Stop pretending: The long version

A/N: all the wonderful reviews for my story "Stop Pretending"(Thanks for that, by the way!), made me think. Maybe there is more to the story than meets the eye. So here it is: Stop Pretending, the long version, a multi-chapter story about what happened during their marriage...and what might happen after...

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 1: Darling Teresa…will you marry me?

The drive over to CBI headquarters, coming from their latest crime scene, was mostly silent. Not that they were exuberant or chatty after any new murder case, but the weight of this third deja-vu scenario pulled them down even more so than usual.

The media had been hot on their tails, all wanting the latest scoop on what was already called "The Newlywed Murders". All asking the same question, with that sickening mixture of concern and excitement on their faces: Was this the work of a serial killer?

Honestly, Teresa Lisbon thought, it was a stupid question. If it looked like a serial killer, smelled like a serial killer, than guess what? It might just really be…exactly. Even Jane figured it was too soon for a copy cat to turn up.

Other than that, they had practically nothing to work with. The commonalities were obvious enough: all three couples had been married for precisely one month to the day. The brides were found naked on the bed, raped and strangled. Their husbands were all sitting on a chair right next to the bed, bound, gagged and also strangled. Patrick figured that they had been forced to watch their wives being violated and killed before they too were put out of their misery.

That was all they knew though. Other than being married and the gruesome way in which they were murdered, the couples didn't seem to have anything in common. No shared social lives, no similar jobs or life styles, they didn't live in the same (kind of) neighborhood, no racial issues seemed to be a point. So how the killer had come across their addresses, or the fact they had gotten married…this last couple hadn't registered for any gifts anywhere and had obviously not had enough money to spend on an expensive advertisement in any of the socialite pages of the papers.

Whoever the killer was, he sure was meticulous. None of the murder scenes had involved pools of blood and he had been sure to wear both gloves and a condom and to clean the room before he left. Oddly enough, the women had all been covered head to toe by the bed sheets, as if he showed at least some respect for the dead. The dead wives, that is. But sadly, so far, the Crime Scene Unit hadn't found so much as a hair from their killer.

Next to her in the passenger's seat, Jane rubbed his tired eyes. She could tell that the thought of another serial killer ruining perfectly happy lives had gotten to him. They hadn't found his own nemesis yet and here he had to focus on yet another ruthless excuse for a human being. She knew he felt useless (as did they all at this point) and she also knew him well enough to know how much that uselessness bothered him. Without the ability to annoy witnesses or suspects alike, Jane's input was limited and it bugged him visibly.

He looked tired too. Of course, he always looked tired, but these days, the lines around his eyes seemed somehow deeper. She wished he would be able to sleep better.

Wait…when did she start caring about Jane's sleeping habits? Or lack thereof?

Oh, heck. It wasn't wrong of her to care about her coworkers. And she was exhausted enough to reason it didn't even matter if she cared more for one than the other. Or others.

Concentrating on the road, she pulled into the CBI parking lot. Silently, they entered the building and took the elevator to their floor, where Van Pelt offered to make them all coffee and a mug of tea for their consultant.

When they were all settled around Jane's couch, which had somehow become the centre piece of furniture, he finally spoke.

"We should lure him out. Get him to try and come after us."

Rigsby choked on his coffee. Lisbon looked up sharply from the folder she was holding and Van Pelt set her mug down quickly, before she could spill the hot contents. Only Cho remained his passive self. On the outside.

It was Van Pelt who broke the silence.

"Like…staging a marriage?"

As an answer, Jane just nodded gravely.

"Something like that. But no staging. The marriage has to be real. We already figured out that the last couple he killed had a very low-key wedding. No announcement in any paper, just a couple of friends and family. So for the killer to have found out about the marriage, he would have to have seen some certificates. Just an advertisement in the local paper won't attract him."

Lisbon gasped. The idea was so ludicrous, yet, it might just be the only thing that could work. She looked around her as her brain frantically worked out the options. The bureau had its share of undercover agents who were experts at their job in any given scenario, but would they want to actually leave a legal, binding paper trail? Whoever were picked, they were to become legally husband and wife. They would have to move in together, share a life, play happy couple and make it seem real. Besides, the less people who knew it would be a hoax, the safer it would be for the ones involved.

Ugh, she couldn't believe she was actually considering going along with it.

Her eyes met those of Grace Van Pelt. The younger agent swallowed and glanced from Jane to a very nervous looking Wayne Rigsby. He nodded and grabbed her hand.

"Van Pelt and I can do it."

"No."

Both she and Jane reacted at the same time with the same single word. Very briefly, she wondered what his motives were, but decided not to be bothered with it right now. Her own reason was convincing enough to her.

She could not, would not, let her two youngest team members take such a risk. Sure, it would be no problem for them to play a happily married couple as all of them knew they were in love, but just because of that, they deserved to go through the motions in their own time. As far as she knew, they still played by office rules and hadn't even had a real date yet, not that she would mind though. As long as they functioned normally in their job...unlike their terror on legs, Patrick Jane.

Shaking that train of thought (always hazardous to her health), she declined their offer. And made a heavy-hearted decision at the same time.

"Grace, Wayne, thanks for the offer, but I'm the senior agent and if we're gonna do this, I won't be risking your lives. It'll have to be me."

Jane smirked for some reason. She ignored it.

Lisbon turned to Cho, who hadn't said a word all morning. "Cho…you can be my husband."

Okay, so she knew it would be ridiculous. However compatible she and Kimball Cho had always been on the job, there was a professional barrier between them that could not be removed. He had a magnificent poker face, but he couldn't act worth a dime.

And Lisbon doubted she could act well enough herself. Could she call Cho 'honey' or 'darling' without choking? Heck, in all the years she had known him and worked with him, she had never even once called him by his given name!

But the alternative...the only one left...no, impossible. She would not, could not, allow her mind to stray that way. Like concluded before, it would be hazardous to her health.

Jane snorted loudly, making all of them again focus on him. Of course, he too would have a thing or two to say about the unlikely union.

"Something wrong, Jane? It was your idea after all."

"Be reasonable, Lisbon! You and Cho? Nobody will fall for that! Cho couldn't act a happy hubby at gunpoint! No offence, Cho, but the two of you as a couple? Preposterous!"

Before she opened her mouth to react, she regretted it. She was giving ample ammunition to the only one bold and stupid enough to use it.

Oh well. Too late now.

"Okay, wise guy! Who should pose as the happy couple, if not Cho and I?"

Grinning widely and rather predatory, Jane got up from his couch and knelt down in front of the stunned Teresa Lisbon.

"Darling Teresa…will you marry me?"

Reviews are welcome!