Jane awoke an hour later alone in her bed. She had been awake since a long time now he noticed, and given the tranquility in her home she had also left. He sighed deeply, remembering the ugly argument they had the day before, he still didn't knew what happened to her. He got up and went directly to the kitchen. Nothing was waiting for him, no breakfast, not a note. Getting dressed he decided to go and look for her, surely she wouldn't have gone far, her car being in the garage and her injuries slowing her moves. Naturally she could have taken a cab, but it was a nice sunny day and he knew she'd like to benefit from it. There weren't many place with good coffee around and she would certainly feel like keeping him away, so she would choose a place she didn't know.

As he turned around after closing the main door, he stood for a little time to enjoy the warmth of the sun on his face, to tank energy for the coming day. He found the cafe quite fast and as he was approaching he saw her laughing and talking to a man sitting in front of her. Well hidden he stopped and watched their exchange without hearing anything, just reading their postures. He was not a very jealous boyfriend, but he didn't like having men turning around Lisbon trying to seduce her. The few time it had happened he had hated it and on top of it he had observed the loss of his skills to read people, as if he couldn't focus on anything else than his protection's feeling and rage tempering.

Lisbon was relax, which she wasn't since a long time he noticed with a pit of envy, she seemed to enjoy the company, laughing and talking freely. The man was in his mid-forties, quite handsome, well he could only guess, some white glint well placed on his black short hair, a three-day beard, wearing jeans, black t-shirt and sneakers. In a way he looked quite young in his clothing but didn't act like he had a mid-life crisis trying to look younger to impress. There was something special and weird about that man, that Jane couldn't get. What was surprising was that he looked very much serene, at ease and easy to access. He was clearly seduced by Lisbon but it didn't seemed that he was acting on it. When he rose apparently departing, Jane saw the two sharing a short friendly hug, which made a question rise inside him: how long did they know each other? The man left the cafe, leaving Lisbon with a sweet and relieved smile on her face looking a her mug.

Jane decided to wait another 5 minutes before entering the cafe, to leave Lisbon the freedom to talk about her friend or not. Her smile turned off as soon as she saw him passing the door, which of course he noticed immediately. Smiling softly at her, he sat where the stranger had been seating some minutes ago.

"Hey...", he said with a loving voice.

"Hey...", she answered whispering.

They were looking at each other, not knowing where to begin, what to say, like there was a bomb ready to explode at the first wrong word. The tension fell temporarily when the waiter came up to take Jane's order and refill Lisbon's cup.

"So...", he tried again to engage conversation, "you left early this morning. I'll get groceries today so I can make you breakfast tomorrow..."

"I can do that, I'm still on leave and have nothing else to do", she cut a bit harsher as intended.

He sighed, closing his eyes, well that didn't begin as wished... Opening his eyes, he looked at her with sadness, "Teresa, I didn't mean it that way. I just want you to feel better and rest. I know you can shop and make your breakfast yourself. I... I just wanted to do it for you, that's all...".

Lisbon felt bad and in the same time she was still pissed with him. He had been really mean and had hurt her deeply last night, and her lack of real repairing sleep was no help to see or feel anything else.

"Okay..."

With daylight he could see every detail of her swollen and scratched face, it was really a nasty injury that he definitely couldn't explain. It didn't look as if she had been beaten up, it looked more like she had encounter a hard surface, like the pavement. Catching his look on her face, Lisbon knew he was trying to figure out what happened to her.

"I fell two days ago and hit a wall. I broke my wrist when I tried to regain balance while falling. I spent the whole evening until late at the hospital. They said I have to keep the cast for a month and the scratches will fade away with time, like the other bruises"

"What other bruises?", he asked even more concerned.

"uh?... Oh, well I have some small bruises on the right shoulder and thigh, where I hit then the pavement, even though my fall was soften by garbage bag. It's nothing really and it hurts less already... and they gave me pain-killers", and she took a sip of her coffee, signalizing the end of the explanation.

Jane could tell that there was more to the story, but he would have to wait to get it. What gained his interest now was to know who was the guy, who was sitting there before him...

.-.-.-.-.

NB: The story continues... It's hard to continue to write when the show is now finished. I've watched the 2 episodes finale in the night and I was so happy of that ending. Most of the tv-shows never get a good and serene closure and I'm glad that The Mentalist got it. Surely it has everything to do with SB and RT, they have really a beautiful chemistry (among other things!)... *sigh*

Thank you for all the reviews to that story, I still enjoy them!