Love Makes You Stronger

A/N: First off I want to say thank you to all those who have left reviews. I'm always grateful for those. Second I apologize for the lateness of this chapter but real life has been busier than usual so my free time has been spent doing other things and not writing but thankfully I finally found time to write. So here you, enjoy.

Jane made it to Lisbon just before her head hit the floor, gathering her in his arms, he placed her hand on right his forearm and then used his left hand to lift her shirt just enough to see the wound. He placed his left hand on her stomach and applied pressure, she winced but bit back a scream as she closed her eyes.

"Get me a towel," Jane yelled at Jason who nodded and looked around quickly before coming to rest on a car towel sitting on a shelf. He grabbed it quickly and tossed it to Jane. Jane moved his hand and reach for the towel quickly placing it on her wound. Her eyes opened then closed again.

"No, keep your eyes open." he told her as he gave her a small shake. "Open them or I swear I will cause trouble on every case here onwards."

"How is that any different from now?" she whispered as she opened her eyes.

"Focus on my voice," he told her softly.

"Don't," she warned as she shook her head a little. "Pain means you're alive."

"Yes, it does," he smiled at her as he looked back up Jason. "I need to get her out of her."

Jason remain there numb as his eyes darted between Jane and Lisbon, he shook his head no before speaking. "No one leaves until I say so."

"She needs medical attention," Jane growled as Lisbon shifted in his arms, looking down he saw that she was already starting to show some paleness.

"No," Jason replied as he started to pace. Then the sound of the shrilling cell phone stopped him, he placed his hand in his pocket and pulled out the phone. "What?"

Jane watch as he tried to determine what was going through Jason head as he talked to the person on the other line.

"Yes, there was a shot fired," Jason told the other person. "No, I'm not giving them the phone."

Jason looked over at Jane and Lisbon then smiled. "You have an agent in here bleeding. I want all the charges on my brother cleared, his name cleared then we will talk again. Time is ticking," Jason ended the conversation.

"They don't have the facts to clear his name," Jane hissed annoyed. "Let me tell them, they will listen to me. Then we get out of here."

"They are agents, they should be able to figure out you lied to everyone," Jason said.

"And if they don't"

"Then she dies," Jason remarked unnerved.

"Jane?" Lisbon looked at him and breathed deeply. "You need to apply more pressure," she told him with deep breaths.

"Okay," he nodded and pushed down more pressure on her wound, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as the pain sheared through her body. "Sorry."

"Don't be," she replied to him as she opened her eyes again. He gave her one of his fake smiles as he shifted his body so she could be more comfortable.

"What can I do?" He asked full of concerned.

"Just keep the pressure on but I need to get out of here soon," she told him, he nodded and smiled at her weakly.

"I'm going to get you out of here, I promise," he said as he looked back up Jason. "Let her go and I'll stay."

"Jane!" She hissed with the little strength she had left.

"Hush, keep your strength," he told her quickly. "Let her go and I'll stay willingly."

"No," Jason snapped at him.

"Listen I'm the one who sent your brother to prison, I'm the one who messed up, not her," Jan looked back down at Lisbon then back up at Jason. "Please, she needs medical attention now."

"No, I lost someone because of you and now you will feel the pain of losing someone you love," Jason replied with hatred towards the man before him.

Jane looked at him with disbelief, looking back down at Lisbon he swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. This hadn't been part of his plan when he came in here or when he went to talk to Jason. He needed to convince him to allow her to go, he needed to save her life because he depended on her more than he would ever be willing to admit to anyone especially her.

"Jane?" Her voiced broke his trained of thought.

"Hmm?"

"I need to tell you something," she looked up at him, her eyes darker than he had seen them in a long time.

"What?"

"In case something..." she began but he interrupted her.

"No, don't you dare start talking like that."

"Jane."

"No, I refuse to listen to you."

"I never meant it to happen," she whispered as a tear fell from one of eyes.

"What?" He asked as the lump in his throat returned.

"I never meant it to be you. You were just someone who walked into my life one day…, you were supposed to leave not..." she couldn't bring herself to finish.

"I know," he replied simply.

"You know?"

"I have known for a while."

"Then why did you lie?"

"Lie?"

"When we were in Vegas," she reminded him even though he knew exactly what she was talking about. It had been something that was on his mind since he told her those words. But his past was keeping him from ever truly admitting it.

"It is simple."

"What is it?" She asked as her breathing started to become labored.

"I couldn't lose you," he spoke so softly as tears started to sting his eyes. "I know I won't survive if he manages to get to you before I get to him."

"You're an idiot," she gave him a soft smile. "We have always been in this together."

"I meant it then and I mean it now," he bent down closer and whispered to her. "I love you."

"Oh, will you two stop," Jason said disgusted at the sight of the two of them, his phone ringed again. He answered it with a smile. "Well?"

Jason focused on Jane as he listened to the voice on the other line. Then nodded before taking a couple of steps toward Jane. "You have a few minutes," he hit the speaker button and held out the phone.

