In Nomine

Comments: I'm thrilled you all liked the last chapter. Again, it was one of those that I didn't know how well it would go over.

Unfortunately, the end is here folks, as sorry as I am to see it go. I hope this ending does justice to the rest. I likely won't be doing a sequel to this story, as some have asked, though I've considered writing about the encounters that Cardone and Lee have had with Cho and Lisbon in previous cases. I've found that I really enjoyed those two in my story. So there may be some based off this story, but I doubt there will be sequels. Sorry! However, you might see a few more Jisbon stories out of me yet, I really can't help myself.

So here, Jisbonites, here is your ending! I'm sorry, no sex scene! I felt that it cheapened what has happened to them throughout this story, and that their relationship emotionally was the important aspect, not to mention that there are plenty of Jisbon scenes in other stories for you. It was tough to find an ending for this, but I liked writing this chapter. Enjoy, and thanks for keeping up with this story to the end!

Chapter 13-From Cadenza to Finale

It was a slow process. Lisbon had good days and bad, but she knew that she was going to be okay. She was back at work a week later, and found that while her and Jane's personal relationship was much different, that it only enriched their work one.

Her first day back had been everything she wanted. They picked up the murder of the heiress of a Silicon Valley tycoon, and it was if she never left. Cho, Van Pelt, and Rigsby seemed supremely relieved that they didn't have to walk on eggshells around her, that their boss was back.

The second day she found herself on the verge of tears at the oddest times, spending most of the day locked in her office, letting Cho direct the field operations. She'd snapped at both Rigsby and Van Pelt for small things. It had taken Jane an hour to coax her to open the door for him after the rest left to go interview the tycoon and his family, only to find her eyes red-rimmed from crying.

Lisbon's days could be one or the other, but their team quickly regained their position as the top case-closers in the Bureau. Slowly over the next few months, her night terrors ceased and her flashbacks were gone. She still had nightmares occasionally, but they were far less often. Monaghan's hold on her dissipated as Jane slowly became a stable part of her life.

The FBI officially cleared her of all wrong-doing after an extensive investigation—and a formal complaint against Yarrow by Minelli.

Macy had to admit that Lisbon's method of dealing with her experience worked, though she still cast suspicious looks at Jane occasionally, as if he may have actually hypnotized her. Jane milked that opportunity for all it was worth, enjoying watching Macy jump every time he touched her on the arm.

Jane entered her office, uninvited of course. He continued to do that over the last few months, regardless of her wishes. She found she didn't mind as much as she used to.

"So I just was thinking about a big, strong, handsome fellow," she began teasingly as he shut the door.

He grinned at her and sat down. "Thinking about me, eh?"

She gave him a playful look. "About a companion for Skye, actually. Maybe a German Shepherd."

"Ha," he said, wryly amused.

Lisbon put her pen down. "What do you need, Jane?" she asked, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin atop her hands.

"Just wondering if you wanted to go to a nice dinner on Friday. I've...fallen into some reservations for a real nice joint."

She leaned back and crossed her arms. "Oh yeah? How nice?"

Jane tried to look innocent. "Formal?"

Lisbon narrowed her eyes. "There isn't a restaurant in town that I can—oh you didn't!" she gasped. "Il Cielo?"

He just smiled.

Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly, her finger jabbing accusingly at him. "You—stop reading my mind!" She'd been thinking about Il Cielo all week, craving their chicken marsala.

"That's not all we'll be doing, but make sure you're dressed to the nines!" he said happily and made a quick exit even as she threw her stress ball at him. It bounced harmlessly off the door frame, and she found herself grinning at his back.

Il Cielo was her favorite restaurant in the world, though she had only been there four or five times while dating a well-to-do lawyer—who turned out to be an asshole. She justified the entire relationship on the fact that she'd been able to eat at Il Cielo. It was worth it.

She sighed. Her relationship with Jane was surprisingly…well…wonderful. Jane was Jane, and his observant, intuitive personality was not as invasive as she thought it would be. Jane was gentle with her, but didn't treat her like she was breakable. He knew when she was hurting, when she was playful, when she was scared, or when she was in work-mode. She found herself reading him better than she ever did before and wondered if it was because he had opened himself up to her as well. They seemed to nearly read each others mind. The whole thing was unlike any relationship she had ever had.

