A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter. You may want to re-read it before this chapter as I've changed/added some of it as I wasn't entirely happy with how it read when I went through it again before writing this chapter. But the basic story is the same if you don't want to go to the trouble. Thanks.

Chapter 2 – When the Clock Strikes Twelve...

Jane entered his attic and stood in the middle of the room, taking in the makeshift bed and the desk by the window. He could hear people outside, laughing and shouting, obviously starting their New Year's celebrations a little early. He used to be just like them, attending galas and showing Angela off as he draped his arm around her shoulder, dancing with her until midnight where they would share a kiss and a toast to their happy lives. He snorted and didn't have to wonder what she would think if she saw him now. A fool, determined to live his life in misery, full of self hatred and anger. She would have wanted him to move on by now, almost a decade since he lost her, to find someone to make him happy again. He had told himself that his hunt for Red John was for her and Charlotte but in his heart he knew she would never have wanted him to end up like this. He remembered telling Lisbon when he first met her that he couldn't move on. That he probably should but couldn't. Ten years later he was still living in a kind of nether world between living and dying.

It was easier during the day to hover towards living, distracted by the noise in the office, the chattering of Cho and Rigsby making bets with each other, the fast clicking of computer keys from Van Pelt. But mostly because of senior agent Teresa Lisbon and her no nonsense attitude, her piercing green eyes and her vulnerabilities wrapped inside a hard shell. He was relying on her presence in his life more than he should for both their sakes. It was a dangerous path to tread but he seemed incapable of stopping its course as the years marched on. He was quite certain if she hadn't moved away earlier he would have kissed her tonight. Where that would have left them both he had no idea. He chuckled lightly to himself. She more than likely would still have fled.

Nights like these were the worst times for him where he was alone in the building with no hope of a diversion for his mind. He allowed his mask to slip, satisfied that no one would see his true broken nature. He sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, allowing the loneliness and exhaustion to seep through to his bones. His eyes were drawn to a box of Red John files that sat beside his bed. Another year had passed and he was still as far away as ever from accomplishing his goal. He lifted the lid and a photograph of a smiley face greeted him that lay on the top. He stared at it, the lid of the box still in his hand, contemplating his future. He didn't know how many more years he would have the strength to carry on before he had enough of Red John's game. Before he admitted defeat and ended his quest along with his own life. Five? Ten? He had great mental strength but also had a breakdown before so knew too well he was likely to have another one if this search went on for another decade, especially if his nemesis decided to turn his attention to those he cared for now. Lisbon's words from years ago came back to him. Can't you see there are people who care about you, who need you? He had never imagined back then the time would come where he would be the one who needed her.

He never heard the footsteps arriving in his attic.

'Jane?'

At the sound of her voice he looked up instantly. He was suddenly too tired to put his mask back on and he saw the worry etched across her face at the sight of him.

'You didn't close the door behind you. It's late and I...could have been anyone', she said quietly in a slightly accusatory tone.

A small smile came to his lips. Her social awkwardness when confronted with a man who looked like he was about to hang himself was somehow comforting. It was easier to admonish him for a lack of security than ask how he was feeling. That, despite everything that was uncertain in his life, she remained the same, his constant and his only source of some inner peace.

'Sorry. Guess I forgot' he replied, seeing her shoulders relax a little when she heard him capable of speech.

He glanced at his watch, fortified already by her presence. 'What happened at the ball? It's ten to midnight. You didn't want to bring in the New Year with Hendricks?'

She pulled the door closed behind her, buying herself some time before she responded. She turned around and saw him put the lid he was holding on top of the bed, stand up and approach her cautiously.

She suddenly had no clue how to reply to his question. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing back here, her feet had seemed to have a mind of their own. At the ball, she had watched the minutes pass as she and Hendricks danced. He was a good dancer and quite charming in his own right but as midnight approached her mind went to what the first minute of the New Year would bring. He would expect a kiss, perhaps only a peck on the lips but she panicked at the thought of even that and had fled instead.

She rubbed the tops of her bare arms absentmindedly, staring around the room. As Jane approached he removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. 'You're shivering' he said softly before standing back to give her space again.

'I forgot my jacket. Bob checked our coats and well-'

'You didn't tell him you were leaving?' Jane replied, a hint of a smirk on his lips now.

'No...Well yes I did. I went to the restrooms and texted him.'

Jane nodded, pursing his lips. 'Doesn't really explain why you didn't get your coat.'

She huffed. 'Fine. I told him I had a case and had to leave immediately. That I didn't have time to get back to him to get the cloakroom ticket for my jacket.'

Jane grinned. 'If he buys that then I think he should be demoted. Glad I won't have to rely on his detection skills as I have nothing worth stealing.'

She rolled her eyes and shook her head and pulled the jacket around her shoulders, wandering over to look at the open file box on the floor. She sighed upon seeing the face staring back at her and went outside to get some air. He walked out to stand beside her. Silently a minute passed.

'Why did you come back?' he asked softly, as they both stared into the night sky in front of them.

'You know why' she whispered at his side.

'Do I?' he whispered back.

'No one wants to be alone on New Years' she replied quietly.

