Disclaimer: I do not own The Mentalist or profit off of it in any way.
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Revelations
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Lisbon closed her eyes letting the warm shower envelop her, washing away the tension from her body. She was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. She was glad team had opted for the pizza joint across the street for lunch. She could really use some comfort food right now, both for her rumbling stomach and restless mind.
Lisbon finished her shower and got dressed, enjoying the feel of fresh clothes.
"Jane?" she called, stepping out of the bathroom.
The cleaning crew was still disinfecting Jane's room for "biohazards", prompting Jane to fill Lisbon in on the details of the closing of the case. Consequently, the hotel staff had shifted all of Jane's belongings to the other room booked in his name, the one Lisbon had occupied. Naturally, this meant they would have to board together for the time being, something neither Jane nor Lisbon minded.
He was lying back in the bed, eyes closed. She was stuck at how relaxed he looked, as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
He opened his eyes, the serene sea green disks regarding her body, "Darn. I was hoping you would be in a towel."
She rolled her eyes, "If I were inclined to come out without clothes I would put on one of those super comfy complimentary robes instead of a skimpy towel. Now hurry and get showered."
"Yes dear," he acquiesced, gathering his things. He stopped to give Lisbon a quick kiss on the cheek as he went into the bathroom.
Lisbon pressed her fingers against the spot Jane's lips had touched, sighing dreamily.
At this rate he was going to reduce her to a giggling schoolgirl.
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Lisbon and Jane walked down to the lobby where Abbott, Fischer, and Cho were waiting with their luggage.
The way Jane leaned into Lisbon as she helped him down the stairs made her nervous. She was certain Fischer and Cho would notice the intimacy of their position. Abbott may be aware of their feelings, but that didn't mean she wanted to spread gossip through the whole office.
"There you are," said Fischer, "Where's your stuff?"
"Uh..." Lisbon scrambled for an excuse.
Abbott came to her rescue, "Jane is suspended and Lisbon is on break. They will stay in Miami for a few more days. "His tone indicated that Fischer should drop the matter, so she did. For now.
They stowed the luggage in Abbott's car and walked to Cecily's, a popular pizzeria in the neighborhood.
They sat down, Jane taking the seat next to Lisbon. As they ordered, Lisbon felt something rubbing on the side of her foot. She looked down, then stomped the offending object.
"Ow!" Jane exclaimed. "Uh, nothing," he said as curious stares regarded him across the table.
Lisbon felt a little bad. Jane didn't need twopainful feet. But no way was she going to start playing footsie under the table when their team members were there.
Fischer could no longer contain her curiosity.
"So... You two are a couple now?" she asked.
Trust Fischer to get straight to the point, Jane thought wryly.
Lisbon groaned, slumping down in her seat. "Does everyonealready know about it?" She and Jane hadn't even had a chance to discuss the status of their relationship.
"Well if they didn't, they do now," Jane remarked.
Abbott had a knowing gleam in his eyes while Fischer had a smug I-thought-so smirk.
Besides a slight raising of the eyebrows, Cho seemed unfazed. "I guess I owe Rigsby fifty dollars," he said.
Lisbon looked scandalized. "You bet on Jane and I becoming a couple?!" she exclaimed.
Jane chuckled, "And what do you owe Grace?"
"A hundred."
Lisbon looked curious despite herself. "What did Grace bet on?" she asked.
"She bet Jane would make the first move," Cho said.
Jane pouted, "I can't believe you and Rigsby had so little faith in me. I should send Grace a gift basket."
Everyone at the table had a good laugh at Jane's expense.
Lisbon allowed herself to relax and enjoy the casual atmosphere and easy flow of conversation. Now that it was out in the open, she didn't have to worry about concealing her and Jane's new... affiliation. On that note, what were they? Boyfriend and girlfriend? She had forced herself to view Jane in a platonic manner for so long that it seemed almost absurd to think of him as her boyfriend.
