Once Teresa made it to the top of the stairs, she lunged into the bedroom expecting to find Jane. But the room was empty. She had just begun to look for him when he jumped out from behind the open bedroom door.
"SURPRISE!" His best Cheshire grin was in fine form as he sparkled at having pulled one over on her.
"Jane!" Lisbon protested, "you scared the life outta me!" With a short burst of nervous laughter, she lightly slapped his arm in retaliation for his little joke.
"Okay, I'm sorry for scaring you, but I do love the look in your eyes when your adrenaline is going, my dear!"
Teresa laughed once more and shook her head before wrapping her arms around her favorite jokester.
"Why don't we get changed for dinner, love?" He suggested, guiding her attention to the outfits he'd carefully laid out on the bed. she was pleasantly surprised to see beachwear that greatly resembled what they'd been wearing in Jane's favorite photo from the island trip - The place they'd first surrendered fully to each other, and to their love.
Beaming a huge smile, she took her sarong and flowing top into the next room to change, stopping to brush his cheek with a kiss on her way past. "This anniversary is already off to a great start, sweet Patrick," she purred as she saw him catch his breath.
When she reappeared, Jane was already in his Bermuda shorts and epaulet-laden tropical shirt. She hadn't noticed it before now, but he'd let his stubble grow out just a bit longer than usual to complete the look. "Nice beard!" she said sincerely, pulling her husband into a strong embrace. Just when she thought she was beyond being surprised by his good looks, he had caught her off guard tonight with his sexiness. But Jane was a bit like the Grand Canyon in that way: Each time you catch a view, it still takes your breath away - no matter how many times you've seen it before.
He carefully led her to an anniversary dinner on the beach, not far from the base of the stairs that meandered down from the deck. They reminisced and gazed at each other softly through the first two courses, served by a local caterer Jane had arranged.
Lisbon was thoroughly enjoying the food, the company, and the scenery when Jane upped the ante by bringing in a group of mariachis after dessert.
He was absolutely fulfilled at the chance to dance again with her, reliving so much of that island visit that had lowered both of their defenses, permanently, toward each other. That trip had cemented in his heart the reality that being with her forever was the only future he could imagine, regardless of any low self-image he may have had. It had been on that island beach that he'd begun his whirlwind plan to fly her to Sacramento for a romantic scavenger-hunt-style marriage proposal - complete with re-created CBI spaces, a throwback re-creation of their very first slow dance, and familiar CBI-family faces to celebrate their happy news.
After they'd danced to near exhaustion, the mariachis packed up and the caterer cleaned the dishes and took away the table and chairs, leaving the still-happy couple to themselves for a moonlight stroll on the beach.
Jane stopped for a moment to look up at the stars, so Lisbon looked up, too. "This is when we talked about being under the same sky, no matter how many miles were between us," she sighed contentedly.
"That was one of the favorite moments in my life, Teresa. Even I had to admit it seemed somewhat serendipitous." Jane glowed at the slight surprise he saw in her, mixing with a loving smile at his words.
"Mmm… I feel the same way, Patrick. We should get back," she winked with a seductive smile.
The two walked quickly to the stairs and made their way back into the Malibu house.
Once inside, Lisbon tagged Jane on his shoulder, then sprinted up the stairs - turning the tables on their earlier chase.
As Jane rounded the corner into the bedroom, Lisbon was already peeling away her flowing shirt, revealing a familiar red teddy beneath.
"This is a breathtaking bit of déjà vu, my dear Lisbon!" Patrick panted, moving closer with affection.
"I've been battling my own self-control all day, Jane. Could hardly wait to have you to myself just like this." Teresa smoldered.
"You're always so in control my dear…" Jane sparkled with mischief, "except when I'm making you lose it" his simmering eyes were coaxing her farther down that path of spontaneity and lust.
"Mmm… I love it when you make me lose control" Lisbon breathed, just inches from his ear, glad to continue his suggestive games.
"I dunno, my dear… I have a very shady past. You have no business gallivanting with the likes of me."
"Is that so?" Lisbon flirted ferociously, "you should know that I've always had a thing for bad boys in vests."
"Fascinating…." he beamed, moving his arms around his gloriously half-unwrapped love.
