A/N: Hi everyone - sorry it took so long to get my next story out. Life has been very busy and I was actually working on a different story... but this one just wouldn't leave me alone, so I paused the other one and decided to focus on this one. I hope you enjoy it - I'm super excited about it.

Chapter 1

Jane's POV

He jumped out of the Airstream, shutting the door with a thud, walking briskly up the sidewalk to meet up with the rest of the team. He spotted the FBI-issued black SUV parked in the distance. His eyes quickly scanned the area, looking for the team. He'd been riding alone; Lisbon was mad at him and had chosen to ride with Cho and Fisher, only speaking to him when absolutely necessary.

He smiled at a passerby noting that the neighborhood was rundown and its residents didn't make eye contact. He looked for the address he was given. They received a tip on the murder case they were working on about a possible witness with firsthand information. An unwilling witness.

As he rounded the corner, he heard a commotion, then spotted Fischer followed by Cho running down the driveway of a house...

*Loud explosion*

He opened his eyes, disoriented. He was laying on his side on the street. There were pieces of small debris floating in the air and falling to the ground around him. He could see people screaming, but the sound was muffled. He tried to stand, his hand coming in contact with something sharp, and flinched. He stared at the scene in front of him; the house had blown up. Barely anything remained, only an intense fire was left where the structure was. His head was pounding as he scanned the area, his eyes darting quickly looking for her. Where was she?

Cho appeared in front of him; he took his hand for support to stand up. His eyes focused on Cho's; he looked concerned, sad, in shock.

"Where's Lisbon?"

Cho looked down, then towards the house on fire.

"Where's Lisbon?" he asked again, his heart racing unnaturally.

But Cho was just staring at him, grief settling on his features. Fischer came towards them, limping. She didn't say anything. She just turned and watched the fire as it burned. Why were they just standing there? His mind couldn't comprehend.

"Where's Lisbon?"

Why were they looking at him like that? Like she was dead. His head felt disconnected from his body, a steady buzzing in his ears as the street tilted on its axis. He had to find her.

The next moment, Cho was on top of him yelling for him to stop struggling; he'd been tackled to the ground.

"She's gone, Jane! You can't help her. You can't go in there. She's gone..."

He couldn't understand what he was saying; his lips were moving, but what he was saying made no sense. He looked from Cho to Fischer and around, then back at Cho who was holding him down. A long pause stretched between them as they stared at each other. No! He was wrong! Panic gripped him again; he had to find her. She wasn't dead.

"She's gone. Jane! Listen to me! She's gone."

"Patrick! You need to stop struggling. You're struggling, just stop," Fischer said with authority. "You're in shock. Look at me."

He stilled, realizing it wasn't helping his situation to find her. Cho pulled him to his feet and let him go. They were staring at him again with that look on their faces. He couldn't stand it. He scanned the area again for her, trying to spot her chestnut tresses or black leather jacket.

"She's gone, Jane," Cho said, placing a hand on his arm.

He stared at the hand on his arm, following it to the face of the owner, then skipped over to Fischer's face. They were crazy. This wasn't real. He was in a nightmare. The heaviness in his chest would subside as soon as he woke up. He squeezed his eyes shut, but when he opened them again, the scene remained the same. Bile forced its way up to his throat and without warning he vomited. He retched until there was nothing left. When he could finally breathe again, the smoke-filled air was hot and dry, burning in his lungs. He needed to move. He needed to get away.

'She's not dead. She's not dead. She's not dead'. He repeated those words calmly like a chant in his head as he pushed his way through the throng of people accumulating on the street and sidewalk to watch the fire engulfing the scene like ghouls. He kept running into people and tripping despite his best effort to remain surefooted. He couldn't feel his body, his legs were like uncooperative stumps as he focused his energy on going somewhere, anywhere, but there... where she was.

The wailing of the firetruck sirens was growing distant and the chatter of every day crowds going about their daily life filled his ears. He sat down on a bench beside an older man; his body thankful for the rest. He watched a man walking his dog down the street, disappearing around the corner. Then his eye picked up a businessman in a grey suit texting as he crossed the street. A redheaded child holding onto his mother's hand skipped along chatting excitedly. He forced himself to smile at the boy's cheekiness. Over here, the world continued as though nothing happened. He would stay here and pretend.


