Author's Note: Thanks for the interest and reviews! You guys are so encouraging. Nice to know people are reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist and would not be foolish enough to claim to.

In first period Geometry the next day, Jane was aware of her the second she walked in the door.

Lisbon had her hair back over her face, hiding the bruise he knew stretched over the inner part of her left eye. Her hands were shoved in the pockets of her jeans, skater shoes tied only haphazardly on her feet. Once again, her upper body was clad in her old jean jacket. Only now it had a clumsily resewn seam running up the right shoulder, like it had been yanked on so hard it had split.

Having arrived at school early, at the cost of a traded favor with Annie, he was already holding the attention of at least half of his classmates, so he had no choice but to look away again and concentrate. "Now just project that image onto the back of my head." He said with a charming smile.

In front of him, Van Pelt smiled back uncertainly.

Jane carefully watched the movements of her eyes, the duck of her head. "A star... inside a circle."

The girl blinked, her eyes widening.

Right on the nose.

"That's right! How-" She looked around at their classmates in amazement.

He shrugged, hands out demurely, still smiling. "It's a gift." The others smiled back at him reflexively, probably not even aware of what they were doing.

Van Pelt's attention shifted to the spot over his shoulder. "Lis, look- this guy can read minds."

There was a subtle scoff.

"I hear a doubter in our midst." Jane crowed a little breathlessly, turning to look at Lisbon as she was setting her bag next to her chair. He was sitting on his desk, so he brought his feet up into his chair and leaned toward her. "Care to give it a try?"

Green eyes latched onto his through her sheen of hair. In just that moment, he knew she recognized him.

"Come on, it's easy." He pointed between their heads exaggeratedly. "I just need to link my mind with yours to establish the right connection."

She was grinning, he could tell, even though her hair was mostly obscuring her smile. "Yeah right."

"No, I'm serious. Give me your hand." He reached for her.

"No." Lisbon squawked defensively, pulling back.

The whole room was paying attention now, with even the most unenthusiastic student looking their way. "I don't bite." He gave her his best winning smile. "I promise."

For a long moment, she just looked at him, seeming to weigh his proposal with great suspicion. Then she shrugged, seeming to decide that she could just slap him if she wanted to.

Which he had no doubt she would, if he did anything suspicious.

"Alright." She gave him her hand slowly.

"Thank you." Jane croaked. Her hand was surprisingly soft and small, and distracting beyond belief. A tingle ran through his arm as he clasped her hand and it was a struggle to concentrate on her eyes again. "Okay, I want you to think of a basic shape. It can be anything; circle, square, triangle. A star. Then put that shape inside of another basic shape. Picture it clearly in your mind. You got it?"

Still staring right at him, she nodded, a gently amused smile tilting her lips unconsciously.

"Now take that image and project it onto the back of my head."

Her eyes flickered.

She was harder to read than most, he had to admit, but still- "A triangle- inside a rectangle."

"No." She made a face. "Well, yes, but how-"

"You told me, with your mind." He grinned. When she took back her hand though, the smile slipped right from his face.

The crowd of students around him murmured happily, some even clapped, like the over-excited Van Pelt on his right.

"See, isn't it so cool?"

Lisbon responded with something that might have been an attempt at a smile, but just came across as a grimace.

"Alright class, settle down." Wainwright had entered the room and was putting his briefcase on his desk at the head of the class.

The students started to disperse, but most still weren't paying attention to the teacher.

"Neat trick." Lisbon said, amused. She had tugged one side of her hair back behind her ear, so that only half her face, the side with the fading black eye, was enshrouded. "How'd you do it?"

"I read your mind." He answered smugly.

"No- I mean it." She said, a chuckle in her voice. Her laugh was almost as beautiful as her smile had been last night.

"Maybe if you're nice to me, I'll tell you someday." He hazarded, leaning toward her a little, delighted when she didn't shy away.

She just laughed. "I'll have to make a note."

Jane grinned at her. He started to turn, to sit in his seat as Wainwright tried to start the class, when he saw it in a brief flash. It was gone so quickly that if his keen vision and attention to detail had ever failed him, he might have doubted what it was he had seen. Being who he was- he knew, without having to question.

It was a hand-print. A dark bruise. It was wrapped around Lisbon's forearm like a coiled black snake, hissing doubts and suspicions into his subconscious. A slick, oiled voice resounded in his ear, whispering about pain, screams, and abuse. The black eye hadn't just been an accident. Someone had given both to her. As the knowledge struck him, the pit of Jane's stomach didn't just drop. It disappeared entirely. Vanished, like it had been sucked into a vacuum.

He thudded down into his seat.

Behind him, Lisbon took hers too and her foot came up to settle on the back of his chair.

