(A/N: this one is long-ish - i think the first scene is better-suited to the end of chapter 5 than the start of chapter 6, and will correct that later, but keeping as-is for now, to preserve continuity for those following each week ;) enjoy!)
Still aglow from their reunion, Patrick and Teresa walked back towards the tile-laden cafe, trying to stay on guard against the FBI threats, but painfully aware that they may not be together again until this whole madness with Dennis Abbott was concluded. As they strolled, happily 'in the moment,' they thoroughly enjoyed the gratifying sensation of their fingers sliding together, holding hands like high school sweethearts. A warm island breeze massaged Teresa's face in the most luxurious way. She turned to smile at Jane, and found he was watching her most intently; completely enchanted by the sight of her enjoying the caress of salty air. That spell was popped like a bubble, though, when Teresa's phone began to ring.
Lisbon noticed, as she pulled the device from her bag, that Cho had apparently left multiple messages while she and Jane had been… otherwise occupied. Alarmed with concern, Teresa swallowed her discomfort at the awkward timing - refusing to look at Patrick while blushing so brightly. "Hi Virgil, this is May. Yes, we've made contact."
"In more ways than one Virgil!" Jane called out, hissing with delighted laughter at the mortified and threatening look he received from Lisbon in reply as she continued her phone conversation with Cho.
"TMI, Jack. Keep it up and I'm keeping your fifty bucks," Cho's voice crackled from Lisbon's phone speaker, sending Jane into cackles.
"Listen, I've been actively trying to contact you - but it sounds like you were… busy…" Lisbon closed her eyes and tried to ignore Kimball's implication. "The reason for the urgency is this: Agent Kim Fischer managed to bug Jane's house, and Abbott's team has eyes on that neighborhood. So under no circumstances should either of you go back there."
"Mmm… That explains her insistence on 'helping' me last night…" Jane mumbled, irritated at having let his guard down enough for the woman to get away with such a trick.
"Also, May, the team had a run-in of sorts with one of your neighbors… Mrs. O? She apparently smacked one of the agents with her handbag for, quote, 'being too nosey,' and grumbled that they were trying to burgle your apartment while you were on your cruise."
Teresa snorted at the image Cho had just painted. She could totally see her elderly-but-feisty neighbor giving the men in black a run for their money. Regardless, it was unnerving to know Abbott had been given reason to believe she was currently away from home.
"Since then, they've taken closer notice of the apartment, and have been making our carny friends uncomfortable - on purpose. Seems they're trying to provoke them into revealing something in a fit of frustration. The carnies enacted some 'good clean fun,' as they called it, in response."
Jane grinned wide and shook his head in knowing amusement.
"During said fun, one of those friends overheard a conversation about them postering an entire tropical island with your photo, Boss - so it's likely the team there have eyes looking for you too. Though at this point they aren't sure, and are nonetheless proceeding with the plan to trick Jane."
"Any new details on that plan?"
"Only that the FBI team is planning to capture him at first opportunity, then take him to an undisclosed location to discuss your apparent kidnapping and to persuade him to fly to Texas with them. I'm worried what their definitions of 'discuss' and 'persuade' might be."
"Yeah, me too…" Lisbon looked at Jane with concern in her eyes.
"Okay, we'll lay low," Jane chimed in, wrapping an arm around his partner in comfort.
"We'll be in touch when we can - thanks again Virgil."
"Be safe, May. I'm hearing a lot of chatter but also a lot of overconfidence. That usually means trouble."
"Understood." The phone snapped shut right as Jane and Lisbon reached the cafe grounds.
The couple paused before parting, offering a last glance into each other's eyes; communicating their conflicting emotions in this moment of joyous reunion, and unmitigated danger.
"I'll call Franklin, to hopefully secure a temporary abode," Jane promised, as he gently massaged the stress away from both of Lisbon's hands. "Tonight I'll sneak over and we'll discreetly hang at your resort hotel suite. I have a plan in motion for tomorrow."
