You can thank this fluffy ending and the chapter title to the holiday music we had on repeat for two months at work (wal-mart)...haha.

Epilogue
Kiss Me At Midnight

Lisbon looked at herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. It was New Years Eve and Jane had invited the team over. They were due anytime and Lisbon was nervous. It had only been a week and the effects of her capture were still evident. The dress Jane had bought her was beautiful but it showed her still-too-thin shoulders which stuck out almost unnaturally. The team hadn't seen her since the hospital and Lisbon was afraid of what they might think.

Lisbon's companion chose this moment to knock lightly on the door.

"Come in."

Jane walked in and smiled, seeing Lisbon in the dress.

"You look amazing Lisbon."

Her eyes immediately hit the floor, obviously disagreeing with his statement.

Jane gently placed a hand on her chin and lifted her head to look at him. "Look at me Lisbon." Her eyes met his.

"You look stunning, a hundred percent better than when we left the hospital. The team will see how much you've progressed and be proud of you just like I am."

Lisbon blushed, surprisingly reassured by Jane's words. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, making sure her hair and necklace were properly in place before following Jane down the hall to await their guests.

When the doorbell finally rang, Lisbon was helping Jane with the veggie platters, placing them on the table. Jane went to answer the door with Sadie, finding his three teammates waiting on the doorstep. He ushered them in, offering to take their coats before giving them a quick tour. Lisbon waited for them to find her in the kitchen. Van Pelt was first.

"Boss." She smiled upon seeing Lisbon.

"Please, Lisbon is fine when we're not at work."

Van Pelt ignored the comment and moved to embrace Lisbon who quickly put down her drink, returning the hug.

"You look great boss."

Lisbon wanted to chide her again about the name but let it slide.

"Thanks, where are the boys?"

"Probably still gawking at Jane's huge TV." Van Pelt chuckled.

"That, or they found their Christmas presents under the tree."

"Speaking of which," Van Pelt began "How was your little Christmas here? I was delighted when Jane told me his plans to recreate the holiday for you."

"It's been nice, really nice actually."

"Did Jane get you that?" Van Pelt asked, referring to the necklace.

"Yeah, and the dress too. He went all out, pretending Santa had left all the presents. He used some lame excuse about me needing to find the magic of Christmas again."

"Sounds like typical Jane." Van Pelt had noticed the gold band strung on Lisbon's necklace but decided not to push the topic. She had a pretty good idea whose gold band that was and wondered what the significance of Lisbon wearing it was but kept the questions to herself.

"Yes it does but shockingly, Jane has been a complete gentleman the whole time."

"What are you saying about me? My ears were ringing all the way in the other room." Jane walked into the room followed by his two male cohorts.

"Boss was just saying how well behaved you have been this week." Van Pelt explained.

"Jane? Behaving?" Cho quipped.

"Come on guys. I'm not THAT bad." Jane argued.

"Hmm," was Rigsby's only response.

"I was going to say you should all go have a seat in the dining room and I'll bring out dinner but I don't know if you all deserve it after all that."

"They don't deserve it." Joked Lisbon. "But if we don't feed Rigsby soon, things just might get violent."

Everyone but Rigsby broke out in laughter as the group migrated into the dining room.

"What's for dinner?" Asked Van Pelt.

Lisbon supplied the answer as Jane went to get the food. "Jane thinks he's feeding an army. He's made stuffed lobster and prime rib for everyone. We also have salad and twice baked potatoes."

Jane came into the room with the first two steaming plates as he placed them in front of Rigsby and Cho.

"Hope you're all hungry. Lisbon do you mind serving drinks?" Jane asked.

"No problem, what do y'all want. We have wine, beer, water, milk…"

"I'll take a beer." Of course Rigsby.

"Water's fine for now." Supplied Cho.

"Wine please." Grace politely asked.

"Jane, what do you want?" Lisbon yelled into the kitchen.

"Tea!"

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Why do I even ask?"

The rest of the team snickered.

Finally, all the meals were distributed as everyone began to eat.

"Mmm. Jane you can cook too? Why didn't you tell us of this particular useful talent of yours?" Van Pelt complimented.

