Fic: Fade to Black Pt 4 - Follow the Yellow Brick Road [The Mentalist]
Title: Fade to Black Pt 4 - Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Summary: What do you want most in the world? Post episode 1x18.
Rating: T
Characters: Jane, Van Pelt
"You knew he was going to do that, didn't you?"
Jane looked up from his crossword. "What?" he asked, feigning surprise.
Van Pelt's eyes narrowed. "The whole 'do what you want to do most in the world' suggestion."
"You mean, did I know Rigsby was going to kiss you? Absolutely not. I thought he'd go for the left over pizza."
The smile died on Van Pelt's lips when Jane's own serene expression did not waver. As she stared at him a faint blush crept up her neck and colored her cheeks.
"Oh."
"But it's interesting that you thought I'd think that," Jane mused before concentrating on the crossword once more.
When Rigsby emerged from Lisbon's office Van Pelt turned back to her computer, busying herself with her case notes. She studiously avoided looking at him, and Rigsby in turn was making a show of not looking at her. From his seat on the couch, Jane just smiled to himself.
"Next time, someone else can get the damn case closed pizza," Cho said after he entered briskly and dropped the box on his desk.
"The first one didn't count, it was still your turn," Lisbon reminded him, close behind. "With Rigsby getting the all clear we have double the reason to celebrate."
She lifted the lid to take a slice, then crinkled her nose. "Pineapple?"
"It was already made," Cho said.
"You mean it wasn't sold at lunch time and you got it cheap," Lisbon groused.
"I like pineapple," Rigsby piped up, reaching over Cho's shoulder.
"Imagine my shock," she commented, before returning to her office with pizza in hand.
Rigsby helped himself to a second slice, then a third before Cho protested and pushed him away. From her desk, Van Pelt declined the box when it was offered to her, then watched as Jane did the same. She glanced back at him after a few moments, wondering why he never joined in their team ritual. Maybe if they had sandwiches he might, she thought. Jane seemed to like sandwiches. She wondered why.
But Patrick Jane didn't share details like that about himself. He was quick to point out others' likes and dislikes, their secrets, their peccadilloes, their heart's desires. Van Pelt was sure his trick with Rigsby had been intentional. It proved he was in a trance, she admitted, but she also knew there were any number of other ways Jane could have shown it. As usual she was left questioning his motives, wondering what, if anything, he was trying to achieve by meddling in their lives, convinced of some ulterior motive… or looking for a sign that it wasn't just sport and his colleagues meant something to him. That she did.
Van Pelt turned away swiftly when he looked up and caught her staring at him. She waited for the flash of white in her peripheral vision as he smiled at her, but it did not come. She chanced a peek back in his direction to find his face somber, a familiar sadness in his eyes that never failed to cause her stomach to knot sympathetically. He held her gaze for a moment, then folded up his newspaper and announced he was calling it a day.
Cho and Rigsby mumbled their farewells with mouths full, neither man giving him more than a parting glance. Only Van Pelt watched him leave. She went back to her work with every intention of finishing her notes, but it was hard to concentrate. After a while, when she'd been staring at her blinking cursor for a full minute, she decided to give up. Work would always be there in the morning.
"I'll see you tomorrow, guys," she said.
Rigsby gave her a swift and guilty look as she passed him, which Van Pelt tried to diffuse with a smile. She hoped the awkwardness between them wouldn't last long. Things were confusing enough when it came to Rigsby, and neither of them needed the added complication. Since his run in with Dan Hollenbeck, she was doing her best to ignore what was happening. Denial was easy.
Of course Jane's stunt had made that almost impossible. But Van Pelt was determined to try. She planted a smile on her face as she left the CBI building, over compensating for the benefit of colleagues who cared nothing for her situation with her co-worker. She let the expression drop when she reached her rental car - another reminder of Dan Hollenbeck. Van Pelt couldn't wait until her insurance came through with a replacement for the car that Jane had so successfully damaged.
