"Ohhh yeah… Oh God, yes… right there love… Mmmm… that's the spot… ohh, yes, Patrick…" Lisbon sighed with relief, and moaned with pleasure, over and over again, as Jane worked her tired, sore, knotted limbs with the most miraculous, magical touches she'd ever felt. She remembered having once payed a week's salary for a massage at a top flight spa in San Francisco, and marveled that Jane's current therapeutic touches were more healing and brought more relief by miles. With her eyes closed, feeling extremely relaxed, she muttered: "So many years I tackled suspects right in front of you, and you never thought to tell me you could do this?"

Jane stifled a laugh upon hearing his beautiful Lisbon slurring the complaint through the most relaxed lips he'd ever seen on her. The former consultant beamed as he internalized the implied compliment. "My love, I look forward to making it up to you from this day forward. I hereby disallow any muscle pain from causing you discomfort, lovely Lisbon. If your muscles break that decree, then I will work immediately to bring them back to submission."

"I fully support that plan," Teresa drooled onto the makeshift massage table Jane had fashioned from some stable benches, a few towel-covered yoga mats and a section of extra countertop.

The ranch was in remarkably good shape considering its long-abandoned status, but many of the spaces had been looted, or left partially renovated, so the place was full of oddly-matched materials with varying levels of usefulness. Franklin had mentioned that there had been a handful of restoration efforts over the years, but those had proven to be too expensive, with each of the well-meaning project leaders walking away and taking the financial loss, time after time. Jane thought that was such a shame. He wondered if he might be able to transform the place with some of his own cash holdings? Perhaps as a thank you to Franklin for all he'd done for him, and for the good friend he'd been to him, over the last several months? Perhaps he could reserve time there for he and Teresa to make that return to the natural pool that she'd requested today?

Jane's attention was drawn back to his partner when he inadvertently hit a ticklish spot on her waist. "So sorry, love… was lost in thought for a moment and lost track of my hands."

"Mmm… s'okay… feels amazing…"

Jane finished the session with a tender caress that began at the crown of Lisbon's head, and ended at the tips of her toes, covering every inch of skin in between. He sealed the caress by tapping sweet kisses onto the pad of each toe.

"You relax as long as you like, Sleeping Beauty," Patrick smiled warmly, covering his serenely tranquil love with a fluffy blanket. "Whenever you're ready, I'll draw you a bath or warm up the shower - your choice, my dear."

"Mmkay…" Lisbon managed, still delighting in the endorphins her gorgeous partner had unleashed through his efforts.

Jane left his love to bask in her newly acquired relaxation as he headed to the kitchen to set up dinner. He hadn't been sure of their arrival time to the ranch, back when he'd given Franklin his shopping list, so dinner was on the casual side tonight. He was glad for the low-key evening after such a big day, and especially after giving Lisbon's tensed muscles so much attention. He had thoroughly enjoyed every second of that experience, and was infinitely grateful to have had the chance to bring her such relief and comfort; his beautiful partner so deserved that care. Still, the extended massage was also quite a physical workout for him, so Patrick was glad for the postponement of his cooking debut tonight.

As he arranged the meats and cheeses onto trays, making room in the fridge for them to chill during Lisbon's resting and eventual showering time, he was interrupted by a buzzing sound. Walking curiously to the counter he noticed the sound was coming from Lisbon's phone. Patrick didn't want to overstep, or invade his partner's privacy; but he didn't want to disturb her much-deserved rest either. With a careful glance into the hallway, toward Teresa and the makeshift massage table, Jane picked up the phone, seeing Cho's number on the caller ID.

"Virgil! Do you have my fifty bucks?"

Cho was surprised. He had expected to hear Lisbon's voice. "That's not your phone, Jack. You been pickpocketing May again?"

"I'm wounded by your accusation, Virgil. I thought we were friends."

"Okay." Cho answered in his typically flat tone. "Is she there?"

"She is. But she's sleeping right now and it's been a big day. I'd rather not wake her if you can have the same conversation with me?"

"Understood. There's chatter in the office about a lead on the island."

Jane's face showed concern. "What's the lead?"

"They've been questioning hotel staff throughout the country, and apparently one of the bellmen at May's resort hotel recognized her photo and confirmed that she'd had room service the night prior."

Damn. The FBI were right on their heels. Jane was relieved they were safely holed up in their current location. "Well, the good news is, thanks to you, we knew to head off-grid for the time being. They can search that hotel and her room; they won't find anything. And we are safe for now in another location."

"Glad to hear it. Let me know of any new developments. I'll be in touch if I hear anything else."

