The Mentalist - What if?

Chapter 8

Throughout the night, as Lisbon slept soundly against his chest, Jane lay watching her; not in a creepy way but one that reminded him of all the good times in both of their pasts, and the bad.

He had met Lisbon in a bad point in his life; he'd just lost his wife and young daughter, through his own fault and admission, and he was spiralling into a downwards sense of self-destruction. Meeting Lisbon had given him some self-perspective, and despite his antics and wild behaviour, put some purpose back into his life.

He didnt know much about her upbringing except for the little bits she had divulged to him when she had been upset and vulnerable, especially after finding out she'd been drugged by her therapist; he knew her mom died young and she had raised her three brothers in an abusive household when her father turned to alcohol to numb his grief. He knew that she blamed herself for a lot of things, even if it wasnt her fault; and he knew no matter how brave she insisted she was, she was terrified at becoming a mom and not knowing the circumstances leading to its creation.

Hearing a soft moan escaping from Teresa's lips, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, instantly soothing her back into a peaceful slumber; glancing at the clock on the bedside table and noticing it was already 1:55am, he sighed and nestled his head upon hers as he tried to get some sleep.

He must've drifted off as the smell of freshly cooked eggs attacked his senses as he opened his eyes; in front of him, Teresa stood at the end of the bed, her hair all over the place, her bed clothes wrinkled and a tray full of breakfast for them both. Sitting up, he smiled as she sat next to him and placed the tray on his lap; carefully, he leant over and kissed her gently, noticing the lack of taste of the familiar mouthwash she had been using for the last couple of days.

"What did i do to deserve this?" He asked.

"I cant promise it's perfect but...you've put up with a lot the last few days, especially yesterday, and i felt like i hadnt done anything for you in return"

"Teresa, you're my best friend and my girlfriend; i'm here because i want to be, not because i have to out of obligation"

"I know; i was a cow to you yesterday. You were just trying to help..."

"I dont have to do much to piss you off, we know that, but i wasnt trying to second guess your thoughts and feelings; i was genuinely worried about you"

"I know"

"Why dont we eat this delicious looking food and then we can decide on what to so today?" He suggested, trying to persuade her to stop overthinking the events of the day before.

She nodded as they both picked up their forks; with breakfast finished, Jane had insisted on washing the dishes while Teresa took a shower. After discarding her night clothes into the hamper, she caught a glance of herself in the mirror; been only 7 weeks gone, there wasnt any physically noticeable changes but she had felt herself getting more emotional and tired easily. As she stepped into the steamed up cubicle, she let the hot water wash away het troubles for a while; as she rinse the shampoo from her long hair, she felt his arms wrapping around her waist and kissing her shoulder.

"I thought you were doing the dishes?" She asked as he took the bottle of conditioner, squirted some onto the palm of his hands and massaged it into her hair.

"I did them already; i thought you would've been out by now"

"How long have i been in here?" She wondered, out loud.

"30 minutes"

"Sorry, i just...caught myself in the mirror and started imagining what i'd look like with a bump and stuff" she apologised.

"Dont be sorry" he said, rinsing her hair out before turning her to face him. "It was bound it hit you eventually; you're going through some huge physical and emotional changes. Yeah, you'll get bigger but you'll still be beautiful because you're going to give birth to something magical; and i'll be here for anything you need"

"Even the 2am ice cream craving?"

"Especially the 2am ice cream craving; i would happily run around the store all night if it mean you were happy and satisfied"

"Thank you" she whispered as she hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back.

When the water got cold, he helped her to step out the cubicle before passing her the towel so she could dry off before they dressed for the day; with her hair in a messy ponytail, she slipped on her sneakers and waited on the sofa for him to be ready.

Having also dressed casual, Jane grabbed the keys to the cabin before taking her hand and leading her out, locking the door behind them; without saying a word about where they were going, he led her in the direction of the town.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"You'll see; you feeling okay? We can head back if you're not?"

"I'm fine; the shower woke me up and this is the best i've felt in days. In two weeks, i'll be back at work and our time together will be more limited; i know this is all new and we still have to talk but...i couldnt do this without you. You noticed something was wrong and...you havent left my side since; and i know i keep saying that but this is a huge deal for me"

"I'm not going anywhere, no matter how many times i have to say it; you've captured my heart Teresa Lisbon and i will do everything in my power to make you happy" he said, stopping her so he could hold both of her hands and kiss her gently. "Ready for your surprise?"

She nodded as he turned her to face the building that was currently behind her; realising what it was, she grinned and hugged him close.

"Thank you" she whispered.

In front of them stood an art gallery that also had a special exhibition of baseball memoribilla and moments throughout its history; he had seen the sign for it the day before on the way back to the cabin and decided to try and get Teresa to see it. Taking her hand, he grinned as she told him various information that, in all honesty, he didnt really care about but he was there to make her happy; by the time.they'd exited the gallery hours later, goodies in hand, Teresa was bubbling with excitement but clearly fading fast.

"How about we head back to the cabin and you can rest whilst i do lunch and then we can sit on the beach this afternoon and talk?" He suggested.

She nodded and leant into him as his arm wrapped around her shoulder.