Rigsby glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Lisbon's car pull off the side of the road."Um..guys..do you think we should stop?"

Grace and Cho turned and looked out the back window and saw Jane jump out of the car.

"No phone call, no hazard lights, I say lover's fight. Keep driving," Cho stated, turning back to his book.

Lisbon brought the car to an abrupt halt and slammed the gear shift into park. "What the hell-Jane?" she yelled as she saw him jumping out of the car. She watched as he walked around the front of the vehicle to her door and yanked it open.

"Get out," he commanded.

Lisbon, stunned, to say the least, of his actions fumbled with her seat belt, before Jane reached across her and unbuckled it one swift motion. Grabbing her by the wrists he pulled her out of the car and back around to his side of the car, away from the road.

"Jane-"

He whipped around , letting go of Lisbon's hands, they found other spots to occupy as he pushed her up against the vehicle as his lips crashed down on top of hers. One hand snaked around her waist , while the other slipped behind her head, keeping her to him.

Lisbon struggled for a moment. Her palms flattening against his forearms in vain attempts to push him away, but she soon found herself gripping at the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer.

Jane pressed his body against hers, letting his hand fall from her neck once he was sure she wasn't going anywhere, letting both hands settle on her waist. His tongue pressed against her lips until she finally cracked and allowed him entrance. There tongues going at it, once again, in attempts to overpower the other and be the one in control.

In need for oxygen, they pulled apart, breathing heavily, lips swollen.

Lisbon, gathering her wits and pride, without warning reached up and punched him right in the nose.

"Ouch," Jane's hands went to cover his face as he staggered backwards, putting distance between himself and the petite boxer. "What was that for,"

"You son of a bi-" Lisbon froze when she saw his hands, mainly his fingers, even more so, his ring finger. It was bare. He had taken it off. She swallowed as Jane's gaze followed hers and he slowly pulled his hands away from his face.

"I wanted you to notice, but certainly not that way," he mumbled, gingerly touching his nose. "It feels broken,"

Lisbon licked her suddenly dry lips and and pushed her hair off her face, not really sure of what to do or say. Not sure of weather to throw her arms around him and continue their make out session or to punch him again for him just..being him. "Where's your ring?" she tried to keep her voice steady, but it wavered.

Jane sighed, a hand still pinching the bridge of his nose. "I took it off," he stated, as if it was an every day occurrence.

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

"Don't...don't play games Patrick," Lisbon pleaded.

"I'm not,"

"Then why?"

"It was time,"

"Why didn't you come after me?"

"I didn't know you needed it. I didn't...I needed to process everything,"

Lisbon looked away, pressing her lips together in a thin line as tears pricked her eyes.

"Teresa," Jane stepped forward, taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry...if it hurt you. But...I...I needed to come to this on my own time. And I did,"

Lisbon looked up at him and Jane could see something in her eyes, he couldn't quite put his finger on it? Guilt? Sadness? She was so hard to read at times, it was frustrating.

"Jane I-"

"I know you want this, Teresa , and I do too. I've let go of my pa-"

"What about Red John?"

Jane swallowed, he still wasn't sure about what would happen when that day finally come, but he knew he was willing to try. "I still want to find him. I still want justice. But I'm in the process of letting go my need for revenge," he reached up and gently swiped at the tears on Lisbon's face, his hand lingering to cup her cheek and caress softly across her skin. "I want you more, Teresa,"

Lisbon closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, letting out a small sigh.

Jane's hand dropped to her waist, once again, and he pulled her in against his chest, hugging her tightly.

Lisbon's arms went around him and she pressed her face into his suit, urging the tears to go away.

Jane buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes, reveling in the moment of this new step they were taking, both of them being on the same page. And to know that- wait..was that...Jane scrunched up his nose slightly and took another light sniff. Aftershave? His brow furrowed, but Lisbon pulling away, made him chuck any thought to the back of his mind, as she looked up at him with her emerald green eyes. "I think when we get back-"

She was cut off by her phone going off. Yanking it out of her pocket, she looked down at the caller ID, silenced it and then shoved it back in her pocket.

Jane noticed her eyes widen slightly when she saw the ID of the caller, but then saw her quickly regain her composure as she looked back up at him. "Everything okay?" he asked casually.

"We should have a long talk, when we get back,"

"Dinner, then?" Jane offered.

Lisbon nodded.

Jane leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her unsuspecting lips. "Okay, then,"

Lisbon detangled herself from his old and smiled weakly at him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jane asked, unwilling to let her walk away..just yet.

"Yeah, I'm fine,"

Jane looked at her quizzically, but then chalked it up to stress and weariness and nodded. "Okay," he said, letting it go.

