AN: Thanks a lot to everyone who red this fic and who let an anonimous review- in this case, I couldn't get back at you personally, so here I am. Hope you liked this journey, or at least, that you did as much as I did.

Chapter Seven

Even if they had left the wedding in a hurry, probably getting few speeding tickets on their way, after few miles they had decided to slow down. They had rode in peace and tranquility, enjoying the places they were passing by, staying in comfortable silence. They hadn't spoken, not even once, not even about the road, allowing the street and fate to guide them whenever it was.

And it was that way that, at sunset, they found themselves at a small, peaceful beach, somewhere on the south-west. They weren't sure exactly where they were, but it looked as good a place as any to spend the night and look at the future.

The beach was very small, just on the side of the road, one so small that was known probably just to locals, and when they left the car to stare at the sun dying in the sea, Jane left the radio turned on to create atmosphere- there was a song on, called "Lullabye".

"You better turn that off. I don't want to risk being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no mobile." Teresa said, crossing her arms and making herself as small as possible. It wasn't that hard, though. In that huge withe cloud, she seemed to disappear. He couldn't believe that Grace had talked her into buying such a thing, but maybe, after all, it wasn't really that strange. Teresa hadn't been so sure about her impeding wedding, of course she wouldn't be so sure about her dress too. Hence, the choice of one that her bridesmaid fancied. Because that... dress- because after all the thing was indeed a dress - screamed Van Pelt in every possible way.

"You are hurting this piece of art, Lisbon. Poor creature had finally started to believe that you had gotten around to love her, and yet you put a knife in her back..." he said, caressing the hood of his baby blue Citroen. When she rolled her eyes, he added, matter of fact: "Besides, woman, I do have my phone with me."

"Right. And remember me, where was the last cell tower we saw in the distance? What? Did you just say too far away to actually get a signal decent enough? Because that's exactly how I would answer."

He shook his head, laughing, and he felt tears wetting his eyes. He couldn't believe that he had been ready to just give up on something so beautiful, so perfect, for a lonely existence. Maybe Teresa was right. Maybe he really needed decent psychiatric help, because he had been crazy enough to just even contemplate abandoning her.

"You want to sit on the beach?" he asked her, his eyes fixed on the calming and calm waves. He was glad to be there with her. He had always loved the sea, he admired the beauty and peace of the sunset in such small places, and to get to contemplate it with her, his love, was even better.

She blushed, but she didn't nod, nor denied him his request. She could see he wanted it, but she didn't dare to walk out in the open with her wedding dress still on. Somehow, it felt wrong, both towards Pete and Jane. It was like she was cheating on them with each other. She just couldn't do it.

And, as always, Jane knew it, as before she could even try to explain herself he was offering her a freshly ironed shirt of his, and a belt.

"It should be knee length. It can easily be mistaken as a summer dress." he said sweetly, helping her out with the back zipper without waiting for Teresa to say anything. He kissed the exposed skin of her shoulder, and then her neck, nuzzling the warm skin. "I am going to lit a bonfire while you are at this."

It took her over ten minutes to join him, and when she did, he was already done with the fire, indication that yet again there was something Patrick Jane knew how to do. He grinned, with that smile of his, that "Gotcha!" expression he so often used to have when he was dealing with Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon. She blushed in answer, glad that he wasn't talking about the whole thing, and yet embarrassed that he knew that she had been staring at him.

"I'm still not completely sure that it really looks like a dress, but thanks anyway." She said, as casually as possible. And yet, she kept blushing more and more. She couldn't help it, but her mind kept going in weird places, and imagining herself wearing just lingerie and Jane's shirt for completely different reasons. Very sexy reasons.

"No need to thank me, Lisbon. Getting to stare at your bare legs is payment enough for the loss of a shirt" he whistled, staring at the exposed skin like the greedy wolf from an old cartoon she used to watch with her brothers. Despite everything, the whole situation made her laugh.

She was so, so happy. They both were. When was the last time she had felt this way? When she was still a child, probably, or maybe... that time, when she and Jane had worked on different cases, and they had seen each other again after days away and he had told her that he had missed her.

"So, what do we do?" she asked once at his side, staring at the darkening waves. She sat embracing her knees.

He turned to look at her, lifting his eyebrows. He probably knew she meant in that moment and not in the long run, but Lisbon was positive he just wanted to tease her a bit. After all, she had been the one to ask him to help her escape her own wedding.

He grinned as he saw her pout, the most lovely thing for him, and he just shrugged. "I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood for food. So I'd say we catch a nap and then first thing tomorrow we catch an early breakfast."

"And then?" she asked, looking at the sand, don't daring to ask Jane what he wanted. Just because he was there with her, it didn't mean anything. Maybe he still saw her as just a friend. Maybe he just wanted to help her out. Or maybe... Oh, she hoped he was on the same page as her, that they shared the same wishes.

"Then, we can do whatever we want." he answered, firmly. He was smiling, and his smile was simply beautiful. She couldn't get enough of it. And it was contagious. When he was happy, she was happy too.

He gave her a peck on the lips - he didn't want to rush things, and now he knew they were going to have all the time they wanted - and then he put an arm around her shoulders, his chin resting on her head. They stayed that way, with Lisbon's head resting on his chest. He kept staring at the ocean and nuzzling her neck and her hair, and instead of exiting her or making her heartbeat erratic, she got calmer and calmer, until her breathing suggested she was half-asleep.

"If I were to marry you, I would never ask you to wear such a dress. It doesn't suit you. I would allow you to decide on your own, making sure that your bridesmaid didn't interfere, and if you told me that you'd like to wear a knee length, champagne colored dress, I would never ask you to wear a white monstrosity just because it's somehow fashionable and because tradition wants the bride to wear white."

"Uh, uh" she nodded, and he wondered if she was actually paying attention or if it was some kind of automatic reflex. He wouldn't be surprised if it was the case. She had never been so relaxed around him before, not even that time he had to hypnotize her.

Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark
And deep inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me

Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullabye
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me

"Uh... so cheesy, Patrick..." she murmured against his shirt, holding to him as for dear life. He smiled, because it was so rare to listen to her calling him by his given name. Normally, it was because she wanted to persuade him to not do something, or to comfort him. This was new, and amazing and the best feeling in the whole world. He had missed this feeling, he realized, his mind going to Angela and Charlotte once more, but with longing instead of despair, he had gone too long without it. It was time to remedy that.

As he held her in his arms, he also decided that he didn't need to seduce her with a song. That, from now on, was going to be a private joke between them, just to make her happy, to make her laugh and smile. She had never done enough of those things, and she deserved to be happier now. And it was his duty to make sure she did, as he had been the one making her life harder to bear, after all. It was only fair.

He lied them down, and cuddled her. He gave Lisbon a lingering kiss on her raven hair, whispering "Goodnight, my angel" and then he inhaled her scent, breathing her in. He waited for her to be deep asleep, and when he was sure that no retaliation was going to happen, his hands went to her stomach, and he hold her there like for dear life. He knew that they still have time to love each other, but they had to admit that neither of them was getting any younger: soon, children wouldn't be an option any longer, and he hoped that Teresa would allow him to father her offspring sooner rather than later.

He fell asleep like that, engulfed by Lisbon's persona and scent, and while he slept, he dreamt. Of a blonde teenager who looked like the daughter he lost as a child, who gave him goodnight and his blessing. And of dark-haired, green eyed babies running on that same beach.

The tears he shed were, for once, of happiness and relief.