OK, so I know I am several months behind here. I plead a combination of real life and depression over my ship being so thoroughly submarined. No, I am not over it yet!

I will try to catch us up.

In the spirit of begging forgiveness, I offer this little drabble for June. Father's day would have been too depressing, I think, considering our friend's respective histories.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but a house full of wet pool towels!

JUNE - My Fair Lady

Milky white skin was wonderful for a heroine in a romance novel. In modern California, it was hell on earth. Freckles were cute on an 8 year old but on 26 year old agent with the CBI, it wasn't the look she needed. She wanted to look serious. Even Lisbon, who was 7 inches shorter and should look cute, managed to look serious.

Of course, having a very public 'secret' romance with a fellow agent broken up by your superior didn't help at all. She wanted to seem tough and strong. What she looked like was a dopey chick, an empty badge. In short, she was becoming all of those stereotypes that old cops and agents spouted about women. It sucked.

She had learned her lesson. She was done dragging her love life through the CBI. That included one disastrous romance with a deranged lawyer intent on revenge against Patrick Jane.

She was going to take her clue from Cho. She would be serious. She would keep her emotions and opinions to herself unless they related directly to solving a case. She would not let Patrick Jane bait her any longer about Wayne, no, Rigsby.

She resolved all this over the weekend while at the beach. She had taken a long walk along the shore and stopped to watch the waves. It was warm, too warm for the long sleeved T-Shirt she was wearing. So, she went down a layer to her cami. Hell, she was covered in the essential areas. The warmth of the sun and the lapping of the waves soothed her spirit. It calmed her and made her course of action clear. She knew what she had to do.

It wasn't until she got home and took a quick shower that she first noticed the heat and stinging. One glance in the mirror confirmed it. Between the red hair and the bright red color of her skin, she looked like a lobster in search of some butter. All that skin she had exposed by wearing a cami to the beach was burned. She knew from experience it would fade, leaving a huge new crop of freckles in it's wake.

This was only Saturday. By Monday she would still look ridiculous and worse, hurt like hell. Once she started peeling, the new skin would be delicate and sensitive. Work clothes were going to hurt.

So much for the serious agent she was going to be on Monday. Instead she would be a mess. She sighed and grabbed the tube of aloe gel. Hopefully, between that, some cool soaks in the tub and a little antihistamine, she could get through the worst of it fast.

She wore her lightest weight top on Monday and it was still painful. Her shoulder had blistered and begun to peel. This would be the week from Hell.

She had never understood why having red hair gave perfect strangers the right to comment about your appearance. Yes, she knew her hair was red. Yes, she knew was tall. Yes, she knew she was pretty. Add a layer of sunburn to this and it was open season.

"Oh sweetie, rub some aloe on that!" The woman in the coffee shop yelled.

"You should really wear sunscreen being so pale and all". That helpful comment came from the guard at the parking lot.

"Wear a hat to the beach next time!" Nickerson from Cybercrimes, who was as pale as her offered.

By the time she hit the bullpen, she was sore, sunburned, and irrateted. Cho looked up and actually stared at her for a long moment. Wisely, he sensed her mood and said nothing. Lisbon winced in sympathy for a quick moment and quietly asked "Would you prefer to stay in the office today?" Rigsby started to say something and then stopped mid syllable at her glare.

Jane smirked and murmured "keep hydrated Van Pelt"

The bottle of water and tube of aloe cream on her desk shocked her. It seemed to shock everyone else, but Jane. How the hell did he do that?

This one was inspired by my daughters first sunburn of the season when every person at the bank where she works felt compelled to comment on it. Like Grace, she has very fair skin.

July will be coming soon, I promise, but Reviews help those lazy bunnies along!