Lisbon's POV

5 days later…

She stared out the passenger window at the fast-moving scenery in the early evening, as Marcus continued his rant about Jane. She pressed her palms firmly on the silky fabric covering her thighs and took a deep breath. She smoothed out the fabric beneath her fingertips; she was wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It was a deep emerald color that accentuated her eyes. Marcus had worked an art theft case a few weeks ago for a famous designer and as a thank you, the man had loaned him this dress for their special night. She looked at the engagement ring on her finger and frowned. It looked foreign on her hand; she should be more excited, but she wasn't.

Her head snapped in Marcus' direction as he directed his comment to her.

"He's up to something. It wouldn't surprise me if he set this up. This is just a game to him," he said gripping the steering wheel sporadically, his tension showing. "And you're just playing into his hands."

"This wasn't my choice," she said calmly.

"Abbott could have sent Cho or Fischer... but he sent you... on your time off," he said forcefully. "Ever wonder why?"

"I know you're upset, but he's my boss-"

"You didn't even try to get out of it," he interrupted. "He's only your boss for another month-"

"And he's my boss until the month is over," she added. "And of course, I know why he asked me and not Fischer or Cho. He thinks I have more influence."

"So you just jump..."

"Yes... he's my boss. He asked me to take care of this and that's what I'll do. Then we can get back to our date."

"Our date? This is not a date, Teresa, this is the night of our engagement. I made reservations at Le Chateau two weeks ago; they're not going to hold our reservation. Instead of celebrating, we are driving hours out of the city because Jane's been playing hooky for 5 days."

"You didn't have to come-"

"And let him win? I don't think so. This is our night. You can deliver your message and then we can get back to our celebration," he said, his lips pressed tightly together. "I can probably salvage the rest of the night if we find him quickly."

She turned her head away from Marcus, not wanting to argue, and stared out the window again.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. "I know you have a history with this guy... you've been through a lot together, but he tried to break us up and-"

"He wasn't trying to break us up, he just didn't want me to go."

Marcus looked at her, "You're defending him now? You're deluding yourself if you think he wasn't trying to break us up. I don't know what his deal is, but I'm done being understanding."

She bit her lip in annoyance. Marcus was right of course, but for some reason, she couldn't admit that to him. She'd been mad as hell with Jane when she figured out his stunt to keep her in Austin; blackmailing a high-ranking director to create a senior position for her in another unit with her own team. But it was between her and Jane and she didn't want to admit the truth to Marcus. He still didn't know the full extent of Jane's devious plan – she'd only given him a few details.

She closed her eyes; Jane's face coming into focus along with their fight. When she confronted him with the evidence; she saw panic in his features. He apologized for trying to highjack her life, but she'd been unable to control her anger and had leaned into him like she would a suspect. By the end of it, they'd both been fighting off tears. The exchange had been short, but intense. She'd never seen Jane in that state and was still confused about it; his whole demeanor had been radiating with desperation. The sight of his eyes, red and brimming with tears, as he choked out that he didn't want her to leave kept replaying in her mind as she tried to make sense of it.

She expelled a long breath, feeling tired. It had been two weeks since that fight and five days since he'd disappeared from the scene of the explosion that had almost killed her. A freeze-frame of the interior of the house as she had entered it flashed through her mind – the chemicals and paraphernalia for cooking meth, the young female teenager pointing a gun at her shaking in fear, the dope dealer boyfriend screaming at her to shoot as he held a lit lighter near the meth station. She knew at that moment in her gut that this guy was going to take her with him if she didn't get out. There had been no time. She yelled for Cho and Fischer to take cover before they entered the house and had lunged towards the side door, the blast propelling her outside. The impact had knocked her out and somehow, she'd ended up under a door, which had protected her from the flames and flying debris. The firemen had found her while looking for survivors and brought her to safety. She rolled her sore shoulder, her only injury besides a few bruises and superficial scratches.

Marcus took a deep breath and took her hand, kissing the top of it. She looked into his eyes briefly before he returned his attention to the road.

"You mean a lot to me, Teresa," he said softly.

She gave him a conciliatory smile and held his hand. Marcus never told her he loved her and that's the way she like it. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to be put in a position where he expected her to utter those words to him when she didn't feel them.

She wouldn't be able to lie because she wasn't in love with Marcus.

She cared about him deeply. He made her feel good about herself and when Jane wasn't interfering, they had a great time. He was offering her a nice future and she didn't want to wait for her life to start anymore. She wanted a partner to share her life with, a home, and a family. Her life had been lonely the past few years and she didn't want to live like that anymore. Marcus was everything she ever wanted in a boyfriend... kind, smart, a straight-shooter, and very handsome. She enjoyed her time with him; he was easy to get along with and uncomplicated. He spoke his mind and she never had to wonder about his intentions because he was always very clear about them. This made her feel safe... his predictability was refreshing and welcomed.

