AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews and follows! I was asked in a review how long this story is going to be, so I figured I'd say it in this note as well. This story is going to be 9 total chapters, and I'll be posting one a day until it's complete. :)
Lisbon woke up the next morning with a familiar pair of arms wrapped tightly around her. Upon closer inspection, Jane was practically holding her like someone would a soft blanket or pillow. It was rather late in the morning, they had overslept the alarm, and Lisbon was rearing to get going for the day, but it felt so nice and warm to be held by Jane that she stayed in bed a little while longer.
Jane woke up pretty soon after that, quickly scooting away from her.
"Good morning," she said. "I see you slept well."
"I did," he edged. "In all fairness, when I woke up last night I was freezing because you had stolen the blankets."
"So your solution was to spoon me?"
"It worked, didn't it?"
She exhaled quietly. It had worked, just probably not in the way he had intended. All too quickly her feelings for him were coming to light, through no fault of her own. His kind gestures and playful interactions over the course of this op so far had Lisbon at her wit's end, mostly because she wasn't used to this kind of attention from him, or from any man for that matter. It had been a long time since she had been with anyone, and he was a good kisser and a good cuddler...and he was her best friend.
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, noticing the look on her face.
Lisbon shook her head. "You didn't. Jane, it's like I said yesterday. Don't worry about me, I'm fine with you touching me."
She kept to herself the part about how much she enjoyed when he held her.
"Okay. I just don't want to think I've overstepped-"
"You haven't!" she blurted, a little more forcefully than she meant to. "I mean, it's been great. You know, having someone around to hug me," she waved a hand around. "Or whatever. It's just been nice."
"You don't strike me as the kind of woman who enjoys hugs."
"Usually, I'm not. From the right people, yes. But I can also tell that you are very much a physical contact kind of person, and I respect that."
He ran his fingers through his blonde curls, making the front look even more disheveled and adorable. "I will say that my insomnia hasn't been quite as bad this week."
Both of them knew the significance of his admission, but neither of them said it out loud. Lisbon knew well that Jane was plagued by horrible nightmares after what had happened to his family, and that not wanting to go to sleep for fear of the dreams had led to some serious sleep issues. He hadn't told her much about it the first time they met, but as she got to know him she understood the kind of anxieties he was facing. They never talked about it, but she knew that the reason he was constantly asleep in the bullpen was that he didn't sleep at night, and the dreams weren't as bad when there were other people around.
"What do you think is helping?" she asked quietly.
"You."
Her pulse quickened so fast that she was almost sure that Jane could hear it.
Lisbon's voice raised an octave. "Me? How?"
"Because you're constant. Steady. I can listen to the rhythm of your breathing and count beats in and out, like a metronome, until I fall asleep. And you're warm, and I think the act of holding someone is relaxing," he explained.
He didn't mention the part about how it was a trait specific only to her- she really did have a calming effect on him.
"You're sweet," she said, leaning forward and pulling him in for a hug. "I'm glad I'm able to help."
They stayed that way for longer than was strictly necessary, Lisbon tucking her head into the space between his head and his shoulder. Both of them recognized that they had crossed a line somewhere in all this, leaped over some sort of personal and professional without any regard for what lay ahead. It definitely meant something more, even if they only decided to interpret it as friendship for now.
"I need coffee," Lisbon groaned into his shoulder, "C'mon."
She half dragged him through the kitchen where his hands went through the motions of making his morning cup of tea, but his thoughts were concentrated on her. The graceful slope of her neck as she rummaged through the cabinets, looking for coffee. The brunette waterfall of her hair falling into place over her shoulders. Jane forced himself to look away. He was becoming obsessed.
Inhaling the sharp scent of coffee, she sat down across from him at the table.
"Any plans for today?" she asked jokingly, a perfect picture of domesticity.
"Oh, a few. One involving the two of us infiltrating a gang fight," he replied loftily. "No big deal."
Lisbon laughed loudly. "Okay, mister, very funny. Aren't you the least bit nervous something will go wrong?"
"I'm always nervous. But with that acting bit you put on the other night, I'm sure it'll all go fine."
"As long as you don't give me any more acting tips. Seriously, I can do fine on my own. I've had some theatrical experience."
Jane raised an eyebrow. This was news to him. "Oh really? When?"
"High school."
"Teresa Lisbon! You've been holding out on me," Jane accused. "I had no idea you were an actress!"
"I wasn't, not really," she admitted. "I had to take two art courses in high school, and I chose performing arts and band over visual art. I can't even draw a proportionate stick figure."
"Well, what show were you in?"
"The Crucible. It was our fall production in my sophomore year."
