Disclaimer: Don't own the Mentalist, because if I did I would have a place where it streamed online reliably. Do rants count as disclaimers? Anyway, no money was made in the production or release of this ficlet. Nor are royalties accepted.

Dedicated to funnygirlOoObroadwaybaby, Iloveplotbunnies, watchyouwalk, and LittleMissBones for reviewing my previous stories. Reviews keep the fire going! (btw, I'm still waiting for a fifth review so I can update my other story…haha)

A/N: In honor of my and Teresa Lisbon's shared Catholicism…bless me father, for I have sinned. It has been three years since my last confession, and this is my:

Cardinal Sin

It was a little past midnight when Lisbon finally made her way up the curving road towards Canyon Ranch. She'd hoped to be up there to relieve Van Pelt a lot earlier, but she had needed to stay with her team long enough to know that Jane wasn't going to go off the deep end and bring Bertram in himself. She sighed heavily as she remembered the crazed look the consultant had in his eyes when they realized the CBI Director was Red John's mole.

But Teresa Lisbon tried to compartmentalize as much of that revelation as possible and focus on the task at hand: protecting Hightower. The headlights of her SUV flickered across the tiny metal slats erected along the side of the dangerous curve up ahead, but that's not what caused the agent's apprehension.

It was Hightower herself.

Before the entire LaRoche witch hunt went down resulting in Hightower's now-fugitive status, Teresa had been contemplating whether the feelings she harbored towards her boss were a blend of sympathy and admiration…or something more. It didn't help matters to spend time with Madeleine's adorable children or the fact that the Special Agent in Charge had a penchant for wearing effortlessly-tailored power suits. Or that the older woman was in the middle of a divorce.

I guess it was nice that LaRoche wasn't heading up the CBI's Professional Standards Unit anymore, because Teresa Lisbon had begun to have very unprofessional thoughts concerning the former chief. And now, here she was, about to send Van Pelt home so she'd be left with Madeleine Hightower and two kids that were too precious for words. Lisbon took another deep sigh.

Lisbon parked the car on the opposite side of the road from the gated entrance to the resort cabin where they were stashing the family. She killed the headlights and made the walk towards the Sheriff's car guarding the gate, overnight bag in hand.

"Hey guys, how are you two holding up?" She flashed her CBI badge with her unoccupied hand, sticking it inside the vehicle so the passenger officer could see it too. "Sorry I'm a little later than expected."

"No worries, Agent Lisbon," the dark-haired driver answered before pressing the gate opener. "All quiet here. Angelina and Brad seem to have put the kids to bed and gone to sleep in there."

"Nice try, you're not going to find out who's in there that easy."Lisbon just shook her head and made her way through the opening iron-posted fence, the sound of the officers' chuckles bringing a smirk to her face.

She'd called ahead to Van Pelt when she'd been about fifteen minutes away so it was no surprise that the red-headed agent was waiting by the door all-set to go.

"I'm assuming you put everyone to bed already?" Lisbon asked hopefully as she came through the doorway.

"The kids zonked out about three hours ago after a rousing game of 'how red is Van Pelt's hair'." Lisbon gave her young agent a questioning look. "It's best not to ask, boss. It was…surprisingly fun. Madeleine's still up. She's waiting for you in the kitchen and told me to send you there before I go."

"Thanks Grace. Get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." She gave the younger agent a dismissive nod before dropping her bag on a nearby couch and turning away. But it didn't escape her notice that her underling had been grinning like an idiot when she'd been saying her goodbyes. What the hell was that all about?

It probably had something to do with the disquiet creeping into her system as she made her way towards the only lit downstairs room. Lisbon was able to make out Madeleine Hightower's pleasing figure against the backdrop of the very country kitchen. Her former boss turned suddenly, reassuring Lisbon that Hightower's cop instincts were still intact.

"Hey. You're finally here." Madeleine put down the teapot she'd been filling with water on the waiting stovetop and went to hug the younger woman. She sensed Teresa's initial tenseness but after a few seconds she felt her relax into the embrace. Madeleine didn't know why she was compelled to hold Lisbon close, it just felt natural after not seeing the other woman for so long. Hightower pulled away after one final squeeze and asked if her protector (or jailer, as it concerned regs) wanted a cup of tea. Lisbon nodded her consent and the older woman went back to making the drinks.

