Chapter 4

Thank you to all the guest reviewers for the reviews and im so glad you liked it. I love reading them.
MonkeyFump20, Clairebare, Miss Myra, TessaH, pjn1945, LoveJisbon, FanfictionReader Im so glad you liked it J
LouiseKurylo I hope it meets your expectations : )
JisbonShipper69 Soon ; )
Sorry for the wait so here's a longer chapter : )

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"So you and Pike are separating?" he asked getting straight to the point. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, we are." She answered after a brief pause, not meeting his eyes. Judging by her expression she hadn't expected him to be so forward with her.

"What did he do?" His words came out harder than he intended.

He cheated on me. But she could not get the words out. She could feel her eyes burning and turned away from Jane, still trying to get those four words out.

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about it. I understand. I won't pry," Jane told her gently in a softer tone. He could see it was making her upset to talk about it and that was the last thing he wanted.

"No it's fine. It's still a bit overwhelming I suppose." She took a deep breath before continuing but could not stop the tears that pricked her eyes as she said with evident difficulty, "He-he cheated on me."

Although Jane had suspected it to be something along those lines, he was nevertheless shocked to hear it confirmed. Despite his shortcomings he hadn't thought Pike to be the cheating kind. He felt a sudden surge of anger towards him for putting Lisbon through that.

"Yes I saw them myself." She felt a lump in her throat as the picture of Pike naked with his colleague came back to her. Her tears brimmed over then and she had to choke back a sob as she continued. "In our house. I left after that."

The last time he'd seen her so upset was when she's been framed for murder. It pained him to see her like this but he doubted that anything he said could make her better so he put his arm around her shoulder, holding her close to him. He saw it as a good sign when she didn't push him away. They sat like this for a few minutes with Lisbon basking in this small moment of comfort where she did not have to worry about Pike, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Alaina who had been quiet in her mother's arms up till now started to fuss and they broke away.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," Lisbon said embarrassed as she shrugged out of his warm embrace and focused her attention back on her daughter. "She's probably hungry. I should get going now."

"Where are you going? Your old apartment?" Jane asked as she made to get up. He'd thought that she'd rented it out when she moved out.

"No. I rented it out and the tenants still have a couple of weeks left till the end of the month. I guess I'll just stay in a hotel or someplace till then," she told him with a sigh. Truth be told she still hadn't completely figured thing out.

He frowned at her words."Not that it's any of my business but are you sure staying with Alaina a hotel would be wise. I mean wouldn't you be uncomfortable there?"

It did not concern him but he didn't like the idea of Lisbon staying at a "hotel or someplace". He put forward his suggestion before she could interrupt him, "I bought a cabin near the woods a few months ago and I had it remodeled. You're welcome to stay there. Besides it will be more comfortable and I'll be there." He added that with a grin of his old self.

To be truthful Lisbon didn't much like the idea of staying at a motel either. She was still short on cash and didn't know when she would be able to get her things back. And the thought of being alone was scary for some reason. Jane's company would be the cherry on the top. However she did not want to trouble him especially if he was seeing someone.

"Thank you for the offer," she answered sincerely, "but I don't want to cause any trouble to you. Besides I wouldn't want to invade upon your privacy or anything."

Her answer made him wonder if she thought he was dating someone. He'd taken off his ring so it was quite a plausible theory. If that really was the reason than she'd never ask him that aloud.

"Come on. You won't be 'invading upon my privacy' as you say it." He emphasized on her words with air quotes. To clear any misconceptions she had about him dating he continued, "I'm not dating anyone nowadays either so it'll just be us. I'll even be able to help you out with Alaina."
He could sense her resolve crumbling at his words so he carried on, "I thought we were friends. Partners." He ended on a questioning tone.

Lisbon who had felt an inexplicable relief at his words when he said that wasn't dating, felt the last of her resolve fall apart as he ended. Unfathomable warmth spread in her body as he said that they were "partners" and she suddenly felt lighter and better than she had all day.

Jane was smiling at her in a way that told her that any further protests would be in vain. After another halfhearted refusal she gave in and agreed to stay with him until her old apartment was vacated.

She had agreed but there was still a question at the back of her mind, bothering her. They hadn't talked about their last encounter at the airport yet.

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She was seated in Jane's car with Alaina in her arms. She'd drifted off to sleep on the way.

"What happened to the silver bucket?" She asked with a small smile playing at her lips. She assumed that he still had it but like so many other thing his car had changed too. He now had a SUV instead of the airstream he'd had earlier.

"Meh. I grew out of it." In answer to the questioning look in her eyes he elaborated further, "I changed it when I decided to move to the cabin. I decided I might as well get a car that doesn't say 'im on the move'. Gives the wrong idea to girls you know," He added the last comment with a grin at her.

Lisbon felt a small pang of jealousy in her chest. He hadn't made any similar kind of gesture with her but made it for some random women instead.

He was right about the message that came across with his airstream though. When he'd chosen it out of all other options, she had been surprised and disappointed. She had come to the conclusion that this would be no different than before. That this too was temporary, lasting only until he got bored. That he'd escape the first chance he got.

