The Mentalist – New Years Resolutions
Chapter 1 (Hope is the Father of Faith)
Like every 31th of december, Lisbon had promised herself a whole long list of things for the new year and like always, she never found the time to accomplish them. A brand of nostalgy hit her when she red the long list of resolutions she had made for the past year. She held back disgust when she realized she hadn't done any of this, not a single resolution on her list was checked. Among those things, were some of the most important things in her life like getting to see more of her niece Annabeth and Tommy as well as her other brothers. Her eyes watered a bit when she remembered promising herself, on this very same day, she would travel all the way across Sacramento to have a nice familly reunion with them. Teresa didn't have a familly of her own but they meant everything to her and it was in times like these that she missed them the most.
Among her other items on the list, there was one she really and truly cherished and had dreamed of for a long time now but woudn't dare saying it aloud. A soft smile came to her lips when she remember the last one she had written. She knew the chances to get a "new" boyfriend were thin but then again it woudn't hurt to try if only it meant to have true happiness through love.
As she red the last resolution on her notebook, she allowed herself a moment to look at the snowflakes falling softly outside her office window. There was a snowstorm outside and only a fool like her would go to work on such day to fill paperwork. She could already ear Jane telling her how much of a waste of time this was.
She groaned to herself. If only she would finish soon those damns paper forms so she could go home take a nice long bath, put herself in a cosy and cute christmas pyjamma before savoring a delicious cup of hot chocolate.
Speaking of which she wasn't the only fool to have stayed late for work tonight. As the protector she was she had given her team the afternoon off since the case was closed she didn't need their help. Plus she knew that some of them had plans for new years' eve.
Rigsby had told her he was supposed to have super with Sarah and Ben and her parents would be there. Cho had a new girlfriend named Lucy and he had all intentions to pass the whole evening with her. Even Grace had a great aunt named Evelyn she wanted to visit this year. The poor women was mostly alone since her husband died and her niece was the only once to visit her on regular occasions at the retirement center.
But of course a certain consultant of her had decided no matter what he wouldn't fail his presence to her. At this moment he would probably be laying on his favorite leather couch, arms crossed behind his head and pretending to be asleep.
While her fingers where fidgeting on the sharpen side of her pencil the cringing sound of her office door opening made her startle.
Suddenly on a whim of shame she hid her notebook in her top desk drawer and managed to compose herself quickly before her visitor could see her. She instinctively looked at her desk trying to focus on her paperforms.
"Didn't I tell you you would regret doing this someday ?" he told joking as he sat one leg on her desk.
"I could say the same about you" Lisbon snapped still pretending to be working.
"you know you could be finished with this a lot more sooner don't you ?" he told her ignoring her previous statement
"I could ?" she asked with a little smile and now looking at him for the first time since he enterred her office.
She had raised one eyebrow and he knew he had piked her attention.
"yes you could…here let me help you" he told her as he took some of her paperfiles in his hands.
"what are you doing ?" Lisbon told him with a weird smile.
"isn't it obvious…I'm helping you" he told her.
"you said you couldn't last time plus don't you have some list to make ?" she told him referencing one of his previous statement.
"meh I'm done for the night plus only a fool woudn't change his mind" he told her with a smile.
Despite the usual benter between them, Lisbon was surprised by Jane's behavior. It wasn't like him to help her and be such a gentlemen with her especially since he was so caught up on his whole Red John's puppet list thing. She could get used to the feeling though.
They sat together in silence while they filled the paperforms and every once in a while Jane would go make himself tee and hot coffee for her, since her knew how much she was found of it.
Around four thirty everything was done. Usually, she woudn't be done only after midnight and would have probably fall asleep on her chair and wake up in the morning like she did so often. But not tonight, thanks to Jane.
"thank you" Lisbon said with one of her genuine smile.
"you're welcome…" he told her with a gently smile.
A moment went by while Jane was strangly staring at her like there was something he was hesitant about something.
"now would you mind telling me what you were doing before I came in you office ? and don't tell me paperwork we both how much big of a lie that is" he said to her with his devilish smile.
At this very moment, Lisbon knew that what she had just found in Jane's behavior to be selflessness had been hope in disguise, hope for the promise of a new day. But now hope had almost completely gone.
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"If it wasn't of you helping me…I would be probably punching you in the nose right now" Lisbon said trying to stay calm.
"that's the best you can do" he told her chuckling.
"I've got a hammer in my desk…remember" she said trying to stay calm.
