A brief tag to S3E1 "Red Sky at Night". Set immediately after the final scene, as Jane and Lisbon are driving away.

Humpty Dumpty

"This isn't the way back to the CBI. Where are we going now?"

"To your apartment."

Jane blinked, uncharacteristically confused.

"One minute you're saying you don't want me pulling away, and the next minute you're trying to get rid of me? Fickle woman."

"It's not you I'm trying to get rid of, but rather that unwashed smell that you've been working on so assiduously the last few days. You haven't changed your clothes all week, and I'm guessing you haven't showered or shaved either. When did you last go home, anyway?"

"Since when is my personal hygiene any of your business?"

"Since I have to spend most of every day with you, quite a lot of it in enclosed spaces. Besides, do you really want people to start taking note of the fact that you've stopped bathing? You can get away with poor eating and sleeping habits, but people will start questioning your mental health if you start falling apart in such an obvious way. I imagine that's something you're wanting to avoid."

There was a moment of silence.

"Look," Lisbon added, when Jane didn't respond, "I know you've 'had a lot on your mind', as you put it, but you still need to eat and sleep and wash and work. I would much prefer not to have to make you do those things, but I will if I must."

"Because we're family?" Jane asked, his voice slightly strained.

"Yes," Lisbon said shortly, pulling up outside his apartment block.

"You know, my car is back at the office."

"I wasn't planning on stranding you here," Lisbon replied. "I'll wait in the car while you shower and change. Make it snappy."

"You're not going to tell me to clean behind my ears and between my toes?"

"I assumed that was a given," Lisbon said, making a face at him. "Hurry up, Jane, I don't have all day."

Jane grinned at her, then jumped out of the car and disappeared into the building. As soon as he was out of sight, Lisbon started her car again and drove a few blocks down the street to a small café that sold take-away meals. She ordered a huge breakfast for Jane, as well as tea and a coffee for herself. She had only been back outside his apartment building for a couple of minutes when he re-emerged looking considerably better than he had when he went in. In a crisp, fresh suit, with his curls damp and his face clean-shaven, he looked far less care-worn and more like the irrepressible Jane that she had grown accustomed to over the years. He also, she discovered when he opened the car door and got in, smelled delicious.

"Better?" Jane enquired.

"Much," she said, and handed him his breakfast and tea. "Eat this."

Jane looked at Lisbon for a long moment.

"Where's your food?" he asked.

"I've already had breakfast," Lisbon said, starting the car. "Hours ago."

"A tiny yoghurt doesn't count as breakfast," Jane said, his voice reproving. He opened the takeaway container and eyed the meal with some satisfaction. "There's more than enough here for two. Provided, of course, that one of the two isn't Rigsby."

Lisbon tried to protest when Jane shoved a forkful of food towards her mouth, but she gave in pretty quickly in the face of his determination and the fact that the tantalising smells had actually been making her rather hungry.

"So," she said, as he tucked happily into his food, "am I going to have to escort you home every evening and make sure you look after yourself?"

"Much as I'm enjoying this whole mothering thing you've got going on, Lisbon, I think I can take it from here."

"Okay," she said, rather relieved, "but I will be keeping an eye on you, Jane."

"I'd expect nothing less, Lisbon," Jane said agreeably, the shower and the food having apparently done wonders for his mood.

00000

Hightower watched as Lisbon and Jane walked towards the bullpen. Jane was looking much better than he had in a while and he was even smiling at Lisbon with some of his old teasing charm, which had been largely missing since his most recent encounter with Red John.

Hightower was relieved. Having finally seen first-hand the effects that a Red John case had on Jane, she had come to realise how much less stable he was than she had originally believed, and also how little influence anyone other than Lisbon had over him. It seemed as though Lisbon had succeeded in putting Humpty Dumpty back together again for the time being. Hightower wondered how long it would last...