This final chapter is Jisbon! Intended to be cute and fluffy. Enjoy.

Chapter 16

11:54 PM

Jane and Lisbon were on the first floor when Jane stopped abruptly. Lisbon could tell from his expression that he had just had an idea.

"What?" She asked curiously. Jane smiled.

"Can you give me 10 minutes? I'll be right back." He asked. He did not wait for an answer and rather turned and disappeared around a corner. Lisbon sighed and sat down in the closest chair. She did not enjoy being forced to wait even longer, but she was glad Jane was acting more like Jane... unpredictable.

Jane returned exactly 10 minutes later.

"Where were you?" She asked suspiciously. He simply smiled and passed by her and into the lobby of the hospital. Lisbon sighed, knowing he was not going to tell her. She followed him to her car, which a police officer had driven to the hospital since Lisbon arrived in the ambulance with Melony.

They got in the car and left the hospital, heading first to Lisbon's apartment.

12:15 AM

The car ride was silent. Jane blocked out his memories from the day by counting the light poles they passed, while Lisbon had her weary eyes trained on the road in front of her. She wanted to talk to Jane about the shooting, but she wasn't sure how to approach the issue. She finally broke the silence.

"Collin's parents have hired a lawyer. He'll probably stay out of jail." She informed him, hoping to somehow lead into the hostage situation.

"That's good." Jane commented indifferently. He kept counting light poles. Lisbon glanced over at him before continuing.

"Melony claims that Collin was forced to do it." She explained, but Jane did not react. "He went back to save her. The jury will sympathize with him." She furthered, glancing over at him expectantly.

"I'll testify." Jane answered simply, still having no interest in talking. Lisbon sighed, frustrated.

"Jane." She said his name, hoping he could tell what she wanted and, of course, he could without even looking at her.

"You offered me the ride so you could make sure I was stable enough to work. Being the boss, you're held accountable for your team's actions." Jane explained logically, still refusing to face Lisbon. "I'm fine. I don't need any kind of pep talk from you." He furthered with a hint of resentment in his tone. Lisbon frowned.

"That's all you think this is? You think I'm trying to protect my job?" She questioned impatiently. Her voice revealed anger. "I wanted to talk to you because you… scared me." She explained, her voice growing softer. "I was scared you were going to hurt someone, Jane." She continued, recalling the event in her mind. "I'm just worried about you." She concluded, hoping Jane would actually have a conversation with her about what happened.

"Don't be." He countered. His voice sounded tired, but then again, so did hers. "What's done is done." He added, sounding somewhat defeated.

"Don't block me out-" Lisbon began to fire back, but Jane interrupted her before she could finish.

"Lisbon, I'm not like you. I'm not a cop." He explained, finally turning his bright blue eyes to look at her. "I've never shot a person… I've never killed someone." He confessed. "That may be an everyday occurrence for you, but not for me." His eyes drifted back to the window, before finishing. "It's normal for me to be in shock… to be upset. If I wasn't, then you'd have real cause for concern." He reasoned. Lisbon's eyes remained trained on the empty street in front of them. There was an uneasy silence.

"The first time I killed someone, I was a rookie at CBI. We were apprehending a suspect." Lisbon started solemnly, her hands tightening on the wheel. Jane looked over at her. "I wasn't even familiar with arrest procedures. They just told me to watch." She continued, a hint of a laugh in her voice as she remembered how inexperienced she had been. "Then the suspect's cousin arrived at the scene and… he pulled a gun with no warning." She explained, her eyes never looking at Jane. Her grip on the wheel tightened even more to the point where her knuckles turned white. Jane noticed this, but remained silent. "I reacted… out of fear I suppose." She paused. "The man died in the hospital a week later." Lisbon looked like she was close to crying, but Jane knew better than to call attention to it. "The man we had apprehended didn't even commit the murder we were investigating." She confessed despairingly. "Jane, you don't like it. You don't get used to it. You don't forget." She concluded. Jane and Lisbon were silent.

Jane finally decided to speak up about what happened.

"He was just a kid." He pointed out.

"He was going to kill me and that little girl." Lisbon countered, glancing at Jane. "He was dead the moment he pulled that gun. You stopped him from taking anyone with him."

"That doesn't make it right." Jane concluded.