After a long day of questioning people, investigating, driving, awkward moments and lingering touches, they finally made it back to CBI that night. It was around 7 when the team wearily treked to their desks, put away their things and called it a night. Jane and Lisbon agreeing for Jane to come over around 8:00 with takeout, since both were a little too tired to go out.

Upon arriving home Lisbon glanced around her apartment, nothing to really straighten up since it was never a mess, since she was never home. With a sigh trekked upstairs to her bedroom, changing out her work clothes and into a pair of gray yoga pants and white tank top; socks completed her outfit and she headed back downstairs.

She was in the kitchen, contemplating a quick shot of jack to calm her jumping nerves, and was reaching for a glass when she heard a soft knock on her door. He would have that kinda of timing, she grimaced, closing the cabinet she peeked through the peephole. He was holding a bag of takeout and looking around, she grinned a little when she realized he seemed to be nervous and slowly opened the door.

Jane was indeed nervous. He had hope of where this night would lead there relationship, but he didn't wanna bet on it yet. Lisbon was unreadable and that always threw him off. His coat was dangling over one arm and he had a bag of food in the other as Lisbon opened the door, he smiled. She was so beautiful. Her outfit hugging in all the right places, he noted as his eyes canvased her petite frame, he noticed her blush and lower her head a little at his blatantly checking her out, and it only made him smile bigger. "Hey,"

"Hi," Lisbon responded quietly, stepping aside so he could enter.

Jane entered, dropping a swift kiss on her forehead as he brushed past her. "I got Chinese, a little mixture of everything, i figured that-"

"That's great," Lisbon went to grab the utensils while Jane unloaded the bag.

They ate in silence, a comment or two made about the case. The tension between them was thick, not really a bad tension, not quite sexual tension, but just that awkwardness of not knowing where to begin or who even to bring it up.

Then, as Lisbon was washing the last of the dishes, Jane came up behind her, slipping his arms around her, he simply hugged her. Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he dropped a simple kiss on her tiny scar from the incident last week and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Lisbon stopped what she was doing and leaned back into him, her hands covering his, she closed her eyes enjoying the moment.

Jane slowly turned her around, sufficiently pinning her against the counter, and intertwined their fingers.

Lisbon could tell he wanted to say something, but was unsure. "Why...is the great Patrick Jane at a loss for words," she quipped.

Jane smiled weakly and shrugged his shoulders. "I talk incessantly and rattle on when I don't care. When things leave me speechless or it's hard for me to talk, it's just cause I don't want to mess it up..it means too much to me,"

The silence fell between them.

"Why was it time to take it off?" Lisbon asked quietly.

Jane shrugged his shoulders. "It was time,"

Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I'll try a different answer," Jane eyes traveled around everything behind Lisbon as he thought of what to say. Then, taking a deep breath, he plunged in. "I didn't think I'd ever care for anyone like I cared for my wife. I never meant to fall for you, I never wanted to. I fought it. And not because of anything about you..it was just..I thought it would be cold and callous of me to just carry on with my life, love again, be happy, when...everything I had caused,"

Lisbon opened her mouth to speak but Jane silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Just let me finish," he looked down at their hands and blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I'm only hurting myself and those around me whom I've grown to care, by continuing to punish myself for everything that has happened. I miss my wife everyday, but there is nothing I can do to bring her back. I missed you...so much the past two days and it hurt even more knowing there WAS something I could to get you back. Angela...would want me to move on, she would want me to be happy. And I am...very happy when I'm with you,"

Lisbon brushed at her face as a tear slipped down her cheek. Her heart pounding in her chest as Jane poured his heart out to her.

"Now..my hatred toward Red John still runs, very deep. And the thought of him coming after you in any way makes me want to run out that door right now and I will if you'd rather that. But ...I'm not scared if you aren't," he ended that last sentence as sort of a question and Lisbon knew this was it. The moment she could either take and run with or step back and run away.

Lisbon smiled and closed the small gap between them. "I'm not scared of Red John," she whispered, seeing his brief smile before she closed her eyes and met him in a passionate kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her hands settled into his curls as his hands roamed over her body. Deepening the kiss, Jane pressed Lisbon in between him and the counter, his tongue entering the depths of her mouth as his hands slid up down her body.

Lisbon could feel her shields growing thin every time he touched her skin. Their kiss intensifying as both of their walls started to crumble and both felt themselves let go of worries that were holding them back.

Jane let his mouth trail down to her neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive spots as, grinning against her neck as she moaned with pleasure. Her hands were already working on the buttons of his vest as his hands dug into her waist.

"Bedroom," Lisbon panted as Jane reached the hollow of her neck and started kissing the exposed chest.

"No time," Jane mumbled against her skin as he gently pulled her down on the floor.