Hey there. Sorry I've been posting a little slower, inspiration just wasn't coming to me on this story so I took the time to work on some of my others. This chapter is heavier on case fic than the others but it has some moments of Jane jealousy to make up for it.

Disclaimer: I don't The Mentalist or its characters I'm just using them for my own nefarious purposes.

Skinny Jeans and Doc Martins

Jane wandered away from Lisbon and Cho, quietly muttering under his breath about "shameless old men who should know better." He wasn't sure what had come over him with the catty little comment about trying to impress Lisbon to Sherriff Jones. He remembered the last time they had worked with the Sherriff, how he'd eyed Lisbon up and down as soon a she'd walked up and introduced herself. Then he'd had the temerity to try talk down to her like she was some delicate little flower. Lisbon had been quick to disabuse him of the antiquated notion that just because she was a woman she needed to be protected or be told how to do her job. Jane grinned a little in remembrance of the tongue lashing she'd given the old man. It had been nice for Jane to watch and (for once) not be the recipient of one of Lisbon famous verbal beatings. From then on Sherriff Jones had show Lisbon the respect she deserved as the agent in charge but it hadn't stopped him from flirting shamelessly with her or at least trying to since Lisbon never responded to his overtures. Back then Jane had been amused by the flirting and the irritation it had caused Lisbon. Although he had been unable to stop himself from needling the Sherriff too, going so far as to tell him that if he didn't flirt with anything with breast's and if he spent half the time at home that he did at work maybe his wife wouldn't have cheated on him with his best friend. That friendly bit of advice was what had cause Jones to take a swing at him, it was a good thing that over his years of working with the CBI his reflexes had improved and truth be told the Sherriff had been standing in slippery mud, or Jane would have ended up with another bloody nose instead of the Sherriff ending up with a muddy behind.

Amusement wasn't exactly what he'd felt this time though, in fact if it where anyone else making a snide comment like that Jane would have said they were jealous but that was totally ridiculous because he was Patrick Jane and he didn't get jealous. Besides he knew he didn't need to worry about Lisbon being attracted to Jones, he wasn't her type not to mention he was too old and married. Jane was just lucky she had gotten distracted by the Sherriff before she could rip Jane a new one for the comment, as little as Lisbon appreciated being flirted with while she was trying to work a case she appreciated someone trying to defend her when she could defend herself even less. He totally blames his behavior on the way her behind had looked in those form fitting black jeans as she walked in front of him. "Although come to think of it she didn't deny it when Sherriff Jones called her My Agent Lisbon. Hmmm ... interesting."

He glanced around catching sight of Lisbon and Cho interviewing the kids that had found the body. He hadn't been lying when he'd said he could tell they were innocent at first sight and judging by the look of frustration Lisbon was trying to mask she'd come to the same conclusion. "A couple of UC Berkeley sophomores out "roughing it" at a lodge for the weekend, go for a hike, get lost and stumble over a dead body. They weren't exactly been dressed for a hike (the girl in cut off jean shorts and ked's, the boy in too tight skinny jeans and a pair of hiking boots that looked brand new and probably had never been used for more than a bike ride to the local record store or a walk to the student union café) let alone a body dump." You could also tell by their scared expressions that this was the first act of violence they'd come in close contact with. Jane briefly felt bad for their loss of innocence but judging by the fact that they'd only thought to bring a bottle of water each and few granola bars and had been wandering lost for hours before stumbling on the body and being subsequently found by the park ranger that had gone to see what the vultures were circling, they weren't exactly master woodsmen. They would have probably kept wandering around lost until they got hurt or worse. "Besides they managed to hold on to their innocent and naiveté much longer that I or anyone I know did."

As Jane watched Lisbon turned from the two kids her expression of irritation and frustration increasing. He chuckled to himself knowing it annoyed her to no end when he was right. He turned away trying to look busy, although there wasn't much he could deduce without getting a closer look at the body. They were in a bit of a clearing the nearest trees were about fifty feet away. The ground was muddy but any tire tracks or foot prints that the killer had left had been obliterate by the horde of sheriff's department and park ranger personnel that had been trampling all over the scene not to mention the assorted Jeeps and 4 wheel drive trucks they had driven up in. The body and the hole it was in gave him a little bit more information. It was a big hole about 15ft deep and 10ft squared so it had to have taken some time to dig, that meant that whoever had done this had planned it well in advance and that they knew this place well enough to know that not many people came here. Then there were the snakes, it got cold up here at night and snakes being cold blooded usually found a nice dry cave or piles of leaves to rest under at night not a barren muddy hole. "So the hole had been made deep enough that he couldn't crawl out and the snakes had been put in on purpose. Why, to make a statement, inspire fear? Well if the killer had been trying to instill fear he'd succeeded with at least one person." The body, a young man Jane estimated to be about 24, was sitting in the corner of the hole. He was curled up knees pulled into his chest and his arms wrapped around them. His hands were clean with no dirt under the nails so he hadn't even tried to get out. "Well judging by his eyes, frozen wide open even in death and the way he'd tried to make himself as small as possible in the corner he'd been to terrified to."

