A/N: I'm so sorry it took me that long to publish this chapter. I started writing another fanfic and well, it was a little difficult to switch back to this story for a while. I hope this chapter is rewarding enough. Again, thank you for your reviews. I was really glad to notice that this story has sort of developed a group of constant reviewers. It means a lot and it certainly helps me keep writing. So thank you :) Some M included in this chapter as well, but just a very small part.

Chapter 8: Wedding Arrangements

"Mrs. Lopez, you said your granddaughter used to attend ballet lessons in San Francisco?" asked Cho, his usually colorless voice hardly concealing his exhaustion.

He had been questioning people since the moment they'd gotten back to Austin, all the while Vega and Wylie observing him through the one-way mirror. Wylie could tell by the stiffness of the agent's shoulders that he was starting to lose his patience, which was saying something itself, considering they were talking about Cho.

The old gypsy woman maintained a dubious expression, as if Cho had suddenly grown two more heads. "No", she answered after a moment, her voice raising with annoyance. "She go to ballet school in San Francisco", she corrected him, her Spanish accent profuse in her speech.

Cho straightened up in his chair, putting down his pen with surrender.

The room at the other side of the mirror glass was equally dampened from a sense of failure.

"Jane would be quite helpful with this", Wylie remarked.

Receiving no answer from his company, he turned his face half toward her direction, trying to look as indifferent as he could at the sight of her. She looked troubled, as if she was trying to make a decision.

The next moment, her expression finally became resolute. Without hesitation, she pushed the door to the interrogation room.

Before Cho could utter any protest, a stream of Spanish words started flowing from her lips. The gypsy woman's eyes lit. In no time at all, she was nodding and responding with fervor, amazed at Vega's proficient accent. Once she was finished, Vega turned to Cho and briefly described what she found out. Then, in the same dashing manner she'd intervened, she whirled around and returned to their room.

Wylie couldn't hold back his enthusiasm. "Well done", he praised her.

She smiled and he could see in her expression how her desire to seem professional fought with her innate need to cheer and show her excitement over this mini accomplishment of hers. In that moment, quite unintentionally, he fell a little bit more in love with her.

"Vega…?" he called her name, but she'd already walked out of the room.

And what would he say; he thought bitterly. Invite her to dinner? She'd already made it clear she wasn't interested in relationships with her co-workers. Maybe if he spent more time with her, they would eventually become something a little more than friends. And for now, this was his best hope.

In another office, Abbott was carrying on with the questions Laura Gonzalez had so rudely interrupted.

"What were you and Matilda doing the day before she was kidnapped?" he asked Jake.

The boy took a moment to gather his thoughts. "We were out most of the day. It was the first time Matilda had ever been on vacation and well, she was excited to see as much as she could. We ate at a restaurant, visited a couple of museums and tourist attractions and…" he hesitated.

"What?" Abbott asked him.

Jake seemed to weigh his words. "Well, we were kind of searching for the ideal venue to get married at", he said.

Just then, Cho veered into the room, his expression bearing the intensity of unspoken news.

"Boss", he said. "I think I found something".

Abbott waited for him to speak.

"It seems that all the victims were in one way or another planning for a wedding".

Abbott drew his gaze toward Jake. They both exchanged a meaningful look. After a moment, he turned to regard Cho again. "Gather the rest of the team", he ordered. "We need to discuss this together".

After a while, they were all seated at the room with the round conference table.

"So Max was right", Wylie remarked. "The killer aims at lovers".

"Makes sense", Abbott agreed. "A passionate lover would be the most eager to solve his puzzle".

"Just because they were planning to get married doesn't mean they were passionate lovers", Vega differed. "People can get married as part of business deals".

"Or inheritance issues", Cho concurred.

Vega shot him a surprised look, stunned that he would be the one to agree with her. The eternal poker face was in place nonetheless.

"Well, it's still a clue though", Wylie objected.

"I'm just saying, he would need to know beforehand if his victims were actually in love. Which means he would need to get to know them first", Vega deduced.

"Maybe he is like Jane", Wylie suggested.

"You mean as in reading people the moment he lays eyes on them?" Vega inquired.

Wylie nodded, highlighting his statement with a wave of his hand.

"Or maybe he gets to know them beforehand", Abbott said then. His eyes pulled toward the glass walls of the room, looking beyond them. "Let's bring Mr. Rowland in", he suggested.

Few minutes later, the boy in question was marching hesitantly inside the room, his eyes fixed on the man who had requested his presence.

"Jake", Abbott regarded him. "Did you and Matilda happen to meet anyone that seemed strange to you while you were on your vacation? Like someone that seemed to show particular interest in your marriage?"

Jake shook his head. "No, none that I remember of, that is. Plus our planning to get married was a secret. No one knew except for me and her", he said.

Abbott sighed with surrender. After a while he said dejectedly: "We need to call Jane".

…..

