Lisbon arrived at the circus and walked straight to the dark corner where Jane's trailer was, hoping the psychic would be around there as well, isolating himself from the public, like usually.
"Hey," she greeted him and leaned against the fence where he was, but turned to the opposite side.
"Hey." Jane chanced a glance at her.
Lisbon didn't think it would look so evident that she was attempting to maintain some distance from him, not when she kept her smile and did her best to sound cheery. But it was clear simple from the way she greeted him that she was keeping her distance.
In spite of the fact that it was evident to Jane, he acted obliviously.
"So, what did you have to tell me?" Her voice typically husky.
"I said on the phone that it could wait."
She shrugged, "now I'm here, what is it?"
He ignored the question, "How was it with Stan?"
"Good. We…talked. A lot."
He watched carefully, "both of you needed that,"
"I guess. But it was exhausting. We ended up talking more about me than him."
He chuckled. "Did you talk about me?"
"No." The answer came quick, in a high voice.
Jane watched her lower her look, avoiding his.
"That bad, hm?"
"No." She put a hand on the gun tucked in the back of her pants waist, her own way of fidgeting. "Stan was just curious."
"I know what your brother said, Teresa. And I don't mind or blame him, but I thought we had exhausted that topic already."
"We had. But it's hard…" she trailed off.
"Do you want to talk about it? I don't want this bothering you."
"No, it's fine. I just need some time."
"Okay." He breathed out to calm down, "this seems like the perfect time to say it then: we've set the date for our departure."
Her eyes widened, her mouth formed a small circle.
"When?" she asked quietly.
"In six days."
"Six days?" Lisbon echoed, "I thought you'd set the date at least a month in advance."
"We don't have a reason to stick around for so long. The crowd here it's not very excited about us, anymore."
She nodded slowly, her expression was dismal.
Jane stepped back putting some distance between them.
"Take as much time as you need, Teresa. I'll see you tomorrow. Or when you feel like."
…
Jane was inside the Airstream, taking off his shoes when he heard the knocking. Lisbon walked in and closed the door behind her.
He was sitting in the passenger's seat, being illuminated by the lights outside.
"Is it okay if I sleep here?" She bit her lip and raised her eyebrows in expectancy.
"Of course."
Lisbon proceeded to take off her clothes, feeling weirdly uneasy when Jane turned to the other side to look at the Airstream's windshield.
He heard Lisbon placing her gun on the table with a loud thud, followed by the sound of her jeans falling to the floor and what he imagined being Lisbon taking off her jacket and shirt.
He heard her sitting on the bed and then it was silent.
A moment passed before she spoke.
"You don't plan on sleeping there, do you?"
"I'm not sleepy."
Jane heard Lisbon getting off the bed and walking towards him. She walked past him and leaned against the Airstream's panel, blocking his view from outside.
He was very pleased to see she was wearing his t-shirt as a nightgown, not only for the alluring view of her legs, but for the intimacy it represented.
Lisbon noticed his look with satisfaction but didn't fully comprehended what it meant.
She folded her arms over her chest, "for how long are you going to be mad at me?"
He shrugged, "do I look mad?"
"Yeah, you do."
"I'm not. You said you needed time."
"I hate when you hold on to the little things I say." She scoffed thinking about the night of their first kiss.
"I'm sorry, you were right. We have talked about this so many times. I knew what you did before I even got to actually know you, I don't have the right to keep bringing this up."
"Teresa-"
She continued over him, "You've given me proof that you're a good man, that's what matters. You were wonderful today, Patrick. Not only today."
He looked away. That sort of compliment always made him feel guilt, as if he was cheating to get her to believe he deserved them.
"Are we okay?" her voice was so gentle and loving, it forced him to look at her.
"We're fine."
She looked right and left, as if making sure of what to do next, taking courage.
Slowly, she moved towards him and sat on his lap. She cuddled between his shoulder and neck, her legs going under the armrest of the seat.
Although a little surprised, Jane didn't hesitate to put an arm behind her back for support, his other hand over her thighs partly covered by his t-shirt.
Lisbon was happy he couldn't see her red cheeks. She wondered if he still felt the tingles of excitement and the heart beating fast when they were close.
Jane looked away trying to hold back a smile, "this is not fair," he said delicately.
"What?" she looked amused.
"If I did this while you were mad at me you'd have kicked me out of the seat."
"Are you sure? Maybe next time you should try it."
"I hope there won't be a next time."
"Hoping is good," she taunted.
