A/N: So I've come to realize something when writing a crime story its best to have the whole cripe planned out. Well that didn't happen for me but I still like the idea of Red Beginings of Lisbon looking back on how she met up wih Patrick Jane and how they wound up being the people they were today. So this is not a continuation of the first chapter but a continuation of the series Red Beginngs. Just so you know~
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist, but I can wish can't I?
I remember the day that I first realized I had fallen head over heels for that childish, witty, charming, handsome, Mentalist called Patrick Jane. It had been a rough week like most cases that involved a double homicide in the same family would be but this one had been especially hard on Jane. It was the first time that he had to face his own demons. A man had wound up killing his wife and daughter over something as stupid as life insurance money. He had shot his wife in the head and afterwards killed his own daughter and ran off with a younger woman. This had hit Jane right at his core.
As the case went on with out us able to close in on the man Jane had taken it into his own hands and went after the man who had wound up taking Jane hostage and beating him down. Rigsby and I had come to the location just in time to kill the man who was ready to finish Jane off once in for all and at the back of my mind I knew this is what Jane had planned from the start. To go after the man and get him to attack Jane so we would have to take the mans life ourselves. And as much as I hated killing people this one left me with only one regret.
Now the case had ended and the whole team had assembled in my office except for Jane who remained out on the couch by his own desk holding an ice pack up against his swollen eye. He had luckily avoided any major damage and only suffered from a black eye and a few bruised ribs.
"How much trouble did he get in for pulling what he pulled today anyhow boss?" Cho asked as I sat at my desk angrily filling out the extra paper work caused by Jane.
"Oh Jane? Hardly a slap on the wrist, I however was reprimanded for not being able to keep my own consultant on his very short leash." I said with an angry tone in my voice. "But in all honesty, I almost don't mind it. I mean to kill your own wife and kid, I feel for Jane who lost his." I said with a sigh looking up at Cho and Rigsby who were both looking out at Jane. "But still, now I have to keep him on an even shorter leash."
"I need a drink after what happened today." Cho sighed staring off into space as if he was wishing that he were standing in a bar right now instead of standing here in my office. I nodded and so did Rigsby.
"Yes, I would also enjoy a few drinks tonight." I said with a nod still annoyed with how the day went.
"Should ask him if he wants to come with us?" Rigsby asked as Cho shook his head at the younger man and I glared up at him angrily.
"After what he pulled today? You want to take him with us to get a few celebratory drinks? I need him on a shorter leash Rigsby. I can't encourage his antics." I warned the younger man. Rigsby flinched at my tone and then shook his head.
"Yeah but…" Rigsby started as Cho stopped him.
"No there would be no reason to, he's just going to say know, he looks way to worn down to go out and celebrate the closing of this terrible case. He's going to say no." Cho replied shaking his head as he crossed his arms. I looked at the two of them then sighed.
"Well it wouldn't be encouraging him to go pull off more stunts like what he's done today but perhaps forget about what happened all together. Can you blame Jane for almost wanting to take the law into his own hands I mean, that guy took away something that Jane would kill to have back." Rigsby offered. I looked up at the two men and sighed.
"Fine, you can go ask him." I replied shrugging my shoulders and giving up. Rigsby looked over at me with a brightened smile then nodded leaving my office and headed for his own desk. Cho looked over at me then smirked and I just gave him a half hearted smile back.
"Jane!" Rigsby asked pulling his coat off the back of his desk chair. "Me, Cho, and the boss are going out to get a few drinks, you coming?" he asked. Jane opened his eyes and smiled at the young officer and then shook his head. "It's been a rough day, come on I know you especially need a few shots of something in you.
"Thank you but I'm actually getting pretty tired, I think I'll be heading home soon." Jane replied then gave a wave of his hand. "You guys go have fun." Rigsby looked to Cho who just shrugged as he put his own coat on then motioned towards the door. "And besides, I don't think Lisbon would really want me to go out and drink a few drinks. She probably wants me dead too after what happened today." Rigsby frowned looking to Cho then back at Jane and shook his head.
"No way, how were you supposed to know that he was going to pull a gun on you Jane? No way you would of ever seen it coming." Rigsby offered as Cho and Jane both smirked.
"Come on Rigsby, first rounds on me." Cho offered heading towards the elevator. Rigsby nodded and bolted past Cho as if to race him to the said elevator excited to get a few drinks into his system.
