Part 1/8
the Best Man
Author: Brown Eyes Parker
Artist: Caitriona
Link to art: coming soon
Word Count: 10, 718
Rating: K+
Summary: She wasn’t like other women. She could play the smiling best friend, pretending that she wasn’t in love with him.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING.
Notes: This story started out as a one-shot, but it didn't want to be a one-shot. So, it turned into the multi-chapter it is now. I have to thank Nerwen Aldarion's encouragement or my cousin, who kept me company on Skype chat while I wrote and rewrote this, and made a million different soundtracks. Also, I have to thank the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, because the awesomeness between Lizzie and William the last few epiosdes was TOTALLY my inspiration to get the last of this written. And as always, thank you to my parents who let me be who I am and allow me to have access to their laptop so I can write my fan fiction.
Link to fic:
Wishing Only Wounds the Heart
The smell of French fries and bacon cheeseburgers did little to nothing to quell the nausea deep in the pit of her stomach. Patrick Jane, her Patrick Jane was engaged to a woman who wasn’t her. The moment she had heard the news, Teresa Lisbon had wanted to act like any other women in the same situation would and ask him what was wrong with her, why he hadn’t chosen her.
But she wasn’t any other women, and besides that she didn’t really want to hear his answer, she didn’t want to give her heart a chance to break any more than it already was. So, she took a small bite of her chocolate cheesecake, schooled her features into those of an ecstatic best friend and forced herself to say things she didn’t really mean.
“I’m so happy for you,” she said, looking straight at him and hoping he wouldn’t be able to tell that she was lying through her teeth. “Really, I am.”
“Thank you,” Jane replied.
Lisbon swallowed hard and looked away from him then as she studied a fading print of the Beach Boys, willing herself not to cry, to not be one of those women. “When?”
“When, what?” Jane asked.
“When are you going to get married? When did you and Erin even become serious enough to consider getting married?”
“Erin wants to get married sometime in the summer,” Jane replied. “And really, I don’t know when we became serious enough to get married. We were making dinner last night and suddenly we were engaged.”
“Do you love her?” the question slipped from her lips completely unbidden and unchecked.
“It isn’t about love this time,” he replied after a long second, easing her fears slightly and causing her to become irritated with him all at the same time.
“Oh,” Lisbon replied, stopping herself from asking what it was about just in time.
“Listen, I want to ask you a favor,” Jane said suddenly.
“What?”
“I know it’s a bit unconventional,” he started slowly. “Especially because you’re a woman and all, but I want you to stand up with me when I get married.”
“Like your best man?” Lisbon asked her heart and stomach giving a sharp twist.
“You’re the best friend I have,” Jane answered. “I couldn’t see anybody but you standing up there with me, please say you’ll do it. . . for me.”
“I would do anything for you,” Lisbon said tightly. “You know I would.”
“Then you’ll do it? You’ll be my best man?”
She wanted to say no, wanted to tell him that she couldn’t watch the man she was in love with marry someone else, but she saw the way that he was looking at her and she was powerless to say anything except for yes.
She wasn’t like other women. She could play the smiling best friend, pretending that she wasn’t in love with him and that her heart wasn’t breaking as she watched him get his happily ever after with somebody who was whole and unscarred by life’s daily tragedy. She could go through the motions without breathing a word of the love that had haunted her for years.
It was a small price to pay if Jane would finally be content and happy.
She nodded and forced a ghost of a smile. “If that’s what you really want then I’ll be your best man, Jane.”
.
“And you said yes!?” Annie Lisbon asked her mouth dropping open slightly, her spoon hanging suspended in midair as she stared at her aunt incredulously. “Auntie Reese, whatever possessed you to say yes and why aren’t you in a ball crying right now?”
“I said yes because he’s my best friend,” Lisbon answered. “And I’m not crying because I don’t have the right to cry over losing somebody who never really belonged to me to begin with.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Annie said. “You love him, don’t you?”
“I just want him to be happy,” Lisbon told her. “And if he’s going to be happy with somebody else, then what I feel for him doesn’t really matter.”