It had rid her of any hope she had of his settling down. Of the job with the FBI being permanent. She had even fostered the hope in some part of her that Jane would ask her out or at least show some kind of inclination towards settling down, towards moving on so she would know. But he hadn't even taken off his ring let alone move into a proper residence. There was nothing to tell her whether that "thing" with the FBI would be permanent or if he would run away like before and leave her alone.

She'd flirted with Marcus to gauge Jane's reaction, to see if it would incite him to ask her out but he hadn't. Then Marcus had asked her out. And he had seemed like a good guy.

Jane's interest in her after she started dating angered her at times. It made her think that she was no more than a toy for Jane that he only wanted when someone else showed interest in it. It made her feel like she was Jane's insurance policy. That he'd taken her for granted thought she'd stay waiting for him forever.

She remembered clearly when he had stopped the plane to confess to her but didn't know if he meant it or if it was just a ruse to make her stay and that he would take it away like he had one before. She hadn't stayed because she had thought she was setting herself up for Jane all over again and that if she stayed, he would abandon her once again the moment things got a little difficult. Marcus had been her safe choice. But time had proved her wrong.

Her train of thought came to a halt with the car as they arrived at their destination.

The setting was beautiful. It seemed right out of a fairytale complete with a pond and quacking ducks. When Jane had said 'cabin', a completely different picture had come to her mind. The house she was seeing right now was built along modern lines with a rustic touch that spoke of Jane. It was double storey with glass panes that gave the house the touch of modernization.

"Wow", was all she could manage as they got out the car. Alaina had nestled in her mother's arms and was sleeping contentedly.

"Thank you. I knew you'd like it." Jane was smiling at her expression. "C'mon I'll show you inside." He gestured towards the house.

His hand came to rest on her lower back as they were walking and for a moment it felt like old times. Lately so much had happened in her life that it now seemed divided into two parts. Before she left and After. Walking into Jane's house, Lisbon felt herself yearning for the before and wondering what kind of life she could've had if she had taken a different decision. If she had stayed.

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There were four bedrooms in the house out of which two were completely furnished. One was downstairs that was Jane's room and the other was on the second floor in which Lisbon was to stay. Jane had graciously offered her his own room but she had refused not wanting to inconvenience him further.

Jane had shown her the room and given her a tour of the house before leaving her to unpack with her daughter and her thoughts to keep her company. It was night time and Alaina would now likely wake in the morning. That would give her time to take a long relaxing bath before going to sleep.

Lisbon started unpacking and placed her glock in the drawer made of mahogany wood that matched with the queen size bed. There was a double closet in the room that was empty aside from a couple of shirts folded in the corner. It was after placing her clothes in the closet in the room that she realized what she had forgotten.

Her sleeping wear. Aside from her 'Lisbon 99' jersey she hadn't brought anything suitable to wear while sleeping. Making a mental note to ask Alison, her colleague from DC to mail her stuff to her she put on the jersey after her bath with a groan, not having any other option at that point.

Checking on the sleeping Alaina one more time she headed downstairs to the kitchen where Jane was supposed to be waiting for her hopefully with something to eat because she was starving.

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Jane had ordered a Pizza for them that had arrived by the time Lisbon came downstairs.

He had his breath taken away when she entered the kitchen. She was wearing her jersey that said 'Lisbon 99' and her damp hair were curling around her face. Her jersey ended mid thigh and Jane couldn't stop his eyes from travelling downwards. His mind wandered as he wondered what or rather if there was anything worn underneath it.

She looked so alluring in her short jersey that Jane had to force himself to look away to greet her.

"Hi," a pink flush crept up her face as she saw Jane looking.

"Hey," Jane greeted her, tearing his eyes away from her slender legs. He noted how endearing she looked when she blushed.

"Pizza's here", he informed her while drawing out a chair for her. "Why don't you sit down so we can talk while eating?"

"Sure." She sat across him and grabbed a slice of the Pizza. They ate and after exchanging a few customary dialogues, Jane asked her something he'd been wanting to since she had told him the reason for returning. He thought she was likely to handle it better now that she was fed and relaxed.

"How did you find out? About Pike?"

She took a deep breath and started. "I was at work and Alaina was at daycare. I got off from work earlier so I decided to head back home early because lately I had been feeling like I was neglecting my family. So I picked Alaina from daycare and headed home. Only when I reached there, Marcus was already there. "She twisted his name before going on. "He was there with Amy, a woman from his unit. She's half his age." She stopped then, seemingly unable to continue but then went on.

"I walked in on them while they were having sex. Having sex in my room." Instead of crying this time she sounded angry and her voice was harder. Jane did not say anything nor asked her to continue.

He was angry with Pike himself. He had been the luckiest man who had had one of the best women on the planet and this was what he had done. Jane had a sudden urge to punch him and would have done so had Pike been there.

He looked at Lisbon again. He was wishing right now for her sake that she had stayed. Not chosen him or stayed for him but just stayed back. He wished she had never met Pike and she wouldn't have been hurt like this.

The question he had wanted to ask her but hadn't had the courage to do so was boiling inside him. He understood but he had to hear it from her. The words burst from his lips before he knew it.

"Why didn't you stay?"