Author note: This is probably the hardest writing I have ever done, but I am reasonably pleased with the results.

Author note update 6/18: I made some minor changes in this chapter because I can't put up a whole chapter yet, but I had enough limited access for once and just enough time to make a few fixes and improvements. I doubt anyone will notice the alterations, but if anyone can pick out what is different, I will give you a no-prize! God willing, I should have chapter 5 up from Lisbon's POV by Sunday, and maybe I'll have a chance for a few other chapter renovation sessions before then.

Disclaimer: I don't own Patrick Jane, Marcus Pike, or dear sweet Wiley. In fact, this whole plot is borrowed from the writers who did Violets.

Chapter 2: Subtlety

"I think we have a winner, here," Patrick Jane smiled broadly as Marcus Pike parked in front of the white, windowed edifice. Pike expelled his relief in a long huff, glad that the consultant had finally found a building that apparently met his expectations. Driving around town looking at confiscated homes was not his idea of fun, although he thought a house-hunting expedition might have been tolerable in different company.

"Yes…" Jane bounded up the steps, looking around appraisingly at the walls, the walkway, the greenery, taking it all in with approval. "Flashy, but not too fussy. Nice design, not too conservative. A great spot for art thieves to show off their bling subtly, without drawing unwanted attention from official quarters. I can see staying here while planning the next move…"

Pike slowly emerged from his car, hoping fervently that the rest of the premises would prove as agreeable to Jane as the façade. He had been in and out of half a dozen buildings today, while Patrick Jane examined every detail and kept up a running commentary on styles, accessibility, the pros and cons of each location, not standing still for a moment. At first Pike had been as accommodating as he knew how to be. He had gone upstairs, into wine cellars, walked the perimeters, written notes on what flaws would need to be fixed, only to throw them all out when, once again, Jane decided that this location just wasn't suitable, and "On to the next!"

Pike was getting very tired, and not just physically. Even before he had left for work that morning, he had taken (against his better judgment) a call from his ex-wife. Jenna was, as usual, trying to drag him into some emotional drama. This time it was the dog. Pike had assured her that he would talk with her about the problem later. Then at work all the challenges of collaboration outside the department had clamored for his attention. And now this search through the city for just the right place to catch art thieves in the company of Patrick Jane, who for some reason had latched on to Pike as the perfect person to conduct his tour of the art world in Austin.

As they drove from site to site, Jane kept asking question after question, not just about the houses but about art and art theft. Most discouraging of all, Pike was finding that far too often, the answer was "I don't know." He was feeling more and more out of his depth. Pike thought that he had done a pretty good job learning the ropes and the art world jargon when he had transferred to the Art Squad, and he had been in the job for years now. But Jane seemed to always want to know more. He apparently expected Pike to be a walking encyclopedia of art lore. What were the names of museums within a 50 mile radius and what was the security like at each? What were the key collections circulating in the area? How much would this statue or that painting fetch on the black market? On and on.

Where did Jane get all this boundless energy? Was it something in his tea? Hadn't there been talk around the bureau that the consultant spent most of his time lying on that couch of his?

Pike trudged up the front steps, taking the keys that were labeled for this building from his pocket while Jane pointed out the lighting features that would make the place "really pop" when their "mark" first laid eyes on it.

As the door swung open, Jane was finally still and silent for a full minute and more, just looking. Pike shuffled his feet, waiting for Jane to say that no, this wouldn't do after all, but the bureau golden boy just stood there until Pike almost collapsed from suspense. Finally, Jane turned to Pike with wide eyes, like a kid at Christmas, and said in a whisper, "This is it. This is the perfect place."

Pike felt like breaking into a touchdown dance, but instead he asked cautiously, "Are you sure?"

"You said this one had a vault in the master bedroom?" Pike nodded. "Then this is absolutely perfect! I'm going to call Wiley right away and have him bring the surveillance equipment." Jane took out his cell phone and strode through the door as if he owned the place. He called out over his shoulder, "Do you mind bringing the art in? I want to start setting up."

