CHAPTER 4 – THE HONEYMOON'S OVER

The next day, Teresa woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She thought it was the alarm at first and tried to ignore it, but it was incessant… she jumped out of bed like it was on fire when she saw it was Marcus. She picked up the call as she turned around to see where Jane was. He was still fast asleep, curled on his side. She went out onto the patio for privacy.

"Hey…" Teresa said breathlessly.

"Hey to you too. Did I wake you? It's almost 10 am your time… are you on vacation or something?" said Marcus in a teasing voice.

"Ha. Ha," said Teresa mockingly. "I'm just tired from all the sun I had yesterday," lied Teresa. She slept in because she had tossed and turned all night because she was thinking about Jane and his reaction to her bikini at the pool and was wondering how he could sleep. The pillow barrier in the middle of the bed that she insisted upon was also annoying her all night.

"Well, that's good. You should rest and soak up as much sun as you can. Maybe we could have a video chat later… I miss you," said Marcus suggestively.

Teresa's brain jammed. She knew what Marcus wanted and she knew he was waiting for her to say she missed him too… but she couldn't get the words out and she wasn't in the right frame of mind for the kind of video chat he wanted either.

"Tee. Are you there?" asked Marcus.

Teresa panicked and ended the call. Oh god… what is she going to do? Her phone started ringing again and she silenced it. She decided to just text him – 'Sorry Marcus. My phone cut out. Bad reception. We'll chat later.' She pressed send, knowing that her message was lacking – but she needed time to think. A few minutes later, she saw that he didn't respond… this was bad.

Teresa looked at the time again… 10:15 am. Something was niggling in the back of her brain – like she was supposed to be somewhere… Parasailing with Annabeth! She was going to be late. If she hurried, she would make it on time.

Jane woke up to the sound of Lisbon noisily getting ready. He sat up and watched her run back in the bathroom with her clothes. He checked the time and realized that she must be late for her parasailing excursion with Annabeth. He got up still feeling very groggy. Lisbon had tossed and turned all night and in turn, had kept him up all night. Lisbon hurriedly came back out and rummaged through her suitcase again.

"Running late, huh?" stated Jane.

"Oh god, yes! I can't believe I missed the alarm," Lisbon said still searching frantically.

"Anything I can do to help?" asked Jane rubbing the sleep from his face. He was so tired.

"It's okay. I got it," she said in a rush and took off back into the bathroom.

A minute later, Lisbon whipped out of the bathroom, put on her sandals, grabbed her wallet, and ran out the door with a wave and a 'bye'. He tried to say 'bye', but the door closed too quickly. Jane decided he needed a shower to wake up and went into the bathroom. He turned on the water then he realized that he forgot his new razor in the bag by the entrance. He padded over to get it and collided full body into Lisbon – he hadn't heard her come back in.

Jane was naked! Why was Jane naked! She got a very good look at him before she turned around and closed her eyes. He went into the bathroom and wrapped a towel around his waist. She knew that her face was beet red – she didn't need a mirror to know it. Jane was about to say something, and she put her hand up in the direction of his face.

"I forgot the confirmation paper for the parasailing. I'm just getting it," she said as she went to the small table by the bathroom and picked it up.

"Lisbon-" started Jane.

"Don't say anything," said Lisbon again motioning with her hand. She couldn't feel her legs when she ran out of there.

Teresa started the golf cart again and took off. She had exactly 13 minutes to get across the resort and registered. She called Tommy to tell him that she was going to be a bit late and to get Annabeth started. Yesterday, the company that organized the parasailing took her through all the steps and details of the excursion – so she knew she had a little bit more time.

A vision of Jane, naked, popped into her mind and she groaned out loud. She got a really good look at him and she was surprised that she liked what she saw. He looked good… really good. What was wrong with her? Why was she suddenly hot for Jane – she was with Marcus? The very recent memory of his scent made her feel flush and she couldn't stop thinking about it. Now that she knew what was under his suit, it was obvious that he did some kind of exercise to keep himself in such good shape. 'Okay Teresa, you're acting like a schoolgirl. Get a grip. You have a very sexy boyfriend, that you haven't seen in weeks. You should think about him. Not Jane. Jane is not your boyfriend and does not want to be your boyfriend. If he did, he would have done something to show you after all this time that he thinks of you in that way. Which he hasn't. As a matter of fact – he's been flirting with other women, who are not you.' There… she felt better after giving herself a good talking to. She needed to focus on what she did have… her awesome boyfriend Marcus and a new career in D.C.

With a lot more effort than expected, Teresa managed to put Jane out of her mind for the rest of the day. After parasailing with Annabeth, Teresa took her out to lunch with her brother. They were having a great time when Jane started calling her.

