Author's Note: Hey everyone! I was going to post this chapter earlier, but fanfiction wouldn't let me sign in. Something about a server connection problem. There's been a lot of power outages where I am because of weather, so I'm lucky to have power at all actually. I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but it might have. Anyway. This chapter is way shorter than it was supposed to be. I was going to put them going to the gala in this chapter as well, but after writing it, it just didn't feel right to put them both in this chapter. BUT, I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Mentalist. If I did, this wouldn't be fanfiction. *sigh*
"Are you excited for the gala tomorrow, now that you have a dress?" Jane asked as Lisbon drank her morning coffee and drove them both to work.
Lisbon groaned. "Don't remind me."
"Oh, come on, Teresa." Jane smiled. "You know you're a little excited. You even have a date and everything."
They stopped at a stop light and Lisbon groaned loudly, sending him a smirk.
"You could have a lot worse dates than me." Jane defended even though he knew she was only teasing.
"Debatable." Lisbon replied as the light turned green.
-Mentalist-
"Have any of you seen Jane?" Lisbon asked as she walked into the bullpen. It was almost the end of the day and she had hardly even seen him, which was strange since he'd seemed so keen in following her around the last few days.
"Not since this afternoon." Van Pelt shook her head from behind the computer. "Why?"
"No reason. Just weird he hasn't been around so much today. You know how it is. When it gets too peaceful around here, it means he's causing trouble somewhere else." Lisbon joked.
Van Pelt chuckled. "Let's hope not."
"Agreed." Lisbon nodded and then headed back to her office.
It was at least another hour and the team had already said their goodnights as they headed home before Jane showed up again.
"Good evening." He strolled into her office, hands in his pockets.
Lisbon looked up at him. "Hello. Where did you disappear to today? I went to find you in the attic and you weren't there."
Jane shrugged. "It's not so much my style anymore. I mean, I have to keep my stuff there because I have nowhere else to put it, but I'm not there as much."
"I've noticed. Usually you're in the bullpen or my office, but you weren't there either."
"I had things to do." Jane said passively.
"Please tell me those 'things' didn't have anything to do with causing trouble."
"Of course not, Teresa! Not this close to the holidays!"
"I'm not sure that really makes me feel better." Lisbon gave him a look.
"Oh, you'll cheer up." Jane told her. "But…I did have a question for you."
"What is it?"
"Well…I don't know if you'll want to or not…"
He seemed nervous, which was not something Lisbon was used to seeing. "What is it?" She repeated.
"I was wondering if you'd let me add an ornament to the tree."
Lisbon raised a brow at him. He was nervous over a Christmas tree ornament? "What kind of Christmas tree ornament?"
"Nothing bad!" Jane assured her, picking up on her suspicious tone. "Just…I'll show you it."
Lisbon looked at him for a moment before replying. "Okay." She agreed, saving her work and shutting down her computer. She followed him out of her office and up the stairs to the attic, which was now a little cluttered with Jane's things. Everything he had in his house at Malibu had to be moved out once he'd sold it after Red John was gone. Lisbon had found it kind of sad how little was left in that big house, that it could all fit in one attic and there was still quite a bit of room.
Jane pulled out a chair for her and gestured for her to sit down. She did as he went over to open a drawer in the old desk that sat under the window. "I found this earlier." Jane explained as he pulled out a little green box. "I was going through some stuff and I was going to put it on the bullpen tree, but I felt that was a little too public for my liking." He walked over and handed her the box.
Lisbon looked at him as she took it gently. "Well the ones you did put on the bullpen tree are very nice." She smiled.
"Thank you." Jane smiled back.
Lisbon looked back at the box in her hands. Gently, she pulled off the lid and pulled the ornament out by the golden string attached to it. It was a photo in a clear plastic case.
"I actually forgot about it." Jane began to babble, which he wasn't accustom to doing. "But I saw it again today and it reminded me of the one you have and I thought…we could put it on the tree."
"Yeah." Lisbon nodded. "Of course we can." She looked back down at the picture of Jane, Angela and Charlotte. "This is your first family Christmas?"
Jane nodded.
"It's a beautiful picture." Lisbon told him sincerely. She carefully placed the ornament back in the box and placed the lid back on.
"Thank you." Jane took the box back from her when she offered it. "Yours was lovely, too."
"I look stupid in mine." Lisbon blushed.
"Nonsense. You looked adorable."
Lisbon's blush deepened. "Shall we go, then?" She asked, changing the subject a bit. "Put that on the tree?"
"Yes." Jane said. "That sounds nice."
Author's Note: So, next chapter is the gala. Hopefully I'll have that up quickly. Sorry again for the delay. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas(or Kwanzaa or whatever it is that you celebrate. It's all good!) See you all at the next chapter! Please leave a review. :3
