Author's Note: More for you wonderful people and your words of encouragement.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist and would not be foolish enough to claim to.
Cracks started to appear in the asphalt of the streets beneath his feet. Lights illuminating far past the homes in which they were lit to create shadows on the sidewalks. Chain-link fencing took the place of wrought iron and voices could be heard from inside small homes, occasionally laughing or shouting loud enough to be heard on the street. As Jane continued to walk, the homes got smaller and in far worse repair, the lights less frequent and the litter more prevalent.
Gone were the clean streets, posh front gardens and tall gates of Mrs. Ruskin's community, replaced with unmown lawns, junk cars parked in driveways, and houses peeling their layers of paint. Dogs barked ferociously, cats flitted in the shadows and a pounding music was coming from some few streets away. A siren blared on the next block just as he passed from a residential district into a street lit with signs and bright windows. Sketchy groups of people milled about on street corners and tucked in alleyways, people Jane was being very careful to avoid without making it obvious that he was doing so.
He walked another couple of blocks before at long last he spotted the convenience store he'd scoped out earlier on the corner and headed straight for it, cutting across a parking lot. As he passed what was obviously a bar set back from the road a ways, he glanced over and suddenly found his steps faltering till he came to a complete stop.
It couldn't be. The chances were too outlandish.
But it was.
It was her- Lisbon.
She had changed back into her normal clothes again, only this time with a leather jacket instead of the jeans one. She was sitting on the bench of a beat up old picnic table not far in front of the bar, feet propped on another bench, leaning back with her arms tucked behind her and elbows settled casually on the table top.
Next to her on the right was another girl, pink hair pulled back into a tight bun, gum bubbles popping noisily, marker in hand drawing on Lisbon's jeans. To her left was a familiar, dark Asian kid that looked as though a rock might lose to him in a staring contest.
Eyes narrowed thoughtfully, Jane had to ponder for a moment before he realized where it was that he had seen the other two before, almost snapping his fingers when it finally came to him. They had been in his first period Geometry as well, beside and behind Lisbon. So they knew each other outside of school? He wondered how, struck once again with that same almost blinding need to learn everything there was to know about his mystery girl. It seemed where Lisbon was concerned, his curiosity was endless. Which could be a problem, especially considering how relentless he usually was.
As carefully as possible Jane sidled into the darker shadows, trying to keep moving so that he could study them without making it glaringly obvious that he was outright staring. The boy beside her was sitting in an almost identical position as Lisbon, steely, disaffected gaze watched passersby like a hawk, almost as if he was waiting for something to show up in front of him. He seemed to take in everything around him with a single glance, while at the same time looking like he wasn't hearing a word of what the pink-haired girl was saying as she talked with Lisbon. His black leather jacket and calm exterior spoke bad boy even louder than the knife he was fiddling with in one hand, so Jane wasn't surprised. And on the kid's wrist, just on the visible side of his cuff, was a small tattoo.
Hmmm. Jane tilted his head. Gang affiliations? Here? What sort, he wondered. Maybe a motorcycle gang? Car theft ring? Or perhaps it was more serious than that.
Either way, the girls next to him didn't seem concerned.
Jane filed the information away for later consideration, drawing even closer to them, and turned his concentration on the girl to Lisbon's right. She was still drawing on the side of Lisbon's thigh, chatting and popping bubbles. The way that she held herself though, he couldn't help the thought that she was... damaged. She seemed nice enough though. Maybe a little cruel when she was displeased, based off the flinty, slight frown she was now directing at the boy, but alright nonetheless.
He got still closer, not even realizing he had left the shadows behind till he returned his gaze to what he was really interested in and almost took a step back out of sheer surprise.
Light, emerald green eyes were peering back at him, almost shining in the lone light on the side of the building. After an entire day of avoidance, of hiding, of the most annoying mysteriousness Jane had ever encountered, Lisbon's hair was now tucked back behind her ears out of the way, so that there wasn't so much as a shadow to hide her.
