Part 4: Devotion
Two weeks later
Lisbon frowned down at her white sandals, which were plain, yet delicate. She bit her lip. What was she doing? She almost wanted to run in and change back into her jeans and button-down blouse, but it wasn't possible to do that without running into Jane anyway.
When Jane had kicked her out of her own house, informing her that he needed to set the scene for their first real date there, Lisbon had been excited and agitated, which she communicated through sarcasm as always. Now there was no escape from this massive moment in her life, and it wasn't that she didn't want to embrace it with all her heart. It was just so mind-blowingly huge to her that she felt intimidated, and the fact that she'd felt the need to wear an actual dress just increased her nerves.
Lisbon never dressed up unless under duress. Like that night of the undercover operation when, in an effort to smoke out some art thieves, Jane had arranged for her the persona of a sultry party hostess, complete with a tight, low-cut, yet beautiful white dress. Now that she knew how he'd felt all along, Lisbon couldn't help retrospectively analyzing such memories. Jane had chosen her to play his girlfriend in the sexy, pretty dress. He'd let Fischer go and fake-seduce their mark, not wanting Lisbon away from him or in that situation with another man. Teresa realized that her jealousy of Fischer had been ill-founded and she'd been ignoring the facts that proved it.
Lisbon had spoken with Marcus soon after leaving the hospital, and to her relief she found that he was kind and understanding about why she had to break things off with him. He confessed that he'd always suspected the connection between herself and Jane and, while disappointed, he couldn't pretend to be surprised.
The little white dress had been a costume, binding and uncomfortable, but now, this was the real Lisbon. Naturally, the only sensible thing to do that afternoon was to Skype with VanPelt, who had told her that the soft orange colored, grecian-style sundress she now wore made her eyes "pop" and illuminated her features. Teresa had even accessorized with a thin gold necklace and matching earrings. Grace had been practically bubbling over with glee that Jane and Lisbon had finally gotten together, and admitted that she'd been rooting for them all along.
Teresa played with the loose strands of dark, curly hair that haloed her face, the rest of it scooped into an up-do which felt light and airy. Did it look stupid? The idea of running away seemed more and more appealing, but she was frozen where she stood.
Jane opened the door and did a double-take. Her self-doubt evaporated as she took in his appreciative gaze. "You look incredible," he said. "Were you ever gonna knock, by the way?"
"I shouldn't have to knock on my own front door," she retorted.
"Come in, come in," he invited, making her wonder if he was trying to be as sexily provocative as he was. As he always was to her. He had on a plain white button-down shirt with a pair of slacks - blue, of course, and looked clean, fresh, and altogether gorgeous. Thankfully, he hadn't shaved the semi-beard, which she loved.
Lisbon took in the sight of her dining room, previously anchored by a couch, t.v. tray, and t.v., now adorned with a floor picnic surrounded by candles. A bottle of champagne nestled in ice and she could smell delicious food cooking in the kitchen. All of a sudden, she couldn't even catch her breath.
"Is everything okay?" Jane asked, seeming somehow simultaneously amused by her, concerned, and self-conscious about whether she liked the setting he had created.
"It's beautiful," Lisbon assured him. "I'm just feeling a little.." she ran her hand up and down the air in front of herself, grateful that the cast was finally off that arm. "All of this," she said, starting over, referring to her outfit and the overall fanciness and pressure going on here, "is making me feel..."
"Nervous?" Jane asked, taking her hands and gazing into her eyes, making her heart skip a beat.
"Yup, that's the word," she agreed. "Are you?"
"I'm terrified," he admitted, and Lisbon could tell Jane really meant it, too. There was an excitement in his demeanor that was definitely amplified by pure electrified fear. "But I'm something else, too," he added quickly. "Something really weird."
"What's that?" she smiled inquisitively.
"I'm happy," Jane explained, grinning that male model grin that always made her melt. Lisbon was so glad she didn't have to hide that meltiness under a mask of friendly comradery and nonchalance anymore. It seem as if years had come off of both of their lives since they had admitted their feelings, Lisbon realized. A contentment shone through their nerves and lit them both from within.
"Dinner will be ready shortly," Jane announced.
"Thanks for cooking," Lisbon said, "what are we having?"
"That would be telling," Jane replied smoothly. Lisbon rolled her eyes and that made his grin widen.
"In the meantime," Jane suggested, "obviously, you want to dance."
Lisbon stared at him. Was he quoting the words he'd said to her that night at the school? How could he remember that as vividly as she did? It was years ago.
"What - with you?" she teased, quoting her own response from that past occasion.
