A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! Even if I didn't respond, I appreciate the comments. I apologize for the delay, but I had to rework this chapter a few times to get a product I'm happy with. I hope you enjoy it!
A month later (mid-February)
Teresa huffed as she dragged a box of case files to the table where she was working in this dusty old sheriff's office. They had three new cases in as many weeks, keeping their team more than busy! Each one required some travel. Each one, she was starting to suspect, was connected. She didn't have enough proof to even say it out loud, but the way their deaths were eerily similar-but not the same-and nearly unsolvable raised the hairs on her arms. They could be looking at a serial killer, but there was no reason to raise those alarms quite yet and attract the attention of politicians, the press, and any nut coming out of the woodwork to make a name for themselves.
Yesterday, they came out to Napa County for their latest case to investigate the brutal murder of the twenty-five year old daughter of a state representative. That many of her victims were often female and young did not sit well with her. Years of experience led her to compartmentalize these deaths in a way that as a new mother she was finding hard to do. Looking at the photos of the young, brunette, twenty-five year old Molly Davis, all she could see was Annie playing with her dolls or covered in the dust of Christmas cookie flour.
She did her best to shake that feeling, to get back to her CBI Agent Lisbon persona, as her hunger pangs set in forcefully. She got up to go grab something from the vending machine-that would have to do for now-when the sheriff came strolling through the door.
"Agent Lisbon, here are the rest of the files you requested. I'm not sure how any of this relates to Molly Davis."
Though she didn't dare mention the buzz phrase, the sheriff looked at her in curiosity as she tried to search for any way that may connect these deaths. As unconnected as the victims seemed, something just felt off. He was a tall, slender, middle aged man. He was peculiar, not in his appearance, but because many of the local law enforcement officers she encountered out in rural California usually challenged her authority. And they sure as hell didn't play well with others. He seemed to be taking the CBI's presence in stride, almost welcoming them and demonstrating an intense curiosity in their process.
"Thanks, Sheriff McAllister. In cases like this, it doesn't hurt to be overly thorough."
"I guess not with those state resources and connections!"
The CBI caught this case because it involved the daughter of a state representative. Unlike the other two cases, the locals didn't have to invite the CBI in. That was all a formality when it came to a high profile case like this one. While she was more than equipped to handle a high profile case, that meant time away from Patrick and Annie for as long as she was still traveling with her team.
Sheriff McAllister stood there, staring at her. Though he didn't give off the normal sleazy local sheriff vibe, there was just something eerie about him that she couldn't quite shake. There was a lot of that going on these days. Maybe there was something to those old wives' tales about heightened senses during pregnancy. Thankfully, the rest of her team just returned from lunch-with a burger and fries for her. She had stayed put waiting for more files to arrive, and she was sure glad to see that food along with her fountain cherry Coke. With the arrival of her team, Sheriff McAllister left the room as she checked in with the team and ate her lunch.
"Rigsby and Cho, I need you guys to go out and canvass. Let's see what we can turn up. Van Pelt and I will read reports here at the station. Let's get this closed as soon as we can."
"Yes, boss." They all answered in unison. She wondered once again whether she should share her suspicions with them. Without a doubt, she trusted her team with her life and their discretion, but she didn't need to get them going on one of her hunches.
Her redheaded agent sat across from her and started in on the files. Admittedly, she was a bit jealous. Grace was maybe a week or so further along than she was and she already had a very noticeable baby bump. With a bit of guilt as she poured over a case of someone else's murdered child, she wondered when her baby would make its presence known.
As they were going through the reports, she noticed Grace shifting uncomfortably a few times. "Are you ok, Van Pelt?"
She smiled. "I'm fine." She answered quickly, but her tone indicated there was more that she wanted to say.
"What is it?"
"How long are you planning to stay in the field?"
She shrugged. She was only in her first trimester and still capable of handling the job perfectly well, so she'd not put much thought in taking time away yet. "Until my doctor says it's not a good idea anymore. Besides, I don't really consider myself in the field here hunkered down inside of a sheriff's station...with Napa County's most eligible bachelors gawking at us."
Van Pelt laughed at that. Calling overly friendly, flirtatious, and borderline harassing local law enforcement officers "most eligible bachelors" was an inside joke that they had. She wasn't even sure if Cho and Rigsby knew about it. Not that they couldn't be in the loop, but she and Van Pelt shared a common experience in this regard that they did not.
"That's a good point, but I was thinking that after this case, I may ask for a limited duty assignment. You know, to remain in Sacramento."
She stopped what she was doing, placing her hand over Grace's. To be sure, it was an unusual display of affection while they were working, but she was learning that their new changes also brought new experiences. "Grace, do what's best for you! I want you to be safe and happy. There's obviously work that can be done back in Sacramento!"
"Thanks."
"No need to thank me. I'm sure I will be joining you in a few months time anyway!"
"A few months?"
She shrugged. "I doubt I'll be going to deliver many more warrants or anything! Like I said, there's not much happening in some field office or police station."
