Chapter 5

Lisbon's POV

Jane kept smiling at her like a giddy schoolboy. It was infectious and she was trying to not reciprocate since they were in the middle of the debrief with Agent Simms and Marcus. Simms wanted to know every detail of their operation on the island with Mikhail Lipovsky and was recording and taking notes. They had driven straight from their drop-off location back to FBI headquarters, so they were still wearing the same clothes from the operation.

She kept her eyes averted from Jane, not wanting to encourage him. Their drive back to headquarters had been nice. They were too tired to talk much, but the tension and awkwardness that had been between them recently were gone and she felt more relaxed in his presence; as much as she could ever be around him, it was never a good idea to relax completely.

Marcus asked Jane to clarify one of the details he mentioned and she watched his lips move remembering how good they felt kissing her. His long fingers tapped the top of the conference table as he spoke bringing her attention to them and she flushed with the memory of his warm hand on her thighs. She squirmed in her seat and the motion caught Jane's attention because his eyes darted quickly to hers pausing to give her a tiny smile as he resumed his train of thought. She suppressed her smile, looking at Marcus and Simms to see if they noticed the exchange, but they seemed unaware, so she refocused her gaze on Jane's hands.

His hands… there was something about them that got her all hot and bothered. She cast her memory back to their drive to headquarters. They'd been on the road for a while when Jane hesitantly reached out to hold her hand while he drove. It felt intimate to hold his hand and she'd felt shy about it but she didn't want to reject his innocent gesture. Her heart had raced when he'd intertwined their fingers, her eyes focused on the size difference. When she finally looked up into his eyes, he'd given her such a sweet smile that it had melted her heart.

The luxury sports car that was loaned to them for the operation didn't provide the same amount of space as an SUV or town car so the stick shift in the center console became an obstacle to their hand-holding. Jane had adjusted himself slightly in his seat so their hands could rest comfortably on her lap. The sight of his hand holding hers made her feel off balance. It was such a mundane thing between couples that she'd never thought about it; Marcus held her hand all the time, just not like that. She watched as his thumb absentmindedly rubbed the area where it rested over her knuckle. There was something about the whole thing that made her feel connected to him in a way she couldn't explain.

She spent the rest of the drive to headquarters either watching his profile as he drove, waiting for him to smile at her with his eyes or looking at their clasped hands thinking of the implications of what she was getting herself into with him. Even though he appeared aloof most of the time, once he set his mind to something he was quite intense about it; a relationship with him would come with that same energy and she wasn't sure she could handle it. He made her insides feel jumbled up and her brain muddled. She didn't feel like herself; in control. He made her feel and act irrationally, like now. She shouldn't be thinking about all this at work. Marcus never had this effect on her... nobody ever had this effect on her, except him.

She looked up at his face, his intelligent eyes focused on Simms as he gave her some insights on possible motivations behind Lipovsky's actions.

She was irrevocably still in love with him after all this time, which was not a good position to be in because it gave him all the power. She wanted more than anything for this to be real, for Jane to prove to her that he wasn't playing games. That's why his withholding sex had been triggering her. Sex was just sex for her; it wasn't an intimate act. It was just an enjoyable way to expel some energy, although the last few years she'd rarely partook in it because she'd been too busy to find the time. Sex with Marcus was fun, he had the same view she did but she knew that it was different for Jane. She knew that he would never cross that line with her unless he was serious about them and until he did, she would feel this doubt. At the same time, she didn't want him to have sex with her if he wasn't ready. Trusting him was her biggest hurdle, not loving him.

Agent Simms and Marcus started discussing what Jane said when she felt his hand on her thigh. She kept her eyes averted as her body flushed from the warmth of his hand. Then Simms asked her what she thought; she stuttered when his hand squeezed her flesh gently. She restarted her sentence, slipping her hand under the table to crush his fingers just enough for him to know where the boundaries were. He winced audibly.

"What was that, Jane?" Agent Simms asked.

"Nothing," he answered, holding his fingers gingerly in his other hand.

Although she wanted his hands all over her, it wasn't appropriate at work and she needed to lay some ground rules quickly.

To her relief, Agent Simms wrapped up the meeting by 7 a.m. Her lack of sleep was catching up to her. They were all leaving the room at the same time when Marcus appeared beside her.

"I'll walk you out," he offered.

They had all worked through the night and early morning and were now all heading back home to rest.

"Oh, that's not necessary. You probably have to stop in your office first before heading out."

Jane was on their heels, Agent Simms by his side chatting him up.

"It's okay, I'll loop back."

She grabbed her purse from her desk, glancing at Jane. He looked irritated. They all got into the elevator together, Jane forcefully positioning himself beside her, making Agent Simms and Marcus move in front of them. He winked at her and touched her fingers with his briefly, sending a jolt of electricity through her body. They smiled at each other and averted their gazes to the front of the elevator.

She could see a distorted reflection of Jane in the elevator door above Simms' head. His hair was all ruffled from him repeatedly passing his hand through it making him look unkempt but for some reason, he looked adorable to her in that state. A little pang of longing hit her as she wished they were alone so he could kiss her; she missed his taste. She chastised herself for acting like a lovestruck school girl. She needed to get her hormones under control where Jane was concerned. She was still trying to figure out why she saw him so differently now. How did she not appreciate just how hot he was before? She always found him handsome and charming and could understand the looks he got from other women, but this was something else. That first kiss seemed to have removed the blurry lenses with which she used to see him through. Now, every part of him was sexy and fascinating to her; his mouth, his eyes, his hair, his hands, the way he talked, the way he moved. It was very distracting.

Agent Simms got off on her floor leaving an awkward silence with her absence. A few seconds later, they exited into the lobby, all three of them walking towards the parking lot.

"Jane! Wait!"

Jane's POV

He turned at the sound of his name being shouted. It was Agent Simms, waving him down from the upper floor. They all waited for her to descend the open staircase.

"Oh, it's okay. I just need to talk to Jane," she said with a smile at Lisbon and Pike.