He chuckled. "Arthur Miller, right? It's about the Salem Witch Trials?"
"Yup," she confirmed. "I played Mary Warren."
"Aha! The one who was 'possessed' by the devil. An interesting choice."
"I didn't choose it!" Lisbon protested. "It was for a class, we had to audition. It was fun, but it was altogether too much memorization for me."
"Mmm. So that's why it seemed like you were suddenly taken over by another person, it was just that flair for the dramatic that I know you have in you. No need to be shy about it, really Lisbon, you got the point across quite well," Jane said.
"Thank you. But if anyone has a flair for the dramatic, it's you."
"That's showbiz, baby!"
"Don't ever say that again," Lisbon said, burying her face in her hands and shaking with the effort of trying not to laugh.
"Am I wrong?" he asked innocently. "That's what this entire operation is, isn't it?"
"Oh, hush. I don't want to hear it from you," she said teasingly as she rinsed out her coffee cup. "Don't forget, Cho's coming by later to run over the plan again, and I'd like to go for a run before he gets here."
"You go ahead. I'm perfectly fine where I am."
Lisbon brushed her hair out of her face. "Do you ever get any exercise?"
"Me? I get enough. When I want to," he said airily. "I bet I'm stronger than you think I am."
"And I bet I'm stronger than you," she retorted.
"I know you are. It's always amazing to me how you're able to take down perps twice your size."
Without warning, she dramatically draped herself over the counter, arching backward with the back of her hand flat on her forehead. It was the perfect picture of a forties drama, if only Jane could see in black and white.
"He dares insult the vertically challenged! Mr. Jane will be tried for his crimes! This is slander, I tell you!" Lisbon cried in an odd attempt at a transatlantic accent.
Jane stood and applauded. "Well done, Lisbon! Five-star acting!"
"Thank you. Do you think I should try the accent when we go out tonight?" she joked.
"Absolutely not."
Lisbon changed into leggings and a tank top, tying up the laces of her running shoes and stretching out her legs and ankles. She knew from experience that forgetting to stretch first would bring nothing but pain. Jane sat at the table, pretending to be engrossed in his novel, as he watched Lisbon methodically work the knots out of her calves and thighs. When she decided she was ready to go, she slipped her phone into her pocket and turned up the volume on her earbuds.
She hadn't gone running since the op had started, mainly to give herself a break, but also because she didn't have anything pressing that she needed relief from. The repetitive motion of running had always brought a sort of relaxing calm to her, clearing the fog from her mind. Only this morning had Lisbon realized that she was stressed about something and that something was no other than the attention of one Patrick Jane.
As a new song started, she picked up her pace a bit, replaying the events of the morning in her head. Not for the first time, she had woken up with his arms wrapped around her. Some would say it was an accident, but she knew that Patrick Jane did not make those kinds of mistakes. Every time he touched her it was deliberate, it always had been.
But they had become reckless, falling too easily into this lie of a marriage. Lisbon had to remind herself multiple times a day that it was all an act, a long con meant to lure out dangerous killers. And yet, she also found herself preoccupied with his furtive glances, his meaningful touches, and teasing. Lisbon knew there hadn't been anyone serious in his life since Angela, and she wasn't sure if he was trying to tell her something.
Three and a half miles and thirty minutes later, Lisbon arrived back at the house, endorphins coursing through her body.
"You look exhausted," Jane commented as she filled a glass with ice water.
"It's a good exhaustion." A long drink of water. "Running is good for you. They say it helps you to not be an angry person."
Jane smirked. "I'd rather be madder than two cats fighting to get out of a bag than go for a run."
"Oh really?" Lisbon put her hands on her hips. "What do you prefer to do for exercise then, huh?"
"Swimming. If it's repetition you're looking for, swimming is much more enjoyable than running."
"Some of us don't have pools we can go to, Jane."
"I'm sure there are rec centers near your house."
"It's easier for me to go for a run for free than to pay for a membership to swim a few times a week," she explained. "And speaking of water, I'm going to go take a shower."
Jane watched her climb the stairs until she had gone and released a shaky breath. It had taken everything he had not to just confess his true feelings for her right then and there. There was something about living in close quarters with a person that made you realize how scared you were to lose them.
Not too long after she left, the doorbell rang, signaling Cho's arrival with the plan for the evening.
"Jane," he said curtly.
"Hey, Cho. Lisbon's upstairs, she'll be back in a minute." No sooner had he said it than Lisbon appeared on the stairs behind him. "Speak of the devil."
"Hey, boss. Did you get the email from Sanchez?"
"Uh, no, not yet. I just got back from a run and I haven't had a chance to look at my emails yet," she explained, slightly embarrassed.
