Title: In the Cards

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with The Mentalist, and I'm only profiting from this by feeding my feedback addition.

Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the reviews and alerts and favorites after the last chapter! Glad you liked the "honest hour" thing. Almost every relationship could benefit from that, but I think it's far more fun to read about than to actually do. And jw, interesting points about intimacy being about content versus context. I'll have to think about that one. But I think really Lisbon was just looking for an excuse to cut it short. She got a little more than she bargained for with that request, after all. And she might have eventually felt obligated to do a little truth telling of her own if she'd kept dragging it out of him. :)

Chapter 10

Jane didn't sleep much, and he welcomed the sunrise when it finally came. He decided he wanted eggs today; if Lisbon wanted something else, she could ask. He didn't care what Mancini wanted.

Midway through scrambling his eggs, he noticed that Lisbon had set up the coffeemaker last night. He took the hint and turned it on, and as the scent wafted through the open kitchen, across the living room, and down the hall, he started to hear sounds from Lisbon's room. He grinned. It was like having a bat signal for his own personal superhero.

But when Lisbon shuffled out, not bothering to brush her hair back from her face, a different comparison came to mind. "Uh oh," he said. "The zombies are on the move, only this one seems to need coffee before she starts looking for brains to eat."

"Ha, ha," she muttered, taking up her station in front of the coffee pot as the machine began to make sputtering noises, a sure sign it was almost done. "Don't worry, Jane. I'm pretty sure your brain is too exotic to be on the menu."

"Yes," he reflected. "It's probably pretty spicy, at that. Would you like eggs, or perhaps an omelette?"

"Scrambled egg whites," she replied, reaching for the coffee pot.

"Lisbon, not even for you will I commit such an atrocity." He shuddered dramatically. "Yolks and whites were meant to be inseparable. Your request is an affront to the breakfast gods."

She muttered something about it being too early for blasphemy and went to the table to drink her coffee and wake up.

"Did you not sleep?" he asked, surprised.

"Somebody had to be on watch," she said into her mug.

"You should have let me. I didn't sleep much anyway." He realized with horror that her conscientiousness was going to condemn him to a day with only Mancini for company. Even he didn't think he deserved that miserable a fate. Thinking quickly, he changed plans and handed her the plate of eggs he'd cooked for himself. "Here, eat up so you can go back to bed. I'll keep an eye on things."

"Can I trust you not to do something stupid?" she grumbled.

"You can trust me not to do something stupid that's quiet enough for you to sleep through," he grinned.

She snorted and held out a hand. "Ketchup."

Jane clutched at his chest. "Lisbon! Those eggs are perfectly cooked and meant to be savored, not drowned in a hideous sugary excuse for a condiment! At least taste them before you defile them!"

Lisbon let out a long-suffering sigh and put a forkful in her mouth. "Mm. Buttery. You won't win the bet at this rate, Jane. God, your cholesterol must be through the roof."

He smiled at how wifely she sounded, but he had enough sense to let it pass without comment, occupying himself with another batch of eggs. In no time, he had his plate ready, and he set it on the table before remembering his tea, still sitting on the counter. Retrieving it, he started back just as Lisbon got up in search of more coffee, and he barely avoided dousing them both with tea as they collided.

"Whoa," he said, quickly setting his cup on the counter and taking her elbow to steady her. "No need to trample me. I wasn't trying to come between you and your coffee."

"You're in my way now," she grumbled, starting to step around him.

Jane was seized with a whimsical impulse, and Lisbon let out a gasp of surprise as he took her hand, using his other to pull her close and spin her into a quick waltz. "Jane!" she protested. "What the hell?"

"So far my morning has been all work and no play. I'm in danger of becoming a dull boy," he replied.

She burst into laughter. Encouraged, he said, "I have been doing all the work around here for no pay. I think it's time to change that. So I'm declaring this Dance with the Cook Day."

"So I have to dance for my supper?" she demanded, but she couldn't quite pull off her usual annoyed tone. "Maybe I'll just cook instead."

He grinned down at her as they twirled. That was Lisbon: she might grumble and complain, but she never missed a step. "Tired of my cooking already?"