He cast his eyes towards Lisbon and Pike as they left together. Pike was guiding her with his hand on her elbow and his annoyance grew.

"How can I help you?" he asked politely, hoping to get rid of her quickly.

"The belt buckle," she indicated. "I forgot to grab it."

"Oh."

He undid the belt and handed it to her.

"One more thing..."

"Hm."

"I really enjoyed working with you. You have a unique perspective... unconventional, but effective."

"Thanks," he answered distractedly.

He peeked quickly over Simms' shoulder. He could see Pike was standing really close to Lisbon in the distance. He was leaning in on her. He extended his fingers and closed his hand in a fist repeatedly trying to release the tension he was feeling watching Pike getting too close to Lisbon. Simms was saying something, so he brought his attention back to her.

"... so I was hoping we could go out," she continued. "Pick your brain in the process."

She was asking him out. He encouraged her flirting before only because he knew it was annoying Lisbon, but there was no purpose for it now.

"Melissa- I'm not looking to date right now. I-"

"Oh. Uhm. Well... it wasn't actually a date. Just a friendly dinner or lunch. I have another case that I hoped you could provide some feedback on."

He caught the blush on her cheeks and smiled. She had been asking him out on a date but had changed her tactic. She was beautiful and interesting but not for him.

"Sure. I'm happy to help."

She smiled in return and nodded.

"Okay. It's not a date," she said cheekily.

He smiled at her joke and headed outside. When he got to Lisbon's parking spot, it was empty. He dialed her number once he was seated in his car.

'Hey,' she answered.

"Hey... why'd you leave so fast?" he asked.

'I didn't know how long you'd be and I didn't want to make it weird.'

"Hmm. I miss you already."

Silence hung between them.

'Jane...'

"Patrick."

'Patrick... sorry, it sounds strange to call you that. We need to lay some ground rules if we're going to do this.'

"Such as?"

'I want to keep this private for now. I don't want anyone to know about us. At work, I want to keep it professional and no PDA in public.'

He considered her request for a moment. He knew there was no room for negotiation on it. She was protecting herself still and he knew it wasn't going to be easy to permanently breach her defenses. He had to play it her way.

"Okay."

'I mean it. This needs to be the best-kept secret, Jane... I mean, Patrick. Ugh. Do you really want me to call you Patrick?'

"Yes, I do," he chuckled. "I have a request of my own."

'Oh, okay,' he could hear the surprise in her voice. 'What is it?'

"You need to make it clear to Pike that he no longer has any chance with you."

'What? We're broken up. How much clearer do you want me to be?'

"He's acting like he's still your boyfriend. If you don't want anyone to know about us, then he can't be touching you. I don't share."

'Really?' she said with a chuckle. 'And what would you do if Marcus touched me?'

"I would ensure that he knew you weren't available."

'How?'

He smiled into the phone.

"You like making men jealous, Teresa?"

'No,' she answered indignantly. 'I'm not into all that male posturing.'

Her response didn't surprise him, but it wasn't the truth.

"Huh."

'What?'

"That's not the whole truth."

'Yes, it is.'

"Okay," he said humoring her.

'Jane!'

"Patrick."

He heard her take a long breath.

'Patrick,' she said, emphasizing each syllable. 'I don't like possessive men who act all jealous. I won't put up with it.'

"Why were you asking then?"

'You're so infuriating, you know that.'

She paused for a few seconds.

'You said you were jealous when I was dating Marcus, but you didn't do anything. So I guess I'm finding it hard to believe what you're saying. I've never seen you act jealous. You don't seem the type.'

He took a deep breath considering how to respond. She had no idea what he'd done or would do and he didn't like to reveal his hand. Old habits died hard.

"Okay."

'Okay, what?'

"Just okay," he said chuckling. "I accept your word on it."

'Okay. Good.'

His tiny fierce Teresa was lying to herself. She was independent, strong-willed, and always in need of control. But her assessment of the situation just now betrayed her true feelings giving him a small window into her thoughts and feelings. He believed her when she said she wasn't into jealous men… but he could tell that she is bothered by his lack of action regarding Pike when she was dating him. Although he was certain she'd be angry if he'd interfered.

A short pause passed between them and he decided to change the subject to something less charged.

"I want to see you, tonight. How about I take you out on our first date."

'Tonight? We'll be exhausted.'

Her tone was back to normal.

"It'll be fine. Go home and sleep. You'll be refreshed by tonight."

He waited for her answer, the seconds ticking by.

'Okay... but nothing fancy. I won't be in the mood for anything like that.'

6 p.m., later that day

Lisbon's POV

She followed him as he led her towards what appeared to be a giant indoor arcade. They had held hands in the car all the way there, but now they were walking side by side, respecting her request to stay professional in public.

He'd told her to dress casually, so she did. She was wearing jeans with a sleeveless green blouse, her leather jacket, and flats. Of course, he showed up in his island shirt and suit. Jane didn't do casual even on a date it seemed. She wasn't going to complain though, she needed some predictability where he was concerned, and knowing he'd be in his suits day in and day out provided that. A flash of him naked popped in her brain; oh yes, him in his suits was all she could handle at the moment.

She glanced up at the sign they were walking towards.

"You're taking me to an arcade... for our date?"

"Where else do you bring a highly competitive woman who doesn't like making conversation in fancy restaurants and relaxes by going to the gun range?"

"There are several options that don't include hanging around little kids. You know I don't gel well with them."

"Don't fret, my dear. This is an adult-only arcade. No kids allowed."

"That exists?"

"Yes... and I will feed you. They have all kinds of canteen food to choose from."

His eyes were twinkling knowingly. She loved junk food. And she did love arcades growing up. She brought her brothers all the time. She fought the urge to kiss him and gave him her best smile instead.

A few hours later...

This was the best date she'd ever been on and the coolest place she'd been to in years. They ate hotdogs and fries and drank beer. Jane won her a bunch of tickets that they traded in for a tacky bobblehead dog to put on the dash of her car. She even convinced him to play a dinosaur hunting game with her which she won, no contest. They had been milling around looking for a new game to play when Jane spotted this one.

