What We Share, a mentalist fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mentalist or any of its characters. I also do not own the song "Alive" by Adelita's Way nor do I own "Trying Not to Love You" by Nickelback. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: Two posts in one week? That's a record! I'm writing this with literally one minute to midnight before Valentine's Day is over, but I'm still counting this as a Valentine's Fiction! I came up with this as I was driving to work today. I heard the song "Alive" by Adelita's Way on the radio and thought of Jane and Lisbon. Then, as I was typing this, I heard the Nickelback song on Pandora Radio (I don't own that either). So, even though it was not part of the original story, the Nickelback song just fit so perfectly into this that I put it in there. This was one of the first stories that I did not write out in advance. I sat down at the computer and typed the first paragraph that I had managed to record earlier but then the words just flowed, just like Jane and Lisbon's love :) This is a fun and fluffy story and I hope you all enjoy it :)

What We Share

It was Valentine's Day, a holiday to enjoy if you had a significant other and a holiday to avoid if you were single. Patrick Jane was in a sort of limbo between the two worlds; he didn't have a significant other in the traditional sense of the word, but he had Lisbon. He wasn't quite sure how to describe what he had with her, but, whatever it was, it was special and it was theirs.

How would one describe what my dear Lisbon and I share? Jane pondered as he laid on his couch in the bullpen. That was the million dollar question, he realized. It certainly was more than friendship; anyone could figure that one out. In fact, Teresa Lisbon had done more for him in the years that he'd known her than any other person had in his life. Jane admired her and loved her for that. Love? NO. Love was bad. Love got him in trouble. Love would only lead to more heartbreak and Jane was convinced that he had suffered more than his fair share in this lifetime.

…But then again, love did seem to be the perfect way to describe their relationship. Love. He loved her strength. He loved that she dealt with his constant shenanigans. He loved that she gave him a chance to make something of himself when he stumbled in, lost and disheveled, into the CBI for the first time. He loved that she picked up the broken pieces of his life, and his heart, and slowly, with determined and caring little hands, put them back together. Essentially, he loved her.

Jane groaned as he rolled over on his couch and sat up. Love. Valentine's Day. That was too much to think about right now. He needed to retreat to the solitude of his attic and get away from the world for a few minutes and sort out his thoughts. Jane pushed himself off of his couch and began to head toward the stairs, en route to his attic. As he passed by Lisbon's office, he found himself smiling and giving the brunette a goofy little wave. She smiled and waved back before returning her focus to the paperwork in front of her. When he realized he was still smiling as he walked toward the staircase, Jane shook his head to bring his mind back into focus, but it was no use. His mind kept returning to the one subject that he was afraid to delve into. How he felt-truly felt-about Teresa Lisbon.

Jane finally reached the attic and let out a little sigh as he stepped inside the safety of its confines. After closing the door behind him, Jane leaned back against the door and put his head against the cold, hard metal. Maybe it was true. Maybe he did love Teresa Lisbon, his best friend and life saver. If there was any day perfectly suited to achieve this sort of enlightenment, it certainly would be Valentine's Day.

Jane raised his head and then walked over toward his desk positioned in front of the big window that gazed out on the city streets below. Lisbon had bought him a radio to put in his attic for Christmas this past year and it now rested upon said desk. Maybe some music will help clear my thoughts, Jane considered. He turned the radio on and adjusted the frequency until he found a station that he liked. As he skimmed, Jane came across Lisbon's favorite radio station and found himself smiling again. So much for my emotional control…

Against his better judgment, Jane left the radio set on Lisbon's favorite station. He headed over to his cot to lie down and listen for a while, hoping the music could help him in some way.

"What do I do about this?" He mumbled aloud to himself.

Jane didn't expect an answer from anyone in the empty attic. However, the song on the radio had a different idea. The words floated from the speakers of the radio and not only hit his ears, but penetrated the steel trap of his mind.

And I feel alive when I'm with you

Deep inside, it's something true

You're the only reason I fight

You're the best thing in my life

(Alive by Adelita's Way)

The lyrics struck a chord in him that rang true; so true that it nearly hurt. Lisbon was the best thing in his life. Jane didn't need a song to tell him that. But did Lisbon know that? Jane's eyes darted open as he wondered this disturbing thought. Most of the time, he was annoying her, irritating her, raising her blood pressure, or what have you. But once that road of love was traveled, Jane was afraid there was no turning back, and no turning back could be very dangerous because of all the things that could be lost. He could lose Lisbon as a friend or worse. The loss of Lisbon in any form would surely destroy him.

Pushing that thought to the dark recesses of his mind, Jane continued to listen to the music that flooded the stillness of the grey attic. It was a brand new song, but the message was still reaching his heart:

'Cause trying not to love you, only goes so far

Trying not to need you, is tearing me apart

Can't see the silver lining, from down here on the floor

And I just keep on trying, but I don't know what for

'Cause trying not to love you

Only makes me love you more

(Trying Not to Love You by Nickelback)

Jane wasn't sure if he wanted to reach through the radio and strangle the DJ for putting these thoughts in his head or hug him. Either way, it was continuously getting harder to deny what the music so obviously could already tell was really in his heart; Patrick Jane was in love with Teresa Lisbon. Maybe it was time she knew…

…Teresa Lisbon check her watch and sighed. Thankfully, Valentine's Day was almost over. How she hated that holiday. Love was so overrated. As much as she tried to tell herself that she could do without love, deep down, Lisbon knew that she really did wish to find that special someone to spend her life with. The closest thing she had to that was Jane. Of all people, she thought as she rolled her eyes.

