A/N: So this is it, the beast that has distracted me from my other multiparters for the past few months. Yes, that means I will be returning to all of them now. I'm very sorry that I've neglected my other ongoing pieces in favour of writing this, but in all honesty, I didn't expect it to spiral quite as out of control as it did.
Finally, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If you happen to pop over to Jello Forever, please take the time to have a look at the wonderful artwork that has been created to accompany this fic.
x tromana
Title: Sympathy for the Devil
Author: tromana
Rating: M
Characters: Jane/Lisbon, Team + others
Summary: "Red John would like a word. He's annoyed at you for blemishing his good name." Jane/Lisbon
Beta: ch19777
Artists: lil smiles and misspeg
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Notes: The Mentalist Big Bang 2010 Fic. For ch19777.
I would like to take the time to make some (uncharacteristically long) thank yous:
Firstly, to ch19777. Thanks for the prompt which started this whole crazy thing. I know it drove me insane at the time, but I'm genuinely grateful. Also for agreeing to beta it. This is my longest multiparter to date by some considerable margin and it's such a huge undertaking. Thank you for helping me out with plot points, encouraging me to finish chapters quicker than I otherwise would have and listening to me rant throughout.
anthropologist: I wouldn't have been able to complete this without your detailed chapter reviews. They've helped keep me on the straight and narrow, confirm that I have taken the plot in sensible (well, sensible-ish) directions. Thanks for helping me make some very major decisions on the way. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you.
Miss Peg: thank you so much for the art. I appreciate it so much and words cannot say just how thrilled I am that you've decided to explore The Mentalist as well. Thanks for being a pseudo-cheerleader and listening to me rant whenever this fic bothered me. Thanks for encouraging me to actually set up the Mentalist Big Bang and thus, giving me the chance to write this fic.
lil smiles: Snap, you should've stopped me when I said 'oh hai, what do you think about doing a Big Bang?' Okay, I joke; I've loved it really. I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes. Thanks for stepping in and helping me with doing artwork despite signing up to be an author instead. I appreciate it so, so much. Maybe next time, you'll be able to write as well? ;-)
PhoenixWytch and boutondor: Thank you both for helping me with encouraging words whenever I've needed it. This fic has completely driven me mad on occasion and though neither of you officially signed up to be a cheerleader, you've both helped me so much. Thank you!
x tromana
Sympathy for the Devil
"Nobody owns life, but anyone who can pick up a frying pan owns death." - William S. Burroughs
Part One
Teresa Lisbon glanced at her fingernails. Already chewed down to the quick. She sighed and placed her hands back in her lap. It was a terrible habit, one she should really try and break,but at moments like this…Well. They made trying to break stress-induced habits very trying indeed.
When had her life become so wrapped up in lies anyway? The man she loved was up on stage, bluffing his way through the act. Pretending that he actually had contact with the afterlife and was passing on messages of loved ones. The audience lapped up his every word and every so often broke out into rapturous applause. And then there was herself, stuck amongst them, knowing it was complete fallacy. Lies within lies. That Patrick Jane was fleecing this audience for all it was worth, without a care in the world.
She knew that she shouldn't be there.
It should be his wife seated in this very place and she was more than aware of that.
Apparently, he had offered his complimentary ticket to her, but she'd said no. She had stated that a business retreat was far more important than supporting her husband during his second stint on television. That she had already foisted her, their, daughter off on her good-for-nothing brother in order to escape. Lisbon was also more than aware that he suspected this supposed trip of his wife's was for more than just professional reasons. It shouldn't matter to him, not really. Especially so considering that it would make him a complete hypocrite.
She had never meant to start dating a married man, but Lisbon also knew that nobody set out to be a cheater. As the saying went, you can't help who you fall in love with. And she had a history of always falling for the wrong man. It seemed like it was almost built into her to do so, part of her DNA. Every time she considered breaking it off with Jane, he lured her right back in again. It was his charisma, his ability to get under her skin. She just couldn't say no to him, even if she wanted to.
So, she was simply trying to accept that she would always be the 'other woman' in Jane's life.
If only she could be as accepting of that as the audience was that Patrick Jane was truly a psychic.
Lisbon knew that she was one of only a handful of people who knew the truth and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. When he had initially told her, she'd been more than a little shocked and appalled. Now that the news had had time to sink in, it still didn't feel right. He willingly fleeced people for all they were worth, feeding them nothing but falsehoods in exchange for their money. Of course he claimed that it was okay, because it gave people hope, albeit false hope. She simply saw it as him playing on people's belief systems to make a quick buck.
Usually, she was happy enough to turn a blind eye. If she just ignored it, pretended it didn't exist, she could go on thinking of Jane as the man she knew and not the charlatan she saw on stage. As it was, right at that very moment, he was exposing the very characteristics of himself that she hated and there was little she could do about it.
She wished she could stop it, but she could see herself in every subject he used. They were all victims of one sort or another. Broken homes, abusive partners, addicts. Her childhood had been littered with problems and it was this kind of weakness he preyed upon. His upbringing hadn't been all sunshine and roses either, but for some reason, he was able to disassociate himself from his 'clients' where she completely failed at doing so.
She stopped in her trail of thoughts as the male presenter brought up Red John. The serial killer had been running rings around the authorities for too many years now and Jane had been brought in to try and help out. He told their colleagues bullshit about how he had to attune into Red John's psyche, when really it was all about observation. But that was beside the point. Her problem was that the case was sensitive and any additional advertisement was risky business. Just so long as Jane toed the line and moved the discussion swiftly onwards, it'd be fine. Of course he didn't and as the rest of the audience was impressed and amazed by his involvement, she found herself shrinking back into her chair, wishing she were anywhere but in the television audience. Playing with Red John was dangerous, she understood that all too well, and Patrick Jane had just thrown the serial killer a bone. From the little she knew about the murderer, she reckoned that he just wouldn't be able to take Jane's accusations lying down. Something would inevitably happen - but what, she couldn't be quite sure. Only time would tell.
