Thank you for your encouraging reviews, it's so nice to know you want more & people are reading my story. Thank you, truly, it means so much.
[The Mentalist is my all time favourite show, I love it more than anything, but as much as I love the show & Patrick Jane, there have been a few things with both that have bugged the hell of me over the years. 1) the way major things/events/deaths etc happen & then they all get swept under the carpet & forgotten about, like its was no big deal AND 2) how for the last 2 seasons I have had to watch 1 of my fav characters Lisbon, having her heartbroken over & over & suffer in silence because of Jane's revenge/obsession. Its been hard for a big Lisbon fan to see her go thru that, as much as I love Jane, I started to become really disappointed in his character in Season 5, so this chapter is really to satisfy my own personal need for them to resolve certain issues from their past that any human being would have issues with, including Saint Teresa.]
If itseems a little OOC this chapter, well that is because it prob is, as I've said before we have yet to see them as a romantic couple until Season7 starts, so I can only guess how they are going be & act in a loving relationship, these 2 have never before confronted their feelings or problems between them head on until bluebird episode but I'm really hoping this will change more in Season 7, as this chapter will show. I hope your still enjoy the story anyway. ;-)
Chapter 7
"WHAT...? A... A wedding." Lisbon was in shock, out of all the things that had ran through her head since leaving Texas, a wedding was the last thing she expected Jane to say.
"Yes, my friend Franklin is getting married to his childhood sweetheart this Saturday."
"Married?" It was like Janes words were echoing around her head.
"Yes, he's young, only 19, but hey, I can't really talk, I married Angela when I was 19 but when you find the right person then age is but a number? Don't you agree."
"Franklin..." Lisbon's brain was sure she had heard or seen that name somewhere recently, but felt a little disorientated right now so couldn't remember where from at that moment.
"Yes, Franklin, he works at the hotel I'm staying at, lovely lad... always helpful & friendly, he helped me a lot when I first got to the island, my Spanish isn't great but his English is superb, which was a god send to be honest... It's going to be a lovely wedding by the sounds of it, ceremony's at the beach at sunset, then the reception is up at the hotel, they are serving a seafood buff..."
Jane was cheerfully chatting away as though it was no big deal. Lisbon didn't know whether to laugh or cry, 2 days ago, her whole world had felt like it had crumbled down around her, all because of the idiot man standing in front of her, leaving without a word, now he was talking to her about sunset weddings & sea food buffets.
"YOUR TELLING ME, I CAME ALL THIS WAY TO FIND YOU... THINKING THAT YOU HAD LEFT, THAT YOU LEFT ME, AGAIN, FOR GOOD & IT TURNS OUT YOUR JUST HERE ON VACATION FOR A POXY WEDDING! She shouted, not even attempting to hide the rage building up inside her. Jane looked a little stunned, he didn't understand why she was so upset, he had explained all this in his letter. "Didn't you read my letter?" He asked.
"Letter?..."
"Yes the letter I left on your desk?"
"Desk?..."
"Yes Teresa. Your desk, the one back at the FBI building, in Texas."
"Texas?"
"Are you just going to repeat every last word I say or..." He could tell her brain was trying to process all the things he was saying but it was taking a little time to catch up with her.
"Hang on... You wrote me a letter?"
"Yes, I thought it was a more heartfelt way of apologizing, after the argument we at the hospital, I wanted to tell you how sorry I was for what had happened that day, but I wanted to do it in a way that you knew I truly ment it, so I wrote you a letter, telling you how sorry I was, that you are my world & from now on I will always try to put you first... Always..." He said with pure honesty in his voice, he wanted her to know it was the truth. He gave her a shy lopsided smile towards her.
"I... I... There was no letter on my desk, Jane!" Lisbon voice had now lowered several decimals, thou she was still furious "I mean for Christ's sakes Patrick who sends a god damn letter, it's 2014!
