Author's notes: I hope everyone's Christmas was as lovely as mine. Wish you all your dreams in the coming year.
Jane gives her hand a squeeze and jumps up out of his chair. he rubs his hands together:
"Let's have some fun."
Lisbon shakes her head at the sudden change in mood, but she knows he's done talking for now and that there will be other chances. She smiles at him.
"Yes let's. Do you have anything in mind?"
"As it happens I do. The porter told me of a local dog show that's being held at the park. It'll be fun, and if we're lucky a fight might break out."
"Well I hope it doesn't the dogs could hurt each other."
Lisbon see's a wicked smile cross Jane's face as he opens the door for her.
"Who was talking about the dogs?...Ow woman,"
Lisbon leaves Jane rubbing his shoulder as she breezes past him. The park isn't far away so they walk. Lisbon breaks the silence.
"What's going on Jane?"
Jane shrugs.
"There's nothing going on. We're just having a casual walk to the local dog show. What could possibly be going on."
"I can see it in your body language, you're excited about something. Since you're denying it, it's something I'm not going to like."
Jane halts and turns to look at her.
"You're wrong Lisbon, you're going to love it,"
Jane strides out in front and Lisbon gives a groan.
"Wait! Jane!"
Lisbon decides not to humour him and refuses to catch him up. It's a hot day and she doesn't want sweat trickling down her back this early in the day. Jane is waiting at the entrance of the dog show when she arrives.
"Ah Lisbon good to see you made it."
Lisbon gives him her sweetest smile.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting."
"No problem. I will wait until forever for you Lisbon."
Lisbon rolls her eyes.
"That won' t keep you out of my bad books, what have you done.?"
Jane looks beyond her and then raises his finger.
"Just hold that thought and I'll be right back."
Once more Jane is gone and Lisbon's path's blocked by a harassed looking, middle-aged woman, holding a clipboard and other paraphernalia.
She looks at Jane's retreating form.
"Is that Mr. Jane?"
Lisbon wonders how this woman knows Jane but answers in the affirmative. The woman turns to face Lisbon fully.
"He's exactly as my brother described him. So are you Teresa Lisbon?"
Lisbon gives a bewildered nod.
"Good. Thank you so much for doing this. You saved my skin."
"For doing what?"
The woman shoves some things into Lisbon's hands and is gone before Lisbon recovers.
"I wish people would stop doing that."
She looks in her hands and staring at her is an ID badge with her name on it and the words 'DOG SHOW JUDGE'
"Jane!"
The man's suddenly standing right in front of her.
"Oooo we get to wear badges."
He takes his out of Lisbon's hands and pins it on to himself.
"A dog show judge Jane! What do we know about dogs to judge then, and how did you get us into this?"
"The night porter mentioned the dog show when I asked what there was to do. He said his sister was organising it and how she's impossible to live with as the event gets closer, that today had been a specially hard day as the judges had let her down due to illness. So I volunteered our services."
"You had to volunteer me as well?"
Jane takes her badge and begins to pin it on her.
"Come on Lisbon it'll be fun. All those cute dogs, I know you like dogs. Now what does all that say?"
Jane nods his head towards the literature Lisbon had shoved in to her hand. Lisbon rolls her eyes towards the sky, but knows she's beaten. She can't let the poor woman down, so with a sigh and a big grin from Jane she scans the paper in her hand.
"It our schedule, we're to start judging the big dogs in 10 mins."
"That's over there."
Jane points left and he takes Lisbon by the arm. As they make their way Lisbon reads out their judging guidelines. By the time she gets to the end worry has descended once more.
"Jane we know nothing about dogs...they take this all very seriously"
"Meh, beggars can't be chooses Lisbon, we'll just declare the ones we like the best the winners and not worry about all that technical stuff."
He takes the guidelines out of her hand and scrunches up the paper into a ball and throws it into a nearby trash can.
Lisbon has to admit that she's having fun. The dogs are stunning. She watches as Jane kneels before the last of the big dogs entered, a beautiful Huskie. He takes the dog's head in his hands and stares it in the eyes. He talks to it while stroking it's head and then scratching it behind the ears. It reacts as all the dogs have done, its putty in Jane's hands. It collapses to the ground inviting Jane to rub his tummy. The owner is not as impressed and jerks the dogs chain to get it back on its feet. Jane gives him a stare and then strokes the dog's head and talks into it's ear.
"Sorry, didn't mean to get you in to trouble, but don't worry I won't hold your owner against you."
He gives the owner another stare and rolls back up on to his feet. Lisbon, meanwhile, is looking the dog over, taking note of the things that she remembers from the guidelines that Jane threw away, it's a beautiful dog. She feels Jane take her arm.
"Time to deliberate over a cup of tea."
They find an empty table in the refreshment tent, in the far corner where they can talk in private. Lisbon is looking over the notes she's taken as Jane places her coffee in front of her and sits down opposite.
"Time to concoct a plan."
Lisbon looks up startled.
"A plan? We need to come up with a winner. A plan for what?"
"A plan to stop the dog-napping of course."