Disclaimer – The Mentalist belongs to Bruno Heller and CBS. Not me. Obviously.

A/N - So, we've come to the end. This little epilogue is set during season 6, and though it is obviously AU now, it is based on what happened in the show. Hopefully, you'll think that it's a fitting end to this little tale. Enjoy!

~ Epilogue ~

Worth the Wait

Two and a half years later…

Lisbon sighed as she finally sat down at her new desk, biting back a groan as she noticed for the first time just how much paperwork had built up already. She'd only been at the FBI for a couple of months now, but they certainly weren't holding back on her. Not that she had ever expected them to, of course; she was here as a condition of Jane's contract with them, nothing more. She knew that if she wanted their respect, she was going to have to earn it.

Lisbon sighed again, but dutifully picked up the first report that needed her attention and grabbed a pen. Today had been long and it had been tough; God, the last few years had been tough.

She had known it wouldn't be easy to wait for him; that she and Jane would have to wait for the right time to be together in the way they both wanted, but in truth, these last few years had been hell.

When Jane had finally killed Red John, strangling the bastard with his bare hands, it had ended months of stress, panic and death. That should have been the end of their wait too, but then Jane had been forced to disappear, meaning two more years of waiting for that tentative promise between them to finally be fulfilled. The only thing that had got her through it in the end were his letters, sent with obvious regret and love.

Every letter, every word, showed that he still loved her.

When he'd finally returned to the US, it had been a surprise she had not been entirely prepared for. She had just begun to build a life for herself without him, but somehow, once he'd returned, she found herself following him to Texas of all places with barely even a token protest. In fact, with their work together at the FBI, they were almost back to normal. Except, Lisbon didn't want normal anymore. She'd waited long enough.

One step forward was that Jane had finally taken his wedding ring off, one quiet day without announcing it. He didn't mention it at the time, and she didn't ask; it was just gone. She'd thought that maybe this was a sign, that he was ready to be with her, but nothing more was said and done, and they both went on waiting.

Another step forward was that Lisbon had bitten the bullet and bought a new house in Texas, making sure that the couch in her living room could comfortably fit two people. She'd even asked Jane to come and look at it with her before she'd bought it, though she didn't tell him why, and he didn't ask. It was another step forward, followed by yet more waiting. Always waiting. Neither made a move for more, though Lisbon was certain that's what Jane still wanted, and neither mentioned that night all those years ago now when they had fallen asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

Everything had changed since they'd been reunited, and yet nothing had. They both still felt the weight of the words and promises they had made all those years ago, but even though there was now there was nothing holding them back, they still didn't act on them.

Lisbon knew why, and she was certain Jane did too; it was fear and longing and panic all rolled up into one ball of emotion. They had been through so much, but they had always, in some form of another, had each other. Neither was quite ready to risk that by jumping off the proverbial cliff.

Lisbon sighed as she signed yet another report, unable to muster even the merest bit of enthusiasm for it whilst her thoughts were still whirring on her and Jane. It had been Jane last time who had taken the plunge; maybe this time it was her turn...

"Dinner?"

The voice startled her, and she jumped slightly on instinct. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she turned to face the voice, only to find Jane standing there with a big grin on his face. How did he always know…?

"Jane," she said, trying to look as if she hadn't just been obsessing over their relationship. "What are you still doing here?"

"Waiting for you to finish up, of course," he replied easily. "Mainly, so that I can whisk you off for a nice night of fine dining and dancing."

"I don't dance," she replied bluntly. "And I have work to do."

"Oh, we both know that can wait," Jane replied, nodding towards the mounds of paperwork on her desk. "And of course you dance. Come with me."

Lisbon sighed at Jane's whine, and he grinned widely, obviously realising that he'd already won the battle. In truth, she'd had enough of the paperwork about a minute after she'd started it, and Jane's offer sounded surprisingly nice; it had been a while since someone had taken her on a proper date. Wait, date...?

"Come on then," he said, gently pulling her up from her chair before she could change her mind. "I have the perfect place in mind."

They ended up at a small Italian place not far from the FBI headquarters. It was a quiet out-of-the-way kind of place, and not too posh, so Lisbon didn't feel out of place dressed in her work clothes. Once they were sat down, she watched as Jane perused the menu, probably trying to guess what she wanted. He, of course, was dressed immaculately, having finally got past his 'I've lived on beach for two years like a hobo' look. She couldn't help but be very pleased with that particular step forward...

"Wine?" he asked, holding the bottle to her glass.

"Please," she replied, suddenly nervous. Was this a date? They'd been for dinner together hundreds of times over the years, even before they'd recognised what they meant to each other. So why did this feel different? Why were her palms sweating like she was a nervous teenager out on her first date with a boy?

Maybe it was finally time…

"I've got you a present," Jane said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.

"You have?" she replied, surprised, though she really shouldn't have been. Jane did that sometimes. He'd get her a present, sometimes silly, sometimes serious, almost as if he was constantly making the effort to prove that he still hadn't forgotten what he'd said to her all those years ago. That he still loved her.

