Chapter 35 – New Lives

2 Months Later

After finishing the seminar Jane smiled to himself. It had gone well as had the four others he had done that month. He was in Virginia and the FBI cadets had seemed in awe of him. It was a nice feeling he had to admit. He still loved being in front of an audience. He was about to walk out of the lecture hall when he noticed Abbott at the back of the room. He grinned upon seeing him and walked towards him.

'Abbott, how the heck are you?' he said, a memory of him saying the exact same thing to him when he came to offer him the job with the FBI.

This time Abbott grinned and shook his hand. 'Well, I heard so much about these seminars I thought I'd come and see the great Patrick Jane perform myself when I realised you were going to be here the same time as myself.'

'If I'd known you were here I'd have had you up on stage with me.'

'Why do you think I hung around the back?'

Jane chuckled. 'Wise choice. So, what brings you here?'

'Oh, just interviewing some cadets, I'm getting a bigger team back in Austin in a few months.'

'Congratulations, glad you didn't crumble without me and Lisbon there to solve cases for you.'

Abbott smiled at him. 'How are you both?'

Jane nodded. 'Good, Great. You got time for a catch up?'

They settled in a break area as Jane sipped his tea and Abbott his espresso.

'So how'd you talk her round?' Abbott asked.

Jane raised his eyebrows. 'What makes you think I talked her around? Maybe it was the other way around. I'm pretty irresistible, you know.'

'Yeah, right.'

Jane smiled, his thoughts turning to her. He couldn't wait to get back to her that evening.

Abbott caught the expression and smiled again. 'Did you hear about Cho?'

Jane nodded. 'Yeah, we got the invitation last week. He didn't hang around before proposing, did he?' Jane made a mental note to find the most extravagant wedding gift he could to present to the woman who saved Lisbon's life, not to mention the man who had talked him around on a few occasions himself.

'Well, we don't all wait over a decade to tell someone they love them and then decide to screw it up again even after that.'

Jane shrugged. 'Well, you may as well make sure what you're getting yourself into instead of diving into something too quickly' he joked.

'So, are you going to take Cho's lead? When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?'

'You always said she was an honest woman anyway, it was me who had trouble telling you the truth.'

They bantered for another while until Jane left to get his flight back to Sacramento.

He sat on the airplane and thought about the last two months. They had been a whirlwind of sorts. After opening up to each other that night on the boat they had been both become more honest and shared more memories of their childhood and teenage years. Telling him about the night her father killed himself proved cathartic to Lisbon and he was glad he could help her with the guilt she still felt. If anyone could empathise with that feeling he could. They had eased back into the relationship with Lisbon coming down to spend weekends with him whenever work didn't get in the way and him staying with her in Sacramento a few nights a week. She invariably arrived with some case files for him to look over that they discussed for an hour or so and then enjoyed the rest of their time away from work. They had gone to ballgames and museums together and both seemed much more relaxed this time around. She worked too much as usual but seemed to flourish being in charge of a team again. She exuded the same confidence she had when he first met her and could see how much she enjoyed being the boss again. He went into the office occasionally to help look over current cases (and to tease and embarrass her in front of her team in the process naturally) when she was too busy to come see him.

Steph had graduated with flying colours and was looking around for jobs in small firms. She had plenty of offers to choose from. With the extra money he had deposited in her account that she had given him back after two weeks of arguing about it he had organised a trip for her and her mother to Europe. He told her he did it 'To get you out of my hair for a few weeks.' His plan hadn't entirely worked and she rang him almost every day to update him on every aspect of their trip. He knew she did that partly just to get back at him for his interference but knew she missed him too as he did her. Lisbon and she had struck up a friendship thankfully, despite their awkward introduction, the two of them often ganging up on him on many a topic just to tease him. He thought about Abbott's words. He had that damn ring for close to a year now and still hadn't asked her. Maybe he would just bite the bullet and do it soon.

