A/N: There are probably many tags for this episode already, but this came to me after watching Red All Over recently and I decided to share it. This is my first published fic for The Mentalist fandom, although I have been loving TM and reading its fanfic for a while now.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Mentalist or its characters. I am making no profit from this work of fanfiction.
"Headache, Lisbon?" Jane asks cheerfully upon entering Lisbon's office towards the end of the day and seeing her seated at her desk, resting her head in one hand.
"No," she exhales heavily. "Just tired. I need to finish this," she points towards the open file in front of her, "and then I'm going home."
He sits down in the chair on the other side of the desk and gazes at her. She looks up, startled to see how serious he's suddenly become.
"The bomb..." he starts.
"Don't," she shakes her head. "I'm fine."
"But I'm not. I almost lost you, Teresa," Jane says, reaching out and covering her hand with his.
She jumps at the contact, but then her eyes slip closed for a moment and she sees the numbers on the blue display counting down. She sighs and turns her hand over so that she can wrap her fingers around his wrist.
"But you didn't," she answers, trying her best to comfort him while she is still feeling shaken herself. She's tried telling herself that it's all part of the job description, that it comes with the territory, but honestly, she was terrified as she stared down at that bomb and still is overwhelmed at how close she'd come to death. Her and that little girl.
"I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you," he continues.
The anguish is plainly written on his face and Lisbon is somewhat surprised that he's willing to tell her that he cares this much. She thought his whole world consisted of three words: Kill Red John. She's surprised to realise that perhaps there are three other words included: And Protect (Love?) Teresa.
Lisbon tries to tamp down her happiness at this realisation; knows that it's not appropriate because they work together and he wouldn't abandon his plan for revenge, but oh how she wants him to love her. Because she's beginning to think that she loves hi...
She inhales sharply and shakes her head to clear it of that perilous train of thought.
"Where did you just go?" Jane asks, squeezing her hand.
"Hmm?" Lisbon replies, trying not to give herself away.
Jane peers at her and she can see the wheels turning in his head. She pulls her hand away quickly and ducks her head under his scrutiny. "Nowhere. Get back to wor... your couch," she says, the quiver in her voice betraying her attempt to be firm.
Jane starts to grin. "You were thinking about me, weren't you?"
Lisbon groans and the seriousness that was surrounding them evaporates instantly.
"You were!" Jane says, his voice triumphant.
She points towards the door. "Out, Jane, I need to get some work done."
She almost falls off her chair when he gets up to go immediately. But instead of walking out the door, he comes around to her side of the desk and steps close to her. He bends down to drop a kiss on her head and whispers, "Please don't mess around with bombs again, Teresa, you mean too much to me," and then, after a moment of silence, he saunters away with a smile.
Lisbon huffs, speechless and annoyed but secretly thrilled. Neither of them is ready for a relationship right now, but these little things, like confiding in each other and sort of holding hands and small kisses, feel like promises for the future.
The future. Something she won't have if she keeps dabbling in explosives. Her whole job puts her future at risk to varying degrees every day, and she has made peace with that, but you know, for Jane she could... The corners of her mouth turn up in a small smile. "I'll try, Patrick," she answers quietly to the empty room.