"Of course you do," Teresa sparkled, hinting at her usual sarcasm - but any ghosts of cynicism were overwhelmingly overridden by admiration and relief; Abbott's stooges didn't stand a chance against this partnership. She leaned in to kiss her brilliant love, and was elated by the broad smile that adorned his beautiful face, following the kiss. Lisbon felt more at ease than she had in months, knowing that Jane was working one of his own schemes against the FBI team, alongside her plan to shock Abbott into reason. Still, being the steadfast cop that she was, the lifelong detective strategized multiple backup plans for their safety as she walked alone, stealthily and vigilantly, back to the hotel.
Several hours after they'd parted at the cafe, and at least ninety minutes after Lisbon had her first panicked thoughts about where her partner was and what he was doing, there was a knock at her hotel door.
"Room service!" A local accented voice called out.
Puzzled, and cautious, Teresa responded: "Must be a mistake. I didn't order anything."
"Is complimentary, Ms. May," the jovial voice explained.
Lisbon jumped slightly at hearing her code name attached to the surprise food delivery. Did this mean the voice outside had been sent by Jane or her team? Or did it mean her code name had been compromised and Abbott had sent supposed room service as a trick? Her eyebrows pressed together and her jaw was set as she paced nervously for a few seconds, trying to decide whether or not she should open the door.
There was some animated whispering from the hallway when Lisbon failed to respond to the last volley. Then the voice said, with markedly less confidence, "if you are unsure, perhaps we could do a… trustfall?"
Teresa's eyes widened, and her eyebrows shot up. That sounded a lot like a Jane sentence, even though the voice was definitely not Jane. She changed strategies and came up with a coded reply: "I let you drive me around the country in this contraption - that's trust!" She leaned toward the door, anxious to see if the next play would affirm any recognition of the game she'd started.
The local voice sounded even more uncomfortable as it called out: "I want you to know that you can trust me. No matter what happens I will be there for you. I will."
Bingo, Lisbon smiled. That was Jane's exact response from their chat about trustfalls during the Carnelian case - word for word. His mind was a steel trap, so she knew he'd remember those words. Teresa's excuse for having that particular conversation memorized was: when Jane had said those words to her, he had seemed so uncharacteristically sincere in that moment that it had made a lasting impression on her, etching his exact verbiage into her memory. It was one of a handful of moments when he had touched her heart so directly, causing her to ponder just how close they had become.
Lisbon grabbed a fire-poker from the luxury suite's hearth, for the sake of vigilance, then slowly cracked her door open to see a clearly confused bellhop and a quite full room-service cart. In the center of the cart was a single red rose in a slender vase, with a business sized envelope leaning against it. The envelope was labeled: "To May" in Jane's handwriting. Still unsure this wasn't an elaborate trick, Teresa tentatively agreed to pull the cart inside - but asked the bellhop to remain in the hallway.
What the hell is on this thing?! She thought to herself as she pulled the significantly heavy dolly into her room. She noted the flight of wines, a full complement of covered trays, an electric teapot, and a single serve coffee machine, but still the cart seemed overly weighed down. Maybe there's an entire dry bar under the tablecloth? She wondered as she waved her thanks to the bellman and secured the door - still holding the poker. With a start, she snapped the makeshift weapon in front of her, like a foil, when she heard a rustling sound from the lower shelf of the food cart, beneath the cloth. "Policía! Que está ahí?!" Lisbon called out, with authority.
A voice started complaining from under the cart: "PATIENCE, woman… She just doesn't have PATIENCE!"
Lisbon dropped the poker and rolled her eyes. "Come on out, Jane. You're lucky I didn't 'shish' your 'kebab,' you idiot."
Patrick threw aside the curtain of fabric that had concealed him, rolled onto his feet from the lower shelf, and pulled his recently-disarmed partner into a hug. "I clearly said that I would 'sneak over,' Lisbon," he snickered. "Still, sorry for the cloak and dagger. 'The walls have ears' and all that… I was trying to be discreet."