"No," she admitted.

"And you were complaining about needing exercise yesterday." He smoothly moved them to the living room for more space.

"True."

"So your problem with this is?"

"That you didn't let me get my second cup of coffee," she retorted.

"This got your blood pumping just as well," he said.

"Good morning," Mancini said, sounding perplexed, as he came into the room.

They stopped dancing, and Jane resisted the impulse to keep hold of her hand. Lisbon would resent anything resembling a territorial move, he knew. "Good morning," he said cheerfully. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Be advised that you will be expected to dance as payment," Lisbon smiled, heading for the kitchen to get her refill.

Jane kept up his jovial tone. "That is the basic premise of Dance with the Cook Day," he said.

Mancini frowned and said, "Guess I'll just have coffee then."

"Really?" Jane held his arms open. "I'll let you lead."

"Stop teasing him, Jane," Lisbon scolded. "If you won't cook him breakfast, I will."

"You could always just pay his tab," Jane suggested.

She gave him a look that said she knew exactly what he was up to. "You were just complaining about doing all the work. Sit down, both of you. Gabe, what would you like?"

Mancini was all smiles now, taking a seat at the table. "Whatever you want to fix," he said magnanimously. "I'm not picky."

Jane retrieved his tea and sat down next to Mancini, just to annoy him. He ate his cooling eggs quickly, noticing how Mancini watched Lisbon as she moved around the kitchen. She was well worth watching, struggling to keep her robe's sleeves out of the way as she attempted an omelette. Jane suspected she was overreaching, having grown up cooking for a house full of boys. Scrambled was surely a bigger part of her repertoire.

Mancini was full of praise for it, though. He even offered to dance afterward; Jane gave him grudging points for that. Lisbon smiled and even blushed a little, but in the end she said, "Can I have a rain check?"

"Sure. So, what's on the agenda for today?" Gabe smiled.

"I was up a lot last night, so I hope to get a nap in," she said. "But after that I'm all yours."

"I'll hold you to that," he promised.

Jane felt distinctly nauseated. He wondered if he could manage to nap the day away. The only thing worse than being forced to make small talk with Mancini was listening to his stilted flirting with Lisbon.

No, he reflected a moment later, he'd been wrong. Watching Mancini stick his tongue in Lisbon's mouth when she'd obviously meant only to give him a little peck on her way out of the room was far, far worse. He could tell how uncomfortable it made her, so he decided to start on the dishes to relieve her of the audience at least. When he looked up again, Mancini had a smug grin on his face.

Enjoy it while you can, Jane thought. That was exactly the kind of thing Lisbon wouldn't put up with. And Mancini's territorial display was meaningless to Jane, who knew with utter certainty that he could command Lisbon's entire attention at any time, no matter what Mancini might do. A single word would do, or maybe even a gesture. Or a look. Mancini had nothing that could compete with their understanding. Jane would feel a little sorry for the man if he weren't so...irksome.

"Good thing I brought some paperwork to catch up on," Mancini remarked. "You gonna be okay out here?"

Jane said, "Oh, don't worry about me. I have plenty to keep me occupied."

They were each relieved to be rid of the other's company, but Jane was even more relieved to be left in undisputed possession of the living room. The couch was calling his name.

mmm

Jane didn't quite manage to doze off, but he came close, so he heard Mancini's voice for a few minutes before he realized he shouldn't be. Was the idiot on his phone? They'd all agreed to turn theirs off before approaching the cabin to avoid being tracked.

Quietly, he got up and moved down the hall. Yes, Mancini was definitely talking, though too quietly for Jane to make out the words. He debated the best course of action. Warn Lisbon? Go back to the couch, pretend he knew nothing, and let the game play out? He knew which one Lisbon would want him to choose.

He had just turned to head back to the couch when Mancini's door opened. "Eavesdropping?" he said snidely. "Hear anything interesting?"

"No," Jane said. "I was going to ask you to keep it down, but then you finished your call."

"Right." Mancini drew his weapon. "I'm sure you're as relieved as I am that we don't have to spend the day together after all. We're going on a little trip instead."