"I had a bomb strapped to me." Lisbon stated matter-of-factly, taking a seat on one of the uncomfortable breakfast nook chairs. They were obviously purchased for their hand-hewn wooden craftsmanship over their comfort.

"You always were such a skilled conversation starter." Hightower's nervous-sounding laugh did nothing to lighten the tension. "I know, Jane told me a few nights ago. He's was pretty shaken up." The older woman continued with her tea making away from Lisbon, to not let on how shaken up she'd been when she heard.

"It was one of those 'if I die, you die' situations that everyone seems to love." Another sigh from the younger woman before she continued, "Jane doesn't even seem to listen to me anymore when it comes to Red John. I just hope it doesn't get us killed. Or worse: fired." Madeleine did turn around at that point and gave Lisbon a displeased look until she apologized for her insensitivity.

"I'm glad you're okay." Madeleine stressed the point by placing a steaming cup of herbal goodness in front of Teresa and touching her hand for the briefest of moments.

The pair spent the next few minutes sipping tea as Lisbon filled the other woman in on what had went down with the sting at the Pacific Palisades Hotel. Neither of them wanted to think too hard about the professional hit woman Red John had sent to dispose of Hightower and her family. Instead they sat in companionable silence pondering Director Bertram's motives for being the mole.

And then their tea was finished.

"So how many bedrooms does this mansion have?" They both began the trek upstairs, leaving the cups until morning.

"Only three. Shocking, I know. And since Mimi and Will have been sharing cramped quarters the past couple months, they insisted on separate bedrooms when they saw it was possible." Madeleine reached the top landing first, spinning around quickly and causing Teresa to run into her, practically toppling both. "Sorry, I just want to check in on the kids first." The dark-skinned woman righted herself and approached the first door, which was already slightly cracked open.

"I'll just grab a sheet and a couple pillows and head down to the couch." The younger agent made to move down the hall to what she assumed was the master bedroom, but her journey was ended by a hand to the wrist.

"Teresa Lisbon, you will do no such thing." Madeleine let go of the hand she'd impulsively grabbed. "We'll share." Seeing Lisbon's eyes widen at the prospect, she quickly added, "or I can share with Mimi and you can take the master. That's fine." It was weird for Teresa to hear Madeleine sound unsure of herself. It was the first real implication Teresa recognized that maybe these growing feelings between them weren't really one-sided.

Lisbon had a decision to make. She could easily feign the necessity to sleep downstairs to be better able to protect against a nighttime assault from Red John's minions. It'd be somewhat unrealistic given the sheriff cruiser parked at the only entrance/exit to the facility and the CHP closure that'd been ordered of the frontage road leading up to the cabin. There were more law enforcement officers in a two-mile radius of her current location than at a Memorial Day sobriety checkpoint. That's a lot of officers.

She could just as easily argue that Hightower deserved to get some peaceful sleep and sleeping on couches was one of her many specialties.

Or she could just…

"We can share." Teresa wondered if she was being too forward and quickly backpedaled, "Uh, if you want." Lisbon's gun holder prevented the woman from sheepishly slipping her hands in her jean pockets, or she would have.

"That'll be fine. It's a big bed, and I promise not to bite." Madeleine was able to sound flirtatious and accepting all at the same time. "I'll be right over; I'm just going to peek in on the munchkins."

"Do you mind if I join you? I've missed spending time with them. Well, I can just wait 'til morning, it's no big deal…" Lisbon was beginning to ramble. Now she was the unsure one.

Madeleine didn't even justify the younger woman's question with a response. Instead she grabbed her hand and pulled her quietly towards the first bedroom. The mother pushed the door a little more open so both women could steal a quick look inside at a sleeping Will. Teresa was pressed close enough to the other woman that Madeleine could whisper right into her ear. "He was so tired I could barely keep him awake long enough to change him into pajamas. He was running all around the house trying to find things the color of Van Pelt's hair. The kid's got creativity, I'll give him that." She closed the door a little more until only a sliver of light from the hallway would be seen on the floor of the bedroom.

