Disclaimer: I don't own the Mentalist.
Can I just say that last week's episode was amazing! When Lorelei died my brain exploded, but that was to be expected. What I didn't expect was all the talk about Jisbon, the whole episode seemed to be an evaluation on the boundaries of their relationship. I always knew Lisbon was attached, but the whole scene in Betram's office and the scene where she was alone with Jane made me question the real possibility of Jisbon. Maybe I see what I want to see, but I like where this is going. Anyway, my excitement aside, please enjoy chapter 14.
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The clunky lull coming from within the moon drenched walls brought Jane from his slumber. He found himself lying in an unfamiliar bed, with a very familiar woman wrapped in his arms. He did not need the green numbers of the clock to tell him what time it was, the moon's presence was the only feedback he needed.
Jane watched Lisbon for a few moments to observe her breathing. Some would call this bizarre, but Jane had taken it as one of his hobbies. Her breathing tonight was noticeably different from the shallow breaths he would catch at work from time to time. Something about the slow rising and fall of her abdomen was peaceful, this gave Jane comfort. After the first time they ended up in this very bed, they had gotten up. Lisbon and he partook in small talk and appetizers, but before either of them knew it, they ended right back where they started. This pattern occurred three more times until both of them had given up. There was no use getting dressed anymore, not when the clothes undoubtedly would be ripped away again only a short while later. So here they lay, completely nude, underneath a thin layer of lilac sheets.
Jane had worried about the impeding fallout from last night's events. Only a fool would believe that things would go on as normal. He knew that Lisbon was under a considerable amount of stress and that neither of them had talked about what happened, not really. Jane did not regret the last twenty-four hours, quite the contrary, but he had no guess as to what Lisbon might do when she came about. A day of making love worry free is fine, but what about now? Would Lisbon still see him as the broken man, or would she be able to see his obvious affection. Would she be angry? Embarrassed? Furious? Or would she simply be happy? Jane could only hope.
His mind played over her words the first time they made love. Lisbon had admitted to loving him, it hadn't been a delusion. His logical side told him her confession didn't count, but it was a confession never the less. He wondered if she really loved him, he knew he loved her.
A small whimper came from the other side of the bed and Jane smiled to himself. He brought his left hand up to push away a strand of hair covering her eye, but something stopped him. A ghostly white band reflected from the wandering moonlight caught his attention. In a moments notice, he began to feel intense pain. He was still wearing his wedding ring.
Without another thought, Jane pushed himself to his side. He quietly rolled off the bed and planted two feet firmly on the floor. Before he could ask himself what he was doing, he was already half way across the room. It became obvious his body was fleeing, but Jane could only ask himself why. Picking up his discarded clothes, Jane began slipping them on. His eyes came across a navy blue camisole lying next to his vest, and he felt a pang of self disgust. Was he really going to leave her?
After he was clothed, Jane picked up his jacket and made a bee line for the doorway. When he reached the frame, Jane took one swift glance back. He wondered how she would react when she woke up without him at her side. Perhaps he should leave her a note to explain, but what would it say?
Dear Teresa,
I love you, but I seem to be having some sort of breakdown. This is probably for the best. –J
Yes, that would go over smoothly.
Jane realized he was being irrational. There was no good reason to panic, this was what he wanted. The sight of his wedding ring should not have sent him into such an immense panic, but it did. He turned back around to face a still sleeping Lisbon. Unsure of his plans, Jane took time to pause. He decided that this was not over. He loved her and he was going to fight. There was just one thing he needed to do first.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I need to go, but I'll be back. I Promise."
Then he shut the door behind him.
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When Lisbon woke up, the room was eerily cold. Dozily, she felt up the length of her arm and traced the winding paths of the sharp goose bumps. It was blatantly obvious to her that she was naked, but that didn't explain the chill. It was then when she remembered she was not alone. The events of yesterday came crashing back, and she couldn't help pushing back a smile. Opening her eyes a peak, Lisbon reached over to the left side of her bed. When her hand came into contact with the other side, all she could feel were cold sheets.
"Jane?" Lisbon croaked into the empty room.
She looked around, but caught no sight of the man she was looking for.
"Patrick?" She called a little louder, but to no avail.
Lisbon was curious, but not all together put out. She pushed herself out of bed and reached for the first piece of fabric she could find. Clothes littered the floor, which was not uncommon for Lisbon, but the strange part was that they all belonged to her. Where did Jane's go?
She opened the door to her bedroom and made her way to the kitchen. She expected to hear warm tea boiling or the soft murmur of the television, but the room was deathly silent. There was no sign of Patrick Jane. Her heart jumped as she considered that last place in her tiny apartment. Making her way to the bathroom, Lisbon held her breath. She pushed open the door expecting to feel relief, but no such feeling came. There was nobody in her bathroom, her living room and kitchen were bare, and there had not been a person with her in bed for some time. Patrick Jane had left her apartment.
Lisbon stopped herself from unreasonable panic. She was sure Jane didn't leave on a whim, there had to be an explanation. He probably left her a note or a message on her phone.
