Hey, hey, hey!
Here's the new chapter, a week or so later, I know. I'm quite busy with University's stuff lately, so I didn't have time to translate and post it. I'm sorry about that.
Thank's for the last review. I double-check this chapter in order to avoid making his/her mistakes. I hope I corrected them all!
Hope you'll like this chapter.
See you next week :)
CHAPTER 8. The kiss.
"I can see you are smiling a lot more today."
She nodded her head at the doctor's words and intertwined her hand with Jane's hand. However, some fears were still there and that's why she was in that room.
"I guess I am."
"Guess you, or are you?
Lisbon narrowed her eyes, knowing the doctor would take note of her answer.
"I am, for now."
"Good answer."
She heard Ethan's laughter in the background as they sat down on the usual couch. He offered them something to drink and they both accepted; he a cup of tea, she a glass of water.
"I have to admit that I sleep peacefully now. I never slept a wink before, but now..." She looked at Jane, who was smiling at her.
"That's good. It doesn't seem like it, but it makes you more confident as the days go by." After bringing them their drink, he sat down in his chair. "Today, if it's all right with you, we'll talk about something else," he observed the confused looks of the two in front of him, "we'll talk about what prompted you to come to my office; or rather, one of the things that prompted you.
"I don't understand."
"I was told that you spent a whole night in the hospital after having you stomach pumped."
Lisbon's face changed completely, turning too pale.
"Do you mind if I go to the bathroom?" she said, and before he could answer, she got up from the sofa and headed in that direction.
"Lisbon..." Jane got up at the sight of her, but the doctor stopped him.
"Don't go, it's better for her to be alone for a few minutes.
"But..."
"Besides, I need to talk to you in private," Patrick nodded, a gesture that indicated that he should continue, "Have you noticed any approach on Lisbon's part?"
"What do you mean?"
"You two are a couple, aren't you? Or at least you were before everything happened."
"No, well... it's complicated, but I guess you could say yes." It didn't take him long to remember the first night they spent together, just before Lisbon disappeared.
"So, have you tried to move your relationship forward?"
"Look, she made a big effort that night, I can't ask her for more unless she wants to and she's ready. It's enough for me to know that she sleeps peacefully by my side."
"I know you doesn't see it that way now, but you play a very important role in this. Teresa trusts you, and you must take advantage of that. She won't even let her brother come close, only you, and you're the only man who can help her.
"What if I force her? That's the last thing I want."
"Then, don't do it. Go slowly, one step at a time. I'm not saying as soon as you leave my office, go home and go to bed. But what if you try to kiss her?
"If it were up to me, I'd do it right now. But I don't want to force her, I don't want to pressure her and make her take a step back."
"Everything you're saying to me, say it to her. Let her know you're not going to pressure her, and you're not going to do anything she doesn't want. But you need to make a move, Patrick. She needs it."
"I've been thinking about what Ethan said," Lisbon began, as she chopped up a carrot and threw it into the pot to sauté. "Do you think I should call my brother?"
Jane finished placing the glasses on the table and came up to her and hugged her from behind.
"Do you want the truth or the lie?" he asked, resting his hands on her hips.
"The truth," she replied, turning to face him.
"Yes. He's your brother and you should get back in touch with him. I'm sure he's eager to talk to you and know you're getting better."
A wide smile appeared on Teresa's lips. Lips that had been watched for quite some time by Jane, resisting doing what he was so eager to do.
"But what if it doesn't work out? I haven't seen him since before..." she stopped suddenly, just before she said it, "before all this happened. I don't want to turn him away."
"Come here," Jane whispered, hugging her warmly. "If you don't try, you'll never make it. What do you say we take him and Annie out to lunch this Sunday?"
Taking advantage of their stature, Lisbon rested her head on his chest, while he gently placed his chin on her hair.
"Annie's on vacation with her friends."
"Just Tommy, then."
The woman sighed, repeating the consultant's last words. She hadn't seen her brother for months and missed him terribly; both him and her niece. But she was afraid. Her greatest enemy since what happened and the one she still hadn't managed to get rid of. The smell of burning from the pot made them separate and return to their tasks.
Once dinner was ready, the two sat down at the table and toasted. Little by little, everything was getting better. And with a glimmer of hope, it would get even better that Sunday.
She rushed up the stairs, but stopped just before entering the room. She took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness. She chose not to turn on the light and blindly felt around the furniture in search of his phone. She bumped into one of the legs of the bed and let out a small scream. Despite the passing years, her clumsiness had not changed. She found the table without much difficulty and rummaged through her purse. Having found what she was looking for, she headed for the light again. However, something made her retrace her steps and, this time, turn on the light.
She opened the closet and suddenly found several suit pants and a pair of blazers, matching. She smiled and bent down, immediately locating the shirts and vests that finished the suit and two ties that put the icing on the cake. It had been quite some time since she had seen Jane dressed in his usual attire. Since he had started living in her house - in the wake of everything that had happened before - the man had taken to jeans, sweatshirts and sweaters. But that said, his shoes didn't change.
