A/N - i really appreciate those of u who have taken the time to read this story. im more invested in this one than my others, so it makes me happy to know people enjoy it. even just one person reading makes my day.

just a heads-up, this chapter switches from jane's pov to lisbon's in the middle. i can't leave you hanging on her mysterious past, can i?

Their evening together passes in a blink of an eye, and Patrick feels a little deflated as he pays the bill and hands it to the waitress.

He hasn't felt this carefree since before his wife and daughter's deaths. Something about Teresa makes it so easy to talk to her, no matter what the topic is. They spent their date chatting about random things, not digging too deep into their personal lives. It was only the first date, after all. They don't need to know everything about each other just yet.

Throughout the night, Patrick realized just how much he enjoyed eliciting a sweet laugh from Teresa, how much he already longed to see those dimples in her cheeks when she smiled. His new revelations scare him. He can't help but worry that it's too soon, that he'll start to forget his wife and daughter. He can't lose their memory; it's all he has left of them.

But Teresa is just irresistible. He doesn't want to stay away, and before he knows what he's doing he asks her out on another date.

"Are you sure?" Teresa stares at him with wide, surprised eyes, those green emeralds shining at him. "I mean, of course I'd like to go out with you again, but it's just...no guy ever asks for a second date after learning about my job and Theo." She chuckles lightly, but her eyes are solemn.

Jesus. This woman is precious, he thinks to himself.

"I'm not like most guys," he says cheekily, immediately realizing how stupid the words sound after they leave his lips. "That sounded better in my head."

Much to his delight, she giggles, that beaming smile back on her face. The stars in the night sky look dim compared to that smile.

Turning serious, he steps closer to her, leaving just enough space between them so she can breathe freely. He doesn't want to scare her off, but he also wants to see those beautiful eyes up close, see the tiny freckles that paint her cheeks and nose.

"I want to take you out again, Teresa. This night has been exhilarating. If you don't feel the same, I understand, but if there's even a tiny chance you'll want me, I want to see where things take us."

Despite his life being brought up from lies and conning, his words now are nothing but the truth. He wants to see her again. He wants to take her out on more dates and hold her hand and maybe even kiss her when the time is right.

She looks up at him shyly, biting her lower lip. She's clearly contemplating his overture. A tiny wrinkle makes an appearance between her eyebrows and he feels like he'll break down if she declines.

"Okay," she eventually says, "you can take me out again."

He exhales a breath of relief. "Thank God. I was worried you were going to say no. I don't think I'd be able to handle not seeing you again."

A smirk curls on her lips. "Couldn't read my mind, could you?"

"You're a bit harder to read than most," he admits. "It's really intriguing."

"Good to know."

"When are you free again?"

"I'll have to check in with my boss and see if I can snag another day off," she answers as they head to his car in the parking lot. "I rarely take days for myself, so I should have a few free days lined up."

"You take your work very seriously, I assume."

"Yeah," she sighs. "I love my job. Being in the police force was my dream as a little girl. I worked really hard in school to get an application to the police academy, but I also had three brothers to take care of, so it took me a little while to make it."

He attempts to lift her lowering mood. "You made it, though."

She straightens. "I did. And I'm happy to have made it this far. It's hard, though, with Theo. Sometimes I feel like I don't spend enough time with him. He sees my friends, the ones who babysit him while I'm at work, more than he sees me."

Once settled in the car, Patrick debates on whether or not he should tackle the whole father thing. He wants to know if he's in the picture, although it seems like he isn't. Teresa hasn't once spoken about the father of Theo. He'll respect it if she doesn't want to talk about him, but he needs to ask.

"Is his father in the picture?"

Teresa immediately stiffens at that, her muscles tense. That's all the answer he needs.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry. I'm just curious," he apologizes.

She shakes her head. "It's fine, don't apologize. Um, his father isn't in the picture, no. He doesn't want anything to do with me or Theo."