"It's fine. Jane? Did you see it?" Cho asked.
He shrugged. "You of all people should know that I don't use my laptop. I'm not an agent."
"Okay. In that case, don't bother. I'll brief you, and just tell Sanchez that we went over the plan." Cho sat down heavily on an armchair in the living room. "Do you have the address? Have you mapped it?"
"We did yesterday," Lisbon said. "It's about a half hour's drive."
"Good. We're guessing that you'll have to provide an ID to get in. Because of that, Sanchez had this made up," he passed what looked like an identification card to Jane.
"Ah, this has the new address," Jane observed. "Clever. That way, if they want to keep tabs on us, they know where we are."
"Exactly. You're both okay with wearing wires, right?"
Lisbon hesitated. "I thought we had said no wires. No listening devices."
"We did," Cho confirmed. "But since we're not looking to make a bust tonight, we're trying to explore the connections between the White Bulls and other street gangs. So it makes more sense to have you wear a wire so that we can listen to see if any names are being dropped."
Jane did not miss the look of discomfort that passed over Lisbon's face. "Cho, if you don't mind, I think we'd like to go in without the microphones tonight. It's going to be hard enough to keep the act up without CBI agents talking in our ears."
Cho frowned.
"And besides, what if they frisk us?" Lisbon pointed out. "These people are violent, they won't hesitate to act out if they discovered two of their new members were wearing wires."
"Okay," he relented. "When I go back, I'll tell Walker and Sanchez that we're not listening in tonight."
Lisbon sat back in satisfaction. She had enough of her reputation at risk under normal circumstances, but she did not need other agents listening in on her acting all couply with Jane. There were enough rumors about the two of them going around the office as it was, and this would just be a final blow.
"All we know right now is the basics of the plan. What exactly are we looking for?" Jane asked.
"As of right now, the plan is for you to go and seem as inconspicuous as possible. Act like you belong, but you really need to get in with the higher-ups like you were talking to the last time. It's important to listen for names of other gangs who might be affiliated with these guys," Cho explained.
"But what about the fight itself? We were invited to go and bet on it, don't we need to do that to keep up the ruse?"
"Yes," Cho said slowly. "We had thought of that. Van Pelt suggested that we put a GPS tracking system into a briefcase of money, but we think that they'd catch on too quickly. We have trackers on your phones, so that's at least one thing."
"And besides, you don't bring physical money to one of these either. That's what the betting slips are for. They figure you're good for what you owe, or else you get killed," Jane pointed out. "So that means that if we end up owing money, we can have it transferred from a fake account."
"And maybe keep tabs on the new account it goes to," Lisbon finished.
"Exactly. Keep the status quo, don't look suspicious. You're going to have to place a bet, but Jane, don't do that thing you do where you con everyone out of their money. That's going to get you in trouble."
"No promises," Jane joked but was quickly shut up by Cho's steely gaze.
Jane rose to walk him to the door, but Cho stopped to face the two of them. "Good luck. Be smart, these are dangerous people." And with that, he was gone.
Lisbon flopped back down where she had been sitting. "Whew. it's a lot to remember."
"I know."
"And it'll be dangerous."
"I know."
"But if we get this right, we'll be one step closer. By the way, thanks for backing me up about not wearing a wire," she said.
Jane laced her fingers with his. "Don't worry about it. You looked pretty uncomfortable."
"Not uncomfortable because I'm embarrassed by you," she said, eyes widening. "Uncomfortable because even though this is all an act, I'd rather keep it between us."
"I get it. Don't want the office gossip to get worse?"
Lisbon gaped. "You know about that?"
He chuckled. "If you listen close enough, you start to hear things. Word travels fast."
"I guess I should ask," she shook her head rather forcefully, chocolate waves bouncing over her shoulders. "Actually, I don't think I want to know."
"It may be for the better, it may be for the worse," he quipped. "I'm surprised you haven't heard the chatter."
Lisbon's blush spread from her cheekbones to the tip of her nose. "It's not that I haven't heard it, because trust me, I have, but more so that I try to ignore the talk. For my own sanity."
"Aw, Lisbon, it's not all bad."
"Like what, exactly? What do they say that's not so bad?"
He leaned in conspiratorially. "I've heard some of the male agents say you're the most beautiful woman in the bureau. On second thought, I think I've heard some of the female agents say that too."
"Jane. This is exactly why I try not to listen to all that gossip crap. Because it paints a certain picture of me that I would rather have defined by my work than by my attractiveness." She looked at her watch. "I'm going to go get ready, okay? It's alright if you come up, since I'm just doing my hair."