“Why don’t you tell him how you feel?” Annie asked suddenly. “He deserves to know the truth. And even if it isn’t what he wants to hear, at least you won’t spend the rest of your life wondering what if.”
“There isn’t any more what ifs left, Annie. Once Jane decides to do something, that’s it, it’s practically written in stone.”
“That’s not true!” Annie said instantly. “He didn’t kill Red John like he said he was going to. Who’s to say this time isn’t any different?”
Lisbon sighed. “Annie, you’re still young. You want a happily ever after, but sometimes you don’t get happily ever. Sometimes the best friend marries somebody else, and sometimes the girl doesn’t get the boy. That’s just the way real life goes.”
“So, you’re just going to let the man you’re in love with get away without a fight?”
“I’m just going to give him up,” Lisbon confirmed.
“You’re a smart and strong woman, and I admire you for that Auntie Reese,” Annie said. “But when it comes to matters of the heart, you’re pretty stupid-”
“That’s enough,” Lisbon replied stiffly.
Annie paused a moment and then she gently touched her aunt’s shoulder. “Even though you’re letting him go, you don’t have to pretend to be happy about it. What good is it going to do? Jane’s going to see right through you anyways. You know that he always does.”
“Who knows? Maybe he won’t be paying attention this time,” Lisbon said.
As soon as she said it, she knew it was just wishful thinking on her part. Jane would be able to tell that she was faking happiness for him. It was just a question of whether or not he cared about how she really felt about his impending nuptials.
Annie glanced at her phone and sighed. “I have to go now, or I’ll miss my bus. And dad won’t be too happy if I’m late coming home. If you need me, I’ll just be a phone call away.”
“I know,” Lisbon replied, smiling at her niece’s support and pulling her into a hug. “Thank you. I love you.”
“Love you too,” she answered as she gave Lisbon a quick peck on the cheek. “Remember; don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”
Then she was gone and Lisbon was left with an aching heart and a counter full of dirty dishes as her only company.
(Part 2)
Author: Brown Eyes Parker
Artist: Caitriona
Link to art: coming soon
Word Count: 10, 718
Rating: K+
Summary: She wasn’t like other women. She could play the smiling best friend, pretending that she wasn’t in love with him.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING.
Notes: This story started out as a one-shot, but it didn't want to be a one-shot. So, it turned into the multi-chapter it is now. I have to thank Nerwen Aldarion's encouragement or my cousin, who kept me company on Skype chat while I wrote and rewrote this, and made a million different soundtracks. Also, I have to thank the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, because the awesomeness between Lizzie and William the last few epiosdes was TOTALLY my inspiration to get the last of this written. And as always, thank you to my parents who let me be who I am and allow me to have access to their laptop so I can write my fan fiction.
Link to fic:
Wishing Only Wounds the Heart
The smell of French fries and bacon cheeseburgers did little to nothing to quell the nausea deep in the pit of her stomach. Patrick Jane, her Patrick Jane was engaged to a woman who wasn’t her. The moment she had heard the news, Teresa Lisbon had wanted to act like any other women in the same situation would and ask him what was wrong with her, why he hadn’t chosen her.
But she wasn’t any other women, and besides that she didn’t really want to hear his answer, she didn’t want to give her heart a chance to break any more than it already was. So, she took a small bite of her chocolate cheesecake, schooled her features into those of an ecstatic best friend and forced herself to say things she didn’t really mean.
“I’m so happy for you,” she said, looking straight at him and hoping he wouldn’t be able to tell that she was lying through her teeth. “Really, I am.”
“Thank you,” Jane replied.
Lisbon swallowed hard and looked away from him then as she studied a fading print of the Beach Boys, willing herself not to cry, to not be one of those women. “When?”
“When, what?” Jane asked.
“When are you going to get married? When did you and Erin even become serious enough to consider getting married?”
“Erin wants to get married sometime in the summer,” Jane replied. “And really, I don’t know when we became serious enough to get married. We were making dinner last night and suddenly we were engaged.”
