From One-shot,. the story has been promoted to multi-chapter, although I'm not quite sure how many more you'll have; Many of you asked for a sequel, and so, I thought about giving Annie a bit more or space (even if she is not mentioned once in this chapter, but, don't worry, she'll be abck in the next one!)... and, of course, I've decided to gie a way more space to the marvelous Jisbon romance, even if I have to say, I apologize for the short chapter.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who wrote a review and/or added the story on fav and/or alert... you guys are amazing, and, as always, I want you all to remember one thing and one only: I don't own it!


Jane knew that, of all her brothers, Mick was the one Lisbon was closer to, either because he was the youngest of the pack, or because he was the one who had choose to maintain his sister as a prominent part of his life, choosing to live in the neighbor, and having her as one of the maids at his wedding and then asking her to be the godmother of his daughter, Annie.

So, it was a bit of surprise that Mick didn't show up during the whole 20 days deal, and neither for two weeks after he "moved in" with Lisbon…

Not that it was a real moving in; he still had his place (in the sense that he still had his home, that home, and his room, where he used to sleep, which Lisbon hated with all her heart), and stayed with Lisbon only until the early hours of the day. They were exclusive, and they were official, but, yet, they weren't.

That, until, on the second week, Mick decided to show up at her place, on Friday, when they were both off duty, the only day of the week that Jane slept in (because, after years of insomnia, he had come to enjoy sleeping again, and didn't feel like giving it up) and took time to take a shower at her – and with her as well, and when all hell broke loose, she was cooking them breakfast, just in underwear and a robe, her hair still a little wet, barefoot.

"Bo! - Mick had noticed the blissful state his sister was in, and hadn't resist the temptation to scream in her right ear, while she was so busy that she couldn't even notice that he had come in with his spare key- Ah, Tessie, I still don't understand how can you be such a good cup, when I can scare you so easily!"

Teresa was now facing Mick, as white in face as a ghost, in total silence, a bit shocked; her eyes were focused one moment on him, one moment to a point at his shoulders, and the man couldn't understand why she seemed so taken back by his presence, until he heard a voice coming from the point she was so deeply looking at, and a man, leaving the room he knew was the bathroom, dressed with just a towel around his hips and another towel that he was using to dry a bit his face and his hair.

"Teresa, have you seen my aftershave? I can't find it, but I'd swore I put in on… - At this point, Teresa was already covering her face with her hands, preying in silence, and Jane had finally decided to remove the towel from his face, while Mick… well, Mick didn't know if he was supposed to laugh or kill the man – Oh, Hi. Am I interrupting something?"

"Actually, I think I should be the one saying the line, you know – Mick gave a look at Teresa, at his back, and then looked to Jane, crossing his arms, not taking the hand Jane was offering – So, I assume you're Jane…" he said studying the man in front of him, like he was a piece of meat, like a cobra studies his prey.

"The one and only"

"Thanks to God" Teresa whispered, still unsure of what to say and who she was supposed to look at.

"Well, now at least I know why Annie always asks me weird questions about the two of you…- he paused a little, then turned towards Teresa – so, when were you planning on telling me that you are living with him?"

"Actually, I still have my place. I just spend the night here. - Both Lisbon's sent him death glare, but for totally different reasons – because I suffer of insomnia, and I tend of doing stupid things when I don't sleep, so your sister what to keep an eye on me."

"Sure" he scrolled, not buying a mere word of the whole sentence.

"Of course, there's that little detail, the fact that I can't sleep when I'm away from her and she can't sleep when she isn't in my arms – he smiled one of those smiles that he had for her in the past, half false and half true, getting closer to her and hugging her – right, love?"

"I was planning of telling you, Mick, really, but, so much happened and…"

"Next Sunday, we are going to Christianize Tony, you'll be his Godmother – he paused, pointing at her – I hope you'll not mind but we thought to give the children the same godparents, so it's you and Tommy again"

"May I come? I'm looking forward to meet your family! – Left Teresa, Jane reached Mick, and shook hands with him like they were old friends – and Annie… oh, your daughter is such a beautiful creature! She is incredibly smart, for her age!"

