Shout-Outs: Ray08, fadedSorrow, TeresaAmaliaJane (for reviewing chapters 1-4), ahhpleezzeninja, Suri19 (for chapter 1), Aerolover16, Totorsg, Mo, AngryLittlePrincess, Annabella Prinx, Mark Joseph, Wldwmn, chymom (all the answers to your questions will be revealed daaaarling!), and Country2776

Author's Note: Okay, while I was editing my story for a third time I was listening to "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol (but it was the Grey's Anatomy version for me). I kind of think the song fits Jane in this situation, PLEASE give both versions a listen while you read and tell me if you agree!

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Chapter 7

They got through the lines to see Santa Claus rather quickly, because it was still early in the day and there weren't too many people around. And then, Damon and Annie were ushering their cousins to get hot chocolate at Starbucks while the adults went their separate ways to finish their shopping.

Jane found himself at Kay Jewelers, he was looking for a gift that said he wanted something real, that he didn't want to pretend anymore. . . because he loved her. He was looking at a display of diamond stud earrings when a sale's associate came over to him.

"May I be of some service to you sir?"

"Actually, you can. . ." Jane looked up. "Wait a second! Weren't you at Target last night?"

The older gentleman shrugged, a distinct twinkle in his blue eyes. "Maybe, I do get around. Now what can I help you with?"

"Well. . . there's this woman and we've been together for almost nine years now. She's been my best friend for so long now, and I just realized that I've loved her for a while now," Jane answered carefully. "In your opinion, what do you think would be the best gift to buy her?"

"I have just the thing, if you'd follow me."

Jane followed him curiously. The man pulled out a key, went behind a display counter, and unlocked the door, removing a necklace with a heart pendent.

"I would strongly recommend this. It's from Jane Seymore's Open Heart collection. When you give it to Agent Lisbon, I suggest you tell her that you selected it because you want her to open her heart to love."

"Wait!" Jane stopped him. "How did you know who I was talking about?"

"Did I say Agent Lisbon?" He feigned surprise. "Lucky guess. . ."

Jane took the necklace for further inspection and decided to drop the issue. "It's nice, but she already has a necklace that she wears all the time."

The sale's associate pulled his collection of rings. "Buy her a ring then, and have it sized so she can wear it on her middle finger."

Jane chose a silver ring from the Open Heart collection, it was a simple design without diamonds or any other embellishment. He didn't want to scare her off before he had a chance to pursue a relationship with her.

In seconds he had purchased the ring and was hiding it in his jacket pocket as he thanked the man for his help and wished him a Happy Holidays.

.

"So, what are you going to get Patrick?" Maura asked Lisbon.

"I dunno," she replied. "What did you get James?"

"The same thing that she gets him every year," Donna answered. "A tie."

"I bought it at Nordstrom's," Maura retorted. "It's Burberry."

"It doesn't make it any less of a tie!" Donna shot back.

"What did you get Edward?" Lisbon asked.

"Tickets to a U2 concert," Donna replied. "I had to save for almost a year in order to buy them."

"But Jane doesn't wear ties, and I'm pretty sure that he isn't a huge U2 fan," Lisbon said.

"I got James cuff links the first year we were dating," Maura offered.

"I don't know. . . we are in law enforcement—"

"You don't have to buy something terribly flashy," Maura replied. "Kay Jeweler's probably has cuff links on sale, we can get them there."

Fifteen minutes later, Lisbon had found a simple pair of silver cuff links that were exactly in her price range, and weren't too flashy for people in law enforcement. She bought them and took them to get gift wrapped, because she wasn't the best at wrapping presents. Besides, since the gift had been so inexpensive, she didn't mind the splurge.

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"I hope you don't mind, but I'm stealing Teresa for the afternoon," Jane said when they all met up at the mall entrance an hour later.

"No!" Maura said.

"We don't mind at all," Donna added. "We understand that you two want to be alone."

"We need your keys," Maura said. "To drive the SUV and to get into you apartment."

"Patrick. . ." Lisbon started.

"Go and have some fun," Donna said, pushing her in Jane's direction.

Lisbon looked at Jane again and then - reluctantly - handed her keys over to Maura.

"Have fun!" She said.

"We will," Jane answered, taking Lisbon's hand and lacing her fingers through his. "We'll see you ladies sometime around dinnertime."

"Jane what are you doing?" Lisbon asked as they walked to his Citroen, still hand-in-hand.

"We're going to my apartment," Jane replied. "I am going to make lunch for you. And then, you my dear, are going to help me make sugar cookies."

"Since when do you have an apartment?" Lisbon asked, dropping her hand from his as he fumbled for keys to unlock his car.

"I thought I told you that I started renting one in October?" Jane replied. "It was. . . it was time."

Lisbon shrugged and changed the subject. "Sugar cookies, really?"

"It'll be fun," Jane answered opening the passenger door for her.

"If you wanted to have fun, you should have brought Annie and Damon to help you make cookies."

Jane rolled his eyes and got in the car. "We have to keep the charade up, wouldn't you agree? Besides, I wanted to bring you."

"Charade?" Lisbon asked.

"You want your family to think you have a boyfriend," Jane answered, pulling out of the mall parking lot. "If I had taken Annie and Damon along with us, they probably would have thought something was going on, something that could lead to a breakup one day."

"But we are going to breakup."

"Really?" Jane asked, his odd smile returning as he slipped a Kenny G album into his CD player. Silver Bells came over the speakers and caused them to fall into comfortable silence.

.

After a simple lunch of chicken salad sandwiches and iced tea, Jane gathered all the baking supplies they needed for sugar cookies while Lisbon cleaned up their lunch items. After they were both finished with their respective tasks, Jane went to find one of his old dress shirts for Lisbon so she wouldn't get her own clothes dirty.