With a sigh, Pike turned and headed back to the car. He had not understood why Jane had insisted on bringing all the art with them, or why Jane decided that this mission should include only the two of them. It made him nervous that he couldn't follow Jane's reasoning, but at least Jane had readily agreed to his precautions to protect the priceless artifacts in the trunk. They were covered to prevent damage to the art and disguise its value, and while only one painting was large, the canvas, paint, and frames were heavy and a bit unwieldy. Pike did not like leaving any of this set of originals out in the unlocked trunk if neither he nor Jane was within view of the vehicle.

It appeared that Jane was touring the inside of this house without dragging Pike along as a guide, so as he walked slowly down the steps, he mapped out the order and arrangement in which the pieces should be brought. He decided the most expensive and well known pieces could be brought in one trip, if he was careful with them. Then he'd have to go back for the more obscure stuff and the innocuous prints that weren't actually stolen.

Jane had personally chosen each piece, from the notoriously stolen and very valuable Van Gogh to the flashy and unclaimed bits that were by obscure artists. He had been pretty picky about his selection, too, though he had indicated that these particular choices were not "etched in stone," as they would have to see "what fits in the space." Which meant, Pike supposed, that he might have to be in and out of Aladdin's cave several times before Jane was really satisfied with the way the house was decorated.

All this would be less tiring and a whole lot more pleasant, Pike reflected, in the company of Agent Teresa Lisbon. He wished that Jane had asked her along, or better yet, sent her in his place. Not only was she easy on the eyes, but she seemed a lot more relatable to Marcus Pike. He doubted that she would have assigned him all the grunt work while attending to minute, fussy details. She also seemed more likely to appreciate the depth and breadth of his knowledge. He couldn't imagine her grilling him about art until he reached the limits of his recall and then pausing just long enough to make him feel like he had disappointed before saying, "Well, I can always Google that." Actually, he couldn't imagine any sensible person doing that. But Jane had.

If this was a sampling of Jane's legendary charm, Pike thought it was overrated. But perhaps, with Jane's good looks and confidence to back it up, it went over very well with the ladies.

The bureau had at least its share of gossip, and while Pike avoided it when he could, the constant cooing of a certain selection of unattached female agents and office personnel could hardly be ignored. Since Jane had arrived at the bureau, Pike had heard his blue eyes and golden curls praised to the skies, his charming smile and wit admired, and his potentials as a romantic partner speculated upon at great length. It would be sickening, if Pike didn't also know from more sensible parties that Jane had made a significant and immediate impact on Abbott's team in terms of their closure of cases.

Although right at this moment, Pike was sickened anyway. A man with that much going for him was bound to be insufferably conceited. Not that Jane had been anything but friendly, but Pike was sure that he was patting himself on the back privately about how superior he was to Pike in every way.

Either that, or Pike was projecting. Pike had to acknowledge that as a possibility.

On the other hand, Jane was known to be a master manipulator, whose main strategy for catching perpetrators was trickery and subtle deception. His plan, or at least the parts of it that he had revealed that Pike could at all understand, involved pretending to be someone he wasn't, and creating a whole reality that wasn't real. People who weren't direct and honest about themselves, like Jane, or like Jenna, made Pike very nervous.

Of course, Pike knew that he was partly cranky because he was tired. He was actually hopeful that this con man really could pull it off and catch these guys. And no doubt Jane's heart was in the right place. Pike had seen how gently and kindly Jane had treated Sylvia Hennigan.

Still, Pike was feeling uncomfortable around Jane. It had all been going very smoothly until Pike had shown Jane and Lisbon around his cave of wonders, and then suddenly he started getting subtle signals from Jane that were… not quite unfriendly, but wary, measuring. Like he was being assessed for his qualifications, or something like that.

Almost as if the man was jealous, or something. Had he overstepped some hidden boundary by returning Teresa Lisbon's playful banter?

But Pike had seen no signs of affection between the two, none of the half-conscious touches or glances that marked people who were in a relationship, even when it was secret. Of course, since Patrick Jane was better than average at deception, perhaps he could conceal his feelings for Teresa, if he had them. But Teresa Lisbon did not seem to Pike to be anything but above board and straight forward. And hadn't she sent Pike some very clear signals that she was interested in him?

