Author's notes: A big thank you to every one for your reviews and follows and favourites. Your support is important to me and keeps me going. Enjoy this chapter (I hope)
It's been an uneventful journey spent in companionable small talk. The movement of the car sent Lisbon in to dreamland for the last hour of the journey. She wakes up as she feels Jane park the car. She blinks her eyes and stretches her arms to remove the stiffness that's developed.
"Where are we?"
"Lunch sleepy head."
Lisbon looks behind her and sees that Jane has stopped at a Mexican restaurant."
"Mexican. Yummy."
Jane breaks into a delighted smile.
"Glad you approve. The entrance to Yosemite is just down the road a few miles."
They exit the car and the heat assaults their bodies after the luxury of air-conditioning.
"Wow! It's hot!"
Lisbon receives no reply, when she looks over at Jane he's also stretching his muscles pulling his arms back, his head's turned up to the sun and his eyes are closed. His skin seems to be drinking in the suns rays. Lisbon's seen Jane do this a few times and always feels that she's intruding on some meditative moment. Without opening his eyes Jane suddenly speaks, making her jump.
"Go on, give it a go Lisbon. Just turn your face to the sun and allow it to communicate with you. It's happy to share its energy. You'll be amazed how much better you'll feel."
"Communicate with me, really Jane?"
Jane opens one eye and looks at her.
"You'll be surprised Lisbon. Don't mock without trying."
"I'll pass, Ill meet you inside once you and the sun have finished your conversation."
Jane lowers his arms and rolls his eyes upward while following Lisbon towards the restaurant.
"I was inspired to choose Yosemite, you obviously need to learn to tune in to nature and enjoy the wonders it holds."
"Maybe we'll meet a bear."
Having got to the door first, Lisbon is holding it open.
"A bear. I'd like to see you try to communicate with on of those."
Jane places one of his hands on the door and invites Lisbon to go before him, which she does.
"Aw they're just teddy bears."
"Yea like Red John was just a man who liked to paint."
"And I got the better of him."
"You were saved by the Calvary, twice."
"Ah I must correct you there. The second time was a successful outcome of a well devised plan, of mine no less."
Jane pulls out Lisbon's chair and then sits down himself opposite her.
"Okay Grizzley Adams, if we see a bear he's all yours."
Jane cocks his head to one side and looks at her quizzically.
"Grizzley Adams, who's Grizzley Adams?"
"He's a guy from a tv show who befriended a bear."
"See! And you doubt me."
"It was a tv show and a trained bear."
"In the carnival I helped train a lot of the animals, a bear will be easy. I bet Pete would be pleased if I rolled up with a bear."
"You're more likely to roll up in a coffin, now shhh and choose what you want to order.
Jane peruses the menu for a while and then in a disappointed voice, just loud enough for Lisbon to hear:
"Mmmm I thought there'd be bear meat."
In the end they both order a Taco salad. The meat is spiced to perfection and they both quickly polish off their plates.
"You made a good choice Jane."
"Well Thank you Lisbon."
The waitress comes over and Lisbon orders a soda while Jane's is a cup of tea.
"I saw a clothes store as we were driving through town, I thought we could go back and I would pick up a few more things."
"That's a good idea, neither one of us came ready for hiking."
"I thought we could pick up a backpack to carry lunch around with us."
"Perhaps something to keep water cold as well."
Jane nods his head. The waitress places their drinks in front of them. They grow silent for a while, Jane starts rubbing his finger around the edge of his cup.
"What's up Jane?"
"Mmmm?"
"You seem to want to ask something?"
Jane becomes aware of what he's doing and smiles at her.
"You're getting good at this."
"Yea whatever."
"I-I-I was thinking that we're on holiday together, as friends, not work colleagues, and you're my best friend, and I would like to call you Teresa and for you to call me Patrick."
Lisbon's taken off guard.
"S-s-sure."
"I know it'll be strange at first..."
"You can say that again."
"...but it seems silly after all we've been through and...and what you've done for me, to be calling each other by our surnames. I think we should at least try it out, see how it fits. It's nothing romantic or anything. If you don't like it we can always go back, Teresa."
Jane was looking down at his cup, tapping the rim with his finger, while he spoke, but, raises his head and looks Lisbon in the eye as he says her name. It would seem like a challenge, if Lisbon, didn't also notice that his finger, was once more, circling the rim of his cup. This speaks volumes to her of the depth of his feelings. She knows, through experience, that he's perfectly capable of hiding his true emotions from her. The thought occurs to her that it could be reverse manipulation, but, she can't come up with any reason why he would lie to her, and as she looks in to his face, she trusts her instincts, that he's being open and honest with her.
"Okay Patrick, first names it is."
She can't deny it feels strange, she's never called him by his first name before, unlike Jane, who has called her Teresa in the past, and suddenly the image of him strapped to a chair, battered, bleeding and tormented, gasping her name pushes itself into her mind. Tears prick her eyes, she grabs her napkin and tries to conceal her reactions, but Jane, of course, doesn't miss a thing.
"What's wrong? If it's that big a deal you can call me Brian, David, or Jack Ass, which ever's easiest."
Lisbon can't help herself laughing in to her napkin. She looks up to see a gentle concerned smile on his face.
"Jack Ass does sound better."
Jane beams but his concern is still apparent.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Something in my eye."
Jane, of course, knows she's not telling the truth, but also sees that she's fine really, and relinquishes to her privacy. He drains his cup and places it back on the table.
"Time to shop Teresa."
Lisbon stands up gratefully.
"Let's go Jack."