Mistletoe and Whine

by Miss Peg

When Lisbon bumps into an old college acquaintance, Jane does something she never expected which leads to something even more extreme.

Title: Mistletoe and Whine

Author: Miss_Peg/RedFi

Rating: K+

Characters: Patrick Jane, Teresa Lisbon

Summary: When Lisbon bumps into an old college acquaintance, Jane does something she never expected which leads to something even more extreme.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Mentalist, but you know, there are only 22 days til Christmas, sooo...

Notes: Written for the Paint It Red December 2012 Monthly Challenge - prompts: "mistletoe and wine" and "when lies become the truth". And yes, I do know how to spell wine, I obviously mean the whine kind. This is a random piece of random, I'm not sure it warrants the title of fiction because it's not that great, but here goes nothing anyway.

'Oh God,' said Teresa Lisbon.

Jane frowned and stared at her. 'Where?'

She whacked him across the shoulder and rolled her eyes. The last thing she'd expected when out on a case was to bump into someone she met at college. Even more so, the one person in her entire life who had made her feel incredibly small and insignificant from little more than a glare.

'Teresa Lisbon!' The woman wandered over – well, it was more like a waddle, what with her protruding stomach – and looked her up and down. As if she didn't feel self-conscious enough.

'Carrie Jones?' she asked, in that over dramatic way she'd seen in bad TV movies time and again. They hugged, Carrie kissed her cheek and Lisbon merely scowled at Jane's smirk.

'It's Kentwood now,' said Carrie, holding out her left hand, not that she needed to make her rings any more obvious. The size of the diamond in her engagement ring was large enough, and because it connected to her wedding band it seemed to take over half of her finger. Lisbon's smile grew wider – if a little fake – until her jaw and cheeks ached.

'When was the wedding?'

'Nearly four years ago now.'

'Is that your first?' said Lisbon, pointing to her bump.

Carrie laughed like a noisy bird on a spring morning, her hands moved quickly to her stomach where she rubbed the outside of her dress. 'Heavens. No, this is our fourth time, though last year we had twins so little Henry Junior Junior is going to be our fifth.'

'Fifth?' Lisbon coughed a little to disguise her surprise.

'I'm very blessed. How about you?' Carrie glanced from Lisbon to Jane and back again. 'Who is this handsome devil?'

'This is Patrick Jane.'

'The psychic?'

'The very same,' he said, offering her a hand and his dazzling smile.

'We wo…' Lisbon began but Jane cut her off.

'We're engaged, looking at having a June wedding, aren't we honey?'

Lisbon stared at Jane, her eyes wide, that was the last thing she'd expected him to say. She glared at him until his raised eyebrows softened her expression. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and she tried her best to look comfortable.

'Oh, how wonderful,' said Carrie. 'You two make a very handsome couple. Any children?'

Before Lisbon could respond, Jane piped up once more. 'Not yet, but we're looking into becoming foster parents, aren't we sweetheart?'

The feel of his lips on her cheek made Lisbon want to smack Jane across the face, but for the sake of the charade she pushed a smile back onto her face. 'That's right.'

'Whatever the devil are you doing here?' said Carrie, looking around at the crime scene behind her.

'I'm a cop,' said Lisbon.

'Special Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon,' piped up Jane, to which Carrie's eyes grew wide with surprise.

'Wow.'

'She's something,' said Jane, kissing Lisbon's cheek once more before interlinking their hands. 'We'd better get on with our work. I'm sure you understand that in these circumstances it's only right that we're not delayed any further.'

'Oh, of course,' said Carrie, stepping aside. 'It was lovely seeing you again Teresa.'

'Yeah, you too,' she replied, somewhat dumbstruck as Jane dragged her away.

xxx

Several hours later, Lisbon sat at her desk with a pile of papers in front of her and documents open on her laptop. She always hated the paperwork that came with the start of a case, perhaps even more so than the paperwork that came at the end. At least then she knew what the hell she was doing and the murder had most probably been caught – or at least the case was stagnant enough to be put on the cold pile.

'Knock, knock.'

Lisbon glanced up at the sound of Jane's voice and though she intended to reprimand him for a) disturbing her when she was busy and b) not waiting for her to respond before entering her office, she merely stared.

'What is it, Jane?'

'I wanted to invite you over to my attic room tonight,' he said with an unusual level of positivity. Lisbon frowned, sometimes it was moderately difficult to read him and other times it was damned near impossible.