Or had she? Pike knit his brows as he gathered up the stolen artwork, which had been kept hidden since its recovery. As he carefully hefted the paintings, he mentally reviewed Teresa's words, her facial expressions and voice, during their brief interactions. Her warm, steady eye contact, her smile, the suggestive lilt of her voice, the tilt of her head and the lift of her eyebrows. He was no Don Juan, by any stretch of the imagination, but those all seemed like interest to him. But perhaps the Great Patrick Jane could give him some hints on the finer points of romantic expression with females.

"Do you need some help with that?"

Pike started violently at the sound of Jane's voice at his elbow, as if in answer to his thoughts. The VanGogh almost slipped from his grasp, but Jane caught it before it made contact with the pavement. "Here, let me get that one. You did say it's the most expensive, right?" Pike responded with a dumb nod. "Then I know just the place for it."

Rearranging the paintings gave Pike time to process his embarrassment, hoping that the perceptive Patrick Jane would not see his anxiety. To have been so careless with the evidence was a serious blunder, one which could get him fired. All because he was distracted over the lovely Agent Lisbon. Who may or may not be a person of interest to Jane, as well.

"Anything else I can help you with?" Jane inquired, straightening with the most valuable treasure securely in his arms.

Pike shook his head, and stammered out, "No, no, I've got these. You said the really valuable ones would only go in one room, right?"

"Of course, the master bedroom." Jane quirked his eyebrows. "An arrogant art thief would want to keep it close enough to appreciate, maybe give his love life a kick. And of course, it would be dangerous to put it all over the house, where a discerning guest might start asking questions."

"And you're playing the arrogant art thief?" Pike confirmed, lifting the other paintings very carefully.

"Well, it's hardly a stretch," Jane drawled, leading the way up the steps while keeping an eye on Pike's load and a free hand ready, just in case. "You sure you don't need a hand? I didn't realize that these were so heavy…"

"Nope. I'm good." Pike huffed as they reached the steps. For some reason, Jane's self-assurance was making him bristle with insecurity. He tried to think of something clever to say. "So why does this arrogant art thief need to give his love life a kick?"

"Excuse me?" said Jane's voice from the other side of the pictures.

"I mean, if he's rich and handsome and smart, why does he need stolen art in his bedroom to get romantic attention?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Pike wanted to kick himself. Especially when Jane peered around the edge of the frames with an air of veiled concern and mild embarrassment and said, "Well, that's very flattering… um… I'm sure you're a great guy, but I'm really more interested in women."

"Uh, me too!" Pike hastened to say, and once again mentally berated himself for his delivery. If he had heard another man reply that way, he would have suspected that the guy was in denial. "What I really meant was, will our, uh, 'mark' believe that this art thief needs stolen art in his bedroom to get a woman?"

Jane shook his head. "Now you're overthinking it. The backstory isn't supposed to be something the mark notices or thinks about. It's all subtle, subconscious. Besides, this art thief has a partner. It won't be hard for our mark to believe that our inside man wants to keep the inside woman happy."

By the door now, Pike rested his paintings on the pavement and looked fixedly at Jane, with an unsettled feeling in his gut. "Who's the inside woman?" He already knew the answer.

"Agent Lisbon, of course." Jane met his eye without a hint of challenge, but somehow Pike a feeling that he was being mocked. Or else… tested?

"Does she know that?" he asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Was this Jane's subtle way of telling him that Teresa Lisbon was already spoken for?

"Not yet, but she's well up to any challenge," Jane said, picking up all the paintings and carrying them into the house while Pike stood there, dumbstruck. "I've worked with her for years. She's the very best."

"I believe it." Pike said without hesitation, following Jane into the house. "Her eyes are always alert, she seems to know what's going on around her even when she's in an unfamiliar place. Like she's always ready for anything. And she's obviously a quick thinker, you can tell that she's rarely at a loss for words. "

Jane paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked back at Pike, his expression thoughtful, but guarded. "I think I've underestimated you, Agent Pike. You are an excellent judge of character."

Pike did not know if he was being complimented, or if there was some hidden slight in the comment, but he decided to take it at face value. "Thank you. But I just call it like I see it. It isn't hard to tell that Teresa Lisbon is an excellent agent."

