5.

When he got the call from Clarkson this morning, requesting his presence at the country club for lunch to discuss business he could not say no. What unsettles her however is how he was asked, almost told, to leave her behind. That doesn't sit well with her, at all. She knows it is probably just sexism at work but the thought of Jane going in alone is anxiety inducing. She tried to persuade him to let her mic him up, but he said it was too risky before naively swearing that he will be fine. He may be but the next few hours are going to feel excruciatingly longer than that. "He may act it sometimes but he's not stupid." Fischer tries to calm her, even on her poor-quality laptop screen, Lisbon can see that her colleague is being more hopeful than honest, but then again, she hasn't known the consultant that long and he has caused a lot of chaos during his short time at the FBI. "And he used to mix in these sorts of crowds, remember."

"He used to mix with rich people, not a criminal gang." She corrects, hating that the two have been compared. "I know he makes it all look easy Kim but… it isn't."

"How are you finding this mission?" She asks him, as they sit together in the hot tub, sipping on champagne and enjoying the excitement of it all. "And I want the truth."

Jane grins from ear to ear and is shaking his head out of disbelief but that just raises more questions than answers. "I'm just thinking of all the times you've demanded the truth from me." He muses. "It felt like every week."

"That's because it was every week and you used to lie to me every week."

"I am sorry about that." He says earnestly and she can tell from the look in his eye that he does mean it. Him deceiving her on numerous occasions didn't just hurt her, it did hurt him too – and that thought is very sobering. "This case is… not as complicated as I thought it would be." But she hasn't got time to feel sorry for herself or him.

"How do you mean?"

"Well…" He sighs and for a second, she thinks that he is going to back out and not have this conversation, but he surprises her by taking the leap. "Everything appears to be going to plan without a hitch. I was expecting difficulties from our suspects, from-" He swallows the lump in his throat. "Us and me as well."

Just hearing the mention of "us" she is listening with bated breath, and he knows that she means business when she leans out of the tub to carefully place the champagne flute on the decked veranda. It wasn't even finished. "Please Jane." She almost begs, wanting him to be more open with her.

For a few moments, he just sits silently trying to formulate how he says what he wants to get across, but it is so difficult. He finds opening up incredibly hard. "Things between us haven't been… as straightforward as they perhaps should have been since my return, and I understand why but I had trepidations about this because of that." He gives the most fluent explanation he can muster. "And I don't find being a fake psychic easy. Not anymore." And he doesn't have to say any more than that. Of course it is difficult for him, it is what got his family killed.

After that Lisbon changed the conversation into something cheerier and even picked up her glass of champagne once more. They enjoyed their evening in the warm water amongst the pulsing jets.

"Right…" Fischer doesn't sound convinced that the consultant would find anything, especially of this nature, difficult but she just moves on. "Abbott wants an update once Jane returns."

"I will do that."

xxx

Another day, another super expensive suit.

Jane made sure that he was the last to arrive to the country club, giving the trio time to settle who all flashed him faux smiles on arrival. Their body language is fascinating. Relaxed but alert, like they still do not trust him as a mark but the longer they've sat together the more that is starting to change. After a plate of delicious seafood linguine and a lot of small talk about San Antonio the table is cleared apart from the wine and glasses, and they finally get onto the desired topic of conversation.

It is interesting that they decided to wine and dine him first, to soften him up, not very typical of a murderous criminal gang. "Oil is where to invest." The consultant's newest acquaintance reveals. "Oh come on, you must know that." Interesting tactics from Seo-Jun, he muses, by making the mark feel stupid in hope to play on their ego so they do not ask too many questions. "It is initially a lot of dough to front but we are promised to make triple it in returns by the end of this year."

"They're asking for two million so we are thinking that we could split that between us."

Clarkson pitches in, not removing his stare from the mentalist trying to gage his reaction who at first looks unphased but then he drags his hand over his chin a couple of times deep in thought. "Half a million… is a lot of money." He utters, staring down at his fingers rhythmically tapping on the table as he senses the three men's eyes boring into him. "But so is triple that."

He looks back up and glances at them all individually, his lips tugging up into a smile to give the impression that he is in on their investment. There is a chorus of delighted laughs and jeers before they each raise their glasses and chink them together ceremoniously. They're smiling because they think they have him, their mark, their newest victims, whereas he is because he knows he has them exactly where he wants them.

xxx

When she finally hears the key in the front door, she can breathe easy. She has tried to keep her mind busy by doing one of his sudokus but he is much better at them than her so he bought the hardest book, and she couldn't fully focus on it. It has taken her two hours to only complete half of it. "Honey, I'm home!" Jane's cheesy call comes and instead of being appalled by it, she is chuckling softly with a shake of her head. He joins her in the living room holding a beautiful bunch of flowers and she almost chokes on air at the sight.

"F-flowers?" Lisbon stutters, a pinkish hue painting her cheeks making him grin. He loves it when she blushes.

"I'm just playing the part." He claims. "Do you like them?"

"I do. Thank you." She cannot remember the last time she was bought flowers. It was definitely some time ago and she believes it wasn't even from a man but a gift from Grace.

"I will put them in some water. How are you doing?" He questions indicating to his book in her hand.

"Okay I guess. You don't mind me doing one I hope?"

"Of course not, what's mine is yours." He says casually as he walks out, and she cannot help but wonder if this is all starting to get a bit weird. She hasn't allowed herself to dwell too much on the events of the past week but if she begins, like she is doing now, she is suddenly quite nauseous.

They've overstepped many boundaries on this mission, but she's not minded because it is for work and her job has always been her main priority. However, if she starts to dissect their behaviour together… she knows that she wouldn't have done any of that stuff with Cho. No way. They have spent every night but the first in bed together, some mornings she wakes cosied up to him and he is always careful not to wake her, despite always being awake himself. At first it was perturbing but now it is strangely normal, and it shouldn't be that way, she knows that.