She leaned against the side of the machine to face him.

"This was my favorite game," he said excitedly. "Made lots of money playing this one."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged, his eyes darting quickly at her.

"Tell me," she prompted. "This is what people do on dates. They share stories. Get to know each other."

He was considering her words, biting his lip. He nodded slightly and smiled.

"My dad was all work and no play. We were always hustling. It was hard to make friends because I wasn't allowed to hang out with other kids. I was 15 and there was this new girl on the circuit. She was beautiful and she was all I could think about that summer. She went to the arcade with her girlfriends and I decided that this is where I needed to be to get to know her. So, I snuck out every night to hang out with her. I got really good at the games because I wanted to show off to her. But one night my dad caught me and I knew I was in trouble; he was going to ruin everything. I convinced him that I was hustling for money... it worked. I was allowed to go to the arcade so long as I brought back money to show for it. I would average about $50 a week."

"And... how did it go with the girl?"

"I got to kiss her, once. But she got tired of my hustling and moved on to another guy. But I made friends and showed them how to hustle too. It was a fun summer until we picked up stakes and moved again."

He scanned his card in the slot and the game came to life. She watched his lips stretch into a big smile as the game loaded, his eyes focusing excitedly on the screen. She observed his face in fascination; years of trauma and stress were etched deep into his features but when he smiled, he looked like a little boy. His smile was addictive; she'd given him so much leeway over the years because he'd bestow that smile on her.

His eyes were narrowed on the screen as the game started, his tongue peeking out through his lips. She smiled at this quirk she'd never noticed before. His tongue had her full attention and she watched it imagining him kissing her, his tongue in her mouth. She felt herself get flushed with her racy thoughts. They hadn't kissed since yesterday and it was all she could think about now. She was regretting her decision to avoid touching in public. His biceps were straining under his suit jacket as he manipulated the joystick and buttons and she wanted more than anything to insert herself between him and the game and have her way with him and to feel his warm large hands on her hips.

She darted her eyes around the busy arcade and found a solution to her problem; there was a semi-enclosed game pod a few rows down.

"Let's go," she said, without explanation.

"Where?" he asked distractedly, his eyes still on the game.

There was a constant loud thrum in the air and it was difficult to hear each other at times. She leaned into his ear.

"I want your hands on me. Let's go."

His eyes caught hers in surprise and he smiled shyly. She took off towards the pod making him trail behind her.

Jane folded his body into the pod beside her and they closed the side doors. It was a virtual reality rollercoaster that required low light to work, hence the semi-private enclosure. The pod started moving, startling them, lights flashing, the seat vibrating. Thankfully, it was a bench seat, making it easy for them to make out. They giggled and kissed until the ride ended.

"One more time?" she asked.

"Actually, we are not leaving until this card is empty," he chuckled, swiping the card another time, then capturing her mouth with his.

Jane's POV

They eventually emerged from the pod and noticed a small lineup of couples waiting to try it.

"Great ride," he said disconcertedly, as they walked past them.

Lisbon got very frisky in the pod and it took all his mental energy to keep his semi-hard erection from becoming a full-blown problem. He tied up the buttons on his suit jacket to provide some cover as they made their way past the lineup and caught her looking, her lips stretching into an appreciative smile.

He cleared his throat.

"That kind of fun is a bit more problematic for men than women," he said with a wink. "Where do you want to go next."

"Home."

He chuckled nervously; she was bold. This was a side of her that he'd never seen but was happy to be experiencing. Whatever reservations she'd been having about them seemed to have evaporated, but it wouldn't be that easy. After last night, he knew he had to put the brakes on consummating their relationship. She didn't trust him and it would hurt their chances in the long run if they rushed it.

"Jane? Lisbon?"

Panic jumped in Lisbon's eyes. He turned at Wiley's voice coming from behind him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Wiley asked with a quizzical smile.

He was with a young woman.

"Working a cold case," he said without missing a beat. "Who's this?"

"Oh, sorry," he said regretfully. "This is Maggie, my friend."

"Nice to meet you, Maggie. I'm Patrick Jane, this is Teresa Lisbon. We're Jason's colleagues."

Lisbon greeted them and Wiley giggled nervously at his forgotten manners, the young woman casting her eyes down shyly.

"Okay, well. We're done here. Got what we needed, so we'll be heading out. See you tomorrow."

Lisbon fell quickly in step beside him as they headed for the exit.

"That was close," she said when they hit the fresh air outside.

"And exciting."

She smiled at him, her eyes dancing with delight.

"Yes, it was."

"There's a nice boardwalk a few minutes south; we could go for a walk," he suggested, not wanting the night to end.

"How about we go back to my place?" she said as they walked back to his car.

He opened the door for her and waited for her to be seated before going to his side to enter. Lisbon obviously wanted to have sex; he would have to navigate that gently with her.

"Jane?"

"Patrick," he corrected.

"Sorry. Hard habit to break."

He started the car.

"I'll take you home."

He directed the car into traffic and took her hand in his. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. They rode in comfortable silence all the way to her house, the music playing quietly on the radio.

Lisbon's POV

Jane kept smiling softly at her as they drove back to her place; she was happy he didn't want to talk because she had so many butterflies in her stomach, she wasn't sure she could carry on a conversation. She was excited about where the night was leading.

He opened the car door for her and followed her up to her door. She entered her house and waited for him to follow, but he just stood there on the threshold.

"Aren't you coming in?" she heard herself asking.

"If I come in, I won't be able to leave like a gentleman should."

She felt her skin get tight and flush; he was doing it again. She tried to remain calm and not let herself get triggered but he must have seen that his words were not landing well on her side.

"Teresa... I want you. You know I do," he said with emphasis. He took a deep breath. "I'm in love with you. I just think we need to take this slow, have a few dates. Get to know each other like this."

