Simple Diversions

A/N: A fic So... this is the last chapter :'( But don't worry! I will post the epilogue immediately, so that the ending makes sense. I'd like to thank all of you readers who have taken this journey with Mia and I :) We thank you so much for your continued support and Mia will miss you all.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mentalist or any of the characters or concepts from the show, I only own Mia Black.

Chapter 36

Mia took in a deep breath as she walked into her apartment. She was so glad to be in a familiar place that didn't smell funny and didn't have agitated nurses running around and fussing over how wonderful Jane was to her.

"Home, sweet home," Mia said as she collapsed onto her couch with a sigh. "I have missed you."

Jane chuckled before he joined Mia on the couch. He sat down and laid her feet in his lap, slowly massaging them as they enjoyed the silence.

"You know what I feel like?" Mia asked after a while.

"Ice-cream?" Jane asked with a smile.

"You know me so well." Mia said before Jane lifted himself up and lowered his lips to hers.

"I'll go and get some ice-cream," Jane said as he stood and grabbed his car keys. "In the meantime, why don't you go and run a warm bath and relax."

"OK," Mia said as she lifted herself from the couch. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," Jane replied as he watched Mia disappear up the stairs.

Jane drove to the local convenience store and grabbed a huge tub of chocolate ice-cream and a bottle of chocolate sauce. He also grabbed a tin of whipped cream, a bunch of bananas, and a box of cherries.

He figured he might as well go all the way and make banana splits rather than just give Mia a plain old bowl of ice-cream.

As Jane pulled into the driveway he could hear music coming from the house and he figured that Mia was probably getting back into her old routine.

Mia was dancing around singing along perfectly in tune when Jane walked through the front door with the grocery bags.

Jane felt as though Mia didn't notice him, but he didn't want to bother her. He made the banana splits and placed them on the dining room table.

A slow song came on and Mia ran over to Jane, grabbed his hand and pulled his with her into the living room. She put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music, neither of them saying a word.

"We better eat our ice-cream before it melts." Jane said after the song had ended.

Mia simply smiled as they walked to the dining room table and enjoyed their banana splits.

"Thank you," Mia said as she licked the chocolate sauce off of her spoon.

"You're welcome," Jane said with a smile as he took a napkin and wiped some ice-cream off of Mia's chin.

After Jane and Mia had finished their banana splits, they cleaned up and headed upstairs, curling up in bed and drifting off to sleep.

Jane heard a moan next to him as he woke a little to find Mia twisting and turning in the bed. She was thrashing in the blankets and murmuring in her sleep.

Jane lifted himself up and pulled Mia close, trying to calm her down.

"No!" Mia yelled as her eyes shot open and she tried to get out of Jane's grip.

"Mia, sweetheart," Jane said as he ran his hand up and down her back. "I'm here, you're alright."

Tears were streaming down Mia's cheek as she looked around her and tried to figure out where she was.

"Where is he?!" Mia yelled as she looked around the room.

"Who?" Jane asked with slight confusion as he watched Mia closely.

"Red John," Mia said. "Where is he?"

"He's not here," Jane said as he pulled Mia into his chest. "He's not here, OK? I'm here to make sure you're safe."

"I'm so sorry," Mia sobbed as he wrapped her arms around Jane tightly. "It was just so real."

"It's OK, it was just a dream." Jane said as he ran his fingers through Mia's hair. "You're fine now."

Jane slowly rocked Mia back and forth in his arms as the tears started to subside and her heart rate started to slow down.

"Patrick?" Mia said after a while.

"Yes my love?" Jane said.

"Could you make love to me?" Mia asked quietly.

"Of course," Jane replied as he pulled away.

Jane laid his hand on Mia's cheek and kissed her sweetly, letting her know that he was there for her.

Jane pushed Mia down and lay on top of her, kissing up her neck slowly.

"I love you," Jane said as he looked into Mia's eyes.

"I love you too," Mia said before Jane kissed her lips.

xxxxx

Jane woke early that morning and left a note on Mia's pillow, letting her know that he was at work and that she could call whenever she wanted.

Mia found the note when she rolled over and found that the other side of the bed was empty.

She was glad that she didn't have to go to work for another week and that she could just lie in bed and read her book.

At about ten o'clock, Mia found herself in front of her laptop with a cup of tea. She bounced from travel site to travel site, looking for nothing in particular.

At about twelve, Mia had an idea in her head that she wasn't entirely sure about. Maybe Jane would have some ideas.

