A/n Last month I wrote and posted an alternate ending to Violets which people seemed to enjoy. Shortly after there was a discussion on Twitter about Il Tavolo Bianco and it got me thinking about writing an alternate ending to this emotional episode too.
I hope you like it!
/
Il Tavolo Bianco – Pt. 2
Once he returned to the US and they were reunited, things were a little uncomfortable between them at first because their relationship needed mending. Neither of them could forget the events of the past few years but recently things have been better. They have been close and friendly and bantering like times of old from before he became so plagued by his poisonous cause. He felt ready, ready to take the next step but then Marcus Pike came along, and she found companionship elsewhere. It is fair enough really, the art squad agent is a much more suitable partner; he doesn't have mounds of baggage, a criminal record, or a ring on his finger. Jane has come to understand that the other man would be a better option for her, and it is obviously what she wants if she is considering uprooting her life and moving away with him.
Coming here tonight with a bag of cannoli, he was hoping to be able to find an ounce of courage to express what he is feeling. Whether it was to ask her to stay or to persuade her that it is okay for her to go, and that he will be okay either way. He suspects that even now she is not thinking of herself and instead she is worrying about people around her, she is too selfless, and he truly meant what he said, that he wants her to be happy. Pike opening the front door made any scrap of confidence disappear and he ended up giving her a garbled and probably confusing explanation as to why he has turned up at her home unannounced at an hour which is hardly sociable.
She has tears in her eyes as he spiels, wanting to find her voice but she is overcome with emotion which matches his own. What he is saying, she wants to hear, she thinks… he is letting her go and she should be glad. It would mean that she could go to D.C. without guilt and that she could properly move on and fleetingly she is relieved, although it is very short-lived.
When he starts to turn and leave, Lisbon realises that she can't do this. She can't watch him walk away from her again. Her mind becomes flooded with memories that she would rather forget, like the last time she saw him before he wiped the earth of a serial killer. It wasn't meant to be like this anymore. "Why can't you just say what you really mean?" She calls out without a second of thought and he stops in his path. He senses his breath hitch in his throat, and he briefly wonders if his heart has temporarily stopped. Of course it hasn't, he would be on the floor at this point if it had, but he does suddenly feel a bit lightheaded.
Jane doesn't move for a few seconds, but to her it seems much longer as his gaze appears to be transfixed on his scuffed shoes whilst he stands motionless in the centre of the footpath, his back still very much to her. Each second that passes, more of her hope drifts away and she becomes quickly tempted to go back into her house to her hide. However before that particular notion festers, she spots him beginning to turn on his heels and sheepishly meet her eyeline. He looks... scared, maybe even more scared than she has ever seen him before. He is usually so good at masking his fears, pretending that everything is alright, but in this moment his walls are completely down, and it is as if she can see into his soul.
His shoulders rise and fall as he takes a deep breath before he slowly takes the few steps back to her, this small action making her both relieved and apprehensive at the same time – but he doesn't say anything. He just stands there looking at her, probably hopeful that she will continue to make the first move because he is so on edge. When she initially stepped out onto the porch, she felt the chill in the night air, but now because of their closeness and the heat coming from his form, that chill has swiftly been forgotten. In fact she is sweating, but that is most likely from experiencing the heavy weight of this situation. "At the moment you seem to spend so much of your time skirting around the topics which matter." She breaks the silence having become exhausted from the constant denial. "I can tell you're not saying what you really mean, I know you and..." She sighs with a shake of her head, a minor action which makes him very ashamed that he didn't have the guts to initiate this in the first place. "I just wish you would..." Her voice breaks as a tear falls and immediately, he is reaching forward to touch her forearm.
The connection is tiny, but it is like his hand is on fire and is burning through the skin. However she doesn't even consider flinching, she actually welcomes it evident by her melting into his touch. Her tears instantly drying up. "You said that I rarely thought of you."
"What?"
"On the plane going to New York you said that I rarely thought of you. You said: "You think you know what's good for my life, but you haven't been a part of my life for two years."" He effortlessly quotes but she doesn't know why she is so shocked when the man has a fully functioning memory palace yet still her jaw is slack. "I didn't want to be that guy anymore because you were right. This is your life, and it isn't fair for me to meddle. I've done too much of that." She thinks of all the times when she has wanted him to be less selfish, when she has wanted him to think of her, but this situation isn't one of them and maybe that's unfair of her. He has really tried since they had that conversation… and maybe that's why she is clinging on. Lisbon has been given a very tempting offer by a man who promises to do right by her, a man who is inside her house right now and here she is, wanting to converse with a man who promises her nothing and perhaps that is very telling.