She squeezed his hand for reassurance. Silence stretched as the wheels on the highway beneath them became the only sound. Soon their destination appeared and she glanced at the time on her phone... it was almost 8 p.m. They should be at the restaurant enjoying their dinner. This was supposed to be a night to remember. With all the stresses of the last three weeks, they hadn't been able to get any alone time. Marcus had told her to pack an overnight bag, so she knew that he had booked a hotel for them. She shook her disappointment and opened the map app on her phone... it was time to find Jane.

It didn't take her long to figure out where to find him. After looking up the city, she found that it had three gambling establishments. Her stomach churned. Jane gambled to make money. And if he needed money, she feared it was to go on the run again. She ruled out one of the gambling establishments because it was a race track with slot machines – Jane didn't like those. The other two were more promising... a five-star hotel and casino with high-stake games and tournaments and a small casino with slots and a few card games. She triangulated those two with the motels within walking distance and found two possibilities. As Marcus had driven past the first one, she knew she'd found him. It was just his kind of place.


She looked up at the motel as she clicked her car door closed. Marcus had agreed to wait for her in the car. The blinking neon pink 'vacancy' sign caught her eye. She could see the registration office through the window, a lone clerk playing on his phone. She glanced at the two-story structure and wondered which door belonged to Jane as she made her way. Her heels clicked on the pavement, her heartbeat accelerating. She just wanted this to be over.

A few minutes later she felt vindicated – Jane was here. The clerk identified him and gave her the room number. She waved at Marcus as she crossed the lawn and mounted the stairs up to Jane's room. She knocked, but there was no answer. She listened but it was quiet; he wasn't there. She sighed and looked around. This wasn't the best part of town; it was busy. She took a minute to think... Jane had just been released from jail about three hours ago for public intoxication. That's how Abbott got wind of his location; Jane had given them a false name, but they had finally gotten around to running his prints and it had triggered the APB Abbott had issued. Unfortunately, Jane had been released by the time the information landed on his desk.

She walked back to the car; Marcus rolled down his window as she approached. She was about to speak when she saw a sports bar in the reflection of the car window. He was there... she just knew it. She told Marcus to wait and spun on her heel and headed in that direction.

Jane's POV

He knew that walk... the click of the heels unable to disguise it. He didn't need to turn around; it was Lisbon. Her unique scent of vanilla and roses wafted to his nose as she took the stool beside him, her leg brushing his as she sat. He kept his eyes on his drink waiting for her to make the first move.

"You stink."

Not what he was expecting... but then again, Lisbon had always been straightforward.

"Being in jail for two days comes with hygiene challenges."

Silence hung between them. He was tired. Bone tired. He was excited to see her, but he couldn't let it show.

"What's going on, Jane? Why are you here? Why did you disappear from the scene? You left your tin can there... you didn't call anyone."

He took a deep breath and expelled it. Less was always more with Lisbon, so he kept his answers short.

"I'm tired. I needed a vacation."

"We've all been worried."

He couldn't help but laugh wryly at her statement - he could hear the lie in her voice without looking.

"What?" she asked

"You and I both know that no one is concerned about my welfare... they're more worried about losing their asset," he said, finally turning his head to look at her, flashing her a conspiratory grin.

He sucked in a breath at the sight of her, his smile faltering. She looked stunning; she was done up, obviously ready for a date.

"You're all dolled up... Abbott hit you up on a date?"

"Don't change the subject," she said firmly, her right hand coming to cover the left, but not before he spotted the engagement ring.

His stomach soured. He forced his facial muscles into a neutral position as to not let his disappointment show.

"He popped the question," he said as blandly as he could, resetting his sights on his warm beer as his mind raced with the new knowledge. "Congratulations," he added for good measure.

"Thanks."

His eyes caught hers once more and suddenly, the cold reality settled upon him causing the room to feel stifling. He threw cash on top of the bar to cover his bill and got up to leave, needing fresh air.

"Where are you going?" she asked at his abrupt departure.

She was engaged. It was too much to think about. He needed distance from her.

"I have plans. Nice seeing you, Lisbon."

He had to get out there. His lungs couldn't suck in enough air. He rushed to the exit; Lisbon's heeled feet click-clacking quickly behind him. He burst through the door, the evening air too warm to provide the relief he was looking for.

"Jane, wait!... Wait!"