He spent some nights with her, though he had never put any pressure on her to go further than some heady kisses and light making out. She knew he wanted it, she knew she wanted it, but she wasn't ready. Just when she thought she might be, another nightmare would assault her. Jane always knew when she'd had one and understood without her saying a word. He was comfortable waiting.

He talked to her about his wife and his daughter, about his past. She found herself telling him about her parents, stories on her brothers. She told him about her undercover work the past two years. That was difficult, but she found herself able to discuss it openly with him as they sat on her couch, her head on his chest, or as they lay in bed at night, his arms around her. She felt safe then. Loved.

She was coming to realize that she loved him more deeply than she thought, and she knew it should scare her. It didn't. Lisbon found herself trying to find things to make him happy, taking more time off work than she had in years to spend time with him. She sighed happily, fingering the necklace that held both her cross and Jane's wedding band.

"Uh, Boss?" came a voice. Rigsby stood in front of her, papers in his hand.

She frowned. "What?" she asked, a little irritably. He was interrupting her daydreaming, and he seemed to realize it with a gulp.

"Just need you to sign this, Boss."

Rigsby left quickly after she scribbled her signature on the paper.

Lisbon spent time on paperwork that afternoon trying to figure out what else they'd be doing, and while she came up with several possibilities, none seemed probable.

After a half-day trip to visit the family of their current victim, she was back in her office, feeling a bit strained. Stress was worse for her now, though better than it had been the last few months since Monaghan. She'd found that music was strangely cathartic, particularly classical music.

One of her foster families had been full of musicians, both vocal and strings. Though Lisbon had gone through much of her foster experience miserable and bitter, something about their music had entranced her. Classical music had stuck with her throughout her life since that time, and she had befriended several musicians in college, one who still invited her to the Sacramento Philharmonic concerts occasionally, though she never attended. Her job was too much, kept her too busy.

She popped in a Dvořák CD, keeping it on low as she sat down to do paperwork. It was interesting to see how her teammates responded to her new music policy. Rigsby seemed uneasy with it, as if he wasn't really sure what it was. He had a hard time focusing when the music was on, and she usually had to turn it off when he came in to talk to her. Cho seemed to enjoy it, as much as Cho enjoyed anything. Van Pelt seemed to see it as a sign of healing, and smiled even brighter when Lisbon had it on. Lisbon wasn't sure if Van Pelt realized she played music to de-stress, not necessarily because she was in a good mood. Oh well. She bent her head down and continued working, letting the sweeping strains of the New World Symphony wash over her stress and tiredness.

Their current case heated up, and she found herself and the team working nineteen hour days. She'd already slept at the office once, something she hadn't missed doing at all. With a dead mother and two missing kids, they were working around the clock. Lisbon had immediately suspected the nanny, though all evidence pointed to the father. Within days, Jane had confirmed it, returning the frightened but healthy children back to their father and managing a stunning confession out of the nanny. Lisbon sent her team home early after a job well done.

With the heavy schedule, Lisbon didn't realize until she got home that it was Friday.

In a panic, Lisbon called Van Pelt. She had no clue what to wear. She hadn't been on a formal date in years, and this wasn't just any date. It was her first real date with Jane. Eating Chinese in her in front of her TV didn't count, nor did grabbing a quick meal after a long day at work. Lisbon paced the living room waiting for her.

Finally a knock came, and she jumped. Grace Van Pelt stood outside, holding several hangers of clothes. "Hey, Boss," she greeted.

"Teresa," Lisbon corrected. "Or Lisbon if you can't stand it. We're off-duty. I asked you over as a friend."

"Sure…Lisbon," Van Pelt managed. "I'm excited that you're going on a date. I brought some of my roommate's clothes. You two are nearly identical in height and proportion."

A roommate. Lisbon didn't remember Van Pelt having a roommate.

She hadn't told Van Pelt who she was going on a date with, and Van Pelt seemed to study her, as if it might be written on Lisbon's forehead.

Lisbon tried on several outfits, and finally ceded to Van Pelt's insistence that she wear a darkly iridescent green dress that she felt was far too formal for the occasion, though she secretly loved the thing. Van Pelt scrounged through her closet and finally found some shoes she approved of. Lisbon realized sourly that Van Pelt was far more pushy than she ever remembered.

"Wow, Boss," Van Pelt managed after the finishing touches had been made. They'd fought with her hair and laughed over her makeup, but it was finally done. "You look…awesome. Incredible."

