A/N I figured we could celebrate TM Sunday with this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 17

Lisbon awoke to a decent crick in her neck even though she did have a pillow of sorts. Chairs inside of the pediatric waiting room were no match for a decent bed but she didn't regret staying. Even with a hotel mattress, it would have been unlikely she would have slept worrying about her insomniac consultant wandering the halls of the hospital. Speaking of which, said consultant was nowhere to be seen about the room.

Lisbon checked her phone. It was quarter past eight in the morning so she would have to wait another forty five minutes or so for her blessed first cup of coffee. She stretched and Jane's Jacket fell from her shoulders. She didn't remember him giving it to her but the gesture was still sweet if a tad predictable. Lisbon stood and folded the jacket over her arm. She then turned, nearly forgetting the forlorn looking Lucky still sitting on the chair. With both items in hand, she went off in search of Jane.

She found him in the first place she looked, sound asleep in Emma's room. Neither of the girl's grandparents were in the room as she quietly clicked the door closed. Jane was on the bed but only just. A half-inch to the left and he would be falling off. He had his right arm securely around Emma's small frame with her curly head nestled on his chest. Lisbon couldn't help but think about a curly blonde-haired girl that would have been comfortable in the arms of the same man in front of her years prior. It was a heartwarming sight nonetheless and Lisbon quickly dug out her cell phone to take a picture. She nearly cursed aloud when the shutter noise on her phone echoed around the otherwise quiet room. She wanted to kick herself when Jane's eyes opened, knowing how precious sleep was to him but felt a bit better when he smiled tiredly at her.

"Caughtcha."

"Sorry. " Lisbon whispered. "How is she?" Nodding to Jane's right where Emma still slept peacefully.

"As good as can be I guess." Jane said looking down at her. "Though she freaked out a little last night at the sight of a needle."

"I don't blame her. How long have you been in here?"

Jane yawned. "Since around four." He carefully eased himself off the bed and then made sure Emma's blankets were securely tucked in. "Do you mind sitting here for a few? I need to use the little boys room and then I might see if I can find a decent cup of tea in this joint."

"Sure, though I think the guys are coming with breakfast in a half hour or so."

"I should be back by then. I'm also going to see if I can find Emma's grandparents. I've been wanting to talk to them and I was expecting them to come back and take over in here at some point but I haven't seen them yet."

Lisbon understood and watched as Jane made his way out of the room. She nearly chuckled at the wild mess that was his hair since waking up but kept quiet. Besides, if she knew Jane and she did, it would be in perfect order by the time he returned.

Jane was gone for forty five minutes when he returned to Emma's room with Mr. and Mrs. Brooks in tow. He had found them in a small café inside the hospital where he also was able to get himself some tea. Inside, he found a very much awake Emma surrounded by Lisbon and the rest of the team. They had the rolling table placed in the middle of them and were playing something with a deck of cards.

"Please don't tell me you're getting Emma into poker already." Jane joked.

"No Trick, it's 'Go Fish.'"

"Who's winning?" Abigail asked.

"Cho." Emma said, almost disappointingly. "But I just took one of his sevens."

"Cho's easy." Jane said. "He typically raises his eyebrows slightly when he's being overly deceptive."

The Asian turned to glare at Jane. "That's cheating."

"No sir. That's called knowing your opponents. Besides, she's six. Lighten up a little."

"Yeah, man. Lighten up." Rigsby slugged Cho jokingly in the shoulder.

"You're just saying that because you're loosing."

"Tell you what," Rigsby said, dipping a glazed cruller into his coffee and then taking a bite. "If you win, I'll buy you your very own magical stuffed unicorn." He turned to Emma. "Unicorns eat grass right?"

Lisbon nearly lost her coffee through her nose as the room erupted in laughter. Neither Emma nor her grandparents understood the joke but the girl answered Rigsby's question anyway.

"I think they eat grass, just like horses."

Pleased with himself, Rigsby asked Van Pelt if she had a three of clubs.

"Nope. Go fish."

He grumbled and picked up another card, adding to his already massive pile.

"Emma, sweetheart, we need to ask you a few questions about yesterday." Her grandmother said, bringing the room back to a serious tone.

The girl sighed and put her stack of cards face down on the table in front of her.

"What did the kids at school say to you that made you so upset?" Her grandfather began.

Emma looked down at the unicorn Cho had given to her, running her fingers through its purple mane. "Kevin said mommy and daddy left because I was a bad girl. He said I asked for too many dolls and so they didn't want me anymore."

Abigail figured the kids had said something of that nature but it still hurt to hear. "Oh sweetie, you have to know that's just not true. Look at all the people here that love you. They're here all the way from California just for you."

"But maybe if I had behaved better or didn't get upset when mom wouldn't buy me something then they would have wanted to stay here with me or maybe I could have gone with them."

Jane's throat tightened at that implication. "Listen to me Em. It's difficult for you to understand at your age but when your parents went away it wasn't because they wanted to. They didn't have a choice. If they had a choice, they would have done everything they possibly could to be here with you and If you had gone away too, then I would have never had the chance to meet you."

"We're so glad to have you here with us. No part of what happened with your parents was your fault." Lisbon added. "Though running away on your own was very dangerous."

"I know." Emma said. "But those kids were being so mean and I thought Mystic was my only friend."

"You've got me kiddo." Jane rumpled her hair. "And you have Lisbon, Uncle Cho, Uncle Rigsby, and Aunt Grace."

She nodded and then hugged Lisbon who was currently the closest to her. "I'm sorry Tree. I'm sorry for worrying everyone."

Lisbon hugged her back. "We forgive you and love you so very much. Just please, promise us you'll talk to a grown up the next time another kid says something mean like that to you."

"Can I still ride Mystic?"

Jane coughed. "Well, I'm not sure that'll be possible."

"Why not?" Emma's eyes suddenly filled with tears at the thought of not riding horses ever again.

"I'm not saying you can't ride as long as you promise not to go riding on your own." He paused. "It just probably won't be Mystic considering we'll have to look for a barn closer to Sacramento."

Everyone, except Emma's grandparents stared at Jane in shock.

Jane grinned a knowing smile. "Whaddaya say Em? Would you like to come to live with me in California?"

Now, it was Emma's turn to look shocked. "You mean like forever?"

Jane smiled. "If that's what you want." He came closer to the bed now, opposite where Lisbon was sitting.

"Will you be my new daddy?"

He leaned on the bed and tucked a small strand of Emma's hair behind her ear. "I'd like that very much but it's totally up to you."

Emma was silent for a moment while Lisbon and the team looked on, completely unprepared for what was unfolding. Some part of Jane worried that after everything, she would say no but the shrill that came a moment later, pushed aside all those fears. She beamed and Jane's face cracked a matching smile as she lunged toward him, grabbing Jane around the neck.

"I'll take care of you Trick and draw you all kinds of pictures."

Jane laughed through the tears he couldn't stop if he tried.

"Are you sad Trick?" Emma asked when she saw his face.

"Oh no sweetheart. I'm just really happy." He hugged her again and they stayed like that for who knows how long.

Rigsby handed out tissues as there was not a dry eye in the room aside from Cho though Lisbon would swear she saw moisture there.

TBC

A/N I hope everyone is happy with this chapter. I intended to head in this direction from the start :o) One more chapter and an epilogue left to go.