Chapter 3
This is more of Jane and Charlotte conversation and some Jane and Lisbon moments too. You'll also meet another familiar face.
Disclaimer: Don't Own Mentalist
Charlotte looked over the blonde man in the suit and vest. She remembered him from the show the other night. It seemed hard to believe she would stay with him.
"I'm excited to be here. May I ask some questions first?" Charlotte asked. She wanted to make sure he was going to be a decent person to live with.
"What kind of questions?" Patrick asked.
"Just some questions that Miss Flynn is supposed to ask before one of the girls goes to a new home. She forgets sometimes. Don't take it personal."
"That's understandable. I suppose I should've expected that. Go ahead." Patrick said.
"Do you have a job? Can you provide for the child?" Charlotte asked seriously.
"Yes. I'm a psychic. I make a good living doing it."
"I know. I saw you on TV on the Brenda Shettrick Show." Charlotte admitted.
"You watch her?" Patrick looked confused. A talk show certainly was an unexpected show kids would watch.
"The other girls were watching it." Charlotte informed.
"Really? Strange show for kids to watch."
"Yes, we like to broaden our minds to something different than kid stuff. We watch the news all the time." Charlotte explained.
"That's good." Patrick stated nodding his head.
"You don't do drugs, do you?" Charlotte looked at him.
"No. I don't do drugs."
"You're not an alcoholic, are you?"
"No, I'm not. I do drink it once in a while when I go to events."
"You're not a serial killer?" Charlotte asked.
"No, I assure you I am not." Jane answered.
"You're not one of those men?"
"One of what men?" Patrick asked confused.
"You know the creepy men?"
"Oh." Patrick said realizing what she meant. "No, I am not. I assure you."
"Good."
"Are you done with your interrogation?" Patrick asked.
"Yes. I just want to take precaution before I stay with a strange man."
"I have to admit I was expecting a younger child." Patrick confessed.
"Oh, you're one of those people. The ones that just want the little kids." Charlotte said sadly.
"That's not true. I just didn't know there were older children." Patrick reassured.
"They all say that but then they treat us like chopped liver and ignore us anyway." Charlotte continued.
"I won't ignore you. You seem like a smart girl."
"I am 11. I'm not stupid."
"That you are not. I like you."
Teresa held in a laugh as Charlotte questioned Patrick. He ususally was the one in control of his talk with his clients ask and now this girl was in control. She really liked Charlotte so far. She thought this could be a good thing for Patrick.
"Do you want to finish the tour?" Teresa asked Charlotte.
"Yes!" Charlotte responded eagerly.
Teresa and Patrick continued with the tour of Patrick Jane's house.
"Are we getting a tree?" Charlotte asked expectantly looking at the undecorated living room with no sign of Christmas after the house tour. They were sitting in the living room after the tour of the house.
"A tree? What kind of tree?" Patrick asked confused.
"You know a Christmas tree. You wanted me during Christmas right?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, that's right. Teresa, take her to the tree farm down the road." Patrick ordered looking to Teresa. She glanced at him with a serious look.
"Aren't you the one that wanted an orphan? Shouldn't you come too?" Charlotte inquired staring at Mr. Jane.
"Yes, Patrick. Shouldn't you come?" Teresa looked too and grinned.
"Oh, you're right. I should go. I suppose I don't know what to do." Patrick admitted.
"You don't know how to pick out a Christmas tree?" Charlotte asked.
"Well, do you?" Patrick asked back.
"No, not really. We've never done it. We have just watched a lot of movies of people doing it." Charlotte confessed.
"Alright. Charlotte. Let's get our tree." Patrick announced.
"You act like you've never had a tree before?" Charlotte asked.
"I have, it's just been a while. My wi- never mind." Patrick started saying but then stopped. He decided to not to get into his past at this point. He had to stay in the present with this girl.
All three of them gathered in the car and Mr. Minelli drove them to a Christmas tree farm outside of the neighborhood in the country. Charlotte looked excitedly at the trees as they walked through. She went ahead of them bouncing excitedly like a fairy.
"So, you haven't had a tree in a while?" Teresa asked.
"You've known me five years, Teresa. Have you ever seen a tree?" Patrick asked.
"No, I haven't ever. Angela used to put one up?" Teresa asked not sure if it was safe to ask about his deceased wife. It seemed to always be a sore subject for him.
He read her worry in bringing up the subject. True, he never really talked much about his past but he would have to eventually. He might as well answer.
"Yes, before she disappeared and died." He said sadly.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought her up."
"It's really okay." He looked at Teresa.
"This is a really good thing you're doing for her." Teresa looked at Charlotte ahead.. He looked too and then they looked at each other. Then Teresa looked back at Charlotte.
"Yes. I just decided it would be better to take an orphan than just give money. Anybody can give money." Patrick admitted.
"That's true. I'm glad you decided to take her in." Teresa commented. " We should get her some new clothes. She needs some." Teresa suggested.
"Yes, she does. That I will leave to you tomorrow. I am in no way an expect at young girls clothes. You don't mind, Teresa?"
"Of course, I don't mind. I would be happy to help with that tomorrow." Teresa smiled at him.
They caught up with Charlotte who was looking at a large fir tree.
"Have you found a tree yet, Charlotte?" Jane asked.
"This one." Charlotte grinned excitedly.