"To see a friend?" Jane asked, making sure to keep his voice even. This was it. His mind was racing, and he tried to slow it down so he wouldn't miss anything.

"Exactly."

"Fine. Let's go then." The important thing now was to ensure Lisbon's safety while he did this. He hoped she would sleep through their departure.

"First we have to let Teresa know we're leaving. I'm sure she'll want to say good-bye." Mancini gestured for Jane to precede him. "God, you two are sickening. Kiss the cook, dance with the cook." He rolled his eyes. "I don't know why such a smart woman keeps falling for your stupid games."

Jane wasn't going to enlighten him. "Too smart for you, wasn't she?"

"What do you mean?"

"She suspected you all along."

Mancini chuckled. "She was meant to. Wake her up."

Jane hesitated, then tried the door. It was open, he realized in dismay, because he was out here. "Lisbon," he called out.

"Jane? What is it?" She was immediately awake, sitting up as he opened the door.

"Looks like I'll miss lunch," he said, trying for a light tone. "Your boyfriend and I are going to go run an errand."

She blinked, then carefully got out of bed, one hand behind her to conceal her weapon. Mancini pushed the door all the way open so she could see his gun pressed into Jane's rib cage. "What's going on, Gabe?" she asked. "Had enough of Jane already?"

"We have an appointment," he said. "Charming as you are, you're not invited. I need you to handcuff yourself to the headboard."

"Dream on," she retorted, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, don't worry. I just need to know you won't be crashing the party." Mancini shoved the gun harder into Jane, causing him to grunt a little in protest. "If you don't, I'll be forced to shoot him. I'm not allowed to kill him, unfortunately, but I can hurt him as bad as I want."

Lisbon looked at Jane, then reached into the nightstand for her handcuffs.

"Slide your gun over there," Mancini jerked his head toward the far corner of the room.

Jane could feel Lisbon's anger, frustration, and mounting fear as she obeyed all Mancini's instructions. She was clearly thinking he should have prevented this situation. But from his perspective, this was not a bad way for things to happen. She would be safe and not involved in the coming confrontation, which was how he'd always hoped things would go down.

When she was securely cuffed to one of the bars on the mission style headboard, she sat on the edge of the mattress, trying to appear calm while watching Jane for a sign of what he was going to do.

"Come on," Mancini said to him.

"You said we could say good-bye," Jane protested. This might be his last moment with Lisbon. He wanted it to be as painless a memory for her as possible.

"Fine," Mancini said. "Make it quick."

"A beautiful woman should never be rushed," Jane said pointedly, causing Mancini to go red with fury over the implied criticism.

"Jane," Lisbon said urgently as he came toward her, "don't provoke him. You need to—"

"Hush," he said tenderly, giving her an affectionate smile and laying a hand on her cheek. "I want you to know that I've loved you with everything I had left. I'm sorry it was so much less than you deserved." He reached out his other hand to run through her hair, indulging himself.

Her eyes sparkled with tears. "Jane," she whispered.

He bent down to kiss her, a gentle press of his lips against hers. She was the one who deepened it; he heard the rattle of the handcuff chain as she moved closer to him.

Even though this was their first kiss it felt like coming home again. He should have kissed her years ago, he thought. All that time he'd wasted trying to keep her at arm's length could have been so much more pleasant for them both. And it seemed he was the one Red John wanted after all, so the fears he'd used to justify keeping the distance between them were groundless.

"Come on," Mancini grumbled. "Enough making out with my girlfriend already."

They ignored his jibe, but Jane pulled back from the kiss just enough to whisper against her lips, "Don't hate me."

"I love you," she whispered back.

His smile was immediate and involuntary. He hadn't dared hope she'd say it, even though they both knew it was true. His eyes roamed over her face, fixing her expression in his memory. This might be the last moment he would ever want to cherish, and he was going to hang on to it for all he was worth. He could tell she was doing the same.

He was afraid he would choke up if he tried to say more. He'd said the important things, anyway, and he had no intention of telling her good-bye. He didn't want her to think he had no intention of coming back, because he did. Red John had to die, but Jane would do his best to survive. He wanted the life he'd glimpsed the last few days: sitting across the table from Lisbon, seeing her first thing in the morning, having her tuck him in. Dancing with her in the kitchen because he wanted to. Going to her bed in the middle of the night, but knowing he could crawl in and be welcomed into her strong arms.

