Disclaimer: I don't own it.

A/N: I just want to say that I'm having a little girl (found out today and Patrick cried - I love him so much) Ara is quite excited and I'm now sporting a baby bump. Surprisingly I haven't suffered hardly any morning sickness with this baby. That's what's happened in a month. Now onto the story that I keep neglecting...

Outside the hospital room housing Nellie, all that could be heard was a male voice listing limitations and a female one declaring the warnings 'dumb' and 'stupid'. Eventually after a frustrated sigh, the doctor gave up and just told her to take it easy for a few days. It was the only thing she agreed to despite Jane being there the entire time and telling her why it'd be a good idea to listen.

"You've got quite the attitude this morning." With a roll of the eyes, Nellie went back trying to tame her lion's mane with one hand while Jane just shook his head. The girl was ready to leave, had been for quite some time; she'd been dressed the moment he and Lisbon had arrived.

"I've been here for two days and I want to leave before another passes!" He watched as she attempted a ponytail and failed miserably. Lisbon couldn't get there soon enough to pick them up in his honest opinion. She'd decided to get breakfast while the release forms were being filled and had yet to return. "Oh I give up, my hair is just going to stay like this."

Unable to keep it in, he outright laughed at the tangled curls standing in all different directions. After he received a smack in the arm and a harsh glare from the girl, he hushed and gestured for her to give him the brush. Instructing her to turn around, he started at the ends of the tangles and worked his way up in smooth fluid flicks of the wrist. He hadn't brushed anyones hair since after he lost his wife and daughter but the act was almost soothing to him.

"So, it's been at least thirty-some hours since we talked about Mom." His motions paused, he contemplated the statement and realized what she meant by that when they'd been talking about Lisbon just a few moments ago. Once he realized where she was leading the conversation, he wanted nothing to do with it. "Did you tell her?"

"When did you get so nosy? You've never been the type to pry quite this much." For a few moments, nothing but silence was his answer as he continued to get the knots out of her but then he heard her sniffle.

"I've been stuck in a room with nothing but boring television and it doesn't make it go away. I keep thinking that I'm dreaming and when I wake up I'll be back in that room with...with...I guess I'm just trying to use something to distract my mind from torturing me with the memories. I'm sorry, I'm being annoying." Finished with the hair after one last stroke of the brush, he spun her around and pulled her into a hug.

"I didn't say 'annoying'." She gripped him tightly, keeping her face buried in his chest and he stroked over the back of her head in a calming manner. "And it's not that I mind you asking but I'm still trying to sort some things out before I say anything."

"I just want to go home."

"I know, we're going. As soon as Teresa and Bunny get back, we're out of here." He felt her nod, and then felt something tugging on his pants. The rather odd sensation became more persistant and then a little voice broke through the bubble.

"Daddy, up." Nellie pulled away and glanced down at the small child tugging on his pant leg while he took the opportunity to scoop her up with a light groan. He'd be grateful when his ribs decided to stop hurting so badly. This was the first time he was holding the little dark haired one since before he'd let himself be kidnapped. She'd been wanting him to hold her when she still didn't feel good but he hadn't been able to and now that she was feeling better, she wanted him to play. He still probably shouldn't be lifting her or settling her on his hip but he was.

"Patrick, put her down - you're still healing." Ah yes, the scolding voice of Lisbon he was so used to hearing had once again pointed out how he shouldn't be doing something and while it was hurting, he wasn't about to put Ara down.

"She's fine." And at that moment, just to spite him, her little knee dug into a tender spot and he winced - maybe fine wasn't the right word.

"Ara, baby, you be really gentle with Daddy cause he has owies, remember?" Smiling fondly, as Lisbon explained it and Ara nodded, Jane wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. He definitely loved her and he planned to tell her soon - just not in a hospital room with the kids around. Softly staring, he fixed his gaze on hers and gave her a gentle peck on the lips.

"Hate to break up the little moment and all, but uh, can we leave now?" Ara clapped happily, and smiled at the talk of leaving and everyone in the room took that as her approval on the subject. It was time to go home.

"Well Bunny likes the idea, c'mon, let's go home." It wasn't technically his home but he felt at home while there and he was hoping that one day it could be where he permanently resided. He'd intended to avenge a family lost and in the process gained a new family. A very mixed up kind of family but he loved each of them nonetheless and though he was slightly agitated at times by the fact that he found himself unable to take revenge, he knew that he'd never do anything to jeopardize what he had now.

He'd never thought Lisbon would get pregnant and that he'd be raising another man's child as his own or that a strange teenage girl would cause everything to fall into place. Home was definitely wherever the three women were.


Sitting still had never been Jane's strong point and yet from the moment they'd walked through the door, Lisbon had ushered him to her bed and demanded that he lie down. A part of her knew that he probably wouldn't listen for long but she'd managed to put Ara down for her nap in the thirty-five minutes that he'd stayed. She was assuming the only reason he wasn't back up and pestering her had to do with how uncomfortable it was to sit up and the pain meds she'd forced him to give in and take. The man was way too stubborn; she just wanted him to get better.

