A/N: Thank you for the input whether a guest review or voicing your opinion on the older AU stories.
I'm working long hours the next three days so I doubt there will be an update to this story before next Monday or Tuesday. There may be one to Passing the Point of Return since that chapter is mostly written. ~Calla
#
Sitting on the edge of her bed while she zipped her bootie, Lisbon wondered how she got herself into these things. No, she knew how. His name was Patrick Jane. He'd done it again. Fortunately, she'd done it again, too. Managed to smooth Abbott's ruffled feathers in spite of Jane's determination to keep him riled.
By the end of their impromptu pow-wow she'd also managed to garner a few hours alone with Jane over dinner in a very public place. She didn't doubt their every move would be under surveillance by some undercover Feeb. They weren't about to trust Jane's whereabouts to an ankle monitor. Those things could be tampered with. Personally, she didn't care who watched them as long as he or she remained out of their hair. All that really mattered was those few personal hours to catch up with her dearest friend after a long absence. She wasn't about to let him go anywhere.
Besides, it wasn't like they'd had time to chit chat all those weeks ago when they'd met up for the first time in two long years. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jane had been swept away to his detention cell within moments of refusing to cooperate. She'd flown back home soon after. What could she say but the truth?
She hoped tonight would be different.
Giving herself one last look over in the mirror, Lisbon decided she'd do in pinch. Her hair was down instead of up and her makeup was much brighter than her somber "work" look. The eggplant cashmere sweater she'd donned brought out her eyes and her jeans fit nicely. They weren't too tight or too loose on her curves. As for the black leather booties, they were like the ones she'd worn for years with a higher heel. She looked attractive and comfortably casual; yet, still professional enough to represent her high profile job.
Her appearance was nothing special nor anything Jane hadn't seen before. She didn't want to give either of them any weird ideas now they didn't work for the same Agency. Not that she thought he might harbor any. But, still, better safe than sorry. She was feeling a bit off kilter herself at the moment. Two years of nothing but one-way letters before suddenly being thrust face to face out of the blue was bound to upset both their equilibriums…especially hers
As for anyone recognizing Jane or figuring out who he was after the fact, she wasn't making any apologies. She'd never hidden the fact they were still friends nor said he was out of her life. If anyone had jumped to other conclusions, that was their problem. Besides, Jane's presence in her world was legitimate. She'd received a call earlier today from the higher ups advising her to cooperate with Abbott and Fischer. Consulting with the FBI couldn't do anything but help their town in the long run.
Lisbon could have told them differently; but, she hadn't. She wasn't about to miss her chance to work with Jane again. Nor was she sharing how she felt. He'd milk such a confession for all it was worth.
Fastening her amethyst earring, Lisbon surveyed her appearance one last time wondering all the while what she thought she was doing. There was no sane reason she should be going out to dinner with Jane alone except he'd asked her and Abbott had consented for some insane reason. He probably foolishly thought giving them a chance to catch up for old time's sake would make Jane easier to handle. She wasn't about to point out the error of his thinking. The only thing making her ex-consultant remotely malleable was letting him have his way. She didn't see that happening any time soon.
Glancing at her bedside clock, Lisbon realized she needed to get a move on. Someone would be dropping Jane on her front doorstep soon. She'd be driving them to the restaurant where they'd have dinner before coming back to her place for an hour or two. From what Abbott told her someone would be ringing her doorbell promptly at ten to collect Jane for the night. They all had an early start tomorrow. Smirking at her reflection, Lisbon belly laughed at the ridiculous moment she'd had an overwhelming urge to say, "Yes, Dad." to Dennis Abbott as he laid down the law. He'd reminded her nothing so much as her own father when she'd gone out on her first date.
The big difference was both she and Jane were adults and it wasn't a date. They didn't need a ten o'clock curfew. She was perfectly capable of dropping Jane by the hotel once they were done. But, she hadn't pointed out any of that. She simply accepted Abbott's terms fully understanding his need to feel in control of the situation. It had been all she could do not to burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of anyone thinking they could control Jane.