Lisbon's slender body seemed even more so in the dress and it accentuated her curves perfectly. Her hair was loosely pulled back with strands framing her face. They had agreed that only minimalistic makeup was necessarily, but as it turned out, for a self-proclaimed small town girl, Grace Van Pelt was a genius with makeup.

Lisbon smiled, almost shyly. "Thanks, Grace. I appreciate it. I wasn't prepared for this."

"Your eyes are just—"

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door and Lisbon's face froze. Van Pelt looked gleeful that she was going to meet the date.

Lisbon started for the door, but Van Pelt put out a hand to stop her. "You stay here. I'll get the door. Wait a few minutes to come out. It's an awesome affect."

"Van Pelt—"

Van Pelt shut her bedroom door in her face and Lisbon glowered at it, huffing a sigh.

She heard the front door shut, and unwilling to wait any longer, opened her door. She froze at the sight.

Patrick Jane's was in a tuxedo. The lines of his clothes brought out every good feature of his exquisite body. She found herself staring at him. He was grinning from ear to ear while talking to Van Pelt, but as he noticed Lisbon, his smile fell into an expression of awe. "You look…magnificent," he said quietly, holding out his arm.

She smiled contentedly. "You don't look so bad yourself," she replied, taking his arm. Lisbon turned her attention to Van Pelt. "And if you breathe a word about this before I give you the go-ahead, I won't miss vital organs, 'kay?" she said sweetly.

Van Pelt gave her a sickly grin, as if she thought it was a joke, but wasn't sure. Suddenly, she held up a hand. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She raced back to the bedroom and came back with a box. Lisbon recognized it. "When you were getting dressed, I found this. It would go perfectly with this dress."

She drew the emerald necklace around Lisbon's neck, fastening it. Lisbon absently settled the emeralds at her throat, unable to speak.

"It was your mom's," Jane said quietly. Lisbon looked up at him, and nodded.

"My mother used to tell me that one of our ancestors had a French lover who gave this to her because it matched her eyes. I have no clue if the story is true, but I had it assessed once, for insurance." She fingered the necklace. "It's worth…quite a bit, though I suspect that it is more likely that my ancestors were Jacobites who stashed jewelry and other gems smuggled from France. I've never worn it."

"It suits you perfectly," Jane said. "I forgot to tell you…" Jane held up two tickets.

Her eyes widened. "The Philharmonic! Mintz! How did you—"

"Remember?" he grinned. "I'm psychic."

Lisbon couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun. She enjoyed the atmosphere of the Philharmonic, the culture. Somehow, Jane had even managed to secure a box for them. With Shlomo Mintz playing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor—one of her favorite pieces—she knew this was the best date she could ever—or would ever have.

Lisbon would have never pegged Jane for a classical music aficionado, but he leaned forward in rapt attention during the cadenza in the first movement, and remained that way through the rest of the performance. While she enjoyed the performance immensely, she couldn't help but watch him throughout it, Jane's hand gripping hers tightly, though not uncomfortably. His eyes sparkled, and his hair looked like spun gold, shimmering brilliantly whenever it caught light. He was a supremely handsome man, and Lisbon sighed every time she considered how very lucky she was. She shifted her hand to the back of his neck, playing absently with his golden curls as they watched the masterful performance.

They went for a late dinner at Il Cielo's, discussing the performance avidly. Jane, it turned out, had never been to any performance of any orchestra, nor had he listened to classical music to any extent, but he admitted that he'd thoroughly enjoyed it. Much of the meal became a discussion of her favorite composers and artists. It then turned to English and Irish history, at the mention of her necklace, something that Jane actually knew very much about. That surprised her.

He claimed that it had been a hobby that he'd picked up when traveling overseas a lot. He'd spent a good amount of time in England—he was actually nearly fully of English blood, which Lisbon found amusing, considering the bloody past of their countries.

She enjoyed their talks—uncharged by romance, even though there was always an undercurrent of attraction. Jane was intelligent, he was well-rounded in his knowledge, and he enjoyed learning. They bantered back and forth, teasing each other good-naturedly.

He also enjoyed gossip. They discussed the relationship of Van Pelt and Rigsby with no small amount of pleasure. Jane suggested a double date, eliciting a very un-Lisbon-like giggle from his date at the thought of Rigsby's terror, faced with such an event with his boss. Jane then leaned in conspiratorially, detailing his plot to get Cho and Lee together. Imagining the two polarized cops together made her shake her head at the improbability that such a thing would end without injury.

