Chapter 24
I apologize for the delay in this chapter. I was on vacation and I had a little writer's block with this story. I've actually been working on my crossover story with Castle. The first chapter of X Marks the Spot is up on the Mentalist/Castle page. Please give it a read. I'm really proud of it so far. I've been working on it along with this story on the side. I know some of you may not be familiar with Castle or watch it but I think you would like it. It has a lot with Jane and Lisbon and the baby.
Disclaimer:Don't Own Show
After Dr. Kim left, Jane and Annie Lou took the kitten and put Pumpkin in the carrier and headed out to the car. "We have you checked out, Pumpkin." Annie Lou said to the kitten. "We're going home now."
"You were very helpful, Annie Lou." Jane said to his niece turning on the engine to drive out after getting in the car.
"Uncle Patrick, are you going to let the kitty sleep in the house?" Annie Lou asked.
"I'll have to ask your Aunt Teresa." Jane said.
They arrived back at the cabin when they saw his wife and his brother in law greet them at the front door.
"How's the cat?" Stan asked.
"Good, Daddy." Annie Lou said coming up to the porch with Jane following her with the cat carrier. He set it down and opened the a latch and the kitten rushed out to the makeshift bed they had made.
Lisbon came up to her husband as well. "How was it?" She asked her husband.
"I think I found someone possibly for Cho." Jane grinned. Lisbon looked at him.
"Are you playing matchmaker?" Lisbon asked. She knew that Cho was just happy being boss. He hadn't been interested in any dating prospects that she knew. She found out eventually after everything was said and done that Cho had been involved with the Confident Informant Summer Edgecomb. Of course, he had kept it secret enough from her when she was boss. Since then, he hadn't been interested in any other women that she knew about.
"The vet, Dr. Kim. I think he'd like her." Jane said.
"I don't think Cho would appreciate you getting into his personal life." Lisbon scolded.
"Well, it doesn't hurt to introduce him, is it? We have come back in a month with the kitten. He needs to be happy." Jane said.
"I think he's happy with being boss." Lisbon reminded her husband.
"Oh, Annie wants to know if we're going to let the cat in the house." Jane noted.
"We're not letting the cat in the house at least not yet." Lisbon said seriously going back inside the house.
After going back inside from playing with the cat, Annie Lou asked. "Can I see the baby?"
"You can see your cousin." Jane responded leaving to go to the nursery.
Jane brought in Lisby Michelle and held her. Annie Lou went up to him and looked at the baby. Jason came up as well. Stan and Karen watched as their children looked at their new cousin.
"I've never seen a baby girl. Only baby boys." Annie Lou remarked innocently. Jane grinned at hearing his niece. Lisbon and Karen laughed too at Annie Lou.
Stan laughed at the remark. "I'm sorry for depriving you of that experience, Annie Lou.
"She's so sleepy and little. When Brian and Paul came out of mommy's tummy, they slept all the time. My teacher said bears sleep a lot when it's winter. They hibinate." Annie remarked.
"I don't think babies are exactly like bears but they sleep a lot." Jane said laughing.
That night before Stan and his family would leave for Chicago, Jane cooked a meal of roast chicken, mashed potatoes,vegetables, and rolls.
"T, you married a gourmet chef. This is really good, Patrick." Stan raved taking a bite.
"I was happy to do it." Jane said smiling taking a bite."I love making sure your sister gets fed."
"I remember having mac and cheese nearly every night when you were still home." Stan said to his sister. Lisbon rolled her eyes.
Lisbon glared at her brother. " Not every night. I cooked pot roast. I'm sorry, I didn't always have time for gourmet meal. I had to watch you and your brothers." Lisbon reminded seriously.
"I know, T, I was just kidding, you did fine. We weren't that bad!" Stan said.
The next day before flying out to return to Chicago, Stan and his family were saying goodbye.
"Stan, it's good to see you again." Lisbon said Annie Lou and Jason played a little more with Pumpkin.
"Thanks for having us." Stan said hugging his sister.
"It's so good to see you, Teresa. I loved seeing your new little girl. Make sure you send pictures of her growing." Karen said.
"We will." Lisbon said.
"Uncle Patrick, you'll take care of Pumpkin?" Annie Lou asked "Aunt Tresa?" The little girl looked with begging eyes.
"Of course, we will. Right, Aunt Teresa?" Jane looked at his wife grinning.
"Of course, we will, Annie Lou." Lisbon looked at her niece. Annie Lou hugged her aunt and then Jane.
"Bye, Bye." Everyone waved as they entered into the car.