He looked sincere, but she couldn't help but feel rejected. The idea that he was playing her coming to the surface again, her brain telling her that this was the proof that he was going to break her heart, that he was playing a game. She was in a catch 22.

"Sure. Okay," she said, smiling tightly. "Goodnight."

She stood there staring at the closed door. Dammit! She'd just shut the door in his face. She hadn't meant to do that. Was he planning to kiss her goodnight? She could reopen the door, but for what purpose? She wouldn't let him kiss her on the porch because her neighbors could see and he already said he wasn't coming in. If he wanted to kiss her, he'd surely knock. This was Jane, he wasn't shy about things like that. She stood by the door undecided, her feet rooted to the floor, feeling stupid and embarrassed. She didn't want to get rejected again.

"Teresa?" she heard through the door. "Open the door, sweetheart."

He never called her that but it touched her. This was so stupid. How did a great night end up like this? She shook her head at herself and yanked open the door, an apology on her lips.

He pushed her in, closing the door behind him, and captured her mouth. He wrapped his arms around her pressing her tightly against his warm body. His kiss was hungry and frantic. Then, just as suddenly, he released her, pecked her on the mouth, and headed back towards the door.

He turned before he shut the door and flashed her a smile.

"I love you."

Then he shut the door firmly behind him leaving her reeling from his intense kiss.

The next morning...

Her phone vibrated on the counter, Jane's name flashing across the screen and she grabbed it excitedly after pouring coffee in her travel mug. Jane had texted her last night telling her what a great time he'd had and to wish her pleasant dreams. She'd read his text a few times before going to sleep.

'Good morning'

"Good morning."

'Did you have sweet dreams last night?' he asked sweetly, the tone of his voice like honey.

"I did... you?"

'I don't need to dream, I have you.'

She smiled into her phone. That was so cheesy, but she didn't care. She wanted cheesy especially if it was coming from him. But she wouldn't let him know that.

"Jane..."

'Patrick.'

"Patrick."

'Bad news... Fischer caught a case. It's an out of towner and I have to tag along.'

"Oh, where're you head'n?"

'Didn't ask. When I get back, I want to take you somewhere fancy. I promise you won't be bored,' he said before she protested.

"Okay. I'm looking forward to it, Patrick."

'I like it when you say my name.'

"Patrick," she said again to please him.

'I'll miss you.'

She wanted to respond to him, but the words were stuck in her throat. She was already missing him too and it freaked her out. The moment passed and she was still struggling.

'Gotta go. Have a good day.'

"You too," she said finding her voice again.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Jane texted her periodically letting her know how the case was going while she worked on the paperwork for a case they'd just closed last week when Wiley interrupted her.

"Hey Lisbon," said Wiley walking up to her desk.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Cho asked me to finish the paperwork on Jane's arrest for IAB but I think they made a mistake."

She frowned, curious.

"What mistake?"

"He was arrested for drunk and disorderly and public intoxication. I read the arresting officer's statement and it says that Jane was without ID, was slurring his words, and uncooperative when asked to head back to his hotel. When they arrived at the jail, they gave him a routine breathalyzer and the results showed that he was sober. So, they thought it wasn't working, so they took a blood test, which was sent over with this report... Jane had zero alcohol in his system. I thought that maybe Jane was falsely arrested or-"

"Give me the report."

Her heart was racing. She scanned the report, her brain processing the information quickly.

"Lisbon? What do you want me to do?"

"I got this Wiley. Thanks."

She found the arresting officer's number and dialed it. He confirmed word for word what was in the report and he himself was confused by the fact that both tests had been negative for alcohol. Something was nagging her... Jane gave them a false name. Why did he do that? She was about to hang up when she saw the date and time stamp on the fingerprint report.

"Officer Jamieson, one more thing. Why is the fingerprint report dated the next day? These should have been done at the time of processing when he arrived at the jail."

'Yes, Agent. It was a busy night and somehow, he slipped through the cracks. But as soon as we realized our mistake, we corrected it and ran his prints. That's when the APB came up, but he was already released from the forty-eight-hour hold.'

Her stomach soured, her heart sinking.

"How did you realize your mistake?"

A long pause stretched on the line.

'It's kinda strange now that I think of it.'

"I'm sure it's not."

'It was Mr. Jane that pointed it out to me. Asked me if I was going to run his fingerprints when I was preparing his release form. I had no reason to hold him further, but I fingerprinted him and ran them to close the file. That's also when I realized that he'd provided a false name and added it to my report.'

She couldn't remember what the officer said after that. She hung up, staring at the file folder in front of her. That lying son of bitch. He had set it all up. He got himself arrested so he could trigger the APB he knew that Abbott would issue when he didn't answer his phone and disappeared from the crime scene. And he knew that Abbott would send her to get him. He chose the timing of the arrest and stayed there for the entire time when he could have gotten out at any time with a simple phone call which means he knew about Marcus' plans. That was the only explanation... but how did he know about the engagement? Dammit. He lied to her face again, that's all that mattered.

She was such a fool. He played her so well and she let him. He broke up the only good relationship she's had and she let him have that power over her.

A new text came in from Jane; it read, Miss you with a heart emoji. Marcus had been right all along. She grabbed her purse and phone and headed to her car.

Jane's POV

Teresa hadn't responded to his text like she'd been all day. He'd been enjoying the back and forth between them. She was coming out of her shell through her texts and he was encouraged by his progress.

He was in the lobby of the Sheriff's department heading to an interview room when he saw a call from Lisbon. Fischer frowned at him and he signaled for her to go without him. He hung back and picked up her call.

"Hey-"

'Did you think I wouldn't find out, Jane? All arrests of FBI personnel have to be investigated and sent over to IAB. Dammit. You lied. To my face. How could you? Don't answer... I know. Because you're a liar, a manipulator and... and...'

"Teresa, what are you-"

'Don't lie! Just don't! I know you weren't drunk... that you got yourself arrested on purpose so you could drag me down to you. Marcus is the only healthy relationship I've ever had! And you tried to ruin that for me. Just so you could get what you want! Play games, that's all you do.'