Jane's wrist flicked out, snatching up a small stereo remote and hitting play. The opening chords of the song "More than Words" spilled out, the same song they'd danced to that night. The only time they'd ever danced together, and a memory which neither, clearly, had ever been able to shake.
"Are you kidding me?" Lisbon asked, her face feeling hot, her heart beating quadruple-time, and her eyes filling with tears. Again, she couldn't believe the power he had over her emotions, and how overwhelming it felt to be getting all of this reciprocal attention. She wanted to pinch herself.
"I'm dead serious, Lisbon," Jane replied, a new gravity apparent in his eyes as he drew her close to his body and they began to move to the music. "Anyway, you love this song," he murmured into her ear, tantalizingly close, their bodies fused together in an intoxicating, foreshadowing way.
Lisbon slid her hands up his back and felt a sharp intake of breath from Jane, who held her even closer. They were barely even moving to the song now. Jane began to pepper kisses along her forehead and face, traveling slowly down to her neck. She couldn't hold back a small moan that seemed to spur him on. As Jane's mouth encompassed her own, Lisbon lost all memory of pride or propriety and lost herself in the feeling of soft roughness that characterized his kisses.
"There's just a little problem, Lisbon," Jane whispered almost hoarsely against her mouth.
"Mmmm?" She asked, words escaping her.
"Well, dinner's ready, but I..." Jane pressed his forehead to hers and stared into her eyes, trailing off. Patrick Jane, at a loss for words? Was this even possible?
"I know what you mean," she said quietly, pulling back a bit and taking his hand. "Why don't you shut off the oven and leave the food there for now? It'll stay warm."
"Hmm, that makes sense," Jane agreed, practically leaping into the kitchen to do as she'd suggested. He came back with a determined look on his face she'd never seen before, one that made her weak at the knees. Before she knew what hit her, Jane had laid her on the floor in the middle of the softly glowing candles, and their mouths were reconnecting with greater passion than ever. The want for each other was rising to an intolerably desperate heat she couldn't withstand, especially when she felt his hand moving steadily up her leg and under her dress, lightly brushing aside the soft, orange material. Teresa closed her eyes and arched her back, losing herself once more, completely this time, as Jane did the same.
Later, when they lay collapsed in a ring of fading candlelight, Lisbon turned on her side to look at Jane, gathering the blanket that lay over them and snuggling it tighter around her. It was getting colder now as evening proper fell, but just one glance at the insatiable hunger in Jane's eyes made her start sweating again. He played with her hair almost absent-mindedly and caught her eyes with a searching look all of a sudden.
"Do you think we were meant to be together?" Jane asked quietly, vulnerable.
"What, you mean like destiny?" Lisbon asked, not sure where he was going with this.
"Or fate," Jane suggested, propping himself up on one elbow and looking down at her. Teresa knew he must spend a lot of time trying to make sense of the tragic trajectory his past life had taken, and how all of it had brought them here. It was immensely confusing.
"I don't know," Lisbon said, "I never really believed in that stuff. I think..." she let the sentence drift away, shy about continuing.
"What?" Jane asked, kissing her forehead reassuringly.
"I think God brought us together because we needed each other," Lisbon explained, sharing something so personal she'd never even thought of giving voice to it before. "And now you're here." She smiled tremulously at him. "Do you think that's stupid or crazy?" She knew Jane didn't believe in God, though he respected her faith.
"No," Jane replied, pondering her words. "I think that's beautiful."
Lisbon had noticed that Jane wasn't wearing his wedding ring. She took his hand now, studying his fingers before lacing hers through them. "Jane...you didn't have to take it off, you know. I wouldn't have asked you to, or expected it."
"I know that, Lisbon," Jane replied, his voice so quiet she could just about feel the syllables vibrating from his chest. The two of them were clinging together now. "Thank you. But it was time."
They must have stayed there for another hour, silent and entranced by each other in the shock of finally being together in every sense, before Lisbon drifted off to sleep. When she woke, her stomach grumbled angrily. They'd never eaten, she realized, sliding out of Jane's arms and out from under the blanket to scout out something in the kitchen. She grabbed Jane's shirt from the couch and slipped it on, loving the smell of him that lingered all over it. She buttoned the shirt on the way to the fridge, where she found several tubs of fresh berries that had probably been part of Jane's dessert plan. Shameless in her hunger, Lisbon popped several blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries into her mouth, opening still more fridge drawers in a half-leaning down stance.
"You cannot be serious," Jane's voice piped up behind her. She turned to see him standing there with the blanket wrapped around his waist, looking painfully perfect in all his half-sleepy, post-coital rumpledness.
"What? I'm starving," she defended, half-smiling, half-pouting, continually surprised by how easily she could turn coquettish with him.