'Why?'

'Surprise. Can't tell you until you come.'

Lisbon raised an eyebrow and glared at him. She didn't have time for guessing games or surprises, she barely had time to order take out, let alone eat dinner. What made him think she had time for something that wasn't necessary?

'You deserve a break,' he said, as though he'd been listening to her thoughts. Lisbon cursed herself silently and tried to close herself off.

'I deserve a lot of things, Jane; peace and quiet when I'm trying to work, the fortune of being able to take a sick day or a vacation, I deserve to spend Christmas with every single member of my family alive and dead. A break is very low on the list of things that I deserve.'

'Touchy subject,' he muttered, glancing at his toes.

'I don't have time for your mind games, Jane.'

'Please,' he said, looking back up at her. 'It'll only take ten minutes. I'll bring coffee and a bear claw, since I don't suppose you think you deserve time to eat tonight either.'

'There's a murderer out there and you're making jokes.'

'There are hundreds of murderers out there, Lisbon,' said Jane. 'You can't catch them all in one night.'

'Fine,' she snapped, pointing to her door. 'Now leave.'

xxx

The bulk of the paperwork for the new case had been completed; Lisbon could feel her eyes drooping before the sun had even fully set in the sky. She longed for a cup of coffee and the only thing keeping her going was the idea of a bear claw.

'Jane?' said Lisbon as she wandered towards his attic room. With seconds the silence was quickly replaced with the sound of smooth jazz. Lisbon frowned, whatever Jane was up to, she wasn't sure she liked the idea of it; even if he was playing her favourite song.

When she opened the door to the room, the first thing she noticed was the fairy lights around the room. The usually mundane, drably decorated room lit up in all its glory. The view from the window became suddenly more apparent as Lisbon stared out across the city.

'Beautiful, isn't it?' said Jane as Lisbon wandered across the room towards him, when she stopped; he planted a gentle kiss on her lips. It took a second for her to close her eyes and respond, her lips moving in time with Jane's until she pushed him away quickly. The unexpected moment left her stunned. When she opened her eyes and followed Jane's line of sight she saw the mistletoe above their heads.

'Will you marry me?'

Lisbon laughed softly as Jane knelt on the ground, she rolled her eyes.

'Quit it Jane, it was just a joke and Carrie isn't even here anymore.'

He stood up, his soft features completely unreadable. 'Who says I'm joking?'

Lisbon rolled her eyes. 'This whole thing is a charade, it's over.'

'Except that you kissed me,' he said, a sparkle in his eyes.

'There was mistletoe and you made me kiss you.'

'I can't make you do anything, Teresa.'

She was tired. After a long day and the stress of a new case, her head was beginning to throb. Jane's antics were the last thing she needed.

'That's Lisbon to you,' she said abruptly.

'Now, now,' said Jane. 'No need to be so formal. So, is that a yes?'

'To our fake marriage? Sure.' Lisbon said, laughing.

'No, to you becoming my wife.'

She frowned. 'I already...'

'I want to marry you, Teresa, and I think you want to marry me too.'

None of what Jane was saying made any sense what so ever. Lisbon stared at him, the furrow of her brow deepening. 'But we're just friends, colleagues.'

Jane's lips curled at the edges and Lisbon couldn't help but see Jane the way he seemed to think she saw him. 'I think you know we're more than that.'

'So?' He could read her like a book and the thing she hated more than anything was that she couldn't read him back.

'So, marry me.'

'I...' she trailed off. What he was proposing was insanity; there was no reason at all that he should offer her his hand in marriage. None. Yet the serious in his voice left her speechless.

'What do you say?'

'I think you're crazy.'

'Wouldn't be the first time,' said Jane.

'We've not even been in a relationship,' Lisbon replied. 'What makes you think marriage would be a good idea?'

'We love each other.'

'Oh we do, do we?'

His assumptions were astounding, even more so because he wasn't wrong with any of them. The very thought of admitting that made her body shake.

'Stop playing games, Teresa, you know it as much as I do. Hell, even Ron knows it, the only thing left to do is for us to make a change.'

The speed at which their relationship transformed from work colleagues to something else made Lisbon feel sick. Her mind span with all of the possibilities, things she had dreamt about for years, only to realise that nothing was ever that simple.

'But the rules...' she said.