"It's true. And you're such a bad influence on me," she glimmered, tenderly nibbling on his right earlobe, causing a sudden hitch in his breathing. "I've taken on some of your most questionable habits." She moved fluidly to separate him from his beachwear, surveying every inch of underlying flesh with her kisses and sighs.
"That was always my intention, dearest Teresa." Jane growled steamily, as he began to follow through on every last one of his bad boy intentions, very much to his wife's extreme delight.
The next morning, the two were cuddled close in bed, slowly waking in the streaming sunlight. They had until mid-afternoon, when the Minellis were bringing the kids home and staying for a late family lunch. Then, they were to pack up for their evening flight back to Austin.
Lisbon had always hated flying eastward. Flying West was like getting a couple of hours for free! But flying back felt like being robbed. Still, she worked hard to put those worries out of her mind for now. She was wrapped up in the most amazing, most gorgeous man on the planet, and she refused to allow her thoughts to stray from these last beautiful moments of their vacation.
Jane caressed her bare shoulders and back, and hummed a "good morning," with a kiss. He had enjoyed the flirtations surrounding bad boys and questionable influences during the previous night's festivities, but he was moved to come clean about something this morning.
"Teresa, I have a confession to make." He smiled, anticipating the puzzled look that followed.
Her expression quickly changed to amusement, after turning to see the huge grin on her husband's face. "You don't say. Out with it, then, Jane!"
"My dear, you have always been a wonderfully redemptive influence on me… undoing all of my predilection toward chicanery." He pulled her close, enjoying the moment, breathing her in.
"Well… not all, Patrick." she grinned deliciously, cuddling into him with great joy and contentment.
"Indeed, love… not all." Jane smirked.
They spent their remaining 'alone' time going down a growing list of exclusions to Jane's earlier reformative statement, allowing his predilections to commence and continue, until they truly had run out of playtime - splashing in the waves during a final skinny dip, complete with pleasurable massages and ecstatic chicanery. Finally, they chased each other up the beach, rinsed themselves quickly under the outdoor shower - sprinkling a few kisses in with the sprinkles from the tap - and climbed the stairs to the deck, each wrapped in a beach towel sporting the USC Music Department logo (gifted to the families of all the music camp registrants).
They quickly dried and dressed, before getting to work on preparations for lunch with their kids and the Minellis.
"This has been one of my all-time favorite Malibu visits, Patrick." Lisbon mused.
"Why is that, love?"
"This year has felt like a sort of healing."
With a sigh of understanding, Jane stretched an arm across her shoulders as they stood watching the waves from the deck. "The stuff about Alex?"
Teresa leaned into him, lovingly. "Partly that, yes. I could see you getting lighter as you told your story to the kids - and even I didn't know most of those details! It seemed like it rebalanced our relationship as a family. You - feeling sturdy enough to share parts of yourself with us that hadn't seen the light of day in eons, and the kids and I - feeling loved and trusted enough for you to be able to do so. Secrets can weigh you down like nothing else, and that night felt like so many sandbags tumbling away from the gondola of a hot air balloon."
"Did you just insinuate that I'm full of hot air?" Jane teased.
"Very funny!"
"Okay Lisbon, you said that Alex was only one part? How else did you feel healing?"
"Did you see the kids at that music showcase? The way Meghan held her own against boys who wanted to take advantage? And Brendan! I am still amazed at the way he owned the place during his set! I would never have believed that young man was our shy little boy!"
"Oh, Teresa, you are so right, my dear! I have never been prouder of BOTH of them than I was that night! They are such a testament to you, lovely Lisbon."
"They are such a testament to us, Jane! You are as much an influence on them as I am - in some areas more! There's no way she cold-reads someone, or he has that solid a stage-presence without you, my love. Admit it - you have created something good! The two of us both have, together!"
"I do have to admit that, love… the two of us have always been good together," he glimmered, holding her close, peering lovingly into her sage green pools, "how could our children turn out any differently?"
The tender scene was interrupted by the sound of tires on the gravel driveway. "Speaking of…" she smiled wide, anticipating all of the stories the teens would surely have to tell about their night of celebration and the visit with their adopted grandparents.
The two shared a long, deep kiss, took a moment to gaze softly into each other, then walked, hand-in-hand, to greet Virgil, May and the kids.