That's all the information she gives him, and he knows better than to ask for more. He has a pretty clear idea on what happened based on her body language alone, but he isn't going to test if his theory is correct. He doesn't want to add any more stress on her. It's tough enough already being a single mother. She needs support, not questions and demands.

"That's unfortunate," he murmurs, pulling into the buzzing traffic of the night. "You're a wonderful mother, Teresa. You should never think otherwise."

"Thank you," she whispers, fiddling with the cross around her neck. He turns on the radio and the comforting music of Chet Baker fills the atmosphere once more.

XxX

Teresa doesn't know what to think of Patrick Jane.

Okay, that's a lie. She knows what she thinks of him. She thinks he's gorgeous, charming, kind, and funny. All those attributes make it easy for her to fall for him, but she doesn't go over the edge completely, not yet. It's too soon. And she remembers what happened the last time she fell too soon.

It resulted in the birthing of a baby boy, Theodore James Lisbon. She loves him and would give her life for his, but she wishes the circumstances of his existence were different. She wishes he came from a loving couple who had their life together, who are ready to teach him how to read, write his name and play sports. Instead he came from fighting, screaming and violence, and she was left to raise him herself, the villain having gotten away once again.

She doesn't mind raising Theo by herself. It's better than having his father in both their lives. It's just hard sometimes, especially with her job that requires so many hours of the day. But she needs this job. It pays the bills and the people in her life won't let her stop doing what she loves, which is solving crimes and serving justice to those who deserve it.

She just hopes Theo will understand when he's older. He doesn't ask about his dad, which she's thankful for and a little relieved about. She doesn't bring him up. It's just them, in their own little world, safe from those who can hurt them. At least she likes to believe they're safe.

She never thought she'd find a man to sweep her off her feet again before she met Patrick. He's everything a man should be, in her opinion, but she's still unsure. She doesn't know him very well. He could just be playing with her; it wouldn't be the first time.

Her trust issues don't make it easy for her to find a boyfriend. Not that finding a boyfriend is her priority. Her main priority will always be Theo, no matter what. She would always do what's best for him. Sure, it would be nice to have the help of a loving father, but she's just as capable of raising Theo on her own. She doesn't need anyone but him.

But she still can't help but feel like Patrick is different. He even asked for a second date, and not many men suggest such a thing after realizing she's a police officer and a mother. As soon as she tells them, they bail on her. It's what she expects when she goes on dates. But Patrick Jane certainly isn't like all the other men she's been on dates with.

He doesn't mind her profession. He doesn't mind that she has a child. He likes her for her, and it's a little mind-boggling. It's definitely not something she's used to. But maybe she could learn to get used to it.

After Patrick parks in front of her house and bids goodbye, she leans over the console and plants a soft kiss on his stubbled cheek, rendering him speechless. She chuckles at his wide eyes, gives him a quick 'bye' and slips out of the car.

She walks up the steps and fishes for her keys. Once she gets the door open she hears the soft voice of Nemo from Finding Nemo, Theo's favorite movie at the moment.

She smiles and heads into the living room to find her son sleeping peacefully in her best friend Grace's lap. The beautiful red head looks up at Teresa and mirrors her smile. "Hey," she whispers, careful not to wake up Theo.

Teresa drops her purse on the empty chair and sits down beside Grace, her eyes fixed on the sleeping boy. "Hey. Was he good?"

"An angel, like always," Grace replies. "I fed him dinner and gave him a bath already. He fell asleep while watching the movie."

Teresa smiles gratefully at the other woman. She doesn't know what she'd do without Grace or her husband, Wayne Rigsby. The two have always been there for her when she needs them, even when they have things going on in their own lives. Sometimes she feels guilty for asking Grace to watch Theo, but her best friend always says she's more than happy to do it.

"Where's Wayne?" Teresa asks softly, brushing some stray hairs from Theo's face.