Mia dialed the all too familiar number as she waited for Jane's voice to come over the line.

"Hey Patrick," Mia said with a small smile.

"Hello beautiful," Came Jane's reply. "How are you doing?"

"Good," Mia replied. "I, um, I was wondering if you could come over in your lunch break, I just have a few things I wanna talk to you about."

"OK," Jane replied slowly. "What are you planning?"

"Oh, nothing," Mia said. "I just wanna talk to you."

"Alright," Jane said. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon."

Mia ended the call and bookmarked all of the tabs open on her internet before she closed her laptop and made her way up the stairs to take a shower.

xxxxx

"Honey, I'm home," Jane said with a chuckle as he walked through the front door. "Mia?"

"Coming!" Came Mia's muffled reply from upstairs.

Jane looked around the little apartment, feeling oddly nervous. He walked over to the little table with the familiar picture frames on it. The first frame was a picture of Mia and Daniel, probably after her first case with Sac PD. The second frame was a picture of Mia by herself; the third frame was a picture of both Jane and Mia that was taken on the beach in Malibu. Finally, there was a frame that was face down on the table and had been since Jane and Mia had first started dating.

Never before had Jane felt the extreme urge to lift the picture frame and see whose face was printed on the square in the frame, but now he could feel his fingers itching to lift the picture.

Jane looked towards the stair case and reassured himself that Mia was still busy upstairs before he reached out his hand and lifted the frame to see the picture inside.

He was a little surprised at whose faces were on the picture, but he kind of expected it. The picture was of a laughing Mia with strong arms around her shoulders. The man had darkish brown hair with crystal blue eyes and his lips on Mia's cheek, kissing her sweetly.

"That's Jake," said a voice from the staircase, causing Jane to jump a little. "The guy that I told you I was in love with."

Jane lay the picture down again and turned to Mia, keeping his face expressionless as she made her way down the last few steps.

"Remember when I told you about the incident in 2009?" Mia asked as she came to stand in front of Jane. Jane gave a nod as he remembered the story that had resembled the Bortaccelli case. "That's Jake."

Mia reached past Jane and lifted the picture up, standing it upright on the little table.

"The picture was taken just before I started with SacPD and Jake and I lost touch." Mia explained as she ran her fingers across the wooden picture frame. "I never had the heart to get rid of it."

Jane watched Mia closely in her nostalgic mood and smiled softly as he remembered Angela and Charlotte.

"Why did you break up if you loved him?" Jane asked after a while.

"He didn't want me to work with the police." Mia said as she turned to Jane slowly. "He wanted to travel the world with me, but his funds weren't really going to make that happen."

"Do you regret it?" Jane asked. "Joining SacPD and breaking up with Jake?"

"Sometimes," Mia replied honestly. "Sometimes I think that if we had stayed together he might still be alive today... But maybe we might have been living in a box in the middle of nowhere."

Mia smiled at the thought and Jane smiled as well, enjoying the glow that her smile had created.

"Well, the past is the past." Mia said. "Come, I wanna show you something."

Mia took Jane's hand and pulled him toward the dining room table where her laptop was waiting.

"I've been thinking that maybe I need some time to think." Mia said slowly after they had sat down.

"OK," Jane replied.

"Don't get me wrong, I still love you and I always will, but I think we just need to take a break." Mia said before she opened her laptop. "I found this site that has great deals on accommodation in Europe. I thought that now would be a good time to travel, but I want your opinion too, because I'm not sure if I should go."

Mia looked to Jane with uncertainty in her eyes as she chewed her lip and waited for anxiously for his answer.

"I think you should," Jane replied with a smile. "Now is a good time. You enjoy yourself and I'll be here, catching Red John."

"Are you sure?" Mia asked. "The thing is... I don't know if I can do it."

"Of course you can," Jane said as he took Mia's hands in his. "You can do anything you put your mind to."

Mia smiled a genuine smile before she threw her arms around Jane's neck and gave him a tight hug.

"Thank you, Patrick," Mia said softly as Jane's arms circled around her middle and he hid his face in her red hair.

Mia pulled out of the embrace and closed her laptop.

"You'll be at the airport though, right?" Mia asked with uncertainty.

"Of course," Jane said with a smile. "I wouldn't let you leave without saying goodbye."

"Good," Mia said happily before she leaned over and kissed Jane sweetly; reassuring him that she still loved him.

Epilogue coming up!