A/N: back to FF, haven't been here in awhile. Easily my favorite show, The Mentalist just begs for stories about Jane and Lisbon.
Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me.
Their First Christmas
Lisbon hung up the phone feeling guilty but not regretting her decision to miss another Christmas in Chicago with her brothers. She loved them, but the further she was from them the easier it was to love them. They were loud, crass, and they had problems... she felt guilty about that too.
She had shipped a whole box of gifts to Stan's house for the kids and the rest of her family and the whole bunch had called thanking her and wishing her a Merry Christmas.
She glanced out at the bullpen and just like all the other years, everyone was gone early on Christmas Eve. Now that she was head of the unit, she gave herself a better excuse to work late. Something caught her eye, she looked more intently and saw Jane rustling on the leather couch he'd claimed since he'd started working with the CBI.
She hadn't considered that he'd be here on Christmas Eve, although she supposed it made sense. He seemed to always just be there, she wasn't entirely sure what he did with his time. He'd disappear on occasion and show back up, but he was almost always there when she left in the evenings and usually there by the time she came in in the mornings.
It had crossed her mind that he may be living there, but she noticed his car had often been moved between evening and morning and he'd mentioned a hotel once when they met at a crime scene late one night.
She felt bad for him. He had no family or friends that she knew about. She figured the holidays were probably tough on him as well. She wondered what he'd do.
It was nearly 7pm, she figured it was time to give up herself and leave. She'd placed her annual Christmas Eve pizza order and already had a stock of beer in the fridge for the holiday. All she needed to do was curl up with some nostalgic Christmas movies to enjoy the holiday alone.
She stopped by Jane's couch on the way out, not really sure what she should say to him without pointing out the utter despair that both of them were vulnerable toward, despite Lisbon hiding it well... mostly from herself.
"Hey" she said softly, bag on her shoulder, standing over him looking down.
"Hey yourself" he responded without opening his eyes, but not missing a beat since he'd heard her walk up.
"You getting out of here soon?"
"Soon enough." He opened his eyes now looking up at her with a small smile mostly because he couldn't help it, she looked odd standing over him wide eyed and shifting akwardly.
"You uh... have any plans?" she left out the part about it being Christmas, concerned that may have been a bit too specific.
"You know me, I always have a plan" he grinned at her. He left out the part that his plans included walking through the city and drinking alone. Even in the short amount of time they'd spent together, she could see his smile was empty, but since he wanted to hide behind it, she would let him.
"Not going to Chicago?" he asked, noting that if she was planning to be there for Christmas, she'd have left by now.
"Not this year." She left out the part that she hadn't been back in quite a few years.
She shifted her eyes away and he could tell she was bracing for his next natural question, wondering what her plans were, so he chose not to ask.
"I hear it's cold out there this time of year."
He noticed her miniscule sigh of relief. "Almost unbearable."
They watched each other in silence for a few moments, recognizing the equitable sadness in the other, but neither bringing it up.
Panicking that the conversation might turn awkward or personal, Lisbon spoke up. "Well, I'd better get going."
"Ok." He gave her a small smile and closed his eyes again.
"Hey Lisbon" she heard a moment later, his voice was still soft, but louder so she could hear him.
"Yeah?"
"Merry Christmas"
"Merry Christmas to you too Jane"
She left with tears threatening behind her eyes. She knew that not that long ago, his Christmas' were probably happy and something he looked forward to and how drastically different they were now.
She had become used to spending the holidays alone and she had family in Chicago to spend the holiday with, she just chose not to. She'd blame work for that, but somewhere not to deep she was aware her old wounds would open back up when she'd visit and she'd rather just not deal with it.
December 26th she arrived back in the office and noticed Jane in exactly the place he was when she'd left. His car had moved and he was wearing a different suit, so she knew he'd left, but he looked the same.
"Morning Lisbon" Jane said without opening his eyes as she walked by.
She could see a small smile on his face. "Jane" she acknowledged, amused that he could pick her out without seeing her.
She was glad the holidays were over, she figured he probably was too.