Title: Mendacious
Disclaimer: I'm not the government. I couldn't own or try to own The Mentalist. If I did, I'd be scared if I were you.
Thank you so much iloveplotbunnies and Frogster for the reviews! They were appreciated and responded to.
Yes, I know that this chapter is long overdue, but unfortunately, things called school (starting September 5th) and work continue to get in my way. I am going to try to work out a way to update each week, but no guarantees as of yet. However, appreciate this new chapter while you have it and I will try to get my ass into gear and finish C3 soon! Have fun with O'Laughlin!
The high, afternoon sun hit at his back and he walked next to Teresa at a steady pace. She had explained to him about how her crew had recently lost a crew member and they were searching for someone to replace them. Teresa hadn't given any names, but that hadn't meant that he wasn't intrigued.
They continued to walk along the path, through the park, when he opened his mouth to ask. "Why me?" He had to know. What made him a good option for the crew? What potential had he shown? It wasn't like he had proven his worth to her; when she had walked in, he was sitting at a bar. He knew drinking wasn't a pastime that gave a man a lot of prestige or respect. In fact, it was a habit most looked down upon, even though the men who said that, do it themselves.
He noticed that Teresa, occasionally when she explained something, talked with her hands. He observed as she motioned to answer him. "You said you were a loner, didn't you? That you needed to, I guess, belong somewhere?" She quickly turned her head to glance at him, and then shifted her focus back on the path ahead of her. He noticed that she walked with more of a jaunt in her step then when she had first walked into the bar. Back at the bar, she had a heavier step and there was a look of exhaustion on her features, as if she had searched for something or someone all day. He figured her lightning footsteps and brisk pace meant that she could be satisfied with herself and that she had accomplished something. Although, he had this feeling that she was hoping for some praise by her, apparently, tough-to-please Captain. "I'm giving you that opportunity. You could at least be thankful."
His eyes widened at the tone in her voice. No woman had ever spoken to him like that before. Granted, most of the time, they weren't speaking when he was with them; he smirked slightly. He knew that he hadn't known Teresa long, but he never expected her to have such a fierce attitude. He assumed that after working on a high-demand crew that was how you became, but he expected that more out of a man than a woman. Then again, he never expected to hear that a woman was willingly aboard a pirate ship or any ship for that matter. Working on a ship was man's work, and he had always been told that a woman's place was in the home.
He continued on the paved path, slightly behind Teresa, when he noticed the vessel they were walking towards. His mouth gapped slightly at the sight of it and watched as Teresa went up the ramp and on board. He ran to catch up with her. The ship was massive, bigger than any of Bertram's ships; it had two white sails and an expansive upper deck. There were no scuff marks on the wood and it was kept clean. He noticed the various crew members as they scurried around deck doing various duties. He was in awe of the ship and how beautifully crafted it was and he wondered how Teresa and the crew could have afforded a ship so large. While atop the deck, he noticed how the ship, even docked, hadn't rocked too much due to the size.
He must have been in complete awe because he felt a pair of fingers tapping him on the shoulder. He turned his head slightly to face whomever was doing that; it was Teresa. She smiled gently and spoke out. "Welcome to the Scarlet Oasis." He chuckled lowly. The way she had said that sounded as if he were getting greeted at a luxurious hotel back on Manse Island, but he got the message. However, he remained silent; he had no words. He saw her motion for him to follow her and did so.
"Where are we going?" He whispered afraid that if he spoke any louder he could echo out on the island. He also had gotten several passing glances from the unknown crew members and decided to stay quiet around them until he could be introduced formally. He had noticed that one man, particularly tall, had been staring suspiciously at him, while the other one, who stood by his side, remained stoic. He assumed that they were the captain and first mate, but he couldn't be sure because Teresa wasn't headed in their direction, but down below the ship.