Jane with his arm wrapped around his wife, watched as their family left.
Getting back inside, Lisbon went straight to the couch. "Ah, Peace at last." Lisbon said falling into the couch. Jane joined her.
"I love your brother's family." Jane said.
"I know, I love them too. They're a great family, but overwhelming." Lisbon said.
"We have new addition." Jane said thinking of the cat.
"You seriously think we can take care of a cat as well as a baby?" Lisbon asked.
"We can do it. The kitten is pretty cute." Jane said.
"I suppose it is. I never thought I'd have a cat. Growing up we had a dog." Lisbon admitted.
"And what, may I ask was the name of that dog in your picture?" Jane grinned remembering the picture of young Lisbon he found at her old house.
"Scout." Lisbon confessed.
"Did you happen to name it after the character in To Kill A Mockingbird?" Jane said observing.
"As a matter of fact, yes, how'd you know?" Lisbon asked surprised her husband guessed.
"Teresa, how many times I have to tell you?" Jane looked at her.
"I'm sorry I still get amazed at your skill and will be many years. To Kill A Mockingbird was one of my favorite books. I had read that when we got the dog." Lisbon admitted.
A week later, as Jane was getting ready to leave to do his errands, he went outside and the cat rubbed against his leg. "Hello, Pumpkin, I know you miss Annie Lou, I'm sure she'll be back sometime. You are a cute little thing." Jane said as he watched the cat play with bugs on the porch. "I have to get groceries now. Teresa's inside, maybe you can get her to play with you." He headed off to their family car. Jane was at the grocery store doing their weekly grocery shopping. Lisbon had him do the grocery run, which she hated. He finished and pulled the cart filled with food, diapers, and formula and went behind a shortest line to a cash register, which still wasn't that short, however shorter than some of the others. While waiting, he still couldn't believe the domestitivity he now was doing with Lisbon. For years and years, his routine included solving cases, going up to the CBI attic figuring out the Red John case. After Red John was gone, he focused on moving on, or at least trying on the South America, but he really he didn't. He was still his wandering self and restless self, but he knew one thing on the island i that he missed Lisbon more and more each day. After reuniting her at the FBI, he still couldn't find his peace. It took a long time for the two of them to get the footing back to each other including the brief interuption of Marcus Pike. Now he was at peace, married to the woman he loved and taking care of their child. Normalness is now what he enjoyed.
He waited five minutes and finally reached the checkout and started placing his items on the conveyor belt. The clerk started scanning. She was young, teenage girl, Jane observed, 18 or 19 with long light brown hair.
The girl looked at him. "You look familiar."
"You've probably seen me before. The baby goes through a lot of diapers." Jane pointed at the box of diapers and formula the clerk was about to scan. "And formula."
"No, I've seen you somewhere else."The young clerk said her hair covering her nametag. She continued scanning and a boy came up to bag the food while the clerk scanned.
"Oh, you're the one who didn't send me to juevinile detention." The girl said. "In California." The bagger looked confused when she said that, but didn't ask about it.
Jane sparked a recognition in the girl. "Trina."
"Yes." Trina said. "And you looked at my pictures."
"Patrick Jane. It was really Agent Lisbon who let you go. What are you doing in Austin? Though I had some influence on her." Jane admitted surprised at this unexpected encounter with the young girl who shot her father out of self defense, who Lisbon wanted to send to the detention center and he convinced her to do otherwise. He remembered going with Lisbon and Trina to the center and in the end his wife decided not turn Trina in, and he remembered telling the guard. "You witnessed a beautiful thing." He remembered being so proud of Lisbon that she followed her heart rather the rules then.
"I live here. My aunt moved us here a couple years after. I also started college." Trina said.
"Congratulations. I imagine for drawing. You were very good." Jane remembered.
"Yes, I'm going to school for my art." Trina said.
"That's fantastic!" Jane grinned.
"So, is Agent Lisbon in California still?" Trina asked then looked at the register and revealed the total cost.
Jane reached in his wallet and took out his credit card and swiped it through the cred card machine. Trina pulled the receipt out and gave it to him to sign.
"She's here in Austin as well. We work at the FBI and well, she's my wife." Jane said as he signed the receipt. He put his credit card back in his wallet and back in his suit jacket pocket.
"And you have a baby." Trina said remembering the diapers and formula she scanned a couple minutes ago.
"Newborn, a few weeks old." Jane said.
"Congrats. Do you think Agent Lisbon would see me?" Trina asked unassuredly. "I don't know if you ever run into people from your cases?"
