A/N: There is some rather mild M rated material in this chapter. I've marked it accordingly. And I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you who take the time to post a review. It really does make all the difference knowing I have people who are enjoying reading this. This chapter is a little shorter than usual but I will attempt to make the next one longer. Hope to have another chapter up by the weekend. And I was emotionally drained after writing the last part so thought it was a good point to take a break.

Chapter 19 – Exposed

Lisbon shuffled into the booth having just escaped Marcie's arms. She glared at Jane and shook her head. "Why'd you have to suggest meeting here?" she hissed. "I'd forgotten how tight that woman's grip is."

"Obviously I wasn't thinking," he said evenly as he perused the menu.

"No kidding." Absently she glanced at the menu but she also looked at the red leather booths and black and while tiled floor around her. Apart from an elderly couple a few tables away they were the only people there apart from the staff. "I see trade hasn't picked up any."

Jane put his menu down and nodded, looking around. "Surprised they're still open after all this time. Must be some kind of tax dodge." His eyes fell to the Wurlitzer jukebox at the far end of the room. He smiled faintly, remembering how he'd made Lisbon dance here on a few occasions when there was no one around. He'd even grabbed Marcie for a fast jive a couple of times just to see Lisbon doubled over laughing at the sight.

When he glanced back he found Lisbon staring at him. Her knowing soft smile made him realise he'd just given his rambling thoughts away. "No," he said quietly after a moment.

She frowned immediately. "No to what?"

"To your earlier question. No. I don't regret everything."

She couldn't read his expression, his face neutral as he'd uttered the words but her breath caught in her throat as they locked eyes. At that moment Jane sat back, having heard Marcie approach with their drinks. He smiled effortlessly at her, mask back in place as she put his tea in front of him. "Thanks Marcie."

"You're very welcome Patrick. Just how you used to like it."

She placed Lisbon's coffee down and Lisbon thanked her as the waitress got out her pad. "So, what can I get you?"

Jane nodded for Lisbon to go first.

"Ah...I'll just have a salad thanks. No dressing."

Jane rolled his eyes. "Oh for god's sake Lisbon, get a burger, will you? A little red meat won't kill you."

Marcie grinned at him and winked at Lisbon. "He's right, honey. There's hardly anything to you." She leaned down to her ear and said in what she thought was a whisper but loud enough for Jane to hear, "Men like their women with a little meat on their bones."

She nudged a now blushing Lisbon with her own rather hefty arm. "Believe me, sweetie. Been married over thirty years and my Tony has never had any complaints in that department. More to hold on, you know what I mean?"

At the last remark an already smirking Jane began to laugh into his teacup, spilling it slightly onto the saucer. Lisbon looked at him beseechingly and he grinned back. She rolled her eyes at him and cleared her throat, turning to Marcie. "Fine. Burger would be great," she said barely looking at her as she pushed the menu back into her hands, deciding to look out the window to the side instead to cover her embarrassment.

"Chicken club on rye with fries," Jane ordered when Marcie finished writing Lisbon's order on her pad, smiling proudly and winking at him conspiratorially before she left them again.

"Tell me, why the hell did we ever come here?" Lisbon asked, her face still slightly red but smiling now.

Jane laughed and Lisbon's face lit up at the sound, the first she'd seen him with his guard fully down since he'd been back. It had been well worth her mortification. He sighed afterwards and ran a hand through his hair, acknowledging to himself how nice it was to laugh genuinely for a few moments with her, to feel that connection again. He looked into his teacup and shook his head. "It's quite hard staying mad at you, you know that?"

"Yeah, well you've been managing it pretty well up until now," she countered, wrapping her hands around her coffee mug. She took a deep breath. "Red John and Janet Walker. What's going on, Jane?"

Mild M section start

Lisbon awoke to Jane's kisses on her shoulder, bared as the jersey had fallen from it during the night. He moved on to her neck, nuzzling it gently.

"Good morning," he breathed, draping an arm across her waist and caressing the smoothness of her flat stomach as he inched the hem of her top up. His fingers moved towards the underside of her breast, barely touching it as he kissed her earlobe. She turned her head and sighed contentedly, her hand ruffling his hair.

"Morning," she said, before angling her head to kiss him on the lips. For a few moments they lost themselves in languid kisses as Jane traced her breast with his fingertips lightly before squeezing it softly, his thumb gently arousing it. She moaned into his mouth and clasped her hand to his upper arm, deepening the kiss as he continued his teasing movements.

After a few seconds more he pulled back and grinned at her. "I believe we have some unfinished business to attend to," he said in a low voice, almost gravelly in its nature as his eyes penetrated hers.

She bit her lip and played with his hair. "Well, only if you insist."

