Jisbon One Shots [The Mentalist] [English]

OS #2

All of them also in german. Please review...

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The rain pounded against the roof of the Airstream, creating a rhythmic drumbeat that usually lulled Patrick Jane to sleep. But tonight, sleep was elusive. The past few days had been grueling, and now, with Red John finally behind them, the reality of what he had been running from for so long was starting to settle in.

He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the door. The fog outside matched the haze of thoughts in his mind. For years, his life had been consumed by revenge. But now that it was over, a different kind of fear had taken hold—one that revolved around the woman he had pushed away so many times in the name of that quest.

A knock on the door startled him. He wasn't expecting anyone, especially not at this hour. But something inside him told him it was her. He slowly stood up and opened the door.

There she was—Teresa Lisbon. Her hair was damp from the rain, her eyes glimmering with something between uncertainty and determination.

"Lisbon," he said softly, stepping aside to let her in.

She walked inside, shaking off the droplets clinging to her jacket. "Jane, we need to talk," she said, her voice firm but gentle.

He nodded, closing the door behind her. "I figured we might."

Lisbon stood in the middle of the small living space, her arms crossed protectively over her chest. She looked at him with those piercing green eyes that always seemed to see right through him.

"Red John is gone," she began, as if needing to state the obvious to start. "And I know that's what you've lived for, for so long. But what now? What happens to you? To us?"

Jane swallowed, the words he had rehearsed so many times in his mind suddenly seeming inadequate. "I don't know," he admitted. "I thought I'd feel free, or at peace, or something. But instead, I just feel... lost."

Her eyes softened, and she took a step closer. "You're not lost, Jane. You're just... searching. Like you always have been. But you don't have to do it alone."

There it was—the offer, the hope he had been too afraid to wish for. Lisbon had always been his anchor, the one person who could pull him back from the brink. But he had pushed her away so many times, out of fear of losing her the way he had lost his family.

"I'm scared, Lisbon," he confessed, his voice almost a whisper. "I'm scared that if I let myself be happy, if I let myself love you, I'll lose you too. And I can't go through that again."

Lisbon closed the distance between them, her hand reaching up to gently touch his cheek. "You won't lose me, Jane. I'm right here. I've always been here."

He leaned into her touch, feeling the warmth of her hand against his skin. "I don't deserve you," he murmured, his eyes closing as he savored the moment.

"That's for me to decide," she said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

He opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. The fear was still there, but it was tempered by something stronger—love. A love he had tried to deny, but could no longer ignore.

"I don't know what the future holds," he said, his voice steadier now. "But I do know that I don't want to face it without you."

Lisbon's smile widened, and she stepped even closer, her other hand coming to rest on his chest. "Then don't."

It was as simple as that. No grand declarations, no dramatic gestures. Just a quiet understanding that they had been through enough, and it was time to stop running.

Jane cupped her face in his hands, leaning down until their foreheads touched. He could feel her breath against his lips, could hear the steady beat of her heart. And in that moment, all the fear, all the doubts melted away, leaving only the truth that had been there all along.

"I love you, Teresa Lisbon," he whispered, the words carrying a weight that made them feel like a promise.

She closed the gap between them, her lips brushing against his in a kiss that was both gentle and filled with all the emotions they had kept locked away for so long. When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathless, but neither wanted to let go.

"I love you too, Patrick," Lisbon replied, her voice soft but sure. "And we'll figure it all out. Together."

Jane smiled, a real, genuine smile that reached his eyes. For the first time in a long time, the future didn't seem so daunting. Not when he had her by his side.

They stood there in the quiet of the Airstream, holding onto each other as the rain continued to fall outside. The world might still be uncertain, but in that moment, they knew one thing for sure: they had each other. And that was enough.

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-the.mentalist.4.ever