Lisbon pulled back with a suspicious look after hearing a familiar term. "That's the second time in so many weeks that someone has used the phrase 'cloak and dagger' as an excuse for involving me in spy games. You been talking to the carnies?"
Jane just raised his eyebrows and threw his hands out to the sides, shrugging a tacit reply.
Teresa couldn't help but laugh at his typically playful expression, and his typically 'show biz' entrance into her hotel suite. She quickly regathered him into her arms and planted a welcome kiss on his lips. "It's a wonderful relief to see you again, Patrick."
"Mmm… my dear Teresa, it's a wonderful relief to be seen again. Shall we have dinner?"
"Absolutely! This looks amazing, Jane!"
"Don't forget to read your note, May," he winked before letting go of Lisbon and ducking into the bedroom for a suspicious moment.
Teresa sighed a laugh as he disappeared from sight, then she carefully reached for the envelope - which had fallen away from the vase during transport into the room - opening it immediately.
"Dear Lisbon,
I have wanted to cook for you, for ages, love. Alas there has never been time or availability. And tonight, sadly is no different given our undercover status. Still, I want you to know how my heart ached for you, during the entirety of my so-called 'date' with agent Fischer the night you surprised me on my porch. Through every course and through every song, I put on a good face to hide my utmost wish that I could instead be sharing those experiences - and so many others - with you, my dear. Since we can't currently go out for dinner and dancing, I decided I would try and bring the dinner and dancing to you. I pulled some strings with a local friend, and had the hotel chef compile a cart filled with your favorite food and drink. And at some point after dinner I intend to insist that you dance with me, at least once, but possibly more. I must admit that your presence here has caused me great anxiety, as you have put yourself in danger once again to save my sorry self. I also admit to some disappointment, knowing that you have derailed your life in such a way, during your efforts. But most of all, my dear Teresa, I hope to impress upon you how very overjoyed I am to be in your presence once again. You have completely thrown me for a loop, and I love how you continue to surprise me even after all we've been through together. Simply put, I love you. Please allow me the chance to show you just how much, by dining and dancing with me tonight? The only woman I want to go on any dates with, is you, my love. Please say yes?
Love, Jane"
Her eyes were still misty when her partner exited the bedroom dressed in his favorite three-piece suit, dashing as ever. "Well? What do you think, Teresa? Will you go on a date with me? Without going anywhere, actually - is that still considered going on a date?" He quizzically looked to the side pondering the ridiculous question as Lisbon burst into amused laughter at his shenanigans.
"I think you're hilarious, and I'm glad we're not actually going anywhere, because I have nothing fancy at all to wear," she chuckled, gesturing to her current beach disguise.
"Not to worry, love. I've left some options for you on the settee!" He grinned wide, motioning her to the bedroom.
There, she found three beautiful, quite expensive-looking dresses, draped over a small sofa by the bed; amazed that they were all the correct size. "Jane, this is too much!" She called from the room.
Jane rounded the corner wearing a look of adoration. "Please, Teresa," he moved close, cupping her cheek with his right hand, and resting his other hand on the small of her back. "It's 'Patrick.' And we are together, as a couple, fully aware that we're in love… that we can't, or don't want to, live without one another. How could anything be too much, when we have finally found each other, love?"
Wholly charmed, Lisbon caressed his freshly-shaven cheek with her hand and lovingly kissed him. "Very well, Patrick. Thank you so much for the dresses, love. I'll be out in a few minutes."
"I look forward to that, my dear," he sparkled, winking as he slipped back out to the living space, clicking the door closed behind him.
After catching her breath, Teresa held up each of the gowns, in turn, deciding on a breezy, coral, strapless sundress. She slipped into some leather wedges, touched up her hair and light makeup, then joined Jane in the other room.
