A/N: SECOND WARNING: This story is more narrative and far less dialogue driven than anything I've written previously. I was writing for myself and didn't care. There is also more back story that is told rather than shown. I've probably broken every rule of good story telling and I know that as well. Truthfully, this story may not appeal to a lot of you.

I know that.

That's the part making this a really difficult story to share. It wasn't written with my readers in mind and that shows. It certainly wasn't written to garner reviews. It was written because it was in my head and wanted to come out.

It's simply a straight forward, free flow story I typed out over a couple of days to combat my aggravation with the Pike Arc and how passively Jane was taking losing the woman he loved! It's nothing more and nothing less. It was never meant to be.~ Calls

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Jane watched Lisbon moving around her desk doodling with the last of the paperwork. He couldn't believe his good fortune and still pinched himself every now and then. As far as he was concerned it had been hit or miss when she'd gone to Washington. He hadn't been entirely sure she'd return to Austin. That she wouldn't decide to stay with Marcus after all. That he couldn't persuade her to change her mind yet again. She'd had deep feelings for the man. Those emotions had been a very real threat.

One keeping him perched on the edge of his seat for a couple of days.

When Lisbon had suddenly turned up on his RV steps in the early afternoon of that third day, he'd thrown open the door and pulled her inside. Pressing her favorite soft drink in her hand, he hadn't pushed for the lurid details of her break up with Pike. He'd already known the gist anyway. Marcus had to know that he, Patrick Jane, was behind Lisbon's sudden change of heart. He'd be a fool not to and his congenial nemesis was anything but a fool. He'd also realized Lisbon was overcome with guilt over breaking her lover's heart. He wouldn't add to her suffering by prying where he shouldn't.

It wasn't necessary.

He'd won the battle; but, he wasn't foolish enough to believe he'd won the war. He'd known there were still a few skirmishes left to fight. One's he'd eventually won with time and patience.

As he'd expected, it had taken Lisbon a couple of months to warm up to him in that way. To give him the look that lead to that first tentative, stolen kiss. It had then taken him another couple of weeks to overcome his unworthiness. To stop dwelling on the fact he'd gotten his first family killed. That he could do the same to Lisbon. She'd finally broken through his self doubt one night when she'd asked him to take her out to dinner. He'd realized it was code speak for asking him to give them the chance he'd requested.

The chance for which she'd discarded her very solid future.

Ignoring his own misgivings, he'd called in a favor and taken her to an exclusive restaurant off the beaten path that night. He'd even picked her up at her place to find himself mildly shocked when she appeared looking sweet and pretty in a flattering floral dress. He'd never seen her looking quite so refreshed and refreshing. Not at the end of a trying day. Marcus had been good for her in very visible ways. Somehow, he'd helped her connect with her inner woman. Once she had, Lisbon had clearly decided being feminine wasn't so bad. Jane was glad.

She was every bit as lovely as he'd known she could be.

They'd shared a very pleasant, relaxing evening enjoying a fine meal as they laughingly tried to discern if they recognized any of the voices resonating from behind elaborately decorated Oriental screens cloistering individual tables from prying eyes. He'd explained on the way out to the sprawling, nondescript one story building that in a more genteel, by-gone era, the place had once been a discrete get away for the rich and powerful. It was a safe haven to bring their mistresses for a quiet evening of fine dining and finer booze without fear of getting caught by their spouses. Or any other interested parties they didn't want in the know when it came to questionable extracurricular activities.

Now, the place was more of a curiosity than a den of iniquity although he was sure there was still some of that going on. Not that either of them really cared. The restaurant had been more of interesting place to visit, partake of good food, and enjoy exceptional service than anything else. If that wasn't enough of a draw, the wine list was far more extensive than anything Lisbon had ever seen. Her eyes had gotten as big as saucers before she'd handed Jane the ringed binder and told him she'd settle for whatever he picked. Turning to a page and immediately finding the selection he had in mind, Jane had quickly set the list aside his mind made up. The rest of the evening had passed much too fast.

They'd been to quite a few nice places since although none of them were nearly as unique or fancy. Lisbon was more of a homebody as he already knew. Not that they didn't do outside things. They did…Everything from Farmer's Markets to zoos, museums, and everything in between…It was more a question of what they hadn't done over the past couple of months.

The only truly ridiculous part about the whole situation was everyone knew he'd had something to do with Lisbon's change of heart; but, they had no clue exactly what. They certainly weren't privy to how intimately involved they really were. Not even Cho. While they probably suspected; they didn't know. At the moment, Lisbon preferred keeping their private life private. In her mind their entanglement appeared less sordid that way. Less disrespectful to the genuinely good man she'd never meant to harm. The one she'd fancied herself in love with.

Though he had no such compulsions believing they'd merely followed their hearts as they should have from the beginning, Jane respected her feelings. If he was painfully honest with himself, Marcus didn't deserve what they'd done to him. He truly didn't. However, all was fair in love and war and he'd finally won the skirmish.

Besides, no matter what they did, people were going to jump to the obvious conclusion when they got busted as they inevitably would.

A conclusion that wasn't entirely accurate. Lisbon hadn't dumped Pike for him. She'd realized in the nick of time that Marcus wasn't the right man for her. As great as everything was between them, he wasn't her forever lover. He couldn't be.

He'd entered her life much too late to claim the heart already belonging to another.

Closing his eyes, Jane freely admitted he was a lucky man.

If he'd only realized how much a couple of missteps were going to cost him as well, he would never have made them.