A few minutes later, she emerged from his bathroom wearing his old light blue, button-down shirt that he only wore when he had to do housework. She was clutching her jade sweater to her chest and looking rather embarrassed, probably because of the intimacy of wearing his shirt.

"Well. . . let's get started," she said. "Knowing you, I'm assuming you want to make the cookies from scratch. And I know from experience that the sugar cookie dough takes a while to chill."

"Right," Jane agreed. "Turn on some music, would you?"

Lisbon dropped her sweater on a bar stool and did as he requested. Nat King Cole's version of the Christmas Song started to play. She smiled affectionately at him. "You must really love this CD."

"It was my father's favorite Christmas album," Jane explained, carefully measuring flour out and dumping it into a bowl. "He would play it constantly from Thanksgiving all the way to the end of January. We didn't get along very well, but during the holidays. . ."

He quieted, the conversation putting a damper on the atmosphere of the apartment.

"Hey!" Lisbon said, desperate to break the tension.

"Yes?"

"Watch out!" She replied, throwing a small fistful of flour in his face.

"What was that for?" Jane asked, unable to conceal the grin that was spreading over his face as he wiped the flour from it.

Lisbon didn't answer, she was giggling too hard. "You look like the Ghost of Christmas Past!"

"Really?" Jane asked. "Well, don't look now because you look like Casper, the Friendly Ghost!"

She gasped as flour hit her square between the eyes. She grabbed another handful and threw it at him again, this time getting his vest.

"Woman!" Jane said menacingly as he lunged at her and tried to grab her, but she side-stepped him and put a bar stool between them.

Jane pushed the stool away and succeeded in grabbing her this time.

"Jane!" She shouted as he dusted his flour covered hands off into her hair. "Patrick. . . stop it! Stop it. . . please!"

His hand wound around her neck and he pulled the clip from her hair causing it to spill over her shoulders, then he dipped her. She threw her arms around his neck and held onto him as tightly as she could.

"Make me," he whispered, his nose pressed to her nose, his lips dangerously close to her lips. He looked into her eyes, his pulse sped up as love swelled up for the woman in his arms. This was the woman who had been standing right beside him for nine years, he knew she had seen the worst side of him, and yet here she was with him still.

"Your cookies. . ." Lisbon managed, breaking into his thoughts and pulling him back to reality.

Jane released a long sigh, almost telling her that inviting her over to make cookies had only been a ruse to get her alone. Instead, he brought her back to her feet and steadied her before releasing her. He nodded. "Right. . . I almost forgot."

A few minutes later, they had the cookie dough mixed up and chilling in the fridge. Lisbon swept up the mess from their impromptu flour war as Jane loaded the dishwasher.

"Do you want some tea?" He asked after he put the dish washing liquid in and turned the machine on.

"I'll make it!" She volunteered.

"I can make it," Jane said. "It is my house, and you're a guest."

He really wanted to change the guest part and make her a permanent fixture in his home.

"Really, I insist. . . it's the least I can do after everything you're doing for me," Lisbon replied sincerely. "Just tell me where I can find everything."

Jane did as she requested and watched her flit around his kitchen like she belonged there. When the water was boiling, she leaned against the counter to wait, and the light from the window over the sink caught her hair, causing him to take a sharp breath.

"Everything okay?" Lisbon asked, smiling.

"You're beautiful. . ." Jane whispered.

Lisbon's eyes widened, her heart stopped beating for a second. "Nobody's ever really said that to me before."

"Well somebody should have. You need to hear it. . . every day."

Lisbon blushed, thankful that the kettle decided to start whistling right at that moment. She went to the stove and prepared the tea just the way Jane liked it. When she turned around, he was standing right in front of her. He took his tea and stepped back, giving her space. They both took sips of their drinks at the same time and observed each other over the rims of their cups.

"We have some time to kill, wanna watch Holiday Inn?" Jane asked, breaking the tension.

"You must really like Bing Crosby movies," Lisbon said.

"No. . . I really like you," Jane replied. "Me? My favorite holiday movie is A Christmas Story."

"That's Tommy's favorite movie! He's got the whole thing memorized by heart."

"I guess it's official then."

"What's official?" Lisbon asked with a small smile.

"I belong in your family."

Lisbon froze, her mug midway to her lips. She couldn't tell if Jane was being funny, or if he was serious. She had only just started to be able to read him the way he read her.

"Let's just watch Holiday Inn," she finally said, choosing to completely ignore his comment. She wasn't ready for a discussion like that. . . not yet anyways, because it would mean finally having to face her feelings. And she just couldn't do that. She couldn't admit that she loved her consultant.

TBC. . .

Author's Note II:

Well, you know the drill by now. If you hated it, leave a review. I wouldn't be opposed to hearing that you loved it either. Remember, I only like my criticism CONSTRUCTIVE! More to come soon, since Christmas is RIGHT around the corner!

Here's a little piece of AWESOMENESS! Owain Yeoman (Rigsby) is a. . . JISBON fan! Can I get a whoot, whoot? Or maybe just a "go Owain, go Owain". . . I'm flexible.

If you think about it, feel free to check out "procellous". . . the newest Jane and Lisbon story in my proverbial arsenal.

While you're at it, get onto Youtube and listen to my brother's two ultimate Jane and Lisbon songs, "She's a Lady" by Tom Jones and "Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne (him on "Trouble", quote: "You know, this is SUCH a Jane and Lisbon song. . . especially given Thursday night's episode" unquote).

And please remember to keep my friends in your prayers/thoughts. They lost their father Friday night, and this is the hardest HARDEST time of the year to lose a loved one. My family is really sad, because when we moved here, we spent a lot of time with their family. . . we're really close to them, my dad's even their elder (at church).

My love to you all,

Holly December 19th, 2011_