A/N: Part 2 of the retreat. Sorry it's another long one, I can't help myself.

More group bonding, bit tropey, and we see our favourite duo making some serious headway by the end of this chapter.

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From one set activity to another they jumped, with orienteering to see out their afternoon. After quickly getting ready, they piled into the van to get to a nearby clearing by a large pine forest, Spackman's unit not far behind.

The orienteering course was set. Armed with nothing but 3 maps and a compass, the two teams of five were tasked with hitting three checkpoints to pick up tokens, all in opposite directions, before converging as a team at the finish line.

"The quickest way will be to split off into three groups, hit a checkpoint each, and meet at the finishing point," Cho reasoned. "The checkpoints are all about a 15-20 minute walk from here, the finish line an extra 10 give or take." He looked at the map a bit closer. "If we all stay on route, the first team will arrive back in 25, the last in 35. If we hit them all up as a group, we'll be over an hour."

"But we have no way of communicating with each other?" Wylie pointed out.

"We're also all very competent FBI agents," Cho countered. "Well, apart from Jane. But he's very competent in his own right."

Jane shrugged. "That's a stretch."

"It's a good plan, Cho," Lisbon said backing the boss up.

Cho divided them up into the three groups. As the leader, he ventured out solo, knew Lisbon was best at controlling Jane, and paired the two younger agents together. Jane was pretty pleased with Cho's choices. Of course, the afternoons were always better when he could spend them with Lisbon.

Spackman's team seemed to follow a similar logic. The event started and they all split up, heading in the direction of their agreed checkpoint.

Lisbon took charge of their duo, authoritatively handling both map and compass as she led the way and the consultant followed.

"Wore the blue jeans today, hope you like," he lightly teased.

"Beats the old ill-fitting psychic suit any day," she commented without even looking back.

"It's okay Lisbon, you needn't be shy," he continued with his tease, "did you want me to walk ahead so you can check me out a bit more?"

"Oh hush you," she replied, feeling her ears go a little red, as she remembered how indiscreet her reactions were at the shopping mall. "Yeah sure, walk ahead of me. It'll make it easier to lose you, then we'll see how Boy Wonder goes wandering the woods on his lonesome," she joked with a grin.

Jane chuckled and picked up a big stick from the ground as they walked by. He snapped off a few twigs and slapped it against the ground, evidently pleased with the new walking stick he had procured. "I'm carney folk Lisbon, an open expanse with a few trees around, and I'm right at home."

They got to a point in the road where the track veered left, but the compass indicated they should bear true north. Lisbon paused in contemplation.

"Across here is more direct, but the path might be easier to walk," she said. "What do you think?"

"Quicker, shorter, better," Jane reasoned. "Is it easy enough to traverse? No rivers or trolls or wolf dens?" he asked peering over her shoulder to sneak a look at the map, nosying his face in close so they were practically cheek to cheek.

"Yeah, I think it looks fine," she justified, ambiguous to his closeness, unperturbed to the complete disregard for personal space.

"Lead the way, Napolean," he gestured as they wander through the trees.

Off the beaten path came with its challenges. More hills, valleys, and dips, thicker grassy areas, and scrubs to navigate. They had to plie like ballerinas to hurdle through some parts.

"Damn it to hell!" Lisbon yelled out suddenly.

"Oof, language," Jane warned, "what's the matter?"

"I dropped the compass somewhere, I don't have it anymore."

"Well, that's not ideal."

They scanned the area quickly to no use.

"Maybe you should learn to trust the lowly consultant more, eh? Maybe if you let me help out and carry something, you wouldn't have to deal with all the burden on your own," he pointed out, his subtext intentional.

"Maybe, but that doesn't really help now, does it?"

"Well, judging by where the sun is," Jane began while shielding his eyes and peering upwards, "North should be that way," he pointed, "we'll keep heading in that direction until we hit a path, and we'll take paths from here on out."

She frowned momentarily. It wasn't often Jane spat out a plan she didn't disagree with in some way, shape, or form, but it seemed logical.

They continued the arduous trek off the path, plants battering the bases of their legs, as they spotted the trail up ahead at the bottom of the hill.

"Well, that's a relief-," Lisbon started, before she squealed as her foot got caught and she lost her balance. Instinctively, Jane reached out to catch her, losing his own footing as he did. He softened the impact of her landing, landing shoulder first into the ground, as Lisbon landed on his chest. He intuitively braced her with both arms, pulling her in close, shielding her from the ground, as they tumbled briefly at the mercy of gravity down the side of the hill. They landed with Jane on his back in the leaves, Lisbon's small frame cautiously cradled in his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked quickly while wincing softly, not relenting his hold.

She paused for a moment, slightly giddy from the fall. But she found herself in a spot that she was surprised to feel so gratified in, even despite the dramatics that had just occurred. His shoulders were so broad and masculine, something she'd never really noticed until lately. His toned arms defending her, again, something she wasn't used to – she was normally the one doing the defending. She could've laid in this spot for hours, soaking in his scent, listening to his heartbeat, her head rising and falling with his breath. She quashed her thoughts and shook out of her stupor, "yeah I'm good. Thank you, I'm sorry," she replied.

She quickly moved off of him and affectionately assessed him for injuries. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"You didn't need to hop up so quickly, I won't bite," Jane croaked cheekily, although breathlessly, as the wind was knocked out of him in the fall.

Island time had certainly made him a bit of a flirt, she thought. All those hours devoid of human interaction. Or perhaps he had a bit more courage now he didn't bear the weight of Red John still out and free on his shoulders. It made her smile. She didn't mind the flirty side of him, it was always fun with their banter, and she never read into it too far – but maybe now she should be? His sense of humour brought joy to her day, and was always welcome in such a macabre and melancholic job role.

"We can't just lay in the leaves and cuddle like a couple of lovestruck teens," she argued, her choice of simile causing him much amusement. "Last time I checked, you're not my boyfriend, and furthermore, we have a team that's depending on us." She jumped to her feet and held out her hand. "Come on, get your ass up, let's move," she instructed.

He smiled and grabbed her hand, "Yes, boss," he said as she pulled him up. She dusted his back free of leaves roughly. He plucked a stray leaf from the intertwines of her hair as they shared an amused, yearnful look.

They continued to follow the path toward their checkpoint.

"So, you've checked if I'm your boyfriend? That's an interesting thing to just be doing," he probed.

