because of me. To get back at me for whatever the hell I did to them or someone they know.' His voice cracked and he leant forward in the chair, clasping his hands together so he could stop himself from reaching for her touch. 'Because of me.'

'Well, that's just plain ridiculous. The person who hypnotised me did this, not you' she replied quickly, frowning.

Suddenly he laughed, surprising himself at her reaction. Lisbon was still there, her personality still intact, not wasting her time on allowing himself to heap on a helping of self loathing.

She smiled at his reaction, her headache lessening. 'I'd say we've both suffered over the past month. In fact, you look like you're in a worse state than me.'

'I've never coped too well when you weren't around.'

She nodded, wishing she could give him some hope that she would be around from now on but he was still a stranger to her despite her gut instinct that she felt comforted by his presence.

'I have a lot of questions but..-'

'Ask me when you're ready. I promise I won't keep anything else from you. But...some of the truths are...disturbing. So only when you feel strong enough. Please promise me that.'

She nodded, sighing.

'Do you have a photograph of me? I mean of Teresa.'

He nodded, fetching a photograph taken of the two of them in a photo booth that he kept in his wallet and handed it to her.

She blushed as he fished it out and then stared at it. Jane was holding two fingers behind Lisbon's head that looked that rabbit ears, a wide grin on his face and she was glaring at him sideways, obviously looking for a more romantic pose.

'Little bit of a joker, huh?' she smiled.

Jane shrugged. 'You love me for my sense of humour and devil may care attitude' he smiled.

She looked up at him and saw him break into a wide grin. She shook her head, looking back down at the photo. 'A little unkind to lie to someone who can't argue with you' she smiled.

She handed it back to him and he put it away. 'Your wife had blonde hair?'

His face turned serious again. 'Yes, she did. That's what you wanted to check. That you didn't.'

She nodded, pulling the golden strands through her fingers. 'I didn't feel like a blonde.' She pushed her shoulders back, a decision made instantly. 'Okay then. I haven't the clue who the hell I am but at least I know what I'm supposed to look like. What are the chances of you getting hold of some bleach so I can get this damn colour off me?'

He grinned in response. Yep, Lisbon was certainly on her way back to him.

After organising a hairdresser to come to the hospital he called Lisbon's brother Stan to update him on her situation. He told him the full extent of what happened to her but that she was recovering well but that a visit should wait until she returned to Austin and had a better handling of who she was. He'd told him he was sorry for what had happened to her but Stan shared Lisbon's point of view telling him to stop feeling sorry for himself and to catch the bastard that did this to her once she was back on her feet. He promised he would, his hand gripping the telephone as the words came out.

He caught up with Abbott in the parking lot as he went to fetch her some soup and a salad for lunch from a diner not far from the hospital. Cho was on guard duty at her door, the only person he felt comfortable with leaving her with as he left the grounds.

'How is she?' Abbott asked.

'Much better.' He couldn't help a smile forming. 'I sometimes forget how strong she is. She knows the full story. More or less. Knows who I am at least.'

'Well that's a big step. We'll need to question her further about this Daniel Lewis. See if there's any information that he may have unwittingly told her.'

'I know. Just...just not yet.'

'Jane, the trail's getting colder by the day. You know that.'

Jane sighed. 'I know. I'll talk to her later. But to be honest, if he hasn't shown up at the house or around town the chances are he's long gone already.'

'This wasn't an unplanned kidnapping. This was planned meticulously-'

'You think I don't know that?'

'Of course you do. That house is expensive. Its fittings, fixtures. Fake ID made for her. Drugs most probably stolen and relabelled. Someone who planned this has a lot of resources and a lot of time to put this into action.'

'Which only proves my point. Whoever organised this has already made Daniel Lewis disappear. One way or another.'

Abbott's eyes widened. 'Hang on, you don't think Lewis is behind this?'

Jane shook his head. 'No I don't. He was used, probably for his hypnosis skills but to be honest if he needed drugs to accomplish that then I've seen better. Whoever's behind this has used him as a patsy. A false lead for us to chase. But I agree, if he can be found alive then he'll be able to lead us to the man in charge.'

'But you suspect he's dead already.'

'I think there's a good chance of that. Yes.'

'But what about the trigger to get Lisbon out of this if that's the case?'

'I admit I was worried about that to begin with but...seeing how she's coped in the last day I don't think we'll need it for too much longer. Like I said, I've seen better hypnotists.'

Jane milled about Lisbon's room as the hairdresser came out of the small bathroom in the hospital, smiling at him. 'She'll be out in a minute' she said as she left the room.

Jane rocked on his heels, butterflies in his stomach at the thought of seeing her without those dreadful blonde locks. Angela's hair was naturally fair, not the peroxide colour that Lisbon had had enforced upon her.

She called to him from the bathroom. 'You didn't need to get me a hairdresser. I told you bleach would be fine and I could have done it myself.'

'Nonsense. The last thing you need is green hair should something have gone wrong. I think you've been through enough lately.'

He heard her laugh softly and he grinned. The grin dropped from his face and was replaced by awe as she came out of the bathroom. He had brought her some emerald green pyjamas when he returned from getting her lunch, stopping at a lingerie store on his way back to the hospital, not wanting her to wear the same clothes she did when she was under the belief she was Angela. He had made sure to get her a set that wouldn't have led her to believe they were in any way a present from a lover so had went for a cosy flannel set. Although at this moment in time he itched to feel the soft material on her body. His eyes drifted upwards and he smiled, breathing deeply as her raven hair came into view.

She looked at the mirror in the room, pulling at the soft curls. 'I had to get those damn extensions cut out so she had to take a few inches off. But it's not bad, is it?' she asked, turning around to him.

He shook his head, words escaping him for a moment. She looked like she did a year or so after first meeting him, shoulder length soft curls framing her face perfectly. 'It's perfect' he sighed, unable to take his eyes off her.

She blushed at his words and the intimacy in his gaze. Finally sensing her discomfort he looked down, biting his lip, blushing himself.

'So' she said, more assertion in her tone. 'What happens now?'