He heard her even-leveled voice. "We're going to meet my Captain." His heart started to pound in his chest. Craig had already heard a little about Teresa's captain, but not too much. He had only heard what the bartender, Steve, had said and it hadn't been pleasant. However, he knew he couldn't judge a man based on his need to drink. He would be a hypocrite if he did so because he had done his fair share of drinking as well. He figured that Steve had been over exaggerating when he was telling Teresa his outlandish opinion about her Captain.
He followed Teresa past the crew's quarters and down the hall and by, what he assumed was the first mate's bedroom. The closed door was right outside of the crew's quarters and from what he had known of pirate ships, the first mate had many responsibilities that dealt directly with the crew. As he thought about it, he hadn't met the first mate either. He guessed, by the quickness in Teresa's step, that he would be meeting both and they had to get the Captain's quarters before one of them went out on duty atop the main deck.
As he passed the crew's quarters by, he noticed that it was simple in design. There were about twenty or so cots lined up in the middle of the expansive lower deck all with the same sheets. He didn't think that twenty cots would be enough, but he guessed that not everybody slept at the same time. Especially since a ship needed constant overseeing and supervision. He tried to observe everything quickly, as Teresa had a lead on him. He thought that the captain and first mate's bedrooms would be adjacent from one another, but that was not the case. Teresa had taken several, lengthy corridors until she stopped at a pair of double-doors.
He pressed his lips together and inhaled a long breath. He observed her as she rapped on the door and then heard a voice welcoming inside the room. He stepped inside with Teresa and stayed behind her. She had a standing on this ship, he didn't and he had to show respect to both Teresa and the Captain. He stood near the center of the room, with her, as he took notice of the two men. Both were about the same height, the brunette slightly taller than the blonde. They both lifted their heads and stared at him and Teresa. The brunette man quickly averted his eyes away from him and stared straight at Teresa and her figure.
"Teresa, have you been working out? Your legs look quite toned." Craig tried not to react to the man who was openly hitting on Teresa; without much care of who was in the room. He watched Teresa as she reached for her sword that he assumed she would take to the man's neck.
"Walter," she growled, her hand resting on her sword, "have you ever considered the possibility that I work out so I can defend myself from you and your lower half?" He chuckled lowly at her question and continued to observe the situation with some silent amusement. He was appreciative that he hadn't been forward with Teresa when he had first met her. She would have beheaded him without much remorse. Although, he was not too appreciative of what the man was suggesting to her. He had always thought of himself as a gentleman, but this guy was just full of himself and poorly dressed. The fact that this man willingly walked around in a rhinestone-covered vest made him grimace. The use of her first name or not, the man was still obnoxious and self-centered.
"If you just gave me and my lower half a chance Teresa, I'm sure that between the two of us," he shook his head at the man's poor attempts to flirt. The odds were not in this man's favor, "we could make you happy." He saw Teresa slowly start to unsheathe her sword from its holster. Craig heard another voice and it interrupted Teresa's action to stab the brunette in the chest. Everyone turned to face the blonde who, he noticed, had a huge grin plastered across his face; most likely, due to the conversation that the other man was having with Teresa.
"Walter," the man warned, "didn't you and Rigsby have some business to take care of?" He noticed that the tone in the man's voice was one that was trying to get a point across. The man, whose name was apparently Walter, nodded in the other one's direction and started to leave the room, but not before he gave Teresa a suggestive smile. Craig, however, wasn't too sure if he wanted to rip out the man's lungs or just laugh at him for his absurdity. He knew that Teresa would never go for a man like that, especially not with the way she had reacted to him just moments before.
Both he and Teresa turned toward the desk, where the blonde stood, his arms against his chest sealed with a grin. He watched as the blonde's eyes averted from Teresa and her diminishing anger, to him and his statue-like stance. He wouldn't want to seem rude and so, he stood up straight. When you met a captain of a ship, you always showed them respect by standing straight and with good posture. However, he wasn't too sure if his posture was because of respect or because he was a bundle of nerves. The man only smiled wider.
