Title:Another world
Author:Little_firestar84
Rating: T (to be on the safe side)
Characters: Patrick Jane, Teresa Lisbon
Summary: They call it the butterfly effect. Just one small, random adjustment, and all changes. And here there is, another world. A world where his daughter has never been, his late wife is an ex and he is still a psych. And yet, few things just can't change. Some things are written in the stars, just like love at first sight.
Disclaimer: Uhm. well, my father is called Bruno, but since it's Negro and not Heller, I'd say tha t I don't own the rights to the Mentalist.
Notes: Extented version of "In this life", published around mid-September.

Sorry, sorry, sorry for the delay! Guess that life and work are taking a lot of my time!

anyway, thanks to: Totorsg, wantingmore, kaoh (well, I admit I loved writing the office part. That secretary was just, it was so funny writing her character in!), flowerfaires, teresa l jane and 666bloodyhell666 for reviewing last chapter, and if I forgot someone who left a review for older chapters...so, so sorry, know that you are always in my mind!

5/8

Working with Jane wasn't that bad, but it didn't mean she particularly liked it too.

He had his moments, she couldn't help but agree with it, but she still had a lingered doubt he was after something. And that something just couldn't be only her. No billionaire with his own show on national television would just give up celebrity to... well, for the possibility of dating her, of all women. Dating, and not even really that... all he asked was just one dinner, and she was almost tempted to just give up and say yes just to see what he would do afterward.

"I think you should stop thinking so hard, Lisbon. You are giving me an headache." She lifted her eyes from the ever-present paperwork, somehow at least 3 times what it used to be before he joined her unit- and stared quizzically at him, faking sleep on her couch. In her office. On a white leather couch he brought for "them".

The door was closed, the blinds too, and she knew what people said. It wasn't like she didn't hear gossip. And besides, Van Pelt knew everything there was to know (and even more).

Jane flirted with her. Jane asked of her and her only. She was the only one with a small ability of handling Jane. Jane was always around her, especially in her office when the blinds were closed. Ergo: they were lovers.

And she even kept saying him no...

"Out of curiosity, Jane, are you actually planning on doing some actual work?" she asked with a voice that was betraying no sign of emotion, if not the raising anger and frustration toward that man.

"Meh, I prefer staying here with you, Lisbon, if you don't mind. I find your presence very soothing and inspiring."

"And can't my presence inspire you to do some work? I think there are few tons of forms you are supposed to fill..." Actually, they were forms he had been supposed to fill weeks, if not months, before, but he just kept meh-ing her. She was supposed to know that if she wanted his paperwork done, she was supposed to do it herself. And besides, there were better things to do to occupy his time than hurting his poor, fragile hands (and she had even thought he had worked before in his life...).

Like staring at her and indulge in her company. Maybe they weren't into a relationship yet, hell, they weren't even dating, but they were working on it, in that direction.

Well, at least, he was.

She had stopped calling him "Mister", even if she hadn't dropped Jane to shift to Patrick yet, but it was kind of ok. First, she called everyone by surname, her mentor, Minelli, included, second... as much as a turn off as it had always been being called "Jane" by a woman, especially in bed, in the heat of passion, said by her... it sounded kind of erotic, if it was even possible. He even doubted that being called Patrick would feel the same.

Everything, though, said by Lisbon seemed erotic. That voice of hers was luscious, deep, husky, and her accent... if paradise did exist, he had earned a spot there for the simple fact that he hadn't jumped her yet.

"I think I'll stay here a little bit longer. By the way, out of curiosity, would you mind having dinner with me? I was thinking we could take my cabrio, drive to the cost and have dinner somewhere on the sea. Or maybe we could go to Napa Valley. I know a place with a terrace to die for. It could be very romantic."

"What are you, 19? You need to bring the ladies to fancy restaurants to bed them?" She grunted with sarcasm.

"I wasn't thinking of seducing you over a meal. Scout's honor."

"First, there is nothing in your file about you being a scout, so your word is valueless. Second, seriously? Isn't everything you've done so far a pathetic attempt at seducing me?"

He'd like to tell her no, but it wasn't like he actually could. What was he supposed to say, that he didn't want her body but her soul, that he wanted a life with her? He couldn't, not yet. Teresa Lisbon was a modern woman, after all. To get her, he would have to seduce her first.

Oh well, it wasn't like it was the end of the world. He could definitely survive sex with that woman.

