I am going to try my best to get this up before Christmas. If not Happy Holidays! I don't own anything except my errors (of which there will be many.
Christmas; his first one not alone in far too long. He smiled at the thought. Sure he and Lisbon had swapped gifts before; even spent Christmas Eve together once but this year... He sighed. She was his and he most definitely was hers.
Scanning the bull pen he noticed it was nearly empty. Today was the last day of work for him and Lisbon until the new year. Abbot had pulled Lisbon aside and apologised for cutting her time off short last time. Usually Lisbon would argue – she didn't even think to this time.
The mentalist sipped his tea while his girlfriend finished her conversation with Wylie about his Christmas plans.
"Have fun Wylie." She hugged the younger man.
"You too Lisbon." Wylie smiled at Jane before he grabbed his back pack and left.
Turning around to face Jane she smiled; he looked so relaxed, happy even. "Hi there."
His smile widened. "Hey."
She took a few steps towards him. "I'm ready when you are."
He raised his cup of tea to show that he wasn't finished. Turning her back she busied herself with her bag and jacket giving him time to finish his drink and stare adoringly at her. Sometimes he made himself chuckle at how being with her made him feel. The sound of the tea cup meeting pthe saucer alerted Lisbon that Jane was finished.
"Ready?" She slung her bag over her shoulder and jerked here head toward the elevator. "Come on."
Standing up Jane made his way to the kitchenette, washed his cup and saucer and headed to meet Lisbon. The elevator arrived not long after he did.
"Good timing."
He shrugged and offered her a small smile.
As the doors closed Jane reached out annd intertwined his fingers with hers.
"I'm so glad that we get two weeks off." She leaned against him.
He hummed in agreement.
"We still have to put the tree up."
Jane visibly tensed.
Noticing this Lisbon bit her lip. "W-we don't have to."
"It's not that it's just."
"It's okay. As long as I am with you on Christmas day. It's all I need." She smiled at him but Jane couldn't help but see pain in heer eyes.
He knew that now was not the time to talk about it. "We'll talk about it later."
Nodding once she dropped the subject.
In the car Jane took her hand in his. "I haven't celebrated, really celebrated Christmas since Angela and Charlotte were alive."
Lisbon could have kicked herself. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for." Lifting their intertwined hands he kissed hers. "Lets stop at that Christmas shop on Main Street."
"You sure?"
"Of course. I love Christmas I just have to get back in the swing of it."
She glanced at him briefly before turning her eyes back to the road. "Patrick you don't have to push yourself."
"I do. If I want to really move on with you I have to stop dwelling on how things have been for the last decade."
"Ok if you're sure."
Jane rolled his eye playfully. He coldn't help but smile at the excitement on her face.
"What?"
"Nothing." He smiled smugly. "You just look really cute when you're excited." He admitted casually.
The blush that graced her face made her look even cuter.
They pulled into a park just outside the Christmas Company - the store specialising in everything Christmas.
Lisbon cut the engine and exited the car straight away. She considered that maybe she was a little over excited but realsied she didn't particularly care. She was celebrating Christmas with Patrick Jane her annoying, frustrating, beautiful consultant, the love of her life – so yeah she was excited and she didn't have to hide it from him not anymore.
The melodic ringing of the door bell caused the elderly woman behind the counter to raise her head. A short beaitiful woman with long, wavy brown hair and a huge smile walked in with a curly blonde haired man in a suit and a bright infectious smile aimed at his love. Velma Leigh wasn't the smartest lady around but there were two things she knew; Christmas cheer and love. The brunette took the mans hand and smiled up at him before leading him over to the trees. Velma decided to give them a few minutes to look around.
Lisbon's eyes brightened when she saw all of the Christmas trees.
"Which one would you like Teresa?" Jane whispered in her ear.
She scanned her options. "I don't know. They're all so beautiiful." Turning her head she looked at him.
"Which one do you think?" She tilted her head and bit her lip.
"Well." Her looked her in the eyes. "I am assuming you don't mind fake trees?"
