A/N: Three chapters to go after this one.

Side note, I wrote this story before RBG passed away and I got sad re-reading this for the edit. What a tremendous life and legacy.

xxx

Jane and Lisbon were quiet on the way up to their room after the session ended.

"I'm going to get ready for the thing tonight," Lisbon said briskly when they got back to their room. "Can you, um…"

Jane nodded, understanding the request. He went into the bathroom, then came back out and surveyed the main room. "No bugs," he told her.

"Good," Lisbon said, relieved.

"I picked out the perfect dress for you," Jane told her. "It's in the closet."

"No," Lisbon said firmly. "Tonight I'm in charge of my own wardrobe." She glared at him. "And don't steal my clothes this time, or I will make you regret it."

She took a shower, then slipped into the dress she'd bought on a whim on a shopping trip with her sisters-in-law a few years back but had never had the courage to wear. A fitted long sleeve lavender lace dress that left her back partially exposed. She'd bought it because it was a bit more daring than her usual style, but not too daring. She dried her hair and pinned it up, then surveyed her reflection with dissatisfaction. It was a bit messier than she'd intended, but she supposed it was as good as it was going to get. She put on her make up, then went out to look for Jane.

When she went out to the main room, the door to the room was just opening. Jane came in, wearing a tuxedo.

"Wow," Jane said when he caught sight of her, his eyes wide. "You look—wow."

Jane looked pretty wow himself. Lisbon didn't understand how a tuxedo could make him look even more stupidly handsome and dashing than usual. She saw him in a suit every damn day, for God's sake. The black tuxedo wasn't so different from his regular attire, she told herself sternly. There was absolutely no reason the sight of him in one should affect her like this. And the bowtie—bowties were objectively ridiculous items of clothing. How could Jane look so delicious in one?

She ignored the fact that she'd never exactly been immune to the sight of Jane in his regular suits and vests in the first place.

She made a mental note to make an appointment with an optometrist about the special glasses as soon as she got back to Sacramento. A doctor might not understand why she needed to make her vision worse, but surely given enough time, she could convince one that they were medically necessary for her continued health and sanity. Especially if the doctor was a woman.

She needed to get it together. She took a deep breath and focused on the only thing that occurred to her as a viable distraction from Jane's overall appearance. "Where did you just go?" she demanded.

"Go?" Jane repeated blankly.

Lisbon gestured to the door he'd just closed behind him. "You just came back from somewhere. Where did you go?"

"Oh, I went to see Andrea," Jane said, still studying the lavender dress with a level of scrutiny he usually reserved for rotting corpses. "Where did you get that dress?"

"Why did you go see Andrea?" Lisbon asked, puzzled. "Do you suspect her of being involved with Sevechenko?"

"No. I went to buy this," Jane said, pulling out a box from behind his back. He crossed the room and handed it to her. "For you."

Lisbon opened the box with a feeling of trepidation. It held a pair of long pearl drop earrings, exquisitely crafted. "Oh," she said stupidly. "Um. Thanks." Her stomach swooped dangerously. "They're—they're beautiful."

She would not read into this, she told herself furiously. She and Jane had come to a tenuous peace, earlier, hadn't they? They were friends. Good friends. And they were sticking with the status quo.

Even if he did look infuriatingly handsome in a tuxedo and did things like buy her a thoughtful piece of jewelry any woman would have been hard pressed not to get sentimental over. And kiss her in hallways in ways that made her want to throw over all reason for one more taste of him.

She put on the earrings with shaking hands.

"Shall we?" Jane said, extending his arm out to her.

She took a deep breath and took it. "Let's do this."

Xxx

As they left their room, they ran into Lisa in the hallway.

She wore sweatpants and a t-shirt and carried an ice bucket. She whistled when she saw them. "Wow, you two look great."

Jane preened. "Thank you."

"You're not going to the event?" Lisbon asked, gesturing to the bucket.

