A/N: So it took me longer than expected to finally publish this, and even now I'm getting the shivers. I really like the Ivy that I have established, but I hope you'll like her, too. In any case, this is the continuation of Little Ivy and Big Bear, which is obviously why I'm publishing this as another chapter after that story. I have a couple more in store, if you'll accept.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.


'Little Ivy at Bedtime'

It didn't matter how long his current living condition lasted - it had been going on for years, and he still couldn't get enough of it. Couldn't get enough of looking at Teresa Lisbon every second of every day, whenever he could, couldn't get enough of kissing her, hugging her close to his heart, touching her pretty face and brushing her hair. He also couldn't get enough of hugging their daughter, admiring how much she looked like her mother, with her long, dark hair, her deep emerald colored eyes and her big heart. She could make his day with just a simple smile, so she did on a regular basis, having him wrapped around her little finger from the day she was born.

Lisbon had gone up to put their little girl to bed, while Jane prepared a kettle for their nightly tea. He loved how he had totally changed Lisbon's mind on her beverages - she had never been able to stop drinking coffee before they had gotten together, but she had enjoyed just sitting next to him drinking tea together while slowly moving in with him. When they had found out that she was pregnant, she had stopped drinking coffee altogether, and he had never seen her pick up the beverage after that. It had helped with her sleeping pattern, too - she was out like a light, whereas before, she was prone to worrying until she would stay up all night.

Of course, she would often wake him to satisfy her insatiable need to kiss him, but he couldn't blame her. After all, he was probably way worse than she was when it came to that matter.

After a couple of minutes, he heard small feet coming towards him, and he started smiling, getting up to turn the kettle on and maybe kiss his beautiful wife, if she would let him. He was surprised, however, to find his five-year-old daughter at the bottom of the stairs, rather than his wife.

"Ivy?"

"Mummy is sleeping, Daddy, so we can watch TV."

He was confused. What had happened here? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around, this little girl sleeping soundly in her bed and her mother in his arms on the couch, kissing him to sleep?

"What did you do?" he asked her cautiously, because despite her being an angel most of the time, she could be a little naughty, too.

"I didn't do anything, I swear. I was talking to Mummy and suddenly she was asleep!"

He didn't believe a single world of it, but he also didn't know what she could have done to have triggered this situation, so she must be telling a form of the truth. He grabbed her hand and together they went upstairs.

"I'm just going to check on Mummy, okay?"

Stepping into Ivy's bedroom, he found all the lights switched off except for Ivy's night light, and Lisbon fast asleep in Ivy's little princess bed. A smile spread across his face, even though he was wondering how this had happened, still. Usually, she wouldn't sleep until she could at least witness that Ivy was asleep, so to think that she fell asleep way before Ivy did… she must have been tired, but Jane didn't know from what.

He knelt beside the bed with Ivy standing right beside him.

"Teresa?" he whispered, tracing her face. She reacted like she always did, scrunching her nose, wiggling her brows, but she didn't open her eyes, didn't respond in any other way.
"I'm going to carry Mummy to bed, meanwhile, I want you to get in yours, alright?"

He put his arms underneath Teresa, feeling her move a little at the sudden displacement, but she still didn't wake. Why was she so tired? What had she done to exhaust herself like this?

He carefully placed her in their bed, kissing her forehead, her cheek and lips before tucking her in and stepping away, turning off the light. He returned to Ivy, who was obediently already in her bed, the covers pulled up all the way to her chin.

"Will Mummy be okay?"

"Of course she will be, Ivy. When has anything ever brought Mummy down?"

"That's true." A smile appeared on her lips, as she thought of her fierce and strong mother, who in her eyes could probably fight an entire army full of bad guys and monsters and still be home in time for dinner.

"She's just tired, don't you worry your little head about it. You get tired sometimes too, don't you?"

She nodded in response.
"Well, so does Mummy. We should just let her sleep, and we'll see her tomorrow again, well-rested and ready to fight off anybody who could even think of hurting us."

Ivy nodded and smiled even brighter. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, tucking her in properly, and much like her mother, she was out light a light, already snoring softly in that adorable way only Ivy could by the time he reached the door.

He returned to Teresa to check up on her, finding her still asleep, and decided to give her this little time to rest, considering she needed it. He would inquire why she was so tired tomorrow, but until then, he would take great satisfaction in watching her sleep.

It turned out, as she had explained the next day, that she had seen a documentary about kidnappings across the country, and she had stayed up all night the day before to watch over Ivy and make sure that she was still there. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't sleep anyway.

Oh, she loved Ivy so much. And it made him proud to be able to witness that love every single day, by her side.


A/N: There you go! Lot more in store if you want to read it, like four chapters or something, all from a different year in her life. Some focus more on her, others focus more on Jane and Lisbon. Anyway, let me know!