She rolled her eyes. "If I had a nickel for every time I've had to say we're not involved over the years," she started.

"Would it be such a ridiculously bad thing?" he asked tentatively.

She turned to him and playfully looked him up and down. "Eh," she replied casually, "I've dated worse."

"It's the jeans, right?' he asked, rerouting his tone back to banter, rather than innocently trying to probe the inner mind of Agent Lisbon. "You wouldn't be saying that if I was still in the psychic suit."

"Suits are still good so long as they're well fitted," she negotiated, "you look good in a vest."

"Oh, that's right," he replied back curiously. "Didn't realise you spent that long checking me out."

"Don't go and flatter yourself too much," she said blandly, "you were a constant presence in my life. Of course, it was nice when you were nice to look at. It's like a house plant, it's always nicer to have around when it's green and healthy, not all brown shriveled and dying."

"Did… did you just compare me to a house plant?"

"Why yes, yes I did," she said with a grin.

"I'm not sure if I should be offended," he replied mirroring her grin.

"Life's too short to be offended by the little things," she said at an attempt of wisdom, a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes, and the houseplant always looks better when it's watered and taken care of properly."

"Yes, that's why I took you shopping," Lisbon said, "that and Abbott told me to. Gotta get the houseplant looking the part again. You're about as useful as a houseplant some cases."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well at least the ones that don't pique your interest, or the ones you figure out straight away but don't choose to tell anyone for a week, or when you're overly distracted by some personal vendetta mission thing," she explained.

"Ah, you know you guys were always lost without me," he debated.

"Uh, no. Perhaps it took us a little longer to get to the conclusion, but we also didn't have to clean any of your messes and deal with any of the extra Jane-related paperwork afterward, more concise reports for the DA's, complaint paperwork, etcetera etcetera."

"Mmmm, and you all would've been bored"

"Oh, so peace and no drama equates to boredom in your books?"

"No, a bit of peace and lack of drama is good, if you're doing something interesting."

"Bringing criminals to justice with good solid detective work is interesting enough."

"Don't you ever think of doing anything else with your life? Are you going to run around chasing bad guys forever?"

"Being a cop is my life, it's a part of who I am."

"Yeah, I know," Jane replied flatly.

"Don't sound so apathetic, surely that's no surprise to you."

"I suppose. And I have a 5-year ball-and-chain sentence with the FBI, at least I get to spend it shackled to you."

"Lucky me," she tried to say dryly, but couldn't help but look up and flash him a smile. She felt mildly embarrassed that he caught her glance, but enjoyed the jovial reaction it got from him.

"To be honest, Jane, I'm glad you're shackled to me. I wasn't sure if coming back to running around chasing bad guys was ever going to be worth it for you if it wasn't fuelling your personal vendetta."

"What can I say, the whole crime-fighting gambit has grown on me," he said nonchalantly, "and present company ain't so bad either," he admitted, digging his hands into his pocket.

"You're not so bad yourself," she said with a dimpled smile.

They finally found the checkpoint and noticed there was only one token left at the collection point.

"Damn, Spackman and co have already been here," Lisbon exclaimed.

"Eh, they need a win anyway. Good for overall agency morale."

"We better jog it from here," Lisbon said side galloping away.

"Calm down Little Miss I-did-track-in-high-school," Jane said, "I didn't do track, and I have no interest in going for a run. I'm not running unless there's a tiger loose around here."

"Oh come on, Jane, where's your team spirit?"

He tapped his pockets mockingly, "I think I left it in my other pants," he said.

"Seriously?"

"It's a beautiful day Lisbon," he argued, "beautiful day, such a beautiful part of the world, beautiful company. Why rush through it? It's not all about winning." He picked a stray husk and stuck it out of the corner of his mouth.

She pulled a face at him as she knew she wasn't going to win the argument.

"If we're last to arrive, you owe me a dollar"

"A fickle price to pay in exchange for the ability to appreciate."

They began to walk in the direction of the finishing place, Jane increasing his pace to catch up to Lisbon and to meet her stride. He tried to watch her face as they walked, trying to figure out what kind of fervent or maniacal things were ricocheting through her mind. He struggled to get a good read out of her, so decided to do what he did best to get a read out of people – push some buttons to try and elicit a cranky response.

He reached out his hand that was closer to her, crossed their wrists and slid his hand into hers, taking a hold of it through interlocking their fingers.

To his surprise, she just clasped his hand back like it was completely normal and they kept walking. As her fingers tightened around his, he felt a jolt through his own body. He didn't expect such a reaction – he was going for a probe, a heightened ireful response, not effortless reciprocation. He got more of a reaction out of himself than he did her.

"Jane," she started slowly, noticing his surprise or discomfort, she wasn't sure which. "Are you holding my hand to get a reaction out of me for some wild reason, or because you actually want to?" she asked with a hint of contumely in her voice.

"You don't seem to be objecting?" he replied surprisingly unsure of himself.

"You're going to have to try a little harder to probe a rise out of me," she said, elbowing him playfully, not relenting her grip on his hand. "And why are you trying to get into my head?"

"You never stop surprising me, Lisbon," he said sheepishly, "Seems like I've taught a trick or two over the years."

"I've just grown older and wiser. Years of experience," she said coolly. "So quit it. Leave my poor brain alone," she said, poking his chest.

He couldn't help but smile. She knew him too well. There was no one in the universe that knew him as well as Lisbon did. It wouldn't surprise him if she knew him better than he knew himself. She pretty well knew every side of him. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the very ugly. And she still stood by him despite everything. She was either clinically insane or just truly a saint of a soul and a good person. She was the good energy that helped light the darkness inside him.

It was far from the first time he'd had her hand in his. She thought back to the time he grabbed her hand as they jumped off the Garcia's porch in the pouring rain as they ran to the SUV, the surprise and delight of his boyish wonder, and the certain romantic suggestive energy there is with a rainy downpour. The moment they hopped into the SUV, their faces glistening with raindrops, panting slightly from the adrenalin from escaping the pouring rain, the looks and smiles they shared.

She thought back to the other end of the spectrum, the time they were charged with such anguish and despondency, and she was emotionally fuelled with such mistrusts from six-months of abandonment. But still despite everything, she put her job on the line for him. Finding him on the side of the road on the dirt mound, injured from his beating, destitute and defeated. One of the lowest points she'd seen him in to-date. The way he helplessly reached over and grabbed her elbow, sliding his hand down to meet hers with his last ounce of energy. And they just sat. Together. The range of emotion that a simple hand hold could convey, and here it felt like something different once more.