He held the dining chair for her with great formality, pressing a kiss onto the back of her hand as he took it, guiding her to her seat. Gently, Jane moved the chair forward as Lisbon scooted herself up to the small table. With a flourish, the showman lifted the cover at Lisbon's place setting, revealing a smattering of fried potatoes, a couple of cheeseburger sliders, and one sizeable slice of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. Jane thought the amazed look on his partner's face was worth the cost and trouble of throwing the combo platter together on such short notice.
"Patrick?!"
"Yes, my dear?"
"We are on a tropical island, thousands of miles from any cattle ranches or the city of Chicago. How did you…?!" She couldn't even finish her thought, she was so surprised.
"Magic!" He opened both hands into the air as he answered and wiggled his eyebrows playfully - the sparkle in his eyes looking quite magical indeed. Jane poured wine for each of them, then sat down to his own plate of local seafood.
"So, Teresa, you mentioned that you have a plan for this Abbott nonsense?"
An irritated expression flashed on Teresa's face at the mention of the FBI Agent. "I do. If that jerk wants to play dirty, then I'm happy to do the same."
Jane tried unsuccessfully to look mortified rather than impressed. "What do you mean by that exactly, Agent Lisbon?" He pushed his plate forward, and leaned toward her with both elbows resting on the tablecloth in front of him, listening intently.
"Well, let's just say Cho dug up some dirt on his new boss. And apparently it's a real sore spot. A point of concern so concerning that Dennis would do almost anything to contain it."
"Hmm… cryptic…" Jane eyed his partner with suspicion as he took a bite of fish.
"Stop it," she snorted, pausing for a sip of wine before going into the details: "So the story is, that Dennis had to make a tough judgement call early in his career that no one else knew about - so he thought. Apparently he was assigned to an FBI/DEA team near the Mexican border, at a post known as 'Rio Bravo Station.' The local government was having trouble with cartel members dressing up as Mexican military and law enforcement. They would stop incoming busses, under that authority, then slaughter all of the passengers. One night while on watch, Abbott saw a cartel member sneak into the darkness, dressed in military gear. He knew what the man was about to do, and couldn't stomach another night of innocents being murdered."
"So he took care of the threat."
"Terminally. Yes."
"I see… and this is the man hunting me down for allegedly assassinating a known serial killer…" Patrick looked straight ahead, obviously thinking hard about the paradoxical situation.
"And that is the exact irony I plan to discuss with the jerk when I meet with him."
Jane's attention snapped to Lisbon with alarm; meeting with Dennis Abbott was what they were trying to avoid, wasn't it?! "What do you mean 'when you meet with him?!'"
"Cho is certain the reason Abbott's on the island is because he insists on coercing you into FBI servitude himself. When he does, I will be lurking in the shadows. At the appropriate time, I will take my seat at the table," she glimmered, cocking her chin with pride.
"Amazing…" Jane said with a dumb grin on his face, obviously surprised and impressed - maybe even a bit turned-on - by his partner's pluck, gazing dreamily into her twin pools of green.
"Well you don't have to act so shocked, Jane! I've been a cop for a long time you know?" Teresa rolled her eyes and laughed, swatting at his arm.
"I know, my dear. But I've never known you to stoop to bribery!" He glistened.
Teresa put down her burger and flung her arms out to her sides. "This man is threatening your life for reasons that have proven to be hypocritical. Dennis Abbott has left me no choice. What else am I supposed to do, Jane? Let him have you and then read about your 'accidental drowning' later?!" Teresa hadn't meant to snap at her partner, who was clearly proud of her development as a schemer, but she couldn't shake sudden nightmarish thoughts of Abbott hurting Jane, and the accompanying anger and pain came through in her voice.
"Of course not, Teresa." Jane slid his chair around the small table so they were side by side. "I guess I'm feeling a bit guilty for having put such sinister techniques into your head over the years, but mostly I'm overwhelmed knowing that, despite my history and despite my faults, someone as breathtakingly wonderful as you would go to such lengths on my account."
