Okay… I wrote chapter 3 today, and I have really bad news for the fluff-lovers among you: this is getting A LOT angstier than I intended, and I don't have a real choice about that… so I hope you don't mind. I can promise you a happy ending, although Red John will still be in the picture… but at least, I'll make both of them act true to their feelings, so don't worry. I just have to lead you into the valley first… sorry, but I guess the finale didn't leave happy-peppy vibes with me (although I loved it so much!).
About the OOCness that has been mentioned: it's true. I like to make Jane lose control when he never does so on the show, so I push and kick him a little until he behaves in strange ways… I like it that way, but it's true that I tend to send him roads he might not travel in an actual episode. If that's not what you like: do not read this story!
Thank you so much for your feedback- it means the world to me and encourages me to go on even if stories take other directions than what I planned for them- bear with me, there's light at the end of the tunnel!
Disclaimer: I don't own "The Mentalist", and I don't make money from fan fiction.
Chapter 2
Jane sat inside his hotel room and felt feverish with dread. How could he stop her?
With a sigh he flopped down on his bed. He knew he couldn't, because he had pretty much insulted her with his poor choice of words. Now she thought he didn't find her attractive, which couldn't be farther from the truth.
His hands brushed over the plushy comforter beneath him while he imagined touching her soft skin instead, saw a happy, relaxed Lisbon in front of his mind's eye, sated from hours of lovemaking… he briskly shook his head to clear his traitorous mind, welcoming the coldness back inside, a numbness he needed to function. He couldn't have Teresa Lisbon. Because she needed to be protected from Red John, and he was the only one who could do that- by keeping his distance. By making his nemesis believe that Lisbon was nothing but his partner… after all, that was bad enough.
To make her his lover would mean giving her Angela's position in his life. And with a bitter, searing pain that pierced his heart he acknowledged that there was no place more dangerous than that.
For a moment he allowed himself to dream. What would it be like, moving on? Lisbon pregnant with his child. Them buying a house together, getting a dog, quarreling about open toilet lids… he sighed with longing, tears bubbling up his throat.
No. That was delusional. He would never have that again, and it would be cruel to inflict his damaged life on sweet little Teresa.
Agent Lisbon who was about to risk her life in a reckless, stupid maneuver to tempt a killer.
He had to stop this, now.
He jumped to his feet and raced to the door, when a distinctive knock made him freeze.
He opened cautiously. Bertram stood on the doorstep, immediately stepping over the threshold, invading his personal space. Jane didn't back off. They eyed each other coldly.
"Director Bertram." Jane drawled. "May I help you?"
Bertram smiled an icy smile.
"I'm just here to escort you to the surveillance van- to make sure you don't attempt to follow Lisbon on your own."
A freezing shudder ran down Jane's spine, but he had no problem masking it.
"She's my colleague. She has no experience with undercover operations like this, unlike Grace, who has played the bait for us before. I just want to make sure everybody stays safe."
Bertram's grin deepened.
"I think you're underestimating Agent Lisbon, Mr. Jane. I have trained personnel following her and Agent Van Pelt everywhere, so you absolutely don't need to worry. If you would accompany me to the surveillance van now, please?"
Jane wanted to protest, desperately, but he couldn't risk making his concern look even more suspicious than it already did. After all, he could be talking to Red John this very moment. So he nodded curtly and followed Bertram to the van.
In fact, it was more like an oversized truck, parked close to the beach in a car park, surrounded by other large delivery trucks.
Jane could hear the noise of the Venice strip, see a hint of scantily clad bodies now and then. He almost whimpered. One of them was the woman he… his partner.
It was stifling hot inside the van, Rigsby and Cho nodded at him in quiet, equally concerned greeting. A CBI technician manned the monitors, the crackling reports of faceless agents filling the space around them, their voices oozing from several loudspeakers all over the crowded room.
Jane was glad when Bertram immediately left to have lunch with the governor, and released a relieved breath. He was sweating and felt dizzy from lack of food, but he stubbornly remained standing, much too nervous to sit still anyway.
"Subject B on its way to the strip now." The bodiless voice from the radio crackled.
Rigsby looked at Jane.
"Subject A is Grace, subject B Lisbon."
Jane's blood went hot- subject? That was his Teresa, risking her life dressing up for a monster!
He started pacing the free square meter of space he had, his skin itching with the need to find her, protect her.
It was ingrained into his soul- save her, kill for her, die for her. Protect her with your very life.
He felt like a caged tiger.
Xxxxxxxxxx
Time to find comfort in the small things- at least she had no difficulties walking on high heels. She gave her hips what she thought to be an enticing sway and tried to ignore the quite obviously interested looks of the strange men passing her by.
Sure, it was somehow flattering. Especially since a certain someone obviously didn't find her sexy at all. But mostly she felt nauseous from the chills the whole situation gave her, a stranger inside her own skin.
If somebody dared to touch her, she would throttle him on the spot.
She tried to recall the facts from her files, which served the purpose to make her look mentally occupied, unsuspicious. While the victims she tried to imitate had been extremely attractive, they hadn't been risky in their sexual behavior. All of them had come out of long relationships, had been freshly separated, maybe looking for a change, the proof that they still had been able to attract men after having lost the loves of their lives.
She had never had the love of her life. Oh, how she wished that he could see her now. But maybe he would just shrug and yawn pointedly. Not interested at all, thank you very much.