"Yep," Jane replied somewhat smugly, obviously revelling in her surprise. "Do you want it now, or after the meal?"

"I've got you a present too," she replied, ignoring his question for the moment. She hadn't planned giving it him now, but her earlier thoughts floated back to her now. Maybe it was time to jump…

"Oh, you have?" Jane grinned, though he looked a little nervous, and she couldn't help but wonder why. "I hope we haven't got each other the same thing,"

"I doubt it," she replied, doing her best to hide her own nervousness.

"Well, you go first then," he replied, holding out his hand expectantly. She rolled her eyes at his childish enthusiasm, but dutifully dug around in her pocket for her gift. Taking a deep breath, she pulled it out and handed it to him, fighting the urge to flee when he stared at it with widening eyes.

"A key?" he asked, turning it over in his hand. For once, it looked like she had surprised him, and she couldn't help the small amount of satisfaction that rose up in her, momentarily overtaking her anxiousness.

"Yes, a key," she replied, her gaze dropping slightly as she tried to work out his reaction. "To my house."

"For me?"

"For you," Lisbon replied, meeting his eyes steadily, even as her heart beat loudly in her chest. "If you want?"

"Of course I want!" Jane replied, his grin widening. "You really want me to move in with you?"

She had thought long and hard about it, weighing all the pros and cons. At the end of everything, however, she just kept going back to one enduring image. The two of them, together on that couch.

"Yes," she replied, offering him a small smile as she tried to push her nervousness away. He beamed back at her.

"Well, I accept of course," he grinned, though she could see his emotions spilling from his eyes. "Nothing would make me happier."

"Good," she replied, and she meant it too. This was very, very good…

"Would you like my present now?" Jane asked, and to her practiced eye, he seemed a little nervous now that the elation of her gift was wearing off. She'd almost forgotten that Jane had brought a gift for her, but now she felt her nervousness return slightly.

"Sure, Jane," she replied, filled with trepidation. If that ridiculous man had gotten her another pony…

"Here," he said quietly, holding out his hand, palm up. In it, lay a single ring.

"Jane…" she whispered.

"Marry me?" he replied, his voice hoarse with emotion and anxiousness. He had never seemed so open to her. So completely himself.

"But…"

"No 'buts', Lisbon," he interrupted, stalling any protests she might have had. "I love you. You love me. We've waited long enough. Marry me."

She didn't reply immediately, mainly because she wasn't sure she even had the ability to speak anymore. A part of her knew that this was completely ridiculous, that it was too much, too soon, and yet she couldn't stop staring at the ring in his hand, couldn't stop the images of him gently putting it on her finger…

She glanced up at Jane, and found him staring at her, tears in his eyes. She studied him, and he held her gaze steadily; after a long moment she was eventually forced to admit that there were no tricks, no manipulation, and not even a hint of a lie in his eyes. He loved her. He wanted to marry her because he loved her.

Normal men didn't propose before they'd even finished their first date, she told herself, trying to let Jane's question sink in. But then, Jane had never been a normal man. He wasn't perfect, not by any means, but if the last few years had taught her anything, it was that he meant more to her than anyone else. And as ridiculous as he was, she did love him.

"Okay," she said quietly, the word spilling from her lips before she could stop it.

"Okay?" Jane asked, as if he couldn't quite believe it. "Yes, you'll marry me?"

"Yes," she replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself, "Yes, I'll marry you."

It was completely ridiculous, she knew it was, but then he was ridiculous, they were ridiculous, and no matter how it might look to other people, it felt right for them. She'd been waiting a hell of a long time for him, for them to be in a place where they would be ready for this step. Some might say they were moving too fast, especially since they hadn't even finished their first date, but for her, it didn't feel like they were moving fast enough.

This was right, she thought as she felt him place the ring on her finger. It was exactly the right fit, the right weight, the right style, and though she shouldn't have been surprised by that, she found that she still was. He could still surprise her, and she loved that.

She loved him. And despite all the trouble he had caused her over the years, despite all the time and pain and heartache it had taken for them to finally get to this place in their lives, she couldn't wait to find out what was in store for them next.

~ The End ~

A/N - So, there it is. I really hope you like how I've ended it, and the direction I've taken these characters in. It took a lot of thought, mainly because I didn't want to move them too fast, but I also didn't want to go too far in the future with them. This felt about right, and I hope you agree.

I also just want to take a moment to thank everyone who has followed, favourited or reviewed this story at any point over the last few months; your support means the world to me, it really does! You've been inspiring me so much that I might write a sequel to this sometime in the future.

For now though, this little journey is over. I will definitely write more for The Mentalist in the future, because I completely adore the character of Patrick Jane, and I am currently a staff member at what is now the largest collection of Mentalist fics on this website (The community is called 'Crimson Pain' for anyone who's interested - subscribe if you want because I'm always updating it with great new stories!). I'm certainly not going to disappear from the fandom, and I will be back writing soon enough, but for now, thanks for reading!