As they got back into their reports, she found it hard to pay attention to what she was reading as she considered what Grace had just said. Why was she so insistent on staying out in the field? Truthfully, she wanted to remain in Sacramento, in the office, more too. Since Annie had come to live with them, staying as close to home as possible and not taking extended work trips appealed to her much more than before. While she was invested in bringing justice to homicide victims and peace to their families, what about her own family?
If these murders taught her anything, it was how close she should be holding her family right now. She enjoyed little things like dinner with her family every night, but she chastised herself for thinking this way. Who had she become that she would be so distracted from finding this young woman's killer? Molly Davis deserved justice, and that's what she was here to accomplish. She did her best to focus on Molly. Hopefully, they could wrap this case as quickly as possible and get home.
Though, this case was determined to drag on and on like the others had. As soon as she got back to her hotel room after dinner at a local diner, she called Patrick.
He answered the FaceTime call with a wide grin. "Well, if it isn't my beautiful wife."
"Husband." She smiled at him. This was something they'd taken to doing during their calls, and she definitely appreciated it.
"Hey Annie! Mommy is on the phone!" He turned back to her. "How are things out there?"
"Boring without my blue eyed guy."
"Ah! Flattery! You know the way to my heart, my green eyed girl."
"Glad to hear it!"
"Hi, mommy!" Annie appeared in the camera frame. She was a sweaty mess with her hair all over the place and out of breath.
"Annie. How are you?"
"I'm good! Daddy got me a soccer ball!"
She grinned as Patrick wrapped his arm around the little girl who could barely contain her excitement. "He did?"
The little girl nodded. "We learned about it in gym class today, and I love it so much! It's my favorite sport!"
"Favorite sport already? What about football?" She could hear the laughter that Patrick was holding in. During football season, they'd teamed up against him quite a bit.
"I still love football! The Bears are the best team in the world!" Admittedly, that made her smile a bit. "But did you in some places, it's called football! So see, football IS my favorite sport!"
"I think it's football pretty much everywhere but here!"
"And did you know that there are soccer teams for girls?" Seeing Annie overcome with joy as she shared the new soccer facts she learned today improved her mood considerably.
She nodded. "We have one of the best women's soccer teams in the world."
"Daddy says we can go watch a game when the season starts!"
"I can't wait!" She'd have to brush up on the rules of soccer and the major players and teams. "It sounds like you had a good day at school."
"Yeah." She yawned.
Patrick smiled at the camera before turning his head toward Annie. "It sounds like it's time for you to get to the bath and to bed."
"It's still early!"
"Not for little girls on a school night! Don't you want to grow into a strong soccer player?" She nodded. "Then, you need your sleep. Go on. I'll come read to you when you're in bed."
"Bye, mommy. Come home soon!"
Her heart sank. She wished she were there right now.
"I'll try to, sweetie." There was a moment of silence as Annie left the room. "So soccer, huh?"
"Yeah, she sprung it on me when she got into the car. You should've seen how excited she was just talking about all she learned, Teresa."
She laughed. "I can tell. I'm surprised she could stand still long enough to tell me!"
"So we stopped at a sporting goods shop on the way home, and I got her a few things like an age appropriate ball, shin guards, and shoes. If anything, she'll have a good time playing in the yard."
"Sounds like you have it all worked out!"
He grimaced. "Yeah...I'm sorry I didn't ask you first. It was just that she was so excited."
"It's ok! Believe me. I'm glad she's interested in doing things that don't involve her iPad all the time. But maybe hold off on buying her things for now. Her birthday is coming up. That reminds me that we need to get the invites out to her class. I think she wants to go with the princess theme…"
"Can we do soccer instead?" She heard Annie shout.
He turned to face her. "We will see about it, but I thought you were supposed to be getting ready for bed?"
Annie exhaled loudly. "Ok. Good night, mommy!"
"Good night, sweetie."
He turned back to her. "I can order some soccer decorations. I may even know a soccer player we could invite to teach the kids some tricks."
"Patrick…"
"I know. You want to keep it simple, but it would be kind of cool if a professional soccer player showed up, right?"
Considering how excited he was, she thought about it for a moment. "It would be, but she's only just learned about soccer. It won't have that sort of impact on her yet. Maybe hold off on that."
He sighed as he frowned. "Ok. So we will keep it a boring party."
This sounded more like something Annie would say than Patrick, which made her laugh. It was amazing how the two of them could channel the same energy when they wanted her to agree to something.
"Oh please! Hot dogs, cake, ice cream...let the kids get in the pool? That will keep a bunch of five year olds entertained!"
"If not, I know a guy who could probably get us a petting zoo."
"Absolutely not!"
He laughed. "I'm just saying. We can really spice up this sixth birthday party if we need to!"
"We don't need to." Now, it was her turn to yawn.
"I'll handle the birthday party. How are you doing, baby?"
"I'm good. Just ready for bed!"
"Hmm. Well, I won't keep you. I'm glad you called."
"Always."
"Give the munchkin a little rub for me. Tell them daddy loves them."
For some odd reason, it made her smile when he referred to their baby as "them." Many of the men she knew, even Tommy, automatically assumed they had a son once they found out they had a baby on the way. Sons who were just like them-or better, star athletes-would be the only acceptable outcome. Anything else, daughters included, required a downward adjustment of their expectations and somehow created a burden. To the contrary, Patrick's attitude comforted her; his only expectation was having a baby born into the loving home they shared.