"Teresa, please. I did want to see you but I didn't realize you were engaged. I suspected he would ask you, but I didn't think you'd say 'yes'. I walked away. You're the one that came after me."

'Because I cared about you. You could have told me the truth. But you didn't. You continued to let me believe that you were in distress and I blew up my relationship to help you. Then you took advantage of my friendship.'

"Tere-"

'It's over between us. We're not friends, we're nothing. Don't contact me anymore.'

The silence after she hung up was deafening.

The next day, 6:30 p.m.

Jane's POV

He exited the airport and headed straight for the taxis.

"Jane? Where are you going?" Fischer asked.

"Grabbing a cab home," he answered with annoyance.

He needed to get to Lisbon and talk to her. She'd been ignoring his calls and texts since yesterday.

"We're meeting Lisbon at headquarters; I asked her to look into that theft in California connected to the case and she got something. She's debriefing us."

The drive to headquarters took longer than usual and he wasn't sure if it was because of the traffic or the fact that he needed to see Lisbon. Fischer kept talking to him and he wished she'd stop so he could think about his next move. He rubbed his face, combing his hand through his hair once more. He was tired; he'd barely slept last night.

For once, he was happy that Fischer was a fast walker; they exited the elevator onto their floor and his eyes immediately scanned for her. Anxious energy vibrated through him, his mind going a mile a minute, then his eyes spotted her. She was walking towards her desk, paperwork in hand, Pike trailing behind her.

"Lisbon," Fischer called out.

She turned, her eyes landing on his and quickly darting to Fischer. They approached her desk together, his heart racing. She was dressed up, wearing a form-fitting strapless soft pink dress that stopped mid-thigh. Her hair was flowing over her shoulders in straight tresses, her face painted perfectly.

"Fancy date?" Fischer asked teasingly. "Sorry to keep you."

She smiled politely, "All good. We have a late reservation."

She did a good job of avoiding eye contact with him. Pike on the other hand kept eyeballing him while Lisbon debriefed Fischer on the intel she acquired.

"Pike," Agent Simms said from behind them. "I'm so glad I caught you before you left."

Pike walked with Agent Simms a few feet away to talk privately and a few seconds later Fischer went to her office telling him he could go home.

"Teresa-" he said in a hushed tone, not wanting Pike to overhear them.

She busied herself with something on her desk, her eyes darting to Pike a few feet away.

"Don't. This is over. I'm back with Marcus."

"Let's go somewhere to talk."

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter."

"I can fix this."

"You can't. Just stop okay."

She looked over his shoulder and his eyes followed her direction. Pike was coming back.

"I'm with Marcus and I'm going to marry him as planned."

"Teresa," Pike said, grabbing her wrap. "Ready to go?"

Pike eyed him suspiciously as he went behind Teresa to cover her with the light wrap. He then put his arm around her shoulder possessively. They headed towards the elevator and he followed close behind in silence. Agent Simms was still waiting for the elevator and they all stood together waiting. He couldn't let her go.

"So where are you two lovebirds heading tonight?" he forced out lightheartedly.

He knew that Agent Simms' presence would ensure proper etiquette on their part.

"Harbor View 49," Pike said politely.

"Oh, I heard of that place. Haven't been yet. I've been wanting to try it," Agent Simms said excitedly.

"Have you eaten? I haven't," he asked Simms.

"No, been too busy with work."

"Then it's settled. I'm taking you."

Pike and Lisbon looked like a pair of deer caught in headlights as they looked at each other in silence.

"You won't be able to get a table this late in the evening," Pike informed him casually. "I called in a favor."

"Oh, you let me worry about that," he said winking at Simms as they entered the elevator.

"I just need to grab my coat and purse," Simms said pushing the button to her floor.

Lisbon shot him a death glare as he got out with Simms. She didn't like games, but she was playing one with him now and he would rise to the challenge. He smiled his brightest smile, signaling to her that the game was on.

Lisbon's POV

"What's going on?" Marcus asked her once the car pulled onto the roadway.

"What do you mean?"

"Why is Jane inviting himself on our date?"

She took a deep breath.

"You were right. He did plan the whole thing. He did want to break us up."

Marcus slammed the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.

"I knew it! And you're putting up with this?"

"No. I took care of it, okay."

"It doesn't appear that way."

"What's important is that it didn't work. We're back together. He will back off once he sees his games don't work on us."

"Why is he doing this?"

"He doesn't want to lose me."

"This is wrong what he's doing. You know that, right?"

"I know."

She looked out the window at the passing cars. Marcus had stopped by her desk yesterday after her blow-up with Jane. He still wanted to be with her and had asked to take her out. She was about to refuse when she realized that she couldn't let Jane win. Before he started his games, she was happy with Marcus and planning a future. She decided she could still have that life with him and accepted his offer.

"I think we should go to another restaurant," she suggested.

"No way. I'm not letting Jane ruin our date. There's no way he's getting in tonight. It's a packed house. It takes weeks to get a reservation."

"How did you get one on such short notice?"

"The chef... he owes me a favor. I helped him out of a jam. Don't worry, Jane can't get in, and even if he does, we got a special spot, he won't be able to get near us."

"It's Jane."

"I promise... he can't ruin our night."

An hour later…

The wine arrived with their appetizers and she felt herself relax. Marcus was right; Jane was nowhere in sight. She looked out over the balcony railing at the beautiful city view from the 30th floor of the building. A soft breeze was blowing making the night perfect. Marcus was being charming and the conversation was pleasant. She was comfortable... there were no butterflies in her stomach, no tingling of her skin where he touched her, no mental acrobatics trying to decipher what he meant or didn't mean, and certainly no anxiety about the future. Marcus was uncomplicated and just what she needed. Everything was just as it was a few days ago. Except you miss him a small voice added but she pushed it away into a dark corner of her heart.

She sipped her wine, closing her eyes briefly to savor the taste.

"Looks like fate intervened and wants us to have dinner together tonight," she heard Jane say.