She stopped when she saw the gray Citroën still in the car park. Jane was nowhere in sight. Van Pelt paused, her fingers curled around her key, as she decided what to do. Heads, go home and put all of them out of her mind. A glass of wine, a long, hot bath. That's what she should do.
But then there was tails.
She walked quickly towards the playground before she could change her mind, curious to see if she was right. When she saw his blond curly head in the distance her triumphant grin was instantaneous, if short lived. Perhaps some of his deducting skills were rubbing off on her, she thought. Or perhaps, she contemplated, she knew him a little better than she realized.
Van Pelt said nothing as she sat down beside him. She considered a few one-liners, but abandoned them when she saw his peaceful state. He was watching the children playing and parents chatting with the hint of a smile on his lips.
"Well done," he said eventually, though not looking at her.
"Thank you."
"Although it's a little obvious that you'd find me here, you have to admit."
Van Pelt huffed softly.
"My car is still there, so I had to be on foot. We were only here yesterday, and I described this place as safe, a place to relax."
"You didn't mention that you came here all the time," Van Pelt murmured. She felt another flash of satisfaction when that got his attention.
Jane's smile grew a little wider and his eyes shone with admiration. "Bravo."
She bowed her head in acknowledgement, echoing his smile. They both went back to watching the playground.
"I wish I understood how you did it," Van Pelt said after a long pause. "I mean, I watched you when you were working on Rigsby. I watched your eyes, listened to your voice, saw your movements. But I can't understand how you do it."
Jane shrugged. "Anything can be learned."
"I don't know." Van Pelt waited again, looking at him now. "Sometimes I want you to do it to me - to try to hypnotize me - so I can maybe understand it a little better. To see if you could."
Jane's eyes met hers, and her breath caught in her throat. "I could," he said.
She laughed soundlessly. "I know. That's what scares me."
"Why would you be scared?" His brow furrowed.
Van Pelt looked away, momentarily losing her nerve. Then she forced herself to turn back to him.
"Because of what I might have done if it was me instead of Rigsby. If you told me to do what I wanted most."
She offered him a sad smile then got up before he could reply.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said and walked away.
Jane's eyes followed her, the playground forgotten.
Summary: What do you want most in the world? Post episode 1x18.
Rating: T
Characters: Jane, Van Pelt
"You knew he was going to do that, didn't you?"
Jane looked up from his crossword. "What?" he asked, feigning surprise.
Van Pelt's eyes narrowed. "The whole 'do what you want to do most in the world' suggestion."
"You mean, did I know Rigsby was going to kiss you? Absolutely not. I thought he'd go for the left over pizza."
The smile died on Van Pelt's lips when Jane's own serene expression did not waver. As she stared at him a faint blush crept up her neck and colored her cheeks.
"Oh."
"But it's interesting that you thought I'd think that," Jane mused before concentrating on the crossword once more.
When Rigsby emerged from Lisbon's office Van Pelt turned back to her computer, busying herself with her case notes. She studiously avoided looking at him, and Rigsby in turn was making a show of not looking at her. From his seat on the couch, Jane just smiled to himself.
"Next time, someone else can get the damn case closed pizza," Cho said after he entered briskly and dropped the box on his desk.
"The first one didn't count, it was still your turn," Lisbon reminded him, close behind. "With Rigsby getting the all clear we have double the reason to celebrate."
She lifted the lid to take a slice, then crinkled her nose. "Pineapple?"
"It was already made," Cho said.
"You mean it wasn't sold at lunch time and you got it cheap," Lisbon groused.
"I like pineapple," Rigsby piped up, reaching over Cho's shoulder.
"Imagine my shock," she commented, before returning to her office with pizza in hand.
Rigsby helped himself to a second slice, then a third before Cho protested and pushed him away. From her desk, Van Pelt declined the box when it was offered to her, then watched as Jane did the same. She glanced back at him after a few moments, wondering why he never joined in their team ritual. Maybe if they had sandwiches he might, she thought. Jane seemed to like sandwiches. She wondered why.