In the bathroom, Lisbon rifled through her toiletry bag for her curling iron. It was ancient, slow to heat up, and often went unused, stuffed into her bathroom closet at home. All that aside, she knew full well the kind of picture they would have to make, so she brought everything she needed to doll herself up as much as possible, against her will.
She sighed in frustration. The switch wouldn't stay on its own, so she held it in place as it warmed up. Jane perched on the rim of the tub, watching her as she fiddled with the buttons.
"I take it that thing doesn't get much use?"
Lisbon frowned. "No, it doesn't. I use my flatiron more than I use this old thing." She tied a hairband around the switch to hold it for her. "I'm lucky, my hair curls on its own. Usually, the only thing I ever do to my hair is straighten it."
"But you want to curl it today?" he asked. "It looks curly enough to me already."
"That's because I haven't brushed it. See?" Lisbon walked over to him so that he could feel.
Running the tips of his fingers through the waves, he marveled at how the curls wrapped around his hand. Jane had never touched her hair like that before, but he had always imagined it would be soft and silky. He was right.
"So what are you planning on doing?" Jane almost wanted to tell her to leave it, that he liked the way it felt when it wasn't brushed.
"I'm going to brush it out all the way and then curl it. That way, it'll look nicer and won't be as frizzy."
He watched as she ran the brush through her beautiful brown hair, concentrating first on the ends and working her way up to her scalp. For that, she grabbed a comb and gently parted it in the center so that the curls would be even. Lisbon separated it into two ponytails, Jane watching in fascination as she tied it up on one side, then pulled small groups of strands from the other, wrapping the tendrils around her curling iron.
"How long does it usually take?" he asked out of sheer curiosity. It was ridiculous the way he was fascinated by it all.
"It only takes about half an hour now. I had long hair in high school and middle school, and it took a lot more time because there was more to do. But since I cut it, it's a lot more time-efficient," she explained. "Besides, I don't do this very often unless I'm dressing up for something."
"I'm glad I don't have to do that," Jane said.
She leaned on the bathroom counter, another strand of hair wrapped around the iron. "I don't know," Lisbon said coyly. "Your hair is long enough to do something with."
"No!" He covered his head with his hands. "Back off, crazy woman! I'm not letting you anywhere near my head with that thing!"
"Come on, Jane, haven't you ever wanted to try something different with it? Not that I don't like the curls, but I'm sure we could figure out something that looks nice."
"No! I'd rather do the same old same old, thank you very much. No new hairstyles for me."
Lisbon laughed loudly, filling the small room with music. "Whatever you say, Jane."
He watched as she finished curling her hair, the finished product still wild and free but more coiffed than before. Lisbon changed in the bathroom, donning a different dress and putting on a little bit of makeup. When Jane saw her after putting on his nicer suit he almost had the breath knocked out of him.
"Lisbon, you look," he hesitated to find a word that would accurately describe how she looked. "You look beautiful. Gorgeous."
"Thanks! You look nice too." She turned in a full circle, the dark grey dress fitted nicely at the waist and flaring out at the hips.
He offered her his arm. "Ready to go, my love?"
Lisbon's heart fluttered at the endearment, but she convinced herself that it was only part of the con. "Absolutely."
When they arrived at the set address, a bouncer dressed in gray directed them to a back lot invisible from the highway. He parked the car and took a steadying breath.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this."
Reaching into his pocket, he asked her not to open the door yet. "I have a gift for you."
"Jane, what? I didn't expect-"
But she stopped when she saw what he pulled out of his pocket. It was that emerald necklace she remembered from years ago. The deep green stones sparkled as they were hit by the moonlight, projecting spots of light onto the ceiling of the car.
"This is for you, Lisbon. Turn around, I'll put it on you."
When it was clasped and settled into the hollow of her throat, she admired the centerpiece with a featherlight touch, moving the emerald necklace to rest just below her cross pendant.
"I can't believe you kept this," she said, surprised but smiling. "It's beautiful, but I really can't accept it."
"Teresa, you have to keep it. It's a gift."
"A really expensive one!"
"Don't be modest, it's just the necklace, not the earrings. Besides, I always told you emeralds would look lovely with your eyes," he said, admiring the pleased look on her face more than he admired the jewels.
Lisbon touched it again and closed her fist over it before hugging him. "It's beautiful. Really. Thank you for keeping it."
Jane whispered, "I'll keep it until you're ready to keep it."
When they got to the door, a bouncer asked for names and ID, checked them off the list, and stepped aside to let them enter. Once again they were surprised by the level of organization, a boxing ring set up in the center and the rest of the warehouse looking more like a formal bookkeeper's shop.
