Second to the last chapter! Jane's last chapter…
30 Shades of Red:
Red Tips
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Patrick Jane watched Lisbon's face slip from surprised to pleased. She coughed lightly and tried to cover her small smile with an aloof look.
"What is this for?"
Jane looked at the single rose in her hand, the petals a soft yellow that faded at the tips into red. He looked back up at her and grinned cheekily. "No reason."
She tried to look gruff. And failed. "Thank you, Jane."
He nodded and left her office. As he passed Rigsby and Cho, they rolled their eyes at him, suspecting that he was just trying to get back on Lisbon's good side after his last shenanigan. He knew that Lisbon thought he was just being spontaneous and random, maybe digging for information, trying to throw her off balance. He smiled serenely at the two male agents, content to let them believe what they would. In fact, it didn't matter to him at all if no one understood why he had given Lisbon a single yellow rose whose petals were tipped in red. All that mattered was that he knew what it meant. Somehow, that simple act of giving her the flower had settled all of his uneasiness. He lay back on the couch, ready to take a short nap.
A rose was generally seen as a romantic gesture, but most people saw yellow roses as rather ordinary, a gesture of mere friendship as indicated by the color. Like there was anything "mere" about friendship. He smirked. Nor was there anything mere about Lisbon.
With his eyes closed, he hadn't noticed Van Pelt return from her coffee run. He also hadn't seen her enter Lisbon's office. Only when he heard Rigsby call out her name did he open his eyes, looking for an offering of coffee. He noticed the slightly shocked look on her face as she stared at him from her spot by Lisbon's office door and made sure to keep his expression neutral. Absentmindedly, Van Pelt handed two coffees off to Rigsby (one for him and one for Cho). Rigsby, focused solely on his caffeine fix, did not notice her preoccupation. Van Pelt headed to the couch. Jane sat up and she dropped down next to him, handing a cup of java over. They each took a sip of the hot liquid.
"So," Van Pelt said. Clearly there were no other words to describe what she was thinking. Jane looked to her and their eyes met briefly. He knew she saw the answer she was seeking.
"So," he responded, looking forward again. They were silent for a few moments.
"I'm glad," Van Pelt said before standing and getting back to work. Jane stayed there, seated in a relaxed position. He knew it didn't matter if no one understood his actions, but just this once it felt nice to have Van Pelt in on it, to have her approval. And he knew that she would keep his secret, his confidence.
Because Grace Van Pelt knew that red-tipped yellow roses meant friendship falling into love.
The red tips made all the difference.
There was nothing "mere" to the rose that Jane had given Lisbon.
