A/n This is the penultimate chapter. Thank you everyone for the support on this fic, I am so glad that people have enjoyed it because I was worried originally how people would take to the idea considering it massively deviates from cannon and that seems to upset some people.

Also, there was a bit of drama whilst writing this involving me losing half the chapter thanks to Word crashing but after crying a lil bit I got this written. Enjoy!

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Orange Icing and Balloons

They've been together for almost half a year now; time has flown on by and each day is better than the last. Jane stuck to his promise, he hasn't caused anymore issues at work aided by a few sessions with a psychiatrist. At first, he was reluctant but as was proven by Dr Sophie Miller years ago, there are some good psychiatrists in the world. Hopefully this one doesn't meet a grizzly end.

It is William's birthday tomorrow, their son is going to be two years old, and they're thrilled that they have the day to spend with him. They finished their latest case today in typical chaotic Patrick Jane fashion which means that Abbott has approved their day of leave and the young boy won't have to spend his birthday at nursery.

The one disadvantage to this last-minute time off is that the couple weren't exactly one hundred percent prepared for the celebrations. It has just past ten o'clock and instead of being huddled up on the couch or having fun in bed, Lisbon is icing and decorating a cake whilst the mentalist is stood on a chair tying up balloons wherever he can think of without having to actually hammer some nails into the ceiling or walls. "What do you think?" She questions towards him, as he struggles to tie a knot in the thin piece of string.

He gives up his task with a sigh and lets the freshly blown-up balloons drop quietly to the floor as he steps off the chair. When he looks towards her and her work of art he lightly chuckles. "Very orange." He comments. Their son's favourite colour is orange so the cake, balloons as well as the wrapping paper on his presents are all that colour. It is certainly a sight to behold. "He will be very pleased."

"I hope so." He watches her run a hand anxiously through her dark locks. "I just want him to have a good day. Sometimes I feel bad that we are so busy with work."

"We do it for him though. So he can live comfortably and have a better upbringing than either of us did." Jane is right and he knows it.

After a few glasses of wine last month combined with raging hormones, she became a bit emotional and ended up disclosing this to him. She doesn't want her son to have the same struggles she did. Her father didn't do right by her and that's affected her for the rest of her life. "I know." She exhales sharply but then her worry gets quashed by something else and she is suddenly smiling. "I'm glad you're here. His first birthday with his dad."

The blonde puts an arm around her to guide her into him, the action makes her relax as she wraps her own arms around his torso. "I'm glad I'm here too." He replies, after planting a soft kiss to the top of her head.

Their relationship has remained a secret from everyone, they like it this way. The only problems they have faced thanks to this secrecy was when Jane witnessed another agent flirt with the brunette who politely (and awkwardly) turned him down. There was also the instance when Grace rang and asked her old boss out right if there was anything going on with the consultant. It was difficult to lie to her, but they agreed not to tell anyone, and she was not going to be the one who slips up – she would never hear the end of it.

He likes to tease her, even in front of their co-workers just to see how far he can push it without them giving too much away. He is sure that Abbott and Fischer have guessed it whilst if Cho does know then he is not giving anything away in his facial cues, stoic as ever.

The only person that they're not hiding their relationship from is William. Not that he fully comprehends what the difference was to before other than the fact that they're now sharing a room. It has been nice though, being a "normal" functioning family, something that neither of them thought would ever be possible. She always thought it will just be her and her son, and she was okay with that because she loves him, and it isn't like she is alone that way. It is much better being with someone though.

Plus, Jane is much better at conversing than the young child. "How are the balloons going?" She asks and then her eyes fall to the blown-up rubber objects littering the kitchen floor. "That well then."

"The string is a fiddle." He almost huffs, he's sporting a similar expression that she has seen her son make numerous times, usually when he is frustrated that he cannot do something.

"I will do that." She decides, her fingers are smaller than his and she is sure her years of crocheting and knitting will help. "And you can wrap the last present."

"Do we have enough wrapping paper for that?" He questions, eyeing up the large box in the doorway of the living room.

"Hmm…" She ponders, "You may have to get creative."

"Creative?"

"I thought you liked arts and crafts." Her clear mocking refers to a comment he made some years back at CBI and it earns a smirk from him before he heads to complete the task at hand.

xxx

William woke them up six o'clock by skilfully climbing onto their bed and shouting something along the lines of "it's my birthday" at the top of his lungs. Once his parents got over the shock of being awoken so abruptly, they were happy to get up with him. His loud gasp when Jane carried him downstairs at the sight of the decorations was wonderfully heart-warming. The late night was worth it just to see his face light up.

His first birthday was a bit of a non-event. Mainly because one-year-olds cannot really appreciate what a birthday is and why they are celebrated. Lisbon was also at work that day and when she spoilt the infant in evening, she became washed with sadness that his father not only isn't here but doesn't know of his existence. The letter from him that was on her doorstep when she came home didn't help matters.

This year is so much better.

They may have gone a little over the top on presents, perhaps compensating for them being so busy, but they kept each finding bits and bobs they had to buy for him. It is only when they were wrapping yesterday evening that they realised how much they had for him.

