A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews! I just wanted to emphasize once again that I know things don't happen in real life like they do in this story - I'm just taking artistic license here. I've done research into some things but not enough to say I'm an expert now. Hope you'll be able to bear with me.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

'Light years away'

Chapter 7

He lay awake at night, her face appearing in every single one of his dreams. He would imagine what she could be doing now, and somehow, he knew it wasn't sleeping.

Thirty-five years. She'd gotten a prison sentence of thirty-five years. 420 months, 12809 days, 18446366 minutes. All of which she would have to spend in prison, away from the world she loved so much, away from all the people who cared for her, all her loved ones. Away from him.

The felt cold now. His heart was numb. He wondered how it was possible for him to feel this way, seeing as he had never had her in his life like that. But then he knew that they had been friends for over a decade now, and to each other, they had become a big part of their lives. Everything, or almost everything they had done over these years, they had done together.

Yet somewhere along that road, for him something had changed. From that moment on, every time she was around, his heart and stomach would start acting all crazy and he would get light-headed. It had been a night much like the one he found himself in now in which he realized the reason for his heart's antics – he was in love with her. Awfully, helplessly, irrevocably in love. It shouldn't have happened, for God's sake. It only made him more vulnerable for pain and heartbreak. But He be damned if it didn't make him the happiest man he knew, just for knowing her and having the honor of being friends with her. Even if he wanted them to be more than that, he lucky already to be her friend. He didn't think she reciprocated his feelings anyway.

He sighed desperately. He had to get the woman he loved out of jail, no matter what.

~…~

"I'm here for Teresa Lisbon."

The guard nodded, typed some things into the computer in front of her and then nodded again.

"We'll get her. You can go take a seat over there."

He did as he was told, all the while feeling as though he was about to explode. At the same time, he wanted to both see her but also not see her. He hadn't seen her since the verdict, and he didn't know how she was holding up. Judging by how she had been during the trial, it couldn't be good. He knew that seeing her, without being able to hold her or comfort her in any way, wouldn't be so satisfying as he had originally thought. Yet he would take everything he got.

He was horribly shaking by the time he was seated in one room that looked an awful lot like an interrogation room. She was brought in, and he almost jumped up out of his chair to embrace her.

"No touching," the guard grumbled, and then the door closed with a heavy thud.

He looked her over, his eyes falling on her disheveled hair, her pale skin and her glassy eyes.

"Hey," he whispered. She cracked a little smile but it didn't quite meet her eyes.

"Hey."
"How are you?"

She raised her hands, showing the cuffs keeping them together.

He sighed and nodded.

"I'm not giving up, Lisbon. I promise. I won't rest until you're out-"

"Patrick," she interrupted him. "It's okay. You can let go."

"Lisbon. Thirty-five years is too long."

"I know. But there's nothing we can do. We tried, and we failed."
He knew nothing to say. Nothing at all. She was right.

"Teresa…" he breathed, calling her by her first name for the first time since she had killed him. It didn't go unnoticed by her.

"I… I…" He wanted to tell her. He really did. But watching her face, he knew she couldn't take hearing this. So he didn't tell her. "I won't give up."

He reached out and touched her cold hands.

"I promise. Okay?"

She wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Okay?" She looked at him.

"Okay."

He smiled gently, and she returned his smile. But it still didn't meet her eyes.

"Fischer is being transferred."

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. Fischer was the closest Lisbon had to a best friend, beside himself. Having her transfer to another team or even another building, taking her further away, didn't rest well on her heart, he saw.

"But she promised she would still come and see you."

"Well that's nice."

"Hmm-mm."

She paused.

"I think it's best if you leave now, Jane."

He nodded. They both knew he would be back soon.

A/N: Sorry for this chapter being so short! Next one will be a bit longer and will also have a better plot. Hope you're still with me!