When he didn't answer she moved to be able to look at him.
"Patrick, you just said we were fine."
"We are."
"Then cheer up."
"Oh I'm cheery."
"Yeah, sure."
"Come on," he pointed to the night sky with his chin, "the scenery is beautiful and I have the girl on my lap,
"The sky always looks beautiful here."
"Quite often." He looked through the windshield, to the dark night filled with stars.
The view was even better when the circus lights were out, but the place was lighting up. Lisbon was so tired she hadn't realized how early it was.
"Are the people here okay with you not doing your shows at night?"
"Meh. I told them I needed time. I'll go back when we move to the next city."
"Your fans must be missing you," she joked.
"They will survive."
Lisbon was now all snuggled up against Jane's chest,
She looked at her hand playing with the collar of his shirt, "we only have six days."
"it's more than what we had so far. Since we started this, I mean."
"It is," she said to herself, thoughtfully, "has it really only been 4 days? It seems like so much had happened."
They had grown so close in so little time. But that hadn't began four days ago, she realized. It begun when they first met and that annoying smile of his wouldn't leave her thoughts.
"How long do you think it will take for you guys to come back to LA?"
"A couple of years, most likely."
Lisbon thought about that, not sure how to answer.
"Stan invited you to his wedding," she blurted out.
Jane raised his eyebrows, "was that before or after you told him what I do for a living?"
She ignored him, "it's over a month from now. I just wanted you to know that he liked you."
"Would you want me to go if we had the time?"
"If you wanted to."
"That's not an answer."
"Yes." She glanced at him, her hand over his stubble, "I'd like if you came."
He stared at her paying full attention, she could tell he was reading her, but not what he was seeing.
She turned her attention back to his shirt, opening a button there, "Okay, now it's my time to say it: I don't want anything bothering you, so talk to me."
"There's nothing bothering me, Teresa. I'm just thinking."
"About?"
"I'm thinking… that I'm going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too," it came out weak as a whisper.
She tried to sound more enthusiastic, "are we going to do anything special for your last day here?"
"Hm, do you have anything in mind?"
Distractedly, she continued to open the button of his shirt. "Not really."
With a sly smile: "maybe something the catholic school girl in you doesn't approve."
"Like murder?"
He made a funny sound in the back of his throat, "well, not what I was considering. But good to know where your mind is."
She laughed, "I'll think of something. Now come on." She got up and pulled him by the hand, "you're not going to let me sleep alone on my first night here."
"That's right," he beamed at her, "it's your first time sleeping in the Airstream."
"I know. Come on," she pulled him again.
Jane got up with a groan, he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Lisbon giggled when he bit her ear softly while leading her to bed.
Lisbon's strategy was to focus on her job at maximum to occupied her mind in a way she wouldn't have time to think about the night ahead of her. Unhappily for the CBI agent, the day was as calm as it could be. And avoiding to think about Jane's departure became a lot harder when she mentioned to her team that he was going away, dropping the information in a random conversation with them.
Wayne and Grace were convinced that it was harder than she made it look, that she was acting too normal. And so they proceeded to observe her as if they had a bet on when Lisbon was going to lose it.
To stay away from the glances from her worried agents, Lisbon went to seat alone in her office, and so, thinking about Patrick became inevitable.
She thought, with a pain in her chest, that maybe she would even feel relieved when he moved. That it would be better to have him out of her life. Everything would go back to how it was, she would focus on her career, and go on with her plans. No more wondering when he would leave, no more incessant questions in her head about Jane's place in her life, or hers in his life. Everything had felt so uncertain since she met him.
Jane had only made her happy, and Lisbon was almost wishing he was gone. She felt so guilt that she immediately texted him.
'Looking forward to tonight. I have a little surprise.'
Getting dressed took 3 times longer than it should. Lisbon thought she would never have to go thru that again after their first date, but there she was. It was cold, so she chose her new jeans and leather jacket. In truth, she wanted to impress but didn't want Jane to know that, and he would if she showed up in the dress she had bought for the occasion. So she left it in the back of her closet, claiming to herself she should save it to wear at the fundraise event for the CBI.
The circus was now just broken pieces of what it used to be. The tends were down, wrapped, scattered all around, over cars and inside trucks. The job wasn't half done; they would finish it in the morning she thought.
Lisbon knew them enough by now, to know they were all partying in the back, the same place where she and Patrick danced for the first time. A memory she knew would be with her forever. The excitement, the comfort, the more she thought about it, more she craved his embrace.