However, once this was over she was going to have serious words with Jane. Again. She had to let him know how she felt about his career. And Red John, of course.
xxx
"What did you think?"
Jane let go of Lisbon's waist and looked at her expectantly. It had been a good show, very good even. The audience had really gotten behind him and he was still on a high from it. The only thing that could make it even better would be Lisbon's opinion on it; her confirming that she actually enjoyed the performance. It was, after all, an art of sorts.
"You sat there and lied Patrick," she whispered in a hushed breath. "And once you started, you just didn't stop. How can you do that to people?"
"I thought you knew what I did for a living, I thought you understood it?"
"I do, but you're playing with vulnerable people's belief systems. How would you feel if one of your peers fleeced me out of my life's savings?"
"They wouldn't be able to. You're too much of a skeptic."
"That's not my point," she snapped back darkly.
"No, your problem is you're projecting onto these 'vulnerable' people because you had a troublesome upbringing."
"Don't you dare-"
"Don't I dare what? State the obvious? Teresa, you're seeing things that aren't there. Can't you see the good I'm doing?"
"What? Bringing people false hope?"
"Closure. It brings them closure. And isn't that what you do at work, too?"
"I…"
She trailed off. Jane knew he had a point, but he also knew that Lisbon was struggling to accept it. This wasn't how he had anticipated the evening to go and he was finding himself crashing down from the emotional high - and fast. He pinched his nose. He should have known that she would overreact in such a way. It had taken her a while to trust him, to open up about her mother's death and her alcoholic father. Despite the fact that she was a very strong individual, outwardly at least, she saw herself as being weak. And that was the crux of the problem.
"I'm going home. Alone. Don't call me tonight," she snapped irritably. "I don't want to see you until tomorrow morning."
xxx
"Hello, dear. You're back early."
"So are you."
The conversation died almost as quickly as it started. Neither of them really cared about what the other had been up to. If they did dare asking, it would probably have descended into chaos. They were both so used to there being so much poison in their relationship that it made little difference. Jane knew that realistically, he should consider getting out of it - it did neither of them any good and it was a bad environment to bring their daughter up in. However, he was also keen to maintain his public image. The wife and kid made him look like a respectable family man and it was easy enough to keep Lisbon hidden in the shadows. A messy divorce and a lover would make him look shady, untrustworthy. If he had no scruples about breaking his sacred wedding vows, what else would he treat with just as little consideration?
Angela Ruskin-Jane shrugged her shoulders and Jane wished desperately that he could just get rid of her. In a way that didn't involve death, divorce or anything that would make him look bad in the public's eyes. Some way that would let him still have regular contact with his daughter and have Lisbon in his life properly. Well, provided she got over her little fit about his career, which she would eventually. Like Angela, she could be hot-headed on occasion, but unlike the woman sitting opposite him, she would calm down eventually instead of continuing to simmer with rage. The argument certainly hadn't been expected. But then again, if he wanted predictability, he would never have started dating a cop, least of all Teresa Lisbon.
"I'm going for a shower."
"Use the en-suite," Angela instructed and Jane knew not to disobey her. "Charlie's finally settled down for the night."
Jane nodded and headed upstairs. He hadn't even realized that she had picked up Charlotte from her brother's. Then again, it wasn't all that surprising either. It wasn't as if she would want the excuse of a quiet night in with her husband, was it? No, like he would have far preferred to be with Lisbon, she would have liked to be with her mystery man. The one for whom the 'business trip' had been the cover up. As boiling water streamed down his back, he idly wondered about the man's identity. It didn't make much difference to him either way. So long as he made her smile. Contrary to his wife's belief, he didn't want her to be unhappy. There was enough suffering and strife in the world, heck in their lives, without her lover adding to it.
As he was drying off in their bedroom, Angela appeared in the door frame. She had a surly expression written across her features. It was unsurprising given the fact that her date had obviously fallen through and therefore, she had been denied sex that evening.
"I know you brought her here," she muttered and Jane looked at her quizzically. How the hell did she know he'd brought Lisbon home?
"Who?" he queried, hoping he looked innocent enough.
"Don't play dumb with me!" she snarled and advanced slowly. "That cop lady. Tanya? Tessa? No, Teresa."
"Yes, she stopped by. For a coffee."
"More than just a coffee, wasn't it?"
Jane shrugged. He wasn't really in the mood for this. All he wanted to do was go to sleep. Neither of them were meant to be here. The few words they'd exchanged all evening had either been stilted or angry. There had to be some kind of way out, one that wouldn't harm them. Didn't there?
He breathed a sigh of relief as she silently disappeared from the room. It seemed as though she just wasn't in the mood to fight with him about this other woman.
Funny, though. His wife was very much a combatant when it came to threats to her blissful existence. Jane knew that she was cheating on him as well, and frankly, he didn't care. He could hardly judge her for doing something he too was doing. She was clearly staying with him for the money; his career as a psychic seemed to be becoming more lucrative by the month. And there was their daughter too. The only good to come from their sham of a marriage.
He pulled on some pajama pants, his mind still clouded with thoughts. The bedroom door creaked open and Jane saw Angela standing there, pouting prettily.
She also had a frying pan in her hand.
"I don't like being treated second best to her," she stated emphatically. "Especially when it was me you chose to marry."
Even Patrick Jane, normally so good at reading people's thought patterns, didn't expect her to lunge right at him.
TBC…