TRICK OR TREAT
Halloween. Of course that would be right up Jane's alley. Now if only she could find a way to focus despite his random bits of trivia. Some lighthearted post-Red John Halloween fun with a tiny dash of Jisbon.
"Did you know that Halloween was originally a pagan festival called Samhain?" Jane casually informs her as he catches up to her, a bright glint in his eyes and that infuriating smirk-smile of his playing on his lips. That combination can only mean one thing: a long day.
"Yes, I did," She lies easily with a practiced look of 'obviously, I did', hoping to get this over with and shift Jane's attention to the body. They're already late, thanks to his need to stop at a doughnut place advertising Halloween specials that they'd passed on the way.
Rigsby helps them get on track, joining them as their latest victim comes into view.
"Jeanette Swift," Her agent starts without prompting, rattling off important information. "21, single, local. Elderly couple next door last saw her yesterday evening. Couple of the neighbors report raised voices and suspicious noises around ten later that night."
As far as cases go, this one might actually be okay. Her team is certainly competent enough when it comes to doing their homework, and it's always a plus when they can get a positive ID.
"Coroner is pretty sure he's found cause of death," Cho joins the group. "They're bringing her back to the morgue to check it out but as of now, bullet to the head."
She shrugs; it's a common enough murder. "Any known exes, enemies?" Van Pelt wanders over with witness statements in hand and overhears her boss.
"Most of the neighbors are talking about a nasty ex who'd come banging on her door once in a while." Grace reports. Lisbon thinks this is almost too easy, but years on the force have thought her better than to assume so.
"Rigsby, Cho, check out the boyfriend. Van Pelt, keep digging. Friends, family. Jane and I'll…" She trails off, searching for her, predictably, nowhere to be seen consultant.
"He was talking to Mr. and Mrs. Cooper next door," Grace offers helpfully. Lisbon nods and sends her team off before going off in search of Jane, wondering just how much damage he's already inflicted.
"And Jeanette inherited this place?" She'd recognize his voice anywhere after all the trouble it's caused her. So far so good, it seems.
"Why, yes." An elderly woman, mid-70s, whom she assumes to be Mrs. Cooper, is taken aback, just a bit. "How did you-"
"It's a very nice neighborhood for a college girl." Jane shrugs, smiling slightly. Mrs. Cooper simply nods. "And this," He turns around as she approaches them. "Is the lovely Agent Teresa Lisbon."
She shoots him a short glare; he knows she hates it when he announces her that way. He merely smiles that smirk of his again.
"Hello, Mrs. Cooper." She holds out her hand, which the woman grips weakly. "Is there anything more you could tell us about Jeanette?"
"Well," The woman starts, "As Patrick here figured, she inherited the place. From her aunt, I believe. Oh, Mary was a wonderful neighbor. Passed a few years back, you see."
Lisbon braces herself for a long story. Jane grins and starts encouraging Mrs. Cooper. It's a long time before they figure out that little old Mrs. Cooper doesn't really know anything.
"Samhain is said to be the Wiccan new year, did you know that, Lisbon?" Jane drawls lazily from his spot on the couch as she comes out of her office to check on the team's progress.
She mumbles a short "oh, really?" before heading straight for her team. She doesn't have time for Jane and his bits of Halloween trivia, not right now. They'd brought in the boyfriend, James Taylors, who'd seemed honestly distraught and shocked. He'd only come banging on Jeanette's door every time he was drunk and desperate to get her back. Plus he had an air-tight alibi: at a bar all night, passed out after last call and spent the night with his friends.
Her simple case wasn't turning out so simple. They'd started questioning family and friends. Her team tells her of a bitter co-worker, absentee parents and a secret admirer. She gives out the usual follow-up orders before moving to get back to her office.
Jane's moved from his couch to hers when she comes back. She suppresses a groan at the fact that she is sure to get zero work done now.
Sure enough, he starts spouting off bits of trivia before she's even seated at her desk.
"Halloween is a three-day event, Lisbon." He informs her, his tone maddeningly casual and light. So politely pleasant, as if he's being nice and sharing his knowledge, that she can't bear to interrupt or stop him. "It starts with All Hallow's Eve, commonly known as Halloween. November the 1st is All Saints' Day, followed by All Souls' Day the next day."
