Disclaimer: The plot's mine. The show and canon characters are not.

A/N: Time for the visit! I know that's what many readers have been waiting for, and I'm glad we finally got here. Sadly, it means that this is the last regular chapter of this story, and what's left to follow will be the epilogue. I hope this scene will be worth the wait.

Love Letters

Chapter 14: The Potential in Our Future

Patrick Jane grinned in the afternoon sun. He had gotten little sleep the previous night, but he was in a very good mood.

The reason for both was the same: Lisbon was coming to visit him. As soon as the clock passed midnight, he couldn't help but think "Today's the day" over and over. It was nearly impossible to sleep, but the thought made him happy all the same.

He was all smiles during his shift in the laundry, noticeable enough so that Big Dave called across to him and said, "Whatcha so happy about, Hat-trick?"

All Jane could do was smile even wider and answer, "Today's the day, Big Dave!" He'd caught the laugh that erupted from the enormous man, and dimly heard the remark about 'seeing the little woman.' Jane didn't even bother to correct him.

As it got closer to the scheduled meeting time, however, he was starting to feel a little nervous. What if Lisbon decided this was a bad idea at the last minute? Would she send a message ahead? Would she just not show up? He didn't know how he'd deal with the second option.

No, he decided, she would keep her promise. To reassure himself of that, he pulled out the letter he'd received from her the day before yesterday. He would re-read it now and pass the time.

###

Dear Patrick,

If I've timed this letter correctly, it should arrive a day or two before I come to visit you. It will give me a chance to say a few things in writing that will not come as easily in person.

To start, I want to thank you for writing me that very first letter, especially since I had rejected your every attempt at contact before then. You were so generous in your praise when I wrote back, but I never told you how impressed I was that you had the courage to reach out first. I'm grateful every day that you did.

One thing I want you to know is that I'm willing to try to put as much of the past behind us as possible. I'm happy to save the good memories to enjoy more than once, but letting the worst things go is also important. As you said, nothing we do will change one second of what's happened. I'd like to focus on the potential in our future as soon as our present is more certain.

I know that it's difficult caring so strongly for someone. Friendships involve trust and communication, things that I'm not surprised you weren't ready to give for a while. Loving your family gave you so much joy and then such profound heartbreak that a resistance to risking that again isn't unusual, either. When you genuinely feel, you feel things very deeply.

Your true compassion and kindness for the good people you meet in life has been clear to me the more time I've spent with you. Don't fight me on this, Patrick; I'm not trying to make you out to be a perfect person. But you're a better man than you give yourself credit for, and I want you to know that I see it, even if you don't. Even when you can't.

I won't promise or pretend to be an easy person to be with, not with the issues and history that I bring to the table. What I can promise is to stick up for us even when it's not easy. Being with you means enough to me to fight for it. In fact, I've already gone one round with one of my younger brothers. It was worth it, by the way; I won.

I'll see you soon. I love you.

Always,

Teresa

###

Jane was startled from his reading by a loud thump on his cell door. The guard's voice barked, "Jane! Visitor!" He inhaled sharply and stood as the guard unlocked the door and came in. He remained carefully passive as he was fitted with a pair of handcuffs and walked to a small room with a table and chairs in it. He sat down to wait.

Jane heard Lisbon before he saw her. He'd been counting the cracks in the wall across from him when he heard the door creak open and her voice say, "Take his cuffs off."

He immediately looked to where she was standing. The young guard was trying to give her a hard time about the handcuffs, but Jane could tell she wouldn't budge on the issue. -You won't win an argument with her, kid,- he thought with a smirk, -just give it up.- He turned out to be correct when the cuffs were removed and the guard exited the room to stand out in the hall.

Lisbon hadn't moved from the spot across the room yet. He wasn't sure if she was planning to stand there for their entire visit. He gestured at the other chairs with a wave of his now-free hands and said, "Would you like to sit down, Lisbon?"