"Lisbon, as much as I appreciate that you value my opinion," his tone dripped with sarcasm, "you don't need to introduce me to all of your suitors." Teresa tilted her head slightly and groaned. He guessed that she hadn't been amused by what he had said, but the blonde didn't give her a chance to respond. "The last one, with the tattoo, was more than I could take and frankly, how on earth will I break it to Walter that you're betrothed to another man?" The blonde finished with a chuckle.
He continued to stand there until one of them felt like having a round of introductions, but interrupting, what looked like a bickering match, would not be one of the better ideas. He watched as Teresa motioned her hand towards him and she rapidly changed the subject and tone of the room.
"Craig O'Laughlin, this is the insufferable and annoying Captain Patrick Jane." He saw her throw Patrick a smirk and he responded with a shake of his head and scrunch of his nose. In response to the introduction, he nodded towards Patrick for acknowledgement purposes. He hadn't quite figured out what to make of Captain Patrick Jane and decided that he would base his judgment, if he could, on how he treated Teresa. Teresa had been the one to give him this opportunity and if others didn't respect her as much as he already did, then they weren't worth his time.
He heard Patrick scoff at the introduction that Teresa had given him. "Thank you Lisbon, for giving me yet another name I won't remember." He walked around his desk and sized him up and down. He felt the sweat, once again, pool at the back of his neck and he had a yearning to flee from the room, but he knew that he shouldn't even attempt it. He side-eyed Teresa who gave him a reassuring smile, which quickly faded into frustration because of the silence that overwhelmed the room.
He heard her reprimand the Captain. "Jane, stop making the newcomers nervous with your silence. Say what is on your mind, you always do anyway." He felt his eyes go wide at how informal she had been with her captain. Unless you had ranking upon a ship, you would always use the title when speaking with the captain of a vessel. Instead, she had been informal with him and had used his last name - Jane. It was strange since he had always been taught to have manners and edict. He knew he was going to have to get used to the informalities upon the Scarlet Oasis and that would take some time. He had lived in high society for so long that he had forgotten that it was acceptable, on occasion, to be informal with others. However, he still found it rude that a woman could be that informal with someone with a pristine position. He heard the Patrick's voice as he spoke to Lisbon.
"My dearest first mate, it's my job as captain to intimidate the newcomers. How else will they know who is in charge around here?" He saw as Patrick gave Teresa a sly smile and tilted his head. He felt the sweat that had been dripping down his neck soak into his shirt. Teresa being the first mate upon the Scarlet Oasis explained how she had been able to pick him up out of a bar, talk to her captain in such an informal manner, and it also explained why no one leered, aside from Walter, at her when they had come on board just moments before. He knew then and there that he would have to be respectful towards Teresa at all times, especially if he wanted to impress her later on down the line. For now though, he focused on just being accepted into the crew by Teresa and the picky Captain Patrick Jane.
"Jane," Teresa shot back at the grinning captain. The captain never did seem to take the ever-growing off of his face, "you seem to forget that I run this ship." His eyes widened at the accusation she had made towards the captain. Title or no title, the first mate had no right to accuse the captain of not being able to run his own ship. Sure, captains could put all the duties upon the first mate, but that would be wrong and lazy, on the captain's part. He wondered; if what Teresa said was true then why would Patrick Jane be the captain of the Scarlet Oasis? What was his motive, if any at all?
Teresa's enraged tone filled the room once again. "The only reason I'm even here is to see if you approve of the newcomer or do I need to go back out into the blazing sun?" He watched as Teresa stood with her head held high, one hand ready to go for her sword, and her toned legs spread apart slightly. She finished her rant and stared down the daydreaming captain.
He waved her off and turned his head towards his desk, as if he didn't care too much about the decision he had to make. "Meh," the captain responded, "put him out on deck for a couple of days, see how he does, and give him his first assignment when you feel he's ready." He saw Teresa nod her head and then give the captain an inquisitive look. They both waited for him to continue on with his orders, but it never came, and the captain slumped back into his desk chair and looked at the map that was in front of him. Craig noticed how focused the captain was and how he hadn't even looked up when Teresa had shut the door behind them.