"They're all fake Jane."
"Hmm." He turned his head and scanned the trees. His eyes landed on an 8 foot ostentatious, gold decorated tree that he knew she'd hate. Time to have some fun. "How about that one?" He looked at the gold tree.
Lisbon's eyes followed his to the tree and then back to him. "Seriously?"
He shrugged. "Sure why not?"
She frowned at him for a little while. "No."
"And why not Agent Lisbon?"
She raised an eyebrown "It's too flashy for us and besides I don't want a tree that is taller than me."
"That could be difficult."
She slapped his arm. "You don't like that one anyway." She stated as though it was fact.
He stepped closer to her. "Really?"
She did the same and smirked at him. "Really. You just picked the one you knew I'd like the least."
"Gulity as charged."
She pouted at him knowing that he thought it was cute.
"Okay. Okay no more tricks."
Smiling at him she kissed his cheek.
Smiling at them Velma continued with her knitting; they didn't need her help.
Ten minutes later they had chosen a 5 foot tree which Jane was convinced has taller then her until she happily reminded him that she was 5'3 thank you very much. Picking up the boxed tree he headed to the counter.
Velma stopped knitting mid stitch. "Hello deary. Just placed the tree by the counter there. I'll be here when you're ready."
Jane smiled. "Thanks." Looking at the older lady a few seconds longer he headed back to his girlfriend. Walking behind Lisbon he wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her temple. "Off to the ornaments?"
"Uh-huh." Swaying them back and forth in his arms for a little while she broke off and headed to the ornaments like a lady on a mission.
The ornaments were displayed in a few aisles in an alcove at the back of the store. Lisbon turned right and moved to the back aisle while Jane kept walking and turned to walk down the same aisle as Lisbon but from the far end.
Lisbon slowed her walking right down to make sure she didn't miss anything. Seeing a box of 12 glass blue baubles she ran her hand along the front of the box. Picking them up she turned to Jane. "What to you think of these?" She held them up.
"I like them."
"Yeah?"
Picking up a box on white twinkled he showed them to her.
She smiled. "Perfect. Now a star."
Jane stared at her. "I thought maybe you'd want an angel on the tree."
She shook her head. "We always had a star as kids. Mum loved the stars."
"Then a star we shall have."
They both headed to the tree toppers. Angels, stars and twirly things that Jane was uncertain of.
"Any jump out at you Jane?"
Not answering her with words he picked out a silver wired star. The wire created twirls, swirls and flicks. "This one."
"Perfect."
Happy with their choices they made their way back to the counter looking at the beautiful ornaments along the way.
Once the purchases were made Jane headed to the car. Stowing the newly purchased decorations in the back seat he noticed that Lisbon was only just walking out of the store. "What were you up to?"
Shruggng she brushed passed him grabbing the car keys from him as she passed.
As she passed him he frowned slightly; either she was getting better at concealing the truth or he was getting worse at seeing it. Maybe she was his achillies heal? Deciding to file that theory away for late night musings he got into the car.
As Lisbon drove she watched Jane out of the cornerof her eye. He seemed nostalgic. Maybe it was a bad idea to acknowledge Christmas this year. Maybe he wasn't ready.
"Stop thinking so loudly Teresa."
She huffed. "I hate it when you do that."
Jane smiled . "You didn't seem to mind last night when we..."
"Okay. Okay."
"Embarassed Agent Lisbon?"
She cleared her throat. "Annoyed Mr Jane." She corrected.
Darting forward he kissed her cheek. "You're so cute when you blush."
She couldn't stop the smile that fell on her face.
"Ahh. There's that smile I love."
"Sweet talker." She whispered under her breath.
"Only with you my dear."
Jane spent the rest of the journey watching her. The small frown that showed on her face when one of the other drivers did something idiotic. Her fingers on the steering wheel tapping in time to the song playng on the radio. How she sat forward slightly when she over took someone. He's always observed her, noticed the small things she did that no one alse noticed. It was different now. He was allowed to watch her, expectred to even and look he did.
