I love all of you're reviews for the last chapter, and I caved in this chapter their will be a definite development on the Jane/Lisbon front. So let me know what you think. As usual I own nothing.
Maybe Friday wasn't going to be so bad surprisingly I got a good nights sleep, it was proof that maybe I could get over this stupid school girl crush I had on Jane. I mean I know he cares about me but his actions lately have probably been out of convenience he's alone now and his whole driving force for the past eight/nine years is dead is it really surprising that he's latching on to the things closest to him. Of course when I walked into the kitchen it was clear my good nights sleep wasn't the only surprise of the day.
"Jesus Jane you look like shit." I frowned, his hair was disheveled and his suit was wrinkled, I suppose from the looks of him it was probably a miracle he wasn't wearing the same suit as yesterday.
"Thank you Lisbon, I try." He chuckled leaning back in his chair and sipping his tea as if nothing were wrong.
"What happened?" I worried.
"Nothing of real concern, so since I'm not living here anymore when do you want me over this weekend?" He changed the subject seemingly ignorant to the fact that he looked like he slept in a bar.
"Come over whenever you want they'll sleep in tomorrow and if you don't want to go to church we can just meet up for lunch I can tell the kids you were running early morning errands." I shrugged it off, "Are you okay?"
"Perfectly fine, you do realize the kids will catch on eventually." He returned, why was he not at all concerned by the fact that he looked like crap.
"I know we need to figure out a better way of doing this a way to tell them we aren't together." I joined him with my cup of coffee. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"It is actually rather adorable that you're so worried about me." He chuckled, "I'll go wake up the kids." I just nodded and watched him leave the room his vest wasn't even buttoned there was something wrong. It was reminiscent of the first day we met very hobo like. He came back down with the kids and fixed breakfast before leaving to beat me to work, this really seemed like a lot of work trying to stop people from talking about a relationship that didn't even exist to begin with.
At work Jane looked like he was legitimately passed out on the couch, and everyone on the team seemed to notice as well but no one said anything. It was after lunch Jane came in and sat himself on my couch smiling, the complete opposite of the way he was acting in the bullpen.
"What is wrong with you?" I frowned watching him sip his tea the same as this morning in my kitchen.
"Now Lisbon I think we both know that would take far to long to explain right now." He chuckled.
"You look like you slept in a bar, and out there you were acting a little hung over." I wasn't going to let him walk out on this conversation right now.
"As opposed to sleeping in an attic and annoying you all day." He just kept grinning, "Are you saying you prefer the other."
"So you were drinking last night?" I tried again.
"I did not sleep in a bar, and I am not hung over." He assured and I wasn't sure if I believed him but what motive would he have for looking and acting like such a mess. "And I am fine, but I'm in here because that team of yours keeps looking at me like I'm some tragedy case."
"Because you're acting like one." I pointed out, he just shrugged and sat there on my couch while I went back to work. I was positive he had been drinking last night, he had never denied that but if he wasn't hung over why was he acting as such? It was a comfortable silence and I was almost disappointed when I had to leave to pick up the kids. As I put on my jacket to go I watched as Jane laid himself out on my couch.
"Lisbon would you mind turning the lights off when you leave?" He asked closing his eyes. If this was one of his stupid games I had no idea who he was playing it with. And if he thought that when the kids got here he was going to be able to lie in a dark room there must be something wrong. But as I turned off the lights he just smirked.
Jane sat up again the minute the kids ran into my office, with a speed that probably was proof enough that he wasn't hung over.
"Patrick are you in here cause we messed up your couch?" Emily worried taking a seat next to Jane.
"No I came in here because I needed a nap and it was to loud out there." He smiled, "I checked my couch this morning it felt better than it ever has." Both the girls smiled with him, "So tell me about your day, I want to hear everything."
When it was time to go things took place like they had the past couple days, the kids hugged Jane good bye and then he showed up at the house a couple hours later. Then after dinner we tucked the kids in and Jane read them a story before I watched him drive off into the distance.
Saturday I found Jane waiting for me in the kitchen like every day before, with nothing extravagant planned he walked with us to the nearest playground and after lunch he played with the kids in the backyard. And when he left after dinner I was able to go to bed without watching him drive off, maybe this was going to work after all.
Sunday Jane didn't show up for breakfast and even though it was my idea I kind of missed his company at the table before waking the kids. I told the kids we would meet Jane after church and was completely shocked when ten minutes into the mass Jane slipped in next to me. I gave him a questioning look and he just smiled. "I thought we were meeting for lunch." I whispered.
