A/N: Merry Christmas, Mentalist friends! Feeling grateful to be part of this virtual community when so many of us can't be with friends and family in person this year. Here's wishing everyone a happier new year!

xxx

Lisbon was anxious to get to work wrapping up the case, but Jane insisted they have breakfast together first. Most of the rest of their group had made it down to the dining room by that point, and Jane invited all the members of their couples therapy group to join them, explaining all about their undercover assignment to take down Sevechenko's operation in great detail. Everyone exclaimed over the development, exited to hear about a real live police operation that had played out right under their noses. Lisbon said little, but the food was good and she was relieved not to have to lie to anyone anymore.

After breakfast, she and Jane ran into Philip and Dr. Geissinger in the hall, walking towards the dining hall, holding hands and smiling foolishly at one another. Dr. Geissinger flushed and let go of Philip's hand when she saw them, drawing herself into an upright, professional posture. "Patrick, Teresa," she greeted them warmly. "Are you all ready for this morning's session?"

"I'm afraid we won't be able to join the session this morning," Lisbon said apologetically.

"Yes, the jig is up," Jane said. "I'm afraid we deceived you, Dr. G."

Dr. Geissinger tilted her head in consternation. "What do you mean?"

"We work for the California Bureau of Investigation," Lisbon told her. "We're here on an undercover assignment, and we just made a major arrest."

"Really?" Dr. Geissinger said, astonished.

"Truly," Jane said. "She's senior agent in charge Teresa Lisbon. I'm Patrick Jane, her consultant. We came to the hotel undercover to bust up a human trafficking operation."

"Cool," Philip said, impressed.

"Oh," Dr. Geissinger said, taken aback. She looked back and forth between them. "Then you two aren't a couple?"

"Well, that's a complicated question," Jane began.

"No," Lisbon said firmly. "Just friends and colleagues."

Jane scowled.

Dr. Geissinger looked uncertain, but didn't press the point. "Well, if you have time before you leave, I hope you'll stop by and say good-bye to everyone. I know the group would like to see you both again before you leave."

"We'll do our best," Lisbon said. "We have a lot of loose ends to tie up this morning, I'm afraid."

Dr. Geissinger and Philip wished them luck and left them.

Lisbon spent most of the rest of the morning dealing with the logistics of closing out the investigation, working to identify members of Sevechenko's ring at the hotel and coordinating the attendant interviews and arrests.

Predictably, Jane disappeared midway through this effort. Lisbon frankly would have been surprised if he hadn't. He never did have patience for routine logistics like this.

When she finished, she found him on the garden terrace with the group, chatting.

Everyone greeted her warmly and offered their congratulations for successfully shutting down the trafficking ring. She was glad to have a chance to say a proper good-bye. She promised Michaela and Shelly she would stay in touch, and exchanged well wishes with everyone else.

As the group began to disperse, she looked at Jane. "Ready to go?"

"Yes. I checked us out already and put our bags in the car."

"Great."

They headed to the car, a silence that was both comfortable and strange between them. She had no desire to talk, and Jane didn't press her. The companionable sharing of silence was a familiar comfort, but it seemed somehow deeper now. She felt a keener awareness not only of Jane himself but of the space between them, as though the air itself had changed its weight and texture where it hung suspended between the two of them.

They got into the car, Lisbon getting behind the wheel and Jane sliding into the passenger seat.

"Oh," Lisbon said, remembering. "I guess I'd better give this back to you." She pulled off the diamond ring and handed it to him.

He looked down at it, resting in his palm, his face blank. "Right," he said wearily. He tucked the ring in his vest pocket.

"Andrea told me it was real," Lisbon blurted out. "Why did you get such an expensive ring for an undercover op?"

"Oh, well—just wanted to do the thing properly, I suppose," Jane said evasively.

Lisbon suppressed a sigh. "Okay." She put the keys in the ignition, resigned.

Before she had a chance to start the car, Jane cleared his throat. "I, uh, I have something for you."

"What is it?" Lisbon asked, wary.

He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. He took a deep breath and handed it to her.

She looked down at the folded paper, then looked up at him questioningly.

"Unfold it," he said.

Lisbon did so with no small amount of trepidation.

It was a piece of hotel stationary. On it, someone, presumably Jane, had drawn a squiggly line down the center in black ballpoint pen and marked a large black X at one end of the line.

Lisbon frowned. "I don't understand. What is this?"

"It's, ah, a navigation plan."

Lisbon froze. "Really?" she said, straining to keep her voice neutral. She looked back down at the squiggly line. "I don't see a lot of, um, landmarks."

"Well, you know. Still got a few details to work out," Jane said. He cleared his throat. "I'm hoping you can help me out with that."

Lisbon's heart lifted so rapidly it left her dizzy. Abruptly, she leaned across the center console and gave Jane an impulsive kiss. When she pulled back, she said, a little breathless, "I can do that."

Jane looked pleased and relieved. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"In that case," Jane said hesitantly. "I do have some idea of what the first landmark might be."

"What's that?"

Jane slowly pulled his wedding ring off his finger and extended it towards her. "I thought," he said, his voice shaking. "That you might keep this safe for me."

Lisbon stared down at the ring in his extended hand. "Jane," she breathed.

"Please?"

She took it from him, its golden warmth heavy in her palm. "I'll keep it for you," she whispered. She slowly unclasped the cross necklace and slid the ring onto the chain. She clasped it closed again. The ring nestled between her breasts, the warm heaviness now resting against her heart.

"Wonderful," Jane said, sounding more like his usual self. He patted the vest pocket where he'd stowed the diamond ring. "And I'll keep this one for you."

Lisbon's eyes went wide and round. "Wh-wh—are you serious?"

"Too soon?" he asked.

"Way too soon," Lisbon agreed quickly. She started the car and backed out of the parking space, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Okay," Jane said, waiting until she was on the road to reach over and take her hand. "One landmark at a time."

Lisbon let out a breath and threaded her fingers through his. "Sounds like a good plan to me."

They drove back to Sacramento with their fingers interlaced, a new kind of quiet between them. The air had changed shape again.

This time, the current between them hummed with the pleasant weight of hope and happiness.