Guest: Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like the story!
Sorry if you got this again. I didn't do a very good job of editing this the first time around. Rule to remember - don't clean house and edit at the same time. It's not perfect; but, it's better. ~Calla
#
Lisbon shoved the files around on her desk glad to have finally wrapped things up. She was past fried and ready to go home. Her day had started like most other days with a homicide on her desk. That wasn't so bad. By midday she'd been in a meeting with their acting boss. By early afternoon she'd had to listen to Bertram's two cents worth. By late afternoon she was drained. This evening she'd finally told the guys to go home as they had an early start tomorrow. Now it was eight o'clock and she was done. With any luck a certain someone had departed with the rest of the team. It wasn't like he didn't have a home to return to now.
"Lisbon." Jane poked his head through Lisbon's door for once having knocked and almost waited for her response before barging in.
He'd been doing a much better job over the last few weeks since she'd learned of his Lorelei indiscretion. Lisbon could appreciate that, she really could. Though on the down side, his subtle personality changes tended to unsettle her. They usually heralded barely skating suspension or worse. Maybe this one was different for several reasons.
Among them, they both knew that while they were okay; they were still far from good. Lisbon claimed most of the blame. She'd flip flopped yet again. Now, she was feeling far less angry and more hurt and betrayed. It was a woman's perogative. Perhaps she should have punched Jane in the nose when she had the chance. She might feel better now.
The irrationality of her emotions was starting to bug her. Not to mention it was starting to affect her work. She was spending far more time avoiding Jane whenever she could than she should be. That part of it was his fault. His actions immediately preceding the Lorelei revelation had totally confused her. A man should never go around blurting out he loves a woman then refuse to tell her exactly how he meant the words in typical Jane fashion. Not that she'd expected any differently.
And that hand holding episode by the side of the road had been something else. It was enough to give anyone ideas. Even a woman as level headed as her. The whole situation was so 'whatever' and she was over it. She was so done with going round and round in circles like a mutt chasing her tail hoping she didn't chomp it because it might hurt. She'd already accidentally done that and it had hurt.
"What's up, Jane?" Not sparing her consultant a second glance, Lisbon continued packing her briefcase to leave.
"Let's do dinner." She wasn't in the mood for a few hours of Jane one on one. That was exactly what she'd been avoiding for weeks and he knew it.
Added to that was the day he'd put her through. Bertram's bulldog, and their temporary leader, had chewed her all day over some ridiculous statement Jane made getting some rich matriarch's knickers in a knot. It hadn't even been that bad. Not for Jane. Besides, it got the job done…even if it stripped the blue tint off the old bat's curls.
They'd arrested her snooty nephew for "accidentally" killing his cousin so she wouldn't tell his Daddy he was selling drugs on the side and get him disinherited. A mind blowing designer drug fresh from the lab so new they weren't even sure what to call it. Only that it tended to leave a kid dead or with permanently fried brain cells when they partied a little too hardy and OD'd which was happening much to frequently.
Lisbon shook her head at the thought Wilston should be glad they'd gotten that nasty poison off the street and put the manufacturers under the jail house for a very long time. He wasn't. He still thought Jane was out of line and wanted an apology to everyone but God. That was who they should all apologize to because she was sure that old lady had taken His name in vain quite a few times in the diatribe she'd vomited all over her golden haired consultant. Lisbon couldn't wait until the real deal finally arrived. She'd take another LaRoche if she had to as long as this guy was gone!
"Not tonight, Jane. I want to go home and unwind. Have a glass of wine, maybe a shot of tequila, a long bubble bath, and an early night. Maybe tomorrow, we'll see." That the second horrible case they'd been working all day was a bear only added to her stress.
Some psycho was snatching moms and their tween-aged daughters. He'd left behind four bodies as part of his handy work over the past year and recently snatched two more. Of course, they were getting the case later rather than sooner as they usually did. From what she could tell, since the requisite forty-eight hours had already passed, there wasn't anything they could do for the two latest victims. If he stuck to his MOD, they were already dead. Their corpses would turn up by the side of the road in one of ten counties over the next couple of days. But, they might be able to stop him before he struck again. If Jane decided to cooperate and get his mind back on the case where it belonged. At the moment, he was being an obstinate ass.
Instead of doing anything relevant, he'd spent most of the day repeating only someone tempting fate would put those little stick figures on their back windshield letting every pervert out there know exactly how many children they had, what sex, and their approximate ages. Sometimes they were giving their names as well. While cute as a bug's ear and something everyone was doing, it wasn't particularly bright. As usual, it only took one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch. It hadn't taken the team a nano second to get his point. Nothing else needed to be said.
