Rainy Days (and Mondays. . .)
A Jane & Lisbon Story
By Brown Eyes Parker
Summary:
A rainy afternoon, an argument, and an accident that might change Lisbon's life forever. For this month's jello forever forums challenge, "Past Tense".
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I did, Jane and Lisbon would happen as soon as Red John got caught.
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Flashback:
It was a rainy Monday afternoon. Jane and Lisbon were driving back to the office after collecting evidence from a homicide/kidnapping case.
"I don't care Jane! Go out with Kristina Frye again. She obviously cares about you more than anybody else does—"
"Come on Lisbon, don't be like that—" Jane began.
"Like what?" Lisbon snapped.
"Jealous, it's unbecoming of you."
Lisbon took her eyes off of the road and glared at him. "I am not jealous!"
Jane laughed. "You could have fooled me."
"Argh! Stop laughing at me Jane!"
Jane's smile faltered. "Lisbon, you better pay attention to the road!"
"Don't tell me what to do Patrick Jane. I am not a child—" and then, it all went black.
End Flashback
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She looked out her window at the rain falling down. It had been raining every day, all summer. It had been raining the day of the accident. . . the day of the accident that had changed her life. She had run into a moving van, and lost consciousness. Seven days later, she had woken up from a medical-induced coma. Jane was sitting by her side, holding her hand, a dozen stitches in his forehead. They didn't wait twenty minutes to tell her that she had lost the use of her legs.
There was a crash of thunder, and then a knock on her door.
"It's open!" She called, shaking the memory off.
"Hey Lisbon!" Jane came into the living room, a cheerful smile on his face. "Ready for your therapy session?"
"What's the use? It doesn't help anything," Lisbon answered sullenly.
"Not without a positive attitude," Jane said, coming and taking the safety break off of her wheelchair. "Come on, you come and we'll stop and get ice cream afterwards."
"Are you bribing me?" Lisbon asked.
"Maybe," Jane answered. "Will you please come with me?"
"Why do you keep coming?"
"I want to see you get better, I want things to go back to the way they were before," Jane replied, pushing her towards the door. He didn't care if she protested, or said that she wouldn't go. He was taking her, no matter what.
"It's raining."
"It's been raining for months," Jane said. "I'll get an umbrella. And I parked close."
"I don't want to go," Lisbon said again.
"Well, of course not. But the only way that you'll get better. . . the only way that you'll walk again, is you go to all of your therapy sessions."
"The therapist said that it might be years before I walk again."
"So, we wait a few years then. I'm patient." He stopped by Lisbon's closet and searched for an umbrella. "Hey! If you want, we can find exercises to do here. I'll come over every day and help you, if you'd like."
"Jane. . ." Lisbon said softly.
"Don't give up on me now, please," Jane pleaded, slamming the closet door shut and kneeling down so they were at eye level. He took her hand and whispered, "You've always been so strong and feisty. I need you to be like that again."
A tear rolled down Lisbon's cheek. She whispered back, "I'm tired."
"I'm strong enough for the both of us then," Jane said. "Please. . ."
"Jane. . ."
"Don't do it for me then. Do it for the rest of the team. We're lost without you. Things at the office aren't the same without you."
"You're the only one who comes to see me," Lisbon said.
"They're just giving you space. They'll come when you're ready for them to come." Jane stood up. "You know what? Forget about therapy. I won't come back, unless you want me to." He bent down and brushed a gentle kiss across her ear.
"Jane!" Lisbon called as he was half-way out the door.
"Yeah?"
"Give me one good reason I should continue doing therapy. And don't mention the rest of the team again. Give me an honest reason."
"Okay, if you won't do it for the team, do it for me." Jane said, before closing the door.
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"Van Pelt? This is Lisbon, I need to ask you a huge favor. . ."
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It had been six months since the rainy afternoon in her apartment. Six months, and true to his word, Jane hadn't bothered her again. She waited for the elevator to come, and with sweaty palms she pushed the floor number that would take her to her team.
Van Pelt was waiting for her, smiling encouragingly. "They're all here."
"Even Jane?" Lisbon asked
"Yeah, even Jane," Van Pelt assured her.
"They don't know?"
"Not a thing." Van Pelt looked at her. "Are you ready?"
"I'm ready," Lisbon answered.
"Okay then." Van Pelt took her wheel chair and wheeled her into the bullpen.
"Boss!" Cho and Rigsby said, standing up.
"Lisbon," Jane said softly.
"Hello everybody," Lisbon said, shyly.
"You're here," Jane whispered.
"I'm here," she answered. "I have something to show you."
"Okay," he said softly.
She stood up slowly, and took unsure, but steady steps towards him. The last few feet, she stumbled into his arms. She looked up into his eyes and whispered, "I did it for you."
Jane nodded. "Thank you."
There was an awkward silence that followed, both a little unsure of what to do or say. Their last meeting still hung in the air between them. And then, Jane kissed her erasing everything between them from the past.
. . .The End. . .