A/N I meant to mention before that these will most likely be totally unrelated. That may explain why I'm writing a Christmas fic in August... Also, thanks for the outstanding feedback on the previous chapter! :) Oh yeah, and this part may seem a little OOC, and I may have used my artistic license card a little much, but hey! It's just a bit of fun, right? Established RigsPelt to follow, although Red John is still at large!
Disclaimer: I got a phonecall saying I'd won a Macy's voucher, but I don't think Simon Baker was included...
As far as Patrick Jane was concerned, Christmas was just an excuse to lose all inhibitions and make foolish mistakes, a time filled with fake happiness and false hopes and ignorant children that were yet to be disillusioned.
He should have known that the Christmas Spirit wouldn't bypass him yet again. Van Pelt switched off her desk lamp.
"Good night, Jane!" she called cheerily, and he looked up just in time to see her tangle her fingers around Rigsby's, "We'll see you when we get back!"
As they disappeared towards the elevator, Cho shook his head.
"I can't believe it's Christmas Eve already. I hate Christmas," he murmured. Jane arched an eyebrow.
"You shouldn't be such a Scrooge. And anyway, don't you have some traditional family gathering to attend?"
Cho stood up, reaching for his coat and gloves.
"Don't remind me."
Moving away, he hesitated, looking towards the shuttered blinds of Lisbon's office.
"Maybe this year you can give her Christmas," he said softly, his face sad yet hopeful as he gave Jane a brief nod. The consultant didn't bother with a reply- he didn't really know what to say- and instead chose to move slowly into the kitchen to make some tea.
On his way back to his sofa, Jane paused outside Lisbon's office.
"No, Mark...I can't. There's too much to do at work...I know it's Christmas..." She sighed heavily, and Jane wanted nothing more than to snatch the phone and give whoever Lisbon was talking a piece of his mind for putting that defeat in her voice.
"...no, I can't just drop everything and get on a flight to Boston..."
A light bulb went off in his brain. Her brother. Lisbon was talking to her brother. And, Jane realized, was desperately trying to worm her way out of yet another family Christmas. She sighed again, this time out of exasperation.
"No, Mark...no, Van Pelt and Rigsby are going to her parents place in Iowa...Cho has a big family thing..." She laughed at something her caller said, "I have no idea what Jane is doing. Unlikely...I can't...Because we're not that kind of team."
Her sad 'goodbye' was followed by the cell phone dropping to the desk, and he tapped softly on the door.
"Come in, Jane."
Chuckling softly, the consultant sat himself in the chair opposite her. When he didn't say anything, Lisbon rolled her eyes.
"What?"
"You should go to see your brothers," he said simply.
"Who says I want to?" she replied. Jane leant forward, an almost imperceptible frown creasing his brow.
"You don't?"
"I have work to do."
"Liar," he replied quickly. Lisbon sat back in her seat, angrily throwing down her pen.
"Go away."
Jane moved to her own couch, sitting down and folding one knee over the other.
"Not until you let me drive you to the airport."
"I'm not going to Boston, Jane. Leave it alone."
"Then at least let me take you home?" he persisted. Lisbon closed her eyes, bit her lip, counted to ten, and then opened them again.
"I'm not letting you take me anywhere, so why are you still in my office?"
Jane threw a friendly arm along the back of her sofa.
"It's Christmas. I want to spend time with you."
"Here?" she scoffed, "At work?"
"You just said that you wouldn't let me take you anywhere. Tell me about your hopes and dreams."
"My hopes and dreams?" Lisbon echoed, her voice a perfect blend of weariness, amusement and disbelief. Seeing her sudden abandonment of stubbornness, the consultant flashed his trademark grin.
"Yes. For the next 12 months."
"Do I have to?"
"No, but you will, because you think that if you go along with my outlandish requests, I'll leave. You're wrong, but I admire your thinking," Jane stated infuriatingly.
"Fine," Lisbon sighed, "I hope Minnelli will take the early retirement he's been moaning about for the past twelve years."
Jane chuckled, and waved her closer, patting the seat beside him. Lisbon reluctantly took up a place at the other end of the couch, careful to keep plenty of space between them to avoid unnecessary contact.
She thought for a moment.
"I hope Cho gets offered a promotion. He deserves his own team."
"You'd miss him," Jane observed. Lisbon glared at him for implying that she wasn't as emotion-proof as she made out to be, and shuffled uncomfortably under the intensity of his stare.
"I hope Rigsby proposes to Van Pelt," she continued softly. If Jane was surprised, it didn't show.
"He will," he assured with a nod.
"You don't know that."
"Sure I do."
"How?"
"He's already got the ring."
At the look of indignant outrage on her face, Jane had to laugh.
"It's OK, Lisbon. Cho doesn't know either," he teased gently. She slapped his arm.
"Shut up. Why do you know more about my team than I do?"
He sensed there was no right answer, and instead of replying, chose to simply smile disarmingly.
"Carry on with your list," he prompted. Lisbon shrugged.
"That's it. I'm done."
All traces of fun were suddenly gone from his face, replaced by a slight frown.
"Really?"
"Really," she confirmed.
"But those weren't your hopes!" Jane protested, "That was a list of things you want for other people!"
Lisbon nodded slowly.
"Yes, my list of hopes for the people around me."
"Teresa..."
"What about you? What are your hopes?" she said hastily, a pink stain creeping into her cheeks. He smiled to himself.
"Oh, I have big hopes for this next year."
"If they involve Red John, I don't want to know."
"Not him. Changes, I'd say. Rather than hopes."
Lisbon stood up, crossing to the other side of her office.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" she said in alarm, "That's what you and Van Pelt were whispering about this morning!"
He chuckled at the mixture of emotions she was failing to conceal, and shook his head no.
"You shouldn't eavesdrop, you know. You end up getting the wrong end of the stick."
"Don't lie to me, Patrick Jane! I heard you talking about moving on!"
Jane moved towards her, until he was standing far too close for her liking, his eyes boring into hers like a drill into wood.
"Calm down, woman," he said quietly. Lisbon froze, eyeing him uncertainly.
"What are you doing?"
"Van Pelt and I were talking about moving on. But not in the way you're thinking."
"Jane..."
"I'm ready to move on from my past," he murmured, "and I would like to think you're going to come with me."
Lisbon didn't reply. She stared at him, trying to work out where this had come from. Was she really that oblivious? Her mouth opened, but Lisbon found her attempt to speak nothing more than an epic fail.
A frown creased her brow, before fading into the tiniest of smiles. She slowly slid her hand into his, feeling the cold band missing from his finger. Her eyes never broke away from their intense stare.
Realizing that he was still expecting an answer, Lisbon cleared her throat.
"I hope you can keep up."
I realized today that some of these are harder than I thought they were going to be. This, obviously, was one of them. I hope you get a chance to let me know what you think! :)