She isn't naïve, she knows that she loves him, but it is whether that love is the kind of love that leads to a future, a home, a family – something which Marcus is offering… but maybe she doesn't need all that. Maybe just him would be enough. Jane is slightly baffled by the signs of a smile ghosting her lips, it is minute, but he can see it is there, however there is definitely room for him to be more confused. "So, when I say I want you to do what makes you happy, that's why. I'm not trying to be a coward." He's not trying to be a coward and him admitting that causes a thought to nag at the back of her mind. Jane could be enough. "I really want you to be happy." He reiterates but the final word is stifled by something so surprising – her lips.
She kisses him. It is short, so short that it is basically just a peck, but the action takes his breath away and he legs almost become jelly, reflecting the feeling he has in his stomach. When they part, he cannot hide his shock by his mouth being agape, whilst she appears… unsure. Lisbon rocks from foot to foot, her arms crossed and basically shaking, whilst she grips the brown paper bag containing the cannoli tightly, so tightly that her knuckles turn white. They are stunned into a silence which cannot even be perforated by any background noise like the hum of the crickets or cars driving in the distance, they can only focus on each other. Jane swallows and evanescently there is a small smile on his face, but it doesn't last, the astonishment of the situation shaking him to his core. "W-what was that for?"
"I was doing what would make me happy." She says almost confidently but his following speechlessness causes any smidgen of that assuredness to slip away. "I-it was dumb, I'm sorry." She starts to turn away back to her door when his fingers catch her wrist, causing the bag of cannoli to drop to the floor with a light thud. She peers at him through her eyelashes, her heart hammering as she waits his next move and when he steps forward any air leaves her lungs quickly because of him pushing her against the door, kissing her much more deeply than the little smooch she gave him.
It is so swift that she struggles to process what is happening straightaway. She feels the wood of the door firm against her back and his soft lips on her own, showing her how he feels. She cannot think of a better kiss at this time, and she allows herself to be swept along by his suaveness and amorous behaviour. One hand scooping her dark hair and the other snaking around her waist, pulling her closer, removing any inch of distance between them. It is a kiss that makes her briefly forget her worries and the problems she is facing because she knows that she wants this. She wants his kisses and caresses and moans.
Eventually they part but still they remain in close proximity, ready for another embrace or something more. Her cheeks are flushed with a pinkish hue that perfectly accentuates the green of her eyes. For a second, they just grin at each other like idiots, appearing nothing but content for what they just did but then he notices how something changes. She gulps as her breathing becomes shallow for a completely different reason than the one just moments ago. She glances back at her front door and then back to him, the tiny action being enough for him to work out what, or rather who, she is worried about. "Come with me." Jane is close to begging, the three words giving her such great joy that she cannot help but smile. "And when I say this, I don't mean anything crazy like you quitting your job and moving to Washington with me." The scathing remark doesn't cause her happiness to falter but that could be because her mind is still so consumed by their kiss, she can practically sense the endorphins whizzing around her system. "Come to my Airstream. We should talk and having Pike as an audience wouldn't be wise." He starts to step away, giving her space to make a decision all whilst he is buzzing with both excitement and nervous energy. They have kissed. They have actually finally kissed.
She hesitates momentarily, looking back to the door knowing that her boyfriend is inside and has potentially seen what just happened. The thought makes her nauseous and almost makes her next decision easier. Finally, she reaches down to pick up the paper bag from the floor and then follows the consultant down the path.
xxx
He had parked his Airstream in the lot about a five-minute walk from her house near a greenspace used for practicing a variety of sports. It isn't the first time that he has parked here, contemplating walking to her place to tell her how he feels but thankfully he thinks it is the last. They didn't talk at all during their journey, and she was definitely relieved when they reached his trailer.
Now, she is filled with trepidation.
His travelling home is all set up for him going to bed with a pair of navy-blue pyjamas folded on top of his mattress, the sheet having been pulled open. He easily deduces where she is looking so he gently guides her to the table instead, his hand pressing lightly at the small of her back. "Do you want tea?" He offers and despite needing something much stronger than a cup of English breakfast, she finds herself nodding. It will at least give her some time to gather her thoughts.
