Author's Note: Blame Statistics. Maybe if we curse it, it'll go away and let me write.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist and would not be foolish enough to claim to.
"Patrick!" Tommy yelled when he saw him, launching at him without pulling the door open wide enough for him to come in the little house the Lisbon's called home. Only enough for the wreath to jingle happily.
"Whoa!" Jane laughed, grabbing the kid with an arm around his middle and hauling him around playfully, trying to keep from falling over at the onslaught. "Careful, dude. I'm breakable you know!"
"Tommy, you're such a dork." James yelled from inside, a bored, drawling slur to his words. "At least let him in the door before you trample him."
Said door opened a little more and there was Teresa, puffing slightly as though she'd hurriedly run for the door when she'd heard his knock. Her hair was up, and her face pleased. "Well hello you." She smiled when she saw him, scrunching up her eyes cutely.
It was a smile like he was the world and he'd never get tired of it.
"You're just in time. We are making caramel popcorn." Her eyes twinkled at him.
He raised his eyebrows, grunting as he tried to keep eye contact while Tommy was still pushing on him. The little guy was relentless.
The other young Lisbon appeared at Teresa's elbow. "It's really messy, but really yummy too." Drew mused. He had caramel all over his hands, oversized shirt, and face, and was contentedly licking at his fingers like a cat lapping at cream.
"Cool. Can I help?" He finally got Tommy detached from him and ruffled the kid's hair before giving him a gentle shove on the shoulder as the ruffian smiled up at him.
"Only if you don't mind wearing one of Pop's scrap shirts over your clothes." Drew shrugged.
To illustrate, Teresa pulled the door wide and tugged at the hem of the shirt she had over her own clothes, tipping her head in a careless, dismissive way. Too cool to be embarrassed, it said.
He knew better.
She turned away before he could get a really good look at the gentle blush creeping onto her cheek bones. Intentionally, of course.
"You can wear mine." Tommy said happily, tugging him in through the front door.
Jane shared a nod with James as he was pushed past where the younger man was sprawled out on the couch flipping channels on the TV. Another casual night at the Lisbon's house. The only difference being the tiny Christmas tree in the corner of the room, shoved where it wouldn't be in the way but still proudly showcasing a wide array of different ornaments and lights. The air was thick with the scent of sugar and frankincense, loaded with cheer.
It seemed fitting for a Christmas Eve.
Tommy finally let up behind him and ran ahead to the table to pull some kind of flannel monstrosity into the light before Jane could even pass the threshold. "My shirt will fit you, duh, cause it's pop's. I can't help anymore anyway." By way of explanation, the boy held up his left hand to showcase the special bandage across his palm. "Burned it on the caramel."
"Youch, buddy." Jane winced sympathetically. He crouched in order to peer at the injury, but under the clear plastic, it didn't look too bad. A blister had formed already, though not a large one and it seemed expertly tended. No doubt Teresa would have taken him to the hospital if it needed it. "I guess I'll have to step in. Can't let good popcorn go to waste."
Tommy nodded, the statement making perfect sense to him.
"Hey, young man, get the ice pack back on your hand." The oldest Lisbon scolded as she passed. "In here, Jane." She gestured.
The kitchen he stepped into was a complete mess. Pans sat on the counter, paper bags strewn across the floor. The stove was a mess of caramel droplets and the sink was piled high with sticky dishes.
Teresa went right up to the stove and started stirring a mess of dark brown gunk in a pan there. "Now, Tommy was helping me with stirring the two together, but he got too eager and touched the caramel before it cooled enough." She squinted over her shoulder at the boy, who smiled at them both sheepishly from where he sat at the kitchen table, icing his palm. "So, let that be a warning to you."
"Yes, ma'am." Jane said deeply, saluting.
The boys sniggered.
"You want to help or not?" Teresa grumbled good-naturedly, pointing her spoon at him momentarily.
"I'll be good." Jane murmured contritely.
As she turned away, the boys sniggered again.
He glared at the little traitors.
Drew came up beside Teresa at the counter, impishly sticking his tongue out at Jane, and proceeded to pull over a bowl overflowing with popped kernels.
