Title: Rest and Relaxation
Author: tromana
Rating: K+
Characters: Lisbon/Jane, Team
Spoilers: None
Summary: Lisbon needs to learn to relax. Jane, with the team on side, sees this as a personal challenge.
Disclaimer: Not mine, alas.
Notes: Written for the http: // jello-forever . proboards . com July '09 challenge. Prompt: Beach Time
Rest and Relaxation
"I'm driving."
"No, you're not."
"How can you drive us there when you don't even know where we're going?"
Cho took matters into his own hands, and boldly snatched the keys from his boss' hands. She glared at him; he was meant to be on her side, not bloody Patrick Jane's. Eventually, the team managed to practically wrestle the Senior Agent into the car. As she was strapped safely in, she still looked thoroughly annoyed. Jane grinned as he started the ignition. She always looked so pretty when she was pissed off.
***
"You are absolutely sure this is alright with Minelli?"
"Yes!"
Lisbon was practically deafened by the chorus from the rest of the team. It was only the seventeenth time she'd asked. It was practically unheard of for Minelli to let any team working underneath him have time off, so naturally she was concerned. Terrible thoughts had been consistently running through her head about having to explain to him how she'd been ambushed and taken away to wherever they were going against her will. Although, at least Van Pelt was agreeing with the men. That was some comfort. The youngest Agent on the team was the least likely to lie after all.
"I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry, Rigsby."
"Don't worry, we're nearly there."
***
It took them a little over two hours to reach their destination. Rigsby, all thoughts of food forgotten, beamed and was first onto the beach, whooping like an overexcited five year old. Lisbon couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Why the beach?"
"You, Lisbon, need to relax."
Van Pelt and Cho nodded in agreement as they hauled an oversized picnic basket from the boot, along with towels, a selection of books and swimwear. Reluctantly, Lisbon stepped out of the car, still clutching hold of the file she had refused to let go of since they left the office. Jane however managed to swiftly take it away and lock it in the SUV before she had a chance to protest.
Lisbon sighed and followed her team down onto the sandy beach. Van Pelt had already jogged to catch up with Rigsby, leaving Cho and Jane to struggle with all the stuff they'd brought. She offered to help, but they both refused. It seemed to her that they were determined to make her relax at all costs.
***
"I am not wearing that bikini."
"Oh, come on Lisbon. Van Pelt's wearing one."
"It's Van Pelt's own one. And besides, I'm not Van Pelt."
Jane pouted. He'd even hired out a beach hut in order for her to change in. And everyone else had already changed into their swimming costumes - he was even wearing swimming shorts himself - which was something of a miracle. He glanced over at Rigsby and Van Pelt who were busy charging around in the waves, both looking happier than he'd ever seen them before. Being at the beach, with blazing sunshine seemed to have helped them lose their inhibitions a bit, which was good. Hopefully they'd see sense that there were more important things then following the rules, especially when it came to love.
"Please?"
"You're not going to stop complaining until I do, are you?"
"Nope."
"You do realise you are exceedingly immature, don't you?"
"Yep."
Lisbon rolled her eyes and snatched the bikini out of his hands and stormed into the beach hut. Once again, she was wondering why she ever let herself trust her team, and especially him, at all.
***
"I made a sandcastle while you were changing!" Jane announced brightly.
"Congratulations," Lisbon replied dryly.
She was too busy adjusting the towel she had firmly wrapped around herself before leaving the beach hut to pay much attention. Jane immediately appeared disappointed that she was wearing more than he had intended for her to do. After all, he had picked out the bikini especially for her. It wasn't the most revealing on the market, but he knew it would highlight her curves perfectly. Van Pelt had assured him that it was the right one, too - and when it came to clothes, the rookie knew her stuff. He should have known that she'd do something like this.
Lisbon could see the disappointment in his eyes at the brightly coloured beach towel covering as much of her body as she physically could make it. Smiling, she handed him the sunscreen and asked if he'd help her with protecting her back. His expression brightened immediately. He saw it as a consolation prize - for now, at least.
