A/N: I wrote another Jisbon story. *yay* Thanks to all those who read and/or reviewed my last two. This one is slightly more original; - at least, I hope so. xxJo
Disclaimer: All mine!!!
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Title: Of Men and Cases
Author: Jocelyn McC (aka LisbonFan)
Rating: T (?)
Categories: Flirting, Friendship, Fluff
Pairing: Teresa Lisbon & Patrick Jane
Plot: Is Lisbon's former boss invading Jane's territory? Unlikely, Lisbon says. Yet, Jane is going to make sure that all of his belongings are marked in time.
Attention: Not beta-read. If you encounter mistakes, they are all mine. I'll be glad to get rid of them though, so just leave me a note or PM.
URL: Also available at jisbon dot freeforums dot org!
Do not post anywhere else without the author's permission.
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Lisbon absentmindedly drummed her pencil on her cheek, wondering what she was supposed to do with the case on hand. Robert Evans, special agent and former supervisor of her, had come by this morning and had left a file for her to look through. As she flipped through the pages once more, she still could not see why Robert doubted that it would not go to court. The perpetrator had confessed to the crime and was awaiting his sentence in jail. All the evidence seemed to point towards him. There was no way that guy would leave the jail anytime soon. So this left her right where she stood in the beginning, namely wondering about what she was supposed to do with a certain case on her hands: a special agent asking for help where none was needed.
A small voice in her brain told her that this could simply be an attempt on Robert's side to re-enter her life. However, this could not be since their job-related parting was quite a while ago and their relationship hitherto what one would call almost nonexistent. Still, who could know? Where it not for a certain consultant constantly snooping into her stuff, she would not be fretting over this problem. Yet, he had barged into her room the moment Robert was gone and had interrogated her about the man ever since. Over lunch, he had even wanted to collect bets on when Robert was going to ask her out. Of course, none of her team was so foolish as to bet on their boss's relationship status (with her present that is), but it had put a knowing smile on all of their faces nonetheless. Oh! could she only throttle Patrick Jane.
Eventually, Lisbon let her aching head fall down on her hands and let out a sigh of desperation. There was no way she would find out what to do by glaring at a piece of paper. Would she even want to go out with Robert Evans? Granted, he was quite handsome and not too old since his fortieth birthday was not that long ago. But he was no equal to Patrick Jane. He had neither his boyish charm nor his addicting smile or the ability to crawl under her skin with just one look. Wait a moment! Why was she comparing Robert to Patrick? Was she crazy? Did they put something in her coffee? There was no way her befuddled brain could think of Jane in any way but the please-stay-out-of-trouble-and-stop-irritating-me way.
"Knock, knock."
"Not now." Lisbon moaned, but sat up again despite of herself. "What do you want, Jane?"
"I was not aware that napping was okay with your work ethic so I thought I'd check before you fell asleep."
"Why thank you!" Lisbon answered, sarcasm dripping from every word. "I was just resting my head for a moment."
"If you say so."
Lisbon glared at him from under her lashes and secretly tried to put away the file she had been resting (!) on.
"Ah!" Jane said knowingly. "This must be the mysterious case which your admirer seems to have trouble solving."
"He solved the case. He just wanted me to check whether the evidence he found was strong enough."
Jane raised one disbelieving brow; "Sure."
"Would that be all?"
"No."
"…"
"Do you think he'll ask you out?"
"No, he won't."
"Why are you so sure of that?"
"Because we haven't seen each other in ages."
"That argument won't hold water. Tell me, why?"
"Because he was my mentor, - my boss. It would be weird, embarrassing even."
"So what? You're my boss, too. Doesn't mean it could keep me from asking you out."
Lisbon didn't quite know if she had heard correctly. Did he just say what she thought he said? "Well, since your asking me out is not currently an issue, I think we'd best focus on another topic of conversation."
"So let's make it an issue." Jane put in quickly. "Want to go out with me?"
There was no way Jane would ask her out. Not when they were in the office, door ajar, people around. You get my meaning. Lisbon tried to recover her inner balance and was just about to put Jane in his place, when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Robert standing outside of her bureau, wearing a somewhat dumbstruck expression.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"No!" Lisbon managed to rasp out. "No, not at all. Jane was just leaving. Do come in."
Robert curtly nodded at Jane and stepped into her bureau. He took a seat opposite to her and waited for Jane to leave. The consultant, in turn, observed him for a moment in his usual assessing way and then threw Lisbon a charming smile. And just before he stepped outside, he turned around and advised her to wear the emerald-green blouse she had worn the day before.
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Lisbon fumed inside, but she did not want to let on about it. The man was a nuisance. Where it not for the door and wall that separated them, she would have sent him one of her killer glares and right into heaven. Make that hell. He was sure to end up in hell for making her life a living one. That bastard!
"I'm sorry for that. Jane can be-", she tried to find the right words, "-slightly creepy from time to time. Don't bother about it."
"Alright." Robert said light-heartedly, a small smile playing around his lips. "I came to bring you the right file. It must have gotten mixed up with the one we just closed."
"Oh! I started wondering how I could help you out with the other one." Lisbon took the offered file and exchanged it for the one she had been given this morning. "I'll take a look at it ASAP."
"No hurry, it's not urgent. Just won't stop bothering me."
Lisbon threw a look at the file and put it on top of the stack of files resting on her desk. "I appreciate you asking me for help. I'll do what I can."
"I know."
Lisbon expected him to stand up and leave, but he did not such thing. There were a few thoughts running in her head right then, but one thought dominated over all others. It was a wish more than a thought and it read: dear God, please do NOT let him ask me out. She cleared her throat and thought of a thing to do. The silence that settled over her office became unbearably crushing.
"Do you want some coffee?"
"No, thanks. I have to go in a jiffy. We're off to a stakeout."
"Okay, well it was nice seeing you."
"Yep. Maybe, we could do that again. In a less formal setting that is. "
Lisbon heard something clatter outside. She had some suspicion as to what, or better who, was the cause of the resulting commotion outside, but would not do its originator the favour to let it discomfit her. "I'm sure that's nothing."
Robert looked slightly uneasy, smelling the rat that was Patrick Jane.
"Of course, we can meet up. It'd be great for old times' sake. Maybe you could bring the whole gang."
"Yeah. Alright. I'll give you a ring about it."
"Great!" Lisbon sounded more cheerful than the occasion granted, but then Robert did not know how glad she was to be rid of him and this awkward situation. She counted to ten before she, too, stepped out of her office. Yet, nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see there.
Agents Cho, Rigsby and VanPelt had juicy stains on their clothes; the only one with clean clothes was Jane. The dabbing and wailing of Rigsby was probably the fiercest and loudest. VanPelt tried to clean her shirt and that of Rigsby simultaneously, while Cho was occupied with counting banknotes. Jane, on the other hand, was mopping the floor and put in once again how very sorry he was. Of course, no one believed him for even a second.
When their eyes finally fell on Lisbon, whose eyebrow was arched in that cute and slightly intimidating manner of hers, they quickly dispersed in different directions as if nothing had happened. A couple of nods and greetings met her and that was it. Yet the man responsible for all the humbug still stood there leaning on the mop, giving her a look that said I-told-you-so. He let his gaze trail down her body and as it crawled up again, he gave her one of his sweet grins and said:
"I rest my case."
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Hope you enjoyed it!
xxJo