On their first night in the field, he had his arm permanently wrapped around and kissed her on the cheek in front of their suspect. She didn't recoil in horror she leant into it, taking in the sensation of him lingering there. Then, a few nights later, he kissed her properly to show her that she has nothing to worry about but what scares her is how she was left wanting more. Much more.

Yesterday, she sat on his lap, and it wasn't odd like it should have been. They spent the evening in the hot tub together, talking and drinking champagne as if this is how their life is meant to be, but it isn't. She is an FBI agent; he is the consultant. They're friends, best friends, partners but only in a job sense. A week ago, him calling her "my dear" made her tense but just now he has returned to the house and referred to her as "honey" and she just found it funny, endearing. What has happened to her?

They eat together, watch movies together, talk the day and night away together. She thought that by now she would be bored of all his chatter but… she isn't. He hasn't driven her mad like she expected. They have been living together in perfect harmony. "I'm not hungry because I ate a lot at the club!" He hollers from the kitchen where he is working at arranging the flowers in water for her, smiling because of her reaction to the gift. "But I am still happy to cook for you!"

"I will be okay!" She replies, not being able to hide the nervousness in her tone and when he comes back – holding a vase filled with the flowers – he has an expression of concern resting on his features. "I have leftover salad from earlier."

"Sounds exciting." He sarcastically remarks while putting the flowers on the coffee table, blocking the TV so she makes a mental note to move them later. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She is quick to brush off his worries. "What happened at lunch? Did you meet Seo-Jun?" He joins her on the couch, in preparation for his storytelling.

He did and he believes his suspicions from yesterday were correct. Carson Seo-Jun made a comment of how "he heard" about Jane's great home and all about the hot tub. Last night, as he suspected, they were watched by the criminal trio and even though this is what he expected, it does make him feel a little uneasy. Not necessarily because of being watched, he is used to that feeling, he used to think Red John had eyes on him all the time, but he is more anxious about her safety. If he voiced this then she would probably tell him that he's being stupid, irrational, and that she can look after herself which may be true, but he has had this almighty need to protect her for quite some time now.

Despite the criminal trio working in cahoots with one and other he got the impression that they weren't friends. They definitely disagree about stuff, and he is sure that would have been their eventual undoing. That or Grady's ego, Seo-Jun's foolishness, or Clarkson's temper. They have enough flaws between them to make this little arrangement they have crash and burn but they can't just sit around and wait, otherwise they will have more victims on their hands.

And anyway, Jane is starting to have too much fun. He couldn't stop now even if he wanted too. He has to see their downfall. He knows that this isn't the healthiest attitude to have but it is one he has grown used to and he isn't going to fight it now.

They want the money tomorrow which was definitely a shock. They're not at all patient (another one of their many flaws) and they need the deal done now. He told them that he will do his best and contact them before the meet tomorrow evening at the country club. There is a lot of things not adding up though. Why did the other people die? They withdrew the cash, and it can't have just disappeared so the trio must have it. Wylie has also been through CCTV at the club and none of the other victims ever went there, so meeting there must be a risk for the suspects. They will be seen.

Maybe, they do not plan to kill them. Maybe, they assume that this deal will go through and then they will leg it. Leave the state. Leave the country. They will certainly have enough money between them to have a comfortable life taking their other cons into account. "This is all going too quickly Jane." Lisbon firmly states, although this could be because she doesn't want their undercover mission to end. "We haven't fully briefed the team. We don't have a plan and we definitely do not have half a million dollars." She panics and the stress line has formed between her eyebrows that he has pointed out to her on many occasions. "We need to put it off. Say something came up and we will discuss this further in a few days."

"Okay, okay." He happily agrees, he wants to be ready for the take down too and so far, all the unit knows is that he had lunch with them. She will call Abbott shortly, she ponders, and she is about to announce that when he surprisingly continues. "This will all be over soon." He comments and she hums, not knowing what else to say mainly because she doesn't want to think about it too much. The thought of the mission ending is saddening. They are finally back to a good place in their relationship, all the hurt of him leaving and what went with it has been forgotten, they've moved past it and for that they're both grateful. "I've had fun, all things considered."

"Me too." Their gazes have fused together, and it is like they're unable to look away from the other's eyes. His are so blue, similar to the sea and no longer carry such an overwhelming sense of grief because he finally has some peace in his life. She is glad he does; he is much better for it. Hers are piercing, a stunning green that even when he was absent for two years, he could remember their hue perfectly. So much can be said through simple eye contact, something they have come to realise throughout the time they've known each other. On occasion they have had almost full conversations without saying a word, like they are doing now – but this time it is different.

They're letting each other in.

Feels are beginning to bubble that should be alien but are not, they've been there for a while now, even before Red John's demise, but now they are making themselves known. Lisbon gulps at the thought making Jane tear his stare away and to his clasped hands rested on his lap. Mortification begins to seep in as he mentally chastises himself for being so stupid. He may like her, a lot, but she won't share that. Not after everything he has done to hurt her. She picks up on his pain. "Jane I-"

"You should ring Abbott." He interrupts her whilst getting to his feet, not wanting to hear her awkward apology. "I am going to go and change. This suit isn't particularly comfortable and then I will contact Clarkson to delay everything." And with that he is gone, to hide, running away from his thoughts and feelings like usual.

Lisbon studies the flowers on the coffee table, a beautiful configuration of pinks and whites and greens. All soft in tone, not garish and all perfect. There isn't a single blemish, they look fresh, and he has definitely put thought into picking them. It makes her swoon but that is a dangerous position to be in and she knows that.

Maybe even more dangerous than the perilous situation they have found themselves in.