She headed to the back, hoping Jane would be with the other carnies, but just when she was close enough to hear the singing and chatting from the group, she saw him, seating on the ferries wheel by himself.
He got up, leaned against the structure with arms crossed and waited for her. When she was close enough to see the lazy warm smile on his tired face, her chest became heavier. He must've sensed it, because he starting walking, to meet her halfway.
"Hey you."
"Hey", he met her with a kiss, holding her face between his hands.
She smiled against his lips when they broke apart.
"What are you doing here, alone?"
He made a face as if it was obvious, "waiting for you, of course." He put a hand on her back, "Now, come on, let's get one last view of this place."
"You- you mean the…?" her eyes went from Jane to the Ferris wheel.
"That is correct."
"This thing looks really old."
"Oh it is," he helped her get inside the first car.
He turned the big structure on and joined his date before the car started to move.
"How are we going to get down?"
"Meh, we'll think of something."
He looked at her distressed face. "We can jump off when it's close enough."
She scowled at him.
"Don't worry, I have a plan."
"I'm not worried."
"You sure look that way."
"How do you even disassemble this thing?" She thought about them carrying that to the next city.
"I don't know; I never stick to this part." It just wasn't something he'd like to talk about.
He put his hand over hers.
"Teresa, relax. Appreciate the view."
Lisbon loosened her grip on the safety bar and stopped facing the ground to glance him.
She took a deep breath, leaned back against the car and finally took a look around.
"You're right. It's amazing."
The slow mechanics just became slower and slower and suddenly stopped.
"Why did it stop?" Lisbon asked alarmed.
"I set it to stop."
"What do you mean?"
"I set it to go only halfway around."
"Now we can't even jump off of this thing."
Jane snickered loudly, "come here," he put his arm around her shoulder and with some effort managed to make her relax against him.
"Patrick, I don't want to turn this into a melancholic goodbye."
"Me neither. And we won't do that. Let's just enjoy each other's company like we have for the past two weeks."
"Okay."
"Are you cold?"
"No…"
He so something in her expression, "what?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking, I'm glad I came with these clothes,"
"Did you had something else in mind?"
"I bought a dress, actually."
"You bought a dress? For- for me?'
"No. I mean, sort of."
He grinned, "I'm so flattered."
Lisbon was too embarrassed to answer.
"My shirt is new too."
"No, is not."
"I swear."
She took a glance at him. Jane was looking down at his chest, checking the buttons of his shirt. She couldn't help a smile.
"And I thought you'd appreciate the vest," he checked the buttons of that one too.
"I do," Lisbon said amused.
He looked up to her, "You do?"
She beamed at him.
"And you, Teresa, you look beautiful. Like in the first time I saw you."
"The first time you saw me and thought I was a perfect sucker."
"No, no. I never thought of you as a mark."
"Are you sure Pete would agree with that?"
He nodded, "Yes. He would confirm my first intentions with you were purely libidinous."
"Libidinous?"
"Only the best libidinous intentions."
She chuckled, "right."
He frowned, suddenly remembering her text, "what about my surprise?"
"Damn it, I forgot it in the car."
"That's okay, we can got get it later."
"Do you know what it is?"
"Of course not."
"Really?"
"I swear. I didn't even think about it."
"But you would know if you had thought about it." She moaned, "I feel so boring around you, it's annoying."
She didn't really mean that. His "mind reader" abilities proved to be useful in a relationship with a closed person like Lisbon herself; and she wouldn't deny it, sex with him was mind-blowing, and his talent had probably something to do with that.
"Why? I love that you're predictable."
"Gee. Thanks."
He laughed, "come on, you know what I mean."
"I really don't. You said I was intriguing; why would you be intrigued by someone so obvious?"
"You're translucid my dear, but you still surprise me. You're… uniquely obvious."
"Okay...I'll pretend that's a compliment. I guess."
"I'm just saying, even knowing what you will do, I'm still surprised you're this way. I'm surprised with how brave you are, and have been for all your life. I'm surprised that in spite of everything you're such a kind, good hearted person. I'm surprised at how much you care and worry about others. I'm amazed by your fiber and determination and with how easily your cheeks turn red."
He stroked her face with his fingers.
"You got all that from the last two weeks?"
"No, I got all that from our first two dates. Those with Annie, I mean."
"Those weren't dates."
"Well…" He cocked his head both sides,
"Thank you," with a hand around his neck, Lisbon brought him down and kissed him eagerly. Relishing his taste and enjoying the warm touch of his hand on her, she moaned with pleasure in his mouth.