"I don't know, Jane," she answered. "I'm still deciding whether or not I'm going to stay." The undertone of anger in her voice put him on alert. He watched her hands clench and unclench at her sides; she was considering hitting him. He would have to be fast if she tried to. He didn't want her to have something else to regret.

Three long strides brought her over to the table and standing across from him. Her left hand leaned on it for support and her right came across, open, to slap him. But just this once, because he was expecting it, he was quicker than she was. Jane caught her wrist before her hand connected. Two of his fingers placed firmly over her pulse told him Lisbon's heart was racing. He looked up at her for a moment, and then gently placed a kiss on her palm before releasing her. He leaned back out of the way, just in case. "I guess I don't have to ask if you're still angry," he said, chuckling anxiously.

"No, you don't," Lisbon snapped.

"But you came anyway. Thank you," he continued.

"All right, Jane," she said, "the only way this is going to go well is if we are both as straightforward as possible. No sarcasm or snide remarks, and we might get through this alive."

"Yes ma'am," he quipped, but caught her glare and quickly said "Sorry."

Lisbon sighed as she sat down. The atmosphere was still tense and uncomfortable. Jane reached out tentatively to take her hand, and winced slightly at how chilled her fingers were, even in August.

"Sorry," she mumbled, "I know my hands are cold."

"It's all right. Cold hands, warm heart, as the saying goes," he answered, placing both his hands around hers and letting his warmth pass to her.

She tried to hide a smile, but couldn't. "I'm not familiar with that saying, actually."

Jane just grinned and kept her hand between his. He looked across at her and asked, "So, where should we start?"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't even know, Jane. My feelings are running very hot and cold right now. Is there anything you want to say to me, now that we're face to face?"

"Well, I'm glad you're here. Your last letter was wonderful, but nothing is better than seeing you and touching you."

"Thank you. It's been a long time for me, too," she replied. She still seemed so stiff and wound up to Jane. What could he say to break the tension?

"You look beautiful. You always do, but especially so today. Did you make all this effort just for me?" he asked.

"Actually I did, Jane. I dug out this green silk top because I remembered you saying once that it was your favorite. And considering I went to so much trouble, you at least could have combed your hair!" she answered.

"Oh Lisbon, do you really think they'd let 'Hat-trick' Jane, cold blooded killer, have something as dangerous as a comb? They're afraid I'll go all murderous with it," he whined.

Something about that statement made Lisbon start to crack up. As it developed into full-blown laughter the tension shattered. She wasn't even sure exactly why it was so funny to her. But Jane was so happy to see her relax that he didn't press, he just gently stroked his fingertips over her hand.

After a few minutes, she was quiet again. She finally asked "Are you sorry?"

Jane sighed. "Yes, but not for what I did. I'm sorry because it made you cry."

It had, too. Lisbon had never told him so, but apparently he knew all the same. The only thing she could say in response was "I believe you."

"There are some things I'd like to say to you, but not while we're being observed. I noticed this room has a surveillance camera when I was brought in."

"Yes, Jane, that's standard."

"I wonder… give me just a moment," he said. Jane looked at the placement of the camera. Based on its angle there was a small area within the room that wasn't being filmed. "I'm not going to tell you what I'm about to do, Lisbon. You'll need at least a touch of deniability." Moving calmly but with purpose, he edged around within the uncovered area until he could reach up to the camera itself, and promptly disabled it.

"What did you just do?" Lisbon asked, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Took out the camera. It's okay, the feed will still register as receiving, it just won't actually be recording or relaying any video or sound in here. They won't discover the problem for at least a day," he said, the familiar smirk back.

"Wait, where did you learn how to do that? And fix it right now!" she whispered fiercely.

"No, no telling where I picked that up, Lisbon. I told you, deniability is key. And furthermore, I don't know how to fix it, just how to break it," he said, still grinning as he sat down across from her again.

"Great. You're unbelievable, Jane. No matter what the situation, you're still a trouble maker."