"Um… why are you ignoring Patrick's calls," asked Tommy.

"I'm not. I just don't want to take a call while I'm hanging out with you guys," said Teresa innocently.

"It's okay auntie Reese. We don't mind, right dad?" said Annabeth.

"I'll call him later," said Teresa.

"Did you two argue or something?" asked Tommy looking interested.

"No. Everything is fine," she said with a smile.

She kept Tommy and Annabeth out for lunch way past what would be considered normal, but she just wasn't ready to face Jane. When Tommy called it quits because they wanted to head to the pool, she reluctantly headed back to the hut. When she got there, Jane was gone. She checked her voicemail – no messages. He'd probably gone out to do something to enjoy himself. It was his vacation too. It was almost 2:30 pm and she wasn't going to stay here and wait for him. She left the golf cart behind and went for a walk on the path along the shore. She'd been walking for about a half-hour when she came to some kind of lookout and the view was amazing. She joined the other tourists at the railing and watched the people on the beach and in the ocean. It was packed and she's not sure how she found him, but there he was, in the ocean swimming. He had swum past the undertows and was doing laps – that explained the nice abs and arms she saw this morning. When did he start swimming like that? Her phone vibrated – it was Jimmy – he wanted to know is she and Jane wanted to have supper with him and his fiancée tonight to talk about the wedding ceremony. She watched Jane a bit longer and then decided to head back to her room to get ready.

Jane saw the golf cart as the hut came into view. Lisbon was back. He looked at the time on his watch, it was 4:55 pm. She hadn't picked up his calls earlier – she was obviously freaked out by this morning and he needed to find a way to smooth things over. It's not like he did anything wrong. He stopped and looked at the door before entering and decided to knock to let her know that he was coming in.

"Lisbon? Are you in there? Can I come in?" asked Jane loudly as he knocked.

Teresa was blow-drying her hair – she thought she heard a knock but wasn't sure. Then it came again. She stopped the hair blower and waited. There was the knock again and then she heard Jane asking to come in. Did he forget his key? She went to the door and opened it.

"Did you forget your key?" she asked trying to inject some lightness to her voice.

Jane pressed his lips together into a thin line and gave her a look. "Nope. I didn't. I just didn't want to cause another situation where you would disappear for hours," said Jane exaggeratingly.

"I didn't disappear, I was spending the day with my brother and my niece." There, that sounded perfectly true and didn't give up anything to Mr. Lie Detector Jane. And then she smiled for good measure.

"So, I take it you don't want to talk about this morning then?" asked Jane.

"There's no need. We're both adults sharing a space," said Teresa, so proud of how level her voice sounded.

"All right Lisbon. If that's the way you want to play it," Jane said with laughter in his tone. He then dropped his gear and went into the bathroom and closed the door.

What did Jane mean by that? She thought she handled the awkwardness pretty well. There's nothing to talk about anyway. Why would he want to talk about it? Then she heard the shower turn on and she realized that her hair blower was in the bathroom with Jane and that she'd only finished half her hair. She went and sat on a chair on the balcony, but it was too hot with the sun hanging low in the sky and shining directly at her. So, she came back inside and sat on the armchair to wait her turn to get back in the bathroom.

Jane hummed a tune in the shower feeling happy with himself. Lisbon was an open book and he couldn't help but feel a little flattered that he'd had such an effect on her. She'd blushed, and her pupils had dilated when she opened the door for him – looks like she liked what she saw this morning. Too bad he could never act on it and after seeing her in a bikini, he knew what he what giving up; but Teresa deserved better than what he had to offer… and he kept reminding himself of that over and over again in the shower because he was tempted to just give in to his need to have her. He braced himself with both hands against the shower wall and let the cool water from the showerhead drain off his back to cool down his lust. It was going to be an interesting night walking the fine line because that dress she's wearing emphasized all her assets and made her eyes shine.

Jane hadn't brought any clothes with him in the bathroom and since Lisbon said they were adults – he remembered with a smile – he wrapped the towel around his waist and left the bathroom. Lisbon's eyes went wide as saucers when she saw him – she gawked at him momentarily and then she averted her eyes.

"Oh, umm, uh-" Teresa stumbled to find her words.

Jane chuckled at her reaction and she looked back at him… he was amused. What was he playing at?

"Enjoying yourself Patrick Jane?" asked Teresa narrowing her eyes.

"A little," he admitted with a raised eyebrow.

He was playing her, trying to get a reaction from her… but why? He was so infuriating sometimes.

"Are you done in there because I need to finish my hair," asked Teresa.

"All done," he said.