Not that she had any trouble with generating non-platonic feelings for Patrick Jane. For instance, at the moment she was focused on a bit of tomato sauce staining the corner of Jane's bottom lip, and she was tempted to get it off by utilizing her own mouth.
Jane noticed her glances and addressed her, "I know I'm irresistibly handsome Teresa, but we have company."
She glared at him, while Jane smirked. He didn't need mentalism to read Lisbon like an open book. He spent years memorizing her every nuance. "I wanna know what your face feels like when you're smiling."
Right now that pretty mouth was set in an exasperated line. "Didn't seem to stop you in the interrogation room," she grumbled under her breath.
"What's that? I couldn't hear you," said Jane.
"You have sauce on your face," she informed him tersely. She plucked a napkin out of the dispenser and reached towards Jane's face intending to remove the tantalizing spot, but paused half way, throwing the paper square at him instead.
"There you go," she huffed, "You know, I thought this whole revelation thing might make you a little less annoying."
Jane smiled amusedly, "Not a chance." Teasing Teresa Lisbon was one of the simple pleasures of life, and he wasn't about to give that up.
Fischer giggled, "You two are so cute."
Lisbon looked a little taken aback by this unexpectedly girlish comment by Fischer, but Jane was not surprised. He had been correct in surmising that Fischer wasn't as uptight as she seemed.
Just as they were finishing up lunch, Fischer noticed something.
"I guess you won't be needing that anymore," she said to Jane.
"What?"
"That," Fischer said, tapping her left ring finger to indicate that she was referring to Jane's cherished, time-weathered wedding band.
Jane froze. An uncomfortable silence descended upon the table.
Lisbon quickly defended him, "Jane has never taken off his ring and I don't expect him to."
Fischer looked puzzled, her forehead creasing in confusion, "But on the island— "
Abbott cut in quickly, "We should get going. Our cab will be here soon."
But Abbott's redirection came too late. Jane had caught the fleeting expression of hurt that crossed Lisbon's face as she realized the implication of Fischer's words. Then the hurt disappeared and was replaced with an impassive mask.
They paid and left the establishment, noticeably more quiet than they had been a minute ago. Abbott pretended to be engrossed by a message on his phone, Jane and Lisbon hadn't said a word since Fischer's slip up, Fischer felt it was best to be silent after her faux pas, and Cho was not a man of many words anyway.
They waited outside the hotel for the cab. Lisbon could feel Jane's anxious stare burning a hole in her head, but she deliberately avoided looking at him, afraid that she wouldn't be able to contain her emotions if she met Jane's eyes.
After several more awkward minutes of silence, the cab finally arrived.
"Jane? Would you mind returning the car?" Abbott asked dangling the keys of the rental.
"Of course," Jane said, catching the keys Abbott tossed to him, "Also, thank you. I didn't get a chance to say it properly the first you handed me these."
"You're welcome, but no more crazy stunts like that. That was a huge pain in the ass to sort out," Abbott said, trying to sound strict.
"Got it. Just the usual stunts from now on," Jane said with a cheeky grin.
Jane and Lisbon waved goodbye to their teammates, and soon as the cab vanished from their sights, Jane dropped the cheerful act and began speaking rapidly.
"Lisbon" he began impassionedly, "I'm sorry. I know you must be hurt and angry. I owe you an explanation. Just please let me explain— "
He was calling her Lisbon again. She knew that didn't mean he was distancing himself. It was more familiar. Natural.
"Jane," she interrupted quietly, "I'm not mad and you don't need to be so panicked. It's your personal matter and I don't need a justification. As for explanations, you owe me plenty, but right now all I want to do is sleep."
Jane nodded. He too was tired. As they reached the stairs he held the banister for support.
Lisbon reached out to him, "Here. Lean on me."
"It's okay Lisbon. I'm actually not that hurt," he said.
She shook her head, smiling a little. Of course Jane would exaggerate his pain as an excuse to touch her.
"It's fine Jane, lean on me," she insisted.