Lisa shook her head. "Scott and I are staying in tonight." She smiled a little. "Scott's idea."

"Sounds cozy," Jane said. "I hope you have some nice quiet time together."

"Thanks," Lisa said. She slid her key into the card reader for her room and shot them a shy smile. "Have a great time at the party tonight."

They bade her goodnight and headed downstairs.

The hotel had outdone itself for the event in the ballroom. Giant light fixtures of crystal glittered from their positions suspended from the vaulted ceiling. Additional light installations lined the walls, each unique, but all in keeping with the overall sleek modern style of the rest of the décor. The massive space was full of people dressed in expensive formal wear, further ornamenting the space with their finery.

"Teresa!"

Lisbon turned her head and saw Shelly talking to Michaela, Yvonne, and Andrea. Shelly beckoned her and Jane to join them.

"Oh, you both look lovely," Shelly sighed, taking in the sight of them.

"You don't clean up so bad yourself," Lisbon said with a shy smile.

"You all look marvelous," Jane declared. He snagged glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handed one to Lisbon, then raised his glass. "To you, ladies—you are all beautiful jewels." His eyes rested on Lisbon. "I am profoundly grateful for each moment you deign to let me spend basking in your shining light."

"Wow, Patrick," Michaela commented. "You must have had chicks falling all over you in your single days, if you can come up with lines like that at the drop of a hat."

"Tell me about it," Lisbon muttered.

Shelly patted Jane on the shoulder. "Don't listen to them, Patrick. I think it's perfectly chivalrous of you to include the rest of us in your compliments when anybody can see you only have eyes for Teresa."

Jane shrugged, unapologetic. "I meant it."

Deciding Jane had hogged the limelight long enough, Lisbon turned to Shelly. "Shelly, I love your necklace," she said, admiring the intricate woven metal pattern.

"Thank you, dear," Shelly said, beaming. "It's one of Andrea's. Isaac gave it to me as a gift earlier tonight."

"Your earrings are a pair of Andrea's, too, aren't they?" Yvonne asked Lisbon.

Lisbon touched one peal drop earring self-consciously. "Yes. A gift from Patrick."

"Sounds like you had a successful afternoon, Andrea," Michaela teased.

"Who knew coming to a couple's retreat would be so good for business?" Andrea said, grinning.

"Yvonne and I ordered our wedding bands from her earlier," Michaela informed the group.

"The wedding's back on, then?" Jane said.

"Yep," Michaela said, threading her fingers through Yvonne's. "September. You're all invited."

"Congratulations," Lisbon said, smiling. "I'm really happy for you guys."

"Patrick," Tony boomed, appearing at Jane's side and clapping him on the shoulder. "Glad you're here. I need you to come with me and show some of these clowns from that big conference that card trick you were showing me earlier."

Jane looked less than pleased. "Must I?"

"You must," Tony said firmly. "I bet them fifty bucks that you could guess their cards."

Jane sighed. "Very well." He kissed Lisbon on the cheek. "Save me a dance later?"

Lisbon assented and Jane allowed Tony to drag him away.

Lisbon turned back to Shelly once they'd left. "Where's Isaac?"

"Oh, he's around here somewhere," Shelly said, gesturing vaguely.

"You should have seen them earlier," Michaela said to Lisbon. "They were really cutting a rug. I wouldn't have pegged Isaac as the dancing type. But he was a regular Fred Astaire."

Lisbon raised her eyebrows. "I hope I get to see him in action at some point."

"We were just trying to keep up with Tony and Andrea," Shelly protested. "They were putting us through our paces."

Andrea flushed with pleasure. "I'm surprised we didn't have rust flaking off our shoes, it's been so long. But it was nice to be out there, I must admit."

"Speaking of which," Michaela said. "Yvonne and I are going to hit the dance floor. See you all out there later?"

"Count on it," Andrea said.

Michaela and Yvonne made their way to the dance floor, leaving Andrea, Shelly, and Lisbon standing with their drinks.