"I will."
"Like Annie said, I hope you come home soon. I love you."
"I love you, too. I'll call tomorrow."
With that, she ended the call and crawled under the crisp sheets of her motel bed. For as warm as she felt just moments ago, she suddenly felt very empty and alone. Nagging doubt consumed her as she thought about what Grace had said earlier. Why wasn't she at home in Sacramento with her family tonight enjoying dinner with her family and watching Annie's love for soccer unfold in real time? Was she going to miss all of the moments in her kids' lives?
No, she couldn't think this way. She had to focus on why she was here in the first place: somebody else's little girl who would never get to tell her family about the new things she'd learned today.
In many ways, this was the first test for whether she could be both a cop and a mother. She was still in her first trimester and not even visibly showing. She still had time, and she could stay in the field longer. Madeleine agreed to come fill in for her once she went on limited assignment. Obviously, she couldn't cart her children around California to visit crime scenes, but Patrick was so supportive and ever present. She hoped to keep working as long as she could. Even if she had more considerations than the CBI now, her job still meant a lot to her. Finding justice for those who couldn't speak still meant a lot to her. After all, it was a part of who she was.
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Despite being out at Napa County Tuesday through Friday, they were unable to solve the case and were recalled to Sacramento. Under no circumstances would the CBI be paying their overtime. They would keep working the case next week-but from Sacramento. She wouldn't let these cases go cold.
After returning to the CBI headquarters, she made haste to get out of the office as quickly as she could.
"Have a good weekend, guys!"
"Oh hey!" Rigsby stopped her. "Game night on Sunday?"
Shit. She forgot. "Yes. Is it our turn to host?"
Cho piped up. "We've seen your house. It's always your turn to host now."
Rigsby and Van Pelt snickered. "Fair enough. What time is the game?"
"It's at 3pm."
"Fine. We'll provide the food, but you boys bring your own booze."
"See you then, boss."
Soon, she was on her way home, making a mental note of what she might get for Sunday. They would take care of that during their weekly shopping trip tomorrow.
Walking through the front door, she caught a whiff of cheese and garlic. She made her way to the kitchen.
"Babe, I'm back."
Patrick looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Teresa. I didn't know you'd be home so soon."
"I decided to reclaim my time." Looking out of the back window, she saw Annie running around. "What's Annie doing?"
"She's running drills."
She blinked. "Drills?"
He chuckled. "Well, her version of drills. I think we might have to think about getting her linked up with a team."
"She's about to turn six and learned about soccer three days ago."
"That's not too young, is it? She would be around more kids her age."
True, but soccer meant practice and game schedules. That sounded stressful, and while she supported fostering any interests Annie had, she hoped to hold off on interests that ate away their precious free time.
"We can talk about it some more later. What's this?"
He grinned. "Prepare to be wowed because I found a recipe online for chicken and broccoli fettuccine alfredo. I had hoped to surprise you with a home cooked meal once you got home."
For a moment, she was stunned into silence over this incredibly sweet gesture. Over the last month or so, he spent time learning about cooking and experimenting with recipes. She was sure he would order in or dine out more often given the choice, but because she liked home cooked meals, he was learning. That...meant a lot to her.
"I think this still counts as a surprise. I don't know how I feel about you taking over my kitchen though."
"Well, it's still your kitchen. I'm just living in it-or however that phrase goes."
She nudged his arm as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "It smells great."
"Good. We'll see how it tastes in about 45 minutes or so."
"I'm going to go check on Annie." Sitting the spoon on the holder, he turned, wrapping his arm around her waist and giving her a proper welcome home kiss before she went out to the back yard.
Annie was running back and forth, kicking the ball. She could definitely use some pointers in technique, but she immediately saw what Patrick must have seen when he bought her soccer gear. The five year old was filled to the brim with joy as her dark hair flowed in the wind and she tracked the ball. She was watching a happy little girl.
"Hey, Annie! You're looking good out there!"
She stopped the ball and ran over to her, throwing her arms around her waist. "Mommy!"
"Oh! Well, I'm glad you're happy to see me. I thought you'd be too busy playing soccer to eat dinner or go for a swim with me after."
"I'm never too busy for you, mommy."
Honestly, that made her heart melt. Instead of crying like she wanted to, she just squeezed her a little harder into her hug. Admittedly, she was still adjusting to Annie calling her that. Annie's therapist told them it was a sign that she was settled in and bonding with them as her parents. Sometimes, she missed being plain old Aunt Reese, but she was happy to have Annie with her.
"Come watch me play soccer!" Annie drug one of their patio chairs out to the lawn, so she could sit.
"What if I wanted to play too?"
Annie narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Do you want to play?"
She shrugged her shoulders a bit. "I don't play much soccer, but I can run a lot."
Annie nodded before she ran back to her ball and passed it to her. And like that, they were running and passing the ball back and forth to each other. If anything, it was a good workout. After a while, she noticed Patrick was watching them from the chair that Annie had originally pulled up for her.
