Red Lights

Rated: PGish

Spoilers: Red Herring

Summary: Lisbon is keeping something from Patrick. A big something. He decides to confront her about it. Spoilers for Red Herring.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I don't even mind because I think TPTB are doing such a great job :). But if they want to pay me anyway…

A/N: Hey everyone! This is my episode tag to Red Herring because it couldn't just end like that. I read some things into the episode that I had to get out of my system even if it doesn't end up on the show. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

000

After Patrick Jane left her office, Teresa Lisbon turned off the desk lamp, the darkness effectively soothing the headache she'd been fighting all day. Since she knew no one could see her, she laid her arms on top of her desk, and rested her head. Until the door opened with a loud rush and she bolted upright again.

Patrick closed the door behind him. "Lisbon, we need to talk."

Lisbon brushed a few strands of hair off her face. "Jane, have you ever heard of knocking? I thought you went home." She didn't hide the annoyance from her voice. Sometimes she felt like she could never relax anymore.

"I was going to go home, but I need to talk to you first."

The concern and sincerity in his voice caught her attention, his eyes intensely searching her own. She didn't stop him from pulling up a chair so that he could sit beside her, but she flinched in surprise when he reached out to take one of her hands in both of his.

"Jane, what's all this about?" Teresa demanded.

"I've been watching you lately-"

"Only lately?" Lisbon interrupted in feigned shock, trying to lighten the mood.

"You've been increasingly withdrawn, you always look tired…"

Lisbon shook her head against his words. "Jane, I told you I'm fine. I just-"

"Teresa," he stopped her, gripping her hands even tighter. "Are you pregnant?"

If he had poked her in the nose, Lisbon couldn't have looked more surprised.

"Jane," she began, shaking her head.

"Lisbon," he stopped her. "You've been grumpy and introverted. You've been avoiding alcohol at all costs– when I tried to hand you a glass of champagne earlier and again at the restaurant when we were having a toast, you took your water glass instead. And that stuff you just said out there about the guy making room in his life and changing his ways for the baby…"

"Jane," Lisbon tried again, wrenching her hands from his.

"Please, just tell me who the father is," he requested with resolution. "Bosco?"

"Jane, if you're trying to give me a coronary, you're doing a great job," Lisbon shook her head in disbelief.

"Minelli?" he continued his quest. "I know he's been more of a father figure to you, but I always wondered…"

"Jane, for the love of all that is holy, just hush," she put a hand to his lips and stood up to get some distance between them. "Minelli?! Eww!" she swatted him in the arm as he stood up to join her.

"I'm just trying to figure out how to approach this, how to help you." Jane took on a fierce look. "If that creepy psychiatrist messed with you while you were drugged, Lisbon, I swear-"

"Jane! I'm not pregnant!" Lisbon finally exclaimed in exasperation.

Jane looked her in the eyes carefully, looking for the truth. "Really?"

"Really."

"Really really?" he double checked.

"Really really," she nodded, looking away from him.

"Okay," he acquiesced.

She knew he didn't believe her, but he nodded in quiet defeat, gave her a quick reassuring hug, and left her office a second time.

Lisbon stood frozen in the spot for a long moment, then reclaimed her seat, leaning back to rest her head against the soft leather. She thought of the small plastic stick with the larger-than-life plus sign sitting on her sink at home and closed her eyes. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked softly to the empty room. Everything she stood for and believed in, her career, her life…

Just outside her office, Jane leaned back against the door and closed his eyes, unknowingly mirroring the woman inside. He'd felt her pulse as he held her hands. And she hadn't denied his question quickly enough. She had to have known he knew the truth - they'd worked together long enough. So why didn't she trust him enough to talk about it?

TBC?