He sighed when they broke apart, needing air, "That was. Hm. I guess that sounded more like a compliment."
She smiled and bit her lower lip. "And about those 'dates', just before I got here I was thinking about that night we danced."
"It was a great night."
"It truly was."
The Ferris wheel's car suddenly rocked and swayed remind them of where they were.
"We're going to be fine. It just rocked a bit."
She looked at him pleading not to have that discussion.
"Fine. I'll message Pete to get us down."
"That's your plan?"
"It seemed simple enough."
While Jane used his phone to text his friend, Lisbon became self-aware of what she would be looking like after that juvenile make out session. She used her hands to try to clean the mess made with her lipstick, and without thinking reached for Jane's shirt to close the buttons she had opened.
Jane giggled still typing his message. "Teresa, it's Pete, we could be naked and he still wouldn't notice."
Jane was inside his trailer waiting for Lisbon to come back with the surprise she had for him.
If she had got there a second earlier she would have seen the tension in his dashing eyes, moving from the Airstream's windows to his fidgeting hands, accompanied by the heavy breathing and his stressed expression.
Because happiness is too hard to find, and when you do, you better hang on tight to it, or you'll lose it. Those words resounded in his head, probably the only good thing his father ever told him. Jane always wondered what the man considered to be his lost happiness, and if that was the reason for his bitterness. Now it was too late to ask.
When Patrick saw her face entering through the open door, a smile forced his lips upwards. He had made his decision, there was nothing else to think about.
He would hang on tight to it. To her. If she allowed it.
Lisbon strolled to the bed with a silly grin, with no idea of the turbulence inside his head or of the excitement growing within him.
She sat by his side, "are you alright?" She asked amused, seeing no reason to be worried.
Jane controlled his breath the best way he could, "hm, yeah," he pointed to the little box in her hands, "so...?"
She bit her lip in expectation and gave him the box.
"I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything," he said analyzing the box.
"It's not like that. Open it, you'll see."
"Okay," he inspected the package, bringing it to his ear to hear the sound it'd make.
"Come' on," she laughed nervously, "just open it."
He got up and left the box where he was.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to open it?"
"Actually, there's something I need to tell you first."
"Okay…What is it?"
"Don't worry, it's good news."
"Then why do you look so tense?"
"Teresa, just…" he licked his lips, anxious, "I'm staying," those words set him free as the road hadn't in a long time.
It was so relieving to finally make that decision and to say it out loud. But he also felt apprehensive, his mind was telling him to slow down, that something was wrong, but he didn't pay attention to the warnings.
"Staying? What do you mean?
"Here, with you. I've considered it for a while now, and I think I'll stay. I mean, I will stay, it's a done deal."
"Patrick," she smiled. "How?"
"Why not, Teresa? I was miserable before you show up. I really think we need to give this, us, a chance."
Lisbon got up. Jane put his arms around her waist and watched her expression; it wasn't what he was expecting.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, it's just... where are you going to live?"
"I haven't thought about it yet; I will work something out."
She could see it in his eyes, the uneasiness growing within him. It was too painful to watch.
"Don't worry," Jane whispered, "I won't be staying with you, this is not a marriage proposal." He laughed softly.
"Am I… the only reason you're staying?"
"Well, you're a big part of it."
Lisbon felt a sting in her heart when his broad smile disappeared along with his excitement. And that was on her, she was the one to blame.
"What is it, Teresa? I thought you would be happy. Honestly, I thought you'd be really happy."
"I am. I'm just…" Jane let go of her and turned away.
"Patrick, don't be like this, I'm just worried."
"Worried about what? That you're going to have to endure me for more than a couple of weeks?"
She could see Jane cursing himself inside his head for taking that chance. For finally trying to move on.
He stepped back when she tried to get close to him.
"I see it now; I am just your pastime until the next Vincent shows up,"
Lisbon appeared both indignant and disgusted by those words.
"Don't say that. You know that's not true."
"I'm not sure you know what the truth is, Teresa."
"I can see it, Patrick. As soon as you leave, you will miss this."
Jane smiled but it was hollow, he walked away to the front of his trailer.
"Always in a different place," Lisbon continued following him inside the small space in the airstream, "never putting down roots, never getting attached to anyone, you said that to me! This has always been your life."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this again," he covered his face with his hands.
Automatically Lisbon's eyes went to his dresser, where the wedding ring faintly reflected the blue light from the night entering the window.