"Looks like maybe I should get you some shin guards and a pair of soccer shoes, too."
"I have plenty of shoes to wear!"
Admittedly, her feet were howling! She hadn't thought through the fact she was still dressed in her work clothes. While she'd been tasked with running down perps in these shoes more than a time or two, they weren't made for afternoon soccer in the backyard.
"If my two soccer stars are ready to eat, dinner is ready!"
"Oh, I'm more than ready to eat and get some water. How about you Annie?" The little girl nodded. "All right! Let's go. I think I might go change into my suit."
"Me too!"
Patrick took her hand, lacing their fingers together, as Annie ran into the house. "We could eat out here if you want."
"I'd like that."
"Yeah, I was thinking we could eat out here on the patio when Evan and Jason come over tomorrow. It's supposed to be a gorgeous day!"
"Shit! I forgot we're having them over tomorrow afternoon."
He tapped his head. "Well, I didn't. I even have a plan!"
She scoffed. "I'm glad one of us does because we're also hosting game night on Sunday."
"We are?"
"Yeah, apparently since seeing the house, we are the permanent game night hosts."
"Sounds great to me!" He laughed as he pulled her into his chest for an embrace. "We can just order something in on Sunday while we relax and enjoy a game with our friends. We definitely have the space to entertain, and I certainly don't mind."
"Now, why doesn't that shock me?"
"I would say I'm wounded, but that was a well placed barb, baby." He kissed her, but she pulled back.
"Let me go get changed for dinner. I'm starving."
"I'll get the plates ready."
With that, she went to change. Dinner on the patio was a nice idea. One bite in, and this alfredo was one of the best things she'd ever tasted.
"Patrick, this alfredo is amazing!"
"It's really good, daddy!"
"I'm glad my girls like it. I put my blood, sweat, and tears into it!"
Annie looked at Patrick in shock. "Really?!"
He laughed. "No, that's just a saying that means I tried really hard to make sure I fed my girls something they would enjoy."
As she took in his boyish grin, she thought of how she'd love to see him make that grin later on...when they were alone in their bedroom. She swallowed thickly and tried to put her mind literally anywhere other than getting him to make that grin again. Thankfully, Annie was lost in her fettuccine as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Though, he caught onto what was going on as his left hand found her inner thigh under the patio table. She tilted her head slightly, catching the small twinkle in his blue eyes as he mouthed "later."
She felt shame at being turned on at the dinner table. But almost as soon as that shame appeared, it melted away. She was sitting in her home with her husband who she loved and who had just done something incredibly sweet to welcome her home after a long week away. She felt no shame in feeling desire for her thoughtful, loving husband.
After dinner, they got in the pool for a quick, evening swim. Annie was swimming the entire length of the pool and practicing pool tricks. It was a bit chilly outside, as could be expected on an evening in February. She was just glad it was heated.
"I want to get really good at swimming here, so the next time we go to the beach, I can swim into the ocean."
She smiled at Annie's earnestness, but there was no way hell she was letting her swim into the ocean. "Well, you are a very good swimmer! I don't know if we're quite ready to take on the ocean yet."
Patrick rubbed her shoulders. She was sitting with her legs crossed over his lap on the stairs of the pool, enjoying a glass of sparkling grapefruit juice as he nursed a beer. It was a nice, relaxing evening at home with her family.
He sat his beer by the side of the pool before winking at her and prompting her to move her legs. "Hey Annie! How about you race me?"
"What are we racing for?"
"Hmm." He tapped his chin like he was thinking. "How about an ice cream sundae?"
"Deal!"
"Ok. Get over here to the starting line. Race you all the way down and back. No cheating!"
"I won't cheat!"
"Ready?" She nodded her head. "Set. Go!" The two of them were off, swimming as fast as they could to reach the other side of the pool. She could tell Patrick wasn't really into the race itself because he was swimming like it was a leisurely swim, while Annie gave it her all to make sure she acquired that ice cream sundae.
As expected, Annie finished the race first and bobbed up out of the water. Before barely even getting the water out of her eyes, she screamed: "I won!"
Patrick popped up and lifted Annie out of the water. "You did! I think that means ice cream sundaes...for all of us! Good race, Annie. You beat me once again."
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She would have to talk to him about letting Annie win. Annie was every bit a Lisbon, and it would start to go to her head. She recalled how her dad used to make them play poker with him with their fresh allowances.
"I'm teaching you all how to play a very important game. You'll thank me later." He'd always wink at them after he said it. Several beers in, and their allowances lost, he'd laugh as they tried to plead for their money back.
"Like I said. It's a very important game. You'll thank me later."
Ever the hustler, she finally stood up to him once when she was 11. After he took the money they earned from chores for the last two weeks and that they were going to use at Navy Pier the following week, she was fed up.
"I'm getting our earnings back one way or another! This isn't fair!"
"Fair?" He laughed at her as he pulled a fresh bottle of beer out of his tableside cooler. "So little Teresa wants to handle her business with me like a little lady?"
She swallowed thickly, making eye contact with a 10 year old, wide eyed Tommy. "Yes. You can't keep taking all of our allowances and not actually teaching us how to play."