Though biofeedback was a skill Jane had mastered quite early in his life, he was having a hard time practicing it now, with Teresa sprawled upon his body, her feet tangled with his. Someone would think he would have gotten used to waking up in the wreath of her spell by now. Still, the sensation of her velvety skin brushing his flesh, her silky ebony hair tickling his chest was as exquisite as that first time. His gaze assimilated her ethereal; sleeping form, lingering at the smooth; flawless valleys of her body, the delicate curves of her breasts and her waist, the scatters of freckles throughout her skin. She was so beautiful, he thought for the millionth time in his life.

"If you keep staring like that, I'm afraid I will have to get you arrested", she mumbled, eyes still closed. "And control yourself already".

"Well, I can't with you curled up on me like that", he protested.

"You want me to leave?"

"No", he said whole-heartedly.

"Hmm, good", she remarked playfully, adjusting her body further onto his.

He made a sound of protest. "That really isn't helping", he said, voice thin.

"Shhh", Lisbon hushed him.

Just then, his cell phone started buzzing against the wooden surface of the bedside table. Jane groaned almost childishly. "Not the right time", he complained as he laid out his hand to fumble for the delicate device. He brought the screen above his face to check on the caller. "Abbott", he announced.

At the mention of her Boss' name, Lisbon finally withdrew her body from his to balance herself on her side. "Maybe it's something important", she worried.

"Yeah, I'd better go take this outside. I can't talk to Abbott like this", he said, his eyes addressing their condition.

Lisbon nodded in agreement.

With a sigh of weariness, he rose to a sitting position. Aware of Lisbon's eyes checking him out from behind, he couldn't help a shrewd grin as he let himself out of bed. Knowingly, he added the detail of a robe to cover his nudeness and went to the balcony.

Finally, he answered the call.

"Dennis, you just can't last a minute without me, can you?" he said with sarcasm.

"Jane", Abbott's voice regarded him, ignoring his comment. "We've reached kind of a dead end here and I was hoping you could help us", he explained.

"Well, can't say I'm surprised", Jane said wearily.

"It seems that the victims are not that random after all", Abbott continued nonetheless. "They were all planning to get married".

"And you assumed that the killer targets lovers", Jane guessed. "Hmm... seems reasonable", he mused. "But then, since not all married couples are necessarily in love, you figured that the killer has to somehow meet them beforehand".

There was a bit of silence at the other side of the line, which he took as a confirmation of his statement. After a while, Abbott finally talked. "Problem is, we don't know how exactly he does that", he admitted.

"Hmm…" Jane commented. "Let me talk to one of the lovers", he requested.

"Sure. Mr. Rowland?" Abbott called.

He heard the phone being handed over to the young man.

"Jake", he greeted, recalling they boy's first name. "Patrick Jane here. Tell me, was Matilda with you all the time?"

"Yes, sir. We never parted", he answered.

"Okay, another question then. What were you talking about the night before she disappeared?"

"How is that relevant—?"

"Please, just answer the question".

"About our wedding, mainly. She wanted it to be a fairytale kind of thing. Sunsets and waterfalls and fireworks in the sky. Unfortunately, we couldn't afford any of that, so she settled with dreaming. That night she did just that, describing her idea of the perfect wedding location", he explained.

"Thank you, Jake. Give the phone back to Abbott, please".

Once Abbott was on the speaker again, Jane started explaining.

"It is a wedding venue. He picks up his victims from a place where weddings are hosted. That's where Matilda was going the morning she left".

"She left a message where she said she'd be back in two hours", Abbott mused. "That place can't be far away from LA. We could draw a fifty mile perimeter", he concluded, his voice reaching a climax.

"Well, there you are", Jane said.

"Thank you, Jane".

Jane closed the phone, an amused smile on his lips.

Walking back inside, his gaze almost instantly met hers in the pile of rumpled sheets. She was lying on her stomach, the covers outlining the curves of her waist and below. There was something pure and primitive in the way their souls communicated in their eyes. There always was. It was the very reason he never seemed to be able to stop staring at her. Even before their romance had set off. Without a word, he crossed the room toward the bed, eyes fixed on her. Balancing himself on his hands, he bent down and took her lips in a sweet; tender kiss. She shifted so as to be directly under him, her hands landing on his shoulders. Then, abruptly, she pulled him down, making him fall on the bed.

"Ow", he protested.

She started laughing devilishly. He let her enjoy herself for a few more seconds, then smiling with mischief, he muttered "You asked for it" and started tickling her mercilessly. She gave a little squeak and started giggling, trying to escape his hands to no avail.

They fought like that for a while, until their energy wrung out of them, whereat he settled with gathering her under him, careful to shift his weight on his elbows. Seconds passed as they tried to catch their breath.

Her green eyes shined in the morning light, as she laid out her hand to stroke his cheek with her fingertips. "I love you", she said.

His soul filled with unrest, a variety of feelings overwhelming his heart. Of course, he knew she loved him. Still, he had never imagined how much he needed to hear the words from her lips until this moment.

The familiar look of unease shadowed her eyes. "I know I haven't said it—"

"Shh", he hushed her, putting a finger against her lips. Then, slowly, he pulled it down, tugging on her lower lip, at the same time that he lowered his head and savored her mouth in a long, adoring kiss.