Hearing someone come up behind him Jane turned in to see a young sheriff's deputy trudging up with a ladder which he carefully placed in the hole on the opposite side to the body. He turned and walked away again passing Lisbon and Cho as they walked up to stand next to Jane. He walked over to a large extended cab truck were a man stood pulling a white disposable biohazard suit over his clothing.

"Looks like this doctor is finally here." Said Lisbon, watching as the man in the white suit made his way over, a board that looked like the kind EMT's used to stabilize crash victim tucked under his arm. He was following the deputy who had a coil of rope over his shoulder, lugging a bag that more than likely contained evidence gathering equipment.

"Looks like," was the only response she got from Cho.

"So what did you get from the kids," Jane asked smirking at the scowl Lisbon tried to suppress.

"They got into town late last night and they talked to the front desk clerk as they were leaving the Lodge this morning so provided we can get collaboration from someone at the lodge and the times check out with whatever the M.E. says the time of death is they're in the clear." /Lisbon/

"I hate to say it, Lisbon but I .."

"Agent Lisbon?" The deputy interrupted before Jane could finish his I-told-you-so.

"Yes!" Lisbon answered, giving the deputy a bright smile "man, am I tired of Jane being right," she thought.

The young deputy froze blinking rapidly "Sherriff Jones wasn't kidding when he said she was a pretty little thing," then blushing answered "Uh.. Hello ma'am, mrs. I mean Agent Lisbon. I'm Jimmy, well it's actually James. James Landon, I mean, I'm Deputy James Landon but you can call me Jimmy."

Jane clears his throat ostentatiously, thinking "great, another one bites the dust. It's like she's a magnet for any guy in a one mile radius. How come I never really noticed before and more important why is it bothering me now?"

Jane's musing was interrupted by Cho's monotone "Smooth."

Lisbon ignores them both giving the now even redder faced deputy a kindly smile (she remembers what it's like to be a rookie, wanting to prove yourself but terrified of screwing up) "Deputy Landon, this Agent Kimball Cho and our consultant Patrick Jane."

Deputy Landon tips his hat to them saying "It will be a pleasure to watch you guys work." And looking back at Lisbon adds "If there's anything I can do to help let me know." He turns and the man in the white suit steps forward as he's introduced. "This Andy Martin, uh Dr. Andrew Martin. I'm sure Sherriff Jones explained that he'll be retrieving the body for you."

Lisbon focused on the doctor for the first time and tried to keep from gaping. It was like someone had snuck into her fantasy's and made a list of everything she thought she was attracted to in a man, before she'd met Patrick Jane. He was just a bit over 6ft tall, it was hard to tell through the suit but he looked muscular built along lines like Rigsby. His hair was black; darker even than hers, his skin a golden brown his large hand making a nice contrast to petite fairness of hers as he held it out in greeting and his eyes, by far his best feature "Well so far, it's hard to tell since I can't see the rest of him through that stupid suit." were grey, like storm clouds or rainy seas.

"Nice to meet you, Agent Lisbon is it?" The doctor said smiling.

"Oh my god! He has dimples!" The voice in her head squealed like a tween at a Justin Beiber concert.

She squared her shoulders reminding the voice that she was an adult and should shut up and act like it she managed to make introductions without embarrassing herself.

Patrick Jane stood to the side looking around, to anyone watching him it would seem like he was bored but he was actually carefully observing and cataloging everything around him, while still keeping Lisbon in the corner of his sight. It was the best way to watch her, she didn't like it when he stared at her, and watching her, storing away every response she had so he could analyze and dissect them later was his favorite thing to do. Well second favorite, getting a reaction out of her whether it was amusement or irritation, watching her eyes light up with emotion that was his favorite. It was his experience with Teresa Lisbon's reactions that made him notice it right away. He'd seen it before (usually directed at him) the subtle straightening of her shoulders in order to call attention to her chest, the flick of her tongue over her lips and he was sure that if he'd been standing in front of her he would have seen her pupils dilated. She was attracted to the man in front of her.

He looked at the object of her attention, the doctor, great. And by the looks of him he was exactly the kind of guy Lisbon was attracted to. None of his thoughts showed on his face as he smiled through the introductions. But in the back of his head the little voice (the one that kept telling him how good Lisbon would look laying naked across his leather couch and that it was okay 'cause she wasn't his sister) was saying "You are so screwed."

Sorry this took so long to post. The idea well was running a little dry.

Read & Review please. It makes me smile.