He'd been pushing the bounds of their friendship since he returned, and whilst she wasn't explicitly overtly encouraging it, she was definitely not discouraging it either. But she knew he was up to something, even if he wasn't up to admitting anything, it was fun to beat him at his own game.

He sighed. "I used to be able to read you like a book. Now, it's not so easy."

"Now you know how the rest of us mere mortals feel," Lisbon mused.

"You've changed," Jane surmised, a little unsure of himself.

"Have I? Maybe you're the one who's changed. You can see the world through a different lens now you're not so fuelled by obsession."

"Maybe," he acquiesced, giving her hand a squeeze.

They approached a familiar-looking clearing, with a line of cars parked across a fence line.

"Oh crap! We've been heading the wrong way," Lisbon disdained, as they came to the realisation that they were back at their starting point.

"Might you consider that that's why I was trying to get into your head? To see if you had realised we were heading in the wrong direction?"

"See most people with a functioning mouth and vocal cords would just say something rather than try and pull mind games! What is wrong with you?"

"Well, that's certainly a can of worms… that I don't think we have the time to open right now, Lisbon, we're in the middle of a team race. Have you forgotten? Where's your team spirit?"

"Dammit Jane!" she said exasperatedly. She took a good look at him and shook her head in realisation, "you didn't know, you had no clue either," she said despondently.

"Relax Lisbon, you have the van keys, right? We just drive round to the finish spot."

"That's cheating"

"Says who? Show me where in the rules for this silly little game it says we can't use any means of transport. We're just being resourceful"

Lisbon scrunched her face up like she usually did before jumping on board one of Jane's crazy ideas.

"Much faster than running too. Come on, let's go then."

They parked on a small dirt road, a few hundred feet away from the allocated finishing place, and tried to inconspicuously creep up to it. They saw an Abbott there, waiting with a discombobulate Cho.

"About time," Cho muttered as they stepped up to them.

"No sign of Spackman's team yet?" Lisbon asked with a sense of surprise and confusion.

"Oh no, they've already all finished and left," Abbott said sternly, "They left about 10 minutes ago."

"Uh oh," Jane muttered under his breath.

Cho and Lisbon were both highly competitive people, this news didn't bid well. He decided not to throw Lisbon under the bus with the compass snafu.

"Where's Wylie and Vega?" Jane asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Abbott replied.

Another 30 awkward minutes passed before Wylie and Vega jogged before them, looking tired and dirty.

"I'm sorry," Vega panted as they neared them, "Spackman's team ganged up on us, roped our arms and legs, and pushed us down an incline," as she wiped the sweat from her dirt-riddled brow, scratches all over her hand, as poor Wylie keeled over, looking like he could vomit. "Assholes," she concluded.

Abbott looked unperturbed. "More than one way to skin a mule. Take what you can learn from this experience. Dangerous to split your team when you have no communications."

"You're condoning this behaviour?" Lisbon asked disgustedly.

"Interesting that you of all people, knowing your history with this one," he nodded in Jane's direction, "is questioning out-of-the-box thinking and borderline ethical moral behaviour. If the pair were actually injured, yes, I might have something different to say. But seeing as they're not…"

The team exchanged looks.

"Ok then, you can get back to your vehicle, we'll see you back at the lodge," he concluded.

Cho, Wylie and Vega turned to head in the direction of the starting point.

"Uh, guys," Jane started slowly, "van's this way," he said pointing in the direction he and Lisbon had come from.

"Really?" said Cho. "You drove and you still didn't beat any of Spackman's team?"

"Eh, it didn't matter anyway," Jane replied with cheek, as they all headed back to the lodge.

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There were whispers, nudges and giggles as they walked past Spackman's unit when they returned back to the lodge. They all disappeared for much-needed showers before their final workshop and dinner, as they were set to leave the next morning.

Dinner was a simple spread. The bantering went back and forth in a friendlier, more light-hearted manner as each team mocked the others' dismal performance at group activities. Although the paintballing teases were short-lived, with Abbott still carrying a lot of pain from the incident. It was difficult for the team, in particular Wylie, to keep his mouth shut about giving Jane the credit for the carnage.

The night was quite cool but still, so another campfire seemed like the logical conclusion, as there was still ample firewood and tinder left from the previous night. They shared beers, and long-neck pilsners as they basked in its warmth and watched it flicker.

Vega approached Lisbon and took a seat next to her at the fire.

"Some weekend, huh?" she started.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it," Lisbon replied.

"Can I ask you something?" Vega asked somewhat nervously.

"Yeah, of course," Lisbon replied looking at the rookie warily.

"You became leader of a unit quite young, yes?" she started, "I mean if you were Cho's boss for over a decade and you didn't work together for a couple of years, that means you became boss like ages ago. You're not that old now"

"I'm getting pretty old," Lisbon joked, "I feel old at least"

"But still, that means you were given a leadership job early. You would've been in your early 20's?"

"Closer to mid, but sure."

"How did you do that? I want to be able to do the same thing, I want to be able to lead and make a name for myself, you know?" Vega continued earnestly.

"Firstly, I was a leader at state level. You're at federal already, so you're already leaps and bounds ahead of where I was, even if you're not in a leadership position. You're a Fed, you should be proud of that in itself," Lisbon started. "But me, I had a good mentor when I worked at the SFPD, and I caught a big case that had been passed over that I was able to break, it was a huge case. And that's what made a name for me. The CBI reached out to me to head a unit after that."

"Basically," Lisbon continued, "just focus on doing good police work. Don't put the onus and pressure on yourself to move up the ranks. Do the best work you can, show how valuable you are and that you're a good detective. Do your job efficiently and well, and don't be afraid to take credit for the good things you've done. You can't do it alone either, Cho's a great mentor, and I daresay you have a pretty good team to lean on too," she finished, playfully nudging Vega on her side.

"Yeah, we do have a good team," Vega smiled. "Although I'm not too sure what to take from Jane at this stage. What's his deal?"

"Well, that's a long, long story," Lisbon replied blandly. "That could take days to explain. Anything more specific?"

"I tried to look him up online, but the amount of stuff that came back was huge. Completely overwhelming. And some of the stories were obviously not true, media hype I suppose," Vega explained.