"Thank you Grace. I picked it up years ago. I ran out of normal books to read, so I started reading cookbooks."

They eventually finished dinner, too stuffed to want more but Jane mentioned watching a movie on the big-screen TV and the guys magically had the ability to move into the living room. Jane called back to the girls who were still in the dining room talking.

"What movie do you want to watch? We've got Inception, Grown Ups, Taken, Meet Joe Black."

"Hmm, well Taken is too close to our daily lives." Lisbon supplied. "And Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black could be your twin. Besides, I could go for something funny."

"Hmm, you think I look like Brad Pitt?" Jane smirked. "Grown Ups it is but you girls better get in here or you'll miss the beginning."

^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^

The movie finished fifteen minutes before midnight, giving Jane plenty of time to usher his guests outside. It was thankfully a rather mild night despite it being late December.

"Jane, may I ask why we're outside?" Rigsby asked, being separated from his cheese and cracker platter. "Although, I know we missed this on the grand tour, there's not all that much to see."

Jane just continued walking, leading them to his own private beach. Sadie ran in front, obviously used to strolling along the sand. Though it was dark, the moonlight provided enough light to illuminate the beach and the vast expanse of ocean.

Jane looked at his watch. "Five minutes."

"Other than the new year, what else are we waiting for?" Van Pelt asked enthusiastically.

"Patience Grace."

Lisbon was caught with a feeling of Déjà vu. The whole thing reminded her of the stroll she and Jane had through the Christmas -lit neighborhood. It seemed like another lifetime ago yet she could remember each detail as if it happened yesterday. Lisbon knew he was up to something again but this time, she knew well enough to simply wait for whatever the man had planned.

The five minutes passed quickly and soon Rigsby began counting down the seconds for the last remaining minute of the year. When he got to ten, the rest of the team joined in.

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one."

Lisbon wasn't all that surprised when precisely at midnight, the first spark of light streaked across the sky, as the first firework was launched into the night, followed by another. One by one, they exploded in blasts of light, color, and sound.

Jane watched as Lisbon quietly slipped away from the group and up the wooden steps. Jane followed her curiously up the stairs, down the long dock, finally ending up inside Jane's large gazebo. Lisbon sat down at the far end, on the wooden bench and continued to watch the show. Quietly, Jane moved to sit next to her.

"Looked like a better view from up here."

"It's fireworks Lisbon. You can pretty much see them perfectly from any spot along the beach for miles."

"I know. But from here you can see everything; the beach, ocean, sky, and the fireworks."

"True. It was always one of my favorite spots."

"Was?"

"Umm. Yeah, I don't really come out here anymore."

Lisbon was staring off at something or nothing in particular in the distance. "That's a shame. It's beautiful here."

"Hmm, Beautiful." Unbeknown to Lisbon, Jane was no longer talking about the view. He was amazed at the woman sitting in front of him. Not only was she gorgeous on the outside, looking particularly stunning in the glow of the fireworks, the ocean breeze flowing through her hair, but she was also beautiful on the inside. She had gentle, yet unwavering ability to see things in him that he couldn't possibly see in himself. She was changing him for the better every single day, one challenge at a time. Jane wished he could express how much he appreciated her.

A wave of electricity resembling the strength of the fireworks in the sky shot through Lisbon as Jane's fingers unexpectedly brushed the side of her face. She quickly turned to look at him, catching a new look in his eyes she had never seen before. Again, unmasked before her, Jane's eyes searched Lisbon's in desperation, silently asking a question. Lisbon answered without words as a small sigh escaped her small frame. Jane understood, cupping his hand behind her neck, he gently pulled Lisbon foreword.

Eyes closed as lips met. The fireworks continued to blast in the background, yet the two in the gazebo were lost in their own little world. Only minutes into the year, yet both Jane and Lisbon's New Year's resolutions had been fulfilled. His being to show the woman in his arms just how much he cared about her while she resolved to teach the man how to love again. He may have been the man who's heart had shrunk, two sizes too small, but in the warmth of the moment, Patrick Jane swore he could feel it growing, leaving only hope for what the rest of the year would bring.

"All of my friends are here
and when the time is right
kiss me at midnight."

The End