She headed back to her bedroom and reached for the skinny rectangle on her nightstand. When she hit the center button, the screen flashed on. Her eyes swept her call history and her messages, but there was nothing there. He truly had left her with no explanation.
"Dammit Jane." She cursed.
He was up to his old tricks.
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Jane had only planned for a quick visit. He pulled his Citroen into the parking lot of his motel and flung his body out of the car. He wanted to make his way back to Lisbon before she lost all hope, before she got too frustrated. This was Jane's plan when he pushed open the door to his apartment, but instead found a very unlikely surprise. Asleep in his bed was another familiar face, a face that came complete with an absolutely stunning body. Currently that body was wearing one of his old suits.
"Lorelei?" He asked bewildered.
As the figure turned to face him, a smile lit up her face. She pushed herself up into a sitting position before she addressed him.
"Hello Patrick." She purred. "Where have you been?"
Her presence caught him off guard. He took a careful moment before responding.
"I've been out." He said at last. "A better question would be where have you been?"
Lorelei laughed lightly and motioned for him to join her on his cheap mattress. He held back for a moment, but eventually gave in. As soon as he settled himself, Jane took on a business tone.
"Are you going to tell me what you've been up to?" Jane asked.
She gave him a disbelieving look. Before he could react, Lorelei pulled herself up next to him and nuzzled her face into his neck. It was so unlike her that Jane contemplated whether or not to pull away. He thought of Lisbon and made his decision. Slowly, he carefully extracted himself from her and tried to distract her with questions.
"So Red John—" Jane started.
Lorelei cut him off.
"What was that?" She asked mockingly.
"What do you mean?" Jane asked innocently.
She snorted.
"So what, all of a sudden you're not comfortable with my advances." She asked sarcastically. "If I didn't know better I'd say you've been cuddling up to agent Lisbon."
Jane froze at her words. He knew Lorelei was only joking, but the accuracy of her statement made him pause. Lorelei was sharp, she caught on quickly.
"Patrick." She said scolding. "Tell me you haven't."
Jane was quicker.
"Of course not." He lied expertly.
"Good." She said unconvincingly. "Because that would be just what Red John wants you to do."
Jane's heart stopped. The world around him temporarily slowed to frame by frame. Jane's head was screaming at his foolishness. Lisbon had been right; he had fallen directly into Red Johns plans. He knew his feelings hadn't been fostered, but Lorelei's words had sent him second guessing himself. No, he told himself, the entire way to see Lisbon I couldn't get her out of my head. This feeling isn't new, Red John could not have created this. An excruciating line played in the back of his head.
Tyger Tyger.
"So." Jane distracted himself. "Where have you been?"
"I asked you first, you know it's rude not to attend to the guest."
Jane raised an eye brow, but Lorelei continued on.
"I'm assuming you are not going to answer my question, but I will answer yours. I got the confirmation I need Patrick. As of last night, I'm officially rouge. I've discarded all of my belongings as well as my plans. I know Red John killed my sister. Like you, I want to make him feel my pain. I want him to suffer."
Lorelei's beautiful face now looked twisted and sinister. Jane wondered if this is what he looked to the outside world as he contemplated Red John's fate.
"You came here last night?" Jane asked.
Lorelei nodded.
"I came before the sun went down. What's your excuse, been up for a night on the town."
"You could say something like that." Jane feigned casualness.
The two stared at each other for a moment in silence. He glanced down at his wedding band and his heart leapt. Any plans needing to be made had to be cancelled. The Teresa he loved would have to wait. Right now he needed Lisbon his friend, and more importantly, Agent Lisbon his boss.
Jane reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Lorelei stared at him confused as he began to page through numbers. Eventually he found the number he had been looking for. It rung twice before the woman in question picked up.
"Agent Lisbon." He started professionally.
"What the hell Jane?" Lisbon spat.
"Agent Lisbon." He repeated.
"Is this a game to you?" she asked with malice. "Do you think you can just 'Agent Lisbon' me—"
The phone was loud enough that Jane was sure Lorelei had heard. She shot Jane a smug look and outreached her palm. It looked like she wanted the phone. He contemplated it for a moment before handing it over. Lisbon's voice could be heard even when the device was in her hands.
"For God's sake Jane, you could have left a note." Lisbon hissed. "It's not like I'm expecting much, but conformation that you're okay wouldn't be too much to ask."
"Your right." Lorelei said softly. "But I've never know Patrick much for the considerate type."
Lisbon's voice went quiet on the other line.
"Hello again agent Lisbon." Lorelei coaxed. "I must say, I'm disappointed."
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There you have it everyone. I hope you liked chapter 14. Hey, what did you expect? I couldn't leave Jane and Lisbon in happy couple bliss without any complications. I'm not that generous (hehehe). Don't anticipate things to be perfect anytime soon. This might be a good time to remind you of the last sentence of the first fragment of chapter one, just saying. Please leave me a review and I hope to get the next chapter up so sometime soon!
Up Next: Jane, Lisbon, and Lorelei all have different views on how to approach Red John's case. Jane and Lisbon disagree on Lorelei presence.