She berated herself silently. Was she crazy, thinking girlish, self-pitying thoughts in the middle of an undercover mission? Time to focus, Agent!
She'd been out and about for several hours now, had sat on the beach for a while, smiling at countless flirty men, avoiding closer contact as good as she could, not wanting to initiate anything on her own. Since all the killed women hadn't been great seductresses, the butcher shouldn't be surprised that she was nervous as hell, so she didn't try too hard to hide it.
What had Jane said? As close to the truth as possible.
Her feet aching in her sexy stiletto heels, she retreated to the next bar in the evening. It was a fairly harmless one, beachy interior, lots of tourists, nothing shady.
She ordered a Sex on the Beach, because it was the first fashionable girls' drink that came to her mind, and watched the other guests discreetly. She hated sweetish alcoholic beverages, but hey- all for the cover.
"How did such a gorgeous woman manage to be all alone at this social time of the evening?"
She felt her skin prickle. It wasn't that she hadn't heard these words countless times in different variations all day, but this time, her instincts chimed in. She turned slowly, not bothering to fake a smile, but aiming for innocent curiosity instead. He looked normal. Harmless. Middle brown hair, pretty tall, not unattractive. But while his disguise might be sufficient for heart-broken beauty-queens turned housewives, he was no Patrick Jane or Red John… and she was a cop.
Her alarm bells rang full force. This was their man.
She smiled briefly and tried to turn up her sexy. The point was trying, she didn't need to flash him away, he liked the awkward ones.
"So why wouldn't you redeem that?" she said softly, almost shyly, and pretended to take a sip from her drink.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"Subject B lost- I repeat, we lost her."
Jane almost screamed with fury.
"What?" he exclaimed, "That can't be happening, what kind of idiots did you put on her trail, dammit? She might be alone with a maniac killer right now!"
"Stay calm," Rigsby said, but his face showed equal concern, "the boss can fight for herself, she's tough as nails."
Jane stared at him.
"Are you out of your mind? Did you see what he DID to these poor women? I want Lisbon back, immediately!"
He knew he sounded like a moody kid demanding his favorite toy, but he didn't give a damn. If Lisbon didn't reappear on the radar right now, he would go looking for her himself!
His cellphone rang, and he answered it briskly, anger and worry coloring his voice.
Lisbon sounded slightly breathless, but not in pain, and the relief coursing through his body was so strong everything went black for a second.
"Jane- send a team my way. I got him."
Xxxxxxxxxx
When Serious Crimes arrived at the address Lisbon had given them, first responders were already working, the killer handcuffed and stowed into a car on his way to the police department.
Jane's eyes kept frantically searching for Lisbon, but when he found her, he stopped dead in his tracks.
Holy hell.
She wore a tiny, flaming red bikini, almost like a blinking arrow marking her as prey. And damn… what a body. He wasn't surprised, though. He'd always known she was a beauty, but she was HIS beauty for god sake. No… he didn't really mean it that way, what he meant was… oh, what the hey.
He stormed over to the corner where she was standing, trying to use his own frame to hide her from any leering gazes. She tried to play it cool, but this was Teresa Lisbon, and she could hide nothing from him.
She was so relieved to see him, it warmed his heart.
He stepped up to her, so close her pert little breasts brushed against his shirt. He looked down, took in her slim, freckled shoulders, the graceful column of her neck, the pale décolleté. She was exquisite, and he swallowed drily.
"Are you alright?" he said, his voice soft and gentle, exhaling slowly in relief when she nodded.
"There was a short fight, but he's no Red John. He wasn't up for the whole thing. I think Venice PD might have been able to do this operation themselves, they just got scared by the massacres he made of his killings. But his rage was more impressive than his method. He was careless. We have a whole bunch of DNA to match with his. He's toast."
Jane nodded solemnly.
He clenched his hands to stop himself from touching her, cause there was nothing he wanted more at the moment. An EMT handed him a blanket and he unfolded it, carefully wrapping Lisbon's small body in the fabric.
"Jane," she said, "it's about 4000 degrees around here. I don't need a blanket, really."
"Then let's get you to the hotel, so you can change out of these clothes."
She got defiant in a matter of seconds, and he scolded himself. Damn his feelings, they made a fool out of him, and he was doing a great job with not loving her, really. BRILLIANT work, Jane.
"You don't like them?" she asked, her voice cold.
"I like them," he said without really thinking, all kinds of feelings chasing each other in his mind, "I just don't like you wearing them."
Damn, that sounded as if…
"Too bad, Jane," she snarled, "I like wearing them."
She pushed the blanket from her shoulders and walked away without giving him another glance, only to be stopped by Bertram.
"Venice PD wants to thank us for the good job," the director started," and offers all of you a free stay for the next two weeks, right after you finished the interviews with the butcher- I'm willing to grant the core team a little holiday, you deserve it, and summer is a slow time in the office anyway. I could call you back when I need you, so why not enjoy the sun and the beach until then, huh?"
Lisbon turned and glared at Jane, who was mighty distracted by her enticing backside.
When she faced Bertram again, the air was thick enough to cut it with a knife.
"That sounds great, director," she said sweetly, "I think we all could need a little relaxation."
She stormed out of the room before Jane could say anything.
TBC
Next chapter uppppp…. Tomorrow! Brace herself, that one will be pretty angsty… sorry! Thank you so much for your support!