She shoots a blank look towards the general direction of his – her – couch. "Fascinating," She quips before pulling up documents, fully intending to get to work.
"I think we should properly observe these occasions, don't you?"
"Yeah," She mumbles, distracted by endless sentences and paragraphs.
"Wonderful!" Jane jumps to his feet. "I'll let the team know to be ready for a three-day celebration, then."
She almost hums her agreement before coming to her senses. Her head snaps up, eyes wide. "Wait, what?"
Another damned smile-smirk and he's out of the door.
She reluctantly gets up and follows after him. Someone has to talk him out of this.
Three days? Honestly, where does he even come up with these ideas, sometimes?
"Trick or treat, Teresa?"
It's late at night and she's just sent the team home when he pops his head into her office, catching her off-guard.
"What?" She questions reflexively, confused. He grins and takes the liberty of inviting himself in, carrying a tray of tea and… candy? Yes, candy. Halloween candy, to be precise. Wrapped in tiny pieces of foil meant to resemble pumpkins and ghosts and the likes.
She allows herself a smile; it has been a long day and Jane's sudden Halloween spirit is quite endearing.
He sets down their late-night treat and waves her over. For once, she complies almost instantaneously, walking over to sit down next to him.
There was a time when this would have been cause for confusion, questions, suspicion. That was a time when they didn't quite trust each other and there was a murderous psycho on the loose, coming after the both of them. These days, their little moments have almost turned into a routine. It feels nice to have Jane as a friend, a companion.
They settle in and drink tea, and she even humors him by downing a few of those tiny pieces of chocolate. He tells her about carnie Halloweens, she tells him of that one time her mom dressed her up as a purple dinosaur – to be fair, she'd been three and absolutely uninterested in the princesses and fairies her friends had dressed as – and they bounce ideas and theories about the case off each other.
"It's the best friend, I'm sure it is." He says gravely.
She laughs. "Why is it always the best friend?" She lightly swats his shoulder. "Besides, she doesn't even have a best friend."
"It just is, and everyone does, Lisbon. Everyone has a best friend. You're my best friend." He declares almost childishly. She wants to laugh because it's so grade school but makes the mistake of looking him in the eye. He's unexpectedly earnest.
"You're my best friend too," She smiles. The corners of his lips tug up in a smile, one of those rare true smiles she loves to see. She observes him, eyes bright and smiling, a sight she so rarely sees. It makes him look years younger; like a child.
She realizes with a jolt that she's been watching him for longer than normal now and moves to look away. But he's been looking at her too, and now he's moving closer, closer, closer.
And then he's kissing her, the lightest of feather-light kisses, one that barely lasts ten seconds. She gasps, stunned, breath coming out in shallow puffs. He moves his lips to her ear, barely bushing the shell.
"Trick or treat, Teresa." He whispers his earlier greeting into her ear before pulling back, a wide grin on his face.
Lisbon can barely snap herself out of it; the memory of his breath against her ear, his skin brushing her neck… "Huh?"
"I brought you treats; you owed me one." He explains, almost childlike in his blunt simplicity.
It's so utterly Jane that she doesn't even know what to do.
"You're too old for trick or treating." She blurts out. He eyes her, assessing her reaction.
And then he leans in again. "Nonsense," He denounces her words. "You're never too old for trick or treating."
And then he kisses her again. And again. And again.
"Happy Halloween, Teresa."
~ HAPPY HALLOWEEN! ~
Hello, readers who have probably never heard of me. Ah, but with good reason: this is my first Mentalist fic. Ever. And I do mean first, not just the first one that I've deemed acceptable enough to publish. I was trying to add more fandoms to my Halloween specials this year and what do you know, this little treat came to me. It's just a short little fun thing, but I figured it's the perfect thing to write after a year-long writer's block.
I could be dreadfully horrible. The characters could be terribly awfully OOC. I really hope not but there's this nagging feeling… almost like it's too vanilla and normal and slow yet abrupt. Sigh. Halloween treat for the writer? Candy, virtual cookies and reviews are most appreciated.
Happy Halloween, folks!
E Salvatore,
October 2012.