"and I'm pretty sure that's not the only thing you have in there too" he told her
"excuse me ? I have no idea what you're talking about" she said her cheeks become red.
"you're blushing just like when I came in earlier so there's obsviously something in that desk that you don't want me to know about" he told her.
"GO HOME" Lisbon almost shouted standing up from her chair.
"please Lisbon just tell me I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards all I want is to help you…let me help you" he told her.
"you've done that enough already, now go or I swear I'll use my gun" she said
"Lisbon you know I can pick lock so you might as well tell me anyways" he told her
"what is wrong with you ?" she said tentatively approaching her hand from the holster of her nine millimeter.
Of course Lisbon had no intentions whatsoever to shoot him or to aim her gun at him, but she knew how much he resented firearms, so a little fear woun't do him no arm so to speak.
"I-I'm sorry…I'm sure you have plans for the night" he told her with the expression of a scared puppy on his face.
Just as he was about to leave her office she called up on him. He had touched a sensitive nerve. She knew she didn't have much planed for the night but she was too caught up in her own problems that she didn't realized Jane's situation was probably worse. For him it was yet another year over without his beloved wife and daughter. He would probably spend that night alone thinking about them in his couch or worse in his dreadful house next to the red smiley face on the wall of his bedroom.
"Jane" she said
"yes" he said with a gleam of hope in his eyes
"please don't go…look I'm sorry too I was out of line I guess I'm just a bit tired" she said trying to make dissapear the dark circles under her eyesyou won't laugh.
"it's okay he told her there's no need to apologize anyway I can be pretty annoying sometimes" he told her with a sad smile.
"yes you do" she told him returning his smile.
"so you're going to show it to me ?" he asked her.
"I guess…just promise you won't laugh" she said looking him straight in the eyes as if to defy him.
"I promise" he said with the same sad smile.
Jane's confused look was replaced by a light smile when he saw Lisbon opened one of her drawer and pull out a small notebook with a shiny golden cover.
"what is that ?" he asked her intrigued.
Lisbon didn't say anything but just nodded towards the small diary. When Jane saw the title New Year's Resolutions (2012) written in ink at the top of the paper he couldn't help but grin a little. He also noticed the list was intact which could only mean one thing.
"well that's a long list" he told her.
"yes it is" she said trying to smile as much as she could.
"you want to gain weight for the new year" he told her on the edge of laughing
"you promised you woudn't laugh" she said immediately trying to take the notebook from his hands but he sensed her movement and avoided her.
"well you got to admit it Lisbon this is all but platonic…most people's first resolution to make and the first to drop is to loose weight now your high above reaching your achivements my friend" he told her with a secret smile.
"I guess you're right…now would you please give it back to me ?" she told him reaching her arm right before him to show him she wanted her diary back.
"I'm not finished" he told her eyebrows narrowed while reading.
"consider yourself lucky you saw this in the first place" she told him now loosing a bit of her cool.
"well…Lisbon how do you want me to help you accomplish all of these before midnight if I don't read all of it" he said casually.
"what did you just say ?" Lisbon asked while grasping her air.
Had he just told her he wanted to help her with her wish list ? Did she just fell on the ground and hit her head hard or what ? Or maybe she had already fallen asleep. That was it, she was so tired after filling all those report that she had fallen asleep and now she was resting peacefully her head on her desk while imaginating all of this. Unfortunately she didn't have any signs that what was happening wasn't real.
"I want to help you Lisbon with your resolutions" he told her.
"well this is obviously an old list you made for last year's resolution and from the sight of it I guess you didn't make any of this…so now I think all you need is a little help before it's too late" he told her.
"you want to help me" she said sarcastically.
"of course Teresa what makes you think I woudn't want to do that ?" he said with a charming grin.
"I don't know you tell me" she said
After all, her reaction to his offer was probably the most legetimated thing in the world since he had made her loose the last bit of hope for sincerity by trying to read her mind.
"please have a little faith" Jane told her.
"don't bother Jane it's already 5 p.m" she said with
Lisbon was already packing her things and was ready to go home when Jane stoped her.
"better get started now than before midnight shall arrive" he told her with a smile.
"Jane what are you doing ?" she said as he gently grabbed her left arm
"to make your first wish come true" he told her as they got out of the office.
My new year's resolution, for those who might have guess it, is to finally finish this story and publish at least a chapter everyday until I'm done. Here I said it hope you loved this first chapter even thought it was kind of short, I promise it'll keep going better and better ;)