"All right. I'll tell you what, little lady." She could tell he was making fun of her when he said that. She still hated when people called her that. "You sit here and have a beer with me. Then, I'll give you your money back...all of you."
She nodded, sitting down and accepting the fresh beer he placed in front of her. He clinked her bottle with his. She caught a whiff of it, and it didn't smell very good. She took the first sip and gagged. Her whole face seized up.
Her father laughed, reaching for the beer bottle. "That's what I thought, little lady. When you can drink one of those, you can stand up to me."
She wasn't entirely sure what inspired her next action, but she pulled away from him and chugged the entire bottle of beer to her father's shock. If drinking an entire bottle of that horse piss would get him off of their backs, she'd happily do it. That was the story of how she drank her first beer at 11.
She felt sick already. He shook his head and drank his own beer down. "Well, I guess you really are a Lisbon. Want to help me finish these off?"
"No. Can we have our money back now?" He chuckled, as he slapped her on her back. She was just trying to get that taste out of her mouth.
He shrugged. "I guess I gave you my word. Here, take your money. Be careful where you lose it."
She felt light headed as she went to her room to lie down. Within the hour, she was throwing up as her father laughed at her for "not being quite Lisbon enough yet."
Only, when her mother got home, she didn't find it so amusing. "My God, what are you teaching the kids? She's a child, Tom!"
"Don't tell me how to be a parent, woman! If you cared so much, maybe you'd be here with the damn kids!" She shrank back a little, but stood her ground.
"Don't give the children beer! And why are you taking their money?"
He glared at her with-what she later learned-was the look, the one that suggested you should make yourself invisible. She just brushed past him to help her clean up. She put her in bed and brought her a sandwich and some water. She stayed with her until she fell asleep.
"My Teresa, you did a brave thing. Very stupid but brave."
"He said if I drank it, he'd give us our money back. I won!"
"Not every win is a win. Look at how sick you are right now." Her mother took her face in her palm before telling her something she wouldn't understand at the time but would never forget. "And never take beers or anything else from men like your father, especially not on their terms. That's more trouble and heartache than you deserve."
She always remembered that, not just because it was the last time her mother held her while she went to sleep but her words seemed very important. Of course, the next morning at breakfast, her mother had a series of freshly forming bruises along her arm and face. Sometimes, she liked letting herself believe it was the accident that turned him-but that was only the truth through rose colored glasses.
Perhaps letting Annie win wasn't the worst thing.
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As Annie showered, she got the fixings for their sundaes out. When Annie returned in her pajamas, they got their sundae party started in the kitchen as Patrick attempted to find an appropriate movie. They ended up watching Beauty and the Beast again. It was Annie's favorite princess movie, and really, she didn't mind it. She leaned her shoulder into Patrick's as she put her feet up on the couch. Annie sat on the floor in front of the couch with her sundae as she sang along with the movie. Being home with her family really was the best feeling.
Of course, that also meant that when Annie was in bed, she had Patrick all to herself. He'd barely closed the door to their bedroom before she found his lips.
When he pulled back from her, he was wearing that silly, boyish grin. She didn't have to work hard to find that grin again. After all, it was the same look he always wore to convey he loved her.
"I see you've missed me, baby."
"Of course, I did. There aren't a lot of available, hot, car salesmen in Napa County."
He chuckled a bit. "I sincerely doubt that's true, but thank you for the attempt at teasing with an ego boost."
She shrugged. "Well, none I was interested in seeing...because none of them are my gorgeous." Kiss. "Talented." Kiss. "Loving husband." Kiss.
"Now, that's what I like to hear from my beautiful, equally talented, loving wife. I missed you too, baby."
"I want you, Patrick, but I need a shower first."
He grinned. "I think we could kill two birds with one stone. Or more like three. Or two...oh hell, math was never really my strong suit."
She laughed. "Now who's teasing?"
He took her hand and pulled her toward their bathroom. She let him undress her for their shower as he kissed her neck and she reached her hand into his trunks, massaging him. This was the form of foreplay she'd come to enjoy the most before they made love. She'd never felt more exposed than in these moments than when he took her clothes off and observed her body while she felt the proof of his arousal deepening as he took her in. As vulnerable as she was in those moments, she absolutely loved it.
He pulled back from her to turn on the water for their shower. She kissed the back of his shoulder as she rid him of his trunks, feeling the way he shivered under her kisses.
He pulled her into the shower and into his arms immediately, letting the water sprinkle over them as they made love at a frantic pace. She wanted to tease him about how he was leading the action, but she desired him so much that she could only encourage his erratic thrusts with her own until they climaxed. They'd really missed each other.
After their shower, they succumbed once again to lovemaking. This time, much slower and passionate than their shower session as they expressed their love for each other. As long as her day and week had been, she was exhausted. They held each other as they went to sleep.
She woke the next morning to a sleeping Patrick and considered going for a run before starting breakfast. If she didn't do it now, she would never get it in. Delicately, she moved Patrick's arm off of her to get dressed.
As she changed into her jogging clothes, she caught Patrick awake and gawking at her.