Lisbon closed the case file and moved her neck from side to side. She glanced out of her office window at her new team. It was still strange seeing them out there. She still expected Cho and Rigsby to walk into her office some of the time. She was trying hard to separate work and her personal life and it was still a struggle for her some of the time but Jane didn't push her and allowed her to set the pace of how fast things moved on between them. For a control freak like him she knew it must be difficult. She smiled at the thought of him coming back later and wondered what he would make her for dinner. She felt the waistband of her jeans digging into her. He really had to stop feeding her pasta. She would tell him later it was to be salads from now on for a little while. One of her agent's wives had popped in with their newborn baby and she heard a wail coming from outside. She looked down at her waistband again. She couldn't be, she told herself for the tenth time in two weeks. He was just feeding her too well. And besides, he would know if she was pregnant before she did and he hadn't treated her any differently. He could spot a pregnant woman a mile off, never mind someone whose body he had intimate knowledge of. She hadn't had a period for a little over two months but she was told the new birth control method she was put on when she came to California may make her periods a little irregular to start with. Besides, she was approaching middle age, it was more than likely early menopause than pregnancy. And, unlike every other aspect of her life, he had never enquired about her monthly cycle, maybe he thought she was past it already. She hadn't had any morning sickness and felt better than she had in years. The headache began to creep in and she rubbed her temples. She opened her drawer to find the four pregnancy kits she had bought two weeks ago. She and Jane were just turning the corner again. If she was pregnant, how would he react? How would she?

She smelt the aroma of Jane's beef stroganoff coming from the kitchen as soon as she came home. She was starving and began to salivate. She shook her head. She was going to have to add another few miles to her run the next morning. Or work it off with Jane's help later. She smiled at the thought as she saw his lips curl into a smile as he stood over the cooker, obviously aware she was home. He always did this now for some reason and waited for her to put her arms around his waist instead of turning around to her first. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his back.

'Hey. How was the seminar?' she murmured.

'Good', he replied, taking one of her hands and kissing its fingertips as usual.

He really was a creature of habit in so many ways she mused.

He turned around and pushed her hair from her face, smiling at her like he hadn't seen her in weeks. He leaned in and kissed her gently at first then gave her a quizzical look before he ran his tongue around her lips slowly tasting them.

'Mmm, is that blueberry lip balm? He asked, as he slid his tongue into her mouth gently as it parted and she pulled him towards her with her hands in his hair. As he broke away to kiss her neck she replied, 'Well, I know you like blueberry muffins so thought you'd appreciate the taste.'

'Mmm, I think I like the taste of your lips more', moving back to her lips and pulling her towards him with his hands now around her waist.

'Only think?' she giggled and broke away from him fully, kissing him once again quickly as he smiled back at her. He let go of her waist and turned back to his cooking.

'How was work? Did Theo Hartwell confess yet?'

'Yes, just finished processing him this afternoon. It was a good hunch of yours to check the timings again of the murder.'

He looked back at her and raised his eyebrows. 'Good. Guess that means I'm due payment tonight for my help.'

She laughed again. 'You might even get a little interest on top. I'm off to the shower, how long?'

'About half hour or so, take your time.'

She went into the bathroom with one of the pregnancy kits shoved into one of her boots. It was time she knew for sure. She undressed quickly and turned on the shower. Hopefully Jane was too engrossed in his cooking to decide to join her as he did sometimes. After relieving herself she wiped the stick clean and looked at it. Guess she was going to find out one way or the other. She looked at the door, there was no point locking it, it would only arouse suspicion and there was no point telling him until she was sure. She covered the stick with a facecloth as she waited for the result to show and went into the shower. She came out and looked at the facecloth just as the door opened.

He grinned from ear to ear seeing her naked form. 'Aw, you were quick. I told you to take your time. I thought I might get a little advance on what you owe me.'

He had obviously decided to join her but she'd got out before he made it.

He came up towards her and grabbed the towel from her, drying her off with it slowly as their eyes never left each other.

After a few moments feeling the heat within her rise as he stroked the towel over her wet body she raised her eyebrows. 'You know I've been able to dry myself for years, Patrick. And, I'm pretty sure my breasts and ass are plenty dry by now.'

His grinned again, handing her back the towel. 'Just making sure, wouldn't want you to catch cold.'

He walked back out and she exhaled, thankfully he had been too aroused to take much notice of anything else in the bathroom except her.

She walked over to the facecloth and lifted it.

Lisbon came out of the bathroom dressed in her football jersey and her hair scraped back in a ponytail.