Lisbon watches as he moves to flick on the kettle and take two mugs from the cupboard whilst she takes a seat. The items make her remember his favourite blue cup and the bits that were left scattered across the floor at CBI... until she picked them up. The bits are packaged safely in an old shoebox which sits at the bottom of her wardrobe, but she still doesn't quite know what to do with them. Fixing the cup and giving it to him would be a massive gesture, one perhaps not appropriate because of their platonic relationship, but even giving him the pieces would carry such great meaning. However if they didn't mean so much to her then she wouldn't have kept them for well over two years, ferried them from state to state carefully, making it her priority not to lose a single fragment. The lengths she would go to for some broken china which used to belong to this impossible man is crazy when she can't seem to commit herself to move to Washington with the man who is supposed to be her boyfriend.
Once Marcus found her box of letters from her partner. He didn't open it, just casually asked what it was but didn't pry when she nonchalantly shrugged off his questions by claiming it was just some "bits and pieces" from her CBI days. It wasn't a big lie really, Jane was, is, from her CBI days after all. That's what she told herself anyway, to stop herself from experiencing guilt before she distracted her boyfriend by running her fingers temptingly over his thigh. She shakes her head at the thought.
Jane senses her distance as she stares at a chip on his tabletop and uses the time to move his pyjamas to under his pillow before making the bed, just so it is a little less inviting. When he does, he mentally chastises himself for being silly, it is just a bed. Her general anxiety around tonight does not involve it. "Do you want me to move the Airstream somewhere else?" He asks and drops some teabags into the cups.
"I don't mind. Here is fine." Watching him dance around his little kitchenette, she finds herself smiling at the sight, grasping that he is genuinely quite happy living in this metal can. She supposes that having grown up in similar trailers that she shouldn't be surprised but she remembers how crazy she thought he was for requesting this place as his chosen vehicle but now she reasons that perhaps it does have a kind of charm. When he glances back to her and flashes a smile before turning back to his electric kettle, she muses that maybe it is because he is in it. The times when Marcus has been in her kitchen, making them drinks or dishing up takeout she has never felt like that – and now she is frowning again, her attention turning to her shaking hand.
This isn't fair on him, she just left without a thought, and he doesn't deserve that. She is a terrible person. Kissing one man whilst being coupled up with another, her mother will be turning in her grave. This isn't her. She is many things, but a cheater is definitely not one of them and even though it was just a kiss, well, two kisses, she cannot help the guilt starting to eat away at her, causing her stomach to churn. Suddenly the smell of the cannoli in the paper bag makes her nauseous and she hastily pushes them away, closer to the wall. Her mind is swimming with many confusing thoughts and none of them she can completely home in on so she could try to rationalise them. It is sort of frightening, not feeling like she is in control.
She only snaps out of her trance when the mug of tea is put down on the tabletop in front of her and she releases a gasp at the sudden sound. Jane observes as she finds her poise and reaches for the cup, hovering with hesitancy near the table. "It is chamomile." He tells her before shuffling onto the bench opposite her. "It is calming." An uncomfortable silence settles between them as their legs touch under the table but that seems to help calm her, or maybe it is the fumes from the chamomile tea. He takes a sip of his own, giving the mug a quick blow prior to doing so. She doesn't say anything, she doesn't even attempt to move and instead appears to be entranced by the yellow liquid. It isn't like her to be so quiet and although he is glad that they have reached this point, her uncharacteristic silence is causing him anxiety. "What are you thinking about?" He asks, not being able to take the hush any longer.
"I don't know." Lisbon confesses and peers up to meet his gaze which is piercing and soft at the same time. It is… inexplicable, kind of like the thoughts in her head. "Nothing is making sense." She sorrowfully admits and when he doesn't say anything back, she realises that he is waiting for her to continue to offload what is on her mind. The idea makes her queasy, but she is getting the feeling that tonight is now or never. "I thought kissing you would make me feel relieved. Relieved that I had finally done it." He smiles at this; however it is brief thanks to her next statement. "But I'm more confused than ever." He reaches across the table and tentatively takes her hand in his. She notes their smoothness but how his fingers are slightly calloused in places which has her contemplating as to how this usually idle man has roughness to his hands. "I thought life didn't have to be complicated anymore because we had done the hard bit, but here I am not knowing what to do. My head hurts."