"I don't understand why you can't give me at last a chance." he said, a voice so low she wasn't even sure he was actually talking with her. She stood still, voiceless. She didn't know what to say, didn't know how to answer him.

She didn't know the answer. She didn't have it herself.

Jane had been charming since he had joined them, but with her, she could see he had tried, was trying to turn it off. He had lied, misled and manipulated, but she knew he was trying to change, was trying to be honest. At least with her.

Any other woman would have been flattered. She was just confused. He was a consumed liar, so, where did the lie end and honesty begin? She could never say with him, the lines were too blurry, too undefined. But he was sexy and hot and charming. God helped her, he was. And she wasn't strictly immune to him as much as she tried to show the opposite. Still, though, she feared she couldn't trust him with her heart, that he would let her down like everyone else had done in her whole life before.

"Well, first, you aren't my kind of man..."

"I'm dark, tall, handsome and dangerous enough to be your type. If it's just because I'm blonde instead of dark haired, I'll get a tide job!"

She stared at him like he had just said the greatest idiocy the world had ever heard. Which it was kind of true. Besides, it wasn't like he wasn't her type just because he was blonde. She wasn't so venial. She was a woman, after all, and not a man.

"Second, dating within the unit isn't allowed according to regulations..."

"Technically, dating within the units isn't allowed to AGENTS. My contract states that I'm a freelance consulting civilian, paid just for the cases I choose to consult on, whenever I see fit. We have some ample maneuver room there, if this is your problem."

She didn't know if she was supposed to be flattered, scared or what. Patrick Jane hated burocracy, and yet he had red (and memorized) the rule book for her? Wow.

"Then, why don't you start deciding to consult on the River case? Cho's having some troubles, and that billionaire isn't being of help. Maybe you could shed some light on this for us."

"Billionaires are boring, Lisbon, especially if men. And this one just wants to bed you through me. So, no, I don't think I will help you out. Unless..." he paused, and got closer and closer. She hated when he did that, when she could feel his breath on her skin. It was too unnerving, too erotic, and she knew every time he did so, there was a chance she would finally lose it and kiss him and undress him, just to have her wicked ways with him on the spot, once and for all. "Unless you'll agree on dinner with me if I discover who did it."

"JANE!" she blushed, scandalized.

"What? C'mon woman, it's not like I asked you to marry me or have sex in case of victory. It's just one single dinner. Nothing more, nothing less."

She took a big breath, exasperated. She knew Jane. Now that they've breached the subject, he wasn't going to give up that easily. Sometimes, he was obsessive, he was like a dog with a bone. It was flattering at times, being the sole object of attention of such a handsome man, but he tended to be a bit possessive. She didn't know how he did it, but every time she was out on a date, he just knew it, and either he started calling her nonstop, or he would fabricate a case (imaginary, of course) just to ruin things for her. And she didn't even want to think about the times he had showed up at the chosen restaurant just to annoy her and convince the guy he was her boyfriend.

Oh well. They were into deep water with this one. It wasn't like he could actually solve it. If it would bring her few hours of peace, so be it.

"Ok, you know what? Solve this case and I'll have dinner with you."

He grinned, satisfied and proud, and went to leave, just to stop at the door and turn towards her one last time. "Lisbon? You know it's been his brother in law to do it, right? Dylan's never died, he just faked it, and Brendon had discovered that his lovely wife had helped out her brother in this little scheme." she looked astonished at him, she couldn't say a word. What the... "Brendon had been a naughty boy when he was younger, so he and Mary faked his death, and Tony Bertoli, yes, I'm talking about the surgeon who's rumored to be in with the Mafia- did a little number on him. So, Bye, bye Dylan, welcome uncle Joseph. Brendon discovered it, or at least, he discovered something- I think incest - and they had to kill him. I'll have a confession for six pm, be ready for that time. You can do the paperwork tomorrow. Do you want me to ask Grace to bring you something? I wouldn't want for you to waste time going home and then back here.. it could even be dangerous. I think, the less time you spent inside a car, the safer it is.."

She didn't say a single thing, but at half past five, Grace was there with dresses (taken from vice, from the look of them. Very, very short, very transparent, showing a lot of skin in the breast area) and ready to do hair and make-up.

When Jane arrived, she hadn't done hair or make-up, but she had changed just one item of clothing. She was wearing her bright green shirt, the one he had told her once before that it complimented her eyes and made them much more brilliant.