"She excels in every way," Jane replied earnestly, then, looking at the stairs, set the paintings down. "It will take both of us to get these upstairs safely. I'll lead, since I know where we're going. Can you take the lower end?"

"Sure." Pike leaned over and took the bottom of the largest painting.

It was accomplished quickly with the two working together. Pike was impressed with Jane's patience and care, and with how easily he seemed to know when to move and when to pause so that the other could adjust. When they got to the master bedroom, Jane set his end down and surveyed the room. Pike followed suit.

"So, the Van Gogh gets pride of place here," Jane pointed. "When the light goes on, the lighting draws focus right there. Then our mark scans the room left to right and sees all the other pieces spaced around the room and prominently displayed. The main camera should be focused right here," Jane stood in a spot at a good viewing distance from the first wall that he had indicated. Looking at the bed and curtains, Jane grimaced. "We'll need to redo the colors in the room, I'm thinking bolder, red, or purple…"

"Hey, Jane?" a voice called from the entry, and Pike started in surprise. Jane merely smiled and nodded.

"Come on up, Wiley! Follow the sound of my voice…"

Pike rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of the bed while Jane stepped out to beckon the young tech whiz from Abbot's team up the spiral staircase. He had to admit that he was bushed, but really did not want to let Jane see it.

"Wow! This is amazing! Did it come fully furnished like this?"

"It did indeed! We'll need to make a few adjustments for the sake of authenticity, of course. Our art thieves will have very specific tastes, and we don't want any subtle hints of the house's origin getting through to our mark." And they walked into the bedroom, Wiley's arms full of equipment, although Jane had apparently taken some containers of take-out food off his hands on their way down the hall. Pike sprung to his feet, trying to look ready to work.

Jane's lips quirked as though suppressing a smile. "At ease, Agent Pike. Thanks for all your help today, you've earned a rest. I hope you've been introduced to young Wiley, here?"

"Just in passing. I saw him way in the back at the briefing. Searles says Abbot speaks highly of him."

Wiley, already glowing with excitement about being included, perked up even more. Jane's eyes lit up, looking between the two with deep satisfaction. "Great. You two will make a great team. I'm counting on the two of you for monitoring to keep this project safe and get the goods on Pulaski's team." He turned his full focus to Pike, "I hope you don't mind being behind the scenes for this. You've been working this case for a couple years, so Pulaski would recognize you. However, you've given me a good grounding in the biz, so between that and a little personal research, I should be up to speed by tomorrow night to pass as a professional art thief. Unless you can think of anything else I need to know?"

Pike was dumbfounded. His frustration over all the questions and the other aggravations of the day, the feeling of inferiority he had been fighting since they had begun this trip, evaporated as he realized that Patrick Jane was relying on his information to prepare for a face to face encounter with a potentially dangerous criminal, armed with only his wits. Pike wasn't sure whether to be worried that Jane didn't appreciate the risks he was taking, or stunned that this law enforcement legend was putting so much faith in him-in Pike and his understanding of the art world, in Pike's ability to keep him and his team safe while getting the information they needed.

"If I think of anything else, I'll let you know." It was all that Pike could say.

"Good. Then why don't you join us for dinner. You like Chinese, I take it?"

Pike wondered how he knew, but gladly took some of the containers off his hands. He hadn't even realized how hungry he was until he caught a whiff of the food. While Pike ate, Jane continued his list of what changes needed to be made to the house, and Wiley wrote everything down on his notebook, often asking questions. Wolfing down his rice and General Tso's chicken, Pike still smiled just a bit as he heard Wiley imitating Jane's con jargon, and marveled at Jane's patience in answering every query. He sure didn't seem like some unapproachable prodigy. He seemed to like the human connection, the chance to pass on a bit of what he knew. And clearly, he liked Wiley. Pike chuckled to himself at the young man's eagerness, thinking, what's not to like?

And then, his phone chirped. Pike groaned. It was a text from Jenna. He had promised he would call her around 4, and it was already after 5. As he glanced at the message, he saw Jane interrupt his train of thought to watch him, putting up a hand to Wiley as a cue to hold the thought. But the message on his phone made him blanch, and he hurried to type a response.

