Lisbon flipped the file on her lap closed and tossed it on the coffee table. She was plopped on the couch propped up on pillows pretending to watch a movie while she read through a file. In reality she was going out of her mind with worry and boredom. That was the fourth movie in a row having failed miserably to catch her interest. The day really wasn't going that well all things considered. Maternity leave wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Her doctor was pleased her blood pressure was staying in an acceptable range. Jane's kid was even behaving for the most part except for the occasional Braxton-Hicks. Though she was grateful where her child was concerned, there was really nothing exciting going on.
Lisbon was about ready to throw that chick flick on out of desperation. The one she'd watched with Jane a few weeks back. The sneaky bastard had had the audacity to slip a stupid chick flick in the middle of her action movie marathon and she'd actually enjoyed it. Some ridiculous Julia Roberts/Richard Gere thing she hadn't bothered watching when it was tearing up the box office. Nor had she indulged any of the hundred thousand times it had been on television in the years since. Maybe she'd been wrong. That was a movie she might tolerate. At least it made her smile.
Or maybe she could handle the other one he'd slipped over on her a couple of months before that. It was another Julia Roberts with what's his name. Hugh Grant. Yeah, that was the one. She might make it through that one too. She'd just have to get Van Pelt to dig them out of wherever she'd stuck them so she could deny she watched chick flicks. That might be a good idea about now.
Speaking of the sneaky bastard, he'd called her as promised from the airport and again when he'd arrived at his destination. He hadn't called in the twelve days since. She had to assume he hadn't been able to just as they'd feared. They couldn't compromise the operation to have a personal moment or two. She'd just have to bide her time until it was safe for Jane to call or the operation was over. Whichever reality came first. She'd put her money on the operation wrapping up before that happened. He was in too deep. They were watching him too closely for any missteps.
Thankfully, Smithson had updated Lisbon several times over the last few days. He'd let her know that her husband was fine and doing even better than anticipated. Jane was definitely the man for the job. He was just the right mix of arrogant self-confidence edged with slightly unbalanced psychopathic scary. Such a personality was perfectly normal in this world. Gus fit right in with the rest of them. While Smithson's team wasn't quite ready to move in and shut the operation down, Jane had already gotten them unbelievably close to wrapping the whole thing up. He'd gotten closer to the inner workings in just two weeks than they'd gotten in three years.
Jane was also apparently quite the ladies man as well. All of the dancers adored old Gus. To the point they all knew exactly how he liked his tea. He had his own table and a special rotation of female company. It hadn't taken long for it to get around that Gus liked the ladies either. That he was both a gentleman and quite generous hadn't hurt his cause. Neither did the fact he was rather nice on the eyes. While that last bit of news didn't sit particularly well with the heavily pregnant little woman back home, Lisbon figured Jane was getting information any way he could. She knew her husband's habits well.
If getting what he needed meant playing the dancers, Jane would play the dancers. He would play the dancers with charm and consummate skill. He'd have the information he needed before they knew what hit them. He wasn't above employing a little subtle hypnotism to get the job done either. His other half wasn't around to disapprove so this was the perfect opportunity to make of for lost time. Yep, definitely using his favorite tool, the one she wouldn't let him use. She was sure of it.
Lisbon could see Jane's every move in her mind. For a man who could be such an annoying jackass most of the time, he could be dapper and smooth when the need struck. He could be a real ladies' man which she was certain he was being now. The bad part about imagining Jane at work was she was imagining the perfect bodies and the beautiful faces of those Eastern European beauties surrounding him. He'd have to touch them as well. No man could get that close day after day and not touch. They would expect nothing less and they'd certainly notice if he didn't. Jane was definitely touching that soft, soft skin. Not the wisest move on her part to imagine such a thing.
Lisbon couldn't stop the thought Jane had also better be doing that magical Jane thing he did so well very carefully within acceptable boundaries. He was if he valued his life and didn't want to die a very painful death. Cho wouldn't get the chance to kill him first if he didn't. No way. She'd do that job herself, slowly and painfully. Not that she was really worried. Lisbon knew it was just boredom and pregnancy hormones messing with her head.
