Disclaimer- Though it may be a dream, I do not own the Mentalist... yet.
Ignore my title, I'm trying to think of something better.
There a few stories where Jane's family don't die and their spin on how Lisbon and Jane would meet, but I couldn't help but think about what if Jane and his wife divorced, but what would happen if Angela Ruskin-Jane was pushing for them to get together, instead of being jealous like I've read done a few times. So, here is my twist on our annoying consultant that you can't help but love and the pocket rocket, the dynamite, heavily armed, cute as a button Agent Lisbon (Jane's words not mine) if Jane's famiy wasn't slaughtered by Red John. Enjoy!
"Where the hell have you been?" Patrick Jane demands as she comes through the front door at eleven o'clock at night.
"Patrick, I told you I was having dinner with friends? Why so worried, darling? I'm back, aren't I?"
"Damn it, Angela! You said you would be back before eight. You promised Charlotte you would tell her a bedtime story," he growls, looking at his slightly tipsy wife.
It's as if ice water is thrown on her as she instantly sombers at the mention of the couple's five year old daughter, Charlotte Anne Jane. "I'm sorry, Patrick," Angela offers apologetically.
Jane forces himself to relax seeing that she didn't mean to break the promise she made to Charlie. "Who were you with, Angela?"
She sighs, stopping only to put her purse down before heading to the kitchen, grabbing a wine glass. "I told you I was going out with friends, Patrick, and that is what I did. I am not having an affair, even if we aren't exactly together anymore."
"Together?" He laughs without humor. "No, considering we are in the midst of an almost finalized divorce, together is not a word describe us," he spats out tensily before sighing, rubbing circles in his temple. "I'm sorry. It's just... God, I don't know," Patrick groans at his inability to form a sentence. "You, me... Us... This wasn't supposed to happen to us, Ang. We should be getting ready to celebrate our seventh anniversary and talking about having another baby, not going over divorce proceedings and fighting each other on everything."
Angela sets down the wine bottle, alcohol completely forgotten as she looks at the father of her child in complete understanding. "I know. But this has been a long time coming and we agreed this is for the best, for us and Charlie. We had fun, me and you, but we haven't been in love for years. Possibly since I was pregnant with Charlie, not that us falling out of love was her fault. If anything, she kept us together longer. And she will keep us civil with each other. We have to make sure she doesn't feel like she has to chose sides."
"I wish this wasn't happening to us, to you. I promised to get us out of the carnie life, and I did, but I also promised to love you forever, which I didn't."
"And I promised the same thing," she counters as he tries to blame himself. "This is not your fault. Nobody cheated or did anything that is cause for divorce. The only thing we did was change, Patrick. We changed. We were in love as kids, but we grew out of love. Was what we had puppy love? No, absolutely not," she moves her hands with each word, a habit she picked up long ago and passed on to their daughter, to emphasize her point. "But it wasn't that one, true love thing either. We aren't soulmates, Patrick."
"It would be so much better if we were at least still in love. Then we could have more kids, grow old together, tell our grandkids our story. That's how you and me should have been."
"But we wouldn't be as happy as we could be, even if we were still in love. You have to find your true soulmate to be happier than you and me could ever be together." She gets a teasing look in her eye, making it clear that they are done talking serious for the night. "Besides, I think I might know who that is for you."
"My soulmate? Who?" He asks puzzled, not sure where she is going with this.
She pauses for dramatic effect before rushing out the name, "Teresa Lisbon!"
Jane groans. "Not with that again, Ang!"
"Oh, I'm completely serious," she grins at his look of disbelief. "That girl has a huge crush on you and you have one for her, even if you both deny it!"
"Angela, be serious! Lisbon doesn't have a crush on me and, besides, I'm still married!"
"You didn't deny it! Ha, ha!" One point, Ruskin. Zero points, Jane. "And you won't be married for much longer! Teresa Lisbon so has feelings for you! You so do you! I haven't even met the woman and I know how deep the girl has it for you. Patrick, someone has to care deeply for you to be able to deal with your crap for months!" At his scoff, she continues, "I'm serious. You being on Teresa Lisbon's team for this long is a record for the CBI. Before her, your longest record for being on the same team was two weeks!"
"I close cases," he replies simply.
"Oh, that is bull-"
"Daddy?" Both heads turn to the five year old rubbing her eyes on the staircase, holding her favorite teddy bear. The girl's eyes widen when she spots her mother. "Mommy! You're back!"
Angela picks Charlotte up, momentarily going through her curly blonde hair before smiling at her daughter. "Yes, baby, I am. Sorry I wasn't back in time to tell you a bedtime story."
"It's okay, Mommy. Daddy made up a story about a pink panda named 'Pony'," she giggles thinking about the story. "What are ya'll talkin' about? I could hear you coming down the stairs."
"Oh, just talking about Daddy's new girlfriend!" Angela informs the girl. They told Charlotte they are getting divorced, making her understand that Daddy is moving out of the house and both of her parents will start dating other people soon. They explained that both Mommy and Daddy are okay with that and they will still be nice to each other, not even fighting as much as they used to, so Charlotte is used to Angela grilling her dad about dating.
"Angelaaaaa," Jane groans, dragging out his wife's name, making both girls laugh.
Angela whispers something is her daughter's ear. She puts her down and both grin at Jane. They both start singing, "Patrick and Teresa, sitting in the tree. K-I-S-S-I-" the rest is lost as Jane runs after both girls.
Once he catches Charlotte, he starts tickling her. "What did you say, Charlie? I don't think I heard you," he tells her, daring her to say it.
"Oh, nothing, Daddy," she promises, her eyes wide as he continues his tickling. After stopping and she catches her breath, she grins and starts yelling, "Daddy and Agent Lisbon are gettting married!" before running to her mother.
"Arggh! You two are relentless."
"Ask the good agent out and we will stop," Angela offers, Charlotte hiding behind her legs.
"You know, we must be the strangest couple to ever get divorced. Most people would be discouraging their ex-spouses from dating, but you, my dear, are getting our daughter to try to convince me to ask someone out, before we are even officially divorced!"
"Oh, shut up, Patrick, and just ask her out!"
The Prologue! Review and tell me what you think! Oh, and for those who are reading Changes (if anyone still is) my other Mentalist fic, I promise I haven't abandoned that story. I suffered a severe case of Writer's Block, but I'm working on the next chapter for Changes and Destined Forever.
I crave reviews like a choco-holic craves chocolate! So, please donate a review for the cause of my review-holicism, so I don't have to go to rehab!