"We need to talk, Lisbon, far more than you need an imaginary drunk fest." Jane's tone said he wasn't giving up and he knew darn well she'd stop at a glass of wine. Forget the tequila. She wasn't a lush.
"Then talk, Jane. I want to get home before sunrise." Lisbon rolled her eyes.
"Not here. The walls have ears." Lisbon rolled her eyes again realizing there went her quiet evening.
"Then let's hit the place across the street for a drink before we call it a night." The sooner they did, the sooner she could depart. Not as in die, just go home for the rest of the night.
"Not there, either. I'll take you somewhere decent for a change." Lisbon rolled her eyes a third time in resignation at the thought she should have seen that coming. Hadn't she just said she didn't want to do dinner tonight? Fat lot of good that did her since Jane always got his way. She was such a push over where he was concerned.
"Then you're paying." She might as well give in since this wasn't a fight she was going to win.
"I always intended to." Jane ignored the lifted eyebrow.
He wasn't exactly poor and he wasn't stingy even if it suited his purposes to act that way at times. He'd treated Lisbon to a nice meal quite a few times over the years and not at her favorite dive. He'd remind her of that if necessary and not in the presence of the rest of the team as they didn't know. Oh, they knew about his occasional camping out on her couch here and there over the years when he was overwhelmed. They'd never hidden that. But that was it. They were clueless about the rest of it. Not that there was really much to tell. Just more than they knew or suspected.
They didn't know he and their boss had taken to hanging out together on a regular basis over the course of the last few years. Not that they had since the Lorelei incident. Lisbon hadn't exactly been open to his company and Jane missed their easy comraderie. He missed getting his ears boxed verbally more. Lisbon could be quite the spitfire when she got wound up. He really missed devilling her just to get that rise. Truthfully, he more than missed the only constant in his life.
Well, perhaps not the only constant. Lisbon had finally talked him into getting a real place a while back and he was slowly building a life. Somewhere along the way he'd decided he didn't like jail now that he'd tried it a few times. He'd also decided he might have something to live for once Red John was gone. He wasn't a hundred percent about that one yet. He had his suspicions though and he was working on it.
"You're driving too." Lisbon grabbed her jacket from her chair and her purse from her bottom desk drawer in disbelief that she was willing to let Jane chauffer her around in that monstrosity yet again.
"I wouldn't dream of having it any other way." Jane closed and locked her door behind them. Fortunately the team had left an hour ago while Lisbon stayed behind to wrap up a few lose ends so they weren't camped out watching them leave together.
"Good. Now let's get out of here. I'm starving. All I've eaten since breakfast is that red delicious apple you had on your desk." They were okay enough for her to swipe his food.
"I thought that might have been you swiping my apple. What if I'd had nothing else to eat, Lisbon?" Jane watched the elevator doors close.
"Get over it, Jane. I know you and Cho pigged out on the roof four or five hours ago. Besides, you owed me an apple and I decided to collect. One of us has to work around here." Lisbon held the door for him as they exited the building.
"I resent that, Lisbon. I truly do." Jane snarked as he opened the passenger side door.
It wouldn't be the first time the CBI cameras caught them leaving together and it wouldn't be the last. They'd see them coming back an hour or two from now as he dropped her by her SUV and they each went their separate ways. Security could make what they wanted of it. They always had no matter if their inferences were dead wrong.
"Are the murders solved yet?" Lisbon locked her seatbelt in place.
"We just got the file. Even I can't work that fast." Jane groused.
"I rest my case." Lisbon smirked at him in that way only she could as Jane put his car in gear and pulled from the parking lot.
Score one for the boss. It was about time.
#
This was what Jane had to talk about when she wasn't exactly in the most receptive mood. The man was slipping. He was seriously crazy to ask such a thing at a time like this. Like she'd even give the idea consideration. Was he out of his flipping mind? Yeah, for the most part, he was.
"You're asking me out on a date?" Lisbon squeaked as she took a sip of beer and nabbed a loaded nacho resisting the urge to swing her leg childishly under the table in time to the background music.
While the quaint little Mexican place was a few notches up from the usual cop dives with the good food and rowdier atmospheres she favored, it was hardly a fancy restaurant. Jane was obviously saving the big guns for that elusive "first date." One she wasn't sure he was going to get.
"Actually, I think I'm asking for every date for the foreseeable future." Reaching over to grab the bottle, Jane took a sip of Lisbon's beer before returning it to her hand.
"Hey, Buddy, I didn't say you could do that." Lisbon eyed her beer suspiciously.
"You didn't say I couldn't either, Lisbon. What's the fuss about anyway? It's not like we've never kissed." Jane took a sip of tea contemplating whether to order a beer of his own or continue irritating Lisbon by drinking hers.
