Stay

A Jane & Lisbon Story

By Brown Eyes Parker

Summary:

Jane and Lisbon's budding romance is threatened with the return of billionaire Walter Mashburn. Who will Lisbon choose? The man who can give her empty glamour? Or the one who's been there all along? Inspired by "Stay" by SafetySuit.

Dedicated to:

watchyouwalk (Autumn), because we were IMing one night, and she helped me come up with the idea of Jane and Lisbon's romance being threatened by Mashburn's return. Thanks for being my muse Autumn.

To Jisbon4ever (Laura), just because she's totally awesome, and one of my best friends on (Love Patricia)

Love,

Holly

Disclaimer:

I don't own anything. If I did, I wouldn't even be writing this story right now.

Author's Note:

Sorry for not updating sooner. I could be updating constantly, because it's all written. I do have a good excuse though. One, I was busy volunteering at a conference Tuesday and Wednesday. And two, by Wednesday night I was incredibly sick with something, I don't know what. All I know is I'm still not feeling that well. And the last reason isn't so good, I think I lost a couple of reviewers and I was discouraged by that. But I will see this story through until the end. So, no worries.

.

Chapter 5

"Well, it's coming time to wrap things up tonight," the DJ said later that evening. "But we have time for one more song. Let's see. . . I think it's time for another couple to sing."

He signaled for the spotlight to shine on the 'lucky' couple. It all went according to plan, the light landed on Jane and Lisbon.

"Will the beautiful couple in the front row come and grace us with a song?"

"Come on Teresa, last song of the night," Jane said, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards the stage.

"I don't want to though," Lisbon whispered.

"But you came here to sing kareoke, didn't you?"

"Yes. But not with you. . . I came to sing by myself or with—" She looked at Mashburn, and let her sentence go unfinished.

"Come on, time's wasting. . . and I have a fiancée who's waiting to have a late dinner," the DJ said impatiently.

"Just one song Teresa," Jane said, turning his charming smile on for her.

"Fine!" Lisbon replied.

"It looks like they decided to sing for us folks!" The DJ said with false cheerfulness. He handed them both microphones. "So, do you beautiful people want to tell us your names?"

"I'm Patrick Jane," Jane said.

"And I'm Teresa Lisbon," Lisbon said, avoiding looking at Jane.

"Patrick and Teresa. . . even your names fit together perfectly! So, how about singing us a little Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean? The words will come up on the screen. . . and we have a full band. You two barely have any work to do, just sing loud enough so everybody hears you."

They both nodded as the band started to introduce the song.

Jane glanced at the screen – he knew the song by heart, but no need letting Lisbon know that – and then started to sing. "I really hate to let this moment go, touching your skin and your hair falling slow. And when a goodbye kiss feels like this. . . don't you want to stay here a little while? Don't you want to hold each other tight? Don't you want to fall asleep with me tonight. . . don't you want to stay here a little while. If we can make forever feel this way, don't you want to stay?"

Lisbon knew the song by heart too, she turned to look at Jane. "Let's take it slow, I don't wanna move too fast. I don't wanna just make love, I want to make love last. When you're on this high, it's a sad goodbye."

Jane turned to face Lisbon, to reach out and touch her face as they sang together. She closed her eyes against his hand and shuddered, his touch was electric. "Don't you want to stay here a little while? Don't you want to hold each other tight? Don't you want to fall asleep with me tonight? Don't you want to stay here a little while? We can make forever this way. Don't you want to stay?"

Lisbon stopped singing and put the microphone down. Jane did the same, and the two just started at each other for the longest time. The band played on, but all Lisbon could do was look at Jane, his eyes seemed to bear into her soul.

When the song ended, Lisbon handed the mike back to the DJ and whispered an apology. Then she tripped down the stage and ran out of the bar.

.

"He's a blockhead," Mashburn said joining her after a couple of minutes.

Lisbon took a deep breath through her nose. "You really think so?"

"He's trying to sway your choice," Mashburn answered. "Can't you see that?"

"He wouldn't be Jane if he didn't do that."

"Teresa, I think I'm in love with you," Mashburn whispered.

"You just think?" Lisbon asked. "You don't know?"

"Are we supposed to know right away?"

Lisbon shrugged. "I need to go. I need to think. . ."

"Think about what?" Mashburn asked. "I just told you that I'm in love with you. What's there to think about?"

"A lot," Lisbon answered. "I told Jane that I needed to examine our relationship."

"Then let me help you," Mashburn said, putting his arms around her and pulling her into a kiss.

Lisbon pulled away after a couple of minutes and shook her head. "You're just confusing me more."

"Good," Mashburn replied, kissing her again. "That's what I want to do."

.

Jane came out of the bar, he had every intent on finding Lisbon and explaining to her what had happened. That he had planned the whole kareoke thing. . . but he saw her in Mashburn's arms, kissing him.

His heart sank a fraction-of-an-inch. But he wasn't going to let this get him down, He wasn't going to lose her to Walter Mashburn. Not if it was the last thing he did.

.

"He's taking her dancing tonight," Rigsby and Van Pelt both whispered to Jane the next day over coffee.

"Did she say where?"

"No. . ." Rigsby looked down into his coffee cup.

"She said that Mashburn said it was a surprise. After what happened last night, he's not taking the chance of your showing up again," Van Pelt answered.

"This is what we're going to do then," Jane said. "You Grace, are going to call Craig. And you, Rigsby are going to call Dr. Montague. Then the five us are going to follow Lisbon to wherever she's meeting Mashburn, and then we're going to follow them to wherever they're going dancing."

"But why do we need to get dates?" Van Pelt asked.