"Ann? No. It's not like that. This is different."
"Different how Teresa?"
Ann never gave him a chance. She didn't care enough to deserve him, Lisbon thought. But she wasn't doing anything to prove that she did care.
Lisbon tried desperately to convince herself otherwise but nothing could answer his question.
"When you regret leaving all this, what's next? You come back, to how everything used to be, and I'm left alone, again, to deal with the loss."
"So I'm condemned to live like this forever, is that what you're saying?"
"No. Of course not."
"Let's be honest, Teresa. This has nothing to do with your fears of abandonment." Lisbon blinked, "This is about you afraid I'll change your life, and get in your way."
She stood in front of him and forced Jane to stay and look at her. "Patrick, these past weeks were wonderful, I hadn't felt this happy and excited about my life in such a long time. But… how are we going to do this? What are you going to do if you leave the circus?"
"I wasn't really thinking about that when I decided to stay, Teresa, I was thinking about you." His answer came dry while his eyes pierced hers.
"And what if we don't work out?"
"We clearly won't. It takes two for a relationship to work."
Lisbon sighed and let him walk away.
"You don't understand. It's just, it seems you're giving up everything you have for-"
"Nothing?"
"Damn it, Patrick, no! That's not what I'm saying."
"I thought what we had was an opportunity we couldn't miss. Something special-"
"It is special! I'm never going to forget you, but that's all it's supposed to be, a fond memory. I don't want to test what we have only to see it getting destroyed."
"So that's all you want me to be? A nice memory? A story to tell in the future, 'the circus guy you dated'."
"Stop doing this. You know what you mean to me. You gave me the strength to begin a new chapter in my life."
"A chapter that doesn't have any room for me."
"Patrick, please," she cried his name, frustrated. "You know this won't work. That's why we always agreed this would be a short thing. That's why we forced ourselves not to get involved."
"Involved? Are you kidding me? We are involved, Teresa! We're far past that!"
"I'm not saying you're not important to me, Patrick. You are!"
"It's more than that, Teresa, you rely on me. You have spent every free minute of our day with me for the past two weeks. When we meet after work - after I spend an hour waiting for you, sitting at your porch, because I can't wait to see you again - you meet me with a list of things you spend the whole day waiting to tell me."
"You talk to me about your job, not how proud you are of it, or how much you love it, but about how somedays it just doesn't seem worth it. Do you ever tell that to anyone else?"
Lisbon looked down and denied with her head. She forced down the lump in her throat.
"I know you still have nightmares about the two men you were forced to kill while working. And when you do, when you're scared and need someone you trust to be around, you embrace me. One of those nights you whispered 'Thank God you're here', when you thought I was sleeping."
Now she could add embarrassment to that tangle of feelings inside her, that included a rage she didn't know whether to blame it on Jane or herself. She sat on Jane's bed again, burying her face in her hands,
"When you were shot, Teresa, you came to me. We weren't in a relationship but you came here. You chose me to comfort you."
"I know," she whispered.
"You've been holding yourself, I see that, but it was worthless. You're involved. You've been involved from the beginning. And who cares if it's only been two weeks? I know you better than anyone else, I don't need more time to know I want you."
Jane leaned against his dresser, his hand brushed his hair and he let out a heavy sigh. The silence was unbearable.
He folded his arms over his chest and asked quietly: "Have you ever been this honest with someone?"
"Have you ever give so much of yourself to any other man?"
"I need to hear it," he insisted.
"I don't know," Lisbon managed to say, barely audible.
They both knew it was a lie. Everybody knows their own truth to those questions. Especially someone like Lisbon. Someone that had been engaged twice, but never said 'I love you' to anyone aside from her family.
The lump in her throat became bigger. At that point, it wasn't only about Jane and her relationship with him. Lisbon was a mess. She had been a mess for too long, but no one ever noticed, and so she convinced herself everything would be fine as long as she could keep it inside her; and now someone was exposing and forcing her to deal with all the chaos inside her chest.
Jane seemed a completely different man from the one Lisbon encountered minutes ago. He turned his back on her, "You, have," he faltered, "you need to go."
"I'm sorry." Her voice cracked. "You're the last person I wanted to hurt."
"You don't have to be sorry, Teresa. You're not obligated to be on the same page as I am. I just wished you had made that more clear." He shook his head, "Who am I kidding; this is not your fault. I didn't see it because I didn't want to."
"It doesn't have to end like this."
"Just go, Teresa. I have a lot to do before tomorrow."