After a while, he drew back again, just enough to be able to see her. "Let's go out tonight", he suggested, acting on a sudden impulse. "Have the day to ourselves".

"Sounds good", she agreed, voice seduction itself.

…

Eventually, it had come down to Wylie and Vega visiting a list of possible wedding locations, pretending to be an engaged couple.

Wylie had tried to summon every ounce of self-discipline, but still he wasn't able to prevent his gaze from skidding toward Michelle's direction in more than one occasions during their four hour flight. Her professionalism was admirable as always, but he'd give his right hand to have a glimpse at the thoughts lurking beneath the stark surface. He knew he was acting like a five-year old child, trying to make something more out of a strictly professional regulation. Yet he couldn't help himself doing just that.

By that moment, they'd reached the first location on the list. Wylie pulled out the note with Jake's description of Matilda's dreamlike wedding from his jacket pocket and started comparing it to the scenery that blossomed before his eyes. A castle-like restaurant with a gate and a huge yard. Very fairytale-like indeed.

His gaze drew toward Cho's car on the reflection of the rearview mirror. The sound of seatbelts unbuckling filled the air. Michelle let her hair fall loose on her shoulders and opened her vanity mirror to apply some lip gloss on her lips. He hadn't realized he was staring, until she turned to face him, whereat he pretended to be looking at something through her window.

"Let me lead this", she told him.

He nodded submissively.

Of course, at the time he couldn't have had the slightest idea about what he was agreeing to. Not until they were in the restaurant and Michelle was warning him with her eyes, before pulling him to her lips. Dazed, his hands awkwardly groped for her waist.

Subsequently, he had realized her reasoning. The killer was looking for passionate lovers. They were the only kind that would be willing to play his game. However, at that moment, he could only think of her lips caressing his and the desperate tug of her hands at his shoulders.

…

Later that night

Lisbon took in the image of the restaurant Patrick had chosen for their date night with an appreciative smile. The place bore the exotic name of Moonshadows and it stood up to it to the very last detail. With an umbrella-dotted patio half-projected over the sea, the diner felt surrounded by water and starlight. Subdued lighting stemmed from hanging shell lamps and just over the edge of the cantilevered deck, there was a section labelled as the Blue Lounge.

She cast a knowing gaze toward her partner, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Jane beamed with delight as he showed her the way to an empty table with a stunning view to the ocean. He pulled the chair for her to sit and suited himself opposite her.

"It was definitely worth driving over to Malibu for this", she remarked, her eyes feeding on the bountiful water views.

…

Wylie and Vega sat back in their car, an aura of disappointment dampening their spirit. They'd visited at least ten places today—the last one even had a quite promising name: "Inn of the Seventh Ray"—, but had found no one potential enough to rouse their suspicions.

Wylie turned his head toward Michelle, trying to block the vivid memories of their kiss from his mind.

She was lost in her thoughts, her eyes a little unfocused.

"Vega", he called her.

She whirled around, eyes bemused.

"You okay?" he asked her.

She nodded, though not very sprightly. Then, abruptly, she opened her door. "Stay here. I just want to see something", she said and got out of the car.

He waited for a few seconds, but her silhouette would not reappear in the shadows. Acting on a sudden prickle of worry, he exited the vehicle and followed the path she'd taken.

…

Lisbon had excused herself to the bathroom, which meant he was left alone with his thoughts.

He closed his eyes and let the sound of the waves calm his spirit, emptying his mind from every single thought. Then, slowly, the murmurs crept back to his consciousness. Impulsively, he tuned in to some of them, trying to guess at the personalities that lurked behind them—a game he had been playing since his childhood.

On the table just in front of him, two girls were wholesomely engrossed in a vivid conversation.

"…and we decided that this is the ideal place! I mean, just look at it. The perfect wedding venue!"

Jane opened his eyes, surprised to hear the term for the second time that day.

In the next few seconds, the beautiful blue paradise reformed into one of his worst nightmares. Everything dawned on him very slowly—what the boy had said about his girlfriend's dreamlike marriage: "Sunsets and waterfalls and fireworks in the sky". He knew that the restaurant provided a glorious view of the sunset during the day and that it was only forty miles away from LA.

Quite ironically, the next moment, the quiet ambience was ripped by the loud clamor of fireworks. Unlike the rest of the restaurant's customers, he didn't bother sparing a glance at the spectacle. He rose on his feet and ran straight to the ladies' restroom.

A/N: Here, have this cliffhanger. (Lol, I'm really sorry, I'll try and update soon). Anyway, some of you requested a continuation of the M scene in the last chapter. Unfortunately, I can't post it here now. However, I will make sure to write and upload it separately as an M rated story. Can't wait for your reviews on this chapter! :)

Some Trivia: Moonshadows is a real place. (There's even a section called the Blue Lounge!-Seriously, you can google it!). The Inn of the Seventh Ray is real too. In fact, all the places mentioned in this fic are real :p

Also, check out my new story "Oblivion" in which Jane and Lisbon are forced to lose their memories of each other in order to voluntarily offer their skills in a dangerous CIA mission.