Digging up old memories

Chapter 11

Jane's POV

She was blushing scarlet red and he could have sworn that he had caught a look of excitement when he mentioned foreplay. He was flirting, and he had to stop. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss in the office the other day. That had been a huge mistake on his part – she shut down and left after that.

He'd been trying to keep his hands to himself since she got here, but he found himself finding reasons to touch her and hold her against his better judgement. He had to reign that in – she was here so he could make amends to her and then she was going to D.C. He needed to let her be – he couldn't risk losing her completely when there was a chance he could regain her trust and friendship.

"Jane? Are you doing this?" she asked.

He blinked... she was just staring at him. He smiled and turned up the music on his phone to set the mood. They went through the details that they both remembered up to the time that she spotted him coming out of the trailer. He then explained to her that her mom had been the mark and that his father was trying to sell her some remedies. Teresa was actually asking too many questions and his father had given him the look that meant to get her out of the way.

"Oh," she said.

"So – I started chatting you up and I realized that you had no idea that I was the psychic, you thought it was my father. So, your guard was not up with me. I would say that uniform was working wouldn't you," he said chuckling a bit.

"I don't remember any of this," she said. "How do I know what you're saying is true?"

"Okay – well, I was nervous because you kept looking in the direction of your mom and my father and I knew that if I didn't get you away from them and we lost the sale, that my father would be upset. So – do you remember how I lured you away? Close your eyes. Go back there in your mind. I got you to go with me behind the trailer... how did I do that?" he asked.

He watched as she closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She was frowning a bit.

"Listen to the music... there's people milling around. You're concerned that your mom is going to spend too much money and your dad will be upset. You're having a fun day and you don't want it get ruined by a fight between your parents," he says, and he sees her frown more.

"How did you know that?" she asked. "I never told you that."

"It's me Lisbon, c'mon. Stay in the moment. You're talking to a handsome and smartly dressed boy scout and he's trying to get you to go with him... what did he say to get you there," he asked again hoping that he wouldn't have to hypnotize her to get her there.

He watched as she frowned some more and then smiled. "You said you wanted to show me something cool – something that I hadn't seen before," she said triumphantly.

She started opening her eyes. "No – don't open your eyes. Stay there," he said gently. "That is correct. Did you know that at that moment I had no idea what it was I was going to show you?"

"Really?" she asked still smiling, her eyes closed.

He wanted to reach out and caress her face. She was so beautiful right now.

"Can you remember what it was that I showed you?" he asked.

"Humm... a magic trick with a flower. You kept making it disappear and I couldn't figure it out because you didn't have any sleeves and I always thought that magicians would use their sleeves to make their tricks work," she said.

"Okay, open your eyes," he said.

He walked towards the bush nearby and plucked a daisy from ground and came back. He showed her the same magic trick and she smiled in wonderment... just like back then.

"Okay – so how do you do that?" she asked.

"A magician never reveals his secrets. I was actually relieved that you liked that trick back then. I was making you laugh, and I couldn't get enough of it. I asked you your name and you told me it was Reese... do you remember that? But you didn't ask me for mine."

"I had heard your dad call you Patty... and all my friends called me Reese back then," she added.

He tucked the flower in her hair above her ear and asked her to close her eyes again.

"Okay – so you're still missing a very important detail about that night. Just go back to that moment again, look around at the surroundings and listen to the sounds. Something is not right-"

"Jane – you sound like you're hypnotizing me," she warned.

"Lisbon, I'm just trying to get you back into that moment-" he said evenly.

"Just tell me what I'm missing!" she said impatiently.

"It has to come from you... I can't remember it for you," he said. "Concentrate on my face, my demeanour. You'll be 13 soon and already you are very perceptive. That part of you that wants to protect others is very well developed and you already have the heart of a detective – something is not right and you're not afraid to ask questions. Look closely Teresa," he said.

She was frowning and biting the corner of her lip. 'I can't remember,' she said with frustration.

He took her hand and place it on his cheek and then held his hand over hers.

She took a sharp intake of breath. "The side of your face is all bruised and scratched up... we were laughing together, and you winced, and your lip started bleeding. The scab had opened up," – She touched his lip with her thumb and opened her eyes – "Oh my god Jane – that's why I went with you behind the trailer. Your face was all bruised and I wanted to help you."

"So, it wasn't my youthful, clumsy charm that got you there," he said narrowing his gaze at her. He hadn't realized that that had been the reason she had gone with him.

"I remember..." she said as she closed her eyes and put her other hand on his face. "I asked you what happened... you said, ugh, I don't remember but it wasn't the truth, I mean not really because I had seen my... my..." – she took a deep breath – "my mom's face like that after my dad hit her. I recognized it." – she opened her eyes and they held such sadness – "How could I have forgotten? Your father hit you?" she asked.

"Aah – yeah – I mean, it's just the way it was. He usually did not touch the face, that was his money maker – it was actually an accident. I didn't lie to you that night though, I did say that I ran into a wall and that is in fact what happened, I just neglected to add the part where he helped me along into it."

He felt uneasy with this part. He didn't think it would still have such a strong effect on him after all this time and this was the reason he didn't like to think of the past... it always held the worst of memories for him and that was the main reason he did not recognize her when he saw her again. He took a steadying breath because Lisbon looked at him with concerned.

"Jane, what happened?" she asked.

He smiled to try and add levity to the situation.

"It's not important Lisbon... this is about that night and what happened between us." – He placed his hands on her shoulders. – "You said something very important to me that night that had a profound impact on my life thereafter. That's why you remembering this is so important to me."

"I did? ... What could I have possibly said? We were just kids, Jane," she said.

"Aah – kids living with difficult adult situations Lisbon. That tends to mature kids faster, I'm sure you would agree," he said referencing both their abusive fathers.

"What did I say? I don't remember," she asked.