"Oh you'd be surprised," Lisbon murmured.

"Did he really kill those people?" Vega asked.

"Yes, but all justified. He's more of a princess than a murderer. He's the one always running in the opposite direction from the danger or the one hiding outside," Lisbon replied with a stifled giggle.

"And he used to be a psychic? That's what got his family killed?"

"He used to be a con-man pretending to be a psychic, and was damn good. He's just good at reading people, as you've seen. He said some bad things about the serial killer on a talk show, and came home to find his wife and daughter murdered," Lisbon explained a little distantly.

"That's so horrible," Vega empathised, "Red John right?"

"Yes," Lisbon nodded, slightly cringing at hearing the name out loud still.

"So how did he end up with the CBI?" she asked.

"He came to us wanting information on the investigation. He was some unintentional help in solving a case, then my boss thought we could use his skills and offered him a job," she recalled. "He helped close cases, but he was completely consumed with finding the serial killer to execute his own justice. We were the team assigned to the case, but I never condoned what he wanted to do," Lisbon continued.

She looked across the campfire and glimpsed Jane's boyish smile as he spoke to Wylie and McDowell animatedly.

"But although he's always been filled with such sadness, he really does have a heart of gold. He goes out of his way to help families that need it where he can," she explained, thinking back to the blackjack dealer he gave his poker winnings so she could pay for her mum's new kidney, the cheque they squeezed out of Carnelian's CEO to help a family that was wronged by the company. "He really is a good person, fiercely loyal, he treated our team like family. He's helped me out of some real impossible spots. And he's brilliant, the way his mind works is astounding. He notices things, little details, that make all the difference and has a close to eidetic memory to match. And once he sets his mind to something, he never gives up. He never ceases to amaze me, he truly is an amazing man," she concluded, looking wistfully at him once more.

"Right. So, what should I expect working with him then?" Vega asked. "It's been interesting so far, to say the least."

Lisbon grinned and shook her head. "Interesting is the polite way to put it. Learn not to expect anything. Jane doesn't work to the rules. He'll come up with plans and schemes, he'll trick and mislead, he won't tell you things to protect your deniability, he will twist every situation to his advantage" she started.

"Then how are you supposed to work with him?" Vega asked

"Use him to your advantage. I suppose I just learned to trust him, to a certain degree I suppose. He's usually right, his plans nearly always pan out. You put your neck out, a really far way out, and it can be scary. Because if it all goes wrong… the consequences… yikes. But it doesn't. And the payoff is worth it. We catch a lot of bad guys. Most days, that's enough," she explained.

"He thinks outside the box," she continued, "but still you got to be careful. He's the most frustrating thing in the world. But the FBI crossed oceans to get him back. We closed every case we were given when we worked together at the CBI. And we got into a heap of trouble along the way. But every. Single. Case. Some people said he's taught me bad habits, I think he made me a better cop. Hell, he's made me a better person," she said as she looked over wistfully in his direction once more.

"Hmmm, right, okay," Vega replied, thinking.

"I wouldn't stress too hard. Cho will cop the brunt of it. Jane's not your leader, Cho is. Just make sure you're following his orders, or communicating with him anything Jane's trying to pull, and you'll be totally fine. Cho's worked with Jane before, he knows what to expect and how to handle it. And he has me too, I have years of Jane experience on my resume," Lisbon reassured.

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The evening came to close relatively early, it had been a long day, there was a hum of trepidation as they were due to leave the next morning. Jane returned to his room, mildly disappointed he didn't get the chance to chat with Lisbon around the campfire, but enjoyed the laughs he had shared with Wylie and McDowell. It was a shame McDowell was on Spackman's unit, the kid was good quality and had lots of potential he thought, albeit he was a very soft target for any mind games. He could help him with that. Wylie was turning out to be unlike any computer geek he had ever met before. He had a real strong, stoic side, that he seemed to repress for some reason, like a sense of jock brimming underneath. And a wicked sense of humour with a slight rebellious streak – the complete opposite to Vega it seemed. Jane knew who his go-to for questionable schemes in the future would be.

He washed his face and changed into his pyjamas. He stared out the window. The night was still, the forest was tranquil. It had been an interesting weekend, and he particularly appreciated the setting they were in. He truly enjoyed and appreciated the subtle beauty of nature.

His admiration was interrupted by a rap at his door.

Curiously, he crossed the room and opened it to find a petite brunette, her hair dropped around her shoulders, one bare from her off-the-shoulder Bears sweatshirt, paired with black sweatpants and slippers, looking like she had something important to get off her chest.

"Hey," said Lisbon softly, "mind if I come in?"

"Yeah of course," he replied, mirroring her tone as he shifted to the side to allow her to pass before closing the door behind her. She took a seat on the couch.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I just didn't feel like sleeping yet"

Lie, he thought to himself. But he couldn't quite figure out what was on her mind. She looked reserved and somewhat masking trepidation.

"Okay," he hesitantly replied. "So, what did you want to do?"

"Just chat," she replied nonchalantly. "If that's okay?"

"Yeah of course," he replied again. "Anything in particular you want to talk about?" he asked with a slight raised eyebrow, wondering if their evening was destined for difficult conversations he wasn't sure he was capable of having.

"Not really," she replied, "can't an old friend hang? It's been nice reminiscing about some of the CBI days with you. Actually, it's been really nice having you around again. I really missed you," she said with a friendly punch to the side of the arm.

He sat down at the other end of the couch, leaned back and smiled, "Hang, hey?" He surveyed her reaction then softened his own, "I really missed you too, it's surprisingly good to be back."

"Surprising, hey?" she questioned.

"I mean, Austin is no paradise island, but it certainly has its upsides," he said, his face alight.

They shared a few more stories from yesteryear, reminisced fondly about Wainwright, laughed about the fake psychics they crossed paths with – Mars and Glass, and Jane's wonderful psychic performance to upstage the latter, debriefed the day, and gossiped about Spackman's team. Conversation was so easy with him, being around him was just so easy, except for when it wasn't.

She looked at him frustratedly. Frustrated with him, frustrated with herself. She wanted the conversation to steer back to what they'd been avoiding and their interrupted conversations of yesterday, but she didn't want to be the one to bring it up yet again. She was frustrated that despite her clear goading of yesterday and appearing here on his couch of her volition, he still wasn't broaching the subject.