Not going to happen unless he wanted it to.
Walking down the stairs, Lisbon sauntered into her kitchen and took her black leather jacket off the bar stool. Slipping into it the sleeves, she wiggled around making sure she was comfortable before heading off to answer the door bell. Jane had arrived. Right on time…Must have something to do with the FBI's influence…She could remember plenty of times when he'd taken his own sweet time meeting her.
"Hello, Jane." Lisbon said as she flung open the door and waved at his FBI escort still hovering in the drive. "Long time no see."
"Nice place." Jane said as he stepped through the open door. "I'll assume you own it since it doesn't look like a rental."
"For the past year." Lisbon said as she locked the door behind them. "I'd been on the job about six months and knew I was staying."
"You did well." Jane said taking a look around. "While I know they pay you well, this place had to be a steep for a single income. I'm assuming there's a story here."
"Sort of." Lisbon agreed. "This house came on the market for a steal about the time I started looking. The owners had gotten transferred to Japan and wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. I'd noticed the place when I first got to town and liked it so I jumped at the chance to negotiate. Guess who won?"
"I think that's clear." Jane smiled at her obvious excitement.
"I guess it is. I'm now the proud owner of a beautiful house on a couple of acres five miles from the town square." Lisbon's tone conveyed she'd never really expected to find herself in exactly this place in her life. "Buying instead of renting seemed like a good way to start rebuilding my life. I haven't regretted my decision since. Well, maybe when I have to pay the yard service; but, who doesn't? You want to check the place out?"
"Yeah, I think I would." Jane agreed curious how her home would differ from her apartment. "Lead the way."
Lisbon led him from her foyer through the den to the kitchen. It was pristine and professional. It was also clearly used far more than her old kitchen was.
"I like it." Jane said as he walked over to open her well stocked refrigerator. "It seems other things have changed as well."
Lisbon wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. But, she couldn't deny the truth. There was a lot more in her refrigerator now than sandwich meat, cheese, and eggs. There was also a lot more in her pantry than chips and a loaf of bread.
"I have time to cook now." Lisbon admitted although she omitted the fact she'd briefly had someone to cook for. "It's kind of nice."
"I imagine it is." Jane agreed. "You'll have to cook for me some time."
"If I get the chance, I might. We don't exactly live in the same zip code anymore." Lisbon said as she removed a small pistol from the kitchen drawer beside her and stuffed it into her handbag. "Give me a minute to get situated and we'll finish the tour."
"I see some things never change." Jane's eyebrow rose humorously. "I'll bet you've got guns stashed all over this place."
"Maybe." Lisbon said noncommittally. "Since I don't want to walk into the restaurant with my handgun in plain sight, this makes a lot more sense."
"I guess it does since you have a concealed weapons permit." Jane agreed. "Your reasoning is still a little funky though. I mean, it's okay you're packing as long as nobody sees it? Why not just wear your hip harness? It's not like people don't know you're a cop."
"Who says I'm not?" Lisbon lifted her arm exposing the handgun at her waist discretely hidden by the cut of her jacket. "I don't want to give off the wrong vibe." One saying she was trigger happy even if she did have the right. "Besides, you never know what's going to happen out there."
"In this town?" Jane snorted. "I'll bet you spend more time flirting with old men in the park than you do apprehending criminals."
"I didn't say that." Lisbon shot Jane a dirty look as she closed her purse.
"You don't have to." Jane informed her.
"We have our fair share of unsavory characters." Lisbon snarked.
"Right. Like the teenager you took into custody for streaking across the football field on a dare last month?" Jane smiled at her knowing snort. "I'll bet that one gives you hell."
"His dad is a preacher." Lisbon stated. "What do you think?"
"The kid's going through a rebellious stage." Jane didn't need her confirming nod. "I'll bet you put the fear of God in him before you were done."
