A/N: I've managed to catch another summer cold thanks to work so my Muse is AWOL on DiL. I'll update when she decides she's ready to play again. In the meantime, as always, I'm puttering about trying to coax her to come out and play. This is what's emerging and, no, I don't really know exactly what we're going to end up with. But, I do have an idea of where I'm going. Just not how I'm getting there. What else is new? I'm on one of my nothing is sacred; I just want to mess with them bents. ~Calla
#####
Walking down her stairs towards the kitchen, Lisbon knew she had more pep in her step than she'd had in a while. She'd cut out of work along with everyone else for a change instead of two or three hours later as she usually did. If that wasn't miracle enough, her team hadn't caught a new case and they weren't on call. She had the first truly free weekend she'd had in a coon's age and she was taking advantage of it. No case, no Jane, no Red John, no Rigsby-Van Pelt angst, no Bertram looking over her shoulder…She lobbied a silent prayer things stayed that way. If they did, she'd return to work on Monday raring to go.
To that end, she'd already had a nice long soak sans wine while she read a few chapters in her favorite trashy romance novel. She'd also washed and deep conditioned her long suffering hair choosing to let it dry naturally over applying unnecessary heat. It wasn't like she didn't have the time. She'd then scrubbed her face with exfoliating scrub and used a couple of those masks laying long forgotten in her drawer. Finally she'd given herself a pedicure with bright crimson polish and coated her nails in clear coat choosing to dance around the bathroom in her towel to the beat of her favorite Rock 'n Roll band while she waited for the polish to dry.
Lisbon smiled thinking, "Finally!" She'd finally taken some "me" time and indulged in all the girly pleasures she'd foregone much too long thanks to devious murderers and Patrick Jane. She'd even dug out that playful pair of jammies with the frog prince embroidered on the top and imprinted on the bottom that Van Pelt had given her a while ago. As for what she was wearing on her feet, she wasn't even going there. All she cared about was she looked good, she smelled even better, and she felt fantastic for a change. What more could a girl ask for?
Grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with soda from her refrigerator, Lisbon ambled towards her den. She'd eventually throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave to enjoy with her movie. After she'd eaten those couple of slices of cold pizza she'd swiped from Rigsby's lunch. The one's she'd never gotten to eat thanks to Jane. Settling comfortably in the corner of her couch, Lisbon took a sip of her drink before discarding the glass and turning her television on. Scrolling down to find the movie she wanted to watch, she eventually selected the appropriate title.
In celebration of the moment, she was taking advantage of the opportunity with a monster movie marathon. She intended watching everything from action flicks to cop movies to the dreaded chick flick until she'd caught up on every movie she'd wanted to see for the last two or three years and never got to. There were even a few comic book heroes tossed in there along with several old movies she was going to rewatch on AMC.
Studying her perfectly painted toes, Lisbon wondered briefly where Jane was then chided herself for caring. He was most likely in his Man Cave relishing his weekend free to do nothing but study his charts and notes. He was most likely replaying the past decade in finite detail in his mind trying to figure out exactly how Brenda Shettrick fit into the mix. If she was tipping off drug lords and psychos like Volker, what was to say she wasn't unknowingly, or even knowingly, tipping off Red John as well? Well, he could spend his weekend any way he wanted. She was watching movies, gorging on popcorn, and swimming in soda.
Besides, if he ever caught sight of her current attire, she'd never hear the end of it. He'd take one look at her and laugh his head off. He'd tease her unmercifully about the subliminal message she was sending out to the Universe in her frog encrusted lilac sleep shorts and tank complete with rolling, googley-eyed froggy bedroom slippers. She didn't even want to think what he'd make of the tiny crown donning each tiny green head or the perfect lipstick print on each tiny green cheek. What could she say? She'd found the set amusing when Van Pelt had given it to her for her birthday a couple of years ago.
Jane hadn't been around for that one as he'd been out in Vegas doing Lorelei and God only knew what else. She hadn't questioned him too closely on his return. She honestly hadn't wanted to know. What she did know was more than enough.
Turning back to her p.j.s, Lisbon decided maybe she had kissed a lot of frogs over the years without finding her prince. So what? A lot of woman felt that way. In fact, she still did. Screw Jane. He could think what he wanted. These were still her favorite pajamas. Both because of who'd given them to her and because she found them amusing.
