A/N: Set in the CBI so it's before season 6 obviously, and it's Xmas time, but other than you can decide when it happens.
Disclaimer: Don't own Xmas or The Mentalist. And I swear I haven't been shaking my gifts to see what's inside, but I'll bet you an elephant that it's not the rights to The Mentalist. (wrote this before xmas and thought it sounded nice so I didn't wanna change it - and lo and behold I was right I still own none of it, niente, zip, nought I could go on.)
The last few days she'd taken to lighting a candle while she was in her office doing paperwork. It was Christmas time after all. And it wasn't like she had oversized stockings, bells or small fat men in red suits with long white beards adorning her office space. She hadn't really experienced the best of Christmas growing up so celebrating it, even as an adult, had never really been her thing. Not like some of the other people in the CBI and on her own team even. Like Van Pelt - brilliant, but young and at times a tad naïve - she had cheerfully hung small hearts in red, gold and silver on the walls along with a few angles and she even had a chubby little Santa Claus on her desk. Talk about Christmas spirit with that one. And though Lisbon was dreary of the whole season in general and didn't want any of the decorations inside her office, she welcomed Van Pelt's enthusiasm and positivity, it was a good pick-me-upper and a welcome contrast to the darkness they saw in their everyday work.
One day when she got back from a hearing the white candle had gotten company by a little white snowman with a blue scarf and hat. She didn't even have to guess, she already knew who it was from. Bribing her into forgetting the mess he'd made, and with Christmas ornaments no less, wasn't one of his brightest ideas. All the white toy snowman needed was a little grey three-piece suit and some brown shoes and it would be the spitting image of him, she thought sarcastically. She squeezed her eyes and looked at it more closely, hopefully it wasn't going to start playing Christmas songs in an endless loop, or light up in a million different neon colors. Well as long as it just sat there she guessed she could tolerate it until December was over.
The candle however she liked. It was nothing special really, a plain white massive pillar of wax... and, she argued with herself, it was holiday neutral. The calming effect and the pleasant atmosphere it created justified its existence in her office. She had not put it on her desk though but on her meeting table. Couldn't risk it standing too close to her stacks and stacks of paperwork. It wasn't so much that she feared the fire hazard it posed, she would gladly burn the papers herself if she could, it was the realization that if that happened, she would just have to do it all over again. And with all the continuous Jane-paperwork she already had, chances were she would spend years in there chained to her desk - and not in any fun way - before she could catch up, go outside, and see the sun again. The candle was still in her line of sight though, so she could enjoy it while simultaneously keeping an eye on it. You could never really be too careful after all.
It was kind of mesmerizing, especially this late at night, where the bullpen - looming dark and empty, through her blinds - created a nice backdrop for the little flicker of yellow. Every so often a little piece of wax would break of and touching the wick make the light give of a crackling sound, that momentarily would pull her out of the endless piles and remind her of a reality that didn't consist of three digit numbered forms or endless written complains. She sighed looking over at the dancing flame and the light it cast. Mesmerizing.
xXx
Her hands danced over the keys, clicking away in an almost musical rhythm as she filled in yet another form about Jane misbehaving at a crime scene. It was light outside and she hadn't even noticed how the bullpen was humming with activity. How long had she been here? She thought fleetingly. But it passed and she continued her typing, not really giving any heed to what she was writing. The door was pushed open without any warning knock, she looked up half expecting to see Jane there. Instead it was Bertram standing there, a file in his hands. "New complaint." He said plainly flipping it unto her desk, then - quite unexpectedly she might add - he went over to her, kissed her on the right cheek and left as if nothing had happened. She stared after him with wide eyes. What the heck? She thought. She couldn't very well run after him and ask, so she just sat there... stunned.
Ten minutes later she had started reading over the new complaint, sighing internally by the end of every other sentence. This time there was a knock on the door, and Ardiles entered. "Do you know what he's done this time?"
"Just got the memo." She said and waved the rapport in front of him.
"Well you need to handle this ASAP!" He looked around, eyes shifty. Nerves perhaps or maybe he was a bit uncomfortable. Not that he had any reason to be. And that's when it happened again. Ardiles went over to her and kissed her left cheek… then retreated like a bat out of hell. This could not be happening. Ardiles hated her per association with Jane, why would he kiss her. Not to mention Bertram. This was getting mysterious.
The third time someone came in, she thought she was prepared. It turned out that she wasn't. Ron brought her a case file and practically leapfrogged over her desk, kissing her square on the mouth, before leaping back as gracefully as a ballet dancer and disappearing out the office as fast as he had entered. "WHAT THE HELL!" She screamed after him, but she wasn't sure he'd heard her.
This had to be some kind of Jane stunt. She looked out into the bullpen that had been bursting with activity just a minute ago. It was completely desolate, she could almost hear the hollow echo sounds along with a few crickets. It was just like the sound effects in movies when the hero happened to find himself all alone and lost in the desert. Well that was odd.
She stood up and the top of her head encountered something that caught hold of her hair. She automatically put her hands up and managed to entangle the offending object. Then she looked up. A mistletoe. Really?! That little green twig was the reason everyone had behaved so strangely. It didn't seem likely. Where was Jane? She needed to yell at him, if not for this then for the mounts of paperwork on her desk. She looked down and it was gone. Everything was. Not just her papers, the pens, the computer, the pictures of her childhood dogs, even the paperclips. The only thing that remained was just a naked oak desk. And why the hell did the room suddenly smell like cocoa? Someone was saying something... mumbled words making their way through to her inner ear, drumming its tune in graceful harmonies.
xXx
"Lisbon.. Hey Lisbon wake up.."
