Wow, our favorite couple finally reenters the outside world...
Warning: A bit angsty...
Grumpily she decided to do as he asked, though she didn't like it one bit. But she did trust him. He came from that world after all, and the last time she'd been to a carnival with him, she'd been identified as a cop by virtually everyone immediately. And she loved those jeans, but didn't really dare to wear them often, because they were so casual and unlike her normal attire. Damn the sneaky bastard for finding them.
She left the bathroom and went to her closet to change. She heard him rummaging in the guest room, which reminded her that she would have to clear out some space in her closet for him. Of course he could use the guest room to stash his things, but it didn't feel right. She wanted this to be their bedroom. She looked at herself in the mirror that made up one of the closet doors and had to admit that her outfit looked good, like she was ready for real leisure time.
She stepped out of her bedroom at the same time he left the spare room. He cast her an appreciative look. "Beautiful, Emy. You look absolutely stunning. Still a bit coppish, but that can't be helped."
"Thanks," she said hesitantly.
She looked him over and wasn't so sure about her own outfit anymore. She felt completely underdressed. He wore a charcoal colored suit with a vest in a slightly lighter grey and a crisp white shirt, a perfectly ironed one for once. He even wore black shoes, to her ultimate surprise. His hair was styled as neatly as was possible with his unruly curls. To her, he looked for all the world like the perfect picture of a magician ready for a stage performance in front of thousands of people. Absolutely staggering, in other words, and with a mystical air about him that made her dizzy. He was freshly shaved and wore his usual cologne and she was hard pressed not to tear the clothes off him and ravish him on the spot.
"What the hell, Jane!" she exclaimed after a moment to compose herself. "I'll look like a tramp beside you."
"Nonsense, Lisbon. You look good enough to eat. Burgundy really suits you," he reassured warmly.
"Why did you decide to wear your best suit after asking me to dress in my most casual pair of jeans?" she inquired, still miffed.
He looked at her gravely. "I'm going to meet quite a few people from my past today. This-" he indicated his outfit with a wave of his hand, "-is just a guise, Teresa. I need that, okay? It'll be easier that way. It makes me more comfortable. And it's what people will expect to see." He pecked her lips and added with a wink. "Why don't you see it that way: My jeans are only for you. Like our very own dirty little secret."
"I guess I understand where you're coming from. I still feel a bit underdressed. Anyway, it's time to get going. My car and I'll drive," she said resolutely.
He pouted a bit at that, but decided not to argue for once.
They drove mostly in silence and Jane caught another nap. At five to two they entered the parking lot adjacent to the fairground. As if on cue, Patrick woke up, yawned, stretched like a cat and said, "Ah, terrific instincts. I always feel it in my left little toe when a carnival is close by."
She chuckled. "I don't believe a word of that, but welcome back to the land of the living."
They left the car and Patrick came around to her side, took hold of her hand and intertwined their fingers. Teresa could see some tension in his demeanor. "Are you nervous, imp?"
"A little, I guess. I hope it's alright to use your hand as a lifeline," he answered slightly sheepishly.
"Absolutely. I like holding hands with you – for whatever reason. Ah, look over there, Ben's waving at us. Come on."
They went over to the entrance of the fairground where the juggler was standing. "Rick, Teresa. How nice to see you again so soon," he exclaimed with a big smile. "And do I see, what I see? Holding hands? Does it mean what it seems to mean?"
The new couple nodded their heads and found themselves immediately in a tight embrace. "Oh, I'm so happy for the two of you! I knew it would happen eventually but I didn't expect it so fast. Good for you."
"Ben? Shouldn't you probably introduce us to the lovely lady at your side, who is incidentally also carrying a baby with your exact nose? No, wait!" Patrick paused a moment and took a better look. "Katy? Katy Stuart? No way! Your parents still own that tunnel of horrors?" he asked smiling.
Ben released Patrick and Teresa and nodded proudly. "Yes, this is my beautiful wife Kathryn and our son Evan. He is nearly a year old. A bit shy right now."
The woman, who'd been silent so far, stepped forward in Jane's direction. "Patrick, it's good to see you. Must be over twenty years since last time. And yes, my folks are still into ghosts. Combined with Ben's parents, imagine the horror for the next generation: shooting ghosts," she grinned and leaned a bit towards Jane to peck him on the cheek.
And at that moment, the special Jane children super charm made a spectacular appearance. The little boy, who until then had done everything to melt into his mother and hide, stretched out his arms in Patrick's direction in the universally known children's gesture saying pick me up.
Jane smiled happily at the little tyke and asked his mother, "May I?"
Kathryn looked at her son in pure astonishment and shook her head in disbelieve. "I don't get it. He's usually very shy with strangers."
She handed the child over to Patrick, who looked like Christmas had come early. "Hello there, little juggler. I'm Patrick. Nice to meet you, Evan." The child gurgled brightly.
Lisbon took that as her cue to introduce herself to the other woman since her lover couldn't be expected to utter anything sensible at the moment. "Hi, I'm Teresa. I'm Jane's boss. And what you're seeing right now, I'm sure every kid instinctively senses at once – that they've found a partner in crime, a kindred spirit, so to speak. It happens each and every time he's in close proximity to someone below the age of 15. Everyone above that age, well, that's another story altogether…"
The two women laughed and shook hands. Kathryn asked, "Boss? I might not know much about law enforcement, but somehow I doubt it involves holding hands with subordinates."
