A/N: An introspective piece of sorts. First time writing pure Abbott, so he's probably OOC.
Spoilers: Slight spoilers for season 6 in general and especially 6x22 Blue Bird.
Disclaimer: If I owned The Mentalist, I'm not sure Abbott would have existed.
He would never openly admit it, but Dennis Abbott was a hopeless romantic. A big softy his wife had often called him. This was probably why he'd ended up in a job like this, to show people that he did in fact have a tough masculine side also. And no agent below or above him ever doubted that. Dennis Abbott drove a hard bargain, he was tough as nails but always fair. Having him in your corner meant being respected for who you were and getting what you deserved.
He'd seen it from the first moment on - though they'd scoffed and denied it - first at the CBI and still lingering years later at the FBI, their deep rooted feelings for each other. Denied not only from others but themselves as well. It wasn't healthy, even in the long run - and it had been a very long one - suppressed feelings would eventually explode, causing disaster. So he'd pushed and prodded.. carefully, but the walls had remained up. Eventually it had even made him doubt his first instincts, maybe the walls had hardened so much over the years that they'd become solid and impenetrable, no secret holes to weasel through and no force big enough to shatter them.
However in the end, as it was with any other chemical reaction, all that had been needed was the right catalyst. Pike. The straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. And aside from assisting these two clueless human beings in love, on the road to acceptance and hopefully true love - with a hint here and a push there, a nice dinner, a stifled transfer and even his car keys - all Abbott could really do was sit back and watch the events unfold. He knew enough about these things to know that they had to play out on its own. Meddling too much could make things worse. A lot worse. And he didn't want that.
What he wanted was an effective team, and somehow these two got the job done. He had been doubtful at first, their methods seeming strange and unorthodox, but now he knew that splitting them up would mean disaster, certainly for him who would be stuck with an unreined and therefore unpredictable Patrick Jane.
But of course an effective team wasn't his only driving force for butting in, he cared for his team - like a good leader should - and he had come to care for these two people also, then again they didn't make it very hard, between Jane's charm and Lisbon's work ethics they had a lot going for them. And though he hadn't known them for quite so long, he knew of their history together, their struggles - Red John and the Blake Association, it was hardly a secret. But few knew the real people behind the sacrifices. And they might not show it themselves, but Abbott knew only too well the costs of working in law enforcement, happiness being one - his wife had eventually had enough and had left him - with all the death and gore you saw everyday others could have a hard time relating to you and your experiences. And these two had seen their fair share of horrors, which was why he thought they deserved some happiness in their life, and it looked like that could only be achieved if they were together. Unbeknownst to their conscious selves, their hearts had chosen the path for them.
Few people were oblivious to this fact, the main parts included. It was as a good romance novel should be. Hardships, a shared fight, a common goal, a falling out, and in the end just when everything seems hopeless and beyond repair, a revelation, a turning point, and a happy ending. They had had it all.
Abbott looked at the couple in the TSA room. Oblivious to their surroundings, they were chatting quietly, holding hands, and both were sporting overly bright smiles. Finally they had made some headway, he thought. Looking at them now Abbott was sure they were going to make it.
Cho whom Abbott had seen with his nose planted in more than a few romance novels hadn't noticed the one playing out right in front of him. Now he was standing by Abbott's side not quite believing what he was seeing, but still being happy for them, Abbott could tell by the small and rare smile that graced Cho's lips. Happiness was a fleeting thing, and love elusive, but that didn't mean they were unachievable for anybody. Life hadn't made Dennis Abbott cynical, on the contrary, hope filled his life, especially at times like this, when he saw proof of all the good things life had to offer. And knowing he'd played a small part in making it happen, didn't lessen his pride, it was all a step in the right direction of the happy and peaceful world he imagined he was helping to build. Everyone deserved happiness.
And though Dennis Abbott might be a tough FBI special agent he did enjoy playing cupid once in a while, as long as that didn't mean he had to where only a diaper and shoot people with arrows...
Now.., hadn't he seen Cho chatting up and smiling at that new agent down in Vice?
A/N: Well I starting out not liking Abbott, but he grew on me and evolved, and I'm sure we all know he's a huge shipper, and the captain of the ship ;)