She put the shirts aside and went into the closet. Advantages of being short, she told herself. She rummaged through the piles of shoeboxes she had until she found one of them. A special one. She sat down on the bed, legs intertwined, and placed the rectangular box in front of her. She opened it slowly, eyes closed; perhaps trying to go back in time when she was only 10 years old and started storing things of sentimental value in there, perhaps regretting opening it in the present.
A photo in which she was smiling, next to an older woman but with whom she shared many traits welcomed her. Welcome accompanied by small tears streaming down her face. She deposited the cover to her right and pulled out one of the envelopes there. She smiled again as she recognized the sender of the letter: Clara. She unfolded the paper it contained and her eyes began to follow each word. That person, by then a girl and who with the passing of the years became a beautiful woman, was her best childhood friend, and with whom she broke all contact days after the death of her mother, and her father's fall into alcohol.
"Your mother?" asked a voice.
She turned to him. "Yes."
Jane walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up the photo he was talking about and looked at the two women.
"We looked so much alike," Teresa said in a sad voice.
The man put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. She leaned back slightly.
"She was beautiful. You must have inherited the genes."
Lisbon looked up at him and smiled. They were so close, so glued to each other. The desire to kiss him flashed through her mind for a moment. She knew he wouldn't object, but her fears locked her in again. However, she resisted separating, fighting with all her strength against the panic that terrified her day and night.
"She left us too soon," she whispered. "Every time I think of all the things we could have done, the times I needed her by my side and she wasn't there..."
"Don't think that, okay? You have to always look on the bright side of things."
The woman looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"I know I'm not the best person to say it, but think that you lived more than ten years with her. And that's something to celebrate," he explained, remembering in his head little Charlotte and the only five years of life he spent with her until he learned of her existence a few months ago.
"I know, and losing her so soon has made me the person I am now, and the lucky to have you by my side," she said.
Jane felt his heart racing. He needed to feel those lips with his again; he needed to be able to caress her face, entwine his hands in her hair, rest his hands on her hips and start a little dance guided by his kisses. He needed so many things from her that he came to the conclusion that, despite the bumps his life had put in front of him, it had rewarded him by making the woman he had in those moments in front of him, cross his path.
The psychologist's words flooded his head. And he thought that this was the right moment; the perfect moment.
"Unless you stop me, I'm going to kiss you," he whispered, without taking his eyes off her.
He noticed how the woman tensed at his words. But he had to push her to take that step, or she would never make any further progress. He slowly moved closer, to give her time to pull back if that was what she needed. He cursed in his head at the idea when he felt the woman's hands on his chest. However, she didn't force to pull him away and a slight smile showed on his lips. She was ready, or at least she wanted to be.
He remained with his eyes open, until she closed hers.
When their lips met, she felt a shiver run through her body. The moment when the serial killer had pinned her against the wall and imprisoned her came back into her head and her eyes began to water. She didn't want to feel it again, she didn't want to go through it again. And she was furious with herself because it was all over now, but the memories were still there and they were too hard.
Just as she was about to break away, she opened her eyes on impulse. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking his in turn. It's not Haffner, she told herself; it's not him. It's Jane. Then, when she had calmed slightly, she began to feel the affection and gentleness behind those lips. The love and strength that this man transmitted to her.
Patrick wiped the tears that fell from the woman's eyes and his own. And amazed, he noticed how Teresa seemed to get rid of the fears and take the reins of the kiss. At that moment, he simply let himself go, feeling her hands roam all over his chest until they settled on the back of his neck.
They broke apart, both with a smile. Soon they melted into each other again, but this time in an embrace. Jane thought he heard a slight thank you, and he pulled her a little tighter to him. He kissed her hair and they remained in that position for several more minutes, enjoying each other's closeness.
A knock on the door caught her attention. She approached to it and placed her hand on the knob, but did not open it. She took a couple of deep breaths, eyes closed. She guessed that someone was coming down the stairs when she heard the small creaking sounds made by the wooden planks. She was sure it was Jane when she felt his body, hugging her from behind. The time had come.
She made an attempt to open the door, but her hand was unresponsive. She had become paralyzed. She felt the man's hand on hers. He made a small pressure to turn the doorknob.
As soon as the door opened, they were met with a broad smile from the youngest of the Lisbon brothers. Teresa smiled back and let him in. She immediately detected one of her brother's particular gestures when he was nervous: placing the palm of his right hand on the back of his neck.
"Well, how is everything going?" asked the woman, trying to start a conversation and get rid of that awkwardness.
"Well, I've got a decent job."
Jane went to the kitchen to finish the last touches on the appetizers they had prepared and to check on the food in the oven.
"Decent? What does that supposed to mean?" she replied, with a slight chuckle.
