Into The Red Forest

Chapter 3- Red Sparks

Chapter 3: Red Sparks

Lisbon awoke the next morning and dressed before stepping out of her tent with a slight limp. The team slowly started awakening after her and coming out dressed. Today, Lisbon wore a grey tank-top, jean shorts and white sneakers. Her dark, shoulder length hair was down and blew slightly in the breeze. Her ankle felt slightly better from the day before, though she still felt bursts of pain when she put too much weight on her left ankle. She kept replaying the careful, gentle way Jane had iced and wrapped her injury, and the intense way he'd stared into her eyes when he asked if she was ok. She wasn't quite ready to accept these feelings just yet either. She pushed the thoughts about Jane out of her mind and headed to get breakfast. Breakfast consisted of some granola bars Grace had packed and some water.

Lisbon got up from her log as she finished.

"Ok, guys, today's activity is canoeing. I'll go rent some canoes for us."

Jane piped up. "Why do we have to go canoeing? Canoeing is boring. All you do is row in circles and look at trees."

Rigsby sighed from where he was sitting. "Oh, God. Here we go."

Lisbon put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. "Ok, Jane, since you seem to have a better idea, why don't you share it with us? I'm sure we'd all love to hear it."

Jane smirked. "Yes, actually, it's called rest and relaxation. You should try meditation, Lisbon. It would make you less uptight and snarky."

Lisbon's eyebrows furrowed. "Do you ever stop and think that maybe you're the reason I'm like that?"

Jane's eyes sparkled mischievously, giving her a look that said "You seemed pretty comfortable yesterday" and she looked away, pretending not to notice.

"Alright, fine, stay here. I don't care, just don't do anything stupid while we're gone." Lisbon told him sternly.

"Oh, pish posh, Lisbon, you know me." Jane assured her, waving her order away.

"Yes, and that's exactly why I'm worried." she responded, as the team put on life-vests and started getting the canoes in the water from the bank. Lisbon and Van Pelt got in one canoe and Cho and Rigsby climbed in the other, they started off. Jane waved from the dock, going to start a fire to make some tea. After he made it, he sat in a folding chair and sipped it from the teacup and saucer he'd brought with him. His thoughts drifted idly to Lisbon. He thought of how he'd carried her back to the campsite and how right it felt holding her. He thought of how he'd been so gentle with her ankle; how careful he'd been not to hurt her. And the way her cheeks had turned a slight pink when he'd gotten close to her. But most of all, Jane's thoughts lingered on the fact that her lips, her perfect lips, had been so close to his and he hadn't had the courage to kiss her. I'm going to try and kiss her tonight. I'm sure of that. he thought. But one thought continued to pull at his mind: If he couldn't kiss her before, could he do it at all? Kissing and sleeping with Lorelei had been different, she'd meant nothing to him. She had been a pawn in his well-played game, an avenue to get to Red John. But Lisbon, she was very real. His feelings for her were also real, and he still wasn't sure how exactly to deal with them. He hadn't felt love, real love for anyone since Angela. Lisbon understood him more than anyone, and she knew him better than anyone. Though she didn't know everything about him, he still felt like she was one of the only people in his life he could genuinely trust. He sat there thinking until he heard movement on the shore, and he sighed.

Later that night, Lisbon and the team ate some leftover granola bars and grapes Grace brought for dinner. Everyone laughed and traded stories of old cases or jokes around the fire, and when it was late, they all started off to bed. Lisbon got up but Jane grabbed her arm.

"Lisbon, can I have a word on the dock, please?" he asked, getting up.

Lisbon looked puzzled. "Um, sure…why?"

Jane lowered his voice. "Wait."

They both went to the dock and sat down on it.

Lisbon frowned in concern. "Jane, stop playing games, what is it?"

Jane cleared his throat. "Well, we've been working together for a long time…and I think it's time I do something that is long overdue, Teresa.

"Jane, what…" Lisbon trailed off as he leaned in close to her, his soft breath on her lips. She leaned in too and stopped as he pulled her closer to him. They were inches apart, the moonlight shimmering on the dark water of the lake, rippling because of the light breeze on the water. Her cheek brushed his lightly as she pulled away.

"Jane," she whispered. "We can't…we can't do this, ok? The CBI has rules."

"Screw the rules, no one at the CBI has to know. I thought about this for a long time and I'm sure that I'm ready now. Angela would want me to move on."

Jane noticed Grace out of the corner of his eye, stopping to watch them as she came back from the portable bathrooms near the campground office on the right side of the campground.

Lisbon sighed. "I'm sorry, Jane. I just can't."

She pushed herself up from the dock as Grace hurried back into her tent.

Lisbon started to walk away, and turned back to look at him. "I'm sorry, Jane. I really am."

Her words echoed in Jane's mind as she left him alone on the dock. He picked up a stone from the shore and pitched it as hard as he could into the lake. He realized as it hit that water that his heart felt the same as the rock, heavy, like it was slowly sinking to the bottom of a dark lake. He got up to extinguish the fire when something white by the edge of the water on the right side of the campground caught his eye and he went over to it, supposing someone dropped it or meant to dispose of it. He turned it over and saw it was a smeared note, which read:

Dearest Servant, you have done well. Report any further news to me at the usual drop location. I will make sure someone gets it. Make sure that the team does not suspect you. Dispose of this letter.

Jane saw the red smiley face on the paper and frowned. Red John knew they were here; he was watching, and someone was feeding him information…someone on the team. And it was his job to find out who it was.