He stopped and turned to face her. She looked so beautiful; the lights were dimmed in the bar so he couldn't see her as clearly, but the sun was still out at this time of the evening and he could see how stunning she looked in her dress, her hair flowing in loose wavy curls, her lips painted red.

A longing spread inside his chest… he tried to suppress it to no avail; he couldn't control his feelings for her anymore and right now he wished she was dressed up for him. He was no longer in denial about his feelings for her. After careful consideration of his erratic feelings and behavior these last few months, he surmised that he was in love with her... quite regrettably. He's not sure when his feelings for her had changed from friendship to love, but they had. Or maybe he'd been fooling himself for years. He wasn't sure anymore, but there was no point looking back that far because it would do nothing to help his current situation. All he knew was that he'd been going crazy all these weeks watching her date Pike and now he recognized that feeling for what it was... jealousy because he wanted her for himself.

But these feelings were very inconvenient at the moment because they prevented him from thinking clearly. One thing he knew for sure... he was too late. She obviously had feelings for Pike and he needed to stand down.

He let his eyes roam over her looking for injuries from the blast, but couldn't see any. He'd been devastated when he thought he'd lost her. Cho had found him a while later still sitting on the bench and had told him that she was okay. But it hadn't brought him any relief. Instead, he had felt this need to run as far and as fast as he could from her... from the reality that he was losing her anyway because of his actions. She was moving to D.C. with another man and all his efforts hadn't been enough to dissuade her. He couldn't watch her leave him... he had to leave her.

He scanned her once more from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. His epiphany, that he loved her was still fresh, and looking upon her with this knowledge was making his heart ache. She would never be his to hold.

"Hey!" he heard from behind him.

He tensed. It was Pike. She didn't come alone.

Suddenly, he felt annoyed. Very annoyed. Usually, he'd smile and pretend everything was okay... but it wasn't, so he didn't. Also, he was tired from sitting and sleeping on a hard bench in a crowded jail cell for the last two days. The four beers he had weren't helping to improve his mood either.

He turned towards Pike as Lisbon came to stand beside him.

"Ah... the fiancé. Congratulations, Marcus," he said with as much nonchalance as he could muster for the sake of what was left of his friendship with Lisbon.

"Thanks," he said with a nod in his direction.

Pike took her hand and kissed her on the lips. He fought the urge to roll his eyes at the man's need to stake his claim on her in front of him. It had been unnecessary and contrived. Lisbon looked surprised and released her hand from his.

"Marcus... can you give us just a few more minutes," she asked.

"We're already running late," he said to Lisbon. "You understand, right?" he directed his comment to him. "We got engaged tonight and we've got a lot of celebrating to do."

His annoyance grew exponentially as Pike took her left hand and kissed her where the ring sat on her finger. He had been about to bow out gracefully, concede defeat, and head to his room, but found himself uttering venom instead.

"Yes, you do. That's an interesting ring. Small diamond. I hope that's not a representation of the depth of your affection for Lisbon. That would mean that it's quite lacking."

Without warning, Pike punched him in the nose, the contact making a loud crunching noise. His head whipped back making him lose his balance as the pain started to radiate through his face.

"Marcus!" Lisbon said pushing him away.

He couldn't help but smile at the pain, tasting the blood that leaked from his nose to his mouth. The numbness he'd been feeling these past few days… weeks, if he was being honest, disappeared. He felt exhilarated.

The look on Pike's face made him smile wider, but the sadness in Lisbon's eyes sobered him.

"Dammit, Jane! You've gone too far! I'll have you know; I love my ring. It's exactly what I would have picked for myself. What is wrong with you?" she asked, disappointment in her posture, her lips pressed together.

He wanted to kick himself for giving in to his pettiness. He had wanted to take a jab at Pike but had hurt her instead. He needed to go before he inflicted more damage on his relationship with Lisbon.

"Well... it's been fun," was all he could muster for his retreat, his pride preventing him from apologizing to the only person who gave a damn about him in this world.

He kept his nose pinched as he left, leaving both of them gaping at his departure.


Lisbon's POV

They'd been pulling out of the parking lot when she realized that Jane had managed to distract her to such a degree that she hadn't obtained her answers from him. Marcus was angry but she couldn't call Abbott back empty-handed.

She marched up the stairs to his room, feeling angry at the way he'd manipulated her. She knocked on his door but received no response. She grabbed the handle; it turned easily in her hand... the door opening.

The room was empty.

"Jane!" she shouted aggressively.

He emerged from the bathroom half-naked; his torso exposed, his pants unbuttoned, his feet bare. She blinked a few times, her mind unable to register what she was seeing. He looked shocked to see her standing in his room.