But Patrick Jane didn't share details like that about himself. He was quick to point out others' likes and dislikes, their secrets, their peccadilloes, their heart's desires. Van Pelt was sure his trick with Rigsby had been intentional. It proved he was in a trance, she admitted, but she also knew there were any number of other ways Jane could have shown it. As usual she was left questioning his motives, wondering what, if anything, he was trying to achieve by meddling in their lives, convinced of some ulterior motive… or looking for a sign that it wasn't just sport and his colleagues meant something to him. That she did.
Van Pelt turned away swiftly when he looked up and caught her staring at him. She waited for the flash of white in her peripheral vision as he smiled at her, but it did not come. She chanced a peek back in his direction to find his face somber, a familiar sadness in his eyes that never failed to cause her stomach to knot sympathetically. He held her gaze for a moment, then folded up his newspaper and announced he was calling it a day.
Cho and Rigsby mumbled their farewells with mouths full, neither man giving him more than a parting glance. Only Van Pelt watched him leave. She went back to her work with every intention of finishing her notes, but it was hard to concentrate. After a while, when she'd been staring at her blinking cursor for a full minute, she decided to give up. Work would always be there in the morning.
"I'll see you tomorrow, guys," she said.
Rigsby gave her a swift and guilty look as she passed him, which Van Pelt tried to diffuse with a smile. She hoped the awkwardness between them wouldn't last long. Things were confusing enough when it came to Rigsby, and neither of them needed the added complication. Since his run in with Dan Hollenbeck, she was doing her best to ignore what was happening. Denial was easy.
Of course Jane's stunt had made that almost impossible. But Van Pelt was determined to try. She planted a smile on her face as she left the CBI building, over compensating for the benefit of colleagues who cared nothing for her situation with her co-worker. She let the expression drop when she reached her rental car - another reminder of Dan Hollenbeck. Van Pelt couldn't wait until her insurance came through with a replacement for the car that Jane had so successfully damaged.
She stopped when she saw the gray Citroën still in the car park. Jane was nowhere in sight. Van Pelt paused, her fingers curled around her key, as she decided what to do. Heads, go home and put all of them out of her mind. A glass of wine, a long, hot bath. That's what she should do.
But then there was tails.
She walked quickly towards the playground before she could change her mind, curious to see if she was right. When she saw his blond curly head in the distance her triumphant grin was instantaneous, if short lived. Perhaps some of his deducting skills were rubbing off on her, she thought. Or perhaps, she contemplated, she knew him a little better than she realized.
Van Pelt said nothing as she sat down beside him. She considered a few one-liners, but abandoned them when she saw his peaceful state. He was watching the children playing and parents chatting with the hint of a smile on his lips.
"Well done," he said eventually, though not looking at her.
"Thank you."
"Although it's a little obvious that you'd find me here, you have to admit."
Van Pelt huffed softly.
"My car is still there, so I had to be on foot. We were only here yesterday, and I described this place as safe, a place to relax."
"You didn't mention that you came here all the time," Van Pelt murmured. She felt another flash of satisfaction when that got his attention.
Jane's smile grew a little wider and his eyes shone with admiration. "Bravo."
She bowed her head in acknowledgement, echoing his smile. They both went back to watching the playground.
"I wish I understood how you did it," Van Pelt said after a long pause. "I mean, I watched you when you were working on Rigsby. I watched your eyes, listened to your voice, saw your movements. But I can't understand how you do it."
Jane shrugged. "Anything can be learned."
"I don't know." Van Pelt waited again, looking at him now. "Sometimes I want you to do it to me - to try to hypnotize me - so I can maybe understand it a little better. To see if you could."
Jane's eyes met hers, and her breath caught in her throat. "I could," he said.
She laughed soundlessly. "I know. That's what scares me."
"Why would you be scared?" His brow furrowed.
Van Pelt looked away, momentarily losing her nerve. Then she forced herself to turn back to him.
"Because of what I might have done if it was me instead of Rigsby. If you told me to do what I wanted most."
She offered him a sad smile then got up before he could reply.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said and walked away.
Jane's eyes followed her, the playground forgotten.