Witnessing the woman that he loves experiencing great anguish is more than difficult to stomach and a part of him thinks that perhaps he should feel some guilt. Maybe if he had said something to her, before Special Agent Marcus Pike was in their lives, then this could have all been avoided. Earlier he said that he wasn't being a coward, but now he isn't quite sure. The thought has him metaphorically kicking himself, not only because this hadn't previously occurred to him but also because once again, he is making the situation about him, and he promised himself he wouldn't be that guy anymore. "What do you want, Teresa?" He carefully asks, his question making her concentration snap to him instantly as her brow dips, evidently perplexed.
"I-I don't understand." She stutters and anxiously she is pulling herself from his grasp, his query may have been said cautiously but the more she analyses it, the more brashness she finds… but that could all be in her head. There is no reason why he would be impetuous with her, not in this moment.
"Well, you're someone who has spent too much of your life trying to please others or putting other people before you." He begins to clarify and immediately her defence falls partly out of relief but also surprise. "Your brothers, the guys at CBI, me and, I'm sorry if I'm overstepping the mark, but Pike too." He isn't wrong; however, she hates that he is scrutinising her life and actions in greyscale rather than colour. It isn't that simple. She has always done what she has had to do… maybe that it is his point. "I'm not trying to put words into your mouth by saying what he is offering you is not what you want but... I'm just interested to know what that is." Her mind is scrambling now, searching for an answer to his question and after years of doing what is right instead of what she wants, this doesn't come easy to her. He senses that he is getting through to her though and because of that he continues. "What I'm trying to say is, it is your turn to be the selfish one because you deserve what you want." Her green eyes bore into his as he talks and he thinks he can detect a glimpse of a sparkle in them that she definitely has been missing since he arrived on her doorstep this evening, it is a relief, more than a relief it is… stunning. "You are an extraordinary woman and I think too many people don't take that into account." Like Marcus Pike, he chooses not to say.
Lisbon sits and thinks for a minute looking definitely a bit gobsmacked by his frankness, but she is also touched by his complimentary words. She silently wishes that they had the opportunity before to talk like this, like no-one but the two of them exist, but they didn't and now she is in a pickle. This is what she is focussing on until it hits her that he did, amongst his speech, actually ask her a question and she is awkwardly clearing her throat whilst attempting to come up with a response. He deserves her candour, she decides, before beginning her reply. "I want the stimulating job I love but also a life outside of it." He hums at this, knowing exactly where she is coming from because it was an element she was missing. "I want hobbies and fun nights out and conversation which isn't about cases or suspects. I want a home not just a house." The more she talks, the more assured she becomes, apparent by her voice getting gradually louder and a gentle smile washing over her features. "I want a family, not necessarily kids but... to be able to reconnect with who I have been missing. I want to be loved." Not once during her dialogue does she mention her boyfriend, the man who she is meant to be leaving the state with for a long future together and that is what pops out to Jane who is also smiling because her honesty is so beautiful. "I want you to love me." His smile quickly changes into a look of disbelief, he really wasn't expecting that and by the doubtful expression on her face which follows, she wasn't either.
"I do love you." He declares, almost breathlessly.
"Yeah right." She wipes away a tear as soon as it falls, feeling embarrassed for giving in to temptation.
"I do. I really do and..." But maybe she doesn't need to be so worried. "And I really want to be able to give you those things but... I'm scared that I won't be able to." She cannot hide her disappointment at this. Her demeanour turns hunched with her chin dipping towards her chest. A hand presses to her abdomen, feeling woozy all of a sudden and her bottom lip quivers as she senses any chance of a future with Patrick Jane slip away. "Teresa I'm... flawed."
"You are human." She retorts, her disappointment turning to frustration and fire roars in her veins. The urge to shout at the top of her lungs, hoping that he would properly listen to her is huge, but she holds her tongue, in faith that if she is emotive enough that he will listen anyway. "We all have flaws. I know deep down that you know that because I have watched you pick people apart before my eyes." It is as if she is marvelling at his skill when in the past, she would simply express how she found it annoying and how, at times, it was massively inappropriate. This is one of many indications that their relationship has changed. "I've seen you do it so many times over so many years and during those many years I have seen your flaws, yet I dropped everything to move here to be with you again." Lisbon may have made out that it was a tough decision, but really it wasn't, yet it was only a few months ago and she is already considering moving away to be with someone else. "Maybe that's one of my flaws but if one is not enough, I can give you some more."