She turned her back to him, her cheeks flaming, and stared at the door.

"For god's sakes, Jane! Put something on."

She didn't hear any movement.

"Jane..."

"You came in my room unannounced. My shirt is full of blood and as you mentioned earlier, I stink, so I'm not about to put on clean clothes because you're suddenly attained by modesty."

She heard the shower turn on and turned around stunned that he was just leaving her there in his room and ignoring her. That's when she caught sight of him in his full naked glory as he entered the shower; he hadn't closed his door.

"Get a good look, Lisbon?" he called from the shower, his eyes catching hers briefly.

She wanted to punch him and run out of the room at the same time. But she needed answers for Abbott. Whatever manipulative game he was playing now, she wasn't letting him win. He didn't want her digging, that was obvious, but she wouldn't let him gain the upper hand.

She sat in the lone chair in the room and waited. As mad as she was, she couldn't stop thinking about what she'd just seen. Which annoyed her. She'd barely seen his forearms all these years and now she'd just seen his entire physique and it was impressive. She'd noticed over the years his biceps stretching his suit jackets, his lean hips, had felt the hardness of his chest the few times he'd hugged her, but she hadn't expected this. She rolled her eyes at herself and told herself to get a grip.

She was constructing her arguments to distract herself from Jane's nakedness when the water turned off and the shower curtain opened. She stood up and turned her back to the bathroom.

"We need to talk," she said with her most serious tone.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Hfrmp."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You're here on Abbott's errand. You didn't come here out of concern for me."

"You think I don't care about you?"

"I think you're mad at me and you wouldn't have come unless Abbott had forced your hand."

"Fine! You're right. I'm mad at you, okay…"

"No doubt," he quipped.

"...and it's not what you think…"

"I'm sure it is," he said knowingly which annoyed her.

"No! It's not! You just left! You left me… you didn't come to check on me…"

"Cho said you were fine," he answered, his voice pitching in surprise.

"What is this? What's going on, Jane? I thought we were friends."

He didn't respond... so she continued, spilling the hurt that she'd been carrying all these weeks.

"Friends don't highjack their friend's life and try to break up their happy relationship… they show up and check on them at the hospital when they almost get blown up! They call to tell them that they are leaving…" her voice broke but she continued. "You think I don't know what you're up to here?"

She turned around to face him to make her point; but he was just standing still, his eyes focused on her, one hand on a garment bag, and the other holding the towel around his hips. He appeared undecided and just kept staring at her, but she couldn't focus on her conversation with him in that state.

"Dammit, Jane! Put some clothes on!" she said turning away from him again. "I can't talk to you like this."

A few heartbeats passed, then she heard the zipper of the garment bag and some ruffling.

"Let me remind you that you barged into my room."

She breathed a sigh of relief; he was getting dressed.

"You can look now," he said drily.

She did… but she wasn't ready for the sight that he made. He was adjusting the cufflink of his shirt sleeve, his damp curly hair falling over his forehead. The gray suit he wore was professionally cut and looked expensive. It hugged him in all the right places.

"Are you leaving?" she asked quietly, afraid to know the answer.

"Soon. I have plans."

"No… you know what I mean."

He stilled for a moment, then continued to adjust the buttons of his shirt.

"I'm tired. I just need time to myself."

"When are you coming back?"

She watched him carefully to see if he'd lie to her. She knew he was getting ready to run. Every fiber in her being was telling her this was the truth. And this is what Abbott had sent her to find out... if Jane was getting ready to run.

He looked at her then.

"I'll call Abbott tomorrow and sort this out. I'm sorry he made you come out here. You deserve to be happy. I want you to be happy. That's all I ever wanted and I'm sorry I was the cause of your unhappiness."

"Cut the crap, Jane, and answer my question."

He sighed and shrugged at the same time. She wasn't going to let him distract her again. She had to keep on goal. He gave her a pointed look and entered the bathroom. She waited patiently, perched on his bed, while he styled his hair and shaved the stubble on his face. Jane was the only human on the planet that tested her patience to such a degree. The only human who held her attention and drove her crazy.

"Jane… please talk to me," she pleaded as he exited the bathroom.

"There's nothing to say. I will get in touch with Abbott. I promise," he said sincerely. "Your fiancé is waiting for you, isn't he? You should go and finish your celebration."

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like this?"

"You need to be clearer, Lisbon."

Time stretched as she tried to find her words. He was completely shut down from her. She didn't know how to get him to open up to her.