"That is a nice tree but it's a little big for my house. My house is big but not that big." Jane looked at the giant tree.
"Oh, that's alright, I have a second choice." Charlotte bounced to another fairly large tree but not quite as big as the first. Patrick looked at that one. That one looked a lot better.
"That's smart. That is a lot better." Jane stated. The clerk came up to him.
"Sir, you found a tree? Very nice tree if I say so myself." The clerk said. "And we offer delivery services if don't want to take it yourself."
"Yes, we did. We'll take it." Jane announced.
Charlotte came up to Jane and grinned. "Thank you. This will be the best Christmas ever." She then hugged him.
It was decided that the tree would be delivered to the house. The clerk offered the service and had a couple of his employees load the tree up in a pickup truck and follow the limo to Patrick's house. The employees brought the tree in. "Where do you want it, sir?"
Patrick looked towards an empty space in the living room and gestured his hand towards it. They placed the tree against wall in the corner. Teresa went into Patrick's closet and grabbed the box of decorations she had brought over after Patrick decided to have an orphan stay. Some of them were her own and some she had bought recently.
"Wow, some these are so pretty." Charlotte said as she dug through the ornaments. She then saw a homemade paper ornament with a picture of three young boys and a girl. "Teresa, is that you?" Charlotte asked looking expectantly at Teresa.
"Yes, it's my brothers and I at Christmas a long time ago." Teresa admitted.
"Do you see them still?" Charlotte asked.
"Sometimes. Not a lot." Teresa admitted.
"How come there are no pictures of your family here?" Charlotte asked Patrick
Patrick looked surprised at the question. He thought about how to answer. He should've realized she would notice the lack of family photographs and personal items. After Angela disappeared and died he had taken any sign of her down. It was too hard to see the reminders of what he lost. He never contacted any of her family after that. "It's complicated."
"Okay." Charlotte replied realized maybe he didn't want to talk about the reason. "Did you have any traditions? In the movies I saw people of certain traditions they do at Christmas." Charlotte asked looking at both Teresa and Patrick.
"Well, I never celebrated too much when growing up." Patrick confessed. He was telling the truth about that. His father never made a big deal of the holiday or any holiday for that matter. It was only after he married Angela that he celebrated.
"My family and I had some traditions."
"Will you tell me about them?" Charlotte asked excitedly.
"And if you want you can always start new ones for me." Patrick said.
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. Patrick went up to the door and opened the door to reveal a red haired woman. Charlotte and Teresa followed. "You're Mr. Jane, right?" She replied with a sweet voice.
"Yes. I am" Patrick replied looking at the woman. He observed her. She was in her late 20's.
"I'm Grace Rigsby. I noticed a girl is staying at your house. I noticed her earlier. I wasn't spying or anything. I was coming home."
"Yes, she is staying for the holidays from the girls home. What's your interest?" Patrick asked. He figured she was curious considering he normally did not have company.
"Well, I'm your neighbor across the street. My husband, Wayne and I have a daughter about the same age. Maddie." Grace explained noticing Charlotte with Teresa.
"Oh. Yes, that's good. I don't recall meeting you." Patrick looked at her. It was true he did not recognize this woman. Of course he had been too busy to really know his neighbors. He never was involved in getting to know anyone. He could not say he had any real close friends. Not since Angela died and since she left. She had her circle of friends but then none of them really paid attention to him after she was gone. Now that he realized, his assistant, Teresa was the only person he really talked to and now this 11 year old girl besides his clients.
"I suppose you wouldn't. Wayne and I just moved here a few weeks ago. We've seen you but haven't had a chance to introduce ourselves. We've been doing a lot of unpacking."
"It's great to meet you." Teresa replied holding her hand out.
"You are?" Grace asked looking at Teresa.
"Oh, I'm Teresa Lisbon, Mr. Jane's assistant."
"Hi, I'm Charlotte." Charlotte peeked from behind Patrick.
"Good to meet you, Charlotte." Grace put out her hand.
"We are decorating for Christmas. I'm so excited!" Charlotte announced excitedly.
"I'll have to bring Wayne and Maddie over sometime so you can meet them." Grace smiled. "They're gone tonight. I'll let you get back to decorating."
"Nice to meet you later." Patrick stated smiling. Soon Grace left and walked across the street.
After doing the finishing touches on decorating, Teresa noticed Charlotte asleep on the floor. "Look." Teresa turned to Patrick by the tree and pointed at the sleeping girl.
"Decorating wore her out." Patrick noticed. He went down and picked her up.
"I know." Teresa smiled. They both headed to the room that was to be Charlotte's bedroom. Teresa pulled down the sheets and Patrick placed Charlotte on the bed. Teresa soon put the covers over her tucking her in.
"You've done this before, I take it." Patrick noticed.
"Yes, taking care of my little brothers. They wanted me to do it all the time." Teresa finished up.
Patrick smiled. "I enjoyed doing this tonight. Decorating again and the joy it brings."
"Me too. I'm glad you decided to do this." Teresa smiled.
"I'm glad I decided too." Patrick responded happily.
"Well, it's okay if I take off?" Teresa asked.
"Yeah, it's fine. See you tomorrow." Patrick smiled. Teresa started walking and then turned her head back and smiled back. Patrick smiled in return.
Feedback is Appreciated. I know it's late for a Christmas story. When I started writing this story, it was after Christmas so it was on mind.