DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Mentalist, receive no compensation for my fics, and no copyright infringements are intended. All rights belong to Bruno Heller and associates for creating this wonderful show.
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Lisbon watched the officers hauling Lorelei out of the interrogation room glad to be out of her presence. She'd expected the normal useless crap spewing from the woman's mouth. She hadn't expected the bombshell Jane had so thoughtlessly omitted. As he had omitted so many things not relevant in his universe over the years. Even things he knew she should know. Not that she'd honestly wanted to know that. She hadn't. It was a revelation better left for another day.
But, she'd needed to know since Jane's actions could bite them on the butt in any number of nasty ways. Staring sightlessly at the table, Lisbon propped her head on her crossed arms lost in thought. What else was new? Jane was involved wasn't he? Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, she'd never had to deal with this kind of complication in all the years of their association. Not that there hadn't been plenty of equally troublesome moments, just not this particular one. If there was one thing Jane wasn't, it was a man slut. Unless he'd suddenly turned over a new leaf she knew nothing about and she seriously doubted that had happened. He still had too many intimacy issues though working parts no longer appeared to be one of them.
On the up side, it wasn't necessary for her consultant to explain what Lisbon already knew. He'd been running a long con and doing whatever it took to get the job done. Jane could hardly blow his best chance to reach a certain serial killer by refusing to have sex with a good looking woman now could he? Not when Lorelei came all but gift wrapped by the great Red John himself. Jane had worked too hard to put the pieces in place.
Lisbon should know. She hadn't seen hide or hair from him in six months before he'd suddenly appeared on that pew like an unwanted cock roach. All in all, it had been a pretty rough few months. She hadn't known whether Jane was dead or alive and that was the hardest part. The thought flittered through her mind she hoped he'd never pulled anything like this while he was married to Angela. His wife would have gone insane with worry. What was she thinking? She knew better.
Besides, Jane wasn't married now. He hadn't been for a very long time. Who he slept with at this point in his life really wasn't anyone's business. Unless it affected a case like now. Lisbon said a few choice words as she rose to her feet. She'd forgotten exactly how exasperating things could get while Jane was away and she'd gotten out of practice with having him around. For one thing, she should have done a better job with her poker face. She could only imagine the pleasure that dark headed witch was having at her expense. She clearly hadn't appreciated hearing the other woman call Jane "lover" over and over again and she knew her feelings were written on her face. It hadn't helped Lisbon had known her words were true or that Jane hadn't denied them in any way. Not that she'd expected him too. That wasn't his way.
Also, she'd known for a long time that Jane was at the point he'd do almost anything to make contact with Red John. She had no doubts he'd known exactly who, and what, he was bedding. Jane had also known he'd reached a point in his healing where he was finding women attractive again. Lisbon had known that for a while as well. All she had to do was watch him with Erica Flynn to see the truth in action. As with Jane, Lorelei had to know her quarry was on to her. They were both playing the same demented game with eyes wide open each hoping to win over the other. Somehow, Lisbon suspected Lorelei had had more fun than Jane by the end. She probably wasn't having quite as much fun now. In fact, Lisbon would insure that.
Departing the interrogation room, Lisbon decided Jane was a total jerk for the thousandth time. He was also as unrepentant as ever believing he'd only done what had to be done. The only saving grace about their situation was, knowing Jane as well as she did, she was sure he wasn't happy he'd hurt her in the process. However, he probably felt the sacrifice worth the cost to have a living Red John disciple to torment.
Lisbon wasn't sure she felt the same way. The odds of keeping Lorelei alive long enough for Jane to pick her brains was slim to none. They'd still give it the old CBI try. But, hey, she honestly wasn't expecting much. Not considering their track record with Rebecca and Todd Johnson before her. Lisbon had a feeling if the woman lasted two days they were doing well. She knew she wouldn't be disappointed. Besides, even if they managed to succeed in keeping her breathing this time around, Lisbon wasn't sure Jane would ever get anything of value out of the woman. He clearly thought otherwise judging by his words and actions a while ago. She'd worry about all of that later. Right now, she needed some down time out of the trenches.
Glancing at the stairs, Lisbon knew Jane had hauled his cute derriere up to the attic in hopes she wouldn't follow him. Actually, a part of him probably hoped she would. The same part that was glad she'd sat in the dirt holding his hand after his narrow escape from almost losing a finger or two or worse. Actually, she hadn't held his hand, he'd grabbed hers and she'd let him. Enjoyed letting him was she honest; but, she wasn't thinking about that right now any more than she was thinking about going up those stairs any time soon. There were too many thoughts and feelings churning through her mind at the moment to indulge in twisted Jane games any time soon.