Jane left the airstream shutting the door behind him without looking back.
Lisbon's initial reaction was to storm out of there right after him and let that growing rage take her out of there. But in the dark silent of Jane's trailer, while sitting in his bed, alone, confusion and fear won her over, and she allowed the tears to fall.
…
Lisbon hadn't been able to close her eyes that night, but she was struggling to get out of bed.
She spent hours rethinking her entire life, trying to find every opportunity she had lost because of that insanity need to have control over everything. It was deeper than that.
Being a cop defined Lisbon as a person, and she had never realized how much she was willing to sacrifice to maintain that as her absolute truth.
It was the fear of taking risks, of putting her trust in someone and thus opening herself to the possibility of getting hurt. Someone with trust issues, the perfect pair for Jane.
But although the fears might have shaped her life in a way or another, nothing had ever been quite as decisive. So far she had managed to keep a balance of what she wanted and needed and still keep herself in her safety zone. It had never led her to such a drastic choice.
Lisbon had never felt like she had so much to lose like she was feeling now.
Leaving her first fiancé should have been harder, she was in love and so young. But when Lisbon thought about that time, she remembered having the right filling about what she was doing. Even if it hurt, that young and naïve girl knew what was best for her.
This time, it was different.
She didn't want Jane to go. Why couldn't she just tell him that? Why was she worried instead of ecstatic, when he told her he wanted to stay?
Last night had turned in a nightmare when it was supposed to be one of her best memories. She had to talk to Jane for one last time and make things right.
Lisbon drove straight to the circus, she had traveled that path so many times, now. Made so many memories there. The smell of cotton candy would always remind her of their little walks around the park, Jane making her laugh and they bickering about the silliest things. It would be hard not to miss that place.
The travel fair was a bigger mess than the day before. The carnies were filling trunks and boxes, pulley ropes were being used to lower the main tend center poles, and Lisbon watched as Daisy was conducted to a trailer made especially for her transportation.
Footprints marked every inch of the dry soil.
But was no place to be found amidst the confusion, and the anxiety kept growing inside the CBI agent.
No one seemed to care about her presence there, they were all used to having her around by now, so Lisbon walked among them, trying not to be hit in the head or to stumble on anything.
Further inside, a tiny tent was still up. Water, food and a place to rest waiting for any carnie that needed it.
She looked inside and finally saw those blond shaggy curls of his.
Jane looked worn out. It didn't seem his night had been any better than hers.
He was having a hard time concentrating on the woman sitting in before him. He nodded every now and then but his eyes were focused on the nearly empty water bottle over the table, while his hand under his chin held his head.
Lisbon stepped closer, stopping at the entrance, trying not the disturb whatever was the discussion happening in there.
Without meaning to, she heard bits and pieces of the conversation, or rather monologue.
The woman, probably in her 60's, was desperately trying to convince Jane that she had enough money to sustain him for the rest of his life, in exchange for some sort of rock. It didn't seem like Jane was hearing that for the first time.
Her black clothes and hat made her look like a widow from the past century. The elegant posture indicating someone that felt superior, even in a moment of distress. In the tired features, you could see she was a woman carrying too many losses on her back.
'My granddaughter needs it!', 'I know you have it', "I know it's real', 'Your father showed it me.'
The fierce old woman insistently repeated those words. Attempting to persuade him. Demanding an answer, at the same time begging.
She began to tell her story probably for the third time. Jane raised his head, ready to say something, he was finally going to put an end to that, when he saw Lisbon standing just outside the tent. Her black silhouette in against the sunlight.
He stared at her small frame under the blazing sun. His eyes had an intensity, that even from that distance, made Lisbon uncomfortable. His face didn't show any emotion, and that indifference in him frozen her in place.
Jane finally broke the contact, he quickly turned to the woman in front of him and interrupted her speech, " Mrs. Harington, you've convinced me. I can see you're in real need."
"I am!" The woman said startled. She was confused by his sudden change.
"I'm just no sure you can afford it." Jane's eyes went from the old woman to Lisbon, again, "it's an exceptionally uncommon item."
"I'll give you everything I have." She started digging into her purse, "I can make you a check-"
The carnie silenced her with a movement of his hand.
"It's fine Mrs. Harington. I'll go get the artifact," Jane got off the chair.
"We can talk about the payment later. I'm certain that no value it's too high to help your granddaughter."
He left the tent from the opening behind him. Leaving the old woman alone.
Lisbon walked back to her car trying to forget what she had seen.