***
Lunch time soon arrived and they were all sitting and eating. Cho was the one who had managed to persuade Rigsby and Van Pelt to sit down for at least ten minutes so they could eat civilly - or at least as civilly as it was possible when having a picnic on the beach. The sun was at it's peak and it didn't take long for Rigsby and Van Pelt to grow bored of sitting around, eating and listening to Jane and Lisbon bicker. After a couple of sandwiches, Van Pelt dragged Rigsby away with a soccer ball to go and have a casual kick-around. Cho saw this as a signal that he too would be able to excuse himself - he landed up stationing himself on a towel as far away as possible, soon absorbed in his latest library book.
"You know, it's cheating to wear a towel over the bikini," Jane whispered in Lisbon's ear conspiringly.
"No it's not," she retorted.
"Oh come on, Lisbon, just relax. Everyone else has managed it," Jane replied. "Even Rigsby managed to eat less than usual."
"That's probably because Van Pelt was asking him to play soccer whilst she's wearing bikini."
"True," he conceded. "Please, just so we can dip our toes in the sea? How can we go to the beach without doing that?"
"You're incorrigible."
As she stood, she dropped the towel and picked up the sun screen to cover the newly exposed skin. If she didn't, she knew she'd end up looking like a tomato and didn't fancy suffering from red raw skin for the next three weeks. Jane eyed her hungrily. The part of his brain that was actually the most logical - the bit telling him that he could move on, and it was probably what his wife would have wanted - had just melted.
***
They had been standing with the waves lapping at their feet for some time. Jane watched Lisbon the entire time. Her whole body seemed to have relaxed from the moment they became shin-deep in the water. He vaguely realised that Rigsby and Van Pelt had skulked off somewhere together, which he was pleased about. His plan had been to try and nudge them in the right direction as well as to try and get Lisbon to relax.
"What are you thinking?"
"You tell me," she challenged him.
"You're thinking that I'm glad no one is making lewd comments about me in a bikini?"
"No, well, yes," she stammered. "That doesn't give you permission to, by the way."
Jane smiled. He had no intentions of saying anything of the sorts. Well, apart from maybe stating just how damn gorgeous she looked, but for some reason that seemed inappropriate.
"I haven't been on a beach for pleasure since, well, since my Mom…"
"I'm sorry, Lisbon."
"I know."
***
Jane immediately felt guilty for each and every thought he had of romantic liaisons between Rigsby and Van Pelt the moment they came rushing up to him and Lisbon, ice creams in hand. They both took one gratefully as Van Pelt rushed off to the other side of the pier where Cho had stationed himself away from the insanity of his co-workers.
Together, the three of them wandered over to where they had been sitting for the picnic earlier. Much to Jane's disappointment, Lisbon carefully wrapped her towel around herself again. He still hadn't stopped watching her though, and she seemed so relaxed that she hadn't noticed - yet.
"Are you going to stop watching me?"
Damn, maybe she had then.
"Fancy a walk?"
"Is that just another thinly-veiled excuse to try to get me to take off this towel?"
"Yes."
"I appreciate your honesty, Jane. That's a first from you."
Rigsby sniggered, before quickly blushing and helping himself to one of the sandwiches that had been left behind earlier. It was always best for him to sneak a quick bite to eat when Van Pelt wasn't watching.
***
They walked for seemingly hours. Lisbon had brought along her work jacket and slipped it on over her bikini; the sun was beginning to set and a wind was brewing. The tides would probably change again, soon. As they turned back, Jane casually slipped an arm around her waist, and was surprised that she didn't shrug it off.
Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon had actually relaxed. Mission accomplished.
***
The sun was setting, it's final golden rays twinkling over the ocean.
Jane sighed. Once Lisbon had gotten changed again, it seemed she was straight back into business mode. It helped bring an exuberant Rigsby and Van Pelt under control - the two of them seemed like they didn't want the day to end. And the SUV was packed with more efficiency than Jane could have physically imagined possible. He was also quite disappointed that she had managed to steal back the car keys.
She sat in the car, waiting for the others to take their seats. Van Pelt was taking rather a long time to get changed again, and Rigsby had insisted upon standing guard in front of the beach hut. Cho was busy disposing of their rubbish. Jane, seated beside her, beamed and she smiled back.
"Thanks, Jane."
Once everyone was safely seat belted, she started to drive out of the car park.
"Now, this was okayed by Minelli, wasn't it?" she queried one final time.
"Yes!"
Some things would never change.
end