Watching the beginning credits roll Lisbon paused the screen before acknowledging the past few days, past few weeks actually, had been tough for everyone. Lorelei Martins was dead and they'd lost Jason Lennon, the best link to Red John they'd had in years, to his injuries. Jane was convinced they'd actually lost Lennon to some covert action taken by Homeland Security Bob. Lisbon was inclined to agree up to a point. She wasn't sure she'd go so far as accusing the Agent of cold blooded murder; but, she was equally sure it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities. That his nose wasn't entirely clean.
There was something about Robert Kirkland always poking about where he didn't belong that she found unsettling. The man wasn't the bumbling idiot he sometimes seemed. That awkwardness he displayed at times was clearly an act. She knew it and Jane knew it. There was far more to that man than met the eye. Refusing to spend her free time thinking about her Mentalist, she pushed the button on her remote before turning her attention back to the screen.
A half hour into her movie, Lisbon rolled her eyes at the knock on her door. Right on cue, it had to come just when the story was getting interesting. What else was new? Pausing the screen, she reluctantly rose to her feet and headed for the door. It better not be one of her team. She'd already told them she'd shoot the lot of them if they bothered her for anything less than life or death. She didn't care what bigwig got themselves offed or how loud Bertram was screaming. She needed some down time and she intended to take it.
Right, they'd all come running in either of those circumstances. Still, she wasn't taking her threats or this interruption lightly. It better be good.
Peeping through the peep hole, Lisbon was surprised to see Jane's curly head. He was the last person she'd expected to see. He'd told her earlier today that he was off to Malibu to follow some leads. He certainly couldn't have gone there and back in the amount of time since they'd left the CBI. He must have changed his mind or the lead hadn't panned out in the end.
Opening the door, she wasn't surprised to see him wearing the same suit he'd been wearing earlier. She was surprised he looked much better than he had most of the day. He'd obviously gotten a haircut and a shave. Nothing drastic, just some much needed maintenance like a bit off the top and sides and getting rid of that five o'clock shadow.
"Jane." Lisbon reached out to take the large bag from his hand. "Since you come bearing gifts, I take it you intend to stay for a while?"
"If you don't mind." Jane said quietly not barreling in as he usually did.
He must have taken her warning about not being disturbed seriously and knew he was treading on dangerous ground.
"What do you think?" Lisbon asked. She minded; but, she didn't mind. It was Jane. "I was settling in to watch a movie and gorge on popcorn. I think I like your idea better. Why don't you get comfortable and join me while I unpack this?"
"I can do that." Jane gave her one last appreciative glance.
"Hey, you brought the food now where's the flowers?" Lisbon's tone was cheeky and demanding in expectation.
If he intended disrupting her weekend, he could pay the piper in full. He'd always brought her a single yellow rose tipped in red as a thank you. She'd learned early on it was symbolic of their friendship. She'd certainly never considered the alternate meaning of "falling in love" as viable. Not where Jane was concerned. Not even where she was. The idea was totally preposterous.
"Here." Jane handed her the red tipped yellow rose he'd secreted behind his back.
"Cool." Lisbon took the flower already considering which vase she wanted to put it in. "I'll put this in water while you get comfortable."
She led the way into the kitchen rummaging under the sink briefly before rising to her feet. Turning, bud vase in hand, to see if Jane was doing as she'd requested Lisbon was surprised to find him intently studying her without the amusement she expected. There was a look in his eyes she couldn't read and wasn't fully at ease with.
She so wasn't dealing with whatever that was she thought she was seeing. She did not want to know. Pretending to ignore the emotions she was feeling as much as seeing, Lisbon turned her attention back to the rose. Filling the bud vase two thirds full of water before snipping the stem and adding the gently unfurling blossom to the glass, Lisbon left the flower on her counter as she walked across the kitchen to start unloading the bags.
"You going up or what?" She asked. "Dinner's going to get cold if you don't hurry. It won't be as good reheated."
"I'll be back in a few." Jane turned to head upstairs.
Watching him go, the thought passed briefly through Lisbon's mind that Jane was giving off a really funky vibe. Something weird had happened between his leaving work and showing up on her doorstep. It probably had something to do with that lead not panning out. Or maybe Lorelei's death was finally hitting him. Or maybe losing Lennon was worse. Whatever it was, it had knocked Jane for enough of a loop he'd shown up unannounced on her doorstep inspite of her threats.
It was something he hadn't done in months. Not that she really minded. It was just strange in the big scheme of things. Jane should be over halfway to Malibu by now and he wasn't. She was taking it for granted his lead hadn't panned out. Truthfully, for all she knew Jane might have simply changed his mind. He'd been known to do that a time or two.
Whatever, she had better things to do with her time than pondering Jane's motivations. She did enough of that on the job. She wasn't wasting her free time doing the same, useless thing.