"Just spit it out Lisbon," he said catching her ruminating expression. "What's up, why are you really here?" he asked as he ran his fingers through his own curly mane.

"I think you already know," she said quietly.

He thought he did, or maybe he just hoped, with his wild imagination getting the better of him. But he knew better than to assume, especially nowadays when it came to Lisbon. He shifted closer to her on the couch, one arm up against the cushions as he stared into her glassy green eyes noting the blood rushing to her face.

"Enlighten me," he challenged.

Not to be out-controlled, she shifted closer to him as well, challenging him back, her breath a little uneasy as her nerves unwittingly swam around her body. She gazed back into his tender blue eyes, the intensity of it unnerving her, it was too much to bear. She looked down and away, before shifting her attention to some non-existent lint on the lapel of his pyjama top. She raised her hand to the fabric, picking at it, tugging at the hem, before smoothing it down against his collarbone with the flats of her fingers. The initiation of contact triggered things in both of them. Things of longing. Things of nervous excitement. Things they were unsure about.

She exhaled deeply, and raised her other hand cautiously to mirror the first upon his collarbone. Her hands were nearly shaking, a burning tension in the air, as she dared not make eye contact with him although she could feel his eyes burning into her. She bit her bottom lip out of nerves, but it seemed to elicit a reaction from him as she desperately continued to avoid eye contact until she couldn't anymore. Her eyes met his. They were wide with intrigue and anticipation.

She almost chickened out for a moment. Shyed away from what she really desired to do. She slid her hands from his collarbones to under his arms and curled them around his back, bringing her face down to his chest. She exhaled once more, slightly out of frustration with herself, slightly from having her head in such close proximity to his heart, his subtle aroma intoxicating. Free from his direct gaze, she summoned the courage to murmur, "maybe… maybe I just have to know too…"

She breathed him in deeply, his faint musky cologne and that scent that was just uniquely Jane radiating warmth and comfort through her. She could hear his heart thump rhythmically, a sense of calm and norm swept over her, as she slightly internally panicked about her forthcoming actions. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the soft brushing of the back of his fingers across her cheek invigorating her senses.

Her actions took him off guard, but he had to smile as she used his own words against him once more. But he wondered what she really meant by them. He could feel her nervousness, a mix of exhilaration and apprehensiveness as he leaned back and she nestled into his chest, her arms around his back. She fit into him so perfectly, like it was oh so normal. He brushed her hair behind her ear so he could see her face more clearly. Her vivid green eyes, normally filled with such brutish, self-assuredness, reflecting a moment of vulnerability and willingness to take a chance. He relished the warmth of her face upon his chest, her body against him, her arms looped around him. It was a sweet and somewhat platonic moment, but his many digressive thought processes from the island started to creep into his mind, as he knew his heartbeat matched the intensity of hers. There was always a risk, but the fact that she was there, in his room, for no real reason, now with her arms around him unprovoked, meant that perhaps she was willing to take the risk too.

"Hey," he said, as he gently took her chin by his point finger and thumb with a bit of courage, and tilted her gaze towards his face, "if you just need to know something, then you just need to ask."

His baby blues gazed into her bright green eyes for a moment, before he closed them, his face descending towards hers. She tried her best not to gasp in anticipation, as she closed her eyes and raised her chin with his gentle grasp, her heart leaping into her throat. Their lips met and her mind dissolved in a sense of euphoria. She had never admitted to herself that she longed so much for this moment, but now it was here, she realised how much she'd be craving it. His lips gently engulfing hers, his tongue caressing hers in such serendipitous motions as she tilted her head to allow him in deeper. She felt liberated, like she was floating, as she felt his fingers through her hair, pulling her in closer to him as he kissed her deeply. She could feel his reckless abandon, like he had taken off his own mask and succumbed to the desire that plagued him for so long. The sweet and supple taste of his mouth, his passion, she drank it in like she thirsted for it so badly. She massaged his tongue in hers, swapping soft amorous flicks as they explored each other's mouths gaining a new level of familiarity. She was lost in this moment, with this man that brought up so many conflicting emotions in her, like she had been waiting so long for this to happen, but it was all a surprise at the same time.

After what felt like an eternity, they pulled away slowly, her lips pulsating, her breath erratic, her pulse a mess, her mind a complete fog.

She pulled free from his waist, grabbing both of his hands. She bit her bottom lip, and looked up at him sheepishly. The grin on his face was indescribable, the twinkle in his eye palatial. If only she could take a picture and save it for her darkest days. She looked away bashfully, before smiling back.

"Well," Jane started, before pausing and letting out a small laugh.

"Well," she echoed, her cheeks aflush bright pink.

They were both lost for words.

"Well," she continued after an awkward moment, "… I guess now you know," she put simply with a flirtatious look and shrug, as she stood up from the couch.

"Goodnight Jane," she breathed tormentingly, as she leaned over and placed her mouth upon his once more in a soft, amiable embrace. She pulled away, and licked and bit her bottom lip gently, as she made her way to the door. She looked back for one last demure glance, before seeing herself out and heading to her own room, leaving a slightly disheveled Jane on his couch, questioning what had just happened.

He stared at the closed door she had just exited, his mind awash and lost. A part of him pained that she had gotten up and left so quickly, but a part of him was relieved. He felt a tinge of anxious panic mixed in with his euphoric elation of something he'd dreamed about for so long coming to fruition. He had never kissed a woman like that since his wife; the peck with Erica and drunken fumblings with Lorelei could not compare. It was almost like he needed a moment to calm himself down. To reassure himself it was okay, that he didn't need to feel guilty for moving on now his vengeance was complete, that he didn't need to feel paranoid that he was putting her in danger by allowing himself to get even closer to him. He had been so guarded and kept such emotions repressed for so long, that it was taking him a while to process that it was okay to be human again. He felt a little unhinged.

He took a deep breath to centralise himself. He was surprised by her actions, or maybe he had just done such a great job convincing himself he wasn't worthy of love or affection that her actions simply perversed his logic.

She was the one that came into the room, she was the one that reached out and made physical contact first, and she certainly didn't shy away from that kiss. His brain's wires crossed as he thought about that kiss again, as he reached up with his fingers and touched his lips, where her lips were not moments before. To think it was even real.