Jane face screwed up in confusion, trying to understand how she hadn't seen his letter. "I was trying to be romantic Teresa... Really? You didn't get my letter? Are you sure? Jane was now pacing a little, rubbing his chin, trying to work out what had happened to his letter. "I left it in your tray so you would see it. Are you sure?"
By the look of fresh annoyance on her face Jane decided he needed to explain a little more at what had happened. "I opened the wedding invite from Franklin on the same day as the incident in the warehouse, it had arrived at my trailer few weeks ago, but I've been spending my time with your place lately I hadn't seen until now, anyway I thought maybe we both needed some time out, things have been pretty full on & intense for us since Miami, not that I'm complaining I'd happily spend every second, of ever minute of every day with you... Teresa, Are you ok?... You look a bit pale."
"A bit pale?... Patrick do you have any idea what I've been going thru... I thought you ran off again. I thought you had left me. I thought... I thought it was over between us...
"Why would you think that?" He was slightly wounded that she thought he ran off just over a silly row "Ohhh I don't know, let's think shall we Jane?... MAYBE because of your track record... I mean, first there was Vegas, then the 2 years after Red John..."
"Uh, Technically, I didn't leave you. Vegas was a ruse, a con to get red John, which nearly worked may add, if it hadn't been for the fb..." He had started to do one of his, 'the plan would have worked if hadn't been for' rants. Lisbon realized even now Red John was gone, he still saw the whole Vegas ordeal as just another day at the office, which she felt annoyed about, Jane had nearly been seriously injured & a innocent man had lost his life that day.
"YOU left for 6 flaming months Jane, no word, no text, no phone call. Nothing Jane. I nearly went out of mind with worry over you & then one day you show up, out of the blue, saying it was all an act, that you had spent the past 6 months drinking, gambling, conning people & shacked up with a serial killers mistress..."
"I wasn't 'shacked up with her Teresa..." He interrupted sharply, Jane couldn't believe they were back on this topic, she had thrown it back in his face at the hospital last week & now she was doing it again.
She huffed, clearly showing she didn't believe a word of it. Jane could feel his anger starting to build up now, but knew getting into another row over this topic wasn't worth the hurt it would bring. Calmly, he looked her in eye, stepped closer & took her by shoulders. He started rubbing his hands up & down her arms hoping the contact & soothing action would calm them both a little.
"It was a one time thing, we weren't 'shacked up' as you put it, ok, despite what your over active imagination mite like to believe, it was one night, We weren't shopping for furniture at pottery barn... Ok, you know this."
"How do I know this?" she said, clearly still angry & not calming down like he had hoped. He dropped his hands & walked back a little from her, rubbing his hand down his face whilst she continue her rant.
"YOU told me nothing Jane!... You basically turned up in my church one day, looking like death warmed up, convincing me to go along with one of your dangerous hair brain schemes, which ended up in a mans death & then rather than having the decency to pre-warn me about the situation for once in your god damn life, you just stood there & let her side swipe me in the interrogation room with fact that you two had been "looovers". Do you know how foolish I felt Jane!"
"Oh, it wasn't like that..." Jane really didn't want to get into this discussion, as far as he was concerned the matter was over & done with years ago. Dragging the past up would only bring painful memories back to her & he really rather forget about the whole sordid incident himself.
"Ohhh... So, then why didn't you tell me about her before, hmmm, so i was fully prepared. Huh...?" Lisbon knew pushing this topic wasn't the best idea especially with them being on shaky ground as it was, but she was sick & tired of hiding her real emotions away about the subject.
Jane knew she had him, he had known back then he should have told her, but there just didn't seem like a good time with all the buzz going on in Vegas or one of the team always being around her, FBI agents everywhere they turned. He just couldn't bring himself to say it, he knew if he did he would see hurt & disappointment in her face. Jane knew he needed to apologise, she was right, she hadn't deserve that.
"I'm sorry, ok, I was a... little scared." His voice was barely more than a whisper.
