The fourth season episode „Ruby slippers" is one of those that I can't get out of my head. The end was so touching, I just loved it! The performance of the song was both so frangible and strong at the same time, and with the history behind it, I found it absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful. I got goosebumps all over. It might be due to the fact that I have a gay brother (who has the full and complete acceptance of his family!) and that I dearly hope, that he doesn't ever have to face such discrimination (I don't think so, he's well accepted in the gay community and has a lot of friends. But even if it happened, I'm not sure he'd admit it. He isn't really the open type, when it comes to talking about feelings and such...).

But on the other hand and in addition to the overall topic, I'm sure the episode affected me, because it contained this beautiful moment between Jane and Lisbon. It was so wonderful to see him share the happy end with her for once. And the song/lyrics could easily apply to both the relationship between those two and Jane's situation on the whole.

So, even though we're now up to season 5, I had to write this little tag as an afterthought. It's the conversation I hope/imagine they had on their way home after the cabaret show. One could consider it as a merely friendship kind of thing, but it contains a whiff of „Patresa" (or „Jisbon", if you want – I don't like that designation, and though „Patresa" isn't any better, it includes the same amount of letters from each of their names at least...).

Anyway, on to the actual tag. Please excuse the mistakes – I'm still no native speaker and there's really no hope that I'll ever be.

Episode tag 04/21 „Ruby slippers"

True Colors Are Beautiful Like A Rainbow

They took Lisbon's car together back to CBI HQ after the cabaret. Wordlessly, Lisbon handed her car keys over to a very surprised Jane: "You may drive tonight, Jane. Don't make me regret this decision."

"Wow, how come? You only had that one cocktail, same as me?" Jane asked, while going over to the driver's side of Lisbon's SUV.

The senior agent replied with a rather thick voice: "Because what you did for me this evening is one of the most beautiful things anyone has ever done for me. I'm so glad that you trusted me with the truth. I'm sure, this would've been one of those cases that would've really plagued me for weeks. So, Jane, thank you!"

After both of them had taken their respective seats in the car, her blond consultant cast her a sideways look to study her expression. He found both happiness and gratitude and a touch of something else he couldn't quite read – which annoyed him greatly, but he let it pass for once: "You are welcome, Lisbon. I couldn't have stood by and let you struggle with it, while I knew the case had actually come to such a delightful conclusion." He threw her another look and when he saw a suspicious brightness in her eyes, he hurriedly added: "Besides, I love the cabaret and who better to share it with than my best friend? And Lisbon? I'm glad I've started to rub off on you enough, so you could turn a blind eye on the minor bending of the rules those lovely ladies committed. We've come a long way, my dear, havn't we? Next thing you know, you'll insult the ADA and make up false prove to outwit a culprit. But don't expect me to rein you in – I'm not cut out for that kind of job. Causing trouble, yes, resolve it? Not very likely. But I'd love to start a reign of terror together with you." He gave her a wicked smile while he started the engine.

The brown-haired woman couldn't suppress a hint of annoyance at the impertinence of her companion, but her relaxed mood won in the end. With a sigh she said: "I guess, you really are unable to have an adult conversation that lasts for more than two minutes. I shouldn't expect anything else, so why I even try is anyone's guess. And you sure as hell don't like sappy women, they make you truly uncomfortable, am I right?"

Jane replied rather sheepishly: "Guess I'm getting quite obvious, heh? I'm not above admitting that emotional females scare me a bit... I feel completely out of my depth, to be honest, especially when I'm the cause of those sentiments. So, I tend to get irritating, which mostly turns anything gooey a woman might have felt into instant resentment. Perfect defense mechanism." He accelerated coming up dangerously close to speeding, before he continued: "Am I succeeding?"

"Of course you do, you know how to push my buttons after all. But I won't let you get away with it tonight. First of all, you'll slow down immediately, or you'll never drive anything ever again." She cast him a very strict sideways glance. "And then, we'll continue our very enlightening conversation. Got that, mister?"