"You don't have to-" He tries to say but she is quick to cut him off.
"I am not at all practical. I have a box of flatpack furniture in my house that I bought three months ago yet I haven't even bothered to open the box. There could be screws missing and I wouldn't know." Jane chuckles at this confession, not at all surprised that this is the case. "I have a weakness for pastry, especially bear claws but the one time I attempted to make them myself I almost burnt my kitchen down." He finds himself grinning from ear, he loves to learn new things about her, he stores them away in his dedicated section for her in his memory palace. "I am scared of snakes, I drink way too much coffee and bottling my feelings up has become so normal that I can't remember what it is like to be truly open and honest with myself." His smile starts to disappear as her light-hearted flaws turn a bit heavier. "I threw myself into my work so much that I've not had a serious relationship since before college. It is no wonder that I jumped at the chance to be with someone. Have a deeper connection with someone other than a one-night stand."
Her sudden admittance of having one-night stands makes her silent and she averts her gaze to the mug between her hands, not wanting to catch a glimpse at his reaction – even though he is unperturbed. "There is nothing there that you should be embarrassed about." Her eyebrow quirks upwards in disbelief but he just continues to softly smile at her, with so much adoration in his sea-blue eyes that it is like her heart ceases in beating for a second. "It doesn't matter to me that you are not practical, and your cookery skills leave much to be desired. You have many qualities that I wish I had… but maybe I can help you with some of your flaws."
"What happened to you not being able to give me these things?"
"Don't get me wrong, I am not sure if I am boyfriend material anymore, and that's the truth." Absentmindedly Jane touches the wedding ring on his hand but when her eyes dart down to it, he is straightaway letting go with a shake of his head. This is stupid, he thinks. It has been well over a decade since his wife passed and so much has happened in that time. The woman sat in front of him is the main reason why he is still here, he could have ended it after killing Red John, but he didn't – maybe he is now allowed to be properly happy. "But I can cook and build flatpack furniture and snakes are fascinating rather than scary." Suddenly, her hope is back. "And I know that I do love you." He effortlessly proclaims, the L word making her heart skip a beat and blood rush from her head. "I'm not expecting for you to say it back or to even go there with me but before you make a decision about D.C., it is only fair that you have all the information."
"How could I go to D.C. now with another man when I kissed you just a few feet away from him?" She questions with gall, resisting the urge to pull at her brunette locks. "I hate myself for that. He doesn't deserve to be hurt."
"No, he is a good man." Jane agrees even though a slither of him wished this weren't the case, not because he wants her to be with not a good man but because if she was then perhaps this whole process would be simpler. "But not the right man for you." She wants to be annoyed at him for making the decision for her but deep down, she knows that once again he is right.
Lisbon takes a few moments to collect her thoughts whilst sipping at her tea, requiring the calmness of the chamomile currently. He mirrors her movements to drink his own beverage, letting this monumental scenario that is playing out between them to properly sink in. This morning all he could do was dream of spending the rest of his life with her, but now it doesn't seem impossible. Actually, it seems more possible than impossible. "I should call him." She announces after a deep breath, the bottom of her mug harshly clattering against the varnished wood of the table, indicating her present determination.
"And say what?"
"I don't know." She utters in a hushed tone, displaying to him one of her deepest fears. She never wants to make anyone unhappy; she is too decent of a human being to do that, and she knows that she is going to break Marcus Pike's heart. "Probably not the truth. Not yet. I just need to apologise for leaving so abruptly." Jane nods in understanding but she can tell that he is greatly worried about how this conversation is going to affect her. "Can I borrow your phone? I left mine at the house."
"Yeah sure." He fishes the device from his jacket pocket and slides it across the table. "His number is in there." She looks questioning at this. "From the case we worked together."
"Oh yeah." She realises, hating that she could be so dumb for not getting that immediately. "Thank you… I will take this outside." She nervously picks up his phone whilst starting to get up but dithers when she reaches the door.
