A/N: Inspired by an Incorrect Jisbon ( incorrectjisbon) tweet on May 9, 2021. With some inspiration (and a well placed suggestion), I decided why not write this one shot...instead of focusing on and editing my ongoing multi-chapter fic haha. I hope you enjoy!
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Young Patrick Jane was no stranger to wild nights that led to waking up in unknown locations for reasons lost to the fabric of time. Though, he was no longer Young Patrick Jane. Nor had he had one of those nights in quite a long time, so he was unsure of why his mouth felt so dry and why it felt like something was trying to beat its way outside of his skull.
He didn't remember exactly where he spent the night, but he was sure he would remember once he opened his eyes—if he could get them open. He was content with lying here for a bit longer. After all, it seemed like he was in a safe place, until something heavy landed on his belly knocking all of the air from his chest and forcing his eyes to shoot right open regardless of his state.
"Daddy, are you going to wake up for breakfast?"
"I guess I'm up now, Princess!"
The little girl with her mother's dark hair and freckles and his blue eyes and smile flashed a grin at him. Looking around, he remembered that they were visiting Rigsby and Van Pelt in San Francisco.
"Good! Uncle Wayne said we're having pancakes!"
He groaned. Food sounded good, but did it have to be pancakes? He closed his eyes again, but his four year old daughter wasn't having it as she started tapping his chest and bouncing on his belly.
"Wake up, daddy! Wake up!"
"Payton!" Thank whoever was listening. Reinforcements were here. "Why don't you go play and let daddy get up?"
"Ok, mommy!" And with that, she was gone.
"Thank you," he grumbled.
"I brought you some aspirin and water. Why don't you sit up and take it?"
"That would require me to open my eyes again, and I don't think so."
"Jane…" That was the warning tone.
"Fine. You don't have to be so aggressive to your poor, sick husband."
She cackled. "My poor, sick husband did this to himself. I told you to be careful with that whiskey, didn't I?"
He vaguely remembered something along those lines, but last night was mostly a blur. He opened his eyes and sat upright. Nessa, their 6 month old baby girl, reached out to him from her mother's arms.
As soon as he popped the aspirin and chased it with the entire glass of water, he reached out for her. She grinned at him widely as she cooed. She looked a lot like her older sister, but he could tell she would have her mother's smile. She would be an absolute beauty. Both of his girls would be. Just like their mother: beautiful and strong and brave. Though Lisbon joked that because of how much he spoiled them, as far as the girls were concerned, she was just there for the nursing.
"Come on. Breakfast will be ready soon." She leaned in and kissed his cheek before wrinkling her nose. "Maybe you should let me take Nessa while you go up, take a quick shower, and brush your teeth."
He nodded as he handed their daughter back to her. Though, that made him curious. Why did he sleep down here last night? Their guest bedroom was upstairs. He started trying to recall the memories that just wouldn't come. Did they have a fight? Did he do something to Lisbon he should be apologizing for? Maybe he should get her some flowers just to be on the safe side.
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All through breakfast, he got the sense that the others around him knew something he didn't. As always, Grace was extraordinarily polite, even asking if he was ok. Rigsby seemed like he was doing his best to hold back laughter.
After a morning of swimming and lunch, the little ones were all tuckered out—and so was he—so they were all lying low while the kids napped.
"Ok, I have to ask. Why are you all acting so strange?"
Rigsby was practically bursting at the seams to tell him as Grace shook her head. His wife looked slightly embarrassed but amused. Years of working together before beginning their relationship made him used to that. He could work with it. It was better than rage.
"Would you like the Cliffnotes or the long version?"
He shrugged. "Just tell me."
She gestured toward Rigsby. "Why don't you show him?"
Rigsby gleefully pulled out his phone. "Here, I'll cast it to the tv."
There he was on the screen. He had a glass of his new sworn enemy in his hand.
"Hey Rigsby! Are you recording this? I want it on camera for the future. Gotta make memories!"
"Yeah, Jane, I got it! I'm your wingman! So tell us what we're doing here."
"What? Why?"
"For the memories!"
"Ok, so I'm going to ask Teresa Lisbon to go on a date with me."
"And why are you asking her to date you?"
He shrugged. "Because I love her, and she's very special to me." He leaned in closer to Rigsby's camera. "And maybe don't tell her this part, but I think she's hot. Like you know, really hot. I'm really looking forward to scoring! And I bet you…"
He glanced—for he didn't dare make eye contact—to his right side where his wife sat. Her face was beet red.