Even the events of the weekend. Her cheeky remarks the night before, the way he caught her down the hill, her reaction to him grabbing her hand. As someone who prided himself in being able to read people better than anybody, he was at a loss on how to interpret these events. His own bias was clouding his ability to read the situation, as it often did when it came to this woman. Surely this confirmed that she had feelings for him too, that she was interested in seeing if this could be something more too? But then, why did she leave? Did she regret it? Was it just an impulse? That coy look she gave him as she left indicated otherwise. Or did it?

He wished they could just talk it out. But they were both so used to being alone, so used to being defensive and incredibly private individuals, that was never going to come naturally to them. The territory was new and unnerving, and in some ways, it truly petrified him. Nonetheless, he was on cloud nine. He kept reliving the moments of the kiss over and over in his head, firmly tucking it away in his memory palace, as he drifted to sleep on the couch in the same spot Lisbon had left him in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisbon awoke with a start to a large rumble and a crack. She shot up in her bed and reached over to her phone to check the time. It was just before 4am. There was another grumble and a pop. She could've sworn she felt the building shake, and started recognising the faint smell of smoke and gunpowder. She picked up her phone and tried to call Cho, but there was no network. There were other rapid noises in the distance – fireworks perhaps, but her trained ear thought it could be machine gun fire too. She got up and picked up her service weapon, before moving towards the window cautiously to peer outside. More loud bangs caused her to duck, they sounded closer than before. She could hear distant yelling of voices. Out the window there was just a lot of smoke, combined with the darkness, she couldn't see anything else going on.

Jane. Her mind immediately jumped to Jane. She needed to get to him asap. He might be in trouble, trouble had a good way of finding him. Yes, this mayhem definitely had to be Jane-related. He needed her. Either to save him from this trouble or get him out of the trouble he had just started.

She grabbed a flashlight. There were more loud bangs, sounding closer this time, the smoke beginning to seep through the vents in her room. She cautiously approached her door, and peered down the hallway. It was pitch black, she couldn't see any movement. She hastily dashed from her door, up to the next door down the hall, Jane's room. She barged in. She checked through the room with her flashlight. The couch, the bed, she couldn't see him anywhere. Her heart rate intensified with dread, Jane missing was never ever a good thing.

"Jane?" she called out with a hushed voice.

The bathroom door opened as the timid consultant made his way out. "What the hell is going on?" he asked, very relieved to see his protector.

She crossed the room in haste and hugged him tight, relieved to find him all in one piece.

"I have no idea. Lots of bangs, lots of smoke, phones are down," she said.

"Power's out too. Do you think it's some kind of attack?" he asked.

"I have no idea what to think," Lisbon replied. "But we're FBI, and if history with you has anything to say, it's probably nothing good."

"Why do you think I'm behind this?" Jane questioned.

"I didn't say you were behind it, I just meant I wouldn't be surprised if this was about you," Lisbon explained.

"But I haven't made any enemies recently," Jane debated.

"Yeah exactly. Recently. I seem to remember you took out the leader of a vast corrupt network not too long ago. I'd say you have enemies galore you don't even know about," she continued.

"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine? That's reassuring," Jane replied.

"And you say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Now shush, we need to figure out what's going on," Lisbon replied as more bangs went off in the background, followed by screeches and screams.

"That can't be good," Lisbon said stating the obvious. She peered out Jane's window, gun ready to go. She saw flashes of gunfire down below.

"Tap-tap-ta-tap-tap… tap-tap," Jane banged on the bedroom wall behind his couch.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lisbon asked.

"Well—" he started, before a tap-tap-ta-tap-tap… tap-tap echoed back from the wall behind him. "See? Wylie," he explained.

"Okay, we'll merge into his room," Lisbon said, the boss authority in her voice setting in. "Follow behind me, keep low. Stay directly on my six, don't peek your head around. Keep your hand on my back at all times. And stay down."

Jane thought of a million different wise-cracks he could reply with, but knew better than to joke around in the situation. He crouched behind Lisbon as she readied to open his door, his hand on her lower back as ordered. His heart pounded. He hated situations like these. He definitely preferred flight when it came to fight or flight. Lisbon with her gun pointed navigated them between rooms with military precision, as they stormed into Wylie's room.

"Hey," Wylie greeted them in his own checked flannel pyjamas, firearm in hand. "Cho made it into Vega's room it seems, I just started tapping with them. Good idea, I didn't realise the panels echoed that well."

"Do we know what's going on?" Lisbon asked.

"No idea, let's meet them in Vega's room," Wylie suggested.

They met in formation at Wylie's door once more. Jane followed Lisbon's barked orders, kept low behind them with one hand on her lower back. Into Vega's room, they were reunited as a whole team. The bangs and the smoke continued.

"There are gunmen on the terrace," Cho explained, peaking through the slats of his window blinds. "The shots have seemed to have ceased. No idea what the bangs and smoke are from, or what happened to the gunmen."

"What do we do?" Wylie asked his leader.

Cho looked to Lisbon for direction, or approval or something, before remembering he was in charge. He took a deep breath. "Okay, here's the plan."

He detailed and concisely delivered a plan for them to clear the bottom story as a formation of five. Jane, their civilian, in the centre – it was too risky to leave him behind, paired off with Lisbon in the manner they had walked the hallways earlier. Cho and Lisbon led the pack, with Wylie and Vega winged on either side of Jane, responsible for the 2 and 3 side. They would clear each area as a quad, as they were unsure of visibility downstairs, or the situation, communicating in silence where possible with shoulder taps.

Jane fretted from side-to-side, but had no choice but to go along. They glided down the stairs and through the bottom level of the lodge, moving smoothly as one, like a well-oiled machine. Cho headed the team well. Jane never letting go of Lisbon's back, he kept down obediently, as she whipped through it all like a pro. As scared as he was, he couldn't help but adore and admire her, as once more she did her job so well. After they had cleared each of the rooms, they moved to the outside.

"DON'T SHOOT," a voice boomed at them. They pointed their firearms and flashlights in the direction of an Abbott ducking behind a barricade. They promptly shuffled towards him in formation, checking their each direction as they moved.

"Sir," Cho started as they joined him behind the barricade.

"This was just a training exercise," Abbott explained. "You can all holster your weapons."

They saw a sheepish Collins, Williams, and Spackman sitting with Abbott behind the barricade. Williams looked like he had seen a ghost.

"I think we can wrap this up," Abbott said turning to a pair of other men they didn't recognise, who hurried off to run on lights and shut things off. "Spackman, go find the rest of your team and meet us back here in ten so we can debrief."