"Scared...Scared of what?" She said bluntly, ignoring his honest confession.
Well, Losing you... The team, knowing you may not accept me back. I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't find the words. I'm sorry, your right, I should have told you. But it meant nothing to me, she meant nothing..."
"Oh really? So, is that why you risked your freedom breaking her out of federal prison, going on the run together, sleeping naked with her on the beach... You know, cos she meant so little to you?" Lisbon knew she should let the matter rest, but it finally felt good to be able to let out all her buried feelings, like a dead weight was being lifted from her finally.
"Sleeping naked... What are you talking about woman!" He had never slept naked on any beach in his life, where the hell had she got that from. "Is this really about me leaving? Or the fact you can't accept I slept with someone before you..."
"Excuse me?..." Lisbon spun round, she knew Jane had a big ego, but she wasn't about to let him use this situation to stroke it.
"Yes, I'll admit I was wrong in not telling you about what happen between me & Lorelei in Vegas, not that I had to tell you, I didn't have to answer to you back then Teresa, it wasn't like we were a couple, we were just work colleagues. You're just allowing your jealousy to cloud your judgement on this matter... & not for the first time, may I add..."
"I'm not jealous. This is about you, Jane, running off & not telling me the truth as always.
"Oh please... You're jealous, or you were... But don't you think it's time to let it go.
"You arrogant son of a bitch. I was not jealous." She replied, hoping she was putting on a convincing voice. "I mean, yes, she was beautiful... stunning even, & she def played you for a fool, which doesn't happen very often, but she was also a murdering manipulative evil bitch, who is would spread her legs for any TOM, Dick & PATRICK obviously..."
Jane rolled his eyes & mumbled something incoherent. "What was that?" She demanded, placing her hands on hips.
"Look... this is getting stupid, we are grown ups, lets try acting like it, shall we?" Jane couldn't believe he was being the voice of reason, he hated arguing with her & he was now angry at himself for getting sucked into this pettiness.
"No Patrick, tell me? Let's get this crap out in the air for once in our lives..."
"Teresa..."
"Well...come on? Cat got your tongue? Come on? Tell me."
"It was just SEX Teresa. Me & her. Ok. Just Sex. What we have, me & you, is so much more, what we have is real, it's love, real love...
Lisbon folded her arms & started to pace the room, feeling angry at herself for showing Jane her old resentment towards the dead woman & him.
"Besides, it's not like you were a virgin before me is it? There were a few men in your life before me, a couple of agents from the CBI... Then there was the playboy Walter Mashburn, you & him were more blatant than a neon sign in a blackout. I never paraded my thing with Lorelei in front of your face...
"Oh please... you kissed her in the bloody interview room!" Lisbon had just shown him her jealousy over them now, just like she had back in the CBI just after the kiss had happened.
"You weren't meant to know that, I told you not to listen, but as per normal woman you totally ignore me & did it anyway. I never intentionally paraded it in your face, unlike you did to me..."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Uhhh. Pike..."
"I didn't PARADE him in front of you as you put it? He worked in the same building as us & he was my... He was my boyfriend."
"Oh yes & didn't I know it. Having to watch you two slobber over each other, especially at work, was one of the most sickening things I've witnessed in a long time... "
"We never slobbered all over each other at work..."
"Mmmm...Yes, you did! Trust me Lisbon..." Jane only ever called her Lisbon these days when they were at work or if he was upset about something.
"Now who's jealous?"
"Well, what did you expect? You may have well worn a sign around your neck saying property of Marcus Pike, hands off... I'm surprised he didn't suggest it & you go along with it, just like all of his other stupid ideas... he just wanted to show off his trophy.
"What are you saying?" Lisbon didn't like to think herself as some sort prize & didn't like what he was implying about their relationship.