Thankfully, Rigsby was laughing and decided to cut that line of thought off. "Ah, that's ok! I get the gist, buddy. Just maybe not tonight."
"You're right! I've got to do things right because she's important to me. She's my whole world. I can't mess this up."
From there, he walked over to the table where Lisbon was seated with Van Pelt. She wore a confused look on her face as she sipped on a seltzer water, presumably already at her one drink limit.
"Hey Lisbon! I want to ask you something!" Man, he was slurring all over the place? When did he become such a sloppy drunk?
She shrugged. "What is it?"
"Will you go out with me?"
She furrowed her brow in confusion. "You want to go outside? Right now?"
"No! I want to date you!"
"You want to date me?"
"Yeah. What do you say? Me and you? We'd make a great couple! Rigsby thinks it's a great idea!" He could hear Rigsby snickering from behind the phone.
She smiled as she toyed with her wedding band. "I'm sure he does. Jane, I don't want to go on a date with you. We're married."
As he saw himself starting to sob on the screen, he leaned forward in his seat. What the hell?
"Rigsby, she's married! Did you know she's married?"
"Honey…"
"How could you be married, Lisbon? I love you and want to be with you! And were you even going to tell me? Now, I just sound drunk and pathetic."
His sobs in the video grew uncontrollable as Rigsby tried to comfort him. "It's ok, buddy."
"No, it's not! She's married!" Watching this horror show unfold, he rubbed his face in embarrassment as Lisbon smirked.
"To you!" He heard Lisbon shout. Though, not in anger.
"How could she marry him?" The camera followed him as he went to the couch and laid down, still sobbing. "I can't believe I lost her."
Lisbon was kneeling in front of the couch, trying to soothe him. "Jane, you've not lost me. It's ok. Where do you want to take me?"
"I wanted to take you to Paris...no Venice! Or maybe we could just go to all of them because I love you so much that I want to spend all of the time of the rest of my life with you! But now, I'll just be a pity date."
She smiled at him. "Honey, taking me on a European vacation would not be a pity date. Why don't you go upstairs and go to bed? I'll come check on you in a bit."
"No! Just leave me here to sulk in my own embarrassment! I don't need your pity!"
He flipped onto his other side and continued his cries as his wife continued to kneel at his side. Within seconds, he was asleep.
"Is he asleep?" Van Pelt asked, a bit of bemusement seeping into her voice.
"He is. Do you have a blanket? He'll get cold." Off camera, Van Pelt handed her a blanket that she covered him with before kissing his forehead.
"Goodnight, honey."
He leaned back and covered his face with both of his hands as he sighed deeply. Lisbon managed to take one of his hands into hers. He finally brought himself to look at her. She wore a grin on her face.
"I did tell you to take it easy on the whiskey."
"I guess you did."
He looked at Rigsby. "How long was I even talking about that?"
Rigsby shrugged. "For a while. You kept asking me who Lisbon was seeing and said you were finally going to take the plunge. You wanted me to record it."
"So that's now all on camera. Forever. Great."
Lisbon squeezed his hand. "Well, it's definitely embarrassing on your part, but I have to say it was very sweet."
"Sweet? You let your poor husband embarrass himself!"
"I've never needed to let you embarrass yourself, Jane. You do very well on your own for the both of us. And I think the video demonstrates that I tried to clear up your misunderstanding."
"You could've said it a few more times. Clearly, I was in anguish thinking of you with another man as I would be if that happened." As he was when she almost moved to DC with Pike those years ago.
"I guess it's nice to know you still think so highly of me after five years of marriage and two kids—who you thankfully remembered this morning."
"Of course. I'd never forget my girls."
How he'd been lucky enough to have three beautiful little girls, he'd never know. For some years, even counting Charlotte as his daughter when people asked was too painful. It was easier to say he had no children than to say he had lost her. When Payton was born, all of those feelings came back to him. He realized that even if things turned out like they did, he still had Charlotte and Angela. Even now.
"Hmm. Good! I also heard a promise of world travel?"
"Clearly, I was so drunk I thought you married someone else."
"Clearly you're taking me on a European vacation because you want to spend all of the time of the rest of your life with me." She winked at him.
He grinned at her. "You're never gonna let this go, are you?"
She held up her phone. "It's already saved to my cloud."
He pulled her into his side and kissed her forehead as she laughed. Maybe he got a little drunk last night and let his heart talk a little too loud, but the sentiment was real. He loved this woman in his arms and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. If he believed in blessings, that's what he would call waking up this morning with his wife and his little girls.