"Thanks Virgil…" Jane was suddenly struck by the enormity of what his old teammate had done for him, agreeing to this operation. "Truly… thank you."

"My pleasure, Jack. You two watch your backs. Bye now."

"Bye." Jane closed the phone and slipped it inside Lisbon's bag.

"Who was that?" A sleepy Teresa asked, shuffling her bare feet into the space and leaning against the kitchen wall, rubbing her eyes awake.

"Welcome back, love!" Patrick grinned wide at the vulnerably beautiful sight of her, wearing the blanket he'd draped over her, like a robe.

"Thanks," she grinned. "But you didn't answer my question, Jane. Who was on the phone?"

"Cho says they found the hotel suite. We apparently made it here just in time."

Lisbon's eyes got wide, "Whew, that was close," she sighed.

"Yes, it was. But your plan is working wonderfully my dear. Kimball got us valuable information in time for us to make our move, undetected. All is well, Lisbon," he said, with reassurance in his eyes.

Softening immediately at his efforts to comfort her, Teresa let go of the stress that had threatened to simmer in her subconscious, glowing at her partner graciously. "Yes, it is," she moved close, opening her blanket robe and capturing him in it, cocooning them both inside the fluff, in a warm embrace.

Jane kissed her cheek, and pulled his head back, smiling. "Does this mean my sleepy little princess is ready for her shower?" Jane sparkled with anticipation.

"Mmm… I was really looking forward to that shower, but" Lisbon fell into a pout, "I'm so sleepy… Can we do a bath for tonight?" Teresa was exhausted, but was also disappointed to miss out on the opportunity for Jane to rinse saltwater from her hair.

She was so cute with that pout, Patrick mused, wearing a sweet smile. "I'll draw you a bath right away, my dear. More cinnamon bubbles? Or perhaps some lavender, to stay on theme with your afternoon of relaxation?"

She gave him a gentle squeeze of appreciation. It was amazing to be so pampered. Lisbon couldn't remember the last time someone had taken such loving care of her. She also couldn't remember the last time she'd let anyone try. "Thank you for paying such careful attention to me, Patrick. Want to soak in the lavender with me?"

Jane's eyes danced with expectancy. "I would adore that, my dear," he pressed a tender kiss onto her cheek before leaving to get the water warmed up.

After snuggling in the warmth of lavender until their fingertips were wrinkled, and after leisurely nibbling on the dinner buffet Jane had laid out, the two partners meandered to the bedroom, and got the room, and themselves, ready for sleep.

While Jane made the bed, Lisbon padded back to grab her bag. After sifting through the contents for a moment, she pulled out a bag of battery-powered door alarms - one of a handful of gifts the Rigsbys had sent with her. "Hey Jane? I'm gonna secure the doors real quick," she called out, before sliding into her shoes and affixing an alarm to each of the entry doors. Once the adhesive took hold, and the travel-sized devices were armed, she tiptoed quickly back to Patrick, who was reclined on the bed, looking more heart-stoppingly gorgeous than ever. Kicking her shoes off, Teresa climbed into bed and rolled on top of her partner, wrapping around him desperately, kissing him with loving passion.

Patrick returned her kisses for a moment, holding her closely, before suddenly pulling back to cup her cheek in his right hand. "I hate to say this, love, but we should probably take things easy tonight," he searched her eyes sorrowfully, working the biofeedback with determination to cool his own internal fires.

"Only cuddles tonight, handsome?" Lisbon looked and sounded disappointed as she rolled to her side, propping herself up on an elbow to maintain eye contact.

"I know, my irresistible and sexy love," he hummed, pressing a long kiss behind her left earlobe, "I would love nothing more than to make passionate love to you tonight, but I can't in good conscience do that - not after the spa day you've had. Freshly massaged limbs are more prone to injury if overworked, and I don't want you to pull a muscle, my dear."

Lisbon rolled her eyes with a smirk. "More like a spa half-day, after a grueling morning of roughing it on bumpy truck-beds and dusty trails," she snorted. Teresa knew Jane was right, though; all her years of running track in school had taught her that. Trying to power through a training run after a PT massage only made things worse, in her experience. Still, it was her partner's typically teasing nature that made her want to playfully slug him while he spoke.

"Ow!" He overreacted to her mock punch with characteristic glee. "Nonetheless, I promise to keep you warm and comfortable through the night, and I further promise to make things up to you with breakfast in bed," he wiggled his eyebrows in that way that made her crazy with desire. "If you're good, I might even throw in a dessert that will feel as delicious as it tastes," he sparkled with mischief for that last part, leading Lisbon to imagine the most wonderfully uncivilized definitions of every descriptor he'd just used regarding their next meal.