"What?"
He spoke softly. "Come here."
She walked over to his side of the bed, and he pulled her into bed with him, rubbing her belly. She looked down and noticed her belly was starting to protrude a bit more-quite literally overnight. By no means was it a huge bump, but their baby was right there.
She skipped her run that morning, instead opting to spend the early Saturday morning hours in Patrick's arms as he rubbed her newly forming baby bump and peppered kisses along her shoulder and neck.
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For breakfast, she made waffles. Waffles were always a big hit in the Jane household, and they were definitely so this morning as they ate in almost silence.
As soon as she was done, Annie jumped up and took her plate to the sink. "Can I go swim now?"
"Uncle Evan and Uncle Jason are coming over this afternoon. I have to go get groceries, so if it's ok with daddy, you can swim until I get back." Patrick nodded in approval, like she knew he would. "Then, I'd like you to have a shower and be dressed before they get here."
"Ok!"
Patrick flashed her a teasing grin. "So many rules for a Saturday!"
"You know she'll never get out of that pool unless we make her."
"She likes to stay active. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"There's not. I'd just like her to be present when our uncles are here."
"Fair enough. Use the credit card and get some filet mignon and salmon. I got some mesquite wood chips earlier in the week for the grill. That would probably make a hell of a spread. You can get whatever veggies you want. Oh, and we should probably have an appetizer! And a bottle of wine for our guests! I figured you'd probably make a bread pudding since Evan loves it so much."
She blinked rapidly for a moment. Even though they shared a life now, the thought of just charging his credit card up was still a bit foreign to her. A few weeks ago, he surprised her when she came home.
"Here you go, baby." He handed her an envelope. When she opened it, she found a black card with "Teresa Lisbon Jane" on it.
She looked at him in confusion. "What is this?"
"It's your credit card."
"Do you mean your credit card?"
"Well, more like ours."
"I see. And what's the limit on it?"
"There's not a limit on it."
She blinked rapidly a few times. "What do you mean there's not a limit?" The highest limit she'd ever held was $5000, and even that was too much for her.
"That's a black card. There's no limit. Use it whenever you need to!"
"I don't really need this credit card." He was already covering all of their bills, even if she objected. When she asked him about using the money in their joint account for bills, he told her they could just use it as a vacation fund.
"Teresa, just take it. If you don't want to use it, you don't have to. I would just rather know that you have it on you in case of emergency."
Did he think she'd need to buy a jet in an emergency or something? She just placed it in her wallet. There was no need to argue over it, especially if it made him feel like he was taking care of his wife. While Patrick was never macho or anything like that, she could sense that he still felt pride in being able to care for her and Annie. Besides, it was nice to treat the team to a lunch at one of her favorite spots in Napa Valley yesterday that the CBI expense account would have never covered.
Today, he was undoubtedly asking her to use the card because he was asking her to buy things that were a bit pricey. Money things didn't bother her so much anymore, but she also didn't want him to think that he was only good for his money.
"I'll probably get a few things for tomorrow and some stuff for the week. Do you want anything special?"
"Nah! I actually got a bit of stuff shopping for our alfredo supplies. I just hadn't planned out dinner yet when I was shopping!" That he hadn't planned out dinner yet clued her into the fact that when he said he had a plan last night, he was letting her off the hook for forgetting that her Uncle Evan was coming by today.
She leaned in to kiss him. "Well, I will be back in a bit."
He held onto her by her waist. "Teresa, use the card. I will cover dinner and whatever snacks you want for game night tomorrow."
She nodded as she made a mad dash to the grocery store to get things ahead of Uncle Evan and Jason's arrival from San Francisco. She can't believe she'd forgotten this visit! They wanted to come see the new place since they couldn't make the wedding. She'd be sure to spot clean the house when she returned. She began making mental notes of things to check to make sure the house was in order for the visit.
Though, she needn't have worried. When she returned, Patrick had cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast and picked up the house. Indeed, he was running the vacuum cleaner in the living area when she came in with their groceries.
"Maybe we could take your card and get a couple of those Roomba things for the house."
He laughed as he switched the vacuum off. "That wouldn't be the worst idea. Did you find everything we need?"
"I did. You know, I was going to take care of that when I got back."
He took the bags from her hands. "Meh! You've been gone all week. I can run a vacuum cleaner and pick up after me and Annie! Though, we should order a couple of those Roombas."
After she got Annie out of the pool, she grabbed a quick shower so she could get the bread pudding started. Uncle Evan and Jason were there within minutes after she put her pudding in the oven. It turned out they had great timing!
She hugged her uncle when he arrived. "Annie, Uncle Evan and Uncle Jason are here!"
Annie was down the stairs, iPad in hand, within minutes. "Uncle Evan and Uncle Jason!"
She smiled at the little girl who, for some reason, had decided to wear her Christmas dress. She noted that she might need to buy Annie some more dresses for things outside of school. Patrick was down the stairs not long after.
"Welcome, guys!" Patrick shook hands and clapped both of her uncles on their backs.