It's presence might have been comforting if he hadn't just seen what he had. The whole rest of the class, Jane couldn't concentrate. He remained hyper aware of every shift she made, every sigh, while his mind ran in circles, barely settling for more than a few seconds. Who had hurt her? Was it someone she knew? Probably. The odds were in favor of it at least and more than that, surely she would have told someone by now if it wasn't someone she knew. So who? Someone from her neighborhood? Maybe even her father? One of her brothers? Tommy had said he had more than one brother and Jane had no idea what they were like. Maybe a boyfriend? Summer had intimated that she had an interested party, perhaps that was it.

Jane grimaced. He felt less than useless right now. There was nothing he could figure out without more information, more access to her and her environment. Which would take some doing.

He focused his mind on his one connection with her, the limb she had placed against his back, to distract his jumbled thoughts and sooth his uneasiness. She had that kind of calming effect on him. But even that only kept his mind from running around in circles. Nothing could seem to stop the sick roiling of his stomach.

The class finally let out, but Jane lingered, keeping one eye on Lisbon. He trailed her as far as her next class before running to get to his own on time. Once there, he used his exceptional mental abilities to block out the thought of her while he went through the motions.

Third period art turned into the sweetest torture. He couldn't help staring at her since she was fixed at the front of the class, couldn't get her out of his mind with her presence so near.

So it was with relief that Jane finally staggered into the lunch room. The chaos of the many students, the din and distraction was just what he needed. Sliding into the seat across from James again, Jane put his head down on his arm and groaned.

"You alright man?" James sounded more amused than worried.

"I haven't had a very good day." Jane croaked. He looked up at James, who was watching him curiously. "I've got a lot on my mind."

"I'll bet." The boy smiled.

For the first time, Jane noticed the dark circles under his new friends eyes. "Rough night?"

James shrugged. "I guess. Had a hard time sleeping last night."

Jane tilted his head. James didn't seem to be lying, but he was definitely hiding something. He thought of the bruise he had seen yesterday. Maybe it wasn't bullies then. Perhaps he had trouble at home.

"Hey!"

Oh, he knew that voice. As he turned, Jane spotted Lisbon hurrying toward them. For a moment, he thought maybe she was talking to him, but she passed by and stopped at the edge of their table, facing James.

They knew each other?

"Did you remember to give that form to Drew's teacher this morning?"

James' face registered shock and slight dismay.

That was all Lisbon needed to groan angrily. "Dammit, Jamie!"

"I'm sorry, okay? It's not like I meant to forget." James defended.

"Drew can't go on that field trip today without it! After all the trouble we went through getting Dad to sign it." She shook her head. Her hands were clenched in fists and she growled angrily. "God, for once, I really wish you would think of someone other than yourself."

James turned angry. "Hey, it's not my fault Drew couldn't remember his own address if someone tattooed it on the back of his hand!"

"He's your little brother! It's your responsibility to look out for him! I mean, come on. Do I have to do everything myself?" Her hand shot out. "Where is it? Give it to me."

"What for?" James asked sullenly, even though he was already getting out his bag and unzipping the top.

"If I run as fast as I can, I think I can make it there before his class leaves after lunch."

"But, doesn't that mean you'll be late again?" James handed over a sheet of paper.

"I wouldn't have to be if you had remembered, dork!" She shoved James' shoulder, but it wasn't more than an annoyed push.

By the peeved, but playful grimace crossing James' face, he was used to it from her.

For the first time since the start of the conversation, Lisbon looked away and spotted Jane. "Oh! Hey." It was an awkward moment.

"Hey." Jane murmured as brightly as he could muster. He had been an idiot. How could he not have seen the family resemblance?

James looked between them curiously.

He needed to diffuse the sudden tension. "Uh, look, if it would make it easier, I could maybe take your bag and coat to English. So you don't have to run with them?"

Obviously surprised, she hesitated. "Really? You sure?"

He nodded. "Be happy to."

After another uncertain beat, Lisbon slipped the bag from her shoulder and handed it over. Her jacket followed shortly. "Thanks."

"Not a problem."

With that, Lisbon started jogging from the room, leaving a void of silence gaping in the din of their unknowing peers.

"You know her?" James finally asked him.

"She's in a few of my classes." He swallowed. "I didn't realize you did."

The kid looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Duh. She's my sister, spazz."

"I gathered." He frowned. "So, James- Lisbon?"

"Yeah. She's my big sis." James shook his head. "Welcome to planet earth, dude." He went back to his food a little sullenly, probably still sore at being chewed out by his sister in public, even though none of the other students had seemed to notice at all.

Jane was having trouble coalescing his thoughts into any semblance of order. Not only was he a little blindsided, but his mind was trying to piece together the patchwork of information that he had learned so far about both teens into a cohesive whole. So he just let himself stare while his brain worked, until finally something clicked into place.

Bruises on James, his lack of sleep and introverted attitude. Bruises on Lisbon, her protective streak, her hiding, her little brother Tommy. Their little brother Tommy. Their little brother Drew. Their maybe dead mother, their drunken father last night. Jane's frown deepened. If James and Lisbon were siblings, and James was being abused at home... then Jane had a sudden idea of where exactly Lisbon had gotten her bruises.