He understood that what she meant was that it was okay to get close to her.
With their arms wrapped tenderly around each other they headed to their destination.
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Lisbon came out the bathroom dressed in a tank top and comfortable sweats to see Jane lounging on the couch, still in his suit.
"Jane? Aren't you going to change for bed?" she inquired.
"I don't have pajamas, or whatever it is you have on," he said.
"Then what do you wear to bed?" she asked, flopping down on the bed.
He raised an eyebrow pointedly, and she blushed. Oh.
"Um. That's fine... just keep your underwear on," she said, hoping she didn't sound as awkward as she felt.
He nodded, removing his jacket. Then slowly, he began undoing the buttons of his shirt, finally shrugging it off.
Lisbon felt her heart suddenly go into overdrive. She had inadvertently fantasized about Jane's body more times than she would like to count. How could she not? She was human, not a pillar of stone. But the reality far outstripped her fantasies. He didn't have six packs or anything, but he was still rather fit for a man his age. Between his face and body, he took her breath away.
He unbuckled his pants, letting them slide to the floor, revealing snug, charcoal gray boxers. Lisbon determinedly moved her eyes away from the unmistakable bulge in the front, ignoring the heat sweeping through her belly. Now was not the time.
He crawled into bed and they positioned themselves comfortably under the sheets.
At first they just lay there, staring at each other from opposite sides of the bed. Then Lisbon scooted close to Jane, putting an arm around him and laying her head on his bare chest. He sighed and cradled her closer, cuddling her petite body.
"Mmm... " Lisbon gave a small moan of contentment.
Jane buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the scent of cinnamon and vanilla.
They stayed like that for a few minutes until Lisbon's breathing had come to a slow, even pace and Jane knew she was asleep.
He gazed at the sleeping angel in his arms, hoping fervently that this was real and not just a dream. Less than twenty-four hours ago he had been a defeated man, certain he had lost the woman he loved because he was too damn scared to just tell her the truth. He felt disgusted at himself, thinking of how he had schemed to get Lisbon to stay with him. But now no more games. He will happily spend the rest of his life making up for all the lies and torment he caused her.
He would lavish her with all the love and attention she could ever desire. His heart, his life, belonged to her.
Jane closed his eyes and let sleep finally claim him.
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When Lisbon opened her eyes again it was dark. She blinked, eyes adjusting to the dimness. She felt rested and peaceful, her head laying on the most comfortable pillow she had ever slept on. She made a move to get up and her pillow made a sound of protest. It was then that she remembered where she was and who she was with.
She gently disentangled herself from him, and with a groan he got up also.
"What time is it?" Jane asked, voice still gravelly from sleep.
She leaned over to check the digital clock on the nightstand.
"Almost seven."
"Hmm. We should figure out what to do for dinner," he said.
"Yeah," she said quietly.
From her tone, he could figure out something was weighing on her mind.
"What's wrong Teresa?" he asked concernedly.
"I need to talk to Marcus."
"Oh," he said, "Would you like some privacy?"
She nodded gratefully. This was between her and Marcus, and she needed to make a clean break from him before being with Jane.
"Okay then. I think I'll take a little walk then find some food. Thai take-out?" he asked.
"Sounds good," she said.
Jane got out of bed and got dressed.
"Call me when you're done." He leaned forward and kissed her, a chaste, sweet peck of goodbye and left.
Lisbon gave a heavy sigh, not looking forward to the necessary phone conversation. She reached for her cell phone and winced when she saw ten missed calls from Pike. She had put her phone on silent, not wanting to be disturbed while sleeping. She hit the call button. He picked up on the second ring.
"Teresa! What the hell is going on?! First you call me yesterday and say you're not coming, hang up with no explanation. Then you don't pick up any of my calls..." Pike said irately.
"Marcus, I'm sorry. I wasn't in the right state of mind to talk then," she said apologetically.
"Just tell me what's going on. When are you coming to D.C.?"