"Jane, I love you," Lisbon argued, turning her hands up for emphasis.
"I know, my beautiful Teresa. That is the amazement you're seeing right now. Not judgement for your planned choices, and not surprise at what you're capable of. Only amazement that this woman in front of me cares so deeply for me. I know that I have cared as deeply for her, for longer than memory." He reached for her hands, as silent tears fell from his eyes, prompting tears from his lover as well.
"Oh Patrick, you are worth so much more than you give yourself credit for, love."
The partners held each other, there at the table, for the longest time. Teresa loosened her embrace enough to kiss her favorite consultant, who was still quite affected by their previous exchange. Once his tears of overwhelmed emotion had calmed, Jane kissed Lisbon on the nose before standing with purpose and marching to the food cart.
"All of these feelings call for ice cream!" He announced with typical sparkle, reaching into a silver plated cooler on the middle shelf of the cart. With 'typically Jane' choreography, he spun and floated the chocolate fudge sundae over to the table, placing a tall spoon beside Teresa's hand before finding a seat and grasping his own spoon.
The two partners shared a more lighthearted chat as they cooled the fears of the day with chocolate ripple and ice water.
"Speaking of surprises and amazement, what's with the fluent Spanish, my dear Lisbon?!"
"You can thank Cho for that! As I was leaving for the airport, we had a final check-in call. Kimball suggested that I bring a phrase book or translation app. So, I also downloaded a language learning app and tried to perfect the phrases I thought might be most useful on my sleepless flight from Sacramento."
"You thought 'typical American,' and 'police, who's there?' would be your most used phrases?!" Jane was flabbergasted and amused at the same time.
"Damn straight! And I was right, now, wasn't I?" She glimmered, eyebrows high.
Patrick smiled and slowly shook his head at the breathtaking woman in front of him. "That you were, my dear," he moved closer, resting his left arm comfortably around her shoulders, "and so was I." Jane kissed her tenderly, and leisurely; completely fulfilled by the relaxed atmosphere they were able to enjoy tonight.
"What do you mean, love? Right about what?"
"I struggled for days with whether or not I should send you any of the letters I had written you, since arriving here. But my heart wouldn't let me decide otherwise. The thought of not seeing you caused me physical pain every day, Teresa. The letters were what my mind allowed my heart to get away with. And I was petrified that the effect may actually be opposite of what I wanted… that my true feelings might actually frighten you away - I know how skittish you can get about 'feelings.'" The couple chuckled together at that truth. "But now it's obvious how right I was about you… about us"
"The effect of those letters was exactly what you were hoping for, Patrick. It felt like you were holding me in your arms from the page, each time I read one of them. Some nights, that drew me to tears knowing how far apart we were. But every single time, my heart grew so full it made it hard to get a breath, the feeling was so intense."
"Well, Lisbon, we are no longer so far apart. Shall we dance, my dear?"
His partner silently nodded, eyes shining.
"Excellent!" Jane beamed, standing and pulling her close before hitting 'play' on the audio device he'd snuck in on the room service cart.
The couple were equally surprised when the music that started blaring from the speaker was less a romantic waltz, and more a mariachi party song. After jolting with surprise, the two began laughing away their nervous energy and mutually decided to roll with it. Jane spun in mesmerizing circles around Lisbon. She swiveled her hips, moving her arms above her head in a delightfully sensual way, mimicking some of the moves she saw from the local women during her surveillance a couple nights before. They continued the flirtatious uptempo dancing, with the occasional tickle or tease, basking in the electricity that sizzled between them during the makeshift tango. When the song faded into a slower, more delicate tune, the two were so out of breath and so full of joyful laughter that they didn't even notice the change until well into the second verse.
Jane noticed first, suddenly softening his gaze as he moved slowly toward his partner. "May I have this dance, my dearest Teresa?"
Lisbon followed his lead, calming herself to a sweet grin, and taking his outstretched hand. "It would be my pleasure, beautiful Patrick," she breathed, kissing the curve of his neck before gently resting her cheek on his shoulder.