Jane smiled at her and dished out dinner. She looked at it and then at him without a word. He poured her a glass of wine and began eating. After a mouthful he looked at her. 'You okay? You normally inhale the first glass of wine after a busy day?'

She nodded and began eating her food, looking at the wine in question. After a forkful she stopped eating and stared at him again.

He looked up at her, his face crinkled in curiosity. 'What is it? I thought you liked my stroganoff.'

'I do. It's just...it's just...'

Jane rolled his eyes and motioned with his hand for her to get on with it. 'It's just...what Teresa? If you don't like it just tell me.'

'It's not the stroganoff. You don't know? Really?'

He smiled and took a sip of his own wine. 'I'm sure there's plenty I don't know. What, in particular, are you talking about that I'm unaware of?'

She gulped and then reached for her glass, stopping herself from taking a sip and put it back down. Jane watched her, his face still rife with confusion.

She shook her head. 'You're slipping. You really don't know, do you?'

He rolled his eyes again, getting frustrated with her now. 'Slipping? What on earth are you babbling about, woman?' he laughed.

She got up from the table and went back to the bathroom. Jane shook his head and began eating again. She came back a moment later with something in her hand.

'What's that? 'He asked, his mouth full of food.

Without a word she put the stick on the table beside him. He glanced at it and almost choked on his food, taking a sip of wine to compensate as he read the word 'Pregnant' on it.

His eyes darted to her and then the stick then back to her again. 'You're pregnant?' he said softly. 'But...but how?'

She rolled her eyes and sat back down. She was glad she wasn't the only one in shock. 'How do you think?'

'But...but you get those injections every few months, right? How did this happen?'

She was glad to hear no anger in his tone, just inquisitiveness.

Somehow her appetite had returned and she began eating again. 'Guess they didn't work right.'

'But what about your periods, haven't you been getting them? I presumed you must have had them when we spent days apart.'

She shrugged.

Jane's eyes widened. 'How long have you not had any?'

She bit her lip. 'A couple of months.'

'A couple of months? Since we've been together then? So you might be two months pregnant!'

'Well it'd be unlikely for me to be pregnant before then, wouldn't it!'

An evil part of her was enjoying seeing Patrick Jane out of his depth and not so cocky for a change as worried as she was herself.

He sat back, utterly dumbfounded and shook his head.

'So, what do you think?' she enquired after a moment.

'I...I don't know. How do you feel?'

'In shock I guess.'

He nodded. 'How long have you known?'

'I just took the test tonight.'

'But you've known for two months you could have been. Why did you wait so long?'

'I didn't know for two months, I've only really been worried the last couple of weeks.'

'You still waited two weeks to take a test, why?'

She shrugged.

He looked at her, so obvious to him now that she was pregnant. She was right, maybe he was slipping. How had he not noticed? He knew she had put on a little bit of weight but he put it down to his cooking. And as much as he liked to tease her he was not about to mention that to her. Besides, he liked her with a few more curves. And Angela had been sick as a dog in the early days, Teresa was looking better than ever, glowing even. He saw a line of worry cross her face as she continued to eat with her head down.

'You thought I'd be mad? Or run away? Was that why you waited?' he asked.

She put down her knife and fork and rolled her eyes. 'Jeez, Jane, it's not all about you all the time, you know. Sure I was worried about those things but I'm more worried about me to be honest. I haven't prepared myself for having a child. I don't know what I think about it.'

He nodded and came over and knelt beside her, taking her hand. 'Okay, what was your first reaction when you saw the result? Your gut instinct. Don't think about what I might feel about it, just the first thing that came to mind.'

She looked down at him and moved her thumb over his, thinking for a moment. 'Happy' she said softly. 'I felt happy that I was.'

Jane smiled back at her and his heart pumped in his chest. He didn't think she would ever want to get rid of a baby and not just because of her religious beliefs but that was a different matter to actually wanting one.

She smiled back at him, touching his face. 'You're okay with this, really?' she asked.

He nodded, a crack in his voice, 'I am. But I'm worried too. I mean...I mean you're not exactly...well I mean if we got together ten years ago and this happened then I'd be doing cartwheels but-'

'I'm old. You can say it, Jane.'