Spackman skulked back inside, shoulders down.

"A training drill? Really?" Vega said exasperatedly.

Jane stifled a yawn. "Way too early for that," he concurred, "and not really my speed."

"Nice work boss," Lisbon murmured quietly to Cho.

"So teams," Abbott started, "that was a test of your emergency preparedness. To see how you performed as a team in unexpected scenarios. Team Cho," he said turning to the five of them.

"Lisbon," he began, "Interesting that your first instinct was to run to Jane."

"He's the only one unarmed and the only civilian in the building, Sir," she explained defensively with a hyper sarcastic emphasis on the 'Sir'. "As a civil servant, that's my duty. As a human being and a functioning member of a team, that's just plain common sense."

"Dayum Lisbon!" Wylie exclaimed, amused with her candour towards authority, promptly copping a fierce stare from both agents. "Sorry," he sheepishly murmured.

"Fair enough, Lisbon. You do have a point," Abbott resigned giving her a strange look, "I'm only debriefing, no need for the attitude."

"Apologies sir. Not to mention, his room is the next one down the corridor, and we moved onto Wylie's quarters next," she added.

"And Cho, as leader, you backtracked to Vega?" he asked.

"Yes sir, stronger in numbers," Cho replied.

"You didn't bother checking for Spackman's unit?" Abbott asked for clarification.

"I am responsible for and trust my unit. Our target was to neutralise the threat. Once neutralised we would clear the rest, as there were no civilians in our wing of the building apart from Jane," Cho explained.

"Right, very good, very good. So, you came down as a team, in proper strategic formation, your civilian protected. Nice work," Abbott replied. "Very good leadership skills and decision making Cho, you led your team well. And nice work too Lisbon, you and Cho do make a good team, nice work all of you."

He turned to Spackman's unit, "whereas you guys adopted 'the every man for himself' cross 'screaming damsel in distress' cross 'brazen cowboys' approach? Or what the hell was that?"

"Sir," Spackman started, "they lost their heads, I…"

"Both you and Collins emptied both your cartridges at nothing, and risked shooting civilians or fellow agents." Abbott said sternly. "Your consultant came out screaming, you nearly shot him. One of your agents slept through the whole thing, the other sheltered in place."

"Well, they should have…"

"The first thing you need to realise about leadership is that you need to take responsibility for your team. Their actions are by extension your actions, you should know that already. I hope you've taken away some valuable lessons from this experience," Abbott concluded, not willing to listen to excuses. "I will arrange for some further tactical training and communication workshops for your team. You're all good individuals, but we need to get you working as a team."

His normally stoic expression, Jane noticed a hint of pride behind Cho's steely glare. Lisbon looked pretty pleased with herself too. It was nice to be able to support Cho in receiving well-deserved praise, it was something he wasn't used to, they were normally the team being yelled at for their unscrupulous ways. If only Abbott realised that he was responsible for the whole paintball debacle, he was lucky he didn't know him all that well yet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An early and unusual start to the morning, Jane was reaching for his second cup of tea as the sun emerged to make the day. He noticed Williams sitting on one side of the common room with his coffee, and decided to take the opportunity to have a chat and a probe, an opportunity he hadn't really had that weekend.

"That was one way to get us up and awake," Jane opened with, as he sat down across from him.

"Yeah, that was intense," Williams said shyly. "They don't train you for that."

"Well, yeah, they kinda do. That was a training exercise in itself," Jane replied.

"Good point, good point," Williams replied despondently. "It was scary if I'm honest, I don't know if I'm cut out for this."

"Hey, I'm not cut out for this," Jane opened up honestly, "I'm normally the one running away from the smoke and the bang bangs."

"But you didn't freak out," Williams debated.

"Meh, experience," Jane dismissed, "I've been with Lisbon and Cho for a long time, I've seen scenes worse than this with them. I do what I'm told and stay out of harm's way," he explained. "And truth be told, I was freaking out on the inside"

"It must be nice being on the same team as your wife, does the work affect your relationship much?" Williams asked innocently.

"My wife?" Jane questioned.

"Yeah, Lisbon, right?" Williams clarified.

"Oh no, I'm a widower," he said, holding up his left hand to acknowledge the ring. "And Lisbon, she's not my girlfriend, we're just friends," Jane said as he took an uncomfortable sip of tea.

"Oh sorry, I just assumed from what I heard. And you guys seemed that kinda close," he replied. "See, I'm supposed to be an analyst and I can't even get that right, I'm way off." He laughed uneasily. "I'll stick to the statistics, I think."

"Do you find the numbers help?" he asked pointedly, almost sarcastically, remembering Montague's social ineptness when it came to working a case.

"Sometimes, yes. Sometimes you just have an outlier, then the numbers do more harm than good," he admitted.

"I'm glad you can see it that way," Jane replied.

"Well, it would be the same with you and your people analyses, right?" he countered. "Sometimes you'd get an easy read on people, other times not so much. Some people are just outliers."

"Yeah, I tend to call those ones psychopaths," Jane admitted. Or love interests, he thought. "It doesn't happen all too often, and you can get a different read on those kinds of people."

"What's your team like?" he asked curiously, "I don't think I'm fitting into mine all too well. Spackman doesn't seem all too interested in what I have to say a lot of the time.

"I do have the advantage of working with two of them in the past. But try not to stress too hard, they didn't like me very much in the early days," Jane reassured. "Just present your ideas confidently and in a way they can't refuse if you are sure that you're right. See, at least my people skills can be extended to my colleagues, unfortunately for you, you have to work with actual people and not numbers."

"Yeah, life would be a lot easier if everyone was just a number," Williams thought wistfully.

"In a way, everyone is," Jane said with a cheeky grin, "just a number that is."

They heard stompy footsteps as well as lot of panting as Vega and Wylie appeared at the front door fresh from their run.

"Hey guys," Vega said running on the spot, "good morning!" she said cheerily as she ran up the stairs.

Wylie clutched onto the back of the couch gasping and heaving for dear life.

"Good run Wylie?" Jane asked.

"Oh" *pant* "my" *pant* "god" *pant*. "She's fast," he managed to gasp.

"It's okay, she's gone," Jane said. Wylie promptly collapsed onto the floor in a starfish position.

"I see black spots," he said after a moment, "that's not good right?"