Although apparently, even in pain, he was still himself. Volunteering to stay in the bed as long as she joined him was definitely something Jane would come off with and it made her feel a little better when he'd propositioned such a thing. She was still so worried about him. Her little bug felt better but Nellie and Jane would take time to heal and she worried. It was just what she did.

"Five bucks says he's up in ten more minutes." Smirking at Nellie's obvious confidence in her bet, Lisbon just shook her head and went back to fretting about in the kitchen as if she had nothing better to be doing than cleaning.

"You should talk; you should be resting too but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say fifteen minutes."

"You're too kind but that's love right?"

"Yeah, yeah it is." That and she knew Jane about as well as she knew herself and just had a feeling that he'd give her fifteen more minutes just so she'd think her tactic had actually worked. "I think."

"You two are one of the most complicated couples ever but I guess it is a bit of a complicated situation."

"Nellie, I love you and all but you're stating the obvious." Scrubbing furiously at the counter-top, she smiled at the girl sitting at the table. She'd known from the beginning that anything involving her and Jane would be complicated and that was before she'd gotten pregnant.

"I think I'm still loopy on meds."

"I'd say." Playfully tossing the rag she'd been using at Nellie, Lisbon declared the kitchen ready for another day and leaned against sink. "I'm going to check on the baby, oh and uh, Ara too."

Though the joke wasn't really that funny, it sent the teenage girl into a fit of giggles and had Lisbon chuckling just at the reaction alone. There was something heart warming about seeing Nellie looking happy and full of life after seeing the way she'd been when rescued. It might take awhile for all of them to completely heal but working together as a family seemed to be a move in the right direction.

"Okay, woo, yeah I'm way too loopy on pain meds. You go do that and I'm going to go take a nap."

Heading for the hallway, Lisbon let out a sigh and shook her head. She wasn't so sure she'd be able to handle Jane and Nellie living under the same roof. Her legs quit moving when she got to her door and realized exactly what she'd been thinking. Jane didn't live with her and yet she'd just thought of what it would be like if he did. That was moving things a bit fast but she'd admit to liking the idea and that somewhere in the near future it could be possible. Maybe. If things worked out. She'd wait and see after they took their vacation.

He had stayed with her before - several times lasting many days - ever since Ara was born but nobody had ever mentioned him moving in. Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she opened the door and saw that Jane was attempting to crawl back in bed. He'd been up to do something and with a roll of her eyes, she marched over to him and helped by using her body as a stabilizer for him to lean into.

"I told you to stay put."

"I just went to check on Ara - still sleeping by the way - and do you really think I'm going to stay in a bed?"

"I guess it was wishful thinking." Propping a pillow behind his head, she smiled warmly at him and stroked a hand through his hair for good measure.

"Well there is one way to keep me here."

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" The devilish grin and eyebrow waggling made her swat his arm when he tried to tug her down with him.

"You have to stay and make it worth my while." Despite swatting him away, she did climb in with him but had no intentions of giving in to his demands. He had cracked ribs, there was no way she was having sex with the man when it'd only hurt him. He didn't seem to see it that way but she knew from experience that cracked ribs hurt like a bitch and she wasn't about to make it worse just because the pain medication made him handsy.

"I'm not having sex with you." She thought she'd be clear before settling into his good side, and carefully placing her arm over his stomach. The only downside was that he wasn't listening to her and had already shifted around like he planned to prop himself up. She was just about to scold him when something in his eyes changed from playful to serious and the tone of his voice came out sounding low and gravelly.

"I need you, Teresa." She'd thought he'd quit blaming himself for what happened to Nellie; she'd thought that had been why he was in such a playful mood but the look on his face proved something wasn't right and she didn't know what it was.

"I - "

"Shh, just listen for a minute. Nellie told me today that she's always afraid this is a dream and that she'll wake up back in that room - I am too. I always think this isn't real and that no one found us." Closing her eyes, and feeling the touch of his finger tracing her lips, she realized what he was saying. She was an idiot, she hadn't even asked him - she'd just been so concerned over how Nellie would cope that she'd forgotten exactly why Jane was injured and had bruises marring his face. He'd been there too and if it was hell for one person, it was hell for all.

"I'm sorry Patrick..." She wanted to say more. She wanted to do something to make it better but he leaned in and pressed a gentle exploratory kiss to her lips. Everything she'd planned to say vanished when she felt his hand snake along the hem of her shirt.

"I want to know you're real." Something inside of her knew that he'd managed to win the argument.

AN2: Next chapter is the Epilogue(Vacation) and it's going to be up by the 30th because I already finished it so I'll definitely get it up before another month passes. There might be an update for Voluminous in the picture soon - I think Patrick is working on it now. Aaaand, I'm probably going to post the first chapter of my Season 2 spinoff 'Beautiful Nightmare' sometime next week. I just got a load of free time so I'm using it to spend time with my family and write.

For anyone who hasn't read it (because I find myself unable to stop) 'United' by NellietheMarvelous is literally EPIC. I'm so hooked on her stuff right now.