Chapter 7! I said it before but I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I'll probably say it again in the future. So pretty please tell me what you think, and I'll try to update as soon as I possibly can. As always I own nothing.

"Thank you." I whispered, turning to Jane. Suddenly it was our last night in Chicago and we had a flight to catch at noon tomorrow. "You were right in staying these last couple day."

"I usually am." He just grinned, and I just shook my head.

"You're a bastard."

"Probably, but I don't see what my parents have to do with anything." He smirked.

"I really want to smack you." I informed.

"That's a horrible habit." He replied.

"Yeah and you don't have any bad habits." I retorted.

"None, I'm perfect." He smiled, and I gave in and slapped him, "Now did I really deserve that?"

"Yes." I snapped.

"I see." He sighed wrapping his arms around me, and I didn't protest. "What if I hit you every time you called me a liar or old for that matter that seems to be your new favorite."

"That would be abuse." I teased.

"But it's not when you hit me?" He questioned, "I think that's police brutality."

"You're right it's mean of me to beat up an old man, even if he is a liar." I laughed, and he just shook his head.

"What is this old stuff anyway, is it because I've worn out my welcome at work? Got the bad guy I said I would and now it's time to retire." He wondered.

"Now, I don't mean anything by it." I sighed taking in the scent of his t-shirt. "I'm only a couple years younger than you. Maybe I'm jealous because I feel like I'm looking older and you look almost the same as the day we met."

"Lisbon you think to much." He laughed, "I was kidding I don't care what you call me." And after a couple minutes of silence, "And you look beautiful, not a year older than when we met." That's how it was in the past couple days we had developed a pattern, banter and then fall asleep in each other's arms. He still wouldn't let me take care of Cassandra at night insisting that I was cranky when I didn't get my sleep.

The next morning was weird, when I woke up it was far earlier than usual but I was hoping to pack my things before the kids got up. But when I woke up Jane was nowhere to be seen, all of the kids were still fast asleep. It was five in the morning where could he have gone? His suitcase was still here, he even had a suit laid out on the chair. The kids toys had been packed up, what time did he get up every morning, did he sleep at all? Then I heard a key in the door and in walked Jane.

"You're up early." He smiled, filling one of the plastic cups in the bathroom sink. He was in shorts and a t-shirt, he was in running shorts, and he was sweating, his hair was plastered to his forehead. He sipped his water and watched me staring at him, he was waiting for a reaction.

"Were you in the workout room?" I frowned.

"Nah, to much like a gym." He grinned, setting the empty cup down and reaching for a towel to wipe his face.

"Where did you go?" I wondered, if he hadn't gone to the workout room why was he so sweaty.

"For a run." He shrugged, pulling off his t-shirt and I turned away really fast causing him to laugh.

"You went for a run?" Why were the pieces not fitting together, Jane didn't go for runs, he drank tea and wore suits. He didn't walk into hotel room's pull off his t-shirt and stand there with sweat glistening on his well toned chest. He was a lot more in shape than I had expected, not that I was staring at his reflection in the TV.

"I also did push ups and sit ups before that." He laughed, "You can turn around, I already know your watching my reflection."

"But you don't…" I tried, but I realized I really didn't know what Jane did when I wasn't around, or awake for that matter.

"Running helps focus thought." He explained, "and gyms are crowded and noisy, I like it better when no one's around."

"How long have you been going for runs?" I questioned.

"Since long before I met you." He smiled, moving around me to grab his suit and get ready for a shower.

"I never knew." It seemed really stupid to say afterwards but what else was there. "What time did you get up?"

"An hour or so ago." He shrugged, "I'm going to hop in the shower, but I promise not to use all the hot water."

"Okay, I guess I'll just pack up." I nodded, I sat on the foot of the bed and listened as the water turned on. Why was it so weird to me that he ran, why was the only image in my head him standing shirtless using his t-shirt to mop up his sweat? I needed to pack, I needed something to distract me. Distract me from what? He was a co-worker in a job that included a lot of psychical exercise, but he always hid from psychical confrontation.