"Boss, you coming? Cho's got first rounds." Rigsby offered as he pushed the button for the elevator. I smiled at him as Cho smirked knowing exactly what my answer was going to be.
"I'll head down eventually, I just got to finish up the rest of my paper work. Save me a seat ok?" I said with a nod as Cho nodded back and quickly hurried off after Rigsby. Cho was a smart guy and probably the second best at reading body language. He knew that I in fact wasn't going to be down at the bar any time soon but instead would be up here with Patrick Jane. I was the boss after all and had to make sure that my team was capable of working the next morning. I sighed then headed over towards the couch looking over at Jane.
"I guess you're going to yell at me now right?" Jane asked sitting up and opening his eyes to look over at me placing his ice pack on his eye again. I sighed then walked over sitting on Jane's desk beside the couch and looked down at him.
"If you ever go and do something like that again, I'll shoot you myself." I barked as he gave me a nod then gave me a half hearted smile.
"Its just like Rigsby said, how was I supposed to know that he was going to pull a gun on me?" he offered as I rolled my eyes.
"Cause we pay you to notice things like that Jane." I spat back bitterly. He looked up at me ready to be yelled at some more as I decided to throw a curve ball. I gave him a smile as I rose to my feet and headed towards the empty desk that sat towards the door way of our teams office. I could feel his eyes following me as I bent over and pulled out a bottle and two glasses and turned to face Jane again. He looked over at me quite curiously and then looked to the bottle.
"Vodka, Lisbon? I saw you as a beer drinker myself." he said with an amused tone in his voice. I shook my head then sat down next to him on the couch and handed him a glass.
"Yeah, well the beer would skunk. Now be quiet and drink." I demanded as I went to pour the bottle but he stopped me placing his shot glass on his desk in front of us and then smiled.
"I won't need a glass. Just pass the bottle." he said with a smile as I smiled back and took a quick sip then handed him the bottle.
"Just don't tell Minelli ok?" I offered as he nodded taking a sip of his own.
"Of course." he nodded as I grinned back taking a sip.
"Cheers."
"I thought you guys paid me cause I could close cases like a champ?" he offered as I sighed taking another sip as he took the bottle away from me then took a sip of his own.
"Like a champ he says! I was worried as hell about you Jane! Running off like that with barely a word of explanation. You're lucky I thought it was the father-"
"Worried? " he asked as I quickly lost all ability to speak. I quickly looked away from him as he leaned forward trying to read me like he always did. He could read me like a book that damned idiot and he loved the fact that he caught me like this. I gave an inward sigh. Why did I bring out this vodka again? Oh right, cause I was trying to make him feel better.
"Its not like that." I replied shaking my head. "I wasn't worried I was…..ok I was worried! Jane you know better then to go running blindly off after a person or if you're going to at least tell me so I can try to contain the disaster that its going to turn out to be!" I yelled turning towards him angrily. He looked at me with a smile then shook his head taking another swig of the liquor.
"I'm really sorry Lisbon. Had I known you'd be-" and with that I slapped him. I slapped him hard not wanting to hear the rest of that sentence that was coming out of him.
"That I what? Would be worried? That I cared? Look! Even if I yell at you all the time doesn't mean I don't give a damn Jane! You help this team more then you know and hell because of you, I enjoy coming in even on the bad days! You know why? Cause I know at least you'll be able to make it a little bit better with just you being there!" Oh I was in trouble now but I couldn't stop my self from yelling more. "If you got hurt, I- the team, we wouldn't know what to do. It would never be the same with out you!" I yelled. He looked at me then looked to the floor for once looking away from me as he talked.
"He didn't deserve to live Lisbon, he didn't deserve to live another day for what he did to his little girl, let alone his wife! I had to make sure he'd pay!" he yelled clenching his fists tightly. "That idiot, wanting the money? All the money in the world is worth nothing especially if he doesn't have a family that he can spend it on!" he yelled louder this time pounding his fist into the couch's arm rest. "That bastard deserved to die right there Lisbon. And I'm glad he did!" then he looked over at me and my eyes widened in surprie at what I saw. The man behind the mask that was the actual Patrick Jane was now looking at me with out some goofy grin or charming smile. But the actual man that lurked behind that Jane "I'm sorry for my actions but I don't regret doing what I did, doing what I made you and Rigsby have to do. Cause the world is a better place now because that bastard isn't in it!"