He laughed softly and pulled the covers back quickly, moving with speed to kneel between her knees. "Now, let's see if I can remember how this works," he said, tapping an index finger to his lips, pretending to be contemplating how to continue.

She giggled and sat up to kiss him. "You need some directions?"

He kissed her back quickly before pushing her back onto the pillows. "No, like most people I don't like back seat drivers."

"You mean like most men you pretend to know the way and won't ask for help if they get lost."

He grinned salaciously at her, moving her legs apart and placed his hands on her ankles before running his fingers up them towards her inner thighs. "Tell you what, if you think I need help, tell me. But I'm pretty sure you won't be capable of talking coherently for much longer."

"Big talk," she laughed.

He laughed back and then in a swift movement pulled her legs towards him, making her yelp in surprise. He kissed her right inner thigh lightly and then proceeded to do the same with her left, his hands moving towards her breasts. As he continued to slowly make his ascent with his mouth Lisbon's cell phone began to ring. "Leave it," he said immediately, his voice muffled by his position.

Mild M section end

Lisbon, who had began to pant slightly and who had closed her eyes jolted at the sound. "I can't Jane, must be work at this hour." She wriggled further up the bed and Jane sighed, puffing out a breath as he got off the bed. She looked at the phone and nodded to him, rolling her eyes. "It's Wainwright," she whispered.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Ah...you do realise he can't actually hear you until you answer it?" he smirked.

Another eyeroll later she did just that. As the conversation continued he knew it was a case and that it was serious. He began to get dressed, knowing their weekend was effectively ruined. As she talked she went into the bathroom and started the shower, in full Agent mode again as she hung up. "Ten year old kid's missing. Team are already on the way. Sac PD"s asked for our help. Father has some political connections."

Any annoyance he felt in them having to cut their leisure time short immediately disappeared with that news. "I'm coming with you."

He sighed loudly, serious again. "Okay. I believe she knew him."

He stopped and took a sip of tea and she leaned forward, gesturing for him to continue. "I believe he's a client of hers," he added.

She swallowed down the anger she felt in him only sharing this news with her now. "Well, that's great. Just over two hundred people. It'll take a while to go through them but it's closer than we've ever got."

"Hmm. It is. Slow though."

She moved back against the booth, puzzled. "But how do you know this for sure?"

He shrugged. "Reliable information."

Frustrated by few word answers she replied, "Jane. We're going to be here all night if you don't get to the point. What reliable information? From who?"

"Janet Walker."

As she was about to fly off the handle again he put a hand up to stop her. "The less you know the better."

Her ire rising at his refusal to say more she shook her head, "No. It's not going to work like that. Not like it used to be where you told me nothing and I was just supposed to go along with things. Not now. And certainly not about Red John."

He laughed at her. "Why? What are you going to do? Torture me? Beat the truth out of me like you've always threatened to?"

She regarded him with a steely gaze, past the point of anger as he treated her like the pushover she had always been. "No. But what I can do is inform Wainwright that you've told me there's a link. What I can do is take my team off the Walker case. What I can do is ask the FBI to take over both. They've been trying to get hold of the Red John case for years. Maybe it's time to let them have it."

He narrowed his eyes at her, studying her face to ascertain if she was bluffing. "You don't want the Red John case to go to the Feds anymore than I do."

"Well, if you're going to tell me nothing that can help me solve it then why the hell not?"

He leaned across the table. Menacingly, "Red John is mine. Not yours and certainly not the goddamned Feds."

She scoffed and looked out the window, her eyes growing glassy as she shook her head slowly. She said nothing for a second. Then she spoke, quietly but with conviction. "And there he is." Her gaze remained fixed on the dark parking lot outside.

"What are you talking about? There is who?" he frowned.

She returned his stare, her eyes sad and weary. "Someone I haven't seen in a very long time." She paused for a moment as his frown deepened. "The real Patrick Jane. Not the imposter that slept in my bed."

He blinked at her words, stinging him to his core. Before he could respond she got up from the booth and threw some money down. "I'm not hungry anymore. Tell Marcie I'm sorry."

"Lisbon," he said, standing up, but unable to move his feet towards her, to stop her from leaving or to say another word other than her name.

"Don't worry," she said dispassionately, glancing back. "I won't tell Wainwright or have the case moved to the Feds. I'll leave you to your obsession and let you keep your little secrets. Do whatever the hell you like. Hope they keep you warm at night. I'm done caring."

A/N: Okay, so quite a sad ending to this chapter after its initial fluffiness. But there are better times ahead, past and present, I promise so please don't give up and keep reading! And is Lisbon really done with Jane and the Red John case? Well, of course not...