A/N: Thanks to all who have commented and followed this story. If you're interested in my original works, I have set up a newsletter. Just privately message me your name and e-mail address, then I will add you to the list. There's also the opportunity to become a test reader for my debut novel too.

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x tromana

Part Eight

"I knew I'd miss you."

"Oh," she said quietly.

Her voice sounded a lot smaller than she had initially anticipated. In a way, she had expected him to say a little more than that, but then, this was Jane. She could never have expected him to start telling her precisely why he was here, right down to the smallest of details. Jane had never been the kind of person to share his innermost thoughts. It took a lot for him to even divulge important details about his past even in her. Even on cases he often concealed things from her and then claimed that it was for the greater good when things invariably went wrong. In reality, Lisbon knew that she should have been grateful that he had said anything at all instead of just avoiding a direct answer.

"And in all honesty, given the choice between your company and the rest of the team's..." he trailed off and smiled at her.

Lisbon was left momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected for a second that he would expand upon his statement, hence her initial disappointment. It took a few moments for his words to settle around her and then, she began to consider the repercussions of what he'd just admitted. Jane wasn't one to state things directly; he always preferred to make people work it out for themselves, or invariably trap themselves because of his wordplay and actions. Tentatively, with her heart thumping a military tattoo against her rib cage, she reached over the table and allowed her fingers to brush gently against her wrist.

"Thank you. I think."

"So am I forgiven for gate crashing your vacation?"

"I still haven't forgiven you for tricking me into it in the first place," she answered with a smirk.

"Touché," he replied with a grin.

The rest of the meal passed by quickly and Lisbon actually began to enjoy herself. Whatever concerns she had about Jane joining her now seemed irrelevant and besides, she was determined to enjoy herself one way or another. Just because the vacation already hadn't turned out in the way she expected, it didn't mean she couldn't have fun. And if she spent the whole trip worrying about Jane and his intentions, then she wouldn't have a chance to relax as it was. For once, she decided that she would just let things happen. Somebody wise had once told her that everything happened for a reason and she should just go with the flow. It may have been a bit late, but it was about time she took that advice seriously. Besides, beyond Jane, there was nobody around to judge her if that decision went spectacularly wrong. If it did, then she would easily be able to pretend nothing had happened.

As it turned out, the person who had tipped Jane off about the restaurant had been entirely correct. The food was fantastic and service impeccable. She was glad that she had put her faith in him; Lisbon would never have been able to find this restaurant had she been on her own. Jane had insisted that she spoil herself with a dessert of some variety and now, they were left sipping coffees and watching the sun set.

"Have you ever been here before?" Lisbon asked, intrigued and Jane shook his head.

"I always wanted to bring my wife here, but it never happened."

"The fear of flying?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. I kept putting it off and then..."

He trailed off and shook his head. Immediately, Lisbon felt guilty for bringing up the subject matter. Despite the fact he was now more open about his family and seemed capable of thinking about them in a more positive light now, it didn't stop the feelings from being bittersweet. Although she had come to terms with what her father had become after her mom's death, there were still times she felt resentful of it, even now. And she knew, therefore, that Jane would always feel the same way. For more than a decade, he had put his life on hold in order to track down their killer; it was only natural that it was still difficult. It was a huge shift in mindset to undergo and she couldn't expect it to change overnight. Red John had only been apprehended a year ago; he was still alive and presumably well, in a prison cell. Maybe, once he had been executed, it would be easier for Jane again. However, that was still an unknown entity. She couldn't know for certain how Jane would react until it had actually happened.

When he took her hand as they left the restaurant, she didn't object for a while. Ordinarily, she would have thrown him off as she wasn't really one for being tactile. However, she didn't know anybody else here and she had genuinely appreciated just how frank he had been with her during the meal. At least, that was what she decided it meant. Besides, she had never felt as close to anyone as she did to Jane; whatever their relationship was, she knew that she couldn't live without him. Not anymore.

The night passed by painfully slowly. Lisbon slept badly, constantly tossing and turning all night. It didn't help that she could practically feel Jane's eyes on her at all times. True to his word, he'd curled up on the couch with just a comforter thrown over his pajama-clad body and left her in peace. However, it wasn't enough to stop her from feeling awkward. Once again, she found herself wishing she had her privacy when she knew that was virtually impossible at this moment in time. But then, she was the kind of person who needed her personal space on occasion and right now, she was being denied it.

All she could do was hope that Jane didn't intend to spend literally every waking and sleeping moment with her during these two weeks. If she could just spend a couple of hours alone, to either distract herself from thinking about him or at least, set her thoughts straight, then she knew she would be fine. And if he refused to give her that one thing, then she would have to find a way to make sure he understood the necessity for it.

In the morning, they shared breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. The room overlooked the ocean and Lisbon vaguely considered the idea of heading down there later on. Jane remained as attentive to her every need as he had the evening before and that in itself had her wondering. It was very unlike him to try to impress her with good behavior and listening to her every whim. Usually, he waited until everything went wrong and then tried to make it up to her using elaborate gifts instead of apologies.

When her cellphone rang off, she quickly excused herself. She wasn't surprised to hear Agent Decosta on the other end of the line. Swiftly, he informed her that he had managed to organize a meeting with the family and with some bemusement at the requested location, she confirmed her and Jane's attendance.

"More tea?" Jane asked as she sat back down and Lisbon shook her head. "What did Decosta want? Has he organized the interview."

"Yes, here. In an hour," she responded with a wry grin.