"Yeah, she, Ehm, speaks highly of you as well…"

"Mick, there was no need to tell him that. He is well aware of the impact he has on members of the female sex of all ages." Teresa was smiling a bit, more relaxed, even if she was still putting a bit of sarcasm in the conversation.

"Well, it's not like Claire would need evidences, but, ehy, who am I to not give my wife the satisfaction of being right? - As he grinned a bit, his shoulders no longer tense, Teresa looked indignant at her laughing siblings – well, we bet you weren't in love with him…" as he said so, he moved towards the door, and, just before to leave, he stopped for a millisecond, collapsing then in laughs and tears.

"Did I miss something?" Jane asked him while shaking hands to say goodbye.

"Oh, no, it's just that, I understood because Tessie was so fond of Tony. – he looked at Jane and laughed more – Tessie, wow, I bet he'll freak out when he'll find out… Man, you definitely have to join us!"

"Shut up! And next time – she cried as she closed the door with all the force she could get, leaving her still laughing brother out – call before to come!"

"Why should I freak out about Tony? - he said as he followed her in the kitchen; he didn't need to be a real psych to say that she was upset for something, and that something was what Mick had said; it wasn't even that he had found out his sister was living with a man! - Teresa, seriously, why does your brother think that I'll freak out about your godson?"

"Nothing, Mick never thinks, he tends to not wire brain and mouth, just, forget it and go put on some clothes before I could do something inappropriate in my kitchen, will you?" She took a cup of coffee, and kept it strongly in her hands, like it was guilty of something.

"It's not the cup's fault, Teresa – he took the cup from her hands, that were shaking, so much she was upset – Teresa, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, it's just that, Mick didn't know we were together, and he practically caught us and then…" she said, trying to sound calm, looking at him in the eyes, even, with that voice an octave higher than normal, that said "guess what Jane, I'm lying!" better than a confession.

"No, it's not, you were smiling, you are relieved that he found out about us, and that I'll be introduced to your family as your boyfriend. You always wanted to, because you know what we have is good, and will last."

"No, really, it's that!" she tried to defended herself, but Jane was looking at her with that expression, the one he had always when he wanted to force her to admitting that she was lying…

"Teresa- his voice was low, seducing, lusty even, as he gave her a kiss on her collarbone – don't – a kiss on her neck – lie- a kiss on her mandible – again – the tip of the nose – to – her earlobe – me" and, finally, a quick peck on the lips.

Lisbon looked everywhere but at him, a bit annoyed, but still blushing, murmuring, quickly, the words that he had to ask her to repeat them because he wasn't able to understand a word of what she said.

"It's just that… there's a certain… similarity… between Tony… and us…"

"A certain… similarity?" he asked, still oblivious. Or he didn't want to understand, or he played being oblivious, or he really was oblivious.

"Yeah, Tony is, well, he has green eyes like Mick and me, and he has his mother's hair- he looked at her still a bit unsure, so she decided to clarify- Claire's blonde. So, he's a bit, like, you know… a mix of us as well."

"Are you saying he made you think about our children?" he said with his Cheshire cat grin, hugging her from behind, while the love of his life was already busy looking for a muffin.

"Jane, we don't have children" she pointed out (but with a soft smile, biting her lips in that way that send his knees to jelly), like many times she did at work, the so lovely bickering they had and they enjoyed so much cooling them down a bit.

"Yet" As he put his head on her shoulder, kissing it, she smile, remembering when she had remembered him that he wasn't her boyfriend and he had given her the same answer.

Closing his eyes, Jane took a deep breath: had she asked, he'd answer that he was inhaling her perfume, while, truth to be told; he was plotting his next move, enjoying the thought of a baby boy with blonde hair and green eyes… and of a little girl just like her mother.

But, first, he had to do something else. That afternoon, he left the office earlier than usual (meaning, not at night), and went back to the place he had called home for a long time, repeating the apologies of a couple of months before. Only, this time finishing what he had begun: the white paint was no longer resting on the pavement in its can, but was shining on the wall once covered with red smiley.

With tears in his eyes, still skimming over the now white surface, Jane took a big breath, and, mobile in hand, did the call he had waited to do for years…