Once again thank everyone for all the readings, reviews, and subscriptions. Now I'm off to make dinner in high hopes of not burning down the kitchen!

Disclaimer: No!

Once Lost, Now Found

Chapter Five

When he first saw her awake and roaming around, his heart swelled and he smiled at the sight. He called out to her and watched her stiffen before she turned around to face him. Then he took in her furious glance at the last minute before she referred to him as "you bastard" before promptly using the base of her palm and hitting it against his nose. After that he felt pain and a waterfall of blood gushing through his nostrils.

Jane held onto his nose, he felt the blood trying to push past his fingers and dribble onto the polished floor. Why the petite little woman did this? He did not know. Really, it wasn't a crime to enter one's home invited. Nor did he really think it was a crime to get separate on a doomed ship either.

"You bastard!" she yelled at him again as she pulled her fingers in to make a fist and swung back.

He took one hand away from his nose and held it up in front of him, "Whoa Teresa!" She stopped and her eyes widened. It was like she had just realized that it was in fact him that she was hitting and calling a bastard. Her gaze softened and her fist fell to her side.

"Patrick?" she spoke softly when tears began bubbling up at the corners of her eyes. She took a small step back and brought her hand up to lightly dab at her lower lip, "Are you really here?"

He nodded as he hesitantly took a few step towards her, "Yes, I'm here. I'm here," he felt tears roll down the sides of his cheeks. Seeing the familiar love and devotion in her eyes was almost heartbreaking, especially because he knew she was to be married to Walter Mashburn in a matter of months.

She shut her eyes and immediately propelled herself into his body. Lisbon wrapped her arms around his neck and he around her waist. He leaned down and buried his head in the crook of her neck, one of his hands running up and down her spine as he felt her sides spasm as she cried. One of his hands came up to rest on the back of her head, keeping her close to his body. Jane looked over her and saw Rigsby standing in the doorway, a crestfallen look to his face. The larger man looked down, knowing that they were both in a tough position because of her engagement.

Jane's eyes flickered downwards to the petite brunette in his arms, "Teresa," she shifted in his arms and angled her head upwards, "Could we please take this outside? I wish to discuss some matters with you."

She nodded softly and reluctantly pulled away from him. Before he could get too far from her, she reached and grasped his hand into hers as if she were afraid that if he got too far away from her, she'd lose him again. He swallowed and blinked away a tear. She was not going to make their discussion any easier by showing him outward signs of affection like this.

They moved through the front door and came to stand in front of it. He shut the door and maintained a calm exterior. Turning to her, he saw her smiling face looking back at him. Inside his chest, he felt his heart accelerate faster than it had been before he had seen her earlier.

"Teresa," she softly blinked, "How are you?"

She nodded, "I am well. Just getting over the influenza." She looked up at him, "How are you fairing?"

Jane fought back a sad smile, but failed, "I wish I could say that I am well," she gave him a perplexed glance, wanting him to continue on and give her an explanation, "Teresa, I know you are enagaged to marry Walter Mashburn." He also knew that Walter Mashburn was an extremely wealthy man and hated not getting what he wanted. Teresa Lisbon was a very beautiful woman, and no doubt captured his attention when she first arrived in Sacramento, but he also knew that Walter loved women. She also was not his kind of woman, which scared him.

Lisbon looked downwards at her shoes, "Yes," she whispered, "I am engaged to him," pausing, she looked up at him, "But I do not love him like I love you."

He rested his hand on her forearm, "Do you love him at all?" his leaned down to allow his eyes to search hers, "Please tell me."

She shrugged her small shoulders, "Under his egotistical character and insatiable hunger to bed a woman, I care about him," her eyes flickered back up to his, "But not enough to marry him."

Jane did not know what to do next. He half debated to take her in his arms and kiss her and have a mental celebration or cry. He loved hearing that, there was no denying, but he also felt that it was wrong in a sense. Sure he was never one to follow the rules, and this was a time when he really did not want to follow them, but this was her life. He did not want to ruin everything for her, especially since she had just started getting back up on her feet.

"And he is not Junior's father," she gave him a small smile, "You do know that you are, Patrick?"

Jane's eyes widened. After realizing that she was alive, he knew that Junior was her son. For some odd reason, that concept did not entirely click until now. His newfound fatherhood to Junior was almost an amazing thought, especially since only number of years ago he lost his young daughter to a crazed man.

"You will stay, won't you?"

He shut his eyes; he did not entirely know what to say to her. Jane wanted to tell her yes, he wanted to stay here with her, marry her, make love to her, and raise Junior. His brain was telling him to just scream the word yes to her, as was his heart. But he couldn't help but think about what would happen if and when her husband to be finds out who he is, how much he means to her, and what they did in the past.

"Maybe."

Next chapter actually has both Mashburn and Minelli in it. Writing them shall be fun.