Yep, he liked getting her all flustered like this. He was conscious of the fact that he was on thin ice but found that he couldn't stop himself. He loved the look he was causing on her face – he could tell that it could be addictive to have her look at him that way all the time.

Teresa stayed in the bathroom longer than needed to make sure that Jane had time to get dressed.

"Are you decent?" Teresa asked impatiently waiting to open the door.

"I'm decent," said Jane with a lopsided grin and shook his head slightly.

Teresa re-entered the room and saw that Jane was fully dressed for going out.

"Where are you going?" she asked frowning.

"Same place as you," said Jane with a flourish while extending both arms in the direction of the door. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. But how do you know where we're going? I haven't even told you yet," asked Teresa, her face all scrunched up.

"Jimmy texted me earlier today. When you didn't return my call, I had no choice but do an executive decision and accept his invite," Jane chewed the inside of his lip and waited for Teresa by the door.

Oh, oh. He looked annoyed. Teresa gave him a look over. "You don't have to come if you don't want to," she said.

"I want to come and I'm hungry. So, can we go?" said Jane impatiently.

Jane headed for the driver's seat of the golf cart and she didn't have the energy to argue with him. He was sullen, and she knew that she owed him an apology for ignoring his calls and the way she acted today. If she didn't get him under control, who knows what his behavior would have in store for her tonight. She took a big breath.

"Jane… I'm sorry about today," Teresa said sincerely.

Jane stopped the cart and turned his body towards hers.

"Why are you apologizing Teresa?"

"Because you're upset," she said, gesturing in his direction about his demeanor.

"I look upset?" asked Jane.

"Yes, you do," confirmed Teresa. "Are you saying that you're not mad?"

Jane smiled at her then. "Thanks. I appreciate the apology." – Then he touched her nose with the tip of his forefinger. – "But I know that you're only saying sorry because you think I will get you back. Don't worry – I won't embarrass you in front of your family tonight," he said with a twinkle in eyes. "And, I would be remiss if I didn't say that you look beautiful in that dress."

Teresa smiled at his compliment feeling flush. He redirected his attention to driving and then gave her a side glance with a wicked grin. She closed her eyes to brace herself. She hoped that her apology was enough to curb his behavior tonight because he'd just given her one of his 'I'm about to play a trick' look that she knew too well.

The next few hours passed without a clinch. Jane was on his best behavior. They were all having a great time. She was happy to see Jimmy so in love with his fiancée Jenny and they were so excited to be expecting. She'd never seen her brother so committed to the future. The bachelor party was coming, and Jimmy was chatting non-stop to Jane about it. Teresa learned yesterday that Jenny's sister was going to host a small bachelorette party for the bride on the same night – without alcohol. That party did not sound as much fun as Jimmy's. She wished she could go to his party – she didn't know anyone from the bride's side anyway. They finished up and said their goodbyes when Stan suddenly showed up.

"Hey sis – have a minute?" asked Stan. "I didn't want to call or text because I want to surprise Karen."

"Okay, what's going on?" asked Teresa with a smirk.

Stan proceeded to ask her to babysit his five children the next day overnight. It was Karen's birthday and he wanted to do something special for her. When she suggested that he ask Tommy or Jimmy he balked. Jimmy was too green to know what to do with kids and Tommy wouldn't have the patience. Also, Karen wouldn't approve if she found out. But he knew that she had her CPR and first aid rescue and Karen could have a good time and not worry if Teresa had the kids… and the kids loved Patrick. She tried to get out of it, but he pulled those puppy dog eyes that always worked on her when they were kids and she found herself saying 'yes' without even looking at Jane for his approval because it was his hut after all. She didn't expect Jane to back her up so fully… Stan thanked them both and left.

"Oh my god. What have I done?" she said lamentingly and looked up at Jane.

"You're being a nice sister. Your brothers are very lucky to have you Teresa Lisbon." Jane put his arm around her shoulders and walked her back towards the golf cart. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Teresa leaned into his body enjoying the closeness and the support. Then she stopped them both and stood in front of Jane.

"I'm so sorry that I got you into this. This is your vacation too and I've more than monopolized your time."

"Lisbon… it's okay. I came here this week to support you… not to have a vacation. I had a two-year vacation and it was long enough I'll tell you." Jane cupped her chin and then touched the hair on her shoulder. "C'mon. We should go."

His hand on her lower back was causing tingling in that spot as they walked back to the golf cart. He'd been so sweet with her just now. She thought for sure that he was going to kiss her, but he didn't. Her heart squeezed in her chest at the rejection she was feeling although she had no right to feel that way because she was still dating Marcus – her boyfriend, she reminded herself.