She popped her eyes open. He was standing behind Marcus with Simms and a waiter. Marcus turned around, confused.

"Let's push these tables together. No point sitting just two feet apart from each other," Jane said jovially.

The waiter didn't even ask them if it was okay, he took the table and moved it against theirs. Then Jane quickly sat beside her, his shoulder brushing up against hers.

Simms was all smiles and asked if they were okay with them joining them, admitting that it would be strange to be sitting just two feet from each other. She could barely listen to the conversation she was so angry with Jane. Marcus shared a look with her, his eyes conveying his regret at not listening to her.

She sat in annoyance trying really hard to maintain a neutral mask for the sake of her professional relationship with Simms. The conversation was a bit stilted and Jane seemed to be enjoying his handy work.

The waiter reappeared and she couldn't help but watch Jane; he was ordering the most expensive wine and chatting up the waiter, making Simms laugh when he said something about the drinks menu.

"These look delicious. Mind if I grab one? I'm famished," he said reaching over to take an appetizer from the plate still located in the center of her and Marcus' side of the table. "You weren't kidding when you said this place was hard to get into. I worked up quite the appetite."

He put his arm around the back of her chair to provide support for his reach but slyly kept his arm there when he leaned back into his seat. He tossed the app into his mouth, making appreciative obnoxious noises about how great it tasted.

Marcus' eyes darted to Jane's arm behind her, his mouth souring. This was not good. Jane adjusted his position, moving his body in closer proximity to hers, his body heat radiating off him and his subtle cologne wafting to her nose making her hyper-aware of him.

"So, Marcus… what do you recommend we eat?" Jane asked nonchalantly.

Marcus made a few suggestions to which Jane either corrected him on the pronunciation of the words or the composition of the dish.

The waiter arrived with the drinks for Jane and Simms and took their food order.

"A toast to a successful inter-departmental collaboration," Jane said raising his wine glass.

Simms joined in enthusiastically forcing her and Marcus to participate.

"It's been a positive experience working with all three of you. I heard horror stories when I came on about the competition between the departments and sharing resources and people, but I think we proved that it can be done," Simms announced cheerfully.

"I'm afraid that will be the last of it. Marcus and Teresa are heading to D.C." Jane provided unnecessarily. "It's been a whirlwind romance for these two."

"Oh! Congratulations!" Simms said with enthusiasm. "We should toast again."

"Yes… let's toast the happy couple," Jane added, crowding her more if that was possible.

Marcus looked like he wanted to kill Jane where he sat. Simms seemed oblivious to the tension building at the table.

"You know… I'm always curious about that moment when you look at someone and know that this is the person you love," he said looking at Marcus. Then he looked into her eyes. "That moment when you know you could never kiss anybody else and that you would do just about anything to be with them."

Oh no. She knew that look. He was smiling, but his eyes weren't. There was a warning in them.

"Did you have a moment like that Teresa? Could you kiss another man?"

Her heart leaped into her throat. She hadn't thought about being physical with Marcus again. That was the question Jane was asking her. He knew she loved him and not Marcus. She never admitted her feelings, but she didn't deny them either. He was challenging her.

She stared at him, her mind drawing a blank on how to respond, her brain simultaneously trying to figure out how to keep him under control.

"How about you Marcus? What would you do if another man touched Teresa?"

Now he was baiting Marcus, punctuating his question by brushing his thumb over her shoulder for him to see. Marcus' jaw went tight, but he remained still.

"I would trust Teresa to do the right thing," he said pointedly at Jane.

"Hm. So you would be okay with it? It wouldn't bother you?"

"No. It wouldn't," Marcus replied firmly, refusing to play along.

"I find that interesting."

"Jane," she said his name in warning adding a tight smile for the sake of Simms.

"I've never felt that way about anyone. I hope I do someday," Simms added saccharinely, her eyes set hungrily on Jane.

"You've never been in love?"

She breathe a sigh of relief that Simms had diverted his attention, but was disconcerted by her blatant flirting with him.

"No, I haven't. Been too busy. Have you?"

"Yes, I have. It's a very powerful feeling, being in love, isn't it?" he said looking at her, then moving his eyes to Marcus and Simms. "I've heard so many variations on my question over the years but you know what the common thread is in all of them? The other person is all they can think about and the thought of them kissing or being with someone else is torture."

Her entire body tensed; Jane wasn't going to back down. Suddenly, her entire body flushed as his warm hand rested against her bare upper back. He brushed his thumb back and forth along her shoulder blade, out of sight of Marcus and Simms sending jolts of electricity through her body. This situation wasn't sustainable, it was about to blow up. She had to do something.

She stood up suddenly, surprising everyone, her chair tipping over.

"What's wrong?" Marcus asked with concern.

Jane picked up the chair and smiled wryly at her, "You look flustered."

She hadn't thought through the next step, she just knew that she needed to get Jane away from Marcus. Her brain raced and picked up the only plausible excuse she could think of.

"I just had a thought about the case you're working on. We should call Fischer," she directed at Jane, tilting her head at him to follow her. "We'll be right back."

She frantically looked around for a place to talk but the restaurant was packed. She saw the bathroom sign and headed in that direction. A long corridor with several doors on each side greeted them. There were no gender signs, so she walked by quickly looking for one that was unoccupied.

She finally found one with a green unoccupied slot by the handle. She opened the door and marched in, spinning on her heel.

"What'd you doing, huh, Jane?"

He closed the door behind him, activating the lock, before speaking.

"Preventing you from making a big mistake," he said casually.

She made a disbelieving noise with her mouth.

"Want to know my big mistake… letting you in my head. But no more, Jane. So, here's how things are gonna go. We're gonna go back out there and you're going to take your date and leave. I don't care how you do it."

He leaned on the door, tapping his lip, looking up as though he was thinking about it. She rolled her eyes.

"How about this? I'll go if you come with me. Agent Simms and Pike will get along swimmingly without us."

"Jane. I'm warning you. This is done. You, me, done."

"Hummmm," he said pensively. "It doesn't feel done."

