The Mentalist
Title: Holiday Madness
Author: BlueDiamondStar
Rating: K
Genre: Friendship
Characters: Mikaela Ranger/Patrick Jane/some team members
Spoilers: none actually
Summary: It was almost Christmas Eve and they planned to
celebrate together. Only they didn't count on nature's way of having
fun.
Drabble. May be AUish or OOCish, or not. No pairings, just friendly
banter and bits of drama, maybe.
A/N: Written for Paint It Red Monthly Challenge October 2012
Prompt: December 2011
Ice
It's been overly overestimated idea about going to celebrate Christmas
somewhere where actually was snow, probably more than anyone liked to
see in nearest future. But someone decided to throw this idea and
everyone went along like a good idea.
Well, everyone except her. Mikaela wasn't particulary on best terms
with that white substance she'd tried to avoid most of her adult life.
True, she liked certain views and still enjoyed snowboarding but that
was it. Living in a place where you had to walk daily through the
not-so-white-anymore yuck wasn't her life anymore. Partially a reason
why she'd chosen the sunshine and sandy beaches.
But with Jane conning them into Snow White holidays it was inevitable,
so she just had to sulk it up and cowgirl up. Maybe it won't be that
bad at all.
Yeah, like anything with Jane beside could be even close to that.
"Looks like Lady Shadow doesn't fancy the idea of our holidays."
Patrick Jane, ever brightly smiling man teased raven haired woman
hunched up in his small car's passenger seat.
They had taken up into three vehicles and ended up sharing one. Not
that Jane complained. After their regular teasing contest they might
seem like two grumpy siblings but in fact it was just that they shared
more common than not. Probably why Mikaela secretly admired Patrick and
frankly he admired her too.
"And to me looks like Mr Candy Cane enjoy the prospect too much." she
bit back, trying not to sound like sulking kid. In fact she liked Jane
and over her few months stay with team she grew to accept his antics
like he was her annoying older brother. Well, they acted like siblings
since day one and probably Patrick enjoyed meeting someone standing
equal ground.
"You know it's not polite to attack your colleagues, especially if
they're your friends." Jane said, as they kept driving off towards the
snow covered country part.
"But they usually don't annoy you with silly things." Mikaela kept
pointing out like it had any effect.
They were on the road for small eternity already and her patience
already worn thin.
"I'm just keeping conversation." Jane said in his most innocent and
slightly whining tone.
Right, like it affected her.
"Then turn on radio and don't bother." she just couldn't quit.
"And get deaf afterwards? Keep dreaming." he shook his head and some
curls swung, shining in the bright sunlight, that still accompanied
them.
For a moment Mika was captivated by the shine of golden hair. One thing
she found rather cute about the generally annoying man.
"What? You wanna tell you don't like my music? You're evil." her eyes
finally turned away and glared out of window at her side.
"More the volume. You may haven't noticed but you always reach the
maximum on your iPod and still keep conversation up. It's not healthy."
Jane pointed out, eyes glued to road. Not always he drove this careful.
Must be exception.
"I just like my music loud. Besides I can read lips." she shrugged
innocently.
"So you just happen to be able to read lips? Don't buy it, must be
something else." his eyes finally danced across her features, catching
slight emotion. She was good. Her poker face probably better than his,
but not to him. He could see through.
"So what? I can sign too. And not only American. Not a big deal." she
tried casual as possible, knowing she may have let her mask slip.
"What?" Mika nearly screamed at him when the pair of blues kept digging
holes in her skin.
"You're hiding something. Those skills aren't just for fun or
just-in-case use. There must be a reason." Patrick didn't give up
easily once set to find out truth.
"Yes, there was." she growled, shifting in her seat. "To be a better
agent, prepared for any situation." her lamest but not less believable
excuse. "And what?"
"Oh no, no. Just an excuse you can tell your bosses, not me. Spill."
his confidence somehow seemed winning slowly.
"None of your business." very shady reply to stop inevitable.
"Ah huh. Right. We're trapped here for at least six more hours so sing
birdie." his voice so suggesting.
Mikaela growled like a hungry wolf. It was inevitable indeed. And being
trapped with him didn't help.
"I can switch cars." the last and probably most useless attempt.
"Ha! Noone's gonna share a ride with me. They put us together on
purpose so not a chance. Besides Lisbon knows you're the only one able
to share a ride with me and come out alive and thriving. So sing little
bird." he grinned happily.
"You are impossible." Mikaela growled and sighed. He was too determined
to let her rest.