"Don't you say 'what,' Teresa," Jane drew out her name in that sensuous way he had perfected. "You can't stand there, looking like that, in my shirt, with berry juice all over your mouth, and act as though you're innocent."
Lisbon's hunger for food abated again as she cocked her head to one side. "Well, what are you going to do about it?" she asked, drinking in his own scantily clad appearance like a woman who'd been stranded in a desert for ten years and finally had access to all the water she wanted.
They both laughed as he swept her off her feet, but everything flipped and turned deadly serious again when he pressed her back against the wall. Gasping with arousal, Lisbon felt her legs hitch up around him effortlessly as his mouth tore into her own again.
They finally ate the dinner sitting on the floor, backs against the couch, some time later. While the cranberry-glazed cornish hens hadn't stayed warm that whole time, they still tasted amazing. Lisbon took a sip of champagne and shifted the plate on her lap, content in every possible way. "So," she posited, "work's going to be different now. Don't you think?"
"Because everyone will know we're together?" Jane asked, smirking. "Is that even allowed, by the way? An FBI agent dating her indentured criminal servant consultant?"
"I couldn't care less if it's allowed or not," Lisbon said, miles away from caring about workplace romance rules like she used to. "They need us. They'll just have to deal with it."
"I like your attitude, Lisbon," Jane remarked, putting his plate aside. "I can't wait to get back to work. It's all going to be more fun than ever."
"You're nuts," she joked, playfully batting at his head. "It's going to be awkward and weird, at least at first."
"Right, as opposed to the not-awkward, not-weird way it was between us for all those years working together and never talking about our feelings?" Jane raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, you've got a point there," she admitted with a laugh.
"We're going to have the time of our lives, Lisbon," Jane continued to enthuse, "Just think: you and me, out in the field, solving crimes and making trouble, and coming home to get into even more trouble together."
"Sounds perfect," Teresa had to admit, smiling dreamily.
"No more secrets," Jane said, stroking her cheek affectionately.
"It's such a relief," Lisbon noted, thinking that not having the crushing angst of loving Jane from afar pressing on her every day would be a load off, and being with him for real would certainly make life more exquisitely magical than she'd previously thought possible.
"And just think," Jane added with great enthusiasm, "it'll be even better once we're married."
"What?" Lisbon repeated, glad she hadn't had a mouthful of food when he'd dropped that bombshell. Maybe she'd heard him wrong?
"I just hope you don't have your heart set on an exotic, far-off locale for the honeymoon," Jane continued casually. "Because I don't think Abbott's going to sign off on that. Though I do think, in his heart of hearts, he's going to be happy for us."
"What?" Lisbon repeated numbly.
"Oh, come on, Lisbon, keep up," Jane smiled mischievously, "where did you think this relationship was going? Obviously, a trip to the chapel is inevitable. Isn't that what you want, too?"
"Uh, wait, I'm sorry," Teresa felt her face turn crimson as she hurried to process what he was saying. "Jane - a-are you proposing to me? Now? On our first date? When there's a plate of food on my lap?"
"Now, now, Lisbon, that's just a plate of bones," Jane corrected her, "you ate it all. Nice job, by the way."
"It was delicious," she said tangentially.
"Don't let that bother you," he said, taking the plate and stacking it on top of his own. "And, don't answer a question with questions."
Jane stood, urging her to do the same by helping her up, holding hands. "You stay there," he commanded adorably, so intent. So she stood there waiting while he retrieved his jacket from the couch and fished something out of the pocket. Lisbon's heart stopped when she saw the tiny black jewelry box in Jane's hand.
"Wait, wait," Lisbon begged. "I'm a mess. You can't do this now!"
"What are you afraid of, Teresa?" Jane asked, looking at her with complete adoration. "You've never looked more beautiful."
As tears filled her eyes, she gave in and let him kneel down in front of her.
"So the question is, Teresa Lisbon, will you marry me?"
Lisbon stared down at Patrick Jane, who knelt with a boxed engagement ring, holding it up to her with an expression of excitement that elicited a happy giggle from her.
"Of course," she replied, falling to her knees before him and throwing her arms around his neck. "You're totally crazy," she told Jane, clinging to him tightly.
"I know," Jane answered, drawing back slightly and wiping her tears with his thumbs before kissing her with that same, insatiably searching intensity. "And worst of all, it's contagious."
Better than ever, Lisbon pondered as he slid the ring onto her finger. She thought about the life that lay before them now. And, swept up as always in the tide of love for Jane that had always taken her out of herself while showing her who she really was, Lisbon knew it was true. At last, they had their happy ending...which was more like a new beginning.
-The End-