He got particularly excited about the trike that he immediately wants to try out at the park, and the toy cop car because "that's what mommy does". However, in typical child-like fashion, he is now playing inside a box that did contain a present of a space hopper from Uncle Wayne and Auntie Grace. "Kids." The brunette mutters with a shake of her head.

"Charlotte got a dolls house for her fifth birthday, but she was more excited about the box than the toy." He reminisces beside her and when she turns to look at him, she notices the faintest of smiles on his face. She remembers the days when he always looked in pain whenever his daughter was mentioned, she is glad that he is now able to recall about the fond memories without anguish.

She doesn't know how to verbally respond so instead slides her hand into his and gives it a squeeze for good measure. She doesn't need to say anything because he knows that she is there for him.

There is one more present, but it isn't for the two-year-old who is now examining the pictures on the sides of the box that he was playing in. It is instead something for his father and she has been thinking about it a lot over the past couple of weeks. Today seems the perfect day to gift it to him. "William." She grabs her son's attention who gazes back at her with his stunning blue eyes, mouth slightly agape as he wonders what she wants. "Get the present for daddy." She points at the brown envelope on the coffee table, that and her statement makes the curly-haired man furrow his brow, but the boy picks up the envelope and passes it to him without making a fuss.

Lisbon thought that William would then resume in playing with his new toys but instead he gestures that he wants to sit on her knee, so she pulls him up and he focusses on his father's hands which are working at opening the present. "It isn't my birthday." He comments.

"No but I wanted you to have this today." She observes his concentration levels increase as he pulls out some papers, they are a pale yellow and look to be some kind of official document. His confusion is taken over by strong emotion when he reads what is on the forms.

They are name change documents for William Patrick who is going to have his surname changed from Lisbon to Jane. "Teresa I-"

"He is a Jane. He should have your name." The young boy must realise that he is being spoken about, because he reaches forward to grab his father's hand, the action making the man's heart swell. How did he get so lucky?

"He is also a Lisbon."

For a brief moment she settles into silence, trying to work out whether she wants to say what is on her mind. She doesn't know if it is because he is so obviously touched by what she has just presented to him or because of the way he is staring back at her, but she finds the courage. "Yes, but maybe one day I might be a Jane too."

His face breaks out into a large smile that she mirrors, he is beaming because he is overjoyed by the words that have just left her mouth. It is the first time she has mentioned or even hinted at marriage and oh how he wouldn't love anything more that for her to be his wife. "I like the sound of that."

xxx

The day was hectic, filled with more than one trip out, the first being to the park so that William could try out his new trike and the second when they went out for his birthday dinner. They also invited the guys from work who all were overly enthusiastic about being invited to a toddler's birthday party. It is almost like FBI agents struggle to have a social life…

The two-year-old fell asleep in the car on the way home, exhausted from the busyness of the day accompanied by coming down from his sugar high having eaten a lot of orange iced chocolate cake in the afternoon. His dad carried him to bed, tucked him in before heading to bed himself – finding that Lisbon was already there.

Perhaps they should be slightly ashamed to be in bed at just gone eight o'clock, when they used to run on such little sleep during their work at the CBI. Frequenting crime scenes in the middle of the night was all too common, plus there was the small matter of him obsessing over Red John all day every day. Having a child, especially a hyperactive toddler, is tiring though and much more of a challenge than solving crimes. That's what she believes anyway. "So…" Jane trails off.

"So?" She questions in return, wondering what he could be possibly nervous about saying to her. He is hardly the sort of guy who tends to keep his thoughts to himself, it has caused them both trouble many times.

The blonde takes a deep breath – an action she strongly senses thanks to lying on his chest – before he speaks out. "Do you want to be a Jane?" The question almost makes her heart leap out of her chest.

Teresa turns in her boyfriend's arms while shuffling slightly away from him, not because she wants the space but because she wants to be able to see his face to try and understand what he is thinking. "Are you asking me?"

He casually shrugs but she notes the slight glimmer of hope cascade across his features. "Depends on what your answer is."

Does she want to be a Jane? Short answer, yes. She does. A part of her has wanted that for a long, long time; long before William was around. Is it as easy as saying yes? After everything they've been through. The pause that follows bring a nauseating feeling to his stomach as he wonders whether he has crossed a line, whether this is all too soon… but her response is exactly what he wanted. "Yes, I would like to be a Jane."

"Okay." He grins but their eye contact remains locked, and she can practically see the cogs working in his head. Carefully, he takes one of her hands in his and lovingly runs his thumb over her knuckles in a calming motion. This is a palpable juxtaposition to how she is feeling, she can almost hear her heartbeat, it is like it is in her head instead of her chest. "Teresa, will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

Lisbon doesn't verbally answer but instead uses her free hand to pull him closer so that she can capture his lips with hers. They move in sync; it is a motion that they've become experts at in recent months and still whenever they kiss, she gets butterflies soaring in her tummy whilst she takes his breath away.

They only part because the air becomes thin as the couple lay breathless, tangled amongst the sheets. "I will take that as a yes." He chuckles and entwines their fingers together lovingly.

"Yes, Patrick Jane, one hundred percent yes."