He and Teresa both briefly glanced at each other and the first mate could only shake her head and cross her arms. He guessed that she had become frustrated because of her captain's vague orders. He hadn't given him or Teresa much of an answer about whether he was apart of the crew, but by the way Teresa looked, he had made it. He wanted to ask her about why the captain hadn't put him to a test, but he figured that him staying atop the deck for a couple of days was his test. It would be after those first few days that he would be evaluated by Teresa and the captain.
He followed Teresa back through the crew's quarters, the kitchen, and down a long hallway. He assumed that once he met all the officers he would be given a proper tour of the ship and then, maybe, he could do a bit of exploring on his own. Granted, with the work that he would be assigned, he wasn't too sure if he would ever have the time to do that, but he knew that even pirates had some down time.
The high afternoon sun hit at his eyes and he proceeded to squint at the glare of the sun's rays. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he stayed right on Teresa's heels until they were both atop the helm, with the two other men, who he had first assumed were the captain and first mate. Teresa cleared her throat to get the men's attention. One they heard her, he watched as they lifted their heads to look at Teresa and then, the taller brunette, stared in his direction – unblinking.
He tried to spot what the two men had been looking at, but as far as he could tell it was yet another map. He had no idea where the crew had planned on going, but he knew that it wasn't his place to ask any question now. If they wanted him to know they would have told him when he had arrived on the ship, but for now, he would keep to himself until they were ready.
He watched as Teresa motioned her hand out towards him. "Officers Rigsby and Cho, I would like you to meet the newcomer – Craig O'Laughlin." He nodded in their general directions. He presumed the one who acknowledged his presence had been Cho, since the taller brunette, who he assumed was Rigsby, continued to glare at him. He gave a gentle smile and Rigsby just turned his head away. He wondered what he had done to bother the man so much. He had only been friendly; he thought that maybe he just wasn't too welcoming to newcomers, which he understood. He hoped that Rigsby, once he got to know him, would become a friend.
He noticed that Cho had gone back to what he was doing, while Rigsby stepped closer to his first mate. His hand itched to grab his sword, but he knew that it wasn't his place to start a fight, especially when he was new to the crew.
He heard Rigsby's rough voice. "Boss, are you sure it's not too soon to bring on another member? I mean we just lost -. " Teresa hushed the officer before he could finish his sentence and proceeded to glare. She, then, straightened out her shoulders and looked the officer straight in the eyes.
"Are you questioning my ability to make decisions Officer Rigsby?" Her tone was harsh and unloving. He felt like he was watching a mother reprimand her child after he or she had misbehaved. He resisted the urge to smirk at the remark that Teresa had given her officer because he knew how that would look. He had to show respect for all the officers of the crew and that included Rigsby, even though he was much more of a fool than anything else.
"No, ma'am." Rigsby responded hastily and then turned on his heels to go back towards Cho and what they had been doing, but not before Teresa grabbed him by his right shoulder. She turned him back around and stared at him again.
"I wasn't done, Officer Rigsby," she scorned through her teeth. It seemed that everyone, aside from himself, had put Teresa on edge and he felt bad for her. "I want you three to get acquainted with each other." She glanced back at Rigsby and continued on with her orders. "Officer Rigsby, you shall show him the ropes and give him a formal tour. The captain and I have other matters to attend to." With that she turned away on the heels of her leather boots and walked down the small flight of wooden stairs.
He glanced over at his new crew member and shook his head, mainly at Officer Rigsby. Why couldn't he trust the first mate's judgment? Had she done something to betray his trust or was he just being stubborn? He hoped that it was the latter and that they would all move on from this awkward situation Rigsby had put them into.
He heard Cho's voice and it rung in his ears and turned his head to glance at him. "Welcome to the Scarlet Oasis. It's like a nursery school around here."