"I didn't really have other plans." He answered, letting William crawl over me onto his lap. "You're happy I came aren't you." He smiled at the boy on his lap.
"I didn't say I wasn't happy just surprised." I frowned turning my attention back to the mass while Jane chuckled.
"Nothing like the last time I snuck into a church behind you." He whispered and I glared, he was not bringing up his dramatic reappearance right now. I was just going to ignore him.
"So what made you come to mass?" I asked during lunch.
"It's not like I had anywhere else to be, I tried taking a longer run, but even that can only last so long." He shrugged, "I think you've noticed by now there aren't a whole lot of people begging for my company."
"I didn't know anyone here was begging for your company either." I retorted, and he just chuckled. "And last time I checked there were a lot of authors looking for their big break by talking to you."
"I suppose that's fair." He sighed, "How about this there aren't any other people I would like to spend my time with."
"I suppose that makes a little bit more sense." I shrugged looking over the menu, he just nodded and watched the kids color on their menus. When evening came it was easier to say good-bye to him. Not easy, but easier, maybe someday soon it would be easy.
Monday morning I found Jane sipping tea in my kitchen like every other day, "Looks like you're finally getting some sleep at night." He smiled.
"And you aren't." I sighed looking him over you could tell he had hardly slept, he definitely looked better than Friday morning but the lack of sleep was obvious.
"We should figure this out, get on a system or something, you sleep one night I'll sleep the next." He chuckled.
"I suppose that might work, but I don't see it happening like that." I smiled with him.
"I figured that much, it was just a suggestion." He shrugged, and continued to sip his tea.
"Emily had a nightmare last night." I frowned, "She came in to my room around two. She was pretty upset it had something to do with losing the two of us."
"Is she okay?" He sat up a little straighter.
"Yeah I think so, she's asleep in my bed right now." I nodded, "I just figured you would want to know, it's been a couple weeks, what do you think triggered it now?"
"Could be anything." He sighed, "Sometimes when I was feeling happy for a period of time, like things were going right I would have a nightmare. I told myself it was because I didn't deserve all of the happiness."
"You think she's feeling guilty for being happy?" I worried.
"I don't know, it really could be anything." He shook his head, "It could just be a one time thing."
"I suppose so." I laid my head on the table.
"I'll go get them up." He got up and set his glass in the sink. An hour later he was leaving again and I was directing the kids to my car for school. Once at work Jane was feigning sleep in his couch while the rest of the team was busy at work, I barely had time to get settled when the phone rang. A case, as least we weren't going to be sitting at our desks all day today. By the end of the day we had little to go on and we were all getting frustrated, it looked like even Jane was low on ideas.
"I'm going to go get the kids keep looking there has to be something we can use." I instructed throwing my jacket on and rushing for the elevator, as it was it looked like I might be a little late to get the kids. Once I was back with the kids nothing had changed and the twins had to get ready for soccer practice so after another hour at work I rushed the kids home to get changed. "Anything?" I frowned when Jane walked through the door taking Cass from my arms.
"Nothing new." He shook his head, and I groaned. "Go ahead get the girls to practice I got these two, dinner will be ready when you get back, and tomorrow morning there will be a huge break in the case." He smiled and I knew he was just trying to be optimistic about the case, but I hoped that he was right. After dinner Jane helped me get the kids to bed and left, leaving me to toss and turn in my bed, I hated having to try and sleep with an open case on my plate. Knowing there was some killer out there that I should have locked away by now. Slowly but surely Tuesday morning came and the same as before Jane was sitting in my kitchen.
"No sleep." He frowned, handing me my cup of coffee.
"Looks like you got some." I sighed sipping the coffee waiting for it to take effect and wake me up. "Maybe that system you were talking about yesterday might work after all."
"I hope not I hate to see you tired." He just shook his head, he sounded so nice when he said that, "You're always way more cranky when you're tired and it makes my punishments that much worse." Okay never mind nice moment gone.
"Go wake up the kids." I groaned, and he just chuckled leaving me to drink my coffee in silence. Tuesday became the same as Monday Jane left for work while I went to drop the kids off, and when I got to work no new leads the case was just as cold as when we left the night before. Around two I got a call from the lab saying they had found a second blood type on the body and were searching for a DNA match in the system. It seemed a little to hopeful to say it was a lead but at least it was something we could use if we ever found a suspect. Jane and Cho got back from re-interviewing some friends shortly after, and I filled them in on what we had found out. Jane thought about it for a moment and then got this knowing look in his eyes. "What is it?"