"Stop staring." She quickly glanced at hm.
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Sure you don't." She shook her head slightly.
"I thought you liked it when looked at you Teresa?"
"You know I do. Just not when I am driving it's distracting."
"You're a well trained federal agent. I am pretty sure that my admiring you won't distract you." His cheeky smiled widened.
In retaliation she dropped her hand from the steering wheel and placed it on his knee. Slowing she began to move it up his leg. The small gasp from his lips wasn't missed. "You are a master of biofeedback. Surely my hand on your leg isn't distracting?" She flexed her fingers that lay on his upper thigh just to prove her point further.
"Evil woman." He muttered.
She laughed and removed her hand. "I love you too."
His heart swelled; he wasn't if he'd ever get used to hearing those words from her beautiful lips.
The rest of the trip saw Jane behaving himself as best as he could – which meant that he did exactly what he was doing before. Lisbon just decided to ignore him; well she tried anyway.
Pulling into her driveway Lisbon sighed in relief.
"Oh come one I wasn't that bad."
She narrowed her eyes at hm. "You'll never know." Reaching into the back seat she grabbed two bags leaving the tree for Jane to take care of.
By the time Jane made it into the house Lisbon had the decorations sitting on the coffee table ready to beautify their tree. Jane dramatically place the boxed tree on the floor next to the coffee table causing Lisbon to chuckle. He bowed before kissing her sweetly on the lips.
"Alright." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Where's the tree going?"
"There." She pointed to the corner between the TV and wall unit. "I think it will look good there if we bring it forward a bit."
"Whatever you want love."
She turned to face him. He could see that she really wanted his thoughts. "Maybe if we move the wall unit a little to the right?" He suggested.
She smiled at him. "Okay. Let's do that."
As he freed the tree from it's box shaped confines a thought came to him. His girlfriend had spent most of the christmas holidays alone too. Opting to say in California in case she was needed at work and he supposed, needed by him. His heart tightened at the thought of his beautiful, caring Teresa Lisbon all alone on Christmas day. Not anymore.
They worked together in relative silence. Talking only to request and give confirmation on the placement of decorations on the tree. Finally the tree was done and they both stepped back to enjoy it.
Placing his arm around her waist her pulled her closer and kissed her temple. "It looks good."
She hummed in agreement.
"Shall we put the star on?" He mumbled into her hair.
"Not yet." She stepped away from him and picked up the lone white box that remained on the coffee table.
Jane noted how carefully she held the package as she walked towards him.
"This was just an idea that I had. If you don't like it that's okay." Tentatvely she passed the box to him.
He opened the box using the same care she had to pass it to him. Inside surrounded by white tissue paper were two ornaments made of wire in a similar fashion to the star but this was two angels.
"I thought we could put them on the tree for Angela and Charlotte." Lisbon bit her lip no sure how to read his reaction.
Janes view of the ornaments became blurry. Reaching out he ran a finger over them.
"I know that you don't believe in god or anything like that and it's okay if you don't like them Jane; we can put them away."
He shook his head as he tried to speak. "N." He cleared his throat. "No." He looked up at her tears in his eyes. "They're beautful Teresa." Striding towards her he wrapped both arms around her, careful to keep the box safe. "Thank you love. They are beautful. Just like you. I love you my sweet."
She hummed happily. "You're welcome. I love you too Patrick." After a few minutes they broke apart. "You find a place for those and I'll put the star up. Once the final ornaments were in place Lisbon swtched on the lghts and went to stand by Jane. "It's beautiful."
He wrapped both parms around her. "It is. Merry Christmas Teresa,"
"It's not Christmas yet." He could hear rather then see the pout on her face.
"Merry almost Christmas Teresa." He amended.
She giggled. "Merry almost Christmas Patrick."
His arms tightened aroung her grateful once again that she was his.
I'm not entrely happy with the end because I had to rush this story as I am going away in an hour or so for Christmas and will have not time to write. HAPPY HOLIDAYS everybody!