One of the many indicators of Patrick's personality that assured her that they would work out was how he embraced Evan and Jason from the moment they met. Not only did he fit well with her family, but he had the right kind of attitude. Perhaps it was a low bar, but she grew up around and worked with a lot of homophobes. Jokes and cruel remarks made her stomach turn. Patrick was welcoming and kind, treating Evan and Jason like he would anyone else without any distinction. She couldn't spend her life with a man who would suddenly get weird around, or worst, say terrible things about her uncles.
After Annie led them on a tour of their house, she offered them a glass of wine as she sipped on her grapefruit juice. As silly as it sounded, she'd really developed a taste for the stuff! She led them out back to the patio table where they sat chatting for a bit. Patrick had already fired up the grill, and he hadn't lied about those wood chips. They smelled amazing!
Patrick joined them, sitting his beer on the table next to her. "So where exactly were you guys traveling for the holidays?"
"We went to Australia, New Zealand, and the Maldives. It was quite a nice trip!"
"Australia?" That had caught Annie's attention from her iPad. "Did you see a koala bear?"
Uncle Evan laughed before responding to her question. "We did. I even held one. Do you want to see the picture?"
"Yes please!" He pulled out his phone and showed them photos from their trip, including the one where he held a koala in his arms like it was a toddler. It was adorable, and she suddenly wondered how her husband felt about the idea of family vacations.
"Uncle Jason, did you hold a koala, too?"
"Oh no, dear Annie. I am not as adventurous as Evan." She just shrugged and was immediately immersed in his vacation photos once again.
Patrick nudged her shoulder. "Would you like some more juice or water? I'm going to grab another beer."
She caught Uncle Evan grinning at her. "Um, sure. More juice please."
Her husband stood, smoothing down his shorts. "Does anyone else need anything from inside? Lunch should be ready shortly!"
"I'm coming with you!"
Jason also stood. "I'd love some more of this wine, but I also need to use the facilities. Ev?"
He took Evan's glass before nudging his shoulder and catching a grin. She was glad that because of Patrick, she knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of a grin like that.
"So you have news for me then?"
"Hmm?"
"You're drinking sparkling grapefruit juice instead of wine."
She shrugged before cocking a grin of her own. "I'm turning over a new leaf."
He chuckled. "I suppose that's one way to put it! So when is my new grand niece or nephew arriving?"
"In about five and a half months."
"Ah! That explains your expediency at getting married."
She was a bit taken aback by his statement. "Do you think it was a bad idea?"
She suddenly felt self-conscious. What was done was done. And it wasn't like she would undo her marriage to Patrick even if she could, but Uncle Evan's opinion meant a lot to her.
"Oh no, my dear. Not at all. I like Patrick, and I know you wouldn't get married if you didn't want to be married. I just nearly got whiplash with the announcement and six day turnaround time!" He laughed again.
She giggled. "Fair enough!"
"I was terrified you'd settle for some meathead like your mother did. Not to speak ill of the dead, but…"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
She had an idea where Uncle Evan was headed with this. He'd never been coy about not thinking highly of her father. Maybe that was her fault. Sometimes in her letters, she was a little too truthful in ways that she would not have been as an adult.
After she went to live with him, they were reminiscing about home when he broke down crying one evening.
"I'm so sorry, Reese."
"What for Uncle Evan?"
"I failed you."
"What?"
"I wanted to bring you and your brothers out here. Annie would have wanted her kids safe and cared for. When I spoke to a lawyer, he laughed in my face. He said your father could kill one of you, but still, no court would ever give custody to a queer."
Her breath caught at the revelation. By this time, she was a young, rookie cop at SFPD. She understood more about the world. People like Uncle Evan-people who wanted to help, but who others shit on for no reason-were not the problem.
She whispered. "You didn't fail me."
"I feel like I did. What did you lose because I couldn't help you, Reese?"
"I don't suppose I lost anymore than you did. It meant a lot knowing someone I hadn't even met before cared enough to send letters and money to help out. We weren't truly alone and without help because you cared."
She hugged him. She held him in his arms as he wept. He'd lost his sister, and no one even told him. Then, he tried to help her kids, and they wouldn't let him. They made him feel lesser than even when he was the hero in this story.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
She came back to her uncle, the one who she'd built such a strong bond with over the last decade.
He found the words he was looking for. "Well, he was most of the reason she wrote to me in secret. And he was absolutely shitty to his family. You don't have to say anything against him. I know the truth. Maybe it's selfish, but I didn't want to lose you to some guy who was beneath you because you thought you had no choice but settle. And I'm not saying that you don't know what you want or that you couldn't figure that out. I'm just glad you found someone who makes you happy and who's worthy of you."
"Patrick is a good man. He's not like...that." She didn't need to explain what "that" was. They both knew. "He's so loving, and he's great with Annie."
"I can see. She's getting settled in well. How are things going?"
"Same as before. We will be able to finalize the adoption within the next few months, but everything looks great. I'm glad she's here with us. I'm glad she was here with us before her parents decided to fall off the face of the earth. I just can't imagine what could have happened to her."
"And that's what's best for her. She seems like a happy little girl."
"She is most of the time. Sometimes, when she thinks of home, she gets sad. She's told me before. Other times, I can just tell."