"To look less conspicuous," Jane answered. "If Lisbon or Mashburn asks, I'll tell them that you wanted Rigsby and Craig to get reacquainted, and I was going to mediate things between you guys. Rigsby is asking Dr. Montague, so he doesn't look like a pathetic loser in front of Craig."

"Smart," Rigsby said, nodding.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Jane asked. "Go and make those phone calls. Then try and get out of work early, because nobody wears office clothes to nightclubs."

"Okay, okay!" Rigsby replied. "We're as good as gone. Come on Grace."

.

"Agent Lisbon's over there!" O' Laughlin said, searching out the nightclub for the woman. "Go and ask her to dance!"

"Craig!" Van Pelt said blushing with pleasure at her boyfriend's thoughtfulness.

But Jane was frozen in place. "I can't. . ."

"Hello? Who are you and what have you done with Patrick Jane?" Rigsby asked, waving his hand in front of Jane's face.

"She was kissing Walter Mashburn last night."

"So." Rigsby shrugged. "Go and kiss her like she's never been kissed before."

"No!" Van Pelt and Montague said together.

"Go and tell her how you feel," Montague said.

"And then kiss her like she's never been kissed before."

"What? Are we on Oprah?" Rigsby asked. "Men don't talk about their feelings."

"Well, maybe you should!" Van Pelt shot back.

Jane watched as Mashburn led Lisbon to the dance floor and hold her close. He couldn't take it anymore. . . he couldn't watch his Lisbon in the arms of an another man. He glanced at Montague, Rigsby, O'Laughlin, and Van Pelt. "Excuse me. . . I'm just going to ask her to dance."

"Don't forget the cover story!" Rigsby called.

"Guys, do they have a song?" O'Laughlin asked.

"They had a song even before they were a couple," Rigsby answered. "Why?"

"Let's have the DJ play it for them," O'Laughlin said. "How much money do you have?"

"Twenty dollars," Rigsby replied.

"I have thirty," Montague offered.

"I have thirty too" Van Pelt said.

"I have fifty," O'Laughlin said thoughtfully.

"Why do you want to know how much money we have?" Rigsby asked.

"I think we should all put ten dollars in to pay the DJ off. . . just in case he won't play the song for us."

Rigsby reached for his wallet. "I'll do it."

"Me too!" Van Pelt agreed enthusiastically.

Montague sighed and took a ten dollar bill from her shoe. "I guess I'll do it too."

.

"Teresa!" Jane said, going over to her and Mashburn as their dance ended.

"Jane. . . what are you doing here?" Lisbon asked, looking startled.

"Oh you know. . . things."

"How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't," Jane answered. "It was just a lucky coincidence. I'm here with Dr. Montague, Rigsby, O'Laughlin, and Grace. Kind of as their mediator."

Lisbon looked around the crowded dance floor and saw Van Pelt and Dr. Montague standing off to the side, holding colorful drinks, and clad in heels, cocktail dresses. "Oh."

"You look gorgeous," Jane said before he could stop himself. He appraised her in her knee-length, one-shouldered It was in a shade of red that complimented her skin perfectly.

"Thank you," Lisbon replied.

"Hey, hey, hey! This is Fat Albert, your DJ for tonight and I'd like to slow things down with a song for an awfully special couple that's with us tonight. Is there a Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon here? If there is, here's your song from your friends. They would like it very much if you danced to it. And I would like it if the other couples here would evacuate the dance floor – unless of course, this is your song – so Patrick and Teresa can dance."

More Than Words came over the speakers. And Lisbon looked at Jane with her mouth slightly open.

"They're playing our song. Care to dance Teresa?"

"You planned this!" She said.

"No," Jane answered. "Well, yes. . . I did plan to ask you to dance, but not to this song. I think I might be finally rubbing off on Rigsby."

The dance floor was empty, except for one other couple.

"Fine," Lisbon replied, taking Jane's hand and allowing him to lead her to the dance floor. Not that there was much argument, she loved to dance with Jane. He was a good dancer, and it seemed like they were designed to dance with each other.

The song ended, and I Believe in a Thing Called Love by the Darkness (a nightclub appropriate song) came over the speakers. Lisbon pulled away from Jane, ready to move away from him and the dance floor. . . to go back to Mashburn. But he still had a tight grip on her.

"Dance with me again," he whispered.

"I can't. . . not tonight," she whispered back. "I'm sorry Jane."

"Patrick," Jane said. "It's Patrick."

"Patrick. . ." Lisbon echoed, wondering what was keeping her from kissing him. It was something they both wanted, she was sure of it. But then. . . there was Mashburn waiting for her. He had told her that he loved her. . . it was something more than Jane had done. She looked over towards Van Pelt, Rigsby, O'Laughlin, and Montague. The four of them were dancing together. She smiled at the sight of Rigsby and O'Laughlin's bad dancing. Then she looked back at Jane. . . willing him to ask her to stay with him and the rest of the team. "Have a good time tonight. . . I'll see you on Monday."

"What about tomorrow?"

"I have plans."

Jane nodded. "Yeah, okay. You have a good time tonight too."

"Patrick, I'm sorry—" Lisbon called out as he left.

"Why? It's not like you planned this," Jane said, shrugging.

"No. . . of course not." The dance floor was getting more crowded with sweaty, dancing, bodies crushing Lisbon and making it hard for her to breathe. But she couldn't take her eyes off Jane. Things weren't supposed to go this way. . . things were supposed to be so easy.

.

"I'm out of here!" Jane yelled to Rigsby and Van Pelt. "Do you guys think you can get rides home?"

"I can take Wayne home!" O'Laughlin answered.

"And I'll take Grace home," Dr. Montague added.

"Good. . . thank you," Jane said. "I'll see you guys later."

TBC. . .