"Pecks, Jane, a peck or two between friends. Closed lipped with our eyes open. We've never swapped slobber at all much less in a way entitling you to drink from my beer." Lisbon resisted the urge to cuss when he rolled his eyes in response.
"While I don't swap slobber as you so eloquently put it, Lisbon; I'd be happy to give you a real kiss any time you'd like. I'm fairly certain we'll do a lot more than that before we're done." Huffing at his incorrigibility, Lisbon took a very unladylike swig from her bottle ignoring the Jane slobber.
"I'm so not sleeping with you, Jane. I'm not even sure I'm willing to go out with you." She'd have to give that one some serious thought. "I've broken enough regs over the years for you without adding that to the list." And she wasn't about to become his go to girl now that he'd figured out his parts still worked with another woman no matter how attractive he was.
A Jane bang wasn't worth the inherent headaches. It didn't matter what the girls in the administrative pool said in the ladies room. They were a bunch of empty headed fools incapable of getting past the pretty boy looks to see the real Jane. She didn't have that problem. Yep, he could get that idea out of his head right now.
Lisbon wasn't remotely interested in playing 'friends with benefits' with Patrick Jane. That was borrowing heartache she didn't need. Not to mention the trouble coming with it. It would definitely hurt more than that last flying tackle she'd used to bring down a perp leaving her limping for week. She should have let the guys handle him. But, no, she'd had to be the boss. She was wiser now. So, nope, a little fun and games with Jane wasn't worth the consequences down the road.
"I'm not asking you to, Lisbon. Not any time soon. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't." Jane motioned the waitress over and ordered the beer he'd decided he was going to need before this night was over.
"Right." Lisbon's tone said neither one them bought that line of bull.
"Lisbon, I'm starting to think it doesn't matter how far I distance myself from people or how close I am to anyone. Red John is going to do what he's going to do. You're already on his radar. He wanted me to bring him your head in case you've forgotten." That thought still made him visibly shudder as it did her. "I don't see any reason to stay away from the people I care about any longer. It doesn't seem to do any good.
Quite frankly, all that aside, I'm tired of being alone and I enjoy your company. I always have."
"That's why you disappear for six months and leave me wondering if you're dead or alive." The rest of what happened remained unspoken. Neither of them really wanted to go there again.
"That had to be done and you know why." Jane reminded her.
"All that matters is you feel that way. I could have done without Lorelei and what the two of you did." Lisbon couldn't halt the nasty little voice reminding her that was probably exactly how Jane felt about her little one-nighter with a certain dark haired billionaire. In her defense, he had to have seen that one coming. He'd had a part in pushing them together. She, on the other hand, had been totally blinded sided.
"I think we both feel that way at the moment. When I get what I need from the woman, I think we'll both feel differently." Jane admitted before plowing through. "Back to the subject at hand, I'm more interested in seeing where this goes" Jane lifted their conjoined hands. "…than I am in gratuitous sex.
If you want me to be perfectly honest, and I'm not sure you do…." Jane forced himself to continue talking. "I was imagining you when I was with her." The widening of her eyes combined with the sudden leaning away wasn't a good sign; but, she hadn't gotten up and stormed away.
"Ew, Jane. Totally ew. I could have done without knowing that." Lisbon resisted the urge to scrub her foot against the floor like she was trying to get something smelly off the bottom of her shoe. Actually, she was trying to get a certain image out of her mind. Honestly, did he have to tell her that? Yuck.
And why pick such a moment for transparency? Why? Because he thought she should know even if she felt otherwise. Perhaps Jane thought it might show his actions in a better light. Again, Lisbon was clueless what she felt over this latest revelation. She wasn't exactly flattered he'd been thinking about her while he was doing, well, whatever he'd done with Lorelei. She really wasn't. Lisbon forced herself to stare back at Jane when all she wanted to do was close her eyes and magic herself anywhere but beside him.
She needed to get over it. She was big girl and big girls knew men had sex. But, not Jane and not with other women Lisbon's heart kept whispering. Yeah, well, things change was what her mind shouted in response. Lisbon snorted and looked away. How was she supposed to feel about this? That such a thing was necessary in the first place…she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about knowing that. Privileged he wanted her? Disgusted he used his desire in such a way? Impressed he'd been willing to go that far? Repulsed he'd actually done it? The list could go on and on. Most of it wasn't flattering.
Added to that, it didn't help Red John must have known what was going on inside Jane's head or he wouldn't have sent the offering he had. Oh, man, that was a sobering thought. Those two knew each other entirely too well. Too bad Red John had resources they weren't privy to allowing him to stay a couple of steps ahead of the game. If he didn't, Jane would have leveled the playing field a long time ago. As it was, their demented waltz had just added a new level of cracked Lisbon wasn't sure she was ready for.