He nodded along. "It's hard for adults even to make such a large move, to start a new life. It just takes time."
"I know."
He grabbed her hand. "Besides, she'll have a new little one to entertain soon enough."
She laughed at that. By that time, Patrick and Jason were headed back out of the door. They were engrossed in a conversation about art.
"Hey, Teresa. Jason was just telling me about this muralist he knows. I was thinking that for the nursery we could paint a mural. What do you think?"
He looked incredibly excited by the idea, and Jason started to speak in support of it, but she could only laugh. Evan joined her.
"I'm sorry, honey. We can think about it. I just don't think I've ever seen anyone so excited about nursery decor before."
He shrugged. "Maybe not, but I want a very special room for our baby."
The other amusing facet of this is that beyond assigning the room nearest theirs as the nursery, they'd made no other plans. Though, they'd have to start thinking about that more in the near future. However, like all things involving their family, she valued his enthusiasm.
The lunch Patrick made for them was absolutely delicious! She ate until she was utterly full on this spread of protein and veggies, which in her current state was actually quite a bit. After they had dessert, she noticed Jason take Evan's hand.
"So we have some news of our own."
She smiled. "Oh?"
"We've been together for a very long time, and well, we've decided we want to get married."
"That's great! Congratulations!" She was truly happy for her uncle.
"Congratulations!"
"Wait. You can marry your brother?"
Jason and Evan looked at her in curiosity. Of course, Annie was confused. She'd never thought to explain that Jason was their uncle but not by blood. She assumed she understood that, but of course, Tommy hadn't even told her about their mother. She should have known to assume nothing.
As she was gathering her bearings, Patrick chimed in. "Annie, they're not brothers. They love each other like me and mommy do."
"Oh! Like Jamie's dads?"
He nodded. "Exactly like Jamie's dads!"
She looked to Teresa. "I thought they were both our uncles? So which one is our uncle?"
"Well, they both are now. But Uncle Evan is your grandma Annabeth's little brother. Uncle Jason is our uncle through marriage."
She shrugged. "Ok. Can I go play?"
"Yes, you can." With that, Annie was gone.
As soon as she was inside, she spoke. "Sorry about that, guys."
Evan laughed. "Please! That was very minor."
"I just assumed that she understood that. So when are you getting married?"
"In six days."
She rolled her eyes. "Ok. When are you really getting married?"
"Well, we were thinking of the beginning of May, but will you be able to travel then?"
"I'm not really sure. But what are your plans? I want to know! And don't feel like you need to change your plans because of me!"
Evan looked to his fiance. "Well, you are central to our plans."
"Oh?"
"I'd like you to walk me down the aisle."
"Oh! Uncle Evan, I'd be absolutely honored to do that for you! Where are you getting married?"
Jason chimed in. "Let's just get married in San Francisco."
Evan looked at him. "What? You wanted to get married in Aruba. I thought we agreed on that!"
Jason took his hand. "And you wanted San Francisco. If Teresa might have restrictions, let's just do it locally. Besides, we can have a bigger wedding with our friends in attendance and maybe go to Aruba for our honeymoon. Babe, the important thing is that we get married. Teresa being there is important to us getting married."
She smiled. "Guys, I'm happy to be wherever you need me to be. Really!"
Her uncles looked at each other before Evan spoke. "San Francisco it is!"
"I don't want to ruin your wedding!"
"I know that, Reese, but I also know that you have a knack for overextending yourself. You're not ruining anything." She heard Patrick harumph before glaring at him.
"We'll keep you filled in on the details!"
They sat and talked for a little while longer before heading out. Though it was early in the evening, she was already exhausted!
She yawned. "Babe, I think I need a nap."
He grinned. "I could use a nap, too."
She just shook her head at him. She was a bit startled when Annie piped up. "You guys can go take a nap! I'll just be in my room on my iPad!"
She looked at the little girl in disbelief as she ran up the stairs and Patrick laughed. "Well, Annie is giving us permission to nap."
"We're not leaving a five year old unsupervised for sex...and I really do want a nap!"
He grinned. "I know, and we're not leaving her unsupervised. I'd love to hold my beautiful wife and our baby as she falls asleep though. I'll keep an eye out on Annie. If it gets too quiet or otherwise hinky, I'll be on the job. You can deputize me if you need to. It'll be an open/shut case."
She swatted at his shoulder before taking his hand and leading them up the stairs. After all, his proposal sounded great. It felt even better as he took her in his arms, stroking her hair and her belly. She placed her hand on top of the hand stroking her belly. Sometimes, it was still hard to believe he was hers, this was their baby, Annie was their daughter, and they were a team. Her life certainly bent to his wind. Pondering whether she should express how she never wanted to leave comforting and relaxing this spot, she fell asleep in her husband's arms.
A/N 2: One of the things I struggled with is keeping Lisbon true to herself while expressing that she does miss being home with her family. I didn't want to make her seem "whiny and weak" because she's pregnant, but I also didn't want to make her seem like nothing has changed. After all, that's the theme of this chapter: her life bends right to his wind because it's a love story...how many Taylor Swift songs can I fit into this AN?