Till Death Do We Part

A/N: Congrats to Ebony10 and kathiann for guessing what was in the photo. :D Good job guys.

Chapter 5: Dun, Dun, Dun...

Why was it that all the Eppes men were so damn stubborn? Anyone who said they knew was lying, but Megan would give them a pat on the back for trying.

Don was being... difficult. He had no problem walking into the room shirtless after grabbing a shower in the hotel's cheap bathrooms (he didn't even notice the blush on Megan's face as she tried to look anywhere but at him), but at the prospect of sleeping in the same bed, he reacted as a child (or Colby, for that matter) would: with complete horror. It didn't really matter to her whether or not he slept in the bed. She just didn't want to deal with a grumpy Don in the morning

Megan was still up reading when Don awoke for what had to be the sixth time that night.

"Huh?" Don sat up in the chair, jolting upright, eyes wide.

Megan rolled her eyes. "Just get in the bed," she said.

Don sat back, already starting to close his eyes. "I'm fine."

Megan sighed. "Don, we're both adults."

"Exactly," he grumbled, staring down at his hands.

"Is that what this is about?" Megan stared at her team leader with amusement. When he didn't answer, she went on. "Don, I really don't think either of us is going to do anything. Especially not anything that would require mutual consent."

Don didn't move.

Megan let out a frustrated breath. "Just get in the damn bed. You won't sleep at all in that chair."

His eyes flicked up to her, but he still didn't budge from his seat in the clearly uncomfortable chair, and his eyes fell back to his hands.

Megan narrowed her eyes. "If you don't get in, I'll tell Granger that we did do something that would require mutual consent."

He looked back up at her, eyes wide with alarm.

"You wouldn't," he said, voice confident.

Megan raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

"You'd take crap from him too," Don tried, begging now.

She shrugged. "I'll live."

"C'mon Megan," he pleaded. She didn't say anything. "Reeves..." he tried, his voice hard now.

Megan narrowed her eyes. "Eppes."

He narrowed his eyes as well, and for a few moments, they stared each other down. Megan was about to give in and go back to her book when he sighed.

"Fine. Okay? Fine. I'll sleep in the bed."

Megan grinned triumphantly. "Knew you'd give in."

"Yeah, whatever," Don muttered. He got up and stalked over to the bed, staring at her apprehensively.

She laughed. "Wimp."

Don rolled his eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed as she moved over, making room. He lay back and crossed his arms over his chest, closing his eyes determinedly.

Megan rolled her eyes again. "Oh come on. This hotel's freezing. No way you're gonna make it without a blanket."

Don opened his eyes to glare at her. "Do you want me to sleep with you?" he snapped.

Megan blushed, heat rushing to her face. "Just shut up and get under the covers."

He gritted his teeth, but climbed under the covers, then lay on his side, facing away from her.

"'Night, Don," Megan said, keeping her voice cheery.

"Shut up."

Lisbon was so focused on coming up with ideas to get her out of the car and away from her nightmare date, that she didn't realized the car had stopped until Mac opened her door for her.

"We're here," he said, smiling.

She tried to smile and took off her seatbelt, arms moving woodenly. "Thanks," she said. In her mind, she was punching his lights out and taking off.

I miss my gun, she whimpered internally.

"Come on." Mac led her to the front door, and held it open like a gentleman.

Gentleman, a voice in her head spat. Yeah right.

"Hey, Mac!" a voice greeted them inside. A man was standing at the bar. "Good to see ya. Looks like you finally got a date to come in here."

Mac rolled his eyes. "Shut up Jeff. Where's Kyle?"

The man, Jeff, jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "In the back."

"I'll go get us drinks," Mac said to Lisbon. "You'll be okay?"

"Yeah," Lisbon said quietly. The further away you are, the better.

Mac disappeared, and Lisbon relaxed a little, taking a chance to survey the building out of habit. It was old. At one point, it probably had been a burger place, but now it was little more than a bar. There was a couple at a booth in the back who were now gathering their things quickly. Maybe it was because of Mac, she mused.

Like a shark and a school of fish. Or a wolf and a deer.

Or a stalker and his prey.

Lisbon shuddered.

"Cold?" Jeff asked from behind her. Lisbon turned.

"You shivered," Jeff supplied. "You cold?"

"Uh... No," Lisbon said. "I'm fine."

"It can get a little chilly in here," Jeff said, wiping down the bar counter. "I can turn the heat up now, though, since it looks like everyone's leaving."

"No," Lisbon said. "It's fine. You don't have to do anything."

Jeff shrugged. "I usually turn it up before I leave anyway. You're lucky though. We're staying open late for Mac. Close friend."

Are you a stalker too? Lisbon thought cynically.

"So you've known him for a long time?" she asked casually.

"Oh yeah," Jeff said. "Mac and me go way back. Even before he started the whole art thing."

"Art?" Lisbon asked. Maybe this would help her search for more information about her stalker/date.

"Yeah," Jeff said. "Mac's a great artist." He shot her a speculative look. "You look a lot like his ex. She used to model for him a lot."

Great. A psychopath. Everyone's favorite kind of criminal.

A/N: There you have it. Sorry for the wait. And I know the ending is hideous and terrible and... ugh *shudders*, but I only had Language Arts to write the end. Sorry! Review!

Off to take over the world,

Crazy Girl