Not the least of which was Wainwright was dead. Granted, he'd been an annoying little twerp at times; but, he didn't deserve to die. Certainly not in such a meaningless way he'd never seen coming. None of them had. They weren't even sure how their boss had been snatched in the first place. It was obviously by someone he knew and trusted…probably someone walking among them every day. Someone like that jerk off O'Laughlin. That was a creepy thought she'd ponder later when her head was on a little straighter. Just thinking about that loser and what he'd done to Grace made Lisbon want to revive him and kill him all over again.
Then there was Darcy and her part in Wainwright's death. That nagged at the whole team begging to be questioned more in depth. Was the woman just overzealous law enforcement or was there something more ominous about the aggravating wench? Lisbon wasn't sure beyond the fact there was more to the agent than met the eye and thinking that made her more uncomfortable than she wanted to be. About as uncomfortable as Jane's blatant disregard for Darcy's welfare did. Lisbon had to wonder what he knew he wasn't yet willing to share.
Last of all there was her team. Though they'd helped out as they always did, her guys still wanted a piece of Jane's hide for the past six months, Van Pelt included. She'd ride that one out as she always did. They'd get over their hostilities eventually. Jane was part of the team no matter how many underhanded tricks he pulled or how hard he tried to distance himself at times. Everything would be back to normal in a matter of days. She'd put her foot down later if she had to.
One of Lisbon's biggest concerns for the present was which idiot would take Wainwright's place and how they would get along with Jane. Who was she kidding? She already knew the answer. They wouldn't and she'd handle the fall out as she always did. By pulling in the reigns and praying a certain golden haired consultant didn't cost her job.
Shaking her head, Lisbon walked into the break room and made a cup of coffee heavy on the cream and sugar. Swiping a pastry she made her way back to her office lost in thoughts that had nothing to do with Red John, Wainwright's death, or what the future might hold and everything to do with a woman bearing a notable resemblance to her. Walking into her office shutting her door with her foot, Lisbon plopped down in her chair and sat her coffee on her desk. The pastry had disappeared somewhere in route complete with absently licking the icing from her fingertips in that appreciative manner Jane found so vocally disgusting. For now, she had nothing to do except prop her feet on her desk, sip her coffee, and think.
What she wanted to think about at the moment was Jane. Not the Jane she'd hung out with over the years in the "here's some sheets and pillows for the couch" way or the "I brought a move and some beers" way. But, the Jane she'd never seen in quite this way. She wanted to think about the Jane saying, "Love ya, Lisbon" before eventually refusing to clarify exactly what he'd meant. Or the Jane who hadn't grabbed her hand for comfort by the side of the road, but carefully woven his fingers through hers just so. Yeah, that was the Jane she wanted to ponder.
That and the one who could do all of the above and still have sex with another woman in such a cold blooded way. Not that Lisbon thought a roll in the hay with Lorelei would be that difficult for any man. Jane included. She was a very attractive woman. Or she would be if she wasn't running off at the mouth in a manner making Lisbon long to smack her face off.
All that really mattered in the end was Lisbon wasn't sure how she felt about this latest turn of events. Stunned for starters, followed by betrayed, and perhaps a tiny bit angry. Maybe she felt more than a tiny bit peckish. More like ready to string Jane up by his toes and make a piñata out of him ifshe was honest. She was pretty darned sure there was some wire and a baseball bat in the evidence locker somewhere. Or maybe a punching bag would be better. There was probably also a set of boxing gloves left over from that case a few years back.
Lisbon decided she might as well admit it. She was ready to beat the hell out of Jane with her bare hands and smile about it. It was time to accept she was more mad than hurt at the moment. The hurt was over. Now she was more peeved he'd let her find out that way than that he'd done the unthinkable in the first place. She could handle that idea now that the betrayal had lessened. It still hurt; but, she'd get over it as she always did. The mad was a different matter.
Not that she had a right to her feelings. She didn't have a ring on his finger. That belonged to his long dead wife. Nor were they lovers, not in any sense of the imagination though sometimes no one could tell by the way they acted. No wonder there had been whispers for years. They'd earned every one. Lisbon rolled her eyes at the thought.
They were close friends though. And close friends didn't let each other get blind-sided. They just didn't. Not even if they were chicken poop sissies preferring avoiding their problems to dealing with them. All he'd had to do was tell her what he'd done and why. Amend that. It didn't take a genius to figure out why. She'd have been better prepared to deal with getting verbally kicked in the gut and more inclined to forgive than she felt right now. She'd have concentrated more on hiding the pain and betrayal than giving into the anger. Honesty would have made it better for everyone.
Leaning back in her chair, Lisbon decided she'd give Jane a couple of hours to man up before she told him exactly what she thought of him for further complicating an already complicated case. Maybe she'd feel a little more in control and less inclined towards verbally ripping his head off and feeding it to him than she felt at the moment. Maybe there'd be less pain fueling her ire. Closing her eyes, she could certainly hope so.