"O...kay. Well, it was nice chatting," he said dismissively.

"Where are you going?"

"I have somewhere to be. You're welcome to stay... but I'm done here."

"Jane... please. Just talk to me. I'm here."

"Why does it matter to you so much, Lisbon? I'm not your problem anymore. You could have refused to come tonight… Abbott would have understood and sent Fischer. Why are you even here?"

"I'm your friend, that's why."

He chuckled.

"We were friends. These last months," he trailed off shaking his head, his arms opened to signal his attempt to convey his frustration. "You endure my presence at best and mostly you tried to ignore it. So, I'll ask you again... why are you here? You and I both know that you could have told Abbott to send Fischer."

"I came here to help you, you jerk!"

"You can't help me," he said opening the door. "Have a great life, Lisbon. You deserve every happiness and I hope you find it."

Those were his parting words to her as he closed the door and left her in his motel room.

She looked around at the rundown room full of worn-through textiles feeling hopeless. Tears stung her eyes. He was leaving… again. Why did that thought hurt so much?

She yanked the door open and took off down the stairs her anger building. Marcus was walking towards her and she'd forgotten that he was waiting for her in the car. She pushed her tears away but knew the flush of her anger couldn't be hidden from him.

"I just saw Jane leave… everything okay?"

"Just peachy," she answered.

She walked past him and headed to their car. She sat in silence as Marcus put the car in drive and headed into busy traffic. She stared out her window trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

"Want to talk about it?" Marcus asked gently.

His tone was open and compassionate. He made it easy to want to confide in him.

"He's leaving."

Marcus didn't respond for a few moments.

"Well… good riddance I say. He's caused us enough headaches… but especially you. This will be good, you'll see."

"It's not good, Marcus. He'll be a fugitive again."

"It's his life. I don't see why you're upset. We're moving to D.C. anyway."

Because I'll lose him again she screamed inside. But Marcus was right… why did it matter? She didn't know.

"He has a chance to restart fresh and he's throwing it all away."

"That's his choice. It's for the best. The guy has an unhealthy attachment to you."

"We are friends Marcus! I'm the closest thing he has to family! It's not for the best!"

Suddenly, she spotted Jane walking briskly on the sidewalk and disappearing around a corner. She wasn't ready to give up.

"Stop the car," she said firmly.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Just pull over. Pull over..." she said with more force.

He found a spot and pulled over.

"What's going on?"

She took a deep breath knowing Marcus was running out of patience.

"I can't leave. Something's wrong. I need to find out what it is. I won't be able to live with myself unless I try."

"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously.

"I know tonight is important, but this is a man's life, his future. I just need a little bit more time-"

"No!" he barked, cutting her off. "Why are you always jumping through hoops for this guy. He says jump, you say how high... I'm tired of it. We just got engaged. We had plans. Why can't you see that he's no good for you? Why can't you see how he just keeps ruining all the good things in your life. I've been keeping silent... but I can't anymore. I did my homework on this guy... on you and the situation at the CBI. He ruined you. He's not a good guy!"

She was so stunned, that she was speechless. All she could do was stare at him as her brain digested what he said.

"If you get out of this car, we're done."

Shock turned to anger, then quickly dissipated. The choice was painful but easy. She wanted a life with Marcus. She had already chosen him by agreeing to move to D.C. with him, knowing it would hurt Jane. But she couldn't turn her back on him. She knew that if she didn't get out of the car now... she'd never see Jane again.

She grabbed her clutch silently and got out of the car. Marcus sped away and her heart sank. She'd just given up what might have been her last chance at a family. Maybe she was meant to lead a lonely life. For better or for worse... she was all Jane had. She couldn't give up on him. She couldn't let him go back on the run. He deserved better than to live a life looking over his shoulder. Had he been happy on his little island, he would have stayed. But he didn't stay… which confirmed for her that he didn't want to go back to that life, he was running away and she needed to find out why.

She stole one last look at Marcus' retreating car, the signal flashing on the backlights of his car as he prepared to make a turn at the intersection. That chapter was over. She looked up at the buildings in the direction that Jane had been walking and spotted the five-star casino knowing she'd find him there. She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and headed in that direction, mentally preparing herself for the next few hours; they were going to be challenging... nothing with Jane was ever easy.


A/N: I hope you liked the set-up. I will be doing my best to update the story every two to three weeks. That's the best I can do right now. As usual, send me your reviews/feedback - I love hearing from you, keeps me motivated and helps to shape the elements of the story. :-)