"Marcus..." she paused, preparing herself to drop the bomb, "I'm not coming. Ever."
He was quiet, and she anxiously waited for him to break the silence.
"How can you do this to me Teresa? After all I did for you. I thought everything was decided." The anger and accusation in his voice made her feel guilty and small.
"I know, and I'm so, so sorry," she said, beseeching him for forgiveness.
"Why? Just tell me why," Pike said gruffly.
"I'm in love with Jane. And he loves me too," Lisbon confessed.
"That son of the bitch—"
"Don't you dare!" Lisbon cut in angrily. She would not bear to hear him insult Jane.
Pike said some rather harsh things to her, things she felt she deserved, but it was painful to hear nonetheless.
"I can't believe I wasted so much time on you. Goodbye," he said coldly before hanging up.
Lisbon took a deep breath, unable to keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. Why had she thought Marcus would understand? Maybe it had been his "no pressure" attitude, which she now realized had been a clever way of manipulating her into doing exactly what he wanted.
She had been a fool. She had been ready to leave everything behind for this man, who didn't even respect her and her wishes.
It was her fault too. She let herself get carried away. She had been alone for so long, pining after Jane, any attention was a welcome relief.
Her phone buzzed, a text from Jane. Hey. You ready?
She texted back. Yeah.
Fifteen minutes later he was knocking at the door.
When Lisbon opened the door, Jane saw her red-rimmed eyes and his jaw tightened.
He read in her eyes that she didn't want to talk about it at this time, so he focused on another important matter, dinner.
They sat in front of the television with their take-out. Jane had suggested they watch TV to distract Lisbon. She agreed and he put the channel to a movie with guns and ridiculous explosions, the kind she would find entertaining.
Jane made small talk, commenting on every unrealistic aspect of the movie while Lisbon shushed him playfully.
After dinner, Jane pulled Lisbon gently into bed and held her, stroking her hair soothingly.
She was overwhelmed at his kindness. There was Marcus, who pretended to be considerate while pushing her into doing what he wanted, and there was Jane, who effortlessly understood what she needed and acted accordingly.
They had both manipulated her, but somehow, she believed Jane truly cared for her.
She cringed, recalling her own harsh words."You don't give a damn about what I want or need."
How could she have expected honesty from Jane when she had been lying to herself about what she wanted?
However, that didn't mean they didn't have issues to sort out. There were still so many things that they left unsaid. "The truth is, I love you." One truth down, an untold number left to go.
Being with him felt right, but they had both resisted their feelings for so long, to the point of hopelessness. It would take awhile to overcome the initial uncertainty of their new relationship.
For now, Lisbon was content to lie in Jane's arms, happy just to be here at last.
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A/N: I know some of you will disagree with my portrayal of Pike, but please remember I based him off my impression of him in season 6. Season 6 Pike seemed to me a rather manipulative, and pushy person, who would not react well to things not going his way (furthermore, in this scene he just got a big shock, so he's not going to be the most rational at the moment). Now, after seeing him in season 7 I see him more as an unconscious game-player. Someone who treated relationships like a game he had to win and make a game-plan for. It doesn't necessarily make him a bad person, just not the right guy for Lisbon. I'm sure he cared for Lisbon, but he wasn't some 'great love' as he was made out. That being said, all three, Pike, Lisbon, and Jane have imperfections and have acted selfishly. Though I admit, I am biased towards Jane and thus portrayed him as the better choice. I do feel a smidgen of pity for Pike. I think he saw what was coming and moved quickly to cement his relationship with Lisbon before Jane could create doubts. But he miscalculated badly. I think I gave him a bit more regard in this story than Lisbon did in the show by showing that she's upset, instead of the "he'll understand" brush-off. Though in the proposal scene in "Black Hearts", Pike says something to the effect of "Have you told Jane?" and Lisbon says no, to which Pike says "He'll understand." Lisbon was basically giving Pike as little regard as he did for Jane.