"What I'm saying is, his need to show he could get one over on me, was more important to him than... Well... you. It's not your fault, it was probably more to do with his failed marriage & his ex wife having cheated on him, he needed to feel in control in your relationship, boast his ego, feel he was top dog again.
"That's not true, " Lisbon hadn't given much thought to her relationship with Pike since being with Jane, she knew at the time there wasn't something quite right, but had pushed those feelings aside, putting it down to her fear of commitment & the fact that he well, wasn't Jane. "Not everything in the world is about you Patrick Jane... he...he cared about me." She couldn't hide the uncertainty in her voice but continued anyway "I mean, why else would Marcus have asked me to move away to D.C with him? Why would he found me that job? & why would he have asked me to marry him, huh?
"I'm sure he did care for you, in his odd pushy way, but he wanted to... Hang on? What? He asked you to marry him?... When?" To say Jane was shocked by her last sentence was an understatement, Jane was so use to knowing about things that when something shocked him it threw his whole world of balance & he hated that, & this was definitely news to him.
"Does it matter?" She said realizing for once Patrick Jane didn't know everything like he thinks he does. She had assumed he knew about pike proposing or he had guessed, Jane had brought it up 'her marriage to Pike' in Miami & she had thought he was actually referring to his proposal.
"You never told me... When did he ask you?" Jane was feeling a little shell shocked by this news, had everyone known about Pike's proposal back home except him? Had he been the only one not to know, just like he had about her leaving to go to D.C.?
"Uh... I don't know... I don't really remember." She said nervously, looking towards the floor uncomfortably. Jane knew straight away there was something dodgy about this so called "proposal", what woman doesn't remember how they are proposed too by the guy they are suppose to be in a loving relationship with.
"I think it was 2 days before you found out about D.C... You said yourself moving to D.C with the him was like a marriage. Well, turns out you weren't far off..."she was clearly trying to divert the answer now & her mouth was even smirking a little.
"What did you say?" Jane slowly changing his tone from shocked to inquisitive.
"Well... uhh... At first I said I'd think about it..."
"How did he propose then" Jane said more confidently, now he knew that there was def something off & she was clearly trying to keep it from him.
"What?" Lisbon all of a sudden felt a suspect being interrogated, she had see him do it a thousand times & knew once he was determined to get the truth from you, he would.
"How. Did. He. Ask. You. To. Marry. Him?" He said making a point on every word. He could see her becoming more & more uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by.
"Well... He... Uh...He just sort of asked me out of the blue, I think he..." she started to explain but Jane quickly butted in.
"Hang on... Out of blue, what do you mean, exactly?" Jane was now the one smirking.
... well..." Lisbon swallowed, knowing how pathetic her next words were going to sound. "It was... It was in the bullpen." She tried saying with an air of pride & conviction.
It was then, that Jane suddenly let one of the biggest laughs, she had ever heard from him, she realized she never really seen him laugh like this before, not a real big belly wrenching laugh & unfortunately for Lisbon, this was that time.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaha. Seriously? In the bullpen? Oh my... this, this, this is a classic..." Jane said laughing. "Pike getting down on one knee, in the FBI offices, of all places! What a twit! Did he get Wylie to hold the ring for him too?..." he added, burst of laughters coming from his mouth & tears running down his face & taking way too much enjoyment in it all, in Lisbon opinion.
Jane looked up to see Lisbon was now standing there with her arms folded, embarrassment & anger written across her gorgeous face. "Oh. Oh. There wasn't a romantic proposal? Was there? Or a ring? I'm right!" Jane then went on to say "Wow. Pike really was a..." But he stopped mid sentence, it suddenly hit him, she had said the words 'at first...'
"Hang on? What do you mean at FIRST you said you'd think about it..." Jane prayed that he had heard her wrong.
Lisbon knew she was about to let out a skeleton from her hidden closet now. "Look, I was angry ok... & wanted to hurt you. So when I found out you tricked me in Miami, I called Marcus from the cab on the way to the airport & I told him yes... I'd marry him &...right now Patrick I really wish I had."