"I know." I said with a smile and raised my hand again as he flinched to brace himself for another slap as I placed my hand gently against his face. "Just, don't go running off with out a word ok? We might not have made it in time and that's the only thing that has me mad right now Jane. The fact that you got hurt is the only thing I regret about shooting that guy. I-I should have been there sooner. He should have never laid a hand on you" The last part I had said in almost a whisper dropping my hand to my side, but Jane smiled anyhow and with that we fell to silence as he took another swig of the alcohol.
We sat quietly next to each other for a few minutes passing the bottle back and forth each taking a swig. We had the bottle three fourths of the way done now and I was leaning up against his shoulder trying to stay conscious hoping not to fall into a drunken sleep right here with Jane. He then started to move which sent me back into reality and caused me to sit up straight. He got to his feet wobbling for a second as he started towards the door.
"I-where are you going?" I blurted out. "Don't you dare think you're going to be driving home in the state that your in, let alone leave me here." I warned as he looked back towards me then walked back over to me standing in front of me looking down on me.
"So will you be sleeping with me tonight Lisbon or should I call you a cab?" he asked as I looked up at him wide eyed and became quite a bright shade of red which made him grin instantly. "Not like that, I meant will you be crashing here in the office with me or will you be going home tonight. I would never try to seduce you while we were both intoxicated."
I gulped then looked away trying to hide the fact that I was blushing even though the man in front of me knew damn well that I was.
"I knew what you meant. And I'll stick around as long as you do." I explained as he nodded. "I can't let you be unattended to while you're injured." I explained as he gave me and amused smirk.
"Of course." he said with a nod. "And I thank you for being so worried but I can in fact take care of my self."
"I know, but who knows what trouble you'll get into while being on your on and drunk." I snapped back "I can just see it now, I'll finally be ready to sleep when I get a phone call from the police department a county over that now has you in their custody because you were doing something foolish." I explained. He laughed at this then nodded and turned to walk away from me again. "Jane!" I yelled as he looked back at me.
"I'm just going to get some blankets, don't worry Lisbon. I'll be back within the minute." he said with a wink. I sighed then nodded and laid down on the leather couch that Jane had always taken over. I smiled laying there realizing why I had allowed this couch to be in here in the first place it was quite a comfortable couch and with that I closed my eyes to count to 60 before I went to go after Jane.
I shot up quickly realizing that I had made it to 10 before I couldn't remember counting anymore and felt someone move beside me. I looked up seeing Jane looking down at me a blanket in his hand.
"Sorry, I got locked in the storage. Luckily the janitor was making his rounds. I hope you didn't worry to much." Jane explained looking down on me. I looked up at him curiously as his words finally registered then nodded.
"I should put a tracking device on you." I grumbled laying back down on the couch. He smiled down at me placing the blanket on me as I smiled slightly at the gesture. "Thanks." I mumbled as he nodded and placed his one hand on the arm rest above my head and his other arm on the back of the couch behind me. It took me a second to realize what he was doing as he leaned down towards me. "Jane what are you-" and before I could finish he kissed me on the forehead. "-doing?" I asked as I turned a brighter red.
"G'nite Lisbon." he whispered still mere inches away from my face. I gulped then found my self reaching up to grab him by the collar of his shirt. I saw him smile as I pulled him down closer so that our noses were now touching.
"Jane." I whispered as he smiled and I could feel his breath brush up against my face as he let out a laugh.
"What is it?" he asked back not daring to move any closer to me as I slowly started to close in on his lips.
"Just stop doing reckless things." I whispered back then bumped my forehead against his letting his shirt collar go. He smiled then stood up fully looking down at me as I rolled to my stomach pulling my blanket over my head. "Good night Jane." I muttered and he nodded back.
"G'nite boss." he smiled back as he took his own place on the floor beside the couch. We wound up spending the night there and when I woke the next morning surprisingly without a hangover I looked down to see a snoring Mentalist on the ground beside me. I laughed quietly to myself realizing that I could probably get used to his sleeping form laying there next to me every morning. Then I felt a pang in my chest. I'm in love with him.
And with that I groaned falling back onto the couch now wishing I had a hangover instead of this feeling in my chest. At least it was Saturday and no one would be in this early in the morning.
"Damn it!" I cursed out loud. Jane could never find this out about me.
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By the way I didn't get this beta'd so if anyone is up for being my beta could you perhaps tell me? I'd happily have you aboard.