The two spun in slow, tender circles for minutes that seemed to magically suspend in time. Teresa pressed into Jane's shoulder, as waves of intense gratitude and emotion pulsed through her. It felt like a dream, this privilege of holding so very closely to him, feeling his warmth on her skin, knowing that this dream was, in truth, the reality she'd prayed for - coming true at long last. Patrick leaned his cheek gently against Lisbon's luxurious dark hair, deeply breathing-in her presence, intentionally etching each rapturous sensation into his memory, hoping to prolong each one for a lifetime.
For the length of the evening, the couple didn't dare to open the curtains to the balcony door; nor did they seem to care that they were forced to stay in, for their first official date. Making the most of their current 'shut-in' status, Jane filled the luxurious soaker tub with cinnamon-scented bubble bath, and invited his favorite detective to share the warmth with him as they sampled the variety of after-dinner wines he'd procured from the hotel sommelier.
As they cuddled and relaxed in the bubbles, Lisbon filled Jane in on the last part of her plan, and he was shocked at her solution.
"Seriously?! I mean, yes, we should be partners, I wholeheartedly agree! But you're suggesting that we work for the FBI?!"
"If ya can't beat 'em, join 'em!" She chuckled quickly. "But seriously, Abbott would've pitched that idea to you anyway - according to Cho. And he would've used it to tether you for life, that bastard, so I'm gonna enjoy turning the tables on him. Plus, I've been going insane with boredom, milling around my apartment these past few months. And I don't think I'm cut out for the 'small town Sheriff' gigs that have been landing in my inbox incessantly."
"You would be absolutely adorable in a Sheriff's uniform, Teresa," Jane glimmered, fully enjoying the blush that followed. He mentally dressed his partner in such an ensemble, with visible delight, as she rolled her eyes, regrouped and continued her argument for the FBI plan she'd concocted.
"I mean, don't I deserve a chance to make a real difference, at a top agency? I'm a damn good cop! And you are an amazing investigator!" She quickly slid closer and twinkled her eyes at Jane before purring, "among your many other talents." Her partner snapped out of his 'Sheriff Lisbon' fantasy long enough to smile wide and twinkle back, pulling her tightly against him, in response to her sexy flirt. "I'll simply tell Dennis that he shouldn't be so hard on your so-called vigilante justice, because he should relate after what happened at Rio Bravo Station. While his jaw is still hanging open I'll inform him that the team also knows and the story will be leaked unless he agrees to hire us both at the FBI, expunging any charges against you, forever. You just need to insist he agree to whatever demands you feel are worthy, and I'll send copies to Cho and the others for corroboration."
Jane glimmered with pride and adoration. "Well-played, my dear! FBI, it is, then. Let's see what trouble we can make." He sparkled madly, feeling more at home than he'd felt in months.
"What kind of trouble are you imagining, Jane?" Teresa chuckled, sure she would regret asking.
Her favorite jokester surprised her, though, with the depth of sincerity that followed in his reply: "No matter what, Teresa, we're a team. Moving forward, I refuse to do anything that would jeopardize that. I never want anyone or anything to come between us, my dear. That is the most important thing to me, that you and I are together. For as long as you can tolerate me, that is," he snickered.
"So, us against the world?"
"Absolutely, my dear."
"That is the best news I've heard in ages, Patrick."
Jane took in a rush of air "It takes my breath away hearing you speak that name. I may never get used to it."
"Well you should get used to it. I've grown very fond of saying it." Lisbon proceeded to describe and recite all the ways she'd said his name, after reading his very first letter in front of her home fireplace; mentioning how affected she'd been that night, reading his heartfelt words while being massaged gently by red wine and feeling his gorgeous name on her lips.
Overwhelmed by the effect her words were currently having on him, Jane took great pleasure in creating a myriad of opportunities for his lovely partner to repeat his name over and over again, throughout the night.