Experiments

A/N This was written many years ago when the show writers had Sweets writing a book about inter-work relationships. I thought Patrick Jane was the perfect guy for the job. Please enjoy. 8belles

Bones-The Mentalist Crossover One Shot

" So Mr. Jane, how are you enjoying D.C. ?" Lance asked the CBI consultant over a cup of coffee. They had met at a symposium of psychologists and criminal profilers being held in the city. Sweets was immediately drawn to the blonde, curly haired profiler and his subtle charisma. He really wanted him to meet Bones and Booth.

" Oh it's great!" Patrick said his blue eyes flashing and his impish grin lighting his face, " I think this town is just fabulous. So much to see, so little time."

" Must be nice to have a change from the L.A. area, hmm?" Lance replied with an easy smile of his own.

" Of course." Jane said and took a sip of his coffee, " Now what did you want to show me?"

" Oh, it's not a place, they're people. I know you are renown for your ability to read people." Lance complimented Jane and he nodded bashfully waving off the comment, " But these are two patien- I mean, friends of mine. They have a curious relationship. I'd like to see what you think about them."

Jane paused for a long while studying Sweets. His blue sparklers were kind, but Lance felt a laser was searching him. Was Patrick able to see his motive? Was Sweets that much of an open book, or did he have much to learn and master? Jane smiled again, an easy raffish smile, " Sure. I'd love to meet your 'friends'."

The next day, Sweets and Jane were going to meet Bones and Booth for lunch at their trademark favorite place; the Royal. Patrick came in his trademark shirt, blue vest and suit coat. Jane's hair was a tousle of blonde curls and his posture one of casual but alert relaxation. Sweets dressed a bit nicer too feeling the influence of the older profiler and wore a suit coat as well. Booth was in his typical black suit coat concealing the pistol in his holster and skinny tie; Brennan looked stunning as usual with her earth tones and eclectic jewelry. Her hair was pulled back in a conservative ponytail showing her strong jaw line and dangling earrings.

The partners beat the two new acquaintances to the diner and were sipping their beverages at a table for four. Jane held the door for Sweets who then walked down the aisle to the pair. Booth and Brennan looked up at the two and Lance introduced Jane, " Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, this is Patrick Jane from the California Bureau of Investigations."

" Pleased to meet you Dr. Brennan", Patrick extended his hand with a shining smile to the Brennan first, who had partially risen from her chair. He shook it warmly and held Brennan's gaze for what seemed like a bit too long. Brennan smiled like a small girl and withdrew her hand demurely, mumbling something and sitting back down.

Jane straightened a bit and proffered his hand to Booth who had a forbidding look to his eyes but softened it once the charm of the mentalist washed over him. He seemed affable guy, Booth thought absently as Patrick took the seat besides Brennan and Sweets warily eased in next to Booth.

" So Mr. Jane you're from Los Angeles?" Tempe began pleasantly sipping her tea while waiting for her fries.

" Yes. Please call me Jane. Everyone else does. It's a nice change of scenery." he replied conversationally, " Yourself and Agent Booth are partners?"

" Yup. She works for the Jeffersonian though." Booth interjected with a bit of an edge in his voice as if to affirm their partnership or to make it clear they were separate people. Seeley wasn't sure what he meant either. This guy was so likeable in a weird sort of way. Sweets drank in every nuance and Jane just smiled all around pleasantly, eyes twinkling.

" I have a partner too. I left her in L.A." Jane winked grandly at Booth who averted his eyes and some color rose in his cheeks. Brennan stifled a chuckled before it became audible but Sweets noticed.

" You're married?" Sweets asked to keep the relationship topic alive at the table.

" No, actually widowed." a dark shadow ever so briefly crossed Patrick's face, " But I'm talking about my CBI partner. I love working with women. Always nice to have a different perspective. Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Brennan?" Jane leaned into her shoulder playfully. The lines around Seeley's mouth tensed almost imperceptibly.

" Well, of course, I'd agree. We all see things differently and it's nice to have that dichotomy between people. Booth and I have a great rapport." Tempe responded evenly, apparently disregarding the nudge. She looked warmly towards her partner and the tension faded around his eyes.