"Hmm." She made no attempt to move.
"Come on sleepyhead, it's late... and I think you drooled on a very important form."
"Jane?" She lifted her head from the little stack of papers it had rested on, and rubbed her eyes until she felt somewhat awake. "What time is it?"
"Around 1 in the morning. Did you plan on staying here all night, because then I'm sure your couch is more comfy than the table."
"No I was just.., I had to finish..." She stopped midsentence and turned her head up, finding nothing there she let out a sigh of relief. It had just been a dream. Now it all made sense.
Jane studied her movements in bewilderment. "Mice?" He inquired.
"No, just a... dream.. I guess." She blushed a little and he saw it, of course he did.
"A good one by the looks of it." He stated.
"Yeah in fact I was just about to start yelling at you."
"Reeaally?" He drew the word out a bit with a smirk plastered on his face. "Why?"
"Because you..." Then she caught herself. "You know what that's none of your business actually."
"Well I beg to differ. When you dream about something that ordinary there's no harm in you telling me about it, right?"
"That was it really. Me yelling at you. Nothing more to it than that." She lied, and he knew it.
"You should really upgrade your dreams a little. Yelling at me in the CBI sounds boring. Grow some wings, fly around the world, battle some sea monsters, ride a unicorn or slay a dragon. Something like that."
"I'm sorry my dreams aren't entertaining enough for you, Jane but I can't help what I dream."
"You can actually goat your mind into certain dreaming patterns, I can teach you how." It may have sounded like he was trying to be helpful but he wasn't really.
"No thank you, I don't need you inside my head more than you already are."
He didn't look at all offended being used to her privacy issues, so he just changed the subject. "I brought you some cocoa. The coffee in the pot was cold and I thought you might need something to stay awake."
Ahh she thought, another mystery solved. The smell. "Well thank you, that was sweet of you, but I think I'll just head home."
He wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily though. "You know you really shouldn't let that candle burn without any form of supervision."
"Well the next time I plan to fall asleep at my desk I'll give you a heads up so you can keep vigilant. How does that sound?" The sarcasm was practically dripping from her rhetoric question. "Besides it was under supervision." She pointed at the table, "By that thing, that abominable snowman there."
"Hey be nice. Snowmen have feelings too you know."
"I thought they had hearts of ice." She bit back.
"Touché. And very funny at this late hour I must say. But you know you're very lucky it didn't catch fire and burn the whole place down."
"Well it was your bright idea to put it there to begin with."
"You needed some kind of holiday decorations in here. We can't have people thinking you're some kind of a Grinch now, can we."
She crossed her arms over her chest. Signaling the conversation was coming to an end.
"So tell me what was on your head? A tiara?"
"Nothing. Just drop it Jane."
"Come on tell me." He nagged ever so slightly.
"I'm going home." She needed to stand her ground.
"What about your cocoa? I made it especially for you."
How was she supposed to reply to that? Being evasive was the option she opted for. "It's late."
"It's Christmassy, and it has marshmallows in it." Now he was just being alluring, he knew how much she loved marshmallows.
She looked down at the mug, and sure enough a thin white layer of foam was floating at the top edge.
"Okay just one sip but then I really have to go." She lifted the cup to her mouth, letting the liquid flood her taste buds and what she tasted was the most perfectly made hot chocolate. "Mmm good." She said and put it down a little unwilling, but casually, she wasn't going to add brilliant barista to his already too large ego.
She packed up her things and headed for the door. "Goodnight Jane, see you tomorrow."
"Today." He corrected.
"What?"
"It's past midnight, so tomorrow is now. Welcome to the future."
"Don't be theatric. And blow out the candle when you leave, would you."
"Sure thing, boss." He saluted her and added. "Sweet dreams."
A little blush crept back on her cheeks and she mumbled her thanks and left.
He swiftly blew out the candle and like a loyal dog he followed her to the elevator. He studied her while they waited for the cart to arrive at their floor. "Since you seemed to enjoy your dream so much I have a little prop for you, if you need any help visualizing it again." And just like that he pulled out a twig of mistletoe from his inside jacket pocket.
She turned bright scarlet and gaped at him. "How did you..?"
"Meh.." he said as he shook his shoulders and made an offhanded gesture.
The elevator pinged and the doors opened. She walked in, and still a little dumbfounded she repeated her "Goodnight."
Just before the doors closed Jane handed her the little branch, and said. "Merry Christmas, Lisbon."
She looked at it as the elevator made it's descend. The doors opened when it reached the ground floor and she walked to her car, putting the plant in her pocket, and not in her briefcase. That way she could be sure it wouldn't end up back in her office but stay at her home, where it couldn't cause any trouble, like it had in her dream. She shook her head. That would never happen anyways.., but you could never be too careful, not when Jane and his antics were involved.
Deep in thought she fingered the flat leaves in her pocket for a minute before she snapped back to reality and turned the key in the ignition effectively starting the car. As she pulled out of the parking lot she pressed one hand to her mouth and blew a kiss towards the CBI building.
"Merry Christmas, Jane." She said and smiled. Confident that her dreams would indeed be sweet tonight.
A/N: Okay stupid question, but I was writing this and thought people (including myself) always write about Lisbon's massive stacks of paperwork, but wouldn't she be doing paperwork on the computer. I know you can't avoid printing some stuff, but it's not like it's piling up on her desk or do police really still keep everything in paper case files and not digital? Or is it just something you say even though it's all on the PC? Just a thought.
As it is in most cases, the idea for this hit me one night when I was falling asleep. But as always my muse annoyingly forgets to give me a proper ending. So I don't really love how this turned out.
Anyways... Hope you all have a happy New Year!