"Don't send that, " Jane told him, before he hit the send button.

"What?" Pike looked up sharply.

"You're telling your ex-wife that you'll be coming to her directly. At the veterinarian's office?"

Pike was speechless for a moment. He nodded.

"The dog isn't so sick that you need to be there. It wasn't even your idea to get the dog anyway. I know that you care about what happens to him, but your ex is just yanking your chain. Tell her to make whatever decision seems best to her." Upon finishing this jaw-dropping speech, Jane grabbed his chopsticks and took a bite of his shrimp lo mein.

"But she says it's a tumor…"

Jane finished chewing but held up a finger, and Pike waited.

"You have a long day tomorrow. You'll need your rest. And you certainly don't need to get into a conflict with a woman who cheated on you about a dog that you didn't ask for. Count your blessings that she couldn't have children. You'd probably still be with her taking care of a child, whether it was yours or not. Just remember there was a reason that you agreed to a divorce. And being at her beck and call over a dog she doesn't even let you visit was not part of the deal."

"But…"

"Of course she will take good care of the dog. Where else will she get truly unconditional love? If it makes you feel better, offer to pay for whatever treatment she thinks is best, or to take the dog for a second opinion at another vet." Jane took one more bite, and then stood up. "If you'll both excuse me, I'm going to check on the facilities."

Once Pike could speak again, he demanded of Wiley, "How did he know any of that? My ex-wife, the dog, the vet… Things like that don't get reported in our personnel files, do they?"

Wiley shrugged, "Nahh, that's just Jane. He picks up on little things and figures out your whole life story. It's worse than 24 hour surveillance, he can just get right into your head. But you sorta get used to it after a while."

Pike grimaced, and amended his text before sending it. It had been good advice, after all.

Jane returned more quickly than Pike had expected. "Well, agent Pike, you'll be taking the late shift tomorrow, so maybe you ought to get that good night's rest. I think Wiley can help me with the rest of the art, if you'll help me unload the car. By morning we'll get your team a list of the remaining supplies we'll need to set the stage for tomorrow night. I'll take care of wardrobe and help Wiley's team out with the surveillance set-up."

He offered Pike a hand up from his spot on the floor, and Pike didn't hesitate to take it. "Good working with you, Wiley," he smiled at the young man, still at the foot of the bed reviewing his notes as Jane and Pike picked up the empty food containers

"See you tomorrow, Agent Pike," Wiley grinned, then returned to the notebook.

As Pike and Jane went down the steps, Jane said quietly, "I need to ask you one more favor, Agent Pike. After the main event is done tomorrow night, Lisbon and I will have to spend the night here, so our mark doesn't get suspicious."

"Yeah…" Pike said, the unsettled feeling returning.

"Once everybody else is out of the house, could you make sure the cameras are all turned off? Agent Lisbon will want some privacy so she can rest properly."

"Of course I will." Pike would never wish to make his colleagues uncomfortable. But he couldn't help thinking it strange that Jane would make a point of saying it to him, in particular. As if, once more, he was trying to send him some kind of subtle message.

But why be so circumspect? Pike found this kind of thing frustrating, saying one thing and meaning another. It was one thing to do secrecy for your work, but why would anyone deliberately make it part of their personal life?

Patrick Jane was capable of being very open, like he was with Wiley tonight. And he sure hadn't been shy about giving advice to Pike about his own private matters. So why not come right out and say, "I can see you're interested in Agent Lisbon, but I saw her first." Or else "it's good that you appreciate Teresa Lisbon, just be sure you treat her right." Either of those would make sense.

But to play games, to hint and hover, to undermine a man's self-confidence on the one hand and on the other issue compliments that appear nothing but painfully sincere… what kind of man does that?

The two men took the rest of the artwork out of the trunk. Pike felt awkward, uncertain how to react to this strange man who seemed so disconnected, even with himself. His gut said the man could be trusted, but Pike had been wrong before. He had been wrong about Jenna, certainly. And the real issue might not be whether Jane could be trusted, but what he could be trusted to do.

