Simple Diversions

A/N: Sorry for the late update :( It's been a VERY busy week! I got NO writing done WHATSOEVER! But here is the next chapter! Please review! It'll make my day :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mentalist or any of the characters or ideas.

Chapter 9

Monday came faster than either of them would have liked. They did enjoy a semi romantic weekend. Although, they did spend most of it upstairs in Mia's bedroom.

"I hate getting up and going to work," Mia said as she lay with her head on Jane's bare chest.

"Me too," Jane replied. "But we have to go."

It was only four in the morning as Jane and Mia lay and looked at the ceiling. Apparently Mia also suffered from insomnia, but her nightmares were somewhat different.

"I hope we don't have another clichéd case today." Jane said as he played with a strand of Mia's hair.

"Yeah," Mia replied absentmindedly. "As long as there are no angry lovers I'm OK."

They sat in silence again, just listening to the occasional car that drove past.

"What are you gonna wear to work today?" Jane asked as he turned so that he was facing Mia.

"I don't know," Mia replied as she brushed a stray curl from Jane's forehead. "Maybe just a plain tee and some jeans."

Jane hummed in agreement as he leaned closer and pecked her lightly on the lips. But before Jane could pull away, Mia snaked her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

After they pulled away, Mia reached over Jane's shoulder to pick up the little black clock that stood on the nightstand.

The clock read 04:15 and Mia gave a groan as she dropped the clock back down heavily.

Jane pulled Mia against his chest and tucked her head underneath his chin as he heaved a sigh.

"Why do you have to be so gorgeous?" Jane asked plainly which earned a desired giggle from Mia.

"I'm not the only gorgeous one," Mia replied. "I'm sure lots of women will agree."

Jane gave a chuckle that vibrated warmly through his chest and was music to Mia's ears.

Mia pulled back and gave Jane a kiss before pulling away and asking, "Tea?"

"Always," Jane replied with his megawatt grin as Mia stood before him in only her underwear.

xxxxx

After they had spent another couple of hours together trying to get ready for work, Mia and Jane said their goodbyes and headed to their seperate work places.

When Jane arrived he found that his colleagues had already started on their morning workload.

"Good morning everyone," Jane greeted with a wide grin.

"Morning Jane," came the chorus of replies from the three uninterested agents.

"You sound like you had a good weekend," Van Pelt said as she lifted her eyes from her computer screen.

"Well," Jane replied as he walked over to his couch. "The weekend was quite enjoyable."

"What did you do?" Rigsby asked suspiciously.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Jane replied with an innocent smirk.

"Whatever," Cho said as he took his latest novel out of his bag. "As long as it doesn't involve me, I'm good."

Jane settled down on his couch and closed his eyes as he thought about a certain Sac PD consultant who had decided to wear a shirt that went perfectly with her eyes.

Lisbon suddenly came out of her office and walked over to Van Pelt who handed her some paperwork.

Before Lisbon went back to her office, she went over to Jane's couch and greeted him.

"Morning Jane," Lisbon began. "You look awfully chipper today."

"I just had a good weekend, that's all." Jane replied without opening his eyes.

"Really?" Lisbon replied suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"Oh nothing," Jane replied with a slight yawn. "Some poetry here, a good cup of tea there."

"Whatever," Lisbon replied as she started making her way back to her office.

Just then Jane's phone started ringing in his pocket.

He took it out and checked the caller ID to see that it was in fact Mia calling him.

"Hola Senorita," Jane answered in perfect Spanish.

"There's no time for jokes now Patrick," Mia replied hastily. "We have a slight problem."

"What problem would that be?" Jane asked curiously.

"We have another case and Sac PD has to work with CBI."

"What's wrong with that?" Jane asked.

"Well," Mia replied a little angrily. "It might have something to do with the fact that we recently started dating."

"What do you mean?" Jane asked incredulously. "We're not breaking any rules."

"That's not the point." Mia said tiredly. "Every time I see you, I can't help but blush and feel like kissing you, you dork."

Jane gave a chuckle as he heard the slight humor in Mia's voice.

"Well, I guess that's not very professional." Jane said as he sat up on his couch.

"Dah," Mia replied matter-of-factly.

"Don't worry," Jane replied. "We'll figure something out."

"OK," Mia replied with a sigh. "See you soon."

"You too." Jane replied as he ended the phone call.