"I put the fear of something in him." Lisbon agreed leading the way out of her spotless kitchen. "I don't think he'll be embarrassing his dad anytime soon."
"That's good to know." Jane followed her past the formal dining room into her den taking in the comfortable ambiance easily allowing him to visualize Lisbon sitting on her couch casually sipping a glass of red wine. "Nice room."
"It's comfortable." Lisbon commented as she led him past her office and living room towards the stairs. "There's not much to see up here except the bedrooms and a couple of baths. It's more house than I need; but, the price was right so it was a good investment. Not to mention buying over renting sent the right message to my employers."
"The one that said you're here to stay." Jane smirked over her shoulder as he took in her tastefully furnished master suite resplendent in vibrant blues and greens accented with a hint of gold and China red. "At least your intentions are good."
"Yeah, that one." Lisbon agreed ignoring the rest of his statement. "Well, what do you think?"
"That you invested a lot more time and money in furnishing this place than your apartment." Jane answered her honestly. "You've made a real home for yourself and I like it."
"So do I." Lisbon agreed. "This is the first house I've ever owned. I always intended getting my own place after I'd been at the CBI for a while; but, I never did. It just always seemed like renting was easier."
"You mean your life got too crazy with all the Red John garbage." Jane said quietly.
"Maybe." Lisbon said. "Buying never felt right. Maybe some part of me knew it was all going to come tumbling down one day. It was a lot easier getting out of my lease than selling a house would have been."
"I'm sure it was." Jane agreed as he stepped into her spacious bathroom complete with a garden tub and oversized shower. "Nice tub."
"I enjoy soaking in it." Lisbon said before asking what she really wanted to know. "What about your place?"
"Although I never told you, I sold it before the final show down with Red John." Jane answered honestly. "There've been a few ghouls hiding out in the shadows wanting to purchase the place "As Is" for years. I knew the end was coming and I'd need funds so I had an old friend quietly arrange a fast sale on the down low. It worked out well for everyone. The buyers were willing to pay what I wanted to own a piece of Red John history and I was willing to let the place go for the substantial sum they were offering. As strange as this might sound, they were willing to pay more than the place was worth without deducting for repairs. The money was transferred to an off-shore account the same day the sale closed."
"I'm sorry you had to do that." Lisbon said. "I know it cost you a lot to get rid of your home."
"Don't be." Jane walked back into her bedroom and motioned for Lisbon to join him. "It was time."
"You really feel that way?" Lisbon asked as Jane draped his arm over her shoulder and led her down the stairs.
"I did and I do. My job was done and my family was gone. That place was just a vacant house where a terrible thing happened once upon a time. It certainly wasn't a home. There really wasn't any reason to keep it any longer." Jane clarified. "Now, I think it's time for us to leave or we're going to be late."
"I think you're right." Lisbon agreed. "Let me grab my purse and we can go."
Following Lisbon into the kitchen, Jane watched her grab her purse and turn off the light. Leading the way to the door, she carefully checked the lock and the dead bolt before heading towards the garage exit.
"You still have the Mustang." Jane glanced at the familiar car. "I don't know why I expected you to be driving something else."
"I just bought a house." Lisbon said. "I can't afford a new car, too. Besides, that comes with the job."
She tilted her head in the direction of the spiffy maroon SUV.
"Nice; but we're taking yours." Jane stated unnecessarily knowing Lisbon wouldn't use her work vehicle for a dinner date. "I think I like that better."
Not that he considered their dinner date business. It was anything but whether Lisbon realized it or not. In fact, he considered it reconnaissance and getting the lay of the land. He'd been gone a long time with nothing but a few handwritten "I miss you's" between them. His, not hers, as Lisbon hadn't dared write him back so he was pretty clueless when it came to her personal life. They hadn't had much time to get caught up when she was in Austin.
"Yes, we are." Lisbon said from the driver's side of her car. "Now, we need to get a move on or we're going to miss our reservation."