"Jane?" Cho voice filled the room.

"Cho."

"How is she?" A sense of concern could be heard in the voice of Lisbon's second in command.

"She needs medical attention," Jane replied as Jason motioned him to get to the point. "Cho, I was wrong about the killer in the case. You need to have the charges cleared."

"Jane?"

"Cho, she doesn't have much time," Jane replied quietly. "Please, just do what I am asking."

Jason nodded and hit the speaker button again, then raised it to his face. "Time is ticking, agent," then he hung up and walked away from them. Jane looked back down at Lisbon who was even paler then before. "Can you get me another towel?" Jane asked Jason as the one he had was now soaked with Lisbon's blood. Jason nodded and brought him two more towels.

"That is it?"

"Yeah," Jason replied as he walked away from Jane. "You realize this is your fault."

"Yes, I know," Jane snapped as he replaced the bloody towel with a new clean one. He saw and felt Lisbon winced as he placed pressure on her wound again. "I know I made a mistake and trust me when I say it isn't my first one."

"Oh, so you admit you have been wrong before."

"Yes, several times," he growled not wanting to have this conversation with anyone, especially Jason.

"Obviously you didn't learn," Jason replied off-hand.

"You knew who I was and you knew who she was which means you have been watching us and if I'm not mistaken you have done research on us so you know about my past," Jane said through clinched teeth.

"Yes, which is how I knew you would come in here," Jason said pleased. "You would do anything to protect her."

"Yes, I would."

"Too bad it didn't work out for you," Jason replied with a nasty smile.

Jane looked back down at Lisbon, his heart breaking slowly at the thought that he might not be able to save her this time. She looked at him with sadness in her eyes.

"You never said it," he told her with a smile.

"You said you already knew," she countered with a small smile. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath.

"Teresa," Jane begged and she opened her eyes again to look at him. He saw fear, regret, hatred for Jason who put her in this situation. But mostly he saw the love that she had for him, the love she had for their partnership that had grown over the years and the friendship that bloomed into something more. "Just stay with me, please."

"Patrick, please" she whispered.

"Stay." be pleaded as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Focus on my voice okay, and only my voice."

She took another deep breath and he sighed. "Can you hear the noise of the fan above, it goes in a circular motion. Around and around it goes, nothing stopping it. Do you hear it?"

"Yes," she shook her head ever so slightly.

"Focus on that sound, let it calm you," he told her as his voiced cracked.

"Patrick," she whispered his name again.

"Shh, listen to the fan."

"Please," she begged him. He looked down and smiled.

"Just listen," he repeated.

Lisbon eyes drifted closed as Jane felt the tears rolling down his cheeks, he closed his eyes and tightened his hold on her as he bent his head down. Hoping against everything that she will make it out of this alive, a loud knock made him jump. He looked up and saw Cho standing at the door with Van Pelt and Rigsby standing behind him.

"What the hell is going on?" Jason asked shocked since it seemed he had been focused on Jane and Lisbon instead of what was happening outside.

"Open the door!" Cho yelled. "We are unarmed."

"What do you want?" Jason yelled back.

"Us for her," Cho replied stoically as he looked at Jason.

"What are they doing?" Jason asked Jane confused.

Jane smiled before speaking. "Being a family."

Jason studied him for a few seconds then looked back at the team who were waiting for an answer. "Are they insane?"

"No, they want to help her," Jane answered him. "You are getting three agents for the price of one. Please just allow her to go and get the medical help she needs. Don't add another death to your name."

Jason thought it over then took a step to the door before pausing to look over at Jane. "No funny stuff."

"None," Jane nodded.

"Then bring her over," Jason ordered him.

Jane got to his knees and then lifted Lisbon into his arms as he pushed himself onto his feet. She winced in his arms and opened her eyes.

"What?"

"You are getting out of here," he told her as he walked over to the door. Jason unlocked it and then motioned the team to come in. They entered the building and Jason shut the door again as he motioned for the paramedic to come over. He waited until the paramedic left the stretcher and then moved away.

"Out and then back in," Jason told Jane firmly.

"Understood," Jane said as Jason opened the door. Jane moved out of the store and placed Lisbon on the stretcher and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I love you."

He moved away when he felt a hand grab his shirt, he bent down again close to her mouth so she could speak to him.

"I love you," she let go of his shirt; he backed away with a smile before making his way back into the store. Jason locked the door behind him and Jane turned to face the team who noticed the amount of blood on his shirt.

"To the back," Jason told the four of them. They nodded and made their way towards the back, except Jane who was watching as the paramedic took Lisbon away. He waited until he saw her loaded into the ambulance before making his way to join the rest of the team.

"What happened?" Grace asked as Jane approached them. He just shook his head and walked to the back of the store. He slumped down against the shelf that him and Lisbon had been at not to long ago. He dropped his head down as he felt the weight of everything finally sink in.

"She is tough, she'll pull through," Rigsby reassured him.

Jane looked up at the three of them and then said the only thing he could say "Thank you."

To Be Continued.