Reaching her hand out, Lisbon wraps a soft white towel around herself and steps out of the shower. Jane was still asleep when she woke up, and she didn't want to wake him. She knows all too well about his never ending up hill battle with sleep so she let him rest. He needed it. Jane is asleep in her bed. She pauses a moment to let it sink in. The full force of him being back and what it all means, what it means for the future, hasn't truly hit her yet.

It's around 9 a.m. and Lisbon peeks her head out of the bathroom. Jane is lying on his back, his breathing slow and steady. She knows he's not faking like he usually did at work. She could always tell when he was pretending to be asleep.

Work. Lisbon feels a flash of panic go through her. No one knows he's back yet, except for her and she doesn't really feel the need to tell anyone. That's Jane's choice to make. She herself still has a week left before she's supposed to return. She wonders if he even wants to go back to the CBI. After all, he was only there in the first place as a means to get to Red John and now that seemingly never ending chapter in his life is over.

Part of Lisbon's mind questions why Jane is really back, and she has to stop herself, hating that she's doing it but she can't help it. He said he should have chosen her. He has chosen her, he's made that perfectly clear, but there are still so many things that have been left unsaid, that need to be explained and talked about. There are still so many things she's unsure about.

She has no idea what happened to him during the two months he went missing. She has no idea what he went through. She knows exactly what she went through. Lisbon remembers when she was in the hospital and Cho came to tell her that a body had been found in an abandoned warehouse, a body they believed belonged to the infamous serial killer Red John. He told her they had no suspect in custody but they both knew. They both knew Jane had been the one to kill Red John. Then she remembers Cho telling her that Jane was nowhere to be found. He had simply disappeared and wasn't answering his phone and couldn't be found anywhere.

Despite the bullet that went through her shoulder and being confined to a hospital bed, she remembers frantically trying to track him down. After a week passed with still no word she let it settle over her, and that's when the stages kicked in.

She went through denial, isolating herself from everyone. She got angry. She got so fucking angry she was just seething with pure rage. She tried bargaining, thinking that if she could somehow make a deal with someone, anyone, she would find him. Then the depression set in, not helped by the fact that she was on medical leave and had strict orders not to return back to work. There was nothing to distract her. After the depression turned into nothing but a dull ache in the back of her mind she simply accepted it. She accepted that Jane was gone and she was most likely never going to see him ever again. As bitter of a pill it was to swallow, Lisbon pushed the pain away and accepted it as best as she could. She wanted to hate him, she still wants to be angry with him and maybe is even a tiny bit still, but Lisbon's desire to help him shadowed the anger.

Quickly slipping on a worn pair of jeans and a button up white top she brought into the bathroom with her, Lisbon brushes out her wet hair and then leaves the bathroom, closing the door as quietly as possible behind her.

"Good morning." Jane says in a tired, gravely voice. He puts his arms behind his head and lets out a happy sigh. He honestly cannot remember the last time he has slept that well, that peacefully.

Lisbon jumps, thinking he was still asleep. It doesn't go unnoticed by Lisbon that at some point during the night Jane must have shed a few layers because he's only wearing his dirty button up dress shirt sans vest with the first couple of buttons undone revealing a glimpse of his chest. His curls are all over the place and unruly and his baby blues are sparkling, it's quite the image Lisbon has to admit to herself. She makes the decision not to get back into the bed even though she wants more than anything to.

"See something you like?" Jane asks in a teasing voice.

Lisbon quickly looks away rolling her eyes earning her a chuckle from Jane. Nothing ever goes unnoticed by Jane. The fact that Lisbon is now leaning against her dresser as far away from him as she can be without actually leaving the room, does not escape Jane. Nervousness begins creeping through his chest.

Lisbon can tell from the look in Jane's eyes that he's silently asking her what's wrong. She can't help but find it slightly amusing. Patrick Jane always seems to know what she's thinking.

"You left." Lisbon finally says. Jane doesn't say anything so she continues on. "You put me through hell." Lisbon's arms are folded across her chest and she's trying to appear strong, even though what she's saying hurts like hell. Jane inwardly winces at the pain in her voice. "Now you're back." Jane gives a slight nod of his head, signaling for her to continue on. "You said you should have chosen me... I hate that I have to ask this Jane, but I do and I need the absolute truth. No bull shit." Jane sits up in the bed. "Are you back just for some quick nostalgia? Am I going to turn around and you'll suddenly be gone again? I don't know where you've been for the past two months or what's been going through your mind since you killed that sick bastard. I have no clue as to what you're really thinking right now and it scares me to death. I just..." her voice breaks for a moment, "I just need to know the truth."

It kills Jane that she's asking these questions, that she's so lost, that part of her is still uneasy to trust him, but he doesn't blame her. He can't blame her.

"After I did it," Jane begins, "I had to get away. I had to leave. I thought finally killing him would make everything fall back into place, that I would feel complete, but it didn't. All I felt was lost. I was so completely lost, because killing Red John, making him suffer, that was my only goal in life. I never saw a future for myself afterwards. I would never allow myself to see a future... until you. That scared the hell out of me Teresa, because there never was supposed to be any future for me. I didn't know what to do so I ran. I knew I wasn't going to get caught but I still ran. I was trying to get away from myself. For the past two months I've been driving around the country, lost, scared, and so goddamn angry." Jane gets up out of the bed and slowly begins to move towards her. "I was angry because I was supposed to feel whole again but I didn't, couldn't. Then I finally realized why and it was because of you. With you, I'm not lost. I'm not this confused, broken man." Jane watches as Lisbon's eyes search his. "I may be damaged but I can be fixed. I ruined the first chance I had at life and was somehow lucky enough to get a second chance, but I never let myself realize it. What I'm thinking right now... I'm thinking that there's no reason for me, for anything I do anymore unless you're with me, unless you're in my life because, I love you."

Jane stands only a few feet away from Lisbon now. He just laid his soul bare in front of her, something he's never done to anyone before. He's always wearing a mask or putting on a show but not now. This is real. He feels raw and exposed, but in the most incredible way possible. He's told her the absolute truth and now he thinks, even if she tell him to get out, tells him she never wants to see him again, at least she will know the truth.

It's painfully quiet for what seems like an eternity. "Wow." Is all Lisbon can say, breathless, before it's quiet again. Finally, the corners of her mouth quirk up into a small smile and she says, "Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in some melodramatic romance novel?"

Any normal person would take that comment as a sucker punch straight to the face, but not Patrick Jane. He's never been a "normal" person and no one knows that better than the woman standing in front of him. His eyes light up and he bursts into laughter. He's ecstatic because he can see in her eyes that she believes him... that she loves him and that's all he needs to know and all he cares about.

Jane reaches out for her and engulfs her small frame in his enormous embrace. He's presses soft but eager kisses to the crown of her head while his hands tangle in her hair and he grips her even closer. Lisbon leans back in his arms to look at him. "I love you." She says and then out of nowhere gives him a hard thump on the side of his head. The smile she's now wearing lights up her entire face matching his.

Jane crashes his lips down on hers and he grabs onto the back of her thighs, causing her to let out a little shriek. She wraps her legs around his waist and he spins them around, tumbling down carelessly onto the bed. Her laughter envelops him and he's grinning as he playfully attacks her mouth and neck with his own. He knows there's still things that need to be said, things that need to be done, but he let's himself lose himself in this carefree moment because this... this is only just the beginning.

TBC