She was about his age he guessed, maybe a little older, it was hard to tell. Her body language bespoke a stereotypical disgruntled teen bored with the world in general, but her eyes... he saw there both startling clarity and a seething pain. As if the way she had been hiding behind her hair and unconcernedly letting her friend draw on her pants was just a mask for someone who knew too much of the world, too early. She was obviously intelligent and the coiled strength he could feel rolling off her was impressive.
He was so captivated that it was a long, drawn out moment before he realized that the darkness lingering around one of her cheeks wasn't a shadow. She had a black eye and he couldn't help but wonder if that was why she had been hiding behind her hair all day. He knew he was staring openly now and he knew that he should stop, but Lisbon wasn't looking away either. She was just staring silently up at him, expression neither bored, nor confused. She didn't even seem that inquisitive, just meeting his eyes as he was meeting hers. Neither of them faltered or deviated. They might have stayed that way forever, but the scary guy next to her had noticed him by that point.
He nudged Lisbon in the shoulder and broke the moment. "You know him?"
The green eyes glanced away at the young man and Jane felt as though he had been released from a iron strong grip, pulling much needed oxygen into previously stilled lungs.
She shook her head. "Neh." It was said carelessly, with a shrug. Like they hadn't just had the equivalent of a staring contest.
Suddenly a loud noise from the direction of the bar caught their attention and they all turned as one to look. Loud music and the noise of voices and laughter came out into the dark parking lot, followed by dark-haired man with a stubble of beard. He stumbled from the door, drunk and yelling back at the people inside as he left the establishment.
Unconsciously, Jane wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell that accompanied him. He was about to turn away back to his peers when he felt someone brush past him. He caught a glimpse of dark hair before doing a double-take.
Hurrying forward, Lisbon caught the man just as he released the door so that he didn't end up flat on his face on the asphalt without support.
"Wassat?" The man looked down, head swimming in small circles as he tried to focus. Finally, face mere inches away from Lisbon's, he grinned. "Is my girl. Hmmm, my good girl." He patted Lisbon's cheek.
"Yeah, Dad." She sounded so sad as she replied. "It's me."
Jane swallowed. All of a sudden he felt that horrible weight again, as though he was looking in on a private moment he should leave alone. He couldn't begin to make himself walk away though.
"S'ookay. Ima make it hum fine on by myself." The man slurred, still with the grin plastered on his face. He tried to push back and stagger away, but Lisbon kept a firm grip on the arm she'd slung over her shoulder, preventing him.
"Uh huh. Sure ya can." She grunted amicably, taking most of his weight as he swung awkwardly forward again on his tipsy feet.
"Ima fire-figher, ya lippy-"
"Ex-firefighter, Dad." Lisbon cut off his angry retort. She felt around in his pocket while holding him up and pulled out a set of keys. "Come on. Let's go. Car's over here."
"See ya, Lis." The pink-haired girl shot her way, curling up closer to the guy with her legs over his lap.
The guy draped a hand over her knees.
"Bye Summer. Cho." Lisbon huffed, maneuvering the two-hundred something pound man in the right direction with practiced ease.
She must have to do this often.
Cho, the guy, raised a hand and gave her a bit of a salute in farewell.
Finally finding his ability to control his limbs again, Jane stepped forward and caught the man's other arm.
Green eyes flashed to him, looking confused, but then Lisbon gave a small, halfhearted shrug and didn't comment.
He helped her support her drunken father all the way to their car and Lisbon struggled to open the back door while holding up her father, who seemed to be getting closer and closer to the passing out stage of drunk. At last, they were able to dump him in the back seat, where he promptly began to snore.
Lisbon shut him in. "Thanks." It was mumbled toward the ground but he still heard it.
Jane stepped back a little to give her space but stopped when her eyes found his again.