Patrick picked that moment to reenter the adults' conversation. "Yeah, the boss thing is just some rather persistent illusion she's been afflicted with for nearly nine years now. I'm her consultant, hence coequal. And holding hands was by far the best counsel I could give her."
He grinned fondly at his lover and carefully, so as not to spook the small boy he was still carrying, he cupped Teresa's cheek and leaned in for a passionate kiss. Teresa wasn't sure about this PDA but didn't have the heart to rebuff him. She knew him well enough to notice that he was still filled with tension, though playing with Evan had calmed him a bit.
"Oh, young love. What a nice thing to witness," someone spoke from behind Patrick's shoulder. "And a child as well? My, my. It's incredible what you two can accomplish in a matter of 40 hours. Others need months to get there."
Patrick had broken the kiss the moment he heard the voice of his oldest friend. He turned around with a happy smile. "Andy. Good to see you, man," he said before turning his attention to the child in his arms. "Shsh, little one. The big hunk there is safe. No reason to pull a face," he cooed.
Kathryn came forward and said, "Just give him back to me, Rick, so you can greet your friends in peace."
Jane handed the boy over with a disappointed expression. "If I must. He's gorgeous, by the way. Congratulations."
"Yes, he is. Thank you," she replied and gave Patrick's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'll have to go and put him down for a nap soon anyway."
They finished their mutual greetings and went to enter the fairground. Soon after, Katy took her leave. Ben walked over to Jane and asked, "Rick, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure thing. What's the matter?" Patrick inquired curiously.
"You won't like it, I'm afraid. It's about your father."
"What about him? If this is about you telling Teresa things you had no right to divulge, then know that it is only due to her insistence that I'm not reaming you out good right now," Jane said tersely.
Ben looked guilty at the accusation. "Sorry, mate. But I wanted you to have someone to be there for you. And Teresa can't support you without knowing some facts. I'm really sorry I broke your trust like that, but I don't regret it one bit. Especially seeing that you two are actually together now."
"Yeah, well. There's that. And it's the only reason I might forgive you," Jane replied.
"Unfortunately, that isn't the thing I wanted to tell you regarding Alex. No. I don't really know how to sugarcoat this, but your father just showed up here all of a sudden last night," Ben explained cautiously.
"What?!" Patrick exclaimed. "Teresa stop. We're leaving. Now!" he ordered, already turning to go back to the parking lot. He was panting, tension perceptible in his whole stance.
Ben grabbed his shoulder and stopped him mid-step. "Rick, please. Slow down a sec."
"Let me go, you bastard. Why the hell didn't you tell me before I came out here? Fucking hell! And you call yourself my friend?" Patrick cursed in a way completely alien to his normal speech pattern.
Teresa was at his side immediately. "What's going on? What did you do, Ben? Patrick love, what's up? You're shaking."
"I need to leave. Please, let's just leave," he begged her.
"If that's what you want. But why? Please, tell me what's wrong."
Ben stepped up at that. "I'm really sorry. I should have called you and told you. But there's no guaranty you'll even meet him. And maybe it might even do you some good to see him again. It's been over twenty years, Rick."
"Who died and made you god? Have you just suddenly decided that from now on, you know what's best for me? You have no right, absolutely no right to force something like that on me," Jane ranted.
Andy spoke up at that point. "Could someone please enlighten the rest of us on what is going on here?"
Ben answered in a rather subdue voice. "Alex Jane suddenly appeared here with his trailer yesterday evening. He asked the circuit leader Larry for permission to travel with us. Turns out the folks he used to travel with got finally fed up with him and threw him out. Larry hasn't decided his fate yet."
Andy cast an angry glance at his old companion. "Really Ben, how could you do that to Rick? You should have called me."
Patrick was as white as a sheet and shaking like a leaf. Teresa held him in a tight embrace and drew comforting circles on his back. "Sh, love. I've got you. It's okay. Come on, let's sit down for a moment. There's a bench just a few steps behind you," she whispered in his ear and steered him in the direction of the seat.
She pushed him down onto it gently and sat close beside him. "Come on. Deep breaths. Yes, just like that. You're doing fine," she calmed him, still caressing his back.
She sighed with relief when she could feel him relax. "Patrick, look at me," she ordered, and he complied. "I'm not happy with this," she cast a murderous glance in Ben's direction, "and I understand it if you want to leave. But I'd much rather you didn't allow that bastard to ruin our day here. He has no power over you. And you're here with your friends, with me, with your real family. You are strong, love. You can deal with this. Don't run away. If you bunk now, you're going to regret it, I'm sure of that. We're all here with you, okay?" she pleaded with him.
Patrick had managed to somewhat compose himself again. He answered quietly so only she could hear him. "I'm not sure I can do this, Emy. You know I'm a coward. I'm not sure I can bear his taunts."
She caressed his cheek. "Patrick, please remember: He only has the power to judge you because you grant it to him. He isn't worthy of that, love. You are a good man, he is not. Never forget that. I love you, my imp. And you are not a coward. Don't sell yourself short, please."
Patrick nodded his head in defeat. "Alright. We'll stay for a while. But if this ends in disaster, I reserve my right to say 'I told you so.'"
"That's the spirit. Come on now. I'm hungry. I want to eat a whole bunch of totally unhealthy carnival food." She stood up, grabbed his hand and pulled him off the bench and back to the rest of their party.
TBC
Same old: Reviews make my day and all that... and as I'm sick and on sick leave for the whole week, I'm in need of some extra pampering...