"But you're too secretive. Try to be more open. It can help to gain
more friends." he said it with such sweet voice Mikaela considered
strangling him for a moment before her phone came to life with loud
'Yeeeeeeaaaaaaahhh'.
"Ranger." Mika answered, casting a death glare at Patrick. "Indeed I
am. Unfortunately. Yeah. You too." she took it away from her ear,
locking screen. "Rigsby asked how are we, checked if we're still both
alive. If I was alone..." Mika pocketed her phone and smiled a sickly
sweet smile at annoying consultand behind wheel.
"Am I really that bad?" Patrick suddenly asked. It sounded different,
like serious.
She raised her eyebrow. "Honestly? Yes, you are. Most people don't get
along if their fellows are annoying hell out of them. In your case it's
that you tend to ask too many questions about our secrets." Mika said,
looking straight in the eye. She could see he meant it, so it was the
moment of truth.
"So you really think I'm too annoying? That you better get rid of me
instead of tag along?" there it was, a hint of sadness and inkling of
something. They weren't teasing each other.
"Jane. I consider you my friend. You're something of an older brother
to me and frankly I really don't mind your way. Maybe I'm more like you
than everyone else and they probably have noticed that already, the
main reason I'm with you in your car suffering your driving which isn't
as half as reckless as mine." Mikaela told. And she meant it. He may be
bold at times, stupid and silly, but she felt the sympathy towards the
man who'd suffered so much pain for years. And she knew why he was like
this.
It wasn't because he'd been that spoilt brat, killing birds and
torturing neighbour cats just to have fun. He wasn't one of those
bullies at school. No, he was that smart, smiling boy next door, who
always shared a candy and new trick to amaze, to receive applause and
ovations. He wanted to shine.
That's what Mikaela believed. Yes, he was carnival boy. Living
alongside circus people and doing tricks under his father demands. Yet
he probably liked to receive smiles from people who thought he was true
Boy Wonder. But he wasn't. Maybe not by the book description but in his
own way. He was indeed Boy Wonder, just not the kind you expect.
"So you really won't kill me if I keep annoying you?" he asked looking
more like kicked puppy.
She smiled warmly. "Only if you promise to behave when we arrive."
His face lit up in a bright smile. "How about an ice-cream and story?"
"Just don't put your hopes up too high." Mika smiled. Only then she
noticed they were nearing road-side cafe. Talking about distractions.
"So you really wanna hear that story?" Mikaela asked as she took a bite
of her ice-cream.
"I'm just curious. You listen your music so loud, you can read from
lips and sport knowledge of sign language. It's more than just
coincidence." Patrick stated. To him it felt like breaking ice. This
girl was a true Ice Queen.
"My sister, at age of five, became deaf by fall which resulted in head
trauma. I was counted as possible fellow so we were taught together. I
was three. Not like I had any idea. But doctor had told I'm at risk of
becoming partially deaf. They just wanted me to be prepared, with a
base that wouldn't leave me helpless.
Some years later I found my right ear ringing more and more. It had
become constant cacaphony of squealing, ringing, hissing at high
frequency. They found tumor on nerve. After countless tests it was
considered to remove it, but it got delayed due to another problem. In
the end tumor got removed couple years later, when it started to cause
headache and I couldn't stand it." Mikaela took a deep breath and
exhaled it in a long sigh. Memories still caused her heart constrict
slightly.
"Only thing they couldn't fix was my hearing. It was gone just as those
sounds. So I learnt to accept my fate and move on. As years went on my
ears adjusted the situation and left one took over and soon it felt
like nothing had happened. I felt so normal, unless I didn't cover my
good ear there wasn't any difference." finally she smiled, looking at
Patrick. "I found a way to listen music." she took out her iPod and
showed headphones. "My right ear preserved some level of hearing so if
I crank up volume I can hear music, but my left ear is little sensitive
to loud sounds, so I got a plug that silences headphone for my good ear
and the volume levels out and I can enjoy music normal." Mika smiled
triumphantly at Jane and stuffed her player back in pocket. "I may be
Ice Queen but I am not made of stone. And of all people specifically
you could break my ice." she patted his arm gently. "And you can just
drop that idea, it won't happen."
Jane watched as Mikaela got up from her seat, probably to find restroom.
He just sat there wondering about the information he just received. Not
exactly what he expected.
But Patrick made promise to himself that her story won't be explored
and used for any of his acts. This was going to be their secret.