Without looking away, she stepped forward to pull the driver's door open. Then, with one arm slung over the roof of the car to support her casual lean, she gave him a tiny tilt of her mouth. It was a little self-deprecating, but also accepting. Like she had done this enough times now that it didn't really embarrass her anymore. "See ya-..."
It took a second, but Jane found his voice buried somewhere deep down. "Jane. Patrick Jane." There was that tongue-tied feeling again. And why had he given her his first name? It was the number one rule of the con, never give anyone more information about you than they needed to believe the lie.
But a large, dimpled smile split Lisbon's face, making her eyes twinkle like stars as she laughed and all at once Jane felt his stomach drop and his face go slack. Suddenly, he didn't care if his tongue worked or not- he would gladly fake being tongue-tied just to get her to smile like that all the time.
"Goodbye, Jane- Patrick Jane." With that, Lisbon slid into the driver's seat still chuckling, closed the door, started up the car and drove away.
Jane lingered long after the car had vanished from sight, feeling a little punch drunk.
What had just happened?
"I'd watch it if I were you, new guy." Summer purred his way.
Turning toward her, Jane shook himself and lifted an amused eyebrow. "Oh? And why's that?"
"That girl'll break your heart." She wore a knowing smile, but with the way she spoke, Jane wondered if it wasn't just an act she was putting on. He knew all about those. "Besides, she's already got a guy trying to steal her away and he's totally loaded like you wouldn't believe."
"I'm not that bad off myself." Jane grinned. He definitely liked this girl's spunk. "Besides, I like a challenge."
"Lisbon's more than a challenge." Cho deadpanned.
All Jane could do was shrug. He didn't even bother to try to convince Lisbon's friends that he wasn't interested in her that way. Because as of five minutes ago, he was caught- hook, line and sinker.
Summer was looking him up and down, but then she smirked. "You're cute, so- good luck."
Jane just nodded and turned to leave, but something was bothering him, so he hesitated. Perhaps they could tell him. "You're her friends, so can I ask you something?"
"Can ask anything you want, doesn't mean we'll answer." Did this guy know any inflection but monotone?
Jane frowned and thought about it for a second. Based on their expressions, he best stick with the less threatening question on his mind. "Her first name?"
Cho and Summer exchanged a look.
"I wouldn't call her by her first name, pal." Summer warned.
Jane quirked an eyebrow again. "How come?"
"Her mother named her." Was the only reply, which they both seemed to think was enough of an explanation.
So rather than suss out the reasoning, Jane just thanked them and started heading for the convenience store again. He tucked his hands back in his pockets, thoughts only on Lisbon. He pondered what her little brother Tommy had told him. How he might have been home alone if he hadn't been waiting for her on the bleachers.
There were a few possibilities with that scenario. The fact that Lisbon's father wasn't really much help was obvious now, but the others were that Lisbon's mom was a working mother, for instance. Perhaps she had a few jobs that she worked during the day, so that Lisbon was the one looking after her brothers.
But now Summer's warning cast a completely different pall over his thoughts. And the only thing he could think of that fit the warning tone, was that her mother was gone. Dead or disappeared, most likely.
Suppressing a shiver, Jane ducked under the eave of the convenience store and grabbed up the receiver of a pay phone. He paid and dialed, and when the ringing was answered, he succinctly filled the voice on the other end in on his progress.
"So you haven't got them yet?" Was growled down the line.
"I'm close." Jane answered.
"Well hurry up. We had a deal. Don't go getting cold feet on me now."
"I got it." Jane grated. Before there was a response, he turned and hung up the phone.
The entire walk back to Mrs. Ruskin's, Jane let his thoughts center around one dark-haired, green-eyed young woman. In fact, he actually felt a little better, if still restless, by the time he slipped back in the window and pulled the unmoving needle off the side of the record before putting it away. He then tiredly pulled off his coat, tugged off his shirt at the same time as he toed off his shoes and then fell into the blissfully soft bed.
Stilling his whirlwind of thoughts, he let himself drift off, dreaming of her eyes.