" That is just great. I think it's so wonderful when two people can work so closely to each other and not let other things get in the way." Jane interjected.

" Like what?" Booth asked, being lead by this profiler.

" Oh, you know… sex, love. All that messy stuff, eh?" Patrick nodded his head and smiled a wolfish grin at Seeley. Seeley's face shut down and he leaned back from the table slightly, slightly incredulous.

Sweets stepped in with a knowing tone, " You know how professional law enforcement discourage relationships on the job."

Patrick tilted forward slightly and leveled his sapphire eyes at Sweets and then to Seeley and lastly Brennan, " Sure… like it's never happened?"

Sweets sputtered a bit, " Yeah, but-"

" But nothing. Love comes looking in some pretty unusual places." Jane leaned back and put an arm behind Tempe's chair. His arm did not touch her, but it certainly didn't look that way to Seeley.

Tempe didn't even seem to notice, or at least mind that the arm of this man she barely knew was behind her within very close proximity. Idle chitchat flowed like liquid around the table, but Seeley didn't say much as Jane laughed with Tempe and Sweets, easily, effortlessly. Brennan seemed to get lost in the joviality of the moment; something Booth never remembered her doing with him. Was he hitting on her?, he wondered, but still really couldn't tell. This Jane guy was like a Stealth Fighter; he'd be on your radar or crosshairs and then just disappear to reappear someplace else in the conversation.

Sweets absorbed everything that Patrick did, like a sponge; the nuances, the phrasing, the lead of the conversation. He could charm blood from a stone, get a nun to confess murder or strip you bare to your soul if he wanted to. Lance felt awe for this man like none he had ever known. He had to find a way to become Patrick's apprentice.

" Good thing your on our side." Sweets heard Booths' voice inject into the conversation after Jane finished relating a brief story of a case he had assisted with.

Patrick locked his blue eyes into Seeley's dark brown pools for a moment as if they may be two sparring animals. Jane let into an easy smile, no teeth, just the corners of his mouth lifting and crinkling his eyes, " How so, Agent Booth?" Seeley noticed Tempe was looking at him but leaning in Jane's direction as if he were a magnet.

" Well, you are obviously good at what you do, Mr. Jane." Seeley replied coolly.

" How so?" Jane parried. Sweets was in heaven and wished his notepad was in his hands.

" I know your kind. I used to see them at the card table." Booth responded, pulling his arm back over the chair to let the gun holster peek out from his coat.

" Booth, don't be a dolt." Tempe protested.

" Nothing's wrong here, Bones." Booth looked at Tempe briefly.

" Nope. Nothing." Jane agreed and then looked at his watch, " Oh, look at the time. I need to get going so I don't miss the next lecture I wanted to attend."

Sweets was lost in his hero worship, " coming, Dr. Sweets." he barely heard the request from Jane.

" Huh? Oh ... oh yes." Sweets stammered and got up. He looked down at the table and noticed that Jane never ate anything and his own lunch was barely touched.

" Good to meet you both." Jane inclined his head again at the pair and they replied the same, though Booth was still icy, " If you're ever in L.A. give me a ring." Patrick caught Tempe's eyes again and she blushed.

Sweets followed Jane out of the diner and looked over his shoulder once. There was Booth, his guard dog stare going right through him into Jane. Sweets rapidly turned and left.

Once they were several blocks away, Lance scurried up to the confidently striding Jane and asked, " So what do you think?"

" They are very much in love. You can't see that?" Patrick smiled kindly at the young shrink.

" Well yeah, but-" Sweets began but Patrick interrupted.

" But,", he paused mid stride for emphasis, " That agent will kill you if you try one more experiment on them. I suggest strongly you knock it off." Patrick turned and walked away leaving Sweets pondering.

" How did he know that?" Lance said out loud, wondering what else Patrick Jane had observed about him. A shiver went through him before he realized he was standing strangely in the middle of a busy sidewalk. Lance pulled himself together and strode off still wondering if he'd ever be that good.

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