Switching gears, Lisbon thought back over the last few days since Jane's departure. Rog had continued watching their every move. If anything, he'd ramped up the spying. Red John was nowhere in sight. They'd not heard a peep out of him in months. They were beginning to wonder what the ghoul was up to or even if he was up to anything at all. They just hoped he wasn't off in parts unknown leaving a trail of bloody smiley faces for them to follow. So far they'd not heard anything ominous from any quarters.
They'd gone to the CBI as planned fully expecting something to happen. The whole team had been on red alert. Nothing exciting happened at all. Lisbon signed the stupid form and left it for Hightower, they'd gotten the box of complaints, grabbed a few files and left unmolested. The worse thing happening that night was a monumental case of heartburn. The days since had been as exciting.
She'd fallen into a comfortable pattern with her team. Rigsby slept in the guest room on the longer bed, Cho had taken the couch, and Van Pelt sacked out in Lisbon's room. She painted Lisbon's toenails every couple of days in return for sleeping on Jane's side of the bed. That was the bargain they'd struck. Lisbon had planned on sleeping in her husband's spot but Van Pelt couldn't sleep on the other side. The boss had settled for her husband's pillow instead.
Over the past few days the whole weird situation had degenerated from seriously uncomfortable into one big intimate working sleep over with her adoptive pseudo family. It was actually kind of fun. As long as the team still remembered who was the boss. They most certainly did. Not that Lisbon would let them forget it. As long as the team remembered what Lisbon said went. Again, not that Lisbon would let them forget it. The only real difference was she was just sometimes the boss with couch head who occasionally snored and drooled.
Somewhere around day six Lisbon stopped trying to keep up appearances. It was too much effort and she didn't have the energy. Not unexpectedly, the baby Jane was a monumental drain. Lisbon felt like a gestating hippo most of the time without the luxury of water. Worse than that, the team all now knew about that snoring and drooling having witness her afternoon naps. It was not a pretty sight as her gem of a husband would confirm.
They knew she had freckles as well. She rarely bothered with foundation any more. Too much bother. They knew her exercise routine having accompanied her to the condominium gym. They knew her favorite juice and her favorite vices. They also knew she was bored, cranky and depressed. What they thankfully didn't know was that sex deprivation was yanking her chain more than anything. Lisbon only hoped Jane was half as miserable. The man shouldn't be so addictive in the first place.
Gazing at the sea of pretty girls around him, Jane wished he was home for the millionth time in as many minutes. Pretending an interest in these victims who'd become victimizers themselves had grown old pretty fast. He missed his wife. He missed the team. He even missed Cho's ridiculous man to mans. What he wouldn't give to be making fish eyes at old Jamie boy about now. He'd even settle for hot dogs and beer with Minelli again.
Instead he was trapped at a table surrounded by vapid laughter, liposuctioned perfection, and more silicon than any man should have to endure in several lifetimes. Such manufactured flawlessness made Jane appreciate the inherent imperfections of his Lisbon more. She was hardly statuesque, but neither was he. The top of her head was just the right height to prop under his chin when she was in his arms on their balcony. The freckles dotting her skin charmed him in ways he never thought possible. As for her less than ample breasts, they were hardly an imperfection. They were the right size for her body and perfect in his eyes. The mound of their child excited him more than shapely well-toned Lisbon had. There was something mind bogglingly erotic about knowing he'd put that there.
The only light in this disgusting sea of depravity was Yekaterina currently taking center stage. Jane lifted a brow as he planted a deceptively appreciative smile on his face. Everyone knew little Yekata was one of his favorites. He'd made no secret of the fact. Especially when she was doing unmentionable things with a stripper pole that should never see the light of day. The truth was far different.