They were soon met by no one other than James Garret, who emphatically shook Jane's hand and kissed the back of Lisbon's.
"Mr. Jane, Teresa," he rumbled. "I'm so glad you came. I've been regaling everyone with the story of your wife's skill at poker. Come, come, meet everyone!"
He led them over to a table near the boxing ring. Seated around the table were several other older looking men in tailored suits.
"Gentlemen, this is Patrick and Teresa Jane, the people I was just telling you about." He turned to face Jane and Lisbon. "And these are our biggest patrons, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Spencer, Miss Everett, and Mr. Blackwell."
Jane shook all of their hands before pulling out a chair for Teresa to sit in. "Lovely to meet you all."
Miss Everett leaned forward. "Charming," she drawled. "I've heard about you," she said directly to Lisbon, dragging a nail up her arm. "What's your secret?"
"I have none," Teresa said, pulling her arm away to clasp hands with Jane. "Patrick and I just have money on our hands and are looking to have a little fun."
Another man frowned. "What exactly is it you two deal in?"
Jane took this question, repeating the lie from the other night. "I'm a psychologist. My wife is an administrative assistant for a bigger corporation operating out of Sacramento."
Garrett took a sip of his whiskey, laughing loudly. "Show them that trick you did to me the other night!"
"As interesting and revealing as that would be, would you mind me showing you a different trick?" Jane asked.
Several murmurs of assent sounded from around the table.
"Excellent." He pulled out a scrap of paper from his jacket pocket as well as a pen. "Miss Everett, how many languages do you know?"
"Three," she replied. "English, Spanish, and French. Why?"
Jane slid the paper and pen to her. "I want you to choose one of those languages and write one sentence in it, but don't tell me what it is." When she finished, he motioned for her to slide the paper to Spencer. "And you, sir, I want you to write the name of your great grandmother on the paper."
Jane continued to tell them to pass the paper around, instructing Lloyd to write the name of his high school, Blackwell to write down the name of his first pet, and Garrett to write the top five colors that popped into his head.
"Now, I'd like Miss Everett to hold the list and check the accuracy of everything I'm saying. Heureux de vous avez ici, Lucille Margaret Spencer, Lincoln Academy, Bubbles, green, red, blue, yellow, and purple. Was I correct?"
Everett's eyes widened as she passed the paper to everyone to check. "All correct!"
"Wonderfully done, Mr. Jane!" Blackwell cried, clapping him on the back.
"Okay, everyone settle down!" Garrett boomed over the uproar. "The fight's about to start, and I've provided quite the cannon tonight! Patrick, Teresa, have you placed your bets?"
"Not yet," Lisbon said. "Lead the way."
He led them through crowds of people to get betting slips. "I hope you know how to pick a fighter, Teresa."
"I'm sure it's not too hard," Lisbon said, smiling dizzily.
By the time they had placed their bets, the fighters were being escorted to the ring and people were moving from their seats to be closer to the action. Jane pulled Lisbon close.
"This is going to be rough," he murmured. "You okay?"
"M'alright. Usually, I'm okay with this stuff, it's just that these fighters clearly aren't doing this of their own free will." She watched as handcuffs were removed from one man. "It's disgusting."
"I know." He squeezed her hand. "You did put money on the underdog, right? We don't need to draw attention to ourselves by actually winning."
"Don't worry," Lisbon reassured him. "The odds are totally against him."
But when the fight started, Lisbon realized that she had made a grave mistake. The underdog fighter threw punches with a kind of bitten back aggressiveness that could only come from years of fighting. He drew blood and the crowd went wild. Eventually, news got to Lisbon and Jane that they had accidentally won a huge sum of money.
"Oh no," she whispered. "Have I blown it?"
"Shh. No one suspects a thing. Be gracious, give them the fake account number for a transfer. We just have to be more careful from here on out."
They were congratulated by Spencer, who shook Jane's hand and said to Lisbon, "You sure know how to pick 'em, little lady. How did you know?"
"My money's always on the underdog," she replied patiently. "If you'll excuse me, I think my husband and I are going to head home."
Spencer handed Jane another card, almost identical to the one they had gotten from Garrett. "Now that you've gotten a taste, I'm sure you're in good. Be at the next one," he said almost aggressively, quickly covering it up by looking at his watch. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," they echoed, walking to the car.
It was very late by the time they got back, and Jane woke up a sleeping Lisbon in the passenger seat to guide her into the house. Tonight, there was no time for talking, they were both so exhausted that they could probably fall asleep standing up. Instead of staying up, they both immediately got ready for bed, collapsing into a deep and troubled sleep.
