Title: The Dress

Author: Shannon – shannyfish

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Mentalist" or its characters, Warner Brothers and Bruno Heller do. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.

Rating: G

Summary: Jane and Lisbon follow clues that lead them to the shopping mall in order to help solve their case. (Prompt: Shopping)

Part of the "Red Hot Days" series: a series of different scenes both case and non-case related scenes. This can be read as part of the series or can be read on its own. Different POVs used for different stories. Lisbon/Jane shipping and most likely

Warning: Takes place during season 3, so spoilers during season 3 are fair game. So currently, that's up to "Bloodhounds".

Author's Note: #4 in the series

...

Brea Mall

Lisbon sighed as she waited for Jane. He was playing at one of the carts in the mall that was filled with coin-operated machines. Almost all of them were candy, but a few were stocked with stickers or small toys that were packaged in plastic balls with removable lids. She should have known better than to bring him out into such a public place. The last thing she needed was for him to start causing trouble and for half of the mall to complain to Hightower. She'd definitely be fired then.

"Jane…come on," she complained.

"One more quarter," he said as he peeked out from the other side at her. He was smiling and his eyes were twinkling.

Normally, that was a very bad sign, but she didn't see how he could be possibly causing too much trouble with just candy, stickers, and small toys. Though, this was Jane. "Jane—"

"One more moment!" he said quickly, his finger flew up in the air. "Your patience will be awarded."

"I doubt that," Lisbon spat and crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. At the very least there weren't many people there. At least not yet. It was a weekday and it was only one in the afternoon. They'd all flown out the night before. After a moment, she got fed up with waiting for him and stomped around to the side she'd last seen him on, only to find that he was no longer there. "Jane-"

"Tada!" he exclaimed.

She jumped a bit and closed her eyes and swore in her head. She didn't think she needed to swear out loud, and then she glared at Jane. He knew he was not on her good side right now…and yet, he still smiled and his eyes were still twinkling. In his hands he held up a plastic bag with M&Ms in it and by the size of them she knew that they were peanut M&Ms at that.

"Are you wanting me to shoot you today?" she asked, her words dripping with frustration and irritation.

"Come on, lighten up, Lisbon," he said and pushed the bag of candy into her hand. He started to snack on his own candy in his own bag. "The chocolate will ease your nerves…"

"Maybe I don't want it," she said as she headed in the direction of the store that was their actual destination.

"Really? Come on now, I know better than that… I don't know why you think that you can trick me," Jane said.

The idea of shooting him was looking better and better. She wondered if Jane ever listened to himself or if he cared about how annoying he could be. Lisbon sideway glanced to make sure he was busy people watching as they walked before she reached in the bag ever so stealthily and pulled out some M&Ms. She popped them in her mouth and savored them for a moment.

"Ah ha! I told you! You see, I know you, Lisbon!" Jane said.

She frowned. Really? Couldn't he just be silent for five minutes? Lisbon wondered if there was some kind of psychological condition for always having to be right, or maybe that was just being egotistical? She was sure that there should be a more definite condition…possibly known as Jane-ism.

"I hate you, I do!" she told him as she stuffed the bag into the pocket of her jacket. There really wasn't a need for one here in Southern California, but she felt the need to wear it anyways.

"You've said that before!" Jane pointed out with a grin.

They entered the store they'd been looking for. It was a specialty dress shop. Now, normally Lisbon tended to stray away from such shops because she didn't have any use for it and was far more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt than she'd ever be in a fancy dress, but the case demanded it. They'd been called in to help with a murder investigation of a teenage couple. At the scene they'd found a dress that had been torn up like confetti and sprinkled over the bodies. The locals had traced the dress back to the store they were at now.

"Marie's," Jane said as they looked up at the sign briefly. "She's probably some little old lady who sews these gorgeous masterpieces by hand. Sews every little rhinestone on by hand."

Lisbon just looked at him like he was insane. Okay, so there was a good chance that he was. "Since when do you know about dresses—"

"Gowns, Lisbon," he quickly corrected.

"Whatever," she mumbled. "And what do you know about rhinestones?"

"The things that I know would surprise even you," he told her as they wandered through the sea of satin and chiffon.

"You seriously scare me sometimes," she mumbled. The only thing she knew about these dresses—gowns…was that once in a while she was required to wear one. She just generally went with something that she thought looked nice and was appropriate and that was in her price range. She doubted that some of the dresses she saw were in her price range…and some of them were definitely not appropriate.

"Can I help you?" came a sweet voice. "What occasion are you shopping for?"

"What occasion do you think we're shopping for?" Jane asked as he moved in closer to Lisbon and wrapped an arm around her.

Lisbon rolled her eyes as she foresaw a Jane-act coming on. She already knew that there was no fighting it. It wouldn't do her any good. So, she decided she'd go along with it. For five minutes…no, no…two minutes. Yes, she'd go along with it for two minutes."

"Congratulations!" the young woman told them.

She resisted the urge to smack Jane and correct the woman; instead she smiled as Jane guided her along to wherever the woman was taking them. Lisbon really wanted to eat a few more of her M&Ms…maybe they would help to ease the headache she already felt coming…but she figured that that would be a bit inappropriate.

"When's the big day?" the woman asked.

"August," Jane responded.

"This August?"

Jane nodded.

Lisbon remained silent and took in the wall of white. Good lord, Jane was seriously going to kill her. It was either going to be through Hightower or one of his schemes that just made one of her veins burst.

"That's soon!" the woman said a bit shocked.

"We don't want to wait," Jane said. "That won't be a problem, will it? Money isn't an option. I want her to have exactly what she wants! It's her day, after all!"

"Oh no, no…we'll make it work of course," the saleswoman said quickly.