Nothing any of these women did turned him on. He found no pleasure in the degradation of women. The eighteen year old currently on stage reminded him of a young Lisbon. Certainly not what she was doing or how she was acting, but in her physical appearance. In her no-nonsense approach to life and her acceptance of things she could not change. In her willingness to just dive in and do what had to be done, to fight to the bitter end, personal feelings aside.
The slender, dark haired, green-eyed pixie child who saw too much had wallowed out a special place in Jane's affections. A very real place he couldn't deny as she was yet to be permanently tainted by the trap she'd been sold into. She was instead seeking a way out and a better life. Until that time presented itself, she would endure what must be endured. Yekaterina still had hope and she was worth saving.
Jane would see that she didn't get the short end of the stick when all of this was over. She was a fighter and she hadn't yet gone over to the dark side. Like most of these woman had. He would see that she got her fresh start in this country. That shouldn't be too hard to arrange since she'd unwittingly become one of his main sources of information.
It had taken Jane two seconds to spot a weak link in the operation he could easily exploit. Ruslana, the six foot Ukranian blonde bombshell with huge natural curves in all the right places, was obviously Vlad's main squeeze; but, the gang leader liked to abuse little Yekata on the side. That didn't sit well with Jane. There was a special place in hell for men like old Vladimir Panku and he was looking forward to sending him there.
Picturing Lisbon in his mind one last time, Jane could only imagine how his daughter had grown. His daughter was proving a rather large baby for a woman her mother's size. Less than three weeks out from her due date, his Lisbon would be lethargically cranky and wonderfully sexy in her ripeness. She'd also be as starved for a little skin on skin as he was. She'd also be doing everything she could to hide that from the team.
If Cho dared tell his boss she needed to get laid he'd certainly die for his trouble. Jane smiled at the thought. It would serve the man right for all the aggravation he'd been over the last few months. What he wouldn't give to be stroking her tummy about now. Jane had always had a soft spot for kids and pregnant women especially a woman heavy with his child. He'd thought Angela the most beautiful woman in the world when she was carrying Charlotte Anne; but, he wasn't sure Lisbon didn't surpass her.
Perhaps it was that motherhood had seemed so natural for his first wife and more of a reach for Lisbon. He'd never really seen his tough little lady cop as good mother material even knowing she'd had a hand in raising her brothers and watching her comfortable interactions with children over the years. She'd proven him wrong. She had a latent maternal streak a mile wide. Lisbon would be a wonderful mother. She'd firmly temper his doting daddy ways with correcting love.
Shutting his thoughts down and turning his attention back to the game at hand, Jane focused on the gorgeous redhead sliding her shapely bottom across his lap. Svetlana had never been shy in making her plays to become wife number four and leave the life she was in. She knew she was an incredibly beautiful woman as only a redhead could be. She was also as brilliant as she was beautiful. Jane laughed as she planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth.
"It's nice to see you, too, my dear." Jane smiled indulgently secure the seeds of his cover had been firmly planted over the weeks.
Who cared if the woman believed his 'happy little thoughts of Lisbon' induced friend had something to do with her? He knew the truth and that was all that mattered. It was time to get his thoughts off of his wife and back on the game at hand.
I can't do this anymore." Lisbon huffed.
Cho looked up from his file as Lisbon fought her way up off the couch. That the boss was going absolutely stir crazy today had been apparent within thirty minutes of her rolling out of bed. That she was already driving them batty was a given.
"Get those two off the balcony making cow eyes at each other, Cho. I'll be out in fifteen or twenty minutes. We're going into the office. There has to be an interesting file or two buried somewhere. Maybe a cold case we can do something with." Lisbon rubbed her tummy trying to calm the rapidly kicking feet.
Cho headed for the balcony while Lisbon made for the shower. She was in a bad state if she was willing to go to the CBI in the middle of the day. If she was willing to endure all the poking and patting, invasive questioning, and well wishing that was sure to follow. As he opened the balcony door to summon the others, the Korean Agent couldn't stop the chill crawling slowly down his spine.