"Typically, no, except you today. I'm sure she would see you. I don't see why not." Jane said. Trina quickly wrote down her aunt's number and gave it to him as he left.
After he left the store, he arrived home and started unloading the groceries. Lisbon right away came out to help him. "The baby's asleep." She had the monitor with her in her pocket.
"I saw someone unexpected today." Jane said taking a sack to the kitchen.
"Who could you possibly have seen?" Lisbon said coming into the kitchen and started unloading the bags.
"Someone from one of our cases at the CBI." Jane said.
"In Austin?" Lisbon asked putting away vegetables in the refrigerator.
"Yes." Jane said taking out the formula and putting it in the cupboard. "Trina, the girl you so lovingly decided not to send to juevinile detention." Jane grinned.
"That's something, a couple of months ago we were just talking about her." Lisbon remembered their conversation at the baby store. "Where did you see her?"
"She was the clerk at the grocery who checked me out." Jane said. "She lives here now and going to college."
"What's the chance of you running into a person from a case?" Lisbon asked surprised at his revelation.
"Not very likely. She wants to see you." Jane admitted.
"I suppose, but I'm not sure what to think seeing a perpetrator." Lisbon said reluctantly. No matter what the girl did kill her father."
" You can see her. She was just a young girl protecting herself from an absusive father who tried to kill her. You liked her enough." Jane reminded.
"I did like her and I'm glad you talked me into not charging her. What I'm worried about is her aunt.. She wasn't exactly thrilled with you or me for that matter." Lisbon reminded.
"I'm sure she's forgiven us by now." Jane said. "We let her niece go."
Afterwards, they called the number and arranged for the next day to meet Trina and her aunt at their home.
"Mr. Jane, I never thought I'd see you again. Been smoke free for years." Trina's aunt said greeting them at the door.
"You're Jodie, right?" Jane asked remembering the aunt's name.
"Yes." Jodie answered. "And Agent Lisbon, never thought I'd see you either." Jodie said looking at Lisbon.
"Hi, Agent Lisbon." Trina said coming up. Jodie led them to the living room. Jane and Lisbon sat the couch with the baby in the car seat carrier. Trina and her aunt saw across in chairs.
"Hello, Trina. Patrick did say you checked him out at the store." Lisbon said.
"Yes, I was surprised to see him. I've been working there for a month to help with costs of going to school." Trina explained.
"That's great, Trina,you're going to school." Lisbon smiled at the girl.
"I decided to move Trina out of the area then after the 'incident' not to be reminded, so I wouldn't be reminded. We needed a fresh start. I knew a friend in Austin who helped us get set up with a place and I got Trina the psychiactric help with what happened." Jodie explained.
"Yes, it was hard for me, knowing I killed my own father and there were times I thought I should've gone to that place. I wasn't worthy to be free." Trina said starting to cry.
"You only did it to protect yourself at the time. He hurt you." Jane said.
"I know. I didn't know what to do. I hated that he killed my mom. He wanted to do the same to me." Trina said.
"Trina, I had an abusive father and he hurt my younger brothers and me. And there were times I wanted to do something but I needed to be strong." Lisbon said remembering her past.
"I wasn't strong, I guess." Trina said.
You were. You got through it." Lisbon said.
"I want to thank you for not charging her, Agent Lisbon. It meant a lot that didn't see her go through the system. I was able to be her guardian and help her myself." Jodie said with tears.
"Don't thank me, my husband here convinced me I needed to do the right thing." Lisbon looked toward Jane and smiled. "At the time when I found out the truth, I was stuck in my ways of following what the procedures told me to do. I forgot you were the best option for her." Lisbon admitted.
"Well, thank you, Mr. Jane for being there for my niece. I know I was hard on you then but I wouldn't have been able to see her grow as a person and artist. She's my treasure and reminder of my sister." Jodie said with tears filling her eyes.
"Yes, I wouldn't have been able to be with my aunt and go to college. Thank you. You really made a difference in my life. Both of you." Trina said still teary eyed.
"You're welcome, it was my pleasure. I knew you were a good person and I know you continue to be one." Jane said.
"Yes, it was mine too." Lisbon said.
"Let's see your baby." Jodie said noticing the baby in sleeping in the carrier.
"Yes, I want to see the baby too. What is it?" Trina asked.
"She's a girl." Jane answered.
"How old?" Trina asked.
"Four weeks." Lisbon said looking at her daughter. Trina and her aunt took turns holding her. Trina talked more about college and the Jodie talked about her nursing job
Jane and Lisbon left the house, still happy to see Trina and her aunt. It was hard to believe the girl was getting along so well since they saw her. They arrived home.
