Another part of the story. I actually hit a thousand words! Hope you like it.

Disclaimer – Still not part of my investment portfolio.

Wainwright was in his office when he heard the silence being broken by catcalls and whistles erupting on the floor outside his door. Curious, he opened his door and peeked out to the nature of the commotion. Nothing short of a lottery win could be so joyously received. So he thought.

When he spied the cause of the raucous behaviour from usually contained and sober agents, his stomach hit his knees. This wouldn't do at all. Not at all. He silently shut the door and made a phone call to the director of the CBI.

Jane pulled away and leaned his forehead against Lisbon's, grinning wildly. Everyone was a romantic at heart no matter where they worked or what they dealt with every day. Lisbon shyly smiled, still a bit shell shocked from the kiss and the reaction from her co-workers. And it wasn't just her team (save for the ever indifferent Cho) but the whole floor was erupting. A blush settled on her cheeks and she punched Jane on the arm.

Gathering herself and giving a small throat clearing, Lisbon said, "Cho, Rigsby, Van Pelt. My office. Jane you come too."

In the office, Cho stood with his usual mask of indifference, Van Pelt and Rigsby occupying the chairs in front of the desk, Jane lazed on her couch, and Lisbon in her chair. They all looked at each other, not knowing how to start.

"Did he hypnotize you, Boss?" Cho asked. Getting to the nuts and bolts and airing the idea that it wasn't all free will.

"No he didn't. He bought me homemade strawberry shortcake."

"Strawberry shortcake? That was all?" Van Pelt was a bit amazed. Just a cake and they were together. He bought muffins all the time, what was different about this shortcake?

"Well to be fair it wasn't just the shortcake. I also bought her some lovely seafood, freshly caught."

Rigsby was puzzled as Sacramento was hours from the shore, "Fresh caught?"

"Well, we ended up in Carmel. Jane had this farmer's market that he wanted to go to."

"Carmel?" Cho asked.

"Yes it's a lovely little town over by Monterey, Cho. I thought you would know your geography better than that," Jane jested. He was in too good a mood not to poke and prod at their befuddlement. Lisbon shot him a look.

"OK, he asked me if I wanted strawberries or ice cream on Friday afternoon. I said strawberries and he said he knew a place. Not until we pulled out of the parking lot did I realize he was going to Carmel. We were going to be back that night but we pushed each other in the ocean and didn't want to ride back in wet clothes so we got a hotel suite. We came back yesterday afternoon." The omission of the 48 hours from getting the suite to coming back to Sacramento was not lost on the three agents. They were detectives after all.

Van Pelt just grinned, trying very hard to keep it in, Rigsby stood with his mouth agape, and Cho still stood there indifferent except his fingers twitched. Jane imagined Cho was thinking of punching him into next week.

"We need to get back to work, guys. We thought telling everyone upfront would be the best way to deal with this. I wasn't expecting to do it in the middle of the bullpen with everyone watching but Jane is all about the show," Lisbon stated without any real malice. She just gently frowned at him and shook her head.

As the other three detectives filtered back out into the bullpen, still wondering how they had missed the signs, Jane wandered up to Lisbon's desk.

"That went better than expected," Lisbon said after the team went back to their desks.

"See the kiss was shocking to them and you never can do much when you are in shock. By the time it all fully sinks in, their subconscious mind will already have processed it and everything will be fine," Jane rationalized.

Lisbon just raised an eyebrow at him. He ran before the stapler left its position on her desk for his head.

Jane wandered to the kitchenette to get a cup of tea. He had missed his morning one at Lisbon's as she was sorely lacking in quality tea or tea of any sort to be exact. He would have to rectify that before tomorrow morning.

"What are you doing Jane?" Cho asked from the doorway behind him.

"Making a cup of tea."

"That isn't what I meant."

"I know what you meant."

Jane slowly turned to meet the dark hooded eyes of Cho. He was ready for this. He expected Cho to want to talk and knew he wouldn't waste any time.

"Let's go outside, Cho. I don't think that I want everyone hearing us. I'm pretty sure Lisbon doesn't want that either."

Lisbon glanced up from her desk to see the two men heading for the elevator. She was going to give them fifteen minutes to sort it out. After that she would sort it out for them.

"So how'd you do it?" Cho demanded the moment they got out the front door.

"Do what?"

"Don't be an ass Jane. You hurt her with your games and your lies. You make her work life more work than it has to be. How did you get past that, to spending a weekend in Carmel?"

"I didn't "get past" anything, Cho. We were always friends, now we are more. That is all there is to it."

"You know it's more than that. You could manipulate her before and I have every right to worry if that is all this is. Another manipulation to get something you want. But that is what I can't figure out, she already lets you do what you want and cleans up after you. What more could you get out of it?"

"I got her. That is all I wanted out of it."

Jane just looked at Cho as hard as Cho was looking at him. Cho turned to head back into the CBI and stopped level with Jane and quietly warned, "You hurt her, they won't find the body."

"If I hurt her, I'll buy the shovel."

The two men nodded at each other in understanding and re-entered the CBI.