Once I started packing it was easy to let myself get caught in a simple task and let my brain stop working, it was the same as the paperwork back in the office. I was not going to dwell on shirtless Jane we were colleagues, who had recently taken to falling asleep in each other's arms, no not dwelling on it.

Cass woke up while Jane was in the shower and she served as a much better distraction than packing. I changed her diaper and was about to prepare a bottle when I realized to do so I needed water, and the sink was in the bathroom where Jane was showering. The shower had stopped running so I tried knocking thinking maybe I could hand him the bottle and he could add water. But of course that's not what happened he opened the door wearing nothing but a towel.

"You knocked." He grinned, God he needed to put a shirt on. He noticed Cass in my arms. "You're not the only one who's up early."

"And she needs her bottle." I stared at the spot on the wall behind him.

"And I am in the way of that." He nodded, moving aside to let me into the bathroom. His suit was hanging on the back of the door and his shampoo and shaving cream were sitting on the counter and of course he was still standing behind me in nothing but a towel. I hurried and put the water in the bottle and rushed out of the bathroom. "Well look at you." He smiled walking out of the bathroom a couple minutes later thankfully he was fully clothed. "I think you're getting the hang of parenting."

"You think?" I asked, even I could hear the hopefulness in my voice.

"I know." He nodded, "And as we discussed last night, I'm usually right."

"You're lucky I have a baby in my arms." I warned.

"My arm has been hurting less these past couple days." He smirked, "So do you think Bertram would be opposed to you carrying the child around at work?"

"I would be." I stated, "No one should see some of the shit we see on a daily bases."

"Fair enough." He chuckled.

"It's five-thirty, what time do the kids usually wake up?" I frowned leaning against the headboard, watching him make a cup of tea, and then a coffee for me. "Thank you."

"They'll be up in an hour or so." He shrugged falling onto the bed next to me

"How far did you run?" I asked after a couple minutes of comfortable silence.

"Does it really shock you that much that I workout?" He laughed sipping his tea.

"Kind of yes." I admitted, "You lay on the couch, drink tea, and wear suits." I tried to explain my rationing, and he just nodded. "Not everybody gets the luxury of knowing everything about everyone around them."

"Luxury?" He questioned.

"You didn't answer my question." I reminded.

"I don't know three or four miles, I wanted to get back and shower before anyone got up." He answered, while Cassandra started to pull at my hair and Jane reached over to untangle her hand.

"And you've done this every morning we've been here?" I frowned mad at myself for not realizing he had left every morning.

"Not every morning, the night after the funeral you couldn't sleep and I didn't want to leave you here by yourself." He sipped his tea.

"Or did you just not want me to find out that you're secretly in shape and might be slightly more capable of doing something more than hiding if something goes wrong." I teased.

"Running hardly makes me James Bond." He chuckled tickling Cass.

"From what I saw you do more than just run." I retorted, damn I had been trying so hard not to think about Jane in a towel.

"You're right I don't sleep because I go out at night in that superhero costume you never made me but said you would and fight bad guys because I don't get enough of it at work." He returned.

"When did I promise to make you a superhero costume?" I frowned.

"The first time Van Pelt dated someone who wanted to kill me." He offered.

"Oh when you were blind." I remembered, "And if possible more obnoxious than you are normally."

"Well we can take away your eye sight for a couple days and see how you like it." He tried.

"I bet I could go with out getting kicked out of the hospital." I argued.

"I don't doubt it, but I also know who would get the butt of your frustration." He agreed, taking Cass from me as she tried to re tangle her tiny hand in my hair. I thought it was so cute the first time I held her, now while no less cute I could live without the knots in my hair.

"Jane?" I worried setting the coffee cup down on the nightstand. "You're going to stay at my place when we get back aren't you?"

"Only if you want me to." He rocked Cass in his arms.

"Sleeping arrangements would be similar." I sighed.