"Speaking of jewelry," Shelly said. "I wanted to compliment you on your engagement ring, Teresa. It's such a beautiful setting."

Lisbon blinked. "Oh. Thank you." She resisted the urge to curl her fingers into a fist, in case one of them noticed that it was a fake.

"That must have set Patrick back a pretty penny," Andrea commented. "One and a half carats, and a level of clarity I don't see too often. That ring must be worth at least $50,000."

Lisbon stared at her. "What?"

Andrea laughed at the expression on her face. "Didn't you know?"

"I…I never asked," Lisbon said, frowning down at the ring. What on earth had possessed Jane to buy something like this for the purpose of an undercover job that was supposed to last one weekend? When had he even had time?

It was okay, she comforted herself. It didn't mean anything. Jane didn't have a normal relationship with money, and he was perfectly capable of spending an absurd amount in a short period of time if he felt it would help him sell a con. She flashed on that kiss in the hallway and swallowed. It… it didn't mean anything.

Lisbon cleared her throat and hastily changed the subject. "So, tell us about your process, Andrea. I'd love to hear about how you come up with all your beautiful designs."

Andrea's face lit up, and she happily obliged.

Xxx

Jane returned a few minutes later. "Hey." He slipped his hand into Lisbon's. "Want to dance?"

"Sure," Lisbon agreed. She looked back at Shelly and Andrea, who both smirked at her. "Uh…we'll see you in a bit."

Jane whisked her off to the dance floor, and Lisbon released a sigh of relief. She liked Shelly and Andrea, but she hated lying all the time. She was glad to be herself again. "Have you seen Sevechenko yet?" she asked, falling into step with him.

"No sign of him," Jane said. "That's why I thought we'd better dance."

Lisbon cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh, really?"

"What better place from which to conduct surveillance?" Jane said, spinning her.

She let him spin her, then settled back in with her hand on his shoulder and her other hand in his. "Good thinking."

She tucked her head into the curve of Jane's neck and tried not to think about the feeling of his hand at the small of her back. It was a good thing the cutout in the back was higher up, or she'd really be going crazy. The thought of his hand on her bare back caused her whole body to flush as she imagined—

She cut herself off from the thought and forced herself to scan the crowd, looking for Sevechenko.

"So where did you get this dress?" Jane asked abruptly.

"Huh?" Lisbon said, startled by the question. "I dunno. A clothes store."

"A boutique," he guessed.

"I s'pose," Lisbon said, not understanding why it mattered.

"Well, it wasn't a department store, right?"

"A department store?"

"Yes," Jane said with a touch of impatience. "It wasn't one of those big places like Macy's or Nordstrom's, was it?"

"I guess not."

"So where'd you get it?"

"I don't remember," Lisbon said. "In Chicago somewhere. My sisters-in-law made me go shopping with them. What does it matter?"

"No matter," Jane said, pulling her closer. "Just wondering."

They danced another minute. Lisbon tried desperately to stay focused on searching the crowd for Sevechenko and stop thinking about the heat of Jane's hand through the thin fabric of her dress. Damn hallways, she thought furiously. She was never going into another one again if she could help it. Especially if Jane was in said hallway. She'd move from room to room on window ledges if she had to.

"So is this your go to date piece?" Jane asked suddenly.

Lisbon blew out a frustrated breath. "Are you still talking about the dress?"

"Yeah. Is this your default first date dress?"

"It's kind of fancy for a first date," Lisbon said. "Not the sort of thing you'd wear to a sports bar or whatever."

Jane made a dissatisfied noise. "So it's for special occasions, then."

"I guess," Lisbon said, starting to feel annoyed.

"When was the last special occasion you had?" he pressed.

"I don't know. That fundraiser last year, probably. The one where Rigsby accidentally hit on the governor's wife."

Jane frowned. "But you wore a blue dress to that event."

"So?"