'Ah-ha,' said Jane, as though he'd solved the latest case. 'The fact you're thinking about the rules and not about whether or not we should get married shows that you do want it.'

'I didn't say...'

'You didn't have to, Teresa.'

The throbbing in her head only intensified as she considered what Jane was trying to say, she could deny it as much she liked, but deep down she did have feelings for him.

'The rules state that CBI work colleagues cannot be in a sexual relationship.'

'Except if they're already married,' said Jane.

'What?'

'The fine print, nobody ever reads these things properly. If two people are married then the rules are null and void.'

'But...'

'A good Catholic girl like you ought to be happy with waiting until after the wedding to commit sexually.'

Lisbon tried to maintain her dignity, but the very idea that Jane was proposing they start their relationship after getting married first was preposterous. She tried to contain her laughter which only caused it to come out something akin to the noise a pig would make, which caused her to laugh a little harder.

'That's what I love about you, Teresa, your ability to be so committed to your religion and yet unable to follow the idea that sex before marriage is wrong.'

Lisbon rolled her eyes. If this wasn't some sort of sick and twisted joke, she didn't know what else to think. 'I'm not going to sleep with you, Jane.'

'You can call me Patrick; we are a wedding away from becoming husband and wife after all.'

'I didn't say yes,' she reminded him.

'You don't have to.'

'You're going to marry me regardless?' Lisbon raised an eyebrow and curled her lips. 'I think there are laws against that.'

Neither of them said a word, a silence fell over them leaving Lisbon feeling even more cautious. She considered the possibility that the whole thing was a dream that she would wake from at any minute.

'Funny that not once since I asked you to marry me have you uttered the word no,' said Jane.

'I...' she said, the very thought of what Jane was saying was beginning to settle in.

'I'm right. I'm always right.'

'I, but...'

Jane glanced up at the mistletoe above their heads and back down to Lisbon as he smirked.

'We've been stood here for a while; I think you owe me another...'

She didn't need asking twice, the feel of his lips on hers was enough the first time to leave her wanting more. She slipped her tongue between his lips and deepened the kiss, reaching up onto her toes to get a better result. Jane responded in the exact way that she hoped until they slowed and finally, pulled apart. Lisbon didn't move as she clung to Jane's shoulder and neck, her heels returning to the ground.

'Is that a yes then?' said Jane.

'What?'

'You'll marry me.'

'I...'

'That's still not a no,' he said.

'It's too soon,' she replied, finally letting go of his jacket and turning around.

'We've been dancing around each other for years,' he said, stepping close behind her.

'I just, I don't know.'

'Oh you do,' he muttered, his breath warm against her neck. 'You're just scared.'

'Why would I be scared?'

A long silence followed before Jane finally started talking.

'The last person you said yes to hurt you. Greg. He may not have realised that he hurt you. But he did. That's why you left him, that's why you broke his heart because he broke yours first.'

'You have no idea what happened between Greg and I,' she said, turning around with rage, a rage which she knew was misplaced.

'I know enough.'

'Stop it with the games, Jane,' she said, fighting back tears.

'Patrick.'

'What?'

'I told you already, call me Patrick.'

'Patrick.' She didn't know why she gave in to his requests. 'I, please, just...'

'I'm not going to hurt you, Teresa.'

'I can't say yes.'

'But you can't say no either.'

Lisbon shook her head.

'So, then it's a maybe?'

She paused, about to shake her head once more before briefly nodding it.

'That'll do, for now.'

Before she could say anything more he'd already enveloped her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and their lips moulded together. She cut the moment short, staring up into his eyes.

'Yes.'

'Good kiss?'

'No, I mean, yes,' she said, stumbling over her words. 'Just, the other yes too.'

'You sound like a tongue tied teenager.'

'Don't spoil the moment, Jane.'

'What moment?'

'I just said yes, Patrick.'

Her hand shook as Jane linked their fingers together between them, he lifted her hands up between them and cupped them together.

'Oh, that,' he smirked. 'I guess we could.'

Lisbon pushed his hands away and quickly slapped him hard across the arm, Jane looked offended before his features softened.

'It would be my pleasure to make you the happiest woman in Sacramento.'

'Only Sacramento?'

'Well, the world, the universe, even Heaven, I just didn't want you to think I was big headed.'

'You are,' she said, smirking.

'But I didn't want you to think I am.'

'Shut up and kiss me.'

'Okay.'