"Well, it's decent that I have to wear a suit all the time, and I work in an office."
"Why the change of heart?"
They both walked into the living room and sat down on one of the sofas. Patrick, from the kitchen, watched the brothers talk.
Tommy shrugged.
"Annie would be starting college soon, and with a job every three months, I couldn't afford it."
The woman looked at him sympathetically. She wished she could hug him. But... What the hell? She could. He was her brother, he wouldn't do anything to her. Besides, after the big step she had taken with Jane - though not the final one - she felt freer, less afraid.
They got up from the couch at Jane's call, claiming that the food was ready and that he would start serving shortly. It took her a few seconds to make up her mind; seconds during which images of the two of them as children flashed through her memory.
She opened the door to find him crying. In the end she was right, she had indeed heard sobbing while studying. She approached him slowly and placed one of her hands on his shoulder. The boy was cowering on the bed, his head between his legs.
"What's wrong?" she asked almost in a whisper.
The boy raised his head and showed his older sister his face.
"Who did that to you?" she said, only this time she was angry.
The little boy shook his head. He didn't want to tell her, or they would come after him again.
"Answer me, tell me who did it to you," she gently rubbed his brother's black eye. "I'm not going to let them punch you in the face and get free. I'm the only one who can do it."
He saw the boy smile slightly.
"It was Jake, wasn't it?"
He shook his head, just before whispering "It was his brother."
"Hey! Jacob! Where do you think you're going?" she shouted.
Both the alluded one and all the people around turned to her.
Jacob was a year ahead of her, and a head taller, not to mention the gang of friends he had that were even taller than him.
The five boys approached her and the rest of the students in that area of the courtyard surrounded them.
"Well, I was going to the soccer fields, unless you stop me," he replied teasingly.
She looked around. The friends had moved away and merged with the circle watching them. She fixed his gaze on Jacob. He returned the gesture without a hint of regret. Her brother's bruised face flew into his mind, and almost without realizing it, she delivered a powerful and accurate blow to the boy's stomach.
Jacob, who had not expected this, placed both hands on his belly and glared angrily at her. He went towards her with speed, ready to defend himself and make her regret the punch. But the opposite happened, the young woman dodged the blow without much effort and came back to strike more blows. One after another, while the rage took hold of her.
"You should be ashamed of yourself for beating up a boy four years younger than you." She spat at him, still angry. "You'd better never touch him again, do you hear me? Never, "she said. And after giving him a last kick, Teresa Lisbon left the place, but not before picking up her backpack from the floor, heading to the math classroom and starting her fourth class of the day.
-What are you thinking?
Her brother's voice brought her back to reality. She felt a shiver run through her body, just like the one she felt that time when she saw his face. She looked into his eyes and, without thinking much more, threw herself into his arms.
"I've missed you so much," he whispered, squeezing her lightly.
"Me too," she replied happily.
She smiled, remembering her mother and her favorite song. The one Jane sang the first verses of when she was in the hospital and he thought she was still asleep. Everything was getting better. Slowly, but it was getting better.
He admired the woman's body as she made her way to the bathroom. She had gotten up from the table during dessert, excusing herself. He didn't notice that Tommy was looking at him with a mischievous smile on his face. This changed when, as Teresa disappeared up the stairs, he looked back up at him.
"I know it's hard to stand, but be patient. Please," he asked.
Jane, slightly embarrassed, ducked his head.
"Don't worry about it. I've been like this for years, I'll be fine for another few more."
"You know?" he said, taking advantage of her absence. "Don't take this the wrong way, but when I met you a couple of years ago, I couldn't figure out what made Teresa notice you. I mean, I don't know if you're attractive or not, because I'm more into women," both men laughed, "but I thought you were kind of..."
"Arrogant, contemptible or conceited?" At Tommy's puzzled face, he explained, "Those are the adjectives most often used to describe me."
"Let's leave it at special. I thought you were special."
Jane smiled.
"Needless to say, you teaching my daughter to pickpocket didn't earn you many brownie points."
"In my defense, she was the one who asked me to do it"
They laughed again.
"But I could see that you treated my sister differently than the others. And in the end I might not have disliked you so much." He took a pause, which he used to take a sip of wine. "When they told me she was missing, I lost my temper. I blamed you for everything and I think I even swore I'd kill you on sight, to Cho or Rigsby."
"I'm the first one to blame myself."
"Well, don't. Yes, it's true that if you hadn't crossed her path, this might not have happened to her. But you make her happy, and that's enough for me. I know her, and I know she doesn't blame you, and I've stopped doing it. So, don't you do it either. Forget about the rest and focus on helping her get through all this. You're the only one who can do that."
She watched as the two men got up from the table and embraced. She smiled, feeling a strange peace inside. Tears began to fight their way out of her eyes and she put up no resistance. That scene between the two men she loved most brought out her sensitive side and she reassured herself that very soon, she would be her again. And she would do it for them.