"It may be nothing but we should go back and talk to the friend again." He answered, I could tell he was still puzzling through it in that brain of his, but I suppose he must have connected something from his interview with the new evidence I had told him.
"Jane I don't have time to drive out there right now it's two hours away, and I have to leave to pick up the kids in an hour." I sighed.
"I'll go with someone else." He offered.
"Is it likely the friend will leave sometime tonight?" I asked him, and when he didn't say anything I took it as a no, "Okay since he's not going to run, and Cho's already had to endure four hours in a car with you, wait and we'll go tomorrow morning. That way we can wait and see the DNA results as well."
"You're in charge." He smiled and went over to lie on his couch. After that the day ended the same as every other day that week, the kids spent an hour or so with us at work after school before I brought them home where Jane joined us shortly there after. Next came dinner, the kids were put to bed, Jane left and I actually slept. Then Wednesday came like everyday before.
"Good morning." Jane smiled when I walked into the kitchen.
"You know most people would find it creepy to walk into their kitchen in the morning and find a man sitting there." I pointed out accepting my cup of coffee.
"Most people probably would have commented on it sooner than you did to." He chuckled.
"You look like you didn't sleep again." I worried, watching him lean back in his chair.
"It was your night to sleep." He reminded.
"I don't know about how that suggestion of yours is affecting our sleeping patterns." I smiled and he did to. "You couldn't have suggested some sort of pattern that involved both of sleeping at night."
"That would have made to much sense." He shrugged, setting his cup down and going to wake up the kids, I finished up my cup and followed him up the stairs. And no surprise not long after we were leaving the house to go to work and drop the kids off at school. Jane hardly had time to get comfortable on his couch before I came in and led him and the guys off on our two hour drive to talk to this friend for a third time.
I really shouldn't be surprised that after ten minutes of talking to him Jane had revealed a very long very fresh cut going up the side of the friends left arm. When asked about it Jane only shrugged, "We talked to him by his pool yesterday, what twenty year old guy as fit as he is wears a long sleeve shirt at the pool." We brought him back to the office and stuck him in the interrogation room all we really had to do was wait for his DNA to come back as a match, but getting a confession would only be making things that much easier. And by three when I left to pick up the kids we had just that. I brought the kids back to the office so I could finish up the paperwork for another closed case while Jane kept them entertained in the bullpen.
"Guys come on you guys got to get home and changed for soccer." I called the kids over, "Remember Jane you promised to be at the girls first game at six." I reminded.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Jane smiled laying back on his couch. Once home the twins sprinted for their room ready to show off their uniforms for their younger siblings and me. Jane had barely pulled into the driveway when he found himself loading kids into my car.
The game was about to start and Jane pulled a video camera out of the back of Cass's stroller, and I couldn't help but stare at him. "What?" He grinned at me, "You'll thank me someday." He chuckled focusing the camera on the field. About five minutes into the game I realized I didn't actually know that much about soccer.
"Why can't they play a sport I know something about?" I frowned watching the kids flock to the ball on the field.
"Lisbon I don't think they allow five year olds on a gun range." He glanced at me, keeping the camera focused on the girls.
"Oh you're very funny did you know that." I rolled my eyes.
"Soccer is simple you try to get the ball in the other teams net." He smiled, "Granted when they're this young it's more about everybody just trying to kick the ball. It's a very pretty game when the players get a little bit more skilled."
"Since when do you know anything about sports?" I questioned.
"Like I said soccer is a simple sport something that can easily be played by setting up two trash cans as a goal and using plastic bags, a t-shirt, and some duck tape to make a ball." He just kept grinning.
"I have to assume you have some experience with that." I couldn't help but ask.
"That is how I learned to play." He chuckled, before turning his attention back to the field, "That and professional soccer was always going to be Charlie's back up if for some reason she didn't make it as a ballerina or an animal doctor." I couldn't help but smile just looking at the smile on his face probably thinking about what an amazing vet, ballerina, or soccer player his daughter would have become. His smile turned to sadness but just as quickly it was gone as he was directing my attention to the net at the opposite end of the field where Emily had actually scored. "That is your little girl!" Jane was smiling again, and I couldn't help but cheer jumping with the rest of the parents before wrapping my arms around Jane who didn't hesitate to return the hug.
"That is my girl isn't it." I grinned into his vest.
"One of them anyway." He chuckled, "And one of the other ones may be a little bit jealous tonight if the game doesn't change." By the end of the game the girls team had won three to nothing and unfortunately for my evening Alyssa had not been one of the other two goals.