"Very well, Patrick, you're right," she said, regaining her senses and her cop sensibilities. "We should be staying focused and alert, anyway, with the possibility of FBI surveillance getting closer. But know that I plan to hold you to every last one of those promises," Teresa glimmered before relaxing against his chest, and tucking her head under his chin, caressing her cheek against him as if creating a comfortable nest for the night.

"I love you, Teresa." Jane smiled into the night so hard that his overjoyed cheeks hurt from the strain. He would never get used to this, he thought. Having her in his arms right before drifting off was nearly as heavenly as waking up beside her. Thank you… he thought to himself, and to whatever forces and life experiences had led him and this warrior princess to each other.

"Love you, Patrick," Lisbon smiled into his breastbone, as it gently rose and fell with each fulfilled breath that he took. She remained comfortably perched there, until dawn.

The next morning, Jane got up early to make breakfast in bed for his love, as promised. With an impressive amount of maneuvering, he managed to extract himself from Teresa's loving embrace without a single waking twitch from her.

He happily played 'chef' in the kitchen, thanks to the thorough and accurate shopping trip Franklin had made on his behalf while he and Teresa had been enjoying yesterday's 'swimming hole' adventure. Patrick was content as he worked - at least, as content as one could be whilst being hunted by misguided FBI thugs. As he took the eggs off of the heat, and switched the burner to 'off,' he happily pulled a stack of bowls down from the open shelving. He reveled in plating the food as artistically as possible, smiling wide at having this opportunity to nourish his favorite cop, at long last. As he spooned some home fries overtop and sprinkled on some cheese and chives for color and extra flavor, he couldn't help laughing at himself over the sheer number of scrambles he'd made. "Got a little carried away, Paddy - this is enough food for an army!" He smiled, and picked up two full bowls, leaving two extras out for leftovers. Feeling lighter than air, Patrick danced the prepared dishes toward the hallway. As he moved, he sang to himself, echoing the songs he and his beloved partner had danced to a couple nights before.

When he was halfway across the kitchen, Jane was alarmed by a shriek coming from the bedroom. Recognizing it immediately as Lisbon's voice, and being greatly distressed by the absolute terror that saturated the cries, Patrick froze. As he did, both bowls of eggs fell to the terracotta floor, seemingly in slow motion. The crash of the bowls, as they shattered on the tile, snapped his mind back to attention, starting his feet on a full sprint to Teresa.

He arrived at her side just as she was coming out of a terrifying reprise of the Red John nightmare she'd had, back in her dismantled CBI office. Jane dropped to his knees at her bedside, stroking her overly warm, tear-stained cheeks with his thumbs as he cradled her face, gingerly peering into her distant eyes.

With a shaky and raspy voice, Teresa spoke slowly, with some confusion, gradually waking from her deep sleep. "Jane…? Where are…?" When her eyes finally focused on her partner, she threw both arms around his neck and held him in a momentary vice grip, shaking with sobs and trembles of relief. "My God, Jane, I just had the worst nightmare… It was just like before."

"Just like before? Before when?" He gently rubbed her back in comfort, greatly concerned and pained at her frightened state.

"After you ran… back at the CBI... I fell asleep in my office. I remember being so exhausted then, too… But… I had the worst dream… about a final Red John murder," Lisbon swallowed hard, and steadied her voice - which was trembling with the fear of that long ago nightmare, as it intermingled with the horror of what she'd just seen in her sleep this morning. "It was so terrifying, Patrick… the last victim… was you… both then and now… God, it was all so graphic," she broke into a fit of tears, caressing his face with tender care, and touching his neck in all the spots that had been bloodied in her imagination. She was calmed slightly by the feel of his warm skin - so grateful that he was, in fact, whole and unharmed. "And my heart exploded into shrieks and uncontrolled sobs both times…" she got quieter, whispering - almost to herself - "I can't even imagine life without you, love," she sniffed, pulling him into a desperately tight hug until, with great effort, her breathing and heart rate regulated. She sniffled and dried her eyes with the bedsheets; it was imperative that Jane knew what today's nightmare had shown. "But this dream was different. This time I could clearly see the location of the crime scene." Her tone changed to the all-business cop that he knew so well. "I saw clearly that it all happened in that dilapidated stone shack we saw near the dirt road - the one those tourist jeeps drove down, yesterday, remember?" Jane nodded, a concerned look on his face. "It was also clear in my mind, that this time it was the FBI who had done it."