He shrugged. 'You're not old but there's a reason why most women have babies younger in life. I'm worried about your health, Teresa. Please don't take that as me saying I don't want this baby but I...I don't want you to have it if it puts your life at risk.'

She nodded. 'I know and I'm afraid of that too. I'll make an appointment with the doctor tomorrow and then we'll find out more, okay? Until we know everything's all right let's not get carried away with the idea just yet.'

He nodded, forever the pragmatist he thought, looking deep into her eyes. He bit his lip and moved one knee up from the floor. 'Marry me' he whispered, his hand still in hers.

She looked down at him in utter shock, only then realising he was crouched on one knee.

'What did you say?'

He cleared his throat. 'Marry me, Teresa Lisbon.'

She looked down at him. Love, sincerity and hope all spread across his face. 'Jane. What did I just say about getting carried away? Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean you have to marry me. We don't live in the dark ages.'

He blinked a few times. 'You think I'm asking you just because you're pregnant?'

'How could I not think that?'

He sighed and got off his knee, going over to his bag and fetching the ring. He carried it with him wherever he went hoping one day he would see the trust for him in her eyes again. He hadn't quite seen it yet but she was happy to have his baby, surely that counted for something.

He stood in front of her with the box held out.

Her eyes darted from him to the box. 'How long have you had this?'

He smiled, putting the box down on the table and taking a seat opposite her again. Before he spoke she had pieced it together in her head.

'This is the same type of box my emerald earrings came in. You gave them to me on our first weekend away together at the Blue Bird. You switched boxes, didn't you?'

He nodded. 'I could see you weren't ready. I didn't want to do a Pike and rush you into it so I waited. Of course, I didn't expect to be waiting this long but I can hardly blame you for that.'

'Jane-'

'It's okay, Teresa. You can say no. I can see you're still not ready.'

'It's just that we've just found out I'm pregnant and now a proposal. It's too much all at once. I can't think straight about one never mind the other. I'm not saying 'no'. I'm just saying 'not yet', okay?'

He smiled, masking his disappointment. 'Okay. I would rather you tell me the truth than just accept when you're still unsure.'

She smiled over at him. 'I really want to see the ring you got me.'

He grinned back, clutching it from the table and put it back in his bag.

'Jane!'

'Nope. Not until you say yes.'

'Are you trying to blackmail me now into accepting?'

He threw her a wicked grin. 'Let me make you an offer. I'll ask you once a week, when you're ready and you say yes then you can have it.'

She pouted. 'Fair enough, as long as you don't propose by bringing a barber shop quartet into work to embarrass me.'

He tapped his fingers to his lips. 'Now, you really have got me thinking, Lisbon. I'm going to enjoy this I think.'

They lay together that night, Jane's hand running over her stomach.

'It's about the size of a pea, if that' she murmured.

'I know but it's still...it's still a miracle' he whispered, his voice cracking again.

She smiled and stroked his hair. 'You know I never really imagined having a baby, at least not when I was younger. I was too focused on my career. I still can't imagine it.'

'You began to think about it when you were with Pike though, didn't you?'

She bit her lip. 'I guess it was in my mind more then, you know as I got older. Maybe that was part of the reason I rushed into things with him so quickly. But I still didn't know if I really wanted one.'

'It wasn't that. You just didn't want one with him.'

She raised her eyebrows. 'There's nothing wrong with your ego, is there?'

He shrugged. 'Are you telling me differently?'

She shook her head and began stroking his hair again. 'There'd be no point, would there?'

A devilish grin came over his face. 'My birthday.'

'What?'

'I bet that's when it happened. You were going at me pretty hard on that table.'

She blushed and laughed. 'It doesn't work like that you know. Besides we still don't know how far gone I am.'

He looked at her objectively now as if reading a stranger. 'Two months, definitely.'

'Thanks Doctor Jane. I think I'll wait for the official verdict thanks.'

A/N: I know there are a lot of good fanfics out there at the moment covering Lisbon's pregnancy but this was my plan all along on coming up with an ending to the story so hope you don't mind another one. I wanted to find a final (nice) way of challenging them both to show their growth.

Last chapter up next and another time jump!