Dictionary of Songs Chapter 1: Mandolin Rain, a mentalist fanfic

101 One-Shots Based on Songs

A/N: I have decided that I wanted to challenge myself in fan fiction writing. So I have come up with an idea. I love when everyone does those song challenges for their fanfics, so I have decided to pick 101 songs and write a one-shot to each song. I'm not sure how regular song challenges go, but I'm going to be taking the lyrics of the song and posting them before each scene that I write. I'm going to try and incorporate the lyrics somehow into the actual fic. I'll always do the lyrics in bold/italic. Flashbacks, if any, will be in italic, and present time will be in regular font.

This is the song that made me think about doing a 101 One-Shot's Based on Songs. Yay! Sorry I wrote so much.

Unbeta'ed. All mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mentalist, or the beautiful Madolin Rain song.

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Song: Mandolin Rain Artist: Bruce Hornsby and The Range Couple: Jane and Lisbon, Jello

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The song came and went
Like the times that we spent
Hiding out from the rain under the carnival tent
I laughed and shed smile
It would last for awhile
You don't know what you got till you lose it all again

"Hurry!" Jane yelled at Lisbon.

He watched her run in the rain as she ran to take cover under a dock on the beach they were walking on. It had been a beautiful day, and where the rain came from, they were unsure. But he didn't mind. Seeing her all wet just gave him a smile that he just couldn't hide.

"Great, I'm soaked." Lisbon let out a groan as she finally had full coverage from the rain under the dock.

Jane just looked at her with his passionate smile. Some how it didn't matter that the day flew by because as long as he was with her it didn't matter what the time was.

"It's a good look for you." Jane said with a playful voice.

Lisbon looked up at him from examining her wet clothes. She gave him a flirtatious look with her eyes, before smiling and stepping closer to him. Jane looked down at her wet face and wiped the water off of her forehead with his thumb. Lisbon closed her eyes and leaned in. Jane brought his mouth just inches from her ear.

"It's also just another excuse to take off your clothes." Jane whispered.

Lisbon's eyes flickered open and she playfully hit him on the shoulder before running back out into the rain toward the parking lot. Jane laughed to him self as he watched her run back to the car. He wished this feeling could last longer.

Listen to the mandolin rain
Listen to the music on the lake
Listen to my heart break every time she runs away
Listen to the banjo wind
A sad song drifting low
Listen to the tears roll
Down my face as she turns to go

The rain was falling hard outside. Jane stood at the window lost in his thoughts. He could remember all the moments they had; good and bad. They all meant something to him. All moments that he cherished.

He turned his head around just in time to see her walk out the door. He was going to miss it all.

A cool evening dance
Listening to the bluegrass band takes the chill
From the air till they play the last song
I'll do my time
Keeping you off my mind but there's moments
That I find, I'm not feeling so strong

"Dance?"

Jane held out his hand toward Lisbon, who was lying on the blanket they had sprawled across the lawn, at a concert.

"To this?" Lisbon asked with uncertainty in her voice.

She took his hand anyways and he helped her stand up. He brought her as close as he could to his body. He could feel her heart beating rapidly and it sent a chill up his spine.

"It doesn't matter if it's bluegrass, rock, or Italian opera."

The thought of them dancing to Italian opera brought a smile to Lisbon's face.

They danced until the last song played. And as the band played their final notes, the rain started to come down.

"Perfect timing, eh?"

"As always. Race you to the car."

Lisbon took off in the direction of the car, and turned back only once to give him a smile and a notion for him to follow her with her finger.

Jane took the time to take in the view and to capture the moment before catching up.

His heart was breaking and there was nothing to be done. She had to go. He couldn't stop her because she didn't want to be stopped. She was scared. And he needed her to find her way back on her own. It didn't stop the tears from coming down his face as he watched her put her bag in her car.

Running down by the lakeshore
She did love the sound of a summer storm
It played on the lake like a mandolin
Now its washing her away again

"It's raining." Lisbon said as she cuddled deeper into Jane's chest. Jane wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her close.

They were sitting on the porch swing of the lake house. Their lake house. She didn't mind the storms. But they seemed to follow them where ever they went.

"Rain seems to be our theme." Jane told her with a half smile.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to take that as a good or a bad sign. For now she was just going to let it go though, she was with the man she loved and that's all that mattered.

"I love you, Jane."

"I love you, Lisbon." That's all he could say as he watched her get in her car.

It was hard enough to watch her go, but the fact that he hadn't told her everything he wanted to before she left, was killing him the most. Maybe if he had said all those words and more, she wouldn't have gone.

The boats steaming in
I watch the side wheel spin and I
Think about her when I hear that whistle blow
I can't change my mind
I knew all the time that she'd go
But that's a choice I made long ago

"I have to go."

"Why?"

"Because I can't do this."

Jane knew this day would come. The day where everything became completely apparent to her. That this was it. He was it. There's be no more searching, because he was the one.

He knew she'd leave. But he couldn't change her mind. He couldn't change his mind way back when it all started. He wanted her. Needed her. So he took the chance on the fact that his heart wouldn't be broken. He took a chance on her.

Now it was clear. All along that she would never have stayed. It was all enough for both of them. The love, the trust, the passion. But it was also too much for her. And he knew that from the beginning and that was the choice he chose long before this started.

"What is this?" Lisbon asked as Jane held the figure towards her, pleading with her to take it.

"It's a rain stick." Jane said quietly.

"Jane-", Lisbon started to protest.

"Don't say you can't." Jane shook his head as Lisbon took it carefully from his hands. "You've said that enough."

"I'm sorry." Lisbon said with pure sadness.

Jane refused to make eye contact with her as she looked toward him. Jane just looked toward the window.

"Think of me when you use it."

"I don't need this to think of you." Lisbon sighed. A tear rolled down her cheek. Jane didn't need to see it, he heard it. It was enough to make him look at her. His usual radiant blue eyes had become a deep blue sea of sadness

"Then remember all the good times. In the rain."

He watched her speed away in her SUV, as he remembered their last moment together.

He only had memories left now. As the tears came down heavier than before, so did the rain. There was one thing that he'd always have.

Mandolin rain.

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I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

RnR, if you please. :)

-Kai