"Oh hush, you love it. I have it in writing."

"I did not say I loved it. I said I was glad killing someone hadn't destroyed your identity as a person. How unconcerned you seem to be about it is still a bit creepy, just so you know."

"Did you come here just to put me through the wringer, Teresa?" Jane asked suddenly. "Are you going to go through everything that's wrong with who I am and what I've done? Because that would take hours, and I'd rather not spend the first time I have alone with you in three months like that, if possible."

Lisbon paused, and thought about it. "To tell you the truth, neither would I. So what did you want to say to me with no surveillance?"

"I wanted to ask if you've given more thought to the future, and what you want of the 'big permanent things' I mentioned in our first phone call."

"I've definitely been giving it some thought. Everything is still so uncertain at this point, though," she said evasively.

"I know, but it's a question of your dreams for the future. It always had the condition of 'when this situation was resolved' attached."

"Jane, nothing has been resolved yet. How can I say for sure?"

"How about just telling me what you want," he repeated.

She sighed to herself, then looked him in the eye and said, "You. I want you."

Jane wasn't sure how, suddenly, they were on the same side of the table. He didn't know how he ended up on his feet with Lisbon sitting on the table in front of him. All he knew was that one moment they were talking, and the next she was in his arms with her legs wrapped around him. His face was buried in her neck, lips pressing soft kisses on her skin as her fingers stroked through his wild curls.

"I love you so much," he said, his voice muffled.

She held on to him, nuzzling his hair. "I love you, too."

He pulled away, but only to come close again and settle his mouth on hers. She made a pleased sound and her lips parted almost immediately, inviting him to deepen the kiss. His arms tightened around her as he did. One of his hands slipped under the green silk blouse to stroke the soft skin of her back.

Lisbon broke away first, gasping for air. She leaned against his shoulder and laughed softly as she whispered, "Now I know the real reason you knocked out the camera."

"Honestly, I just wanted to talk in private, I swear," Jane murmured back.

"Liar," she said. "I know you can't resist me. Just admit it."

"Oh, it's admissions time? I didn't agree to that."

She pulled away and looked up at him. "Tell me a secret, Patrick," she said.

For the first time since she'd arrived, he wouldn't meet her eyes. The smile was gone from his face when he asked quietly, "What would you like to know?"

Lisbon considered for a moment. "There's something I've noticed about you. You can lie and tell the truth to my face with equal ease; I've watched you do it. The only time you can't look at me is when you feel vulnerable. What are you afraid of, all of a sudden?"

He was a little stunned for a moment, and sat back down in his chair. "You just did an excellent read on me. I'm so proud of you, Teresa."

"Thank you. Now answer me."

He was still looking to the side when he answered, "I'm afraid you're going to come to your senses. That you're going to realize I'm not worth the trouble, walk out of here and I'll never see you again. I don't know if I can face what's coming alone. And I'm scared because I've only been back in your arms for about five minutes and I already feel like I need you more than anything."

"Patrick, look at me," she said. When he still didn't move, she put her hand on his cheek and angled his head so he had to meet her eyes. "I'm in love with you. I'm not leaving you. Even when I'm angry, I won't give up on you. I will never abandon you. Look at me and tell me what you see. Am I lying?"

"No, you're not," he said after a moment.

"Okay. We don't know what the future will bring. You want to worry about that, go ahead. But stop worrying about me backing out of this. It'll never happen. You're not the only one who feels strongly about us, you know," she said, and paused nervously before continuing. "The fact is I don't want to live without you."

"If that's the case, and I get my way, my dear, you won't have to," Jane said, and finally smiled again as he pulled her down to him for another kiss.

Lisbon was only too happy to give it. Maybe it was silly, but she felt ridiculously hopeful in his arms. At that moment it seemed like nothing was impossible, as long as they were together.

To Be Concluded… Slightly abrupt ending, I know. Don't worry, the epilogue is happy fluff and answers some questions.