"He went home with the kids after Theo fell asleep," Grace says. "Enough about us. How was your date with Patrick?"

At the mention of his name, Teresa blushes. "It was nice."

"Oh, c'mon. You have to give me more than that." Grace raises her perfect eyebrows at her. "Where'd he take you? Is he nice? What's he like?"

Right as she's about the answer Theo shifts in Grace's lap, making a sleepy noise in the back of his throat. Teresa stands and puts her arms out for him. "Let me get Theo to bed and then we'll talk."

Grace reluctantly hands over the four year old. "Okay, but you better hurry your butt back here!"

Teresa rolls her eyes and carries Theo down the hall to his bedroom. When she lays him down in his racecar bed, his eyes slowly blink open. "Mommy?"

She smiles. "Hi, baby. Did you have a good time with Grace and Wayne?"

Theo yawns, then nods. "Uh-huh. I missed you."

"I missed you too." She leans down and presses a kiss to his forehead. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning."

Theo yawns again, his eyes droopy. "Okay."

"I love you."

"Love you too." His eyes close and he's fast asleep again.

She watches him for a few more seconds before exiting his room, leaving the door open just a crack so he can get out when he needs to. Sometimes he has nightmares and climbs into her bed in the middle of the night. She never kicks him out because she knows the nightmares are always about his father. She has them too, sometimes.

She returns to the living room and Grace is still seated on the couch, seemingly focused on the movie playing. She plops down and sighs. "It was good. Really good. Patrick took me to this Italian restaurant and we spent the evening talking. He even guessed that I was a police officer. He wasn't even squeamish about it. He didn't mind it."

"That's great!" Grace grins. "About time a man doesn't feel intimidated by you."

"Yeah," Teresa agrees. "He's really charming and sweet. He even asked me for a second date. That never happens."

"Oh my gosh! Did you say yes?"

"I did. He seems really great."

"I feel like there's a 'but' coming," Grace comments with a frown.

Teresa fiddles with her fingers in her lap. "There's no 'but' necessarily. He's such a nice guy. Perfect, even. But I thought that way about Evan when I first met him and look what happened."

Grace gives her a sympathetic look. "Teresa..."

"I know, I know, not all guys are like Evan." Teresa sighs and rests back into the couch. "But I can't help it. I want to move on, but every time I try to I see his face in the back of my mind, taunting me and warning me that if I try to run away from him he'll catch me. It's like I can't escape him. He left me and Theo but I still feel like he'll come busting through that door and claim that he owns us. I hate feeling this way but I don't know how to stop it."

She feels Grace's comforting hand on her shoulder. "What Evan did to you and Theo was absolutely terrible. He's a disgusting piece of shit and he will rot in hell for what he's done. I hate him and you should too. But Reese, just because one man treated you badly doesn't mean all men will. There are amazing guys out there who would kill to have you. There's a man out there who's made for you and he will treat you like a queen. And who knows, maybe Patrick is that man."

Grace's words ease her nerves a little. But just a little. She's still afraid to get into another relationship. Evan's face of malice still haunts her every night as she lies in bed. She doesn't think she's ready for another man to come into her life, and she doubts Theo is. It would be better if she stays single and takes care of Theo like she has always done.

"I just don't know, Grace." Teresa's tone is clipped, meaning she's dropping the conversation. Grace gets the hint and nods, though her frown is still in tact on her face.

"Well, don't let Evan hold you back from finding true happiness," she says as she stands up and grabs her purse, slinking it over her shoulder. "You deserve happiness, Reese. Both you and Theo do."

Teresa nods wordlessly. Grace gives her one last pat on the shoulder before leaving the house, shutting the door quietly behind her.

The house is silent, and she's left alone with her thoughts. Most contain Evan and their past relationship, but a few consist of Patrick, his blue-green eyes warm and inviting, his lips curved upwards into a boyish grin.

She knows she shouldn't, but when Patrick calls again, she'll pick up on the first ring.