"Let Jane do this part, Drew. You get the bag ready." Teresa spoke to him distractedly, busy with the hot pan.
Drew motioned him over. "Okay, so Reese is gonna pour the caramel in, while you stir. That was Tommy's job. Make sure you get all the pieces covered, but don't let them soak or they'll be too mushy to be good. You got it?"
"I think I can handle that." Jane murmured, pulling off his coat and pulling Tommy's proffered shirt over his head in it's place. Something sticky on his hand distracted him when he threw the coat toward the table, and he realized with chagrin that he was already getting messy. Probably from Tommy accosting him. There wasn't time for him to worry though, because Teresa was already picking up the pan when she warned him that the caramel was ready.
They all worked together in concert pretty well, coating the popcorn completely and then dishing it into the waiting waxed, brown paper bag Drew held open. Even Tommy came over to pull Teresa's hair back when a few loose strands almost got in the caramel. Together, they managed to make three separate bags full, with Drew compressing them down into tight blocks with his bare hands, which explained how he'd managed to get so covered in the sticky, sweet caramel. They stored it all on the counter next to the ten batches they'd made before he'd gotten there.
Clean up turned a little more involved, especially when Teresa found out she had gotten a child-sized hand print of caramel on the shoulder of her undershirt, right where there was a tear in her father's.
"Great." She huffed, frowning as she pulled it down to get a good look at the damage to her clothes.
"You know, we better get going, or we're going to be late." Jane looked around at the kitchen, trying to see if there was anything left to do except the actual dishes in the sink. Happily, there wasn't.
Teresa looked over at him. "What?"
"Come on." He shooed her. "Go get changed. Chop-chop, we've got to get going."
"But-"
"Reese, stop trying to talk your way out of it, and go get changed." James rolled his eyes as he came in the kitchen, folding his arms it seemed just to show he was the grumpy teenager. "I can keep down the fort for a few hours."
"I..." She looked around, seeing grins on her younger brother's faces and putting two and two together.
Jane loved watching her mind work.
"You planned this." She gestured around, giving him a distrustful squint. "Whatever this is."
"Your brothers and I simply came to an agreement is all." He smiled back at her. "I'm paying for their cooperation, and you are mine for the next two hours." He got closer to her, invading her personal space a little. "It's a surprise, for your Christmas. So hurry up."
Suddenly blinking back the shimmer of her eyes, Teresa swallowed. She peeked at her little brothers through her lashes, choked slightly, with her gratitude coming off her in waves.
"Hurry!" Tommy finally yelled out, as though his glee burst out of him under the pressure.
She sniffed a chuckle and pulled the old shirt off over her head, handing it to James. "I'll just be a minute." Teresa whispered to him. Indicating the second level of the house with her right hand, she headed toward the stairs.
He stared after her, even when she had disappeared from sight. "Thanks for this guys." He said to the others without turning his head.
"Anything for Reese." Drew said, pushing at his sleeves and turning to the sink.
"It's easier than trying to buy her a gift." James shrugged.
"Yeah, Reese is impossible to shop for." Tommy made a face. "Almost as bad as Pop."
"Where is your dad?" Jane asked, looking over at them all finally and putting his loose hands in his pockets. "It's Christmas Eve, shouldn't he be here?"
Drew shrugged this time.
James was the one that answered. "He always gets more shifts during the holidays. Seasonal work, you know."
Not willing to push the matter, Jane left it at that. He's largely managed to avoid the Lisbon patriarch when he came here, and wanted to keep it that way whenever possible. Having designs on the man's only daughter seemed like a good way to get on his bad side. So, he was especially glad that it held true tonight.
Making a face, but resigned, James moved over to the sink and started helping Drew with the dishes.
They waited, but Teresa still didn't appear.
He was starting to wonder if something was wrong.
"What's taking her so long?" Tommy whined.
"I'll go get her." Jane offered with a chuckle, amused by the kid's excitement.
There was probably going to be trouble when the night ended.