Jane paused near the golf cart jangling the key in his palm.

"Want to go for a walk on the beach? The night is still young," Jane said teasingly.

"Yeah, okay. I've never been on a beach at night actually," said Teresa.

They walked over the pathway and onto the sand and headed towards the beach that was illuminated with torches.

"Really? You lived in Sacramento for years. How is that possible?" he asked seriously.

"No time. You were there, remember?" she said flippantly.

"Well, I'm glad that I get to rectify that for you tonight," said Jane and he offered her the crook of his arm to hold onto. Teresa stopped and took off her heeled sandals, so she could walk more efficiently.

It was beautiful along the beach. There seemed to be a million stars visible, the ocean was lapping soothingly on the shore and she could hear distant upbeat music from one of the resort bars. Jane looked at her sometimes while they walked, but he didn't say anything. She realized that maybe he was waiting for her to tell him about D.C. But she couldn't get the words out. Every time she thought about it, she felt a lump in her throat and she didn't want to have that conversation tonight… but it felt like the big elephant in the room.

"Do you ever miss our CBI days?" asked Jane.

She didn't know how to answer that, it seemed so long ago now.

"I don't know, I haven't thought about it in a long time, feels like another life," answered Teresa.

"Hum." Jane nodded. "Are you enjoying your time with your brothers so far?"

She was glad he changed the subject. "Yes. So far, they are behaving – no fights or arguments. It's been nice actually."

"You did well by them. Good guys. They're lucky that they had you to protect them and take care of them," Jane said solemnly.

"Thanks," she said, realizing that nobody had ever acknowledged her effort in raising her brothers because there wasn't anyone to do so. It also meant a lot coming from Jane because she trusted his opinion. And she agreed, they were good men. "It didn't always feel that way when they were getting into trouble and they'd always make me feel like the bad guy."

"Yeah. But they love and respect you. It's plain to see. You're very lucky to have each other. You have a nice family," he said smiling at her. "Thank you for letting me tag along this week. I've enjoyed meeting them."

"Oh, well, you're doing me the favor, right? It's been great having you here actually," she said honestly. He nodded and shrugged.

"I can see now why you got your nickname, Saint Teresa. Your name means 'harvester' and in your case, a harvester of lost causes I would say."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ah, you know… your brothers were telling stories and I think it could have gone very badly for them had you not had a strong sense of responsibility and put their needs ahead of your own. And… you saved me too… when you gave me a chance to be part of the team. You could have refused to work with me. I don't know where I'd be today had you not had the courage to take me on. I wanted you to know that. To hear me say it. You gave me a safe place when I needed one."

Teresa was blown away. Her legs felt like they were filled with lead and she couldn't move anymore. He turned to look at her when she stopped. He asked if she was okay, but her brain was buzzing. She was looking for the right words to say but couldn't find any. She used to always say 'he closes cases' when asked why she put up with him, but the real reason was that she knew that he needed something to hold onto.

She knew what he meant when he talked about feeling safe. They both had similar experiences with parents they couldn't count on. She'd done a background check on him when he first signed on to the CBI. His mother had abandoned the family sometime before he was 4 years old, she was a teen mother and his father raised him. He dragged Jane around the carnival circuit as The Boy Wonder and they'd been arrested together often for petty crimes such as shoplifting, pickpocketing, and other small-time cons. Up to the age of 12, when they would get arrested together, Jane would go into temporary foster care… after that, he was considered a juvenile delinquent and they would send him to Youth Detention. She can't imagine what that was like for him… she knew of at least one incident when he'd been beaten in detention and needed surgery for a ruptured spleen. At 16, his father died in a bar fight and he didn't return into the system or get arrested after that – the time between 16 and 19 years of age is unknown – he popped back up with a marriage certificate to his wife at 20, a birth certificate for his daughter at 22, and the purchase of his house in Malibu at 25… there was a news trail about him as a psychic and then the murder of his family when he was 28. That's all she could find, and he'd never talk about his past. He'd told her once 'the past is the past and that's where it belonged'.

Jane was watching her with concern because she was just staring at him.

"Sorry. I'm just surprised by what you said. Thank you for saying that, but you brought a lot to the team – it wasn't a burden. We wouldn't have been able to help as many people as we did without you. You're doing a good thing by working with the FBI now. You're making a real difference," she said finally.

"Thank you, anyway," Jane said with a smile, instilling some lightness to the heavy mood.

She felt a chill from the ocean breeze and shivered. Without a word, Jane took off his suit jacket and draped over her shoulders. They walked back silently side by side towards the golf cart… she, wrapped in his jacket and Jane with his hands in his pockets.