Full of good food and a glass or two of wine, Lisbon realized she was content. She was happy. She reached across the table and put her hand on his. "This is probably the best night I've ever had, Jane," she told him honestly.

He took her hand and intertwined their fingers. "I hope to make sure it stays that way," he said lightly, and pulled a box from his jacket. "I know that we haven't been together long, but considering what we've been through, and how long we've known each other, and the things we've said, I think I can safely make this gamble."

To her shock, he slid out of his chair and went down on a knee in front of her.

"Oh, Jane," she murmured.

"Teresa Lisbon, is there the tiniest chance that you would consent to marrying me?" he asked, opening the box. Inside was a beautiful emerald surrounded by diamonds. It matched her eyes perfectly.

Her hands were over her mouth, and she couldn't find the breath to speak. She could feel the eyes of patrons all over the room.

Finally, Lisbon released the breath she'd been holding and locked her gaze onto his, dropping her hands back on her lap. "Wow, Jane," she breathed finally. "Oh my God."

He smiled a little nervously, but his eyes held hers, determined, full of love, and she could see deep emotion in that sea of blue. He knew what he was doing, what he was asking, and for once in all the time she'd known him, she saw a spark of uncertainty. He didn't know how she would answer, yet he'd asked anyway.

"In most cases," she began softly, aware of the ears nearby, "I would feel completely justified in putting you off. You know me, I like to be in control, and I am certainly not in control here."

She took a moment, smoothing her dress. "But I've thought about this a while—about us—and these things keep spinning around my head…dammit, Jane. You take all choice from me, and it strangely doesn't bother me. I really do love you, Jane, more than I could have imagined. Yes, I'll marry you, against the judgment of likely every sane person to have ever encountered you."

Jane's face broke out into a grin and he slipped the ring on her finger. It was the perfect fit. He stood and drew her up with him, kissing her slowly. Jane's hands held her face lightly, his thumbs caressing her smooth skin. Her body tingled as his kiss electrified every nerve in her body. Her right hand snaked up to his neck and the ring sparkled cheerily.

Lisbon was vaguely aware in her breathless daze of a few civilized cheers from the restaurant. It wasn't exactly a raucous place, but they had quite the audience. Jane pulled away finally, and she felt her eyes welling up. "Stop making me cry, you bastard," she muttered, dabbing carefully. "You're going to smear my mascara."

To her surprise, he laughed out loud and pulled her close, his eyes sparkling with a few tears of his own. "I intend on smearing your mascara for the rest of your life, Teresa. You'd better get used to it."

Walking to his car, he held her at her waist, keeping her close. She pulled on the shawl that Van Pelt had insisted she wear against the chilly night air.

"Wonder how consulting works with married couples," Lisbon mused idly. "A similar policy to married cops?"

"I looked it up. There's nothing on it. It's pretty much up to Minelli," Jane said knowledgeably.

"You mean you had Van Pelt look it up," Lisbon said with amusement. "She's been in on this the whole time, hasn't she?"

Jane made a noncommittal noise. "Secrets of the trade, you know."

"You bought this dress," she stated. "Van Pelt doesn't have a roommate. And she knew about this necklace because you found it while poking around my apartment. You knew I'd call her in a panic."

He grinned. "You see right through me."

She pinched his ribs playfully. "You're still a pain in the ass."

"You better not snore," he retorted. "Or steal the covers. I hate cover-hogs."

"Me snore? You've slept at my place enough to know that I most definitely do not snore. But you…have you heard yourself when your allergies are bothering you?"

He frowned down at her. "So that's why Cho's been kicking me at the office. You made Cho kick me!" he said incredulously.

Her face was full of mock indignation. "It was for all of us. You were disruptive. Disruptively snoring."

"I live to be disruptive, you know that." His voice was smug and self-satisfied.

"As long as you don't leave dirty socks lying around. I hate dirty socks with a passion."

"We're going to need a bigger house. I need a man-cave."

They stopped at the car and he rested against it, his gaze admiring her unabashedly.

"I thought that's what the couch was for," she murmured, leaning against him, her lips a mere inch from his. He folded his arms around her possessively.

"Oh, that's right," he smiled down at her. "What are you thinking right now, Teresa Lisbon? I can't seem to get a read on you."

She smiled conspiratorially. "I could tell you, but all the fun is in you figuring it out."

Before he could answer, she kissed her favorite psychic until all thoughts—both his and hers—were pushed from his mind.