He really wasn't that bad. He was her best friend after all. Jane was certainly special, Lisbon admitted to herself as she lazily filled out the form in front of her. He could be charming yet infuriating. Sweet yet annoying. Wonderful yet unbelievable. Loving yet elusive. Sure, she was attracted to him. How could she not be, with his golden locks, beautiful eyes and charming smile? Lisbon found herself smiling at the mental image of Jane that her mind had conjured up. Why was she going to agonize herself with the thought of something that was so unattainable? No matter what her feelings were for him, Lisbon had pretty much managed to convince herself that nothing-or at least nothing good-would ever come of something more than their friendship.

However, there would be moments of hope that kept her secret love for him alive. "Good luck Teresa. Love you." Those two immortal words still rang in her ears as if Jane had just spoken them moments before. He said he loved her. But if she only knew what the word "love" meant. As a sister? As a friend? As a person? As the woman he'd want to spend the rest of his life with? Sure, she tried asking, but Jane denied even saying it. Until Jane got the guts to tell her straight out that he loved her, Lisbon knew that she would just have to love her consultant from afar.

A dink from her cell phone signaling a text message broke Lisbon from her reverie. She checked her phone and found that the text message was from Jane. Speak of the devil…

Hi Lisbon! Look outside your office

-Jane

Lisbon stared at the text message momentarily, confused. The CBI was pretty much empty except for herself, Jane and the night guards. What on Earth could be outside her office door? Well, there was only one way to find out.

Lisbon stood up from her desk chair and walked toward her office door. She opened it and was immediately surprised by what lay before her eyes. It was a bunch of rose petals, seemingly in a path, leading away from her office. Lisbon's phone dinked again with another text message.

Follow the path of the red roses

-Jane

Unsure yet curious as to what to expect, Lisbon did as Jane had instructed. She followed the path of rose petals through the hallway and to the stairs leading toward Jane's attic. Lisbon followed the path up the stairs, leading her to the attic door.

"Jane?" She asked as she slowly opened the door to the attic.

Lisbon gasped in surprise at what the opened attic door unveiled. The attic was filled with lit candles throughout the room and there was a soft sound of music emanating from within it too. And in the middle of the room stood Patrick Jane, with a big bouquet of rainbow roses and a bright smile on his face. Lisbon couldn't contain her own smile as she walked inside and approached Jane.

"Well this is certainly a surprise," She said to him as she came to stand in front of him.

"This is not what I imagined was going to happen today when I woke up this morning either, believe me." Jane told her.

"So what is all of this?" Lisbon asked as she looked around the attic, taking in her romantic surroundings.

"Well," Jane began to say. "This is a plan I came up with."

"What kind of plan?" Lisbon questioned, having picked up on Jane's nervousness and decided to have a little fun with him.

"To tell you how I feel about you." Jane stated.

Lisbon looked at him curiously.

"How you feel about me?"

Jane nodded.

"Valentine's Day got me to thinking, which is usually a dangerous thing." Jane started to explain. "I thought about our relationship. We have a pretty great thing, you and me, but I couldn't figure out exactly how to describe what we share. It's definitely more than friendship. It's more than a sibling thing. It's more than just admiration or appreciation. As much as I tried to deny it, I found only one word to describe what we share. Love."

Lisbon tried to repeat the word love, but the result was only a breath of air. "You already know that I love you, Lisbon." Jane continued. "I tried to play it off as not remembering what I said, but I really do remember and I really meant what I said. I love you, Teresa Lisbon."

Lisbon stared at Jane, somewhat dumbfounded at what had just come from the consultant's mouth.

"You…love me?" She finally managed to squeak out.

Jane nodded again.

"So much, Lisbon. So, so much. More than words could ever describe," Jane told Lisbon, making her smile at the reference to one of her favorite songs. "You're the best thing in my life, Lisbon, and I don't ever want to lose you. I just want to be honest with you for a change. I want you to know how I really feel before I lose my nerve and decide to never tell you. I don't know where we go from here. If you want to remain just friends, I'm fine with that. But if you want to, maybe, try to be more than friends-"

Lisbon cut off Jane's statement with a kiss.

"What took you so long?" She asked him.

A speechless Patrick Jane could only shrug.

"I'm an idiot?" He said.

"Besides that." Lisbon said with a laugh.

"Your Christmas present over there," Jane said, referring to the radio that Lisbon had bought for him. "Smacked me over the head with feelings I didn't even know I had."

"Oh yeah?"

Jane then quoted the lyrics to the two songs that had unlocked the chains he had placed over his heart. Lisbon smiled up at him when he finished.

"Look at that." Jane said. "We kiss once and we already have two songs for our new relationship. As I said before, my dear, what we share is certainly special."

Lisbon nodded in agreement and then wrapped her arms around Jane's neck as he leaned down to kiss her once again. What we share is certainly special, and only ours, for now and forever…

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Review for the love of Jisbon :)