Just a Jane put his phone in his pocket Lisbon emerged from her office and announced, "Guys, we have a case."

xxxxx

Jane, Lisbon, Grace, Rigsby, and Cho pulled up to the bridge by the river that had become their latest crime scene.

Jane, Lisbon, and Cho walked over to Daniel Reese as he conversed with his right hand man, David Flood.

"Morning Agents," Daniel began. "And Jane. How are you all doing today, aside from the obvious?"

"We're all good, but I'm sure we're not the only ones who want this solved." Lisbon replied with a brief business like grin.

"Of course," Daniel replied. "Our victim is twenty-five year old Jessica Holden. She was found here this morning by a couple going for their morning jog."

"Cause of death?" Cho asked.

"Suffocation," Daniel replied as he led them over to the body. "We're not sure whether she drowned or if someone else stranggled her."

"It doesn't look like she was stranggled." Jane said as he bent down next to the body and started looking for clues.

Jane looked at Jessica's hands and feet and crawled over from the women's right side to her left.

While he was doing this Lisbon wiped a hand over her face and said somewhat apologetically, "Sorry, we don't train the consultants."

"Don't worry," Daniel replied as he watched Jane. "Mia did exactly the same thing earlier."

"At least we're not the only ones with a weird consultant." David Flood said as he wrote a few things in his notebook.

Jane stood from his crouch next to the body and came to stand by the four law enforcers.

"Well?" Lisbon asked after minute of silence.

"Oh, nothing important," Jane replied with a small smile. "Where's Mia?"

This last question was directed towards Daniel and David.

"Um, she was talking to the joggers over there." David replied as he pointed towards a large, black truck.

"Thank you," Jane plainly replied as he started walking towards the truck, leaving an annoyed Lisbon to discuss with Daniel a little more.

Jane strolled towards the truck, but only saw the joggers and a few crime scene personnel... no Mia.

Jane had puzzled look as he stood next to the truck and scanned the area with his eyes.

What he wasn't expecting was for someone to come up behind him and encircle his middle with their delicate, slender arms.

Jane put his hands over those belonging to the unknown 'hugger' and turned around to face them.

"Hello again," Jane said a he leaned down to kiss Mia.

But Jane's lips met with the soft skin of Mia's cheek, not his intended target.

Jane pulled back and looked into Mia's eyes with a question in his own.

"We're at work," Mia replied plainly, yet reassuringly as she ghosted he fingers over his slightly stubbled cheek.

Jane gave a nod of understanding as he asked, "So, what do you think so far?"

The two of them started slowly making their way towards the edge of the river bank.

"Well, I know she played an instrument," Mia replied with hands in pockets. "Probably guitar or violin, maybe even piano. Plus, she was a painter."

"How do you know she was painter?" Jane asked curiously. "I didn't see any paint on her hands."

"She had thinners on her fingers." Mia replied plainly. "Painters use the thinners to transfer the pattern they want onto their canvas."

"Huh, I guess I should've smelt her fingers." Jane replied with a small smile as they arrived on the soft sand of the fresh water bank.

"What did you find?" Mia asked as she crouched down beside the flowing water.

"Nothing that you didn't mention already." Jane replied as he looked around the nearby bushes and undergrowth.

"Hmm," Mia replied with an expression of confusion. "Well I think I've found something else."

Mia looked around her as if searching for something on the ground. Jane looked puzzled as he tried to see what Mia had found.

"Babe, could you hand me a long stick or something?" Mia asked as she stood from her position on the ground.

"Sure thing babe," Jane replied with a smug grin.

"Just hand me a stick." Mia said with annoyance, but her small smile dulled the bite in her sarcastic words.

Jane handed Mia a stick that was lying at his feet and watched as she twirled the end of it around in the water.

When she pulled the stick out it was covered in a pink substance that smelled odd.

"What is that?" Jane asked as he stood next to Mia and smelt the pink stuff.

"It's paint," Mia replied as she examined the end of the stick. "Someone must've dumped it from up stream, because there's more over there."

Mia pointed towards a multi colored blob that floated on the surface of the water.

"A lot more." Jane replied as he and Mia walked over to the blob.

"I wonder what we'll find if we follow the river upstream." Mia said as she threw her pink stick into the bushes.

"Why don't we find out?" Jane said with a mischievous grin as he grabbed Mia's hand and started pulling her up the trail.

Please leave a review! :)))