For once, Jane obediently slid into his seat, closed the door, and fastened his seatbelt. Watching Lisbon pull out of her garage, he decided as much as he hated not working with her, he was glad she was doing well for herself. If anyone deserved a good life, Lisbon did.
#
Pulling his gaze from the couple in the midst of a genteel lover's spat in the booth across from them; Jane turned his attention back to Lisbon. They'd been sitting at this small table in a shadowed corner of the restaurant for the past fifteen minutes. Not that he was complaining. The place was hopping, their server was overwhelmed, and he didn't mind at all.
He was surreptitiously studying his dinner guest. He'd forgotten how pretty she was until he'd sauntered into that room in Austin to find her waiting for him. He'd been slightly gobsmacked to realize she was more attractive than he'd remembered. More attractive than she was in the well worn photograph he still carried in his wallet. The one he'd often studied to get through those really rough days on the Island.
She was even prettier tonight in her purple cashmere sweater with her hair unbound. The color really brought out her eyes. Jane wondered briefly if there was someone in the shadows she hadn't told him about. Ignoring the jab in the gut such a thought wrought, he set about satisfying his curiosity.
"Love interest?" He asked suddenly startling Lisbon from whatever daydream she'd slipped into.
"Not anymore." Lisbon glanced briefly into his eyes before looking away. "I gave Dan his walking papers a few months ago.
"Dan, huh?" Jane asked surprised she'd answered affirmatively. "What happened? He got too serious too fast?"
"Maybe." Lisbon looked over Jane's shoulder carefully avoiding his eyes. "Or maybe we didn't work out."
"Law enforcement?" Jane tried again.
"What?" Lisbon was somewhat befuddled by his question. "I'm sorry."
"Your guy?" Jane asked. "Law enforcement?"
"Sort of." Lisbon answered. "An attorney from a neighboring town."
"An attorney." Jane gave her an inscrutable look over the rim of his tea cup. "I see."
"I don't think you do." Lisbon said. "Dan is a very nice man. He's just not the one for me."
"I can't see you with someone who was anything less." Jane agreed. "I'd say nice and stable are a given."
"I guess." Lisbon agreed. "He proposed about six months after we started dating."
"Since there isn't a ring," Jane glanced purposefully at her left hand. "I'd say you turned him down."
"What do you think?" Lisbon hedged. "He moved too fast and he wouldn't slow down. Besides, I like my independence. You know that."
"The old moving too fast argument." Jane smirked over his cup. "The kiss of death if I ever heard it." Taking another sip, he took a moment to savor the flavor of his tea. "This is almost as good as you make."
"It should be." Lisbon smirked back. "Cosmo is Greek; but, Mattie's as English as they come."
"That explains it." Jane sat his cup back in his saucer. "It also explains the real Devonshire Cream instead of that fake stuff out of a tub."
Jane nodded in the direction of a passing dessert tray.
"I guess so." Lisbon agreed. "What about you?"
"What about me what?" Jane asked motioning to their waiter before turning his attention back to Lisbon. "He'll be over to take our order in a few minutes so you need to decide what you want." She'd been studying her menu for a good ten minutes.
"What about you?" Lisbon restated as she closed the menu. "Do you have a love interest?"
Lisbon gestured in the direction of his bare finger. They hadn't exactly had time to discuss personal matters in Austin. She hadn't been there that long and things had grown rather tense after their initial hug.
"What do you think?" Jane asked. "I can't wait to hear what you say."
"The ring's gone." Lisbon observed. "But, I'd say it's a recent occurrence."
"You'd be right." Jane agreed. "I took it off a couple of days before I left the Island."
"Then I'd say no." Lisbon continued. "There's no love interest. I was hoping you'd find someone like maybe your new handler."
She shoved the nasty voice smirking "Not." into the deepest, darkest crevice of her mind. She so wasn't going there.
"You know better." Jane said. "I could hardly romance a woman who lied to me."
"I guess you couldn't." Lisbon agreed. "Although she's an attractive woman."