“Do you love her?” the question slipped from her lips completely unbidden and unchecked.
“It isn’t about love this time,” he replied after a long second, easing her fears slightly and causing her to become irritated with him all at the same time.
“Oh,” Lisbon replied, stopping herself from asking what it was about just in time.
“Listen, I want to ask you a favor,” Jane said suddenly.
“What?”
“I know it’s a bit unconventional,” he started slowly. “Especially because you’re a woman and all, but I want you to stand up with me when I get married.”
“Like your best man?” Lisbon asked her heart and stomach giving a sharp twist.
“You’re the best friend I have,” Jane answered. “I couldn’t see anybody but you standing up there with me, please say you’ll do it. . . for me.”
“I would do anything for you,” Lisbon said tightly. “You know I would.”
“Then you’ll do it? You’ll be my best man?”
She wanted to say no, wanted to tell him that she couldn’t watch the man she was in love with marry someone else, but she saw the way that he was looking at her and she was powerless to say anything except for yes.
She wasn’t like other women. She could play the smiling best friend, pretending that she wasn’t in love with him and that her heart wasn’t breaking as she watched him get his happily ever after with somebody who was whole and unscarred by life’s daily tragedy. She could go through the motions without breathing a word of the love that had haunted her for years.
It was a small price to pay if Jane would finally be content and happy.
She nodded and forced a ghost of a smile. “If that’s what you really want then I’ll be your best man, Jane.”
.
“And you said yes!?” Annie Lisbon asked her mouth dropping open slightly, her spoon hanging suspended in midair as she stared at her aunt incredulously. “Auntie Reese, whatever possessed you to say yes and why aren’t you in a ball crying right now?”
“I said yes because he’s my best friend,” Lisbon answered. “And I’m not crying because I don’t have the right to cry over losing somebody who never really belonged to me to begin with.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Annie said. “You love him, don’t you?”
“I just want him to be happy,” Lisbon told her. “And if he’s going to be happy with somebody else, then what I feel for him doesn’t really matter.”
“Why don’t you tell him how you feel?” Annie asked suddenly. “He deserves to know the truth. And even if it isn’t what he wants to hear, at least you won’t spend the rest of your life wondering what if.”
“There isn’t any more what ifs left, Annie. Once Jane decides to do something, that’s it, it’s practically written in stone.”
“That’s not true!” Annie said instantly. “He didn’t kill Red John like he said he was going to. Who’s to say this time isn’t any different?”
Lisbon sighed. “Annie, you’re still young. You want a happily ever after, but sometimes you don’t get happily ever. Sometimes the best friend marries somebody else, and sometimes the girl doesn’t get the boy. That’s just the way real life goes.”
“So, you’re just going to let the man you’re in love with get away without a fight?”
“I’m just going to give him up,” Lisbon confirmed.
“You’re a smart and strong woman, and I admire you for that Auntie Reese,” Annie said. “But when it comes to matters of the heart, you’re pretty stupid-”
“That’s enough,” Lisbon replied stiffly.
Annie paused a moment and then she gently touched her aunt’s shoulder. “Even though you’re letting him go, you don’t have to pretend to be happy about it. What good is it going to do? Jane’s going to see right through you anyways. You know that he always does.”
“Who knows? Maybe he won’t be paying attention this time,” Lisbon said.
As soon as she said it, she knew it was just wishful thinking on her part. Jane would be able to tell that she was faking happiness for him. It was just a question of whether or not he cared about how she really felt about his impending nuptials.
Annie glanced at her phone and sighed. “I have to go now, or I’ll miss my bus. And dad won’t be too happy if I’m late coming home. If you need me, I’ll just be a phone call away.”
“I know,” Lisbon replied, smiling at her niece’s support and pulling her into a hug. “Thank you. I love you.”
“Love you too,” she answered as she gave Lisbon a quick peck on the cheek. “Remember; don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”
Then she was gone and Lisbon was left with an aching heart and a counter full of dirty dishes as her only company.
(Part 2)