"Patrick, you are one sick puppy, and that little revelation is so not helping your case." Or maybe it was because she wasn't nearly as put out with him as she had been a while ago.
Looking away, Lisbon decided she had to be just as twisted as Jane was on some level for his actions to make so much sense. For her to get, and accept, him as well as she did. Maybe she was just stupid in love. That was not a comforting thought. How did she let that happen? Locking her thoughts in that dark room in the deepest recesses of her mind and tossing the key out the window, Lisbon refuse to allow her psyche to answer.
"That may be, Teresa; but I meant what I said. I want to have a relationship with you…as much or as little as you're comfortable giving me. In case you didn't figure it out a long time ago, I find you a very attractive woman. I always have." Gazing into those eyes, Lisbon was finding sincere Jane hard to resist as she grounded herself with a few choice words she wouldn't let pass her lips. Jane would only get on her for cussing more than usual anyway.
Watching the battle in her beautiful eyes, Jane sat back in his seat and decided had he truly been capable, he'd have been entertaining improper thoughts about Lisbon from day one. Not just over the last few years. He'd always been drawn to strong, capable women as long as they were feminine enough to catch his interest in the first place and hold it in the second. Lisbon was a nice mix of everything he'd loved about his wife plus several unique attributes of her own he found equally compelling. She was very different but of a similar vein in most of the ways that truly mattered.
"You do?" Lisbon allowed herself to ask.
"Yes, Lisbon, I do." Jane allowed himself to openly respond.
"Dream on, Buster. You are so not getting in my pants." She'd been waiting to say that again.
"But you'll go out with me?" Jane dared to hope.
"Yeah, Jane, I think I will. Go out with you. Not camp out at your place or mine. But spend some time together like this; yeah, I think I'd like that." Lisbon exhaled the breath she'd been holding at the smile in his eyes. She was so asking for trouble. She'd kick her own rear if she could reach it.
"Now, let me make sure I have this straight." Jane so enjoyed deviling her and, now that the tension had passed, he thought he just might. "You'll go out with me; but, you won't sleep with me. How interesting. They're both against regulations. In case you don't know that, read your little red book." He reminded her.
"You're a consultant so the rules don't apply." Seeing the quirked eyebrow, Lisbon realized what she'd said. "Jane, I'm still not jumping your bones so get over it." She meant it too.
"What about a kiss?" Jane smirked at her in that way melting feminine bones.
"A kiss I can probably do." Yeah, she might even like it.
"Then that'll do for now." Jane accepted her terms.
"Yeah, I guess it will. It'll have to." Lisbon deadpanned as she finished her beer and motioned for another. She hadn't hit her two drink limit and Jane had slurped half of the first one anyway.
"Lisbon, you might better rethink that whole not doing personal thing with the team." Lisbon had relaxed a little over the years just not that much. They did closed case pizza and stuff; but not hanging out just for the heck of it.
"Why is that, Jane?" This had better be good or she wouldn't even contemplate it. If something wasn't broken why fix it and their team dynamics were perfectly fine. Except when Jane knocked them out of alignment every once in a while and she had to step in.
"It sounds like a perfect cover to hide undercover dates to me." Jane pointed out.
"You may have a point. Only you can't go all touchy feely or try to hold my hand under the table. Cho's much too observant for that." So was Van Pelt. Rigsby would just avert his eyes and ignore the whole situation as another thing he didn't want to see.
"I think I can do that as long as you don't look at me under your lashes as you're doing now. I won't make any promises if you do." He was having a hard enough time resisting right now and they weren't even "together". He had a feeling Lisbon was going to make him wait a while for that first date. She clearly still had a few issues left to work out. Not that Jane really minded. He was capable of being a patient man when the prize was worth the wait.
"I'm not making any promises, Jane." If Lisbon got her way, she'd get her first real kiss before the evening was over though not in such a public place. As for that first date, it wasn't happening any time soon. She still had a kink or two to think through and that might take awhile.
#
A/N: It's going to be a week or two weeks (I thought 2 or 3 but I don't think I'll be able to hold off that long:))before Chapter 4 posts since:
a) this is all I've got written at the moment
b) I'm still flying by the seat of my pants as I always do so I have absolutely no idea where this thing is going – if it'll be a simple romance or my usual convoluted rigmarole – I'll take preferences there
c) I'm not posting rough drafts any more so it'll take me a few days to edit and
d) I have real life responsibilities that have to be done in a timely manner and I'm not in hyper mode like I used to be. I also have family coming in for a few days on Monday.
I'll see you guys when Chapter 4 is ready. It's definitely coming. Thanks for your patience. ~Calla