Well, this is it. Thank you for the reviews, especially those who kindly reviewed several or all of the chapters. This is the first (intentional) multi-chapter fic I've written, and it's immensely encouraging to know that people are reading and enjoying the story as you're writing it.

Happy Mentalist viewing, and I wish you all many magical Jane/Lisbon moments!

They all eased very slowly into their Sunday, as though making any sudden moves might frighten the rest of their holiday away. Breakfast was a leisurely affair, without a great deal of conversation. Everyone was busy trying to imprint the beauty of the day on their minds so that they would be able to call it up at will and repeatedly savour the pleasantness of the whole experience – the tangy smell of the sea, the fluffy clouds scudding across an impossibly blue sky, the sunlight dancing on the restless water, the good food, and the complete absence of any corpses.

Lisbon received a call from one of her brothers, and retreated outside to enjoy her conversation in privacy. Through the open doors, the others could see her evident pleasure at talking to her family members, all of whom (right down to the baby) were apparently taking it in turns to come on the line, if the changes in the pitch of her voice were anything to go by. Jane felt almost jealous of those unseen people who won so effortlessly from Lisbon the type of affection and intimacy that he was craving from her.

After breakfast Jane disappeared into his room and began rooting about in his luggage. He triumphantly re-emerged carrying some children's fishing nets and several plastic buckets and spades in various shapes, sizes and garish colours. How he had fitted them all into his bag was a bit of a Mary Poppins mystery.

"Let's build a sandcastle," he said, with such an eager, hopeful expression that not even Cho had the heart to throw cold water on his plan. They followed him somewhat unenthusiastically to a sandy section of beach that he'd been eyeing all weekend for this very purpose.

"Perfect," he said with satisfaction, and distributed the buckets and spades.

At first everybody helped fairly willingly, but once the initial structure was in place, the others started to realise that Jane was not, in fact, building a sandcastle, but was instead intent on creating a sand sculpture.

At this point Cho and Rigsby lost interest and instead set off with the fishing nets to see if they could catch anything with them. Judging by the yelling and splashing, they were putting all their energy into the effort, but the best they could manage was a few tiny fish which they immediately threw back. Rigsby also made the strategic error of standing on a crab, which nipped him viciously on the toe in response, so he was a bit woebegone when he later returned to the balm of Van Pelt's sympathetic company. Cho had just laughed at him.

"It's lucky we're not relying on you two for our lunch," Lisbon remarked dryly when they returned wet and empty-handed.

She too had abandoned the Great Sandcastle Construction Effort, leaving it in Jane and Van Pelt's capable hands. Instead she went in search of driftwood to make a drawbridge with and seaweed, pebbles and shells for various decorative and utilitarian purposes. Returning with her collection, she began to decorate the castle with the faraway look of someone who is hovering somewhere between her adult self and the dreamy little child she once was. Jane suspected that the little kid version had the upper hand.

Once the castle was complete, Van Pelt fetched her phone so that she could immortalise their work of art on camera. It was a truly impressive structure, all medieval towers and battlements and parapets.

"You never do anything the normal way, do you?" Lisbon said to Jane, but there was no malice in her tone. If anything, it rather sounded as though she liked that about him.

Jane smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That would be boring, Lisbon," he replied.

After a late lunch, they packed up reluctantly and set off back home.

Apart from the low-key murmur of Van Pelt and Rigsby chatting in the backseat and Jane's occasional comments about the scenery, the drive back was quiet. Jane compared Lisbon's current relaxed demeanour with the tenseness she had displayed on the drive there two days earlier and felt rather proud of himself.

Yes, he admitted at last, that strange unfamiliar feeling that he was experiencing was indeed happiness.

Back at the CBI, Van Pelt, Rigsby and Cho transferred their possessions to their own cars, sincerely thanked Jane once again, and then went their separate ways.

Lisbon and Jane both felt a strange unwillingness to do the same.

"We should do that again sometime," Jane said. "Soon."

Lisbon smiled at him, but didn't commit herself either way.

"And next time we can dispense with the company of Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt, since they insist on remaining merely our colleagues," he twinkled mischievously at her.

Had Jane just asked her to go on holiday alone with him? Lisbon's eyes widened slightly in surprise. This wasn't what she'd meant when she'd said they were friends. Well, not officially, anyway.

"But then we'd have no-one to beat at Pictionary," she said as lightly as she could.

"I'm sure we could find other ways to entertain ourselves," Jane said, and this time Lisbon's heart-rate definitely sped up. What was the annoying man up to now? Give him an inch and he took a mile. He was like a colonising parasite – he would start by taking up residence in her heart and mind, and end up taking over her whole life, mind, body and soul.

Jane, slightly lost in Lisbon's eyes as her mind drifted tantalisingly over the thought of him colonising her body, lifted his hand and gently brushed her cheek with his fingers. The action was entirely unpremeditated, but as soon as he made contact with her soft skin, a shock seemed to race through his system, making him hurriedly drop his hand and step backwards in confusion.

Lisbon, surprised by his evident uncertainty, reached out and touched his hand briefly with her own.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jane," she said, and as they smiled at each other they shared another one of their magical moments of connection.

Lisbon climbed reluctantly into her car, but before she could start the engine, Jane suddenly said, "Lisbon! Wait!"

He hurried over to where his luggage was and pulled out the packet with the DVDs in it. Handing it to her through her window, he said, "These aren't rentals; I bought them. For you."

Jane was wearing that same eager, expectant grin that he'd worn when he'd given her the emeralds and the pony, and Lisbon felt the now familiar rush of sweetness go through her as she took the bag from him.

"I figured you probably just watch these movies when they happen to come on TV or occasionally rent a pile of them for a movie marathon, but that you wouldn't have ever gone to the time and trouble to buy them for yourself. And since you won't spoil yourself, I decided someone else should do it for you." He paused for a moment, and then went on recklessly. "Now that we're officially friends, there isn't anything to prevent us from spending our free time together with a clear conscience – the conscience, in this scenario, obviously being yours," he grinned at her cheekily, "so maybe I could come over and watch these with you some time?"

"I'd like that," Lisbon said, suddenly experiencing a strange giddy feeling, as though she was in free-fall. She gave her head a tiny shake to try to restore her equilibrium. "Thank you, Jane."

"Oh, and may I commend you on your truly impressive personal growth, Lisbon. You're coming along in leaps and bounds!" Jane had never been very good at knowing when to shut up.

Lisbon gave a little growl and started her car, but Jane saw the corners of her mouth twitching as she said, "Goodbye, Jane!" and drove away.

Later that afternoon when Jane was unpacking his things, he came across the list he'd made before the trip with his drawing of the castle and the man climbing the walls. He realised that the castle that he'd built on the beach that morning was very like the one in his drawing. After a bit of thought, he carefully erased the man, and redrew him standing triumphantly on the top of the battlements. The rope he'd climbed to get there was gone, so there was no turning back. Now that he was on the right side of the wall, what was he supposed to do next?

Jane wasn't sure, but he intended to find out.

THE END

Well, I couldn't have Jane at the beach and not let him build one of his famous castles, now could I? That would be a waste.

Thanks for reading.