A/N: I owe it to you, to these characters and to myself to finish this story.

I'm going to give it my best shot-but as you can tell it's been awhile. I wouldn't be surprised if no one is still waiting for it. But if you are, PLEASE let me know. :)

Before you read this, if you are a victim of ANY kind of abuse (violence especially) and tend to get offended when people don't get it right-then please stop reading-for your sake and mine. I am NOT a victim myself, but I'm doing the best that I can. We all have different perspectives, and different ways of dealing. Not one person is the same. So yeah, for yourself, stop reading. Thanks :)

Teresa had made many mistakes in her life.

But most of them had been out of miscommunication, misunderstanding, lack of knowledge, or mostly from the result of others.

Not out of fear-and those mistakes, were her regrets.

Usually regrets start off as innocent things-such as, the night she went to the bar.

How different would things be now-if she had simply just gone home, or picked up the phone and called someone, anyone? Even Patrick Jane.

Especially Patrick Jane.

She rarely admitted it, and she never would say the words out loud, but he had an uncanny, quirky way of making her laugh, of taking her focus off of whatever was bothering her, and onto something else entirely.

He made her stop thinking-and by God, with her life, with the job she was in-she could never stop thinking.

So she had gone to the bar, and she had gotten herself drunk. What if she had stopped at the one? Stopped at the pleasurable buzz and called it a night?

What if she hadn't engaged in conversation with Jeff, what if he hadn't swooned her-something that could only happen by her gut instinct being muted by alcohol-what if she hadn't agreed to go home with him?

And so what if she'd done all that, there wasn't anything wrong that sequence. She was a grown woman, after all, and had no commitment to anyone but herself and her work.

But-what if she had left the moment he struck her?

And more importantly-why hadn't she?

Deep down, Teresa knew that she had been able to adapt to it because of her earlier years.

She had never thought she would become a victim to it again, and if she had, then she would have left instead of taking it, because it was no longer about stepping in for her brothers, or her relationship about her dad. It was just her, and she could afford to be selfish.

Maybe she didn't know herself as much as she thought.

Maybe she wasn't so black and white after all.

Lisbon remembered exactly how she had felt after he had hit her. She barely remembered the pain of it-she knew it had hurt, but what had consumed her was the questions.

Why was this happening again?

This was the second time, so maybe it wasn't them-it was her.

Lisbon, although she had been a victim, had never played the part. She wasn't one of those girls who cried herself to sleep after a long pity party-a deserved pity party, mind you. But that question had been so imprinted on her, that leaving Jeff had no longer been an option to her.

It had become about her, and about changing him.

Because, she had failed in changing her father. So maybe, this was life giving her another chance.

She knew exactly what people would say if they found out her reasoning for staying. They wouldn't understand.

Jane would.

She knew that without a doubt he would get it, even if he didn't like it. He would absolutely, no doubt at all, hate it.

But he would understand, and he would help her.

And he would stop her.

And he would stop Jeff.

And that was partially the reason Lisbon was unable to speak up.

Did she want to be hurt-both physically and mentally?

No, of course not.

But her mentality was set, and she was powerless to change it.

She was also embarrassed, and she knew everything would change when she spoke up.

If she spoke up.

And although her life wasn't pleasant, it was-it was familiar. She knew how to live it.

Well, she would excel in that if Jane wasn't around.

Although her team was sharp and smart, Lisbon was better.

But-and she would never admit this either-Jane was better then her.

Lisbon pushed her hands through her hair, scrubbing her fingers through the roots and pulling them to try and ground herself.

She couldn't avoid this any longer, she couldn't remain here when she had to go home and face this.

Because Jeff had just brought an entire new ball plan to the game.

He had given her an absolute reason not to tell.

She could not afford that video getting out and damaging her reputation. She had spent years building herself up from the girl she used to be, and she would be damned if that would change overnight.

She was too proud for that.

Wearily, she stacked files and papers neatly on her desk and gathered her things, forgetting about the phone that had been on desk that no longer was since Jane had left the room.

She stepped out of the office and shut her door quietly, turning around to walk out.

Patrick Jane lay relaxed on the couch, his eyes closed. She knew he wasn't asleep by the crinkle in his brow and the purse of his lips.

"Don't do anything dumb. I know that look." Teresa warned as she stalked past him. She hoped Patrick would accept her peace offer-because it was as good as he was going to get.

"Matter of perspective. But I know this would not be," His tone was light, but Lisbon halted at the lurking anger. She opened her mouth, but Jane beat her to it.

"Goodnight, Lisbon. Be safe."

Lisbon knew a dismissal when she saw it, and she wondered if this is how Jane felt every time she used it on him. Swallowing words back, she walked past the couch.

"I always am."

"Are you?" he asked quietly, and she pretended not to hear.