Opening the first bag, Lisbon decided the aromas wafting from the large bag in her arms were far more appealing than popcorn and soda. Watching Jane disappear around the corner, Lisbon puttered about aimlessly. Although they'd never told anyone as it was none of their business, he'd kept a spare pair or two of pajamas and a toothbrush at her place for years. It wasn't that he dropped by that often. He didn't. It was more that he usually came empty handed never intending to pass the night on her couch as he invariably did. In fact, she'd bought the pajamas a few years ago about the fourth impromptu sleepover they'd had with the thought, 'Better safe than sorry.' coursing through her mind.
She so didn't need to know if Jane wore boxers or briefs or boxer briefs. Heaven forbid he went commando. Not an image she wanted or needed in her head. Not that she, and every other woman at the CBI, weren't dying to know which way the wind blew. It simply wasn't any of their business. Especially not hers. It was forbidden territory and all that.
Smiling at the memory, Lisbon recalled Jane hadn't said anything when she'd offered him the wrapped box containing two pairs of expensive pajamas. She might as well spring for the good ones that were going to last. At least that was her thought process at the time. Maybe she'd been hoping he'd keep turning up over the years as he had. She wasn't pondering that one too much either. Jane had just silently accepted her offering and worn them ever since. She smirked honestly not knowing if he slept in pajamas anywhere else. If she had to guess, she'd say probably not. She didn't really care. He did here and that was all that mattered. It was more comfortable for her. Lisbon knew she'd have evoked the infamous, "My house, my rules." regulation if he'd fought her on it.
Hearing the water from the guest shower turn on, Lisbon decided to wait a few minutes before she started spooning up. As usual, Jane had brought more than they'd ever eat including a fairly expensive bottle of wine. Finding her corkscrew, she opened the wine and poured two hearty glasses. Glancing at the restaurant name on the bag, Jane had clearly brought Italian tonight and it wasn't pizza.
While she wasn't opening the boxes to let the heat out, she could make an educated guess from the smells and her familiarity with the menu as to what was inside each bag. Glancing inside the cold bag at the shape of the containers, Lisbon figured the larger box probably contained her favorite Caesar Salad and the smaller a couple of generous slabs of Tiramisu for desert. If she was lucky, the third smaller box contained another dessert for tomorrow like that decadent creme cake. The hot bag was most likely filled with Sausage Lentil Soup in the large cup, breadsticks in the bag, and Chicken Piccata and Shrimp Puttanesca in the boxes. They could select one entrée for tonight and save the other for tomorrow as Jane was no doubt staying the night.
Knowing him, he might end up staying all weekend. He'd done it before and it might not be a bad thing. She might even be able to figure out what that strange vibe rolling off him was. Figure it out and help him lay it to rest. Not that she really expected that to happen. Jane was always giving off funky vibes, most of them Red John related. Unfortunately, the only medicine for that illness was catching his tormentor or putting him six feet under. Lisbon was hoping for the latter as she knew Jane was. They'd have to wait to see what happened.
Hearing the shower turn off and knowing he was only a matter of minutes from reappearing in her kitchen, Lisbon took down two salad bowls and dinner plates from the cabinet shelf. She'd deal with dessert plates when the time came. Hearing Jane moving about upstairs, Lisbon refused to think about the fact he was probably toweling off his naked body right about now. Banishing the thought as totally inappropriate given the nature of their relationship, she wondered briefly why she was suddenly having salacious thoughts about Jane. Not that she never had. She just didn't do it that often and never in his presence. Opening a drawer she removed the appropriate flatware and grabbed a couple of napkins which she carried out to her coffee table. Arranging the silverware on the napkins she ambled back into the kitchen to dish up the Caesar Salad with the neat little containers of dressing on the side.
Hearing Jane stride into the kitchen, she was surprised to feel him looking over her shoulder. While the man had no problem invading her personal space, this felt different than it usually did. Ignoring the sensors going off in her head, Lisbon opened the box of lemony Piccata allowing the divine fragrance to waft upwards and outwards making her salivate.
"Do you want the Piccata or the Puttanesca tonight?" Lisbon asked staring at the pasta dishes and deciding they both smelled equally delicious.
"Do the Piccata tonight." Jane said as he gently gripped her waist and nuzzled her neck much too familiarly. "We'll have the Puttanesca tomorrow."
Ignoring how her grip visibly tightened on the serving spoon in her hand, Jane grabbed their glasses of wine and headed for the den leaving a stupefied Lisbon in his wake.