Title:The nanny
Author:Little_firestar84
Rating: K
Characters: Patrick Jane, Teresa Lisbon, Ben Rigsny. Mention of Sarah and Wayne Rigsby.
Summary: With Wayne and Sarah at the hospital, Jane and Lisbon babysit for one evening 3 years old Ben. It's incredible hpow a conversation about an old tv shows can turn into something so much serious... Beware, fluffy romance ahead!
Disclaimer: Uhm. well, my father is called Bruno, but since it's Negro and not Heller, I'd say that I don't own the rights to the Mentalist.
Notes: the weird things that happen when I ahve too much time to think, lol.

A case had hit too close to home for comfort that week, and Wayne and Sarah had risked being burned. An old client of the woman hadn't been too happy of her service, and had kidnapped her to make her pay. Wilson was supposed to be arrested at 1 Pm that Monday, and in the 72 hours before he had managed to make her disappear, hoping for good, burying her alive in a deserted area between California and Nevada.

At the end of a desperate race against time, they had found her, and now Rigsby was with her at the hospital. With every intention of helping her out, comfort her and yes, even win her back. Because if this hideous crime had' showed him something, it was that he didn't love her only as the mother of his child, but also as the woman he had all the intentions of getting married to. Sooner rather than later, if he had any saying in that.

This was why, that fine evening, Lisbon found herself sitting on her office's couch with Jane, 3 years old Ben in the middle, busy looking at an old sitcom on her computer, while Jane pretended to care about his own business alone, in truth, he hadn't completed even one part of his Sudoku puzzle in the last hour.

"I don't want to watch this, it is stupid! The child lamented crossing his tiny arms. Lisbon just smiled, because she knew the child was making a fuss because he was tired and worried. She had looked over him enough times to know how his little brain used to work. Ben was simply adorable, she loved him like he was her nephew and ruffling his hair like an annoying aunt was sort of a favorite pastime of hers.

Besides, she knew that he usually loved "The Nanny" as much as she did, as old as the show was. They always looked at him whenever Rigsby left him with her.

"Miss Lisbon, why is the nanny mad with that man?" Ben asked, with the curious eyes of a child his age. Frankly, Teresa had more than a soft spot for the child. She was a sucker for him, and every time he addressed her as Miss Lisbon, like she was some sort of teacher he was looking forward to meet and impress, she barely resist the urge to ruffle his hair in that adoringly way of hers.

"Well, Max, the dark haired man, told her something and then he took it back. This is why Fran is so mad with him." Lisbon calmly answered him. At her side, Jane grinned with longing in his heart. One day, Lisbon was going to be a great mother.

"And what did he tell her?" he kept inquiring, all anxiety already forgotten.

"Well, actually, he told her that he loved her. But then, he went on as he had never said it out loud." She smiled sadly, her eyes not any longer in Ben, but on Jane, who was looking at her in the same intense way. "Sometimes, when she is alone, she thinks he told her so because he was just using her..."

They both knew they weren't talking about the show any longer, only Ben was oblivious to the whole thing, and kept looking between the two oddly behaving adults, wondering why they were looking at each other like his mum and dad did.

"I think he was scared. Not only of hurting her, but of getting hurt too. He had almost died of a broken heart when he had lost his family... his wife, and if he were to lose you... Fran..."

He closed his eyes, feeling a knot in his very being. Teresa was looking at him in a way meant to show him how she really felt, and he couldn't lie any longer. It was now or never, time to be honest and face the consequences of those two words said one evening in her office so many years before. "he really loves her. He had always loved her, in one way or another, since they met. She had always been special to him, and knowing that she was mad with him, that she was hurt because of him, it shattered him. But she has to understand that there was too much between them back then. She does, doesn't she?"

"I am not sure she did. He has always been a good actor, and he had told her he just needed her help. She thought she was just a tool, and that one day he was going to leave and never come back."

"But it is stupid! He can't leave, it's his home!"

"I think, Ben, that they are both pretty stupid." Jane seriously told with a low, sensual voice, his eyes never leaving Teresa's, his fingers interlaced with her owns on the back of the couch he had bought for the both of the a long time before, when he didn't think he was allowed to think about an after, a tomorrow, but, especially, not a future shared with that very woman.

Frankly, he still doubted he was good enough for Teresa, but it seemed that she wanted him. and it was about time he started making her happy. And, if in making her happy he could make himself happy himself as well, even better.

"You know, Teresa, at the end he marries her, and they even have twins."

She lowered her eyes, biting her lips, blushing for the light malicious remark. "She isn't that young any linger. I am not sure she can still have children of her own." She said, a little sad. She was well aware of the time passed waiting for Jane, but she had never thought, she couldn't think, that it had been wasted.

"Ah, I think she is still young enough. Besides, he'll be happy with her no matter what. And, I know they haven't talked about it, but one day they could always adopt, right? They could start making practice with their friends' children and then they'll see."

"Maybe he should wait a bit longer before...I mean, there are so many things to consider and..."

"Teresa? Ben's asleep." he told her smiling, of a sad, but honest smile. The kind of smile that was full of promises and made her heart explode with joy and tears of happiness. "Teresa, we've known each other for over ten years. I think...I think… we both know how we feel, right? So, maybe… there's no really no need to wait any longer? Do you think that you could…"

She stopped him, with a quick kiss on the lips, and, smiling radiant, she told only one word, "Yes".

They cuddled together, with Ben in the middle, and they fell asleep watching Max chasing Fran, scared that she would choose the Arabian prince over him. But at the end of the episode, they were as they had always meant to be. Together.

Just like them. Finally, at long last.