He was so aggravating. He was smiling at her, his eyes scanning her dress purposefully, then returning to her eyes. Her pulse raced. He couldn't possibly know that she wore this dress for him. He couldn't.

"It's done," she said with all the conviction she could muster.

"You know, that didn't sound as convincing as you wanted it to," he pointed out.

He straightened his frame from the door and came towards her.

"I'm not letting you give up on us."

"There's no us! There never was."

This she believed to her core. The last few days were all an illusion that he created.

"You're wrong."

"We had one date and a few kisses. A PG movie has more action for god's sake. There's no us. Stop playing your games, go home," she ordered. "It didn't mean anything."

"Really? It meant nothing to you?"

Oh no. That was a misstep on her part.

"Nothing," she confirmed, her eyes trained on his.

His eyes narrowed on her, a tiny smile teasing his lips. He only did that when he knew he was about to win. She tilted her chin at him in challenge, squaring her shoulders; her best defense in this situation. He moved into her space, but she stubbornly held her ground because retreating at this point would be a mistake.

Jane's POV

She was wearing high heels which gave her just enough height that he didn't tower over her, but not enough that she didn't have to crane her neck slightly to maintain her position. She was tiny, dainty even, which betrayed how strong she was to anyone who underestimated her. And she was so stubborn. Her green eyes were shining with conviction at him. He loved that about her, but it wasn't in his favor tonight. He'd backed her up into a corner; her pride and hurt feelings his biggest obstacle.

He held her gaze, considering his next move. She wanted him to stop playing games, but he didn't see how he could achieve the desired result without them. Not to mention the game she was playing with him right now with this date with Pike. He needed to get past her defenses but the irony was not lost on him that the walls she built were put there, brick by brick, with his help.

"Jane!" she snapped.

His name on her lips brought him back from his thoughts. He caught a flash of something in her eyes before she averted her gaze and reached for the door. It was disappointment. He put his hand over hers, preventing her from turning the doorknob.

She wanted him to stop her; wanted him to prove her wrong. He could read it in her eyes. But his words held no currency with her. The answer suddenly presented itself to him; he knew what he'd been doing wrong all this time with her. He wasn't speaking to her in the language she understood, that she trusted. Lisbon didn't talk about emotions, she was a woman of action, not words. She never told him that she loved him, yet he knew it to be true because her actions had shown it. He just needed to help her get out of her own way. He also knew without a doubt that this was going to be an uphill battle. She was going to fight him. It would take time to earn her trust and prove his love to her, but he had to start now. He couldn't let her leave this bathroom with any doubts of who she belonged to; that would be a costly mistake. He would lose her for sure.

He let go of her hand, and leaned his shoulder against the door, capturing her eyes with his.

"Prove it," he said, throwing her words from the other night back at her.

"Prove what?"

"Kiss me. Show me it was nothing."

"No."

"So, it did mean something?"

"No."

"Well, which is it? If it didn't mean anything then kissing me to prove it will be the quickest way to get rid of me."

"I'm back with Marcus and in three weeks I'm moving to D.C. That's how this ends, Jane. I'm tired of the games. Now, move."

She yanked on the doorknob to show him her intention of leaving. He placed his hand over hers again, needing the connection. Her hand was cold and clammy. The tiny washroom was a bit cool, her strapless dress doing nothing to provide warmth. He watched as goosebumps spread up her arm and chased them, trailing his hand all the way to her delicate jawline. She didn't move.

Lisbon's POV

His warm hand was on her neck, his thumb rubbing her jawline softly, his eyes searching hers. She wanted him to kiss her with a desperation that disgusted her. And she hated that he could read her need because he leaned in and kissed her. It was gentle and sweet, but she needed to be strong or he would trample her heart. Her backbone finally surfaced and she bit him, harder than she'd intended, not knowing how to extricate herself otherwise because her heart was betraying her. He flinched, his eyes watching her like a cat eyeing a canary. He sucked at his bottom lip, moving his tongue across the injury, the gesture capturing her full attention when his tongue peeked out through his lips. That tongue should be forked it was so wicked, she thought.

She fought the urge to comfort him and reached for the doorknob, willing herself to get out of there, but he pressed his shoulder against the door again halting her retreat, his free arm pulling her against him instead. They both knew she could take him down without much effort. That his body was no threat to her.

"You can't stop me."

She trained her eyes on his, challenging him to try and prevent her from opening the door again.

"I know," he conceded.

"Get out of the way."

His body was radiating heat, his scent enveloping her and she wanted to melt into it, but she kept herself rigid in his embrace, waiting for him to release her as she commanded. Instead, he adjusted his hold on her pushing their lower bodies into intimate contact. He leaned in again slowly, his eyes never leaving hers until their lips touched. She remained still, refusing to participate in his kiss, deciding to show him that it meant nothing to her but he was undeterred. He pushed his tongue along the seam of her lips, prodding her. His hands moved along her backside, stroking the back of her thighs through her dress. He moved his mouth to her neck, then up to her ear.

"I know you wore this dress me."

The vibration of his voice in her ear sent shivers down her spine.

"No," she croaked out, her voice not sounding like her own.

"Don't lie. You know I love pink on you. You wore this for me," he said against her throat, pressing her firmly against him again. "You wore it to get a reaction from me."

She hated that she was that transparent to him. She bought this dress on a whim when she saw it on her lunch yesterday before their blow-out. She knew that he would love it. He had asked her to wear pink for the operation and she had purposely bought the ugliest dress she could find to show him that she wasn't going to dress the way he wanted simply because he had asked. But he was right about tonight. She did want him to see her in this dress. She knew he would be with Fischer for the debrief. She wanted to see what he would do.

It was getting more difficult to fight his onslaught on her body. His unique scent filled her senses making her want to absorb him into her being and forget her anger.

He returned to her mouth, nipping her lips, but she continued her resistance. His warm hands slid under the hem of her dress, making contact with her bare thighs. He moaned against her mouth when his hands glided up over her bottom and made contact with only bare flesh. He hiked up her dress, running his fingers along the lacy string of her thong then he broke the kiss to watch her.