"Wait." For a second, she thinks that he is going to stop her from making the call at all but instead when he gets up himself and heads to his bed, grabbing a tartan blanket from the foot of it, she understands that this isn't the case. "Take this. Don't want you catching a cold." He unfolds the item and lovingly drapes it over her shoulders, so she can wrap it snuggly around her form – the action making her feel wobbly inside. This feeling is enough to give her a final push and she is making her way outside, shutting the open door once she is in the fresh air.
Her fingers are trembling whilst she scrolls through Jane's contact list, trying to conjure up what she is going to say to the man who has offered her so much. She knows that they can't continue being together, but he deserves more than a phone call, she couldn't bring herself to not break things off face to face. For now, she is going to have to fib, she resolves, even if it is difficult for her to do but she clicks on his name to call him without another thought, not letting herself back out now. "Hello?" Pike answers on the fourth ring and his voice has her quietly taking a deep breath.
"Hey, it's me." She manages to calmly say as she starts to pace near the metal trailer.
"Oh... hey..." She immediately notes his cold tone, and it fills her with dread.
"I erm, I was called out on a case-"
"Teresa I saw you." Marcus cuts off her excuse. "And him." She subconsciously pulls the blanket tighter around her, needing its comfort more than its warmth. It smells a little of Jane and she slowly takes in a whiff, granting the scent to figuratively wrap its arms around her. "Don't worry I get the message, I'm not at your place anymore and nor will I ever be in the future." He bluntly explains before brusquely hanging up, not wanting to hear anymore of her fiction.
For a short while she just stands, planted to the spot, trying to process what the hell just happened whilst the guilt seeps in. She then peers at the Airstream's door, silently questioning what is going to happen now and what awaits her once she advances back inside. The thin walls of the trailer means that Jane heard her murmurs and although he couldn't hear the details, he notes how the conversation seemed brief. In fact, he only had time to remove his jacket and sit on his mattress before the quiet settled.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that the call did not go well when she solemnly goes back inside and pulls the door shut behind her. The blanket is hanging loosely from her shoulders and her expression is remorseful. Jane is instantly back up on his feet from the edge of his bed and cautiously taking the few strides towards her. "He saw us. He has gone." Lisbon simply states, the blanket falling from her, and his lips tug downwards, hating that she is going through such distress. "God I am such a bitch."
"No, no." He soothingly rubs her arm, and she gets goosebumps from his delicate touch. "Do you want me to walk you back home?"
"I don't know." She meekly replies.
"You could stay here, and I could drive us somewhere quieter. Give you some space to think." Her brow then raises so high that he doesn't think she could raise it any higher and he knows, despite definitely not being psychic, what she is thinking. "No funny business I promise. You could take the bed." He simplifies, hoping to put her at ease.
Her attention then she shifts to the bed not far away from them and she eyes it up. She knows from his previous complaints that it isn't comfy, and it would make more sense to take the short stroll back to her condo to sleep there. However, even though she has had confirmation that Pike is no longer at her place, the thought of accidentally coming across him currently is stomach-turning. There is also the matter that being solitary right now is hardly inviting, there would be a risk of her spending the coming hours reeling about what she has done. He patiently observes her internal battle playing out, choosing that intervening at this point could do more harm than good. She needs to be in control and decide where next to take this situation. Obviously, he has preference. This evening he has laid out to her how he feels whilst also ensuring that whatever path she takes is the path she wants. This is down to her… but he isn't going to rush her, despite the nerves setting in.
It is almost a minute before she focusses on him again, her features and entire being appearing much more relaxed than it was previously. "Will you lie with me?" She carefully asks before reiterating. "No funny business." A teasing smirk flashes across his lips but it only transitory when he notes how genuinely vulnerable that she still is. He replaces it with a small smile and a little nod of his head, not wanting to do anything that could cause her panic. "I just… don't want to be alone." She sadly admits with a sniffle, and he barely lets a beat pass before he is engulfing her in his arms, giving her a very much needed hug.
Lisbon sinks into his form, allowing herself to relax under his grip and comfortingly nestle against his strong chest. Her few stray tears become absorbed by his shirt but the only sign to him that she is crying is the slight convulsing of her shoulders and her laboured breaths. It would usually be enough to break his heart, but he has a feeling that it is a sign of a more promising future so instead he tries to concentrate on that. Jane tilts his head to plant a tender kiss on the top of her own and in reply she is wrapping her arms around his torso, feeling much better having him so close. "You are never going to be alone again." He promises and her hold on him tightens.
