This WildDaisies' Secret Santa Giftie! Thanks to her for the prompt and letting me post it as part of the CBI Calendar Series

DISCLAIMER: HO HO HO!! Will look in my stocking!

DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS 2

Teresa Lisbon hated office holiday parties. Christmas had stopped being a happy time years ago. Oh, she always put on a good front for her brothers. She would always do whatever made them happy. It was her job to take care of them. If pretending to love Christmas was needed, she would do it. She also learned that outwardly expressing her displeasure with Christmas always led to some fool trying to 'cure' her of this opinion. She learned to pretend.

Teresa had treated herself to a new dress and shoes to make up for her misery. She loved great shoes. She couldn't wear them to work, but she loved how a new pair of adorable shoes made her feel. She liked dressing up, but wished it wasn't for a Christmas party.

Sighing to herself, she tried to figure out to the minute how much longer she would have to stay at this event. She couldn't leave too early. After all, she was a unit leader. Some things were just expected of her. Pretending to sip a drink she looked around the crowded room for Cho. Lisbon was pretty sure he was not a fan of this kind of forced merriment either. Maybe they could pretend to be having a serious conversation and avoid the rest of it. At the very least, she wouldn't have to pretend around him. She never did.

She watched as trained, dedicated, serious CBI agents acted like fools because of a holiday. Some of them were even sober but still behaving like children let out of school early. The strict protocols and procedures were clearly out the window. Cho surprised her this year. He was actually dancing, and quite well. Oh, it was the little admin aide from the 3rd floor he was swinging around the floor. Swing dancing and Cho were not words she would have ever put together. He was among the few who seemed to know what they were doing.

Oh, no surprise, Rigsby and Van Pelt were dancing together. But it was surprising that he was actually good at it. He always seemed so unsure of himself, but apparently the big agent had taken lessons and was quite light on his feet. Her unit was having fun and not acting too wild. She could relax, but still wanted to leave.

"Your unit is very talented. I expect Rigsby learned to compensate for his size by learning to dance well. Cho learned to swing dance from his mother, who thought it would make him seem more American. And you Lisbon, have you calculated to the second when you can leave"?

Damn the man! She hated when she didn't know he was right there. Forewarned was as close to being fore armed with Patrick Jane. How did he know she wanted to leave? She thought she was hiding it better. But trying to hide anything from Jane had always been a bit futile.

"Dance with me"

"What? No! I can't dance like that!"

"Oh but the song is about to end and something much sweeter and slower will start any moment"

Damn the man! Right again! As if they were listening for his cue, the music changed at that moment. It was sweet and slow and almost romantic. Before she could even get her voice around an objection, Jane had slipped an arm around her waist and started to spin her around the dance floor.

Damn the man! His arm around her was like a band of steel. Who knew he had such strength? And of course, like everything else, he made it seem all as effortless as he whirled her around, holding her close.

Damn the man! She had only been this close once, when he hugged her for letting him back on a case. His scent and his nearness were oddly intoxicating and stimulating all at once.

The way she saw it, she had two choices, either she could give into his strong lead and let him hold her closer than he needed. Or she could follow her normal inclinations and wrest control back.

Damn the man! It was so wonderful to cede control, even if just on the dance floor. She was aware of her hand tucked into his. She was aware of her other hand on his shoulder, slowly inching its way up to those curls brushing the sharp white collar of his shirt. She was even more aware of her body pressed closer than she probably should be to his length.

Damn herself for wanting nothing more than to put her head on his shoulder and let him dance her away through the night. Damn how well they fit together. Damn whoever looked.

It seemed both a heartbeat and an eternity, but the dance ended. Teresa was a little embarrassed at how dazed she was by the whole experience. She knew she was in a dangerous place at that moment, and pulled herself away.

What she didn't know was Jane had decided to make her evening more interesting. He smiled at her, slightly shocked at his reaction to her nearness. Part of him wanted that dance to never end. He was surprised that she allowed him to lead her around like that. He was even more thrown by how right it felt to be holding her close. She had been miserable. That was about to change. It was time to make Teresa Lisbon find her inner elf.

As she made her way off the floor, she noted the music's spell still had the rest of her team in its web. Cho was now slowly moving the aide around the floor. Rigsby and Van Pelt were dancing so close they seemed to be one person. A splash of cold water in the Ladies room, that's what she needed.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the rest room. People began to stop her and wish her "Merry Christmas" and kiss her. Not just the few people she knew well. Everyone seemed to stop her and kiss her on the cheek. Even Rigsby and Van Pelt, who sprang apart at her appearance, each leaned down and kissed her and wished her a Merry Christmas. What the hell was going on here? A few more brave and intoxicated souls kissed her on the mouth.

What was in that punch? Had they all gone a little nuts? By the time she got across the floor and out into the hallway, she was more than a little confused. Teresa had spent years making herself seem tough and strong and scary. Clearly, all that work was going out the window. What she wanted to know was what had changed.

Finally, after the security guard and the new mailroom guy each planted one on her, she managed to escape to the eternal sanctuary of the ladies room. Teresa looked in the mirror.

DAMN THE MAN!! There in her hair, with a red bow, was a sprig of Mistletoe!!

******************************************************************Next up, Cho and Christmas