"I meant, who did you last wear this dress for?" Jane said, agitated.

Lisbon went very still. "Who?"

Jane seemed to realize what he'd said. He backtracked. "I meant—when was the last time you wore this dress?"

"This is the first time I've ever worn it," Lisbon admitted.

Jane relaxed against her. "Oh. Well—good."

He was driving her crazy. "Good?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "You made an excellent choice. It really suits you."

Lisbon scowled. How dare he act all ridiculous and jealous over nothing when he'd told her earlier that very day that he had every intention of carrying out his plan of revenge against Red John? The plan that meant that he'd inevitably leave her behind. "Thanks."

"Now you're mad at me," Jane observed.

"I thought you were going to get your head on straight again," Lisbon said. "Remember the important things in life, like revenge, and Red John."

Jane sighed. "I've been trying. It's not as easy as it sounds in theory—" he tensed, his fingers tightening on her back. "There he is," he said, his voice low in her ear. "Sevechenko. Behind you." He spun her around so she could see.

Lisbon spotted him near the ballroom entrance, talking to a tall man with a long, narrow face and a bored expression. She froze. "Oh, crap."

"What?" Jane maneuvered them around so he could see what she was looking at. "What is it?"

"That's Paul Magliano," she told him. "He's a leader of one of the major east coast crime syndicates."

"So the fact that he's talking to Sevechenko…" Jane said slowly.

"Means this is bigger than we thought," Lisbon finished.

Another couple bumped into them on the crowded dance floor, jostling Jane. He stepped forward and pulled her closer, half turning to shield her from the encroaching elbow of the burly man who had bumped into them.

Somehow in the course of executing the half turn, Jane's hand landed on the exposed portion of her back, right below her shoulder blades.

Both startled by the unexpected contact, their eyes locked and held in a moment of searing heat that made them both falter and come to a standstill in the middle of the dance floor.

"Teresa." Jane's voice was ragged, his eyes on her mouth.

In that moment, Lisbon didn't care about anything except the sound of her name on his lips. God, she'd give anything to hear him say her name like that again, even once. She didn't care about revenge, about Red John, about Sevechenko. She just wanted him.

Then Jane slid his hand back down to the lace at her waist, and Lisbon recovered her senses.

She tore her gaze away with difficulty. Then looked back towards the ballroom entrance and swore. "Sevechenko's gone."

Jane sighed. "I suppose we ought to try to find out where he's gone." He sounded like there was nothing he wanted to do less.

"You suppose right," Lisbon said. She extricated herself from his grasp, seized his hand, and dragged him towards the exit.

They hurried after Sevechenko, only to stop dead when they saw Rutherford, the hotel manager, stop him just outside the ballroom.

"Uh," Jane said, glancing at Lisbon. "Sorry about this." He pressed her up against the wall just inside the exit, and ran his fingers through her hair, much the way he'd done when Sevechenko had caught them in a compromising position the previous evening.

"S'okay," Lisbon said, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck. "Can you hear what they're saying?"

"No." Jane pressed closer, craning his neck. "Rutherford is asking him something. He looks upset."

Lisbon idly enjoyed the press of Jane's body against hers, remembering the sight of him in the t-shirt…and the towel. "Just like at the pool today. That's suspicious, right? Why would the manager be so keen to talk to him twice in one day if he's not involved in the operation?"

"Don't know," Jane admitted. "Sevechenko is blowing him off again, just like this afternoon. He's walking away. Rutherford does not look happy."

"Got it," Lisbon said, taking Jane by the hand again and leading him out to the hallway to continue their pursuit. Sevechenko didn't notice them following him, but they hadn't made it halfway up the hallway when Isaac appeared out of nowhere, planting himself directly in Sevechenko's path.

Lisbon blinked, her heart sinking. Isaac? No, it couldn't be Isaac. Okay, so she'd suspected him at the beginning, but he had the heart of a brooding poet! And he was Shelly's husband. Shelly was so good and kind. Surely she couldn't be married to someone who would be involved in such a horrible enterprise.