"Would you feel any better if he had killed me?" Lisbon asked, her voice regaining its serious tone. Jane turned to face her, but did not answer her question. He imagined how scared he'd been and how the situation could have ended very differently. Had he not shot him, Lisbon could have died. Jane could not imagine what would happen to him if Lisbon died. "Jane, you saved my life." She stated, glancing at Jane's contemplative expression. "I thought it was the end. I was absolutely terrified and then… you saved us." She furthered with a comforting smile. Jane's eyes met hers only briefly before Lisbon turned back to the street just in time to stop at the red light.

"I guess you owe me then." Jane remarked with a slight smile, trying to lighten the tension.

"Are you kidding? I save you all the time." Lisbon countered playfully. "I definitely don't owe you. That being said, I've got your back." She finished, with a sentimental smile. Jane smiled back at her, amused by Lisbon's attempt at cheering him up… because it worked.

12:53 PM

Lisbon slowed down the car as her apartment building came into view. She parked out front, pausing before opening the door.

"Want to come up?" She asked Jane.

"Don't we need to go on a date first?" Jane joked with a clever smirk. Something akin to hope briefly flickered in her green eyes before being replaced with a disapproving glare.

"It's either that or you can wait in the car… and I'll probably be awhile." She explained, slowly opening the door and stepping out into the street. Jane smiled and did the same. It was almost one in the morning and the street was quiet and empty. Most of the lights in the buildings were off, leaving only the streetlights to light the sidewalk.

1:03 AM

Jane followed Lisbon into the apartment and immediately gravitated towards the couch where he collapsed.

"Nice couch." He commented, with a smirk. Lisbon walked up to the couch and looked down at the consultant.

"Don't fall asleep." She warned, before moving past him towards her bedroom. "And don't touch anything." She added.

"Are you scared I'll find your secrets?" Jane remarked. Lisbon stopped by the doorway and turned back to face him. "Because I'm pretty sure I already know them all." Jane continued with a devilish grin. Lisbon sighed and walked toward the center of the room so Jane could see her better. There was only a coffee table between them.

"I doubt that." She challenged, crossing her arms. Jane watched her eyes carefully.

"I know you like me." He commented nonchalantly, still smiling.

Lisbon froze.

She was overwhelmed by a sense of fear and for a moment, she could not respond. Her mind slowly processed what he said and how he said it. She eventually arrived at an answer.

"You're just saying that so you can read my reaction." She responded. His eyes revealed only curiosity and amusement.

"Maybe." He replied casually, sitting up slightly. Lisbon could tell from his expression that he knew. Her shoulders sunk slightly, but her expression was unchanged. "The flash of fear in your eyes gave you away and how your face paled slightly." Jane explained with a clever smile. Lisbon was quiet for another minute before frowning slightly.

"You're not always right." She countered, before abruptly leaving the room. Jane was still smiling after she left.

1:26 AM

Lisbon had quickly changed into a clean suit and then, for the rest of the time, she sat on her bed, replaying her conversation with Jane in her head. She knew he was waiting for her to give him a ride home, but she had no idea what to tell him. She knew she had feelings for him and that her heart seemed to flutter every time she was alone with him. Lisbon knew she blushed whenever he touched her hand or put her at the center of his attention. She liked his charm and cleverness, and how he could see behind everyone's lies and secrets. Then again, that same clever nature is what put her in this position.

She finally summoned enough courage to face him. Lisbon entered her living room to find the consultant lying on her couch with his eyes closed.

"Jane?" She asked, checking whether he was sleeping. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest and concluded that he was, in fact, asleep. She felt strangely disappointed. "Why can't I just say it?" She announced to no one in particular. "It was the perfect chance." She continued while pacing. Her voice was quiet so as not to disturb Jane. She sighed and took another look at the consultant, who remained unmoved. Lisbon smiled slightly. She moved towards the lounging chair adjacent to the sofa. She sat down and leaned back. "You were right." She sighed; frustrated with the fact that she could not tell Jane. Something constrained her. She had had the perfect opportunity and now it had been wasted.

While her mind succumbed to her regrets, she noticed movement to her right. She looked over and saw that Jane had a smirk on his face. His eyes were still closed, but he was smiling.

"Jane?" She asked hesitantly.

"You should really know better by now." Jane answered amusedly, his eyes still closed. "Also, do you really talk to yourself when you're alone?" He teased.

"But…" Lisbon started, but she could not find an excuse. There was no reason why she fell for it for a third time.