"I scored!" Emily ran across the field into my arms. "Did you see me did you see me? I scored the first goal!"
"I did see you, and Patrick got it all on tape." I smiled lifting the girl into my arms.
"Alyssa didn't score, but I did!" Emily cheered.
"I didn't score cause I was playing defense." Alyssa pouted.
"Exactly you stopped the other team from scoring." Jane lifted her onto his shoulders, "And that my dear is just as important as scoring."
"Really." Alyssa smiled.
"Really." Jane nodded, "Now personally I don't feel like cooking tonight, I feel like celebrating the first of many victories this season."
"That sounds like a good idea to me to." I smiled lifting Emily up onto my shoulders so she could celebrate with her sister.
"I'm still taller." Alyssa giggled.
"That's not fair Patrick's taller than Teresa." Emily pouted but she was still smiling as we walked to the car, letting William run in front of us while Jane pushed the stroller with his free hand.
"Can we get pizza?" Alyssa questioned as we buckled in all of the kids.
"Pizza sounds perfect." I nodded and soon we were on our way across town to a get pizza. Sitting at the booth Jane and I were privy to a play by play of the action on the field as the girls rightfully bragged about their first victory.
"Hey Teresa, do you think mommy and daddy saw me score?" Emily set her cup of milk on the table.
"I guarantee they did in fact I bet their up in heaven right now having their own pizza party to celebrate what amazing soccer players both of their daughters are." I smiled, before glancing at Jane to make sure he wasn't going to cut in with his lack of faith in life after death but he seemed content to just watch everything that was happening around him.
"You really think so?" Alyssa grinned.
"I really think so." I nodded, helping her get another slice of pizza.
"Do you think they're proud of us?" Emily wondered.
"Oh I know they're proud of you." I assured, watching both girls smile and finish their dinners. By the time we got back to the house it was far later than I had hoped the kids would not be getting to bed on time tonight. Jane was helping the kids with their baths while I gathered their clothes for the day. "I swear they just rolled around in the dirt before the game how did they get all these grass stains on their brand new uniforms." I sighed as Jane walked out of the bedroom after tucking the girls in.
"That is a question I think all parents ask." Jane just chuckled walking down the stairs.
"And the answer is?" I waited and he just smiled.
"I have no idea." He shook his head, "I'd let those soak in the sink before throwing them in the wash."
"Because I don't know how to get stains out of clothes." I rolled my eyes. He smiled and hesitated before walking out the door. "Thanks for coming to the game tonight." I called after him.
"Like I said I wouldn't miss it for the world." His smile looked unusually sad even for him. "It's nice to feel like I have a family again."
"You do have a family Jane." I reassured, and he just nodded. I watched him walk to his car before closing the door and throwing the girls shirts in the sink of the downstairs bathroom before starting up the stairs. I was halfway up the stairs when there was a knock on my front door, who would be here at this hour. I was definitely not expecting what I found, "Jane did you forget something?" I frowned at the man in my doorway.
"I don't want to go." He whispered fidgeting a little in the doorway.
"What are you talking about?" I sighed, he was acting so nervous, he was never visibly nervous.
"I can't wait any longer." He stared at me.
"Wait for what?" I asked and he gave me his I can't believe I have to explain this to you smile.
"Teresa Lisbon." He reached out and held my hand in his, "I love you."
"Jane." I cut him off, he was saying exactly what I had always wanted him to say so why didn't I want to hear it?
"Teresa I'm not lying to you." He was staring into my eyes and I couldn't look away. "I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely. I came back here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." He did not just quote that movie, I thought back to that conversation on the couch, the same conversation that led to that kiss that led to me kicking him out. I knew in that moment there was only one possible way for me to respond to that statement.
"You see? That is just like you, Jane. You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you." I answered with the next line of the movie and his smile widened to an extent I had never seen before. And despite my better judgment I jumped into his arms. He used his body to close the door, and fumbled with the lock before starting our ascent up the stairs. "What happened to following my lead?" I questioned recalling the conversation from a month ago unbuttoning his vest as he carried me up the stairs.
"I think we both know by now I've never been good at following," He chuckled between kisses, "But your stubbornness never ceases to amaze me." He used his back to close my bedroom door.
"The kids are right down the hall." I worried as he laid me on the bed.
"Well then we'll have to try and be quiet." He shrugged off his jacket and vest. "Is that going to be a problem?"
"Maybe." I teased, as he slid out of his shoes. I had never seen that look on his face before, pure unmasked delight with a wicked glint in his eyes. And all my concerns about how stupid and irresponsible this was immediately disappeared.