Jane definitely wasn't laughing anymore. He knew her words came out of anger, but the truth was she had really considered marrying this guy, he really had come close to losing her that day back in Miami. With hurt building up, Jane said "So, let me get this straight, you were engaged to him when you got off the plane? In fact, you were still in engaged when you entered the TSA room? & when I kissed you?... Huh, I'm shocked Lisbon, really I am, I never took for a cheater. I mean exactly how long were you actually engaged to Pike for? The first time we made love?...
"What? No. No, of course not. I broke up with him the minute I got back to Austin... I swear". It was Lisbon's turn to feel hurt now. Did he really think she would do that to him.
"Then why have you failed to mention this little gem... I mean we have been together for 4 months now Teresa, we are practically living together... "
"I didn't think it was important. I...I love you Patrick, not him, I always did, I chose to stay & be with you Jane. Not him. You."
"I just... I can't believe you didn't tell me... You should have told me." For once it was Jane on the receiving end of a secret & he found he really didn't like it.
"Well, now you know what it feels like to be kept in the dark... Welcome to my world Patrick..." She said deflated.
After a few minutes, both of them trying to calm their emotions down, to take in all that had been said done in the last few minutes, clearly regretting things they had said & done out of anger, now & in the past. Jane decided he had enough of them arguing. He walked over to her & pull her into his arms holding her tightly, at first she stood with hands by her side but eventually let her pride & stubbornness fall away & she wrapped her arms around him & held him back just as tightly.
"This is ridiculous, " he said quietly, "Why are we arguing over all this. It's in the past. I'm sorry, ok, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I ran off on you, I'm sorry I've hurt you badly in the past. I'm sorry for anything I've ever done to make you feel pain, I swear I promise to never hurt you again Teresa, you have to believe that. I love you, I love you so much, please believe me Teresa" He pulled back to look at her in the eye, he had tears in his own eyes & Lisbon knew he was truly sorry, not just about this arguement, but for all the things that happen those years ago, too.
"You're right, this is silly... I don't know why I'm letting this all out now, after all this time. Clearly I have some issues I've been holding on to, " she said, a little embarrassed for her previous outbursts. They both chuckled. "I'm sorry too by the way. I never ment to hurt you either... With the whole pike thing I mean...
"I know... Come here." Jane placed a soft caressing kiss on her lips. It was a slow, tender kiss & Lisbon knew in that minute, that everything was going to be ok
I love you Patrick..." This had been the first time she had said those 3 words without him having to say it first, Jane knew Lisbon found it hard, after years of keeping her emotions on lock down, he knew that feeling all too well. Clearly getting things off her chest today about their past had opened a door & she felt able to say it. If Jane had known their argument would help move Lisbon along emotionally, he would have had this discussion months ago.
"I love you too Teresa. Since the day I first met you, I was just too blind to see it."
With that Jane kissed her again, it was passionate this time. After a few minutes they broke apart for air & he kissed her forehead. "Now go pack up your stuff woman & I'll see you back at the hotel, unless you planning on staying here with muscle boy for another night." He said whilst looking around the small pokey studio room. "My room number is 510, just ask the reception for the spare key card ok..." He said walking over to the door.
"Ok. Hang on, where are you going?" She asked, watching Jane pull the door open.
"Uh, there's something I need to do. I'll be back soon, I promise..." He gave her a cheeky wink before closing the door behind him. Lisbon quickly stepped over to the door, she opened it to see Jane walking away. "Patrick..." With the sound of her sweet voice behind him, he spun back round, "don't be too long... I'll be waiting!" She said raising her eyebrows in a very sexy suggestive voice. Jane smiled a cheesy winning smile back, knowing exactly what she was suggesting & winked at her again before turning & breaking into a small sprint .
Lisbon stood watching him with amusement, as he practically sprinted like Usain Bolt up the road.