Jane passed him a bottle of water. "You'll live buddy," he said with a chuckle, before heading up the stairs himself.

He walked down the green runner of the hallway towards his room to pack before they were due to leave. As he approached, he noticed Lisbon's door at the end of the hall open. He walked down to it, knocking on the door as he entered, to find Lisbon dressed and ready, putting the last of her things into her duffel.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey yourself," she replied.

"Thanks for saving me this morning," he started cheekily.

"Any time," she smiled, "like it's anything new."

"I just wanted to get the chance to talk to you before we left, headed back to the real world," he started.

"Is this not the real world?" she queried, "well silly me, here I thought we were just at a work retreat, not Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory."

"Ah, well you see that place was very real as well. Born from pure imagination though, Oompa Loompas and all," he played back. "I just wanted to make sure we were okay about last night," he said promptly steering the conversation back to where he was wanting it to go.

"Yeah, we're cool," she said with a not-so-reassuring grin.

"Okay," Jane said slowly, hoping for an elaboration that didn't come.

"Do you regret it?" he tentatively asked.

She turned to face him fully, her face softened. "No, of course not, not at all," she said. "D-Do you?" she asked nervously in return.

"Oh absolutely not. I just have to know, what did it mean?" he replied.

"Did it have to mean anything?" she answered somewhat defensively.

"I guess not," he replied, "did it change anything?"

"What do you mean by change anything?" she inquired.

"I dunno, anything between us. Our relationship. What we are, whatever that might be," he responded hesitantly.

"What we are, are long-time work colleagues, very good long-time friends, and partners…" she said, "work partners," she supplemented quickly.

He could tell she was holding back. So determined to play down what had happened between them. She was still overly guarded, he could tell she was afraid of what she was guarding, feelings for him, whether they be of love or sheer contempt for him. She kept a strong veneer to keep people out, to keep him out. He wished she wasn't so difficult to read, that he could read further than the fact that she wasn't being fully honest with him.

She looked back at him as he stared at her. She knew what he was doing. Trying to get a read. She didn't blame him. She wanted him to be able to read her, and tell her what she was thinking and feeling, decipher it all, because she sure as hell didn't know herself. Perhaps if she loved him less, she might be able to talk about it more. She knew he wasn't happy with her response, truth be told, neither did she. But it just seemed easier. Easier for things to stay the way they were. Easier for her walls to stay high and mighty – it was all she knew. Easier for things to stay the way they've always been. But things were getting better than how they'd always been. His touch exhilarated her. He hadn't been back for that long, but it all seemed so different. Different good. He was different. Different more open, more thoughtful, more honest – which was a big thing for a Jane. Different like he was trying, like he cared. Whether it would last was a different story.

"Okay," he said softly. "Fair enough."

"I just don't want to complicate things," she tried to explain, "I'm so happy you're back, so very happy you're back in my life again."

"Yeah, I understand," he said. He knew he should've felt dejected but her reply was ever-so typically Lisbon, and he was more than happy to be patient with her. Patience was a big thing he knew he owed her, and he knew he'd need from her once more in the future. He was empathetic with her plight, the very same doubts had shadowed his mind too. He had waited so long already, he was just thankful she let her guard down that little bit the night before.

"So… are we good?" she asked uncertainly and anxiously.

"Better than ever," he said with all the reassurance he could muster in his voice and a friendly smile, and gave her a big hug.

As he took her into his arms, she almost melted. She almost took it all back and devoured his face once more. But she exercised self-restraint and squeezed him back. Why was she like this? Why was she so afraid?

She sighed as they pulled apart. Frustrated with herself, but calmed in the thought that what she knew was her comfort zone. It was safe. She liked safe.

As he walked to the door he turned back for a moment.

"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there," he said with a knowing wink and smirk, before leaving her room.

She wondered how he could do that, know exactly what she was thinking when he couldn't even see her face. And if he knew what she was thinking, why did he have to ask such inane personal questions? Maybe he knew she was lying. She knew she was lying.

She tried to shake off her own thoughts. She was a professional. A revered agent. She was making a good choice by not dating someone from work again, let alone someone as close as the consultant on her team. She was protecting herself, making good decisions. Yes, that was it. She tried to reassure herself and shake the memories of the kiss the night before from her mind. She was a fiercely independent woman and she liked it that way, she thought to herself, as she tried to squash the small voice inside that yearned for love and companionship.

"You know what?" Jane's voice appearing at her doorway once more startling her from her deep thoughts.

She looked up at him, his shoulders raised, a steely look of determination in his eye. His presence took her aback. He strode towards her with purpose, flicking the door shut behind him.

"Screw it," he murmured as he grabbed her nape with one hand, lacing his fingers through her hair, his other arm around her waist pulling her towards him. Before she had a moment to think, his lips were on hers, so sensual and needy, and everything stopped making sense again. She tilted her head and parted her lips to his hungry embrace, yearning for it as much as he did, their tongues frantically intertwining as she reciprocated amorously. Her hand on his cheek, she incited his kisses deeper, her heart racing, her cheeks burning. There was nothing in that moment that she wanted more than him, and all of him.

He pulled away with disinclination, his eyes dark and lucid.

"Hmmm," he said, wiping his bottom lip with his thumb, "I suppose, in a way, I do know," he said with utmost cheek as he almost mockingly bit his bottom lip, flashed her an ungodly grin, and with coy wink, exited the room leaving a bereft and starstruck federal agent in his wake.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The five of them piled into the van to head back to Austin. The mood was jovial, almost as if the retreat had served its purpose and they had gelled well as a team. Jane was surprised with his first experience of corporate brainwashing, it wasn't as heinous as he had expected, nor was the brainwashing as blatant. He still felt a tinge of guilt about Abbott and the paintball pellets, but at least the reality of that never came to light.

He smiled as he looked over to Lisbon in the backseat next to him, slyly running his pinky finger over her knee in a small covert sign of affection, being rewarded a shy, dimpled grin in return. It was a good weekend.

"Oh my gosh, I love this song!" Vega cried as Miley Cyrus's 'Party in the USA' came across the radio.

"Ugh, really?" Lisbon replied, her disgust drowned out by Vega and Wylie's off-tune crooning and wailing to the pop tune. Their singing was infectious. They had everyone singing along to chorus by the end of the song, including Cho ever-so quietly and discretely, Lisbon even reluctantly succumbing to the boppy poppy tune too.