"She's also my handler and off limits if I were interested which I'm not." Jane said quietly listening to Lisbon give their waiter her order. "I'll have the same she's having."
"So Agent Fischer didn't catch your interest?" Lisbon asked.
"In the sense that she was the first American I'd seen in two years, yes." Jane admitted. "In the sense she made me start considering things I hadn't thought I was ready to consider, again, the answer is yes. Could I see myself having a real relationship with her, the answer is no. I won't lie and say I didn't enjoy spending time with "Kim." We both know I did. However, I think you already know I already had an idea who and what she was."
"I suspected you might have been on to her." Lisbon agreed taking a sip of her soft drink. "So she was a means to an end."
"Pretty much." Jane agreed. "She certainly wasn't romance material."
"Not romance material, huh?" Lisbon smirked slightly. "Is that so?"
"Yes, that's so." Jane confirmed. "Now hush and eat your chicken."
Jane motioned to the lemon scented chicken and Greek potatoes their server placed in front of them.
#
Wiggling a comfortable spot on Lisbon's couch, Jane watched her opening the bottle of red wine. Pouring two generous glasses she turned and stopped to drink in how relaxed Jane appeared. She'd never seen him looking so good.
Like the man he'd once been she'd never seen.
"Here." Lisbon handed Jane the glass of red wine before settling on the couch beside him. "We still have a couple of hours before Abbott's people come knocking on the door. Why don't you tell me about the case?"
"You know about as much as I do." Jane said. "We have a missing computer programmer. I'm supposed to figure out what happened to him and why. You're supposed to help me. It's up to the FBI to get him back."
"You really don't know anything do you?" Lisbon shook her head. "How do they expect you to work like that? They really don't know you do they?"
"It's need to know, Lisbon, and they don't think I qualify yet." Jane answered honestly. "Don't let it bother you. I'm not worried. I'll figure it out. As for not knowing me, I'd say they don't. But, you do. That's why I need you."
Looking at her curled comfortably beside him with her knees drawn up and her eyes flashing, it suddenly hit him wanted her, too; but, that was a matter for another day.
"I can't just leave my responsibilities to go high tailing it after you." Lisbon took a sip of her wine. "It wouldn't be fair to the people who hired me in good faith. They expect me to do my job. I won't let them down."
"Trust me, your Mayor and the rest of City Council are excited to have their Police Chief on consult with the FBI." Jane informed her. "They were panting all over themselves to cooperate when Abbott approached them. It seems your second in command can handle the yokels for a few days. If anything more extreme happens, your old Chief can temporarily come out of retirement until you get back."
"Jackson?" Lisbon asked before taking a very ladylike sip of wine. "That might work. He was a Detective with the NYPD before he came out here. He helped me a lot my first few months and made the transition a lot easier. He's been retired twenty years; but, his mind is very sharp. I know he's still in the loop and he's kept up with all the latest forensics so I'm sure he could take the reins for a while if he had to."
"You're taking all of this much calmer than I expected." Jane tipped his glass against his lips. "Where's the kick ass Lisbon I'm used to. Abbott's backing you into a corner and you're letting him."
"I'm not stupid enough to fight the FBI." Lisbon stated bluntly. "Not on this and not when my employers are clearly in their corner. I'm also not dumb enough to believe your case is in a neighboring town."
"It's not." Jane agreed. "We're in town to get you."
"I don't have a choice do I?" Lisbon wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. "You haven't been back in the States but a few weeks and you're already taking over my life again."
"You can't fight what's meant to be." Jane didn't bother denying her accusation. "We've worked together too long to ever truly be apart."
Lisbon had a feeling he was talking about a lot more than work; but, she wasn't going there any time soon. Every time she'd thought there was a romantic slant to Jane's actions in the past, he'd neatly sidestepped the issue. Skittered away like a frightened crab. She wasn't putting herself in that position again. She wasn't confronting him or trying to clarify his intentions. In fact, she was ignoring the whole mess as she always did. It was easier on everyone.