"I can sleep on the couch if that makes you more comfortable." He offered, would that make me more comfortable I had almost gotten used to our late night talks and falling asleep in his arms.

"That would probably be more appropriate." I nodded, and he didn't argue. We sat in silence a little longer I sat and smiled as Cass started playing with Jane's curls, how many times had I thought about doing the same thing. None, that's how many, I didn't think about Jane like that. Who was I kidding? Of course I thought about what it would be like to be in a relationship with Jane. In fact this week I had almost deluded myself into thinking he felt the same way about me. I was being so ridiculous, just because he got his revenge didn't mean he was any more available than he has been the past eight years.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked after a little bit, what was I supposed to say I couldn't very well tell the truth and he would know if I was lying.

"I was wondering the same thing about you." I decided on, that sounded pretty safe.

"So you were thinking about me." He smiled.

"What?" I blushed.

"You just said I was wondering the same thing about you, which implies at the very least you were worrying about what I was thinking," He explained, but then added, "but from the shade of your cheeks I'm guessing there was more to it."

"I hate you." I pouted.

"Okay shirt stays on," He laughed, "I would hate to be responsible for confusing your thoughts of me."

"I was not thinking about that at all." I argued, which was technically true this time. Movement in the other bed caused both of us to look over.

"Saved by the kids." He chuckled, setting his tea down to untangle Cass's hand from his hair and hand her back to me. I mentally reminded myself to thank the kids for that. "Good morning." Jane got over and sat on the edge of the kids bed, "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yep, no bad dreams." Alyssa crawled to the edge of the bed to sit on Patrick's lap.

"Glad to hear, that's two nights in a row." He grinned, "How about you run on into the bathroom and get dressed." He instructed, he waited for her to close the door before turning to Emily, "And how about you little lady any bad dreams?"

"No." She smiled, scurrying to the spot on his lap where her sister had just vacated.

"Glad to hear it." He smiled, "That's the first time this week right." And she just nodded, I hadn't realized she had, had a bad dream every night. "You know you didn't have to hide your bad dreams, Teresa and I are here to make sure you're okay."

"How did you know I had the bad dreams if I didn't tell you?" She frowned.

"I don't sleep very much." He responded.

"You heard me crying didn't you?" She whispered.

"Yes I did," he nodded, "And I'm happy that you had a good nights sleep last night."

"I had a good dream." She smiled.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" He asked, she looked at him for a minute before nodding.

"My parents were talking to me, and I was telling them about all the fun I was having this week. Then they told me that I was safe and that they were safe and everything would be okay." She explained, "That's kinda what you said the first night when I screamed."

"It is kind of like that isn't it." He smiled, "Can I tell you a secret?" he lowered his voice but not so much that I couldn't hear him.

"Of course." Emily nodded.

"I have dreams like that to sometimes. My wife and daughter tell me how everything is going to turn out okay." He explained, and she smiled, but after a minute she frowned again.

"Patrick, how come Alyssa and William have less nightmares?" She asked.

"You know what I can't answer that, people handle being sad differently." He frowned, I couldn't help but laugh as William climbed on Patrick's back, and then all of a sudden Jane reached over his shoulder and flipped a giggling Liam onto his lap next to Emily. Of course I should have realized Jane knew he was coming all along. "What were you doing Mr.?" Jane tickled the boy.

"Teresa do you know how to braid hair?" Alyssa wandered out of the bathroom, and Emily hopped up to take her turn.

"Not very well." I shook my head, "But I can give it a shot if you'd like."

"Well how about we teach her?" Jane looked up from tickling William, of course he knew how to braid hair.

"Where did you learn to braid hair?" I rolled my eyes.

"I did have a daughter." He reminded, looking at me over his shoulder as if every father knew how to braid little girls hair, which is something I highly doubted, but then again Jane wasn't quite every man either.

By the time we checked out of the hotel I had become the master of braiding little girls hair. How come suddenly this morning I had become privy to so many of Jane's secrets? As we got on the plane I was beginning to wonder if there was anything he couldn't do.