Secrets

Disclaimer: Nobody associated with the show would ever write this, alas.

Author's Note: I actually think Lisbon was just stressed and preoccupied, but this popped into my head and wouldn't leave. Think of it as my comforting hug to those of us who are missing our Jane/Lisbon fix.

Jane quietly let himself into the house, not wanting to disturb Lisbon while she was working. He'd seen her living room lights on as he parked, despite the fact that it was going on eleven o'clock. Though he'd enjoyed himself, he'd left Cho and Rigsby to finish catching up without him. And, of course, he wanted to spend some time with Lisbon.

She was curled up on the couch, her laptop on the coffee table and a notepad beside it. Jane smiled at her as she snuffled in her sleep, then went into the kitchen. The lack of dirty dishes in the sink confirmed his fears: she hadn't eaten. So he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a Tupperware container of his homemade chicken noodle soup, then popped it into the microwave.

When it was heated through, he carefully poured it into a soup mug, grabbed a spoon, and carried it to the living room. "Teresa," he called softly as he set the mug on the coffee table.

"Mmph," Lisbon protested. "Go away, Jane."

"Don't give me that. Sit up and eat something, and then you can go back to sleep," he chuckled, pulling her upright.

"I'm not hungry," she muttered.

"You need to eat," he replied. "Come on. You love this stuff."

Lisbon grumbled under her breath as she picked up the mug and ate a spoonful of the soup. Then she hoisted it closer to her mouth and began to drink it, abandoning the spoon as too slow.

Jane grinned at her, glad his knowledge of her had paid off again. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm just tired," she told him. "Is there any of that bread left?"

"Sorry, no. I'll pick some up tomorrow. Finish your soup, and then you can get into your pajamas and go to sleep in your bed, where you belong."

She hummed noncommittally as she drank more soup. "Bossy," she muttered when she'd swallowed. "How's Rigsby doing?"

"Worried. Still freaked out by Maddie's close call." Jane shuddered. He could only imagine what Rigsby was going through. But he tried not to think about it; it hit way too close to his own bad memories. "As you'd expect. I left him in Cho's uber-capable hands. We missed you, though. They were disappointed you didn't come too."

Lisbon scowled at him. "You know I couldn't. It would have given everything away. And stop grinning. This is all your fault, you know!"

He tried, and failed, to get rid of his smirk. "I beg to differ. Our current predicament most definitely is a shared responsibility."

"Predicament," she grumbled, setting the empty mug on the table.

He rubbed at her belly affectionately. "I didn't mean you, baby," he told it. "I was referring to your mother's insistence on keeping you a secret."

"You agreed, as long as I stayed out of the field," she reminded him.

"I know, but you're getting this delightful little pooch now. Someone's going to notice pretty soon. Why can't we just tell people?"

"When we solve this damn case," Lisbon said. "I don't want anybody distracted. And...I don't want the killer to know, for damn sure."

"Agreed," Jane frowned. He slid an arm around her and snuggled her against him, enjoying her closeness until he heard her breathing slow. "Hey. No falling asleep on the couch. Come on; I'll tuck you in."

"Stay?" she yawned.

"Of course." He dropped a kiss into her hair, then got to his feet and pulled her up after him. Though he'd been as surprised as Lisbon when their celebration of his release from detention turned out to be life-changing in more ways than one, he couldn't be happier. He was so glad he hadn't wasted any more time with her.

Time was precious and, as Ardiles and J.J. had proved, could run out at any minute. He was going to savor every second from now on, and that meant taking care of Lisbon and their little bundle of joy every chance he got, secret or not. Though he was very much looking forward to receiving congratulations.

Lisbon was right, though: solving the case came first. He tucked her into bed, holding her until she was asleep, then went downstairs to look over her notes until the phone rang.

A/N: And that's it. Unless of course my muse is inspired by the next episode to continue this little AU!