Besides, she wasn't sure how she'd feel if Jane suddenly admitted he was interested in her like that. Shocked to her socks she was sure. After that, who knows? Ignoring the voice silently chanting "Liar, liar, liar" in her head, Lisbon turned her attention back to Jane.
"I guess I can't." She agreed. "We'll figure out what to do about work tomorrow. What do you say to having another glass of wine and spending the rest of our time catching up?"
"Sounds like a plan." Jane watched Lisbon top off their wine glasses before setting the empty bottle aside. "What's on your mind, Teresa? You can ask me anything you want to know. I won't promise to answer, but I'll try."
"I'm holding you to that." Lisbon's tone was soft and introspective. "Was it worth it in the end?"
Jane was impressed she'd finally asked the question he asked Max Winters so long ago. He'd been expecting it.
"It was how it had to be. I told you that from the start." Jane refused to flinch from the look in her eyes. "In most respects, I'd say it was worth it. He had to be stopped. In one, it definitely wasn't. Beyond that, I'm not going to elaborate."
He wouldn't know where to begin. Seeing the questions bubbling in her eyes and knowing he wasn't ready to answer them, Jane leaned over to brush his lips against hers. The lightest of pecks, it was still enough of a caress to derail Lisbon from her current thoughts.
"Did you just kiss me?" Lisbon was clearly in a state of disbelief.
"Yes, I think I did." Jane wasn't nearly as stunned as she felt.
"I know you did." Lisbon stuttered. "What the hell?"
"I've missed you." Jane said quietly brushing a curl out of her eyes. "Let's leave it at that for the time being."
Blinking like a deer in the headlights, Lisbon decided she could do that. She really could. She did not need Jane kissing her. On the forehead or cheek, yeah, he'd done that plenty of times in the past. But, the lightest brush of his lips against hers? No way! She did not need the kind of out of control thoughts presently running riot through her head.
"I can do that." Taking a fortifying gulp of wine, Lisbon decided to let sleeping dogs lie. "Why don't you tell me when you finally ditched the three piece suit? I never expected to see you dressed like that without a vest anywhere in sight."
She motioned towards the sports jacket, dress shirt, and jeans get up Jane was currently rocking. Albeit with a slight air of discomfort no one would notice unless they knew him well. Since that was a rather elite club composed of a handful of people, Lisbon guessed his secret was safe.
"Yeah, well, it was a little hot for three piece suits where I was." Jane chuckled lightly recalling how fast he'd ditched that three piece suit in favor of jeans and a more casual look as he'd made his way across the border. "Not to mention it would have been a dead giveaway to my real identity."
"Since I'm assuming the suit is gone for good, it seems this is what I have to look forward to?" Lisbon took in his smoothly shaven face and glasses. "Different; but, I like it."
"That's nice to know." Jane ran his hand through his curls. "You're going to be looking at similar getups for a while to come."
"You look like a different man." Lisbon set her glass on the coffee table. "More relaxed in spite of everything going on."
"I am a different man." Jane told her. "But I'm still the man you know."
"I can see that." Lisbon observed.
"It's going to be all right, Lisbon." Jane reached out to pat her hand reassuringly. "You can believe that."
"I'll take you at your word." She always had even when she hadn't entirely trusted him. "I don't have a whole lot of choice."
"I don't suppose you do." Jane agreed.
"You've got something up your sleeve to get free of the FBI don't you?" Lisbon asked out of the blue. "I can't see you turning yourself in and just giving in to being manipulated for the next ten years."
"I can't answer that at the moment." Jane stated honestly. "I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out. In the meantime, suffice it to say I really missed you."
"I missed you, too." Lisbon agreed. "But, we aren't going there."
"No, we aren't." Jane agreed. "Not at the moment. How are the brothers taking all of this?"
Ignoring the unstated but we will, Lisbon answered his question allowing Jane to steer them into safer waters.