Both women backed away and exchanged a smile. "He's super cute," Lisbon whispered.

"Wait until morning and he's dragging you out of bed at six a.m. Remember how cute he is then." Hightower replied as she walked towards the next bedroom, neither woman minding that their hands were still locked together.

As the mother pressed the door open to make sure her daughter was still snug in bed, she whispered to Teresa, "Mimi's been asking about you. She tried to wait up but reluctantly went to bed when Grace told her you'd been delayed. I mean full-on pout face, this girl was working it." Once they were both satisfied that Mimi was safe in dreamland, Madeleine reclosed the door and they walked towards the end of the hallway to the last room.

"I'll spend some quality time with Mimi in the morning. Maybe she'll want to go on a walk out back or something. I'm sure she's had a tough time." Teresa squeezed Madeleine's hand before continuing, "I know you all have."

"Yeah, it's been rough. And with my cousin Max murdered…I don't even know how to tell them." Madeleine sighed and dropped Lisbon's hand as she opened the door to the master bedroom. Correction: master suite.

Teresa tried to keep her eyes from falling out of her head as she spied a Jacuzzi bath tub in the adjoined bathroom and focus on what Madeleine had just said. "We'll figure out how to tell them. For now, you need some rest too." We'll figure out? Where had that come from…

"You're right. That's something to think about later." Both women were still just inside the doorway. "Why don't you use the bathroom first, I'll get my stuff together," Hightower offered.

"Crap. I left my bag downstairs. Let me run and get it." As Lisbon made to turn, Hightower stopped her with a hand to her waist. She was making a habit of that, but Teresa didn't mind so much anymore.

Madeleine had meant to just hug the other woman, convey to her how much it meant that she was here protecting her family and not throwing her in a state prison first chance she got. But as she wrapped her arms around Teresa's upper back—being careful of the holster still strapped to the woman's side—she felt whole for the first time in a long time. She sensed the younger woman's tentative embrace around her own back become stronger as the hug continued. Madeleine bent her head down and whispered a "thank you" into the shorter woman's ear. After that, she tried to stop herself from running her fingers through Teresa's longer, straight hair but found she didn't have the willpower.

Madeleine loved the feeling the silky strands caused in her fingers and would have gratefully spent the entire night doing just that, but Teresa pulled away. The young agent looked her former boss square in the eyes. Madeleine could see the physical transformation in her gaze from askance to a steeled resolve. The older woman moved her fingers from Teresa's hair to either side of her neck, resting just above her shoulders. The stare intensified for a few more seconds before Madeleine put an end to the charade. She kissed Teresa Lisbon.

Madeleine's hands gradually moved to cupping the younger woman's head, pulling her closer. She felt Teresa's lips instantly respond to her action, moving gently against her own. She could still taste the chamomile from the tea on Lisbon's lips…and something else uniquely hers. Something that could prove dangerously addictive.

Soon both women were in need of replenishing their oxygen supply most unwillingly. With one last kiss to full lips, Teresa broke away from Madeleine's hold and opened her eyes slowly. "So, I'm going to go get my bag."

"Hurry back, k?" Madeleine crossed her arms across her chest and smiled warmly at the younger woman.

"Yes, ma'am," Teresa replied quickly, mirroring Madeleine with a smile of her own.

"You did not just 'ma'am' me," the dark-skinned woman chuckled.

"Old habits die hard." Before she left, Teresa once again moved into Madeleine's personal space and cupped her cheek in her right hand. She placed a quick peck to the corner of the older woman's lips before retreating. "I'll be right back. I promise." Teresa's throaty response prompted a ghosting of desire to pass through Madeleine's eyes.

There was a promise made with that look too; no words needing to be spoken.

~TBC~

A/N: Since I'm the only one writing this pairing, I think I should be allowed to name them. Hisbon has a nice ring to it…but I like Listower too. Thoughts?

They'll be one more part to this story, and the rating will be changed to "M"…fair warning! Story alert at your discretion, I hope to have it completed soon. Reviews help that process along. Haha. And all reviews are allowed, you can stay anonymous. That's fine.