"You hear that, Honey?" Jane asked. "Isn't that great?"

Lisbon felt like vomiting just from his overly cheery voice. She was about to come clean that they were with the CBI and what had brought them there when the young woman grabbed her and started to haul her towards the dressing rooms. "Wha-" She felt dazed as she stood in the empty dressing room, trying to process what was happening.

"Do you need a bra?"

"What?"

"A bra," the young woman said slower. "You know…a strapless…"

"Um…"

"I'll get you one," she said before scurrying off.

She glared at Jane as he came into view. He was obviously enjoying this far too much. "I swear…" Jane quickly pointed and she turned to see what he was pointing at. The woman was returning with more than just a bra. She had a few bags of things with her. "Actually—"

"Don't mind her," Jane interrupted. "She really hates shopping… If she had her way we'd be going through a drive-thru chapel in Vegas and she'd be able to wear her jeans." He laughed and the woman laughed with him. "I'm thinking something simple…not old fashioned…but something simple and pretty…"

"I understand," the woman said and then handed Lisbon the items. "I brought you a bridal bra, a underskirt…just in case, and a pair of shoes. I think I got the sizes all right. I'll be right back."

Lisbon stared at her dumbfounded and then turned back to Jane.

"It's all in the name of the case," he defended.

"Jane—"

"She's coming back."

"We're on a case—"

"Do you really want to upset her?"

"I really don't care."

"Well, I do."

"So ask her for her number."

"That wouldn't be right," Jane said in disapproval. "Not with us getting married…"

"Jane!"

His smile widened and he motioned for her to go into the room.

"You won't need the underskirt," the woman announced. "Do you need any help getting into the dress? I have just the perfect one here."

"N-no…"

Lisbon found herself receiving a dress bag and she just figured it was going to save her sanity in the long run to continue with Jane's escapade. So, she unzipped the dress bag and pushed it aside to reveal a white wedding dress. She took a step back and just stared at it. Sure, she'd thought about getting married, but it really wasn't a huge priority for her. Her career had come first for years.

The dress was beautiful though and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She reached out and pulled the skirt out of the bottom of the bag. The top was heart shaped and had lace and beading. It wasn't too much. It was subtle. It sort of looked like little white flowers. She let the fabric of the skirt flow through her hands as she felt through the length of the skirt.

"Do you need any help? I can zip you up," the woman called.

She frowned. She hadn't even put on the shoes. The bra she'd managed after mentally arguing with the rows and rows of loops to hook into. She suddenly found herself quickly pulling the dress from the hanger and stepping into it. She brought it up and held it in place with one hand as she tried to zip it up with the other hand. "Okay, I need help," she admitted and opened the door for the young woman. She was zipped up in a snap and guided out to the area with the half circle of mirrors. She was instructed to step up on the pedestal and so she did and couldn't stop staring at herself in the dress.

It was unreal.

"It's a crinkle chiffon gown. Sweetheart bodice, of course, with the lace and beading. It's a soft A-line…it's really subtle," the woman told Jane.

"I see that…it's really…breathtaking."

"It has a sweep train…but that can be altered to specifications if needed."

"Can we have a minute?" Jane asked the woman.

"Let me just get one more thing," the woman said. She was back a moment later, placing a headband in place. "I'll give you two some time."

The headband was subtle, like the dress. It was silver with crystals and along one side was a deco design with the crystals and pearls in it. Lisbon still didn't know what to say. Maybe it wasn't so bad to play dress up once in a while.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Jane told her.

"This isn't helping the case," she said quietly.

"But you look beautiful," he repeated.

"Are you implying that normally I don't?" she asked, her tone full of irritation suddenly.

"No, no," Jane said quickly.

She found herself being forcibly straightened by Jane so that she was staring at herself again in the mirror. "Jane—"

"Isn't this like every little girl's fantasty?" he asked.

"I'm not a little girl."

"Come on, Lisbon…"

"I'm probably never going to get married, Jane, so it doesn't matter," Lisbon pushed. And she felt that way. She was how old? And she wasn't even in a serious relationship? Not unless she counted her job as her serious relationship. It was a little pathetic actually. Okay, perhaps more than a little.

"Come on," Jane said.

Lisbon frowned at him through the mirror.

"Any man would be more than lucky to have you as his wife, Lisbon."

"I'm a cop, Jane. An agent of the CBI. I highly doubt any man is going to be okay with that. Plus, I'm the leader of the team. I think that's even more intimidating."

"Their loss," Jane said. "I'd marry you."

And before the words could be fully absorbed and balked at, Lisbon got down and headed back to the dressing room. She didn't know what to feel or what to do. She knew it was just words. Words from Jane. But for a moment, she'd felt angry and sad and touched.

"Lisbon—"

"I'm just changing," she said.

Several minutes later, she emerged from the dressing room in her regular clothes and looked about for Jane. He was nowhere in sight. She was confused and even a little worried. Jane missing was never a good thing. It only meant that he was going to stir up trouble somewhere unsupervised.

"Your fiancée is waiting outside," the woman said. "Don't worry, I gave him all the dress information."

"Oh," she said. "Thanks."

When she exited the store, she found him with a dress bag. She frowned heavily. "What's in the bag?"

"Something."

It was a tan solid bag with the name 'Marie's' across it in white. It wasn't an extremely long bag, but it was long enough and tied at the end. "Jane—"

"Look, I bought something, is that a crime?"

"No…"

"Okay, so what do you say to some lunch?"

"You're always hungry."

"They have cinnabun, that could be good for later."

Lisbon just shook her head and headed back the way they came. The food court was in that direction and she'd be able to appease Jane through food and then meet back up with the team. But the dress bag was currently haunting her. Jane was up to something. Something that she wasn't sure that she'd like.

. . .