The Silent Plea (The Mentalist)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The minute Charlotte saw Jane walk through the doorway, she cried and ran to him. She throwing a fit, Charlotte cried when she was standing and screamed when Jane picked her up. The babysitter rushes over to the both of them looking more guilty then ever.

"Charlotte, sweetheart, what happened?"

"I-I thought you left me like mommy did!"

"No I would never leave you! Who gave you that idea?"

"Mr. Jane I am so sorry!", the babysitter said with a guilty expression, "I told her what an affair was."

"You what?"

"She deserves to know the truth Mr. Jane!"

"Leave. Now."

The babysitter leaves without another word, not even asking to get paid. Jane carries Charlotte to the couch and sits next to her. His daughter clings to his shirt and just cries and cries.

"Shh shh, Charlotte it's okay..."

"It's not okay.", she sobs, "I want my mother!"

Jane's daughter might as well have torn his heart out. Angela is never coming back, her love for them was just an illusion.

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The following day Teresa remembers what Jane had said and heads to the park. Sure it was stalker-ish but she wanted to know him more and Lisbon wasn't the type to ask to meet up. It's as hot as ever as she walks to the park but this time she brought a icy cold water bottle with her and it kept her going. Teresa spotted Jane pushing his daughter on the swing, it was cute to watch the both of them and it occurs to her that she's never seen Jane smile. He's only ever faked a smile on stage, Charlotte looked almost....sad though.

"Fancy meeting you here.", Teresa says once she reaches Jane's location. Father and daughter look surprised to see the agent but Charlotte quickly smiles and says:

"Hey lady!"

"It's 'Hello miss'.", Jane gently scolds her but Charlotte doesn't seem to mind. Teresa could tell that something was bothering the poor girl, but before she had a chance to ask Charlotte asked to stop swinging. Jane helps her off the swing and the girl runs off to the slide with Jane and Lisbon following.

"Teresa, there's a bench in the shade, why don't we sit over there?"

"Sure."

"So what brings you here today?", Jane asks.

"I was bothered the other day, I don't know, you just seem as depressed as I am. I can't talk to the team and I figure, if you turnout to be a threat I'll just find some way to get rid of you."

"Well when you put it that way..."

"What do you think about love?" Lisbon whispers, afraid to say it. Jane is immediately uncomfortable, yes she is a beautiful woman but he hardly knows her! Was this her way of asking him out?

"W-what? Well I, um,-", How could he say no in a way that wouldn't offend her?

"It's just that,", Teresa continues, oblivious to Jane's panic, "my parents always said they loved each other, but my dad would beat my mom everyday. Eventually she tried to run for it and got killed in a car accident. My father just broke down in tears at the funeral, claiming he loved her so much."

"..."

"Every murder that I take on, it's usually someone who is to attached to the victim. They always start out falling in love, but then one of them begins to see someone else and the other either kills the other person, or whoever they've been meeting with. And every time I've arrested one, they always say that they did it out of love.", Teresa looks at Jane, the depression evident in her eyes. "My team always says they love me so much, but it's as if they just ignore what's going on with me. And I can't help but wonder, what does to love even mean?"

She doesn't know what love is, he thinks to himself, in a way Teresa is just like me.

"I don't know either, I thought that what I shared with Angela was love but we divorced."

"Huh, maybe love doesn't exist."

"I like to think it does, it's just that I haven't found it yet. Teresa...would you like to get some coffee with me later? I think that after what you've gone through, you deserve a break."

Jane meant what he said, but in all reality this conversation peaked his curiosity. Teresa was just like him: alone, depressed, and deprived of love. It made him want to know more about her, and it seemed like Teresa wanted to know more about him. Because when he offered, she smiled.

"Sure, I'd like that."

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