"You wore these for me too."

He grabbed the dainty string and pulled up on it, putting pressure on her stimulated sex. She gasped involuntarily, her lips parting. She shook her head in denial. He pulled again, his lips a fraction from hers, his breath mingling with hers.

"You wore these for me."

She nodded, her defenses too weak to deny it anymore. His eyes studied her for a few more seconds, then he seized the opportunity he created for himself and reclaimed her mouth.

This time there was no resistance, she sucked his lower lip where she injured him and he winced, his eyes like dark pools holding her gaze before he resumed ravaging her mouth. She could taste the blood from his lip, the metallic taste mixing with hers.

She let herself escape into his web of deceit... he would put on the brakes soon enough and she could go. But until then, she would enjoy him one last time.

She closed her eyes, letting herself get consumed by his taste, his smell, his warm touch. Her whole body was on fire needing him inside her, but she knew it wouldn't happen. He ripped his mouth from hers, trailing open mouth kisses down her neck. He zeroed in on her erogenous zone, kissing, sucking, and lapping at the area without mercy, the pain intensifying her arousal. His hands continued their exploration, pulling the bottom half of her dress up to her waist. She was helpless to stop him, her pride on the floor. She was going to take whatever he offered at this point, she needed him. Right now, was all that mattered.

She weaved her hands through his silky curls, bringing the other hand down to his chest, trying to gain access to the smooth skin beneath. She rubbed her body against him, feeling his erection on her belly. She ached for him to touch her where she was throbbing, the frustration building inside her.

The reality of her situation crashed in on her; he wouldn't take care of her need... he wouldn't touch her intimately. Tears pricked her eyes as she waited for him to stop, waiting for him to reject her again. He must have felt the shift in her because he stopped kissing her and tilted her head towards him with his hands. She couldn't hide her sadness from him.

He frowned, grazing his thumbs across her cheeks. His eyes held hers, searching their depths.

"What's wrong?"

He kissed her softly, cradling her head with one hand, then pulled away to look in her eyes once more waiting for her answer. She couldn't speak and he remained silent. His heart was racing under her palm as he continued to stare at her, looking for something she didn't know, but her heart was trapped in her throat and she couldn't move.

He placed featherlight kisses along her lips as though to soothe her and her treasonous heart submitted. She closed her eyes, willing reality to stay away.

"Let's get away from here. Forget about this whole night."

"Then what?"

"What do you mean?"

She wanted to confront him on his reticence to have sex with her, but it felt too risky to put herself out there like that. As hot as it was making out with him, that's all it was. Any other man would have taken what she was offering freely by now. He turned her down three times and the only reason she could conceive was that he was playing her. That he had no intention of ever consummating their relationship. This was a temporary measure to achieve his goal of keeping her in Austin. He'd already lied to her repeatedly. Even if what he said was true, that he truly was in love with her and wanted to move slowly, she didn't trust him. Her inability to trust him was like poison and she couldn't see any remedy for it.

"I can't trust you. I-" she stopped mid-sentence as she noticed for the first time that he had blood smudged all over his face and neck.

She walked around him to get a better look at herself. His blood was smeared on her neck, chest, and face. She looked up in the mirror at his reflection; his eyes were fixated on her neck. She turned slightly and saw the large love bite, revealing the truth about what had just happened between them. She squeezed her eyes shut to stem her anger.

He marked her, on purpose. He hadn't been carried away by passion, he was trying to control her by marking her like an animal. Her eyes held his in the mirror. No words were necessary… he knew that she knew. He tried to touch her, but she pinned him with a glare, her anger boiling.

"I never thought you'd stoop this low."

He was about to say something but she stopped him.

"Don't you dare try to justify your behavior."

"Did you expect me to just let you walk away without a fight? You're obviously mad and not thinking clearly! You don't want to be with him, you want to be with me. I know I screwed up, but I'm not giving up on you, or us."

She was too angry to speak, her words all mixed up in her head. She started to wipe off the blood with a wet tissue, Jane doing the same with his mouth from his position behind her, his anger showing itself in the tightness of his jaw and the thin line of his compressed lips. The blood smear was accidental, but the love bite was planned and the more she looked at it, the angrier she got.

His eyes kept darting to hers in the mirror, then he reached over and wiped a smudge of blood that she missed on her cheek. The anger disappeared from his eyes, his gaze softening the longer they stared at each other. She could see the sadness and frustration in his features. He didn't want to lose her any more than she wanted to leave him.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her from behind, his eyes on hers in the reflection. This was the first time she saw herself in his arms; it was surreal and it scared her how much she wanted to stay there regardless of the consequences to her heart.

"I'm sorry. It's just... I don't want to lose you."

Her anger dissipated instantly with his words replaced with sadness at this impossible situation. He hugged her tighter, his eyes silently begging her for forgiveness. This was not the first time he made that kind of plea with her.

Her heart ached; if she agreed to continue their relationship, they were doomed to repeat this cycle because she could never trust him. He would always play games and she would always doubt him or worse... believe him to her own detriment.

"I can't do this anymore, you have to stop all this. I'm with Marcus. You need to accept that. He's what's best for me... not you. I don't want to be with you," she punctuated her last words, a truth that was also a lie.

His face fell, his arms dropping to his sides. They stared at each other's reflection wordlessly, his eyes seeking on hers. She held her ground under his scrutiny; she wanted more than anything to take her words back, but she couldn't. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore and her heart would take over, he relented. He nodded imperceptibly, his eyes averting from hers and he exited the washroom. Her heart shattered into a million pieces; she couldn't breathe. He was letting her go as she requested and it hurt like hell.

A/N: I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. It was supposed to be two separate chapters, but it made more sense to publish them together. I also re-wrote this chapter 3 times and tweaked it continuously trying to be true to the characters. I hope you enjoyed it. As always, let me know your thoughts, I look forward to it, in whatever language you feel most comfortable with.