"Patrick Jane, you have made a difference in a lot of people lives throughout the years." Lisbon said proudly of her husband.
"It wasn't a big deal." Jane said.
"Yes, it was. You improved a girl's life. We witnessed it tonight. If you hadn't have pounded into my head that juevinile services wasn't the right thing to do, she wouldn't be here with her aunt. You were right, she'd still be floating around in the system trying to find a way out of it." Lisbon reminded.
"Yes, she is doing great. She's going to school, has a job, and has someone to care for her." Jane admitted smiling.
"Many people in our cases lives improved because of you." Lisbon smiled. "Though, you also pissed a lot of people off." Lisbon smirked.
"That's true." Jane said.
"You helped people. You brought families back together, you made a loved one's death easier, you brought a boy back to his mother, for crying out loud, you got rid of a serial killer so he wouldn't destroy other people's lives." Lisbon said.
"Though he nearly destroyed my life doing and nearly destroyed our happiness." Jane said.
"The point is you did a lot of good for people. And I really hated when you indicated that yo u weren't a good man when I was with Pike, "He's a good man" because you are a very good man and I'm proud you're my husband instead." Lisbon continued and smiled.
Jane's eyes widened at Lisbon's speech. "You're acting like amotivational speaker to me." Jane grinned.
"You think I'm a good man despite me picking locks and pockets, lying professionally, my risky plans, disobeying rules, and pissing people off like you said and running away in the past." Jane listed off.
"Yes, despite some of your unsavory qualities, you are a good man. You have a good heart. You're a good father and a good husband and a good friend. You care about people." Lisbon smiled.
"I'm glad to know that." Jane said. " I love you, Teresa. You are the one who influenced that part of me, if you hadn't taken me." He placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her on the lips. A clash of thunder boomed and then lightning flashed in the window interrupting the moment. They looked up as rain started beating on the house. A couple minutes later they heard a mewing of desperation at the door. Pumpkin sounded her call wanting shelter from the rain.
"Can't we let her in?" She'll get soaked." Jane begged looking at his wife.
"You're just as bad as Annie Lou is." Lisbon shook her head.
"You took lost little old me in at the CBI but you're not going to let in a wet, scared, innocent kitten who needs shelter?" Jane reminded again with pleading eyes.
"You are worse than a little kid. Fine, you can bring the cat in." Lisbon relented.
"We have the litter box and litter and food and water bowls. I'll get everything ready." Jane got up and set up the litter box in the bathroom and set the scratching post in the living room. Lisbon followed him to the door. He carefully picked up the soaked cat with a towel. She grabbed the bowls and dumped out the wet food and dried the bowls. She also noticed the fresh bag of cat food he got at the store the day before and opened it and poured some food in and put fresh water in. Jane followed in still wiping the cat. "You're getting some fresh food. I don't think the cat wants to eat soaked food." Lisbon said as she put the bowl down. He carefully put the kitten down and she was confused by her new surroundings but didn't care once she saw the food. She ate hungrily. "You better watch the cat." Lisbon reminded.
"We pretty much have our house baby proof, which means it should be kitten proof." Jane said.
"Kittens may be different than babies." Lisbon said.
The cat explored a bit but came back in the living room where Jane and Lisbon were seated at the couch. Lisbon had gone to check on the baby, but the baby was asleep, even during the storm still raging outside. Pumpkin, sitting on the floor looked at them on the couch like she wanted to jump. She attempted to jump but the couch was too high, and so Jane picked the cat up. The cat walked on their laps and looked curiously at them purring and kneading her paws and purring happily for being dry. Lisbon looked confused. "What's the cat doing?"
"She likes us, Teresa." Jane said. Finally, the cat stopped Jane's lap and rolled herself in a ball and fell asleep and purred soundly.
"What's with children and pets drawn to you?" Lisbon grinned at the sight. "And falling asleep on your lap."
"I don't know. I'm irresistible, I guess. You've done the same thing, well, laying your head on my lap." Jane said.
"That right there proves you're a good man too. Taking a cat in from the rain and caring for it. She appreciates it too." Lisbon smiled at the scene at her husband and the sleeping cat.
Blood for Blood is one of my absolute favorite Mentalist episodes when Jane convinces Lisbon to let Trina go and let her aunt take care of her and give her help after Trina confesses to killing her father. After watching that episode again I was inspired to write the part where Jane runs into Trina at the grocery store. Since I started reading Mentalist FanFiction, I have never seen a story where Jane and Lisbon run into someone from a previous case where Jane made a difference to that person. So, I decided to try that.
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