"Then...then we're ok? You and me?" she asked, looking at him, tempted to go and give him a hug at his words.

He shrugged a bit and looked at her. "We're okay," he said with a nod.

She wanted to say something extra, knew she should, but didn't know what else the situation called for. So she simply nodded. "Good... Can we hug on that?" she added softly.

He shrugged again, but didn't smile. "Sure," he said simply.

She went over and hugged him, wincing slightly at how awkward the hug felt. "Should I go?" she asked suddenly. "Like, do you want time to yourself or...?" the question trailed off.
She knew she was supposed to go back to see Patrick and Michi, but this was more important.

Albert hugged her back, slowly taking in her scent. He was sorry for what had happened and he hoped that she could see that. After she broke the hug, she asked if she should go. "You can leave," he shrugged. "Or you can stay. It doesn't matter to me." Only after he finished his words, he realized that it might have sounded more rude than he wanted it to sound.

Maddy's face fell. She wasn't sure if he'd been meaning for it to sound harsh, but it kind of did. "Well, I promised Michelle I'd be back at some point," she said after a small silence. "Unless you'd like to go somewhere. Like dinner or something."

Albert he noticed that she had probably taken his words and the way he said them not how he intended them to be. However, after she spoke, he shrugged again. "I think you should go, if you promised her," he told her.

Maddy gave a tiny sigh. "Ok," she said softly. She reached out for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Text me... And if you want, dinner at my place tomorrow..."

She got out her phone and sent a text to Patrick and Michi. 'Coming soon, see you guys shortly...' She looked up at him for another moment then quietly heading out.

As she drove, she didn't know how to feel. Yes, he'd said that they were ok and that he'd wait for her, but he hadn't stopped her from leaving. She sighed, pulling up outside the Academy and heading inside. She couldn't help but smile seeing Will and Mich dancing away, having fun.
"Hey," she greeted Jane softly, coming up behind him and giving him a soft prod in his side.

"Oh hey." Jane 'woke' up from his thoughts. "Up for a dance?" he asked eyeing her.
He spotted something but didn't tell.

As usual he still was learning 'when to shut up and when talk' as Lisbon named it once. But in this place... He had just became a brand new person he never expected himself to be ever again.
And he really liked his new friends. They were his family now.

Buzzing of his phone noted somebody tried to call him. A hunch told it was Lisbon so he just answered.
"Yes Lisbon, my dear... No I didn't.... Why should I send you a bucket of ducklets in the middle of the night? I have plenty of stuff to do anyways... Ok... Bye." Jane put the phone back in vest pocket and smiled at Maddy.
"Sorry, looks like my present just arrived at its designated location."

Albert nodded a bit, but didn't squeeze her hand back. "Sure," he said, then took another sip of his beer. He looked after her as she left the place.

Madison just nodded, not saying anything. This was one of the times that she felt she should just be quiet and not spill her personal life on everyone else.

She couldn't help but laugh though at the call. "Bucket of ducklings? Cute. Why did you send them to her though?" she asked curiously.

Jane chuckled "Well because chicken she had already and some other things like pony. And I wanted something cute to remind her that I haven't forgotten my lovely boss."

Maddy smiled. "Aww, that's so sweet," she told him sincerely. "But why the middle of the night?"

"Because Michelle changed the time on my clock and I messed up with time zones. I had planned it on evening hours but... oh well coupla hours really don't matter." Jane grinned innocently.

Maddy laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Well, she won't be able to forget this present of yours for a while," she told him with a grin.

"Doubt it's possible at all." he said.
"Well at least not in this universe. I'm still trying to locate that universe Michi thinks I was so 'tenderly amazing and stunningly adorable'. I know she's having 'tweeties' in her head but I'm puzzled. I feel like fallen from different planet." Patrick's serious side finally showed. It was sure Mich better not notice, otherwise he's going to pay for his 'moment of truth'.

"But you are stunningly adorable and yes, tenderly amazing," she told him sincerely. "And ok, I might not have known you as long as the others have, but I still most definitly use those words to describe you. Just look at how sweet you were before I had to rush off, trying to cheer me up. And at the lab you're always there to help us get through the tough cases," she told him looking into his eyes. "And as for the feeling like you've fallen off a different planet, well, I know the feeling," she told him softly, then gave a slight smile.

Patrick smiled. Her words were warming his heart.

"Thank you. From you it feels so sincere. And yeah I'm trying to be this way to hide away from my dark side." his eyes now showed some unidentifiable expression.
"Something very terrible happened to my family some years ago. And I totally went off. Wasn't this nice before though with all my fancy 'psychic' stuff. But I loved my wife and daughter. Until one day I crossed the line and paid for it. Then my life shattered and I lost the grip of all what I was. Ever since I've been balancing between this 'adorable' and 'dark'. Until Michelle washed up on our doorstep. I'm tellin you, that little one has such a strong personality. And sheesh that bugger is hell of a shrink sometimes. Almost feel brain-washed." he looked at the dancing girl.
"She literally pulled out this new Jane outta my old dark, self-destructive, depressed one. I gotta thank her one day for pushing my limits and making me to change my life completely."

Now the smile was back in his eyes. "Asteroid Jane finally hit the planet Earth." Jane said with a laugh.

William raised his eyebrows, interested. "Oh so you ice-skate? Very nice. I've never been, what's it like?" he asked, twirling Michelle. He was having heaps of fun with here. He chuckled at the horse comment. "Ah, she's one of the horsey-folk. I do rather see their appeal. I rather quite like the creatures..."

Seeing Madison come back, he gave a slight smile, but said nothing, just continued dancing with his new friend.

Mich raised an eyebrow, "Really you haven't? It's fun. Just like dancing except you have skates and you can slide through arena. I feel like flying there when doing jumps. You should try. I could show you the magic, if you want, one day." girl said beaming.

"Yeah and you can actually teach them to dance. I've tried on Eve, best stables show horse." she told.

She was so glad that Jane lost their game, otherwise she'd be rotting at lab doing extra hours with rather boring Calleigh and Horatio.
Instead she had so much fun here.

William shook his head. "Nope, I haven't. But the way you describe it, it sounds wonderful. I don't think I'd ever get to the flying-jump skill level, but still..." He grinned when Michelle offered to teach him. "That'd be awesome, thank you."

He gave a chuckle. "You can? Oh, I guess that's what 'dressage' is, isn't it?"

Mich grinned. "I happened to discover it awesome way. So it kinda stuck to me. But others might say I believe fairies." girl chuckled slightly.

"Of course it is." Michi nodded. "Only not all let that happen."

"Well, why not? Fairies are awesome things to believe in," he told her with a smile, twirling her. "Besides, they fly and who doesn't want to fly?"

"A good friend of mine once rode and she took me out. Was a rather fun experience, though I haven't been since."

"Ah they are so awesome. Flying and they can charm you." girl said almost feeling like one herself. "Well my brother has phobia from high places. Anything flying including." she said.

"Oh ho ho. Then we have another thing for you to do. I think I know a perfect horse for you." Michelle grinned as they danced away. Time seemed slipping away in completely vague pace.