"Spoilsport," he mumbled, but buckled. „And what more, pray tell, could there possibly be to talk about? I thought, I'd said enough already, maybe even too much. I've given away my one true weakness: Weepy women."

Lisbon gave him a blow to the shoulder: "Did you just call me weepy, Mr. Jane?"

„Meh. That's your own interpretation. I would rather call you a brute, and ow, by the way, that hurt!" he answered grinning like a loon.

She gave him one of her death glares as he jumped over a not-quite-red-yet-but-definitely-not-green-anymore light. "Jaaaaaaaaaane! This is your last warning! And don't think for a moment that I didn't see through your little distraction plan. You're trying to make me angry, so I won't continue with a topic that causes you embarrassment. Well, tough luck! I'll just carry on and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I'll go on telling you what a good man you are and that your actions tonight showed me once more, that you actually have a heart. And it happens to be bigger than anyone else's I know, though it might not always be in the right place... And I'll tell you that you're a real honest to God softy underneath all that annoying aloofness you're showing to the world all the time." He groaned in despair beside her, and she continued with a satisfied smile, "And I'll tell you how glad and honored I am that you let me be part of your good deed this time. And I'll have you know that I'm not ignorant of all of those other acts of kindness you've committed over the years, because during the first years of your employment, I didn't trust you much and had Cho stake and shadow you on many occasions. And it is due to all these circumstances that I allowed myself to become your friend. And even though I don't like your obsession regarding a certain someone, I've seen so much of the true Patrick Jane that I know deep down you are a very good person." She looked over to him with a devious expression. "And watching you wriggling about in your seat now and blushing like a maiden is worth the embarrassment I'm feeling at revealing all these facts."

At this very moment, said blushing and wriggling consultant managed to enter the CBI parking lot without injuring neither car nor passengers, though only by the skin of his teeth. "Whatever are you talking about, Lisbon?" he asked, trying and failing to put on an air of nonchalance. "Deep down, I'm nothing but a cruel man. Ask Agent Darcy, she's figured me out all right."

Lisbon was sporting a very satisfied expression, obviously enjoying her friend's discomfort at her admissions. She made no attempt to leave the car, now that they'd arrived at HQ. On the contrary, she seemed determined to savor the pleasure of the rare moment, when her usually detached and restrained partner was so out of his comfort zone. His response had been bashful at best, his effort halfhearted. "Well, Jane, what can I say, I don't really trust the FBI after O'Laughlin. I'll rather follow the advice of a very good friend of mine, who uses to remind me to listen to my gut feeling. And it's practically shouting 'Good guy, big heart, softy'!"

The blond man raised his arms in the universal gesture of admitting defeat. With an impish grin he conceded the point to her: "Who am I to get between a woman and her gut? She might just start to cry if I do, and who in their right mind would want that? Especially since she's been in a weepy mood all night."

"I won't fall for that insult again. And even if it was true that I shed a tear or two at the cabaret, I have a very good excuse: It was a damn touching moment after all. And even though you'd rather die than admit it, you were affected as well. I could see it. Especially the fact that you tried to make light of the situation by teasing me, confirms it. It's your usual way of deflection after all, as you yourself acknowledged a few minutes ago. So, I'll let you save face and your manly pride. But be aware – I know the truth nonetheless." With these words she leaned her head in his direction and pecked him on his cheek. "Thank you, Patrick. I had a very nice time with you tonight." Afterwards, she opened the door and got out of the car.

His face showed utter astonishment and it took him several moments to get his features back under control. His right hand reached up to his face, where her lips had been just a minute before. A contented smile took over his face. Only then did he start to leave the SUV as well. He handed back the car keys to his friend, lightly touching her fingers in the process. The contact was marginal enough to be considered an accident, but given the situation, both participants knew it wasn't.

Slightly shivering but not from any outside cold, Lisbon went to the driver's side of her car, while Jane walked over to his beloved Citroën. She was about to get into her auto, when she heard him crooning gently but with an unexpectedly nice singing voice: "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true."

The End