She turned so she stood in front of him, drawing his gaze from the stars back to her eyes. He swallowed and warily raised a hand to cup her cheek gently, running a thumb across it as the moonlight reflected off its pale skin, unable to fight off the urge to feel her beneath his fingers any longer. She stood perfectly still, not leaning into his touch but not flinching away from it either.

'Teresa-' He said in a hushed tone, trying to convey that they should stop whatever this was before he went further than a mere touch of her cheek.

'We have five minutes until midnight' she interrupted, stilling his movements.

She continued, 'What if we pretended that Red John doesn't exist for those five minutes. Do you think...do you think you could do that?' Her eyes were pleading with him to allow them this small amount of time to let their instincts take over from their rational minds. To allow themselves five minutes where they could pretend he was gone from both their lives and simply be two people who wanted to bring in the New Year together, like so many others in the world.

He resumed stroking her cheek, loving the feeling of how it warmed to his touch. Before he answered her question he needed confirmation. 'What happens after midnight if I could?'

She said decisively, 'Then we go back to normal. I'm your boss again and you're the pain in the ass consultant I have to put up with to keep my closure rates as high as they are.'

He chuckled softly at her words before he became serious again. 'You think you'll be able to do that?'

She rolled her eyes. 'Jesus, what you think you have some kind of magical powers that are going to make me go all of a quiver if we...well if we...you know.' She looked down, her cheeks reddening as her courage in bringing up this subject waned.

He lifted her chin back up so he could look into her eyes. 'The word is kiss, Teresa. If we are going to do it then at least say the word' he teased.

'Time's running out...Patrick' she said instead.

He smiled softly at how foreign his first name sounded coming from her lips. His eyes roamed her features and he bent down slowly, giving her time to move away if she changed her mind. Instead she raised her chin up towards him and parted her lips a little. He licked his lips instinctively and brought a hand to cup her cheek again. Their eyes met briefly before closing and their lips met each other in a soft kiss. It felt both awkward and right at the same time until they pressed their lips together with more assurance. Lisbon moved her hands around his waist and Jane pulled the lapels of his jacket to bring her closer. Their kiss deepened, tongues beginning to probe and hearts racing more with every moment it lasted.

When they heard the distant din of fireworks go off along the waterfront in front of them they knew it was midnight and Lisbon pulled away, blinking rapidly and catching her breath as Jane opened his eyes and caught his own. 'Happy New Year, Teresa' he said softly, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

'You too' she replied, moving back so she stood at his side as they watched the fireworks for a few minutes.

'I do wish things could be different' he said, sighing, knowing this was most probably the most they would ever discuss what just happened.

She nodded and he was surprised to then see a smile grace her lips as he looked at her sideways. 'One day they will be.'

'I hope you're right' he replied, a smile forming on his lips now too at the thought of kissing her again sometime in the future, another incentive to rid the world of Red John.

She handed him back his jacket and exhaled deeply. 'I better go home. We have tomorrow off as long we don't catch a case. Do me a favour and don't spend all of it day cooped up in here. Get some fresh air. Just don't be late the day after or I'll make you do your own paperwork.'

He grinned at her as she tried to revert to her authoritarian persona. 'Understood, Lisbon. But you know the threat of paperwork is an idle one. You would no more trust me with completing it than you would entrust Rigsby with safekeeping a quarter pounder.'

She grinned in return, both of them inwardly breathing a sigh of relief that the intimacy they had just shared wouldn't affect their friendship or working relationship.

After she left he lay down on the bed and pulled his jacket over his body. He could still smell the scent of her, cinnamon and spice mixed with his own cologne and he smiled as he fell asleep.

He woke and smelled her scent again but after a moment realised that he was not in the attic of the CBI. The sheets beneath him and on top of him were too soft and he was wearing pyjamas instead of a suit. He opened his eyes to see her sleeping soundly beside him, her dark curls tousled on the pillow beside her. He moved closer to her, putting an arm around her waist, pulling her towards him and dropping a kiss to her neck, inhaling her scent once again.

'You okay, Patrick?' she murmured in the half light of their bedroom as the sun rose as she woke from her slumber and sensed his sudden need to know and feel that this was his reality now in his touches of her.

'Mmm' he replied, moving her hair so he could kiss her neck again. 'Never better.' As he began to kiss her neck more passionately a cry from the bedroom next door stopped him.

'It's your turn' she yawned, pushing her head back onto the pillow, relieved that it was New Year's Day and they had the day off from work so could afford herself a lie in.

He nodded, smiling and rose to attend to their six month old daughter Amelia. As he got back into bed she turned around to him and rested her head on his chest. 'She all right?'

'Of course' he replied, kissing the top of her head. 'She's perfect.'

'Did I see you reading her Cinderella last night when you put her down?'

'You did' he grinned, remembering the dream he just had.

'Isn't she a bit young for fairy tales? She doesn't understand yet what you're reading her' she muttered sleepily.

He moved so he could reach down and capture her lips with his own. 'You're never too young for fairy tales, Teresa.' He paused before stroking her cheek with his thumb and kissing her again. 'Or too old.'

As he fell asleep again he had one thought. Perhaps Happily Ever After really did happen sometimes.

- THE END -

A/N: I thought I'd leave it open whether Jane was dreaming of this New Year's moment with Lisbon or if it actually happened and he was reliving it through a dream. Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed it, I'd love you to tell me!