"Listen, um, I want to thank you. For all you are doing for this case. You didn't have to offer your help here. I don't know if what you've got planned will really work, I've never seen a case done this way. But that you're even willing to try… I certainly could not have given Sylvia Hennigan the hope that you gave her."

"I hate it when people thank me." Jane put his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet. "I'm a basically selfish person, and I've hurt people, even people who didn't deserve it. People I…" He didn't complete the sentence, but sighed heavily, and Pike felt a surge of pity. How strange to feel sorry for a man who seems to have everything. Then Jane looked up with a sad smile. "But you can trust me when I say that what I want most is for justice to be done. There are good people in the world who suffer for no good reason. The least any of us can do is to try to make things better for them. To give them a chance to be happy again."

Pike wondered what it would take to make this wounded soul happy. Whatever he might have done in the past, it was clear that he cared very much about making things right. What would it take to make things right for Patrick Jane?

"Is there… anything else that I can do for you?" Pike meant it to be and off-hand question, but his concern rang through the words.

Jane chuckled. "You remind me so much of…" and then his face fell and again his complete thought went unspoken. "Just get a good night's sleep. Anything else can wait until tomorrow." Jane picked up the paintings as Pike reached for his keys. "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you almost dropped the paintings. Hard not to be distracted with all this beauty about, right?" Jane winked, and walked up towards the party house.

Pike shook his head as he started the car. Perhaps Jane was as tired as he was, after all. It was as if everything Jane said could mean several different things. Pike wondered if even Jane knew the truth of what he was feeling from moment to moment. But Jane certainly could not know that he had lost his grip on the paintings because he had been thinking about Teresa Lisbon. He wasn't a mind-reader, after all.

Pike was not naturally good at subtlety. He remembered how hard he had worked to discover the fine distinctions between brush strokes or kinds of paint that could mark the difference between a genuine masterpiece and a cleverly devised fake. Similarly, he had learned about dishonesty in relationships the hard way, both with in personal relationships, and at work. His ex-wife, in particular, had given him a painful education on what dishonesty looked like and the damage that it could do. He didn't want to ever be hurt that way again.

So he had refined his taste for honesty and kept a good distance from people who were too nuanced in their dealings with others. It was part of how he learned to protect himself from heartbreak. He couldn't control other people's characters, but he could make himself less vulnerable to emotional manipulation. He surrounded himself as much as possible with people who cared about being fair, and reasonable, and straight-forward.

So Teresa Lisbon, with her open smile and frank humor, made him feel instantly comfortable. Her lack of guile was more than just refreshing, it was very attractive. As if her looks, strength, and wit weren't already appealing enough.

Patrick Jane, on the other hand, had some genuine heart to him, but it was covered over with layer upon layer of artifice. Like a VanGogh painting, the bright colors were applied thick. So being with him put Pike on edge. Or maybe, he reflected with his own characteristically honest self-examination, he was on edge because on some level he felt that Jane was a rival.

And that was the real problem, Pike finally admitted to himself. When he couldn't avoid hearing office gossip, he took it very lightly. But even he had heard the rumors about Teresa leaving a job in Washington to join Abbott's team because Jane was there. It just hadn't registered with him until Patrick Jane had interrupted his… well, flirting, if he was honest… that perhaps this beautiful and intriguing woman might still be single for a reason. And Patrick Jane might conceivably be, well, part of the reason.

The full realization of this was daunting. Pike was no mental slouch, but he knew that Jane was more than a match for him in brain-power. Nor could he compete for sheer good looks. He had thought, at first, that he had strength and stamina, but Jane had effectively blown him away in that department, just today. But a woman like Teresa wouldn't make those things her highest priority, anyway. Even his character… Pike had to admit that the arrogant, selfish manipulator which some people saw did not do justice to Jane's kindness, his fairness, the thoughtfulness of which he was capable. So what could Marcus Pike offer a woman like Teresa Lisbon that Jane didn't already have?

Nothing but honesty, he supposed. Not that Jane was necessarily duplicitous with Lisbon, but to the best of Pike's ability to discern, the man was so subtle he was even confused and conflicted about his feelings himself.

Still, Pike decided, he owed the man. He would make sure of the other man's intentions before he pursued his own interest in Lisbon. He would just have to do so… privately.