Disclaimer: I don't own the mentalist

This story is a Valentines Day reminder, I hope you like it. It goes from present to past, but it will be centered in the present in next chapters.

Teresa Lisbon was ok with the way things turned up for her. She was looking at the picture frame in front of all her paperwork. It held her husbands photo. Every time Teresa wanted to get out all major crime cases insanity, she held her gaze in Andrews photograph; it made her feel safe, loved and cared for. In no time she found herself going back …..

She had a difficult childhood, but she managed to survive those years relying on her strength, that woman never gave up. No matter what the circumstances were. Lisbon took well care of her brothers as long as they needed to, fighting for them every day against all the abuse that her alcoholic father brought to them and It was that strength that attracted certain boy. When Lisbon was sixteen she met Andrew, he had been her classmate since forever, but obviously none of them noticed that, until a single episode came up. It can be called fate.

Andrew played hockey, he was good at it, but not as much as Lisbon. That fact challenged him to make better what he did eventually, he wanted to be as good as her so he could have the opportunity of hang out with her. It was obvious that he had a crush on the brunette all senior school knew that. Well all but Lisbon. All people knew it was really difficult to get to know her, even teachers complained on her lack of enthusiasm for certain things. She didn't have a group of friends although, she was a very good student, they couldn't complain on that; they justified her loneliness on her mother's death.

So Andrew was a little bit uneasy, he knew it wouldn't be easy to get to know her, but something pushed him along. Somehow he felt that it was his destiny to be with her and he wasn't wrong at all. So the perfect moment (well not exactly perfect for the circumstances) came through. They were at hockey practice, and she fell. It seemed that she collided with one of the players and fell down on the ice; she attempted to concentrate all her weight on one arm coming up with a broken wrist. That weren't exactly good news to the coach, his best player was hurt.

Coach Burns tried to make Teresa go to the hospital, but she refused. He accepted her will only because he loved her like a daughter and knew her fathers condition. Some months ago, the sixteen year old confessed all to him between tears. He had noticed her bruised skin in one of the practices. He asked her what was happening and she explained that he couldn't report it to child services they were going to take her brothers away, and she wouldn't accept losing one more person she loved. Coach Burns came from a dysfunctional family; he was beaten up by his father. He knew the drill. So he made her go to hockey practice every week in that way he would be able to see if she was doing ok. He tried to talk with the father but he was impossible to reach plus Teresa begged him not to do it anymore, she promised to be around enough for him to make sure she was doing fine. And she was keeping her promise.

Andrew didn't know why she didn't want to be treated. He was concerned, so he offered Coach Burns to take her to the school nurse. He accepted it. That was his chance. They were walking through the school corridor when he decided to speak.

"So, Teresa right?"

"Yes"

"I am Andrew……." He was going to say the next word, but she interrupted him.

"Stevens, I know" Their eyes met, and then Andrew was stunned. Her eyes were green and wise. You could see that she had been through a lot, but she was full of life still. Andrew would learn in the future that the thing that kept her going on was the endless love for her brothers and her dead mom.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not much" She was used to it, when her fathers rage reached a certain point …She tried to clear her head. She observed Andrew and felt some kind of tenderness. He seemed to be really concerned about her and also he looked rather handsome. Something she hadn't noticed before. He had dark haired, brown eyes and the same height as her, he was just sweet.

They headed the Nurses office, Andrew explained what happened, Teresa was lucky there was a doctor around school. He personally treated her injury in no time. She was relieved she didn't have to convince the nurse not to send her to the hospital. The bad news was that she had to wear a cast for at least a month. That meant, not playing Hockey.

"Damn it!" She hit the wall as soon as the doctor left the nurse room.

"Hey easy, you are going to break another wrist!" Andrew panicked, she looked so frustrated.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she yelled at him, and immediately regret it. It wasn't his fault, he was trying to help. But he wouldn't understand what a broken wrist meant to her. She couldn't play; playing Hockey was the way she tried to deal with certain things, frustration, anger, pain. When she played, they went away. The same thing happened when she played the guitar. Now her hands weren't going to be able to do that either.

"I am sorry, you are just trying to help, it's just that I like to play hockey very much"

"I know what you mean, I understand, I would be out of it too if something like that happened to me" He put one hand over her shoulder; she didn't refuse it, that was a good sign.

"Its only a month, it will pass fast"

"Tell that to Coach Burns, he will be trilled" Teresa tried not to be sarcastic, but it was impossible.

"So sarcasm, I like it"

Both of them chuckled. Andrew was so happy to see her smile, she had a gorgeous smile.

"Can I walk you home? You will need someone to help you with your things"

Teresa was going to say no, but something inside her stopped her attempt, she was tired of being lonely, she wanted a friend.

"Ok, but I need to pick up my brothers."

"Perfect then I will go with you."

That month passed and Andrew and Teresa became best friends, they had classes together. At hockey, she taught him how to improve his playing. He grew as better player as her. At home Andrew helped her with her brothers they liked him very much. Teresa didn't like him to stay around for too long, she wanted him to avoid her father as long as she could. The brunette didn't have a clue of what was happening in Teresa's life when she got home.

Until that day .She was changing for Hockey practice and forgot to put on her shirt below the hockey uniform shirt. She used it to cover the bruises in her arms (whenever she had them). Andrew noticed..

"What's that?"

"I fell"

"It must had been a horrible fall"

"Yes it was." They stared at each other for a while

"Tess come on, Tell me the truth, you know you are incapable of lying"

"Okay, but this is going to change things a bit"

Teresa told everything to him, with every detail she could or remembered. For a sixteen year old, it was too much information but he handled it, he didn't know for sure but he was falling in love with her.

"I will protect you; I will be there for you." She took her hand and started to rub her bruises, in some insane way he wanted to throw the pain away. Not only the physical.

Teresa was shocked by his reaction, she expected him to run away with all that information, but he stayed standing there in front of her. She felt tears dripping out her cheeks. Suddenly out of notice, she felt him around her, hugging her. Now they were beyond friendship and none of them wanted to go backwards.

Next chapter we will be back to present, this is the prologue. I wanted you to know were Lisbon's husband came from. So back to present .Bosco isn't death, Minnelli is still around and of course Jane its working in Lisbon's team. Please review!!!