Jane tugged her hand. "In here," he urged her, gesturing to a doorway to his right.

The sign over the door read 'Coat Check.' Lisbon followed Jane inside.

They stopped just inside the door.

Jane cleared his throat. "I hope you don't think I brought you in here to, ah—"

"What?" Lisbon said, confused.

He gestured to the racks of coats surrounding them. "Well, it is kind of a cliché—"

"Oh," Lisbon said, flushing. "No, you were right. We can't risk being seen."

"Of course, now that we're in here," Jane said reasonably. "We could always explore what clichés are made of…"

"Patrick? Teresa?"

Lisbon jumped. She jerked her head around in time to see Tony and Andrea poking their heads out from behind a coat rack in the back of the room, both looking sheepish and decidedly disheveled.

Tony grinned at Jane. "Great minds think alike, huh?"

"Tony!" Andrea swatted him on the arm. But she was blushing and smiling so much that the gesture lacked any real force.

"I'm glad you guys worked out your sailing problems," Tony said to Jane and Lisbon earnestly. "But, ah, we were here first. You guys should find your own coat check room."

"Of course," Lisbon said, beet red. She grabbed Jane's hand and hauled him back out into the hall. "Uh, have a good night."

"I'd say they're already having a pretty good night, from the sound of it," Jane muttered into her ear.

"I think there's a janitor's closet around the corner," Tony called after them helpfully, then returned his attention to ravishing his wife.

Lisbon turned an even deeper shade of red and shut the coat check door behind them. She looked around, but Sevechenko had disappeared again. There was no sign of Isaac, either. She exhaled through her nose. "Dammit."

"This way," Jane said, pulling her by the hand in the direction of the spot where they'd seen Sevechenko and Isaac a moment before.

They'd only made it around the next corner when they spotted Sevechenko again—he hadn't gone far. But this time, he was talking to the last person Lisbon would have expected.

"Michaela," Lisbon breathed, her heart sinking into her stomach at the sight of the petite dark-haired woman gesticulating angrily at Sevechenko, who only looked amused.

Jane peered around the corner to get a look at the pair arguing. "What is Michaela's job again?"

"Professor of Eastern European history," Lisbon said gloomily. "She could have met Sevechenko abroad while doing research, I suppose."

"But she was wearing an RBG button," Jane protested. "How could she be involved in sex trafficking?"

"I don't know," Lisbon said. "I guess that's what we have to find out."

"This makes no sense," Jane insisted. "I definitely didn't get a human trafficking vibe from her."

"Even your vibes get it wrong sometimes, Jane," Lisbon said, defeated. "We have to follow the evidence. And the evidence at the moment tells us that Michaela has some connection to Sevechenko."

"Hang on," Jane said, peering around the corner again. "She's leaving."

Lisbon tensed. "Is she coming back this way?"

"No, she just went through a door off the hallway," Jane said. "I think it leads back to the ballroom."

Lisbon looked around the corner again. Sevechenko was heading for the elevator at the other end of the hall. "Where's Sevechenko going?"

"I don't know," Jane said. "Should we split up? One of us follow Sevechenko, and the other follow Michaela?"

Lisbon bit her lip. "No," she decided. "It would be too suspicious if only one of us was hanging out at the party without the other. Let's stick with Sevechenko."

"Okay," Jane said. He gestured for her to precede him. "After you."

They followed Sevechenko to the fourteenth floor, where he disappeared into a room at the end of the hall.

They staked out the room for several hours from the other end of the hall, but he did not reappear.

At midnight, Lisbon announced, "I'm calling it. He's in for the night."

"And your feet hurt," Jane commented.

"Yes. Remind me not to conduct stakeouts in high heels from now on," Lisbon said, wincing. "Especially if I have to stand the whole time."

Jane offered her his arm.

Lisbon hesitated, then took it. "Thanks."