A/N: So, I know I promised to update this last week. I'm sorry. Finals take up so much time, I'm sure you all know. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

CHAPTER 18: Always & Never

The text message contained an address, date, and time. That was it.

Well, not exactly. It also ordered him to "come alone."

Other than that, that was it.

Jane stared at his cell phone screen, clutching the phone more tightly than intended. It was an Unknown number, of course. He knew that there was no point in wasting time trying to track the number. The owner was smart. He was clean. He never left a trail unless it was a false lead, to throw them off track.

Jane was to meet him at three o'clock sharp this afternoon.

He glanced at Lisbon's ticking clock on the wall. Three in the morning. He had twelve hours.

He had promised Lisbon he would try to sleep, but he knew that wasn't going to happen now.

He needed to plot and plan carefully.

He needed to gather his thoughts.

He needed to be ready.

X

"Jane?" her voice creaked from behind him.

He turned and when he smiled at her, it wasn't even a fake smile. He had gotten used to seeing her in the mornings, with her messy curls and the confused look in her green eyes.

"Good morning," he greeted her.

She smiled back a little. "Morning," she replied as she sat down at the kitchen table. "What are you doing?"

"Making scrambled eggs." His grin widened. "Would you like some?"

"Yes, please."

He dished some eggs onto two plates and set one in front of her, taking a seat across from her. She thanked him, picking up her fork. He didn't miss the fact that she was staring at him.

"What?"

She shook her head and took a bite of her eggs. "You are really good at this."

"I am an excellent cook," he agreed.

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about your culinary skills," she snapped. "Your composure."

"What are you talking about?"

"You, Jane!" She let go of her fork and it clinked against the plate. "You usually go crazy, absolutely insane, whenever Red John enters the picture. No, whenever Red John simply strolls by the picture. Now, you have complete control over your emotions and it scares the hell out of me." She leaned forward. "What's going on, Jane?"

He froze, biting the inside of his lip and staring directly into her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lisbon."

"Sure you don't."

"I really don't."

She stared him down for a few moments longer before dropping her eyes. She picked up her fork again but didn't touch her food. Jane watched her as his chest tightened. He didn't like that. He didn't like it when he hurt her.

"I wish you trusted me," Lisbon murmured.

That did it.

He slammed his fist onto the table, rattling the plates and the forks and probably Lisbon's brain. She jumped, startled, and glared at him in bewilderment. "What the hell, Jane?"

"I hate it when you say that," Jane snarled. "And what I hate even more is that I think you actually feel that way."

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," she hissed, shoving her plate toward the middle of the table and pushing her chair away from the table. "Thanks for breakfast." She stood up, turned, and stomped up the stairs.

Jane listened to each heavy footstep, and he cringed when he heard her bedroom door slam. He shut his eyes and sighed. He hated fighting with her. He hated fighting with her as much as he had hated fighting with Angela, maybe more. It was all so familiar. The accusations and the wounded voices and the slamming of doors. It was so familiar, too familiar.

But Lisbon always forgave him, just like Angela had.

Jane glanced toward the staircase, realization striking him.

They were so much alike.

He had never noticed that before.

The beautiful eyes. The petite frame. The captivating smile. The cute laugh. The fiery temper.

Lisbon practically was Angela.

But she wasn't.

They were also completely different.

Lisbon was more independent than Angela had been. He had loved the way his wife had always turned to him for help. Lisbon would never ask for help unless she was completely desperate. Angela was also much more open, willing to talk about how she feels about everything. Lisbon was not. She would rather keep everything bottled up than be a burden. Not that she could ever be a burden.

Lisbon's voice saying his name pulled him from his train of thought and he looked up from where he still sat at the table.

She was standing in the entry of the kitchen, staring at him with a broken expression.

He hadn't even heard her come in.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, standing up and taking a step toward her.

She nodded, paused, and then shrugged. "I think so."

"What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry."

He blinked three times, and she blushed beneath his stare. "For what?" he finally asked.

She threw a glance toward the kitchen table and then back to him. "For this morning. For ruining the nice breakfast that you made for me. For accusing you of not trusting me."

Jane swallowed hard. She shouldn't be apologizing. He was the one lying to her. "I do trust you," he told her sincerely. "You know that, right?"

Lisbon nodded. "Yeah. I don't know why I said it."

"You're under a lot of stress."

"So are you."

He resisted the urging temptation to reach out and tuck a curl behind her ear. "I'm fine."

"Me too."

"Good."

"Hey, Jane?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

He smiled, slightly caught off guard. "For what?" he asked for the second time in five minutes.

Her lips twitched. "For being here."

Lisbon's eyes sparkled as she said it. They were so beautiful. The only time Jane managed to tear his own eyes away from hers was when he glanced down to her lips for a split-second. His actions didn't go unnoticed, and a faint blush highlighted her small cheekbones. "I'm, uh, going to go take a shower," she said before turning and heading for the staircase.

Jane watched her go with a small smile.

A/N: Okay, so I added a little fluff to balance out the fight. What did you think? The next chapter will be Jane's confrontation with Red John. Is there anything you guys would like to see? I don't mind suggestions, I really don't. :-)