"Jane," she called after him,"don't do anything stupid. We will find you. Stay alive!"

He smiled at her over his shoulder, hoping it was reassuring rather than wistful.

mmm

They drove a long way. Jane hated the way the SUV handled, and he hoped if he didn't come back, Lisbon would see that his faithful old Citroen found a good home. He also hoped it wouldn't be long before Cho or one of the others found her. Whether Mancini had been telling the truth or not, Cho wouldn't leave them up here for long without checking in somehow. She would be going mad with frustration by now.

"Pull over here," Mancini instructed.

Jane brought the vehicle to a stop at the scenic overlook. Maybe, if he was very lucky, he'd get the chance to push Mancini over the edge.

"Get out."

Jane did so, careful not to make any sudden moves or to let his hand stray toward the pocket that held his gun. "Lovely spot for a chat," he remarked.

"Yeah," Mancini said. "But don't worry, it'll be short."

"When is your friend joining us?" Jane was looking around but didn't see any evidence to suggest they weren't alone.

"In a few minutes. First, you have a choice to make."

"Oh?"

Mancini's smug smile was grating, and Jane began to think there was something happening other than what he'd guessed. "He said you'd come quietly if you thought Teresa was out of it. We had a lot of discussion about whether you were sweet on her or just using her. He was really curious if you'd recovered enough to fall for someone. It must have driven you crazy to know I was screwing her."

"No, why should it?" Jane replied calmly. "You were never a threat to me. Whatever Lisbon chose to give you, it wasn't going to be her heart. You're years too late for that." He paused, then added, "If I thought she was out of it? I take it she isn't, then?"

"No. My job was to get you out of the way. Oh, don't freak out. He just wants to have a chat with her."

Jane thought he might have a stroke; he couldn't seem to get his heart rate under control. Red John was with Lisbon. And he'd left her there, helpless, practically gift-wrapped for him. He was an idiot.

"You're supposed to be so smart, but you fell for it, didn't you? He said you would, if you thought you were getting what you want. And you are, but not all of it. You have to choose."

Jane could hardly concentrate enough to listen. Every cell in his body wanted to sprint for the car and get back to the cabin right now. "Then tell me."

"My friend wants to retire. But he doesn't like loose ends. So he's willing to meet with you face to face, one last time. You can take your best shot at killing him. But whoever walks away, Teresa will die."

Not happening, Jane thought. "And the other choice?"

"Get back in the car and go back to her. You'll never see or hear from him again, and she will live, unless you change your mind and keep looking for him."

"So the choice is Red John or Lisbon?" Jane was incredulous.

"Exactly." Mancini grinned at him. "I have a lot of money riding on this. But just seeing the expression on your face is jackpot enough. Any questions?"

"If I choose Lisbon, what guarantee do I have that he'll leave us alone?" This had to be a trick, he thought. Red John was trying to get him to tip his hand for some reason, betray his weakness. Although surely there couldn't be much doubt left?

"All he's ever wanted was to show you the true path. But it's time for you to find it on your own. Your obsession with him has been an obstacle for you; once it's gone, he thinks you will be able to progress. You have to decide whether you will be able to do that better with or without Teresa. Frankly, I think the world will be a less nauseatingly cute place without the two of you making eyes at each other, but it's not up to me. And she is a sweet piece of ass."

Jane really wanted to shoot him, but he was afraid Mancini would shoot him in return, and then he might not be able to get to Lisbon. He suddenly realized he'd already made his choice. He was surprised giving up a decade's worth of obsession wasn't harder. Maybe he was in shock.

"So," Mancini said, "are you driving away or am I?"

"I am." Jane wondered as he strode back to the driver's door whether Mancini would shoot him in the back, but he didn't. Given what might be waiting for him, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Author's Note: Okay, I know, making Mancini the mole was predictable. But it was so emotionally satisfying that I couldn't resist. Next chapter coming soon, I promise!