"So, Teresa, what was I right about?" He questioned, opening his eyes and shifting slightly so he could see her. Lisbon just stared at him until she finally gave in.

"I… I like you." She answered hesitantly. She was relieved yet worried now that her secret was out. Jane kept smiling, but Lisbon could not recognize any other emotion besides amusement.

"In what way?" He furthered. Lisbon gave him a confused look. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" He elaborated. Lisbon frowned slightly, knowing that Jane was simply messing with her.

"Patrick, we work together." She explained, giving a legitimate excuse for why the conversation should end there. Jane did not buy it.

"Then why'd you call me Patrick?" He asked with a witty smile. His eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. Lisbon thought over what she said and noticed the slip. Why did I call him Patrick? I never call him Patrick.

"Because it's your name." She countered.

"At work you wouldn't call me Patrick." Jane observed. "That makes this personal, or it implies that you wish this was more personal… like if we were dating or something." He reasoned, thoroughly enjoying himself. Lisbon felt like they were playing a game, one that she was clearly losing. Her mind tried to find a good answer… then she realized something.

"You called me Teresa." She pointed out. This time she was smiling at her own cleverness. Jane was prepared and did not hesitate to answer.

"I guess that means I want you to be my girlfriend." Jane shrugged. He watched Lisbon as she processed what he said. Her expression revealed shock. Her green eyes widened and her cheeks blushed a bright red. "You're cute when you're surprised." He commented. Jane had won the game.

"You… like me?" She asked, her face glowing even brighter. "You're not just messing with me?" She asked almost fearfully.

"Do you need proof?" He asked. Jane then pulled his feet off the couch and onto the floor, thus making room on the couch. "Sit." He directed, patting the spot next to him with his hand. Lisbon hesitated before complying. She stood up and moved past Jane and to the seat next to him. With that he turned to look at her.

"What? Are you going to kiss m-" Lisbon started to tease, but Jane silenced her... with a tender kiss. In one swift movement, Jane closed the space between them and easily caught her lips with his. His hand moved to caress her cheek and pull her closer to him. Lisbon did not pull away. Instead, she closed her eyes and returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm. Her hand brushed against the back of his neck until she could feel his curly blond hair between her fingertips. Jane could feel Lisbon smiling behind the kiss, which made him smile back. They were both truly enjoying the moment, but they finally broke apart so they could breathe. Between gasps for air, the two found themselves laughing. Lisbon shoved Jane slightly as revenge for setting her up with his incessant questioning. She then leaned into him, resting her arm across his chest. She was careful to avoid the stain on his shirt, which was now dry and faded, but still a reminder of the day's events. Jane wrapped his arm around Lisbon so that his hand was resting on her shoulder and was holding her near him. Then, he rested his head against hers and the back of the sofa. For the first time in a long time, he felt at home.

Jane and Lisbon laid in that position for a few minutes before Lisbon remembered that they were supposed to continue to Jane's house so he could change and then back to the hospital. She shifted slightly, but found that Jane was unmoved.

"Patrick?" She asked wearily, carefully moving so she could see his face. His head was leaning against the back of the couch. His eyes were closed and he had a peaceful expression on his face. Lisbon smiled and returned to her original position with her head resting on his chest. "Good night." She said softly.

11:02 AM

Collin Cunningham was unnerved by a constant beeping sound coming from his right. He slowly opened his eyes and was blinded by light. He moaned slightly, before painfully sitting up and taking in his surroundings. He was in a hospital, but he was not alone. His little sister, Melony, was asleep in the chair to his left with her feet resting on his bed. He smiled. Up until now, he was not sure he would ever see her again. He wanted to wake her up and give her a hug, but he decided to let her sleep. She needed the rest. He stared at her for another minute, before his eyes drifted to his night table where two objects caught his eye.

On his table there were two yo-yos, one green and one blue, with a letter set up next to them. The card had a beautiful photo of a sunrise on the beach with a cloud of seagulls taking to the skies. Collin admired the photo before opening the card to see who it was from.

Collin and Melony,

We'll stop by the hospital this afternoon. Enjoy the yo-yos!

Sincerely,
Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon

THE END

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed and please review! Happy Holidays!

Hadley

P.S. Reviews inspire me to write more stories, so please review and tell me what you think of this story or what you may want to read in the future.Thanks.

I'm currently working on another Jisbon fic, Red Roses.