Jane bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He rarely got the opportunity to go upstairs or into Teresa's room, and decided to seize opportunity to do so. He paused and listened to the sound of movement, but surprisingly it wasn't coming from Teresa's room as he'd thought, but from the bathroom. The door was slightly ajar, the light spilling out the only one entering the small hall, and the sound of running water was a dim background. He edged toward it, suddenly hesitant. He didn't want to be a peeper, but if they didn't get going, they really would miss everything. Besides, she wouldn't have left the door open if there was anything to see, would she? He should speak out so she knew he was there or he should go back downstairs; standing here was probably considered creepy hovering. Torn between his options, Jane finally pressed a hand against the door, levering it open wider to stick his head inside. "Ter-" He stopped. Everything stopped.
There was no air in this room.
And Lisbon was shirtless.
She had her back turned toward him, obviously having pulled off her soiled top already. Looking at it, she scoffed angrily. Bending down, she put the article under the running faucet.
The sound of the water covered up his stalled attempt at her name and any other sound he might or might not have made. For which he was immeasurably grateful, but he couldn't move. Not even to make a hasty retreat like he knew he should.
Teresa shut the water off and unbent, wringing her garment out. She rose onto her tiptoes to fling it over the showers curtain rod.
All he could see were the black straps of her bra, the only thing breaking up the view of an entirely too vast expanse of delicate, pale looking skin. His eyes trailed over her, admiring the sight even while his modesty told him to look away to protect hers. He was captured though, by the way her her curves flared around her ribs, sunk in and then out again for her delicate hips. He stared at the line of her spine and the dip at the small of her back. The way her shoulder blades moved as she picked something up that was hanging up beside the sink. It was precisely because he couldn't take his eyes off her, that he saw it as she angled to feed her arms through a new, red shirt.
He couldn't stop a sound from leaping from his throat like he'd been struck a physical blow.
A scar. A wide, thick, slanted one that spanned the inch or so between her spine and shoulder blade.
Lisbon whirled.
However, he was already moving before the sound hit the air, ducking behind the door.
"Reese!"
Saved by the holler. His breath was still trying to come too fast, but he took ruthless control of himself and hurried to clear his throat, as though he'd just been trying to get Lisbon's attention from there. "Uh, hey, you ready to go?" His voice was too high and strangled, but he hoped she wouldn't notice.
"Oh, yeah." Teresa said, the relief in her voice clear. "Just give me two more seconds."
"'kay. Uh, hurry." How Jane wished he could say he was relieved too. Instead, he made a hasty retreat down the stairs, his feet carrying him on into the kitchen where he wrung his hands through his hair in agitation.
"Patrick, you okay?" Tommy asked curiously.
He nodded, though it was a lie.
Too close. That was way too close. He hadn't been caught, but...
She would have been well within her rights to slap him for spying on her.
It was all just- too much. All of it. Seeing that much of Lisbon's skin was like throwing gasoline on a flame, igniting his curiosity and maybe something more. He needed to get himself under control- but God, what kind of thing had to have happened to her to make a scar like that?
The spinning stopped when Teresa suddenly followed him into the kitchen. "Okay, I'm ready." Her smiled faltered a little. "You alright?"
"Good. Pretty good." He was speaking too fast, he needed to slow down or she would know something was up. She would know what he had seen. She would know how much it infuriated him, shocked him. She would know just how much he felt when he looked at her.
He was screwed.
"O-kay." She said slowly, then walked over to her little brothers and gave the two youngest kisses upside their heads. "Be good."
"Yuck!" Tommy pulled away from her and wiped at his head with the back of hi hand comically.
Teresa just rolled her eyes. "I'll be back soon. Leave the treats alone, they've got to sit a little."
Shaking himself, Jane hurried to grab his coat and then to help Teresa with hers at the door before they passed outside. It was chilly enough out that they both immediately started to shiver. She shoved her hands in her pockets and he pulled on the gloves Mrs. Ruskin had given him.
"So," The young woman smiled at him as she danced on the spot, her breath visible at the point where she spoke from between her huddled shoulders. "-where are we going on this grand adventure you have planned?"
"Wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you." He laughed, putting an arm around her shoulders to share his warmth and leading her down the front stairs. His heart thudded almost painfully when she curled into the embrace.