And in the End...
The alarm woke her at six in the morning, breaking up the warm fluffy dream she was having. She reached over to hit the snooze button and was burying her head back into her pillow to catch a few more minutes sleep.
"Alarm is kinda loud, isn't it?" Jane's voice cut through the silence and Lisbon was suddenly aware her back was against his chest, his arms were around her middle, and her butt was against...
She jumped out of bed and turned the alarm completely off before looking at him. With her bounce up she had dislodged the covers and could see he was wearing little more than his untucked button down and boxers. She snorted. "Nice sleepwear."
He sat up on the edge of the bed to slip on his pants and shrugged. "I had to get comfortable," he told her, "and it was short notice."
Lisbon winced at the memory. "I asked you to stay, didn't I."
"Yep," he said, cheerfully before walking towards her. "I'll see you at work," he told her before kissing her forehead and whistling as he headed out of the door.
Lisbon found out from the church that Billy Moore had been Laura's Sunday school teacher and had been at the church a little over a year. When she presented her badge at the door he pushed her down and took off running, effectively pissing her off and giving her a good reason to haul his ass in for questioning. She let Cho and Jane have him.
"Why am I here?" Moore whined. "I haven't done anything."
Cho looked at him blandly. "You assaulted an agent."
"She was in my way."
Jane smiled at him. "I have to tell you, Billy, you're looking pretty guilty where I'm sitting. I mean, why run when you're innocent."
"I was late for an appointment, man."
"Well, looks like you missed it now," Cho told him. "Tell us about Laura."
"I didn't know her outside of church."
"How about in the church?"
"Not really."
Jane's smile widened more. "Billy, come on. The girl had been in your class for how many months? Eight? And you claim not to know her?"
Moore sneered. "I like my women a little older."
"Ah!" the consultant said, "like Agent Lisbon? You did knock her off her feet," he said with a wink to the two way where Lisbon was standing.
"Can I leave?" the man asked.
"No," Cho told him. "How was Laura in class?"
Moore sighed. "Distracted, uninformed. She was a constant bother."
Cho's eyebrows lifted. "How so?"
"Excuse me?" the teacher asked.
"Well, you said she was a constant bother. How was she a bother to you?"
"Normal twelve year old stuff I suppose. Gossiping, talking constantly, you know. She was annoying. But she didn't deserve being dumped in the trash."
Both men shifted even as Lisbon herself straightened. "Trash?" Jane asked with his amused look. "Where did you hear that?"
"You," the sullen man said.
"I never said anything about that," he told him. "Cho?"
"Not me."
Moore paled. "I think I want to call my lawyer now."
Jane came out grinning. "We got our man, Lisbon!" he told her excited as he met her out in the hall.
"He lawyered up, Jane."
"He'll confess!" He rubbed his hands. "How about dinner to celebrate?"
"Sure," she agreed. "But let's invite the team," she told him.
"I'll take care of it," he bounced ahead of her.
She was suspicious when he told her they were all busy but she had witnessed him talking to each one of them., When they had a nice dinner and adjoined to her place for the latter part of the night she asked him, "What did you really talk to the team about?"
Jane ran his finger down her slender neck. "I told them I wanted a chance at their boss and they agreed they wouldn't hinder me."
She opened her mouth to argue but he used the advantage to kiss her full mouthed.
Later, they laid exhausted in her bed, Jane running his hand up and down her naked back as she laid on her stomach, head in the pillow. Finally, she shifted so she could talk. "Poor child," she said, Laura on her mind for the moment.
"Yes," he agreed, "but we got him. He will never hurt another child again."
She was quiet for a moment then got on her elbows to look at him more properly. "How can you stand it, Patrick?"
It could have been a generic question but he knew it wasn't. "She's not mine, Teresa. No one ever will be."
She lifted her hand to touch his bare chest. "I don't want to replace your wife."
"What do you want?" he asked her.
"I guess I want to quit fighting this and go with what comes my way," she told him.
He gave her a soft smile. "You don't have to replace anybody. I don't want you to. I don't want you to be her. I want you to be you, Teresa. Just be yourself."
"I guess I can promise that."
Jane's smile turned into a smirk before he pulled her over to him to kiss her deeply once more.