Jane's eyebrows pulsed quickly with pained emotion before his face softened to a smile. Despite the rollercoaster ride his heart had been on, the last few minutes, he willed himself to speak calmly, combing his fingers through Lisbon's hair in an attempt to comfort her. "Breathe easy, lovely Teresa… My dear, your imagination is simply running away with you. Let go of your worry, love… Let the fear fall away… There's no such thing as psychics, and no one can see the future in their dreams," he continued stroking her hair, smiling warmly. However, his attempt to calm her with level-headed reasoning had the opposite effect, spurring Lisbon to push herself up in one swift motion.

Throwing off the bedding and rolling from recumbent to standing in a single swoop, she began pacing as she argued: "Dammit Jane - I'm not claiming clairvoyance! But what if my intuition was working as I slept?! Science backs me up here," her arms shot out to her sides and her eyebrows raised, waiting for his acquiescence.

He should have seen this coming, he smiled. There's my stubborn, fiery girl, he thought, with pride and a full heart. "Very well then, Madame Curie…" he winked. "What if we trek over to that stone shack to have a look-see? Maybe then you'll see that your nightmare was simply a nightmare? Would that help assuage your worries?"

Jane was being obnoxious, but to Lisbon's complete surprise and irritation, she found she was actually enjoying it. There was an unmistakable charm that encompassed his teasing jabs at her claims about intuition, dreams and science. She had so missed being annoyed by her gorgeous carny boy since he'd run away. Her mood turned on a dime, with a handclap and the sweeping open of her arms. "You know what, Jane? I think that's a great idea."

"Excellent!" He sparkled. "Well, I have a ton of eggs in the kitchen to power our trek to investigate your visions, Lisbon. My plan was to bring them to you in bed, but a change of scenery might be better for your heart right now. Hungry, love?"

This man was such a gift. She couldn't imagine ever getting enough of the way he could light her up with fury one second, tickle her with teases and laughter the next, and here he was now, tending to her heart so carefully. She walked to him and gently surrounded him with her arms, looking deeply into his sparkling eyes. "Thank you for breakfast, Patrick. I would love a change of scenery, but only if that scenery includes you, love," she smiled adoringly, planting a sweet kiss on his lips before leading him by the hand, out of the bedroom.

As they arrived in the kitchen, Jane winced at the visible evidence of his earlier shock.

"We having an indoor picnic, Jane? All the food's on the floor," Teresa quipped, amused at what she thought to be messy cooking habits.

Patrick's gaze dropped, not wanting to bring up the dream again - so quickly after her mood had lifted. "I was startled, when I was bringing the bowls to you. They slipped out of my hands, and here we are."

Teresa was momentarily mortified. Here she was poking fun at this man who had been so single-minded about her care over the past day, only to discover that her own screams were the cause of the mess in question. She said nothing, but looked at the smattering of eggs and pottery with great sadness and empathy.

Jane couldn't stand it. He had to rescue her from her thoughts. "Lisbon, please… don't worry about it," he walked to her and wrapped an arm around her slumped shoulders, joining her in observing the spectacular mess in front of them. "You actually did me a favor."

"A favor? How?"

"I got a little carried away, and cooked significantly more food than we could have ever eaten in a morning, love. But now, that seems like a bit of good luck - since our first breakfast took a tumble and all," he glimmered as he saw her taut lips begin to curl into a grin.

She swatted a hand at him. "Psychic." With that playful accusation, she walked back to the bedroom for some clothes, leaving her favorite carny standing in the kitchen with his jaw hanging open; a dumb grin on his face at her clever poke.

When they eventually sat down to their breakfast of delicious scrambles, the stone shack was the main topic of conversation:

"So, do you think you're up to walking over there today, Teresa? I know you're exceptionally curious to see what's inside that place, but I don't want you to be miserable or end up injuring yourself."

She reached to put her hand on his, giving a gentle squeeze of appreciation. "Thanks for looking out for me, Patrick," she smiled before raising an eyebrow and feeling her Chicago roots. "But I'm a cop. I'm trained to put myself into uncomfortable situations."

Jane couldn't suppress the puff of laughter that escaped him. "It's been entirely too long since I've had the privilege of hearing you argue that point, my love," he twinkled with a combination of adoration and mischief. "But that was not your opinion yesterday, I don't mind saying," he reveled in the tease, thrilling in the suspense as he awaited her countermove.

Lisbon's competitive nature sparked in reaction, and her eyes were narrow as she pushed her chair back to clear her dishes. "Very funny, Jane," she said, in her most 'CBI Lead Agent' voice. "We're going, and we're doing it today. No way you're talking me out of it." She walked past him with a defiant raising of her eyebrows, setting off the most delighted full-face grin on her incorrigible partner.