NOMINATIONS: Best Comfort Moment

[admin]

The Sweet and Tender Peach Jellie

This award goes to the Mentalist fic with the best comfort moment, where a character is hurt and another takes care of them or a character cheering another up after a tough case.

Each person can nominate up to two fics for this category. Please remember to include the title, author, rating and a link to the story. Also include a brief description of the moment in your nomination.

[lilsmiles]

Nominee: Father's Day

Author: brwneyes1324

Rating: K+

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

“It’s Father’s Day today, Lisbon,” Jane said softly, and looked away again. Lisbon suddenly understood. She had lost her father long ago, first to drink and then to death, so the holiday held little meaning for her now. She mostly ignored it, and actually hadn’t realized that it was today. But it obviously meant something to Jane. Lisbon reached out, and placed her hand on Jane’s upper arm, and favored him with a gentle smile when he looked at her in surprise. Her hand dropped away, and they rode the rest of the way in silence, but it wasn’t strained anymore.

Father’s Day was still the one that hurt the most, but with Lisbon, maybe it didn’t have to hurt as much.

[WildDaisies10]

Nominee: Aftermath

Author: Hollow Nightmare

Rating: K

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

"Scoot over," he says quietly. She doesn't move. "For God's sake, woman, just listen to me for once."

She shoots him a sideways look and an actual, sincere smile, and shifts over on the bed to give him more room. He inches his way closer, and leans his back against the headboard, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"What are you doing?" she asks, and he's relieved to find that her voice is almost back to normal.

"Shh," he admonishes with a little grin. "Lie down."

She does as she's told without question, which shows Jane just how affected she has been by everything. She scoots down the bed, turns on her side and presses the entire length of the front of her body against him, needing human touch. She places her head by his stomach, curling into him, and rests one hand just above his hip. She closes her eyes, and the room falls into silence, broken only by her soft, erratic breathing.

Jane freezes for just a moment, not used to having a woman touch him this way, then places one hand on the top of her head, using the other to monitor her heart rate. He strokes her hair, runs his fingers through it and plays with the ends, and hums a lullaby that he's surprised he remembers. Lisbon's breathing evens out, her heart rate steadies, and Jane knows that pretty soon she will be asleep.

[gracevanpelt]

Nominee: Second Guessing

Author: tromana

Rating: T

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

Still smirking, she handed over a small green gift bag, with a shiny ribbon stuck to it. Confused, he took it anyway and stared intently at his boss. One of the few people with the ability to rein him in. He was thankful for that.

“It’s not my birthday, and certainly not Christmas,” he theorised out loud. “What’s going on?”

“Just open it,” Lisbon assured him.

“But…”

“That’s an order, Jane.”

A jewellery box had been nestled inside the bag, along with some rather pointless strips of decorative green paper. It was typical of women to use additional, unnecessary packaging, but then again he still couldn’t figure out why she was adorning him with gifts in the first place. He opened it to find a non-descript gold chain. Gently, he lifted it out and let the fine links run over his fingertips.

“I know that it’s been…”

“Yeah,” he acknowledged.

“You don’t have to take such a massive step in one go,” she continued, gaining confidence. “I thought you could wear your ring on the chain.”

“That’s really sweet of you, Lisbon. Thank you.”

Before unfastening it and slipping the wedding band on the chain and around his neck, he threw his arms around her affectionately. He didn’t ask how she’d figured out why he’d been so maudlin, she deserved this one, after all. And just maybe, someday…

[trinitihope]

Nominee: You Mean Something

Author: NellietheItalianOne

Rating: T

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

"You should see a doctor." There was something about the way he touched her hand that sent chills down her spine. Pain affected her in weird ways, it had her thinking she should just agree and let him take her. Shoving a chip into her mouth, she stared at the bottle of water sitting in her lap, trying to gain some control of the situation.

"I'm fine."

"Lisbon I'm serious. See a doctor." She knew she was in trouble now, he had used that voice. The one that proved he cared, the one that was soft and soothing, yet dripping with authority. This was why she had issues with him, problems. He challenged her in ways she wasn't used to. She was used to having the authority, to being the boss and he took that away by undermining her constantly. He could be so irritatingly stubborn and she hated it. So why was she contemplating kissing him right here in her office?

"Your concern is very touching but I'm fine." Twisting open the cap of the water bottle, she popped the pills into her mouth and took a long cooling gulp.

"You're not fine. If you were, then you wouldn't be lying on your couch in the only comfortable position you could find."

"Jane..." Her protests were stopped by the touch of his warm hand to her cheek. Was the pain making her delusional or was he really that close? His face seemed only inches away but that couldn't be right.

"I don't like the thought of you hurting. Physically or any other kind of way."

[trinitihope]

Nominee: Someone To Come Home To

Author: x-gemarrrr

Rating: K+

Story: LINK

Moment:

“Tough day.”

Patrick settled onto the couch. The lasagne could wait, Teresa needed him now. “Talk to me.”

Lisbon also sat back, relaxing into the cushion whilst shutting her eyes. Slowly she prepared to tell Jane about her day. Jane took her hand and using his thumb, he rubbed circles into the back of it to calm her. She sighed whilst keeping her eyes closed and began to tell him about the case.

“Well, you know how the victim we found was dumped in a forest?” Jane nodded, pressing her to continue. “Well she was a mother of three small children and her death was a hit and run. The person driving the car hit her, panicked, moved her body into a forest and drove away, hoping he wouldn’t be caught.” Jane saw that the sadness in Lisbon’s features was suddenly replaced with a flash of anger but it soon disappeared.

Now he knew why she was so upset. Her own mother had been killed in a car accident and the driver of the other car just drove away. This case was causing her to relive the painful memories of her childhood.

“Oh Lisbon.” He sighed and pulled her into a hug. He felt her tense for a moment but then relax in his arms. He couldn’t help but think how right she felt there with him. He never wanted to let her go.

“There’s more.” Lisbon spoke into his chest. Jane looked down curiously but as soon as he saw her eyes, he knew what it was. “It is the anniversary of my mother’s death today. Trust it to happen on this day.” Jane was for once, speechless. He didn’t know what he could offer to her to make her feel better so instead, he just tightened her hold on her and began to softly rub her arm.

Jane knew that Lisbon hated showing her emotions in front of people (he supposed that they were both similar in that aspect) but he also knew that there was a time to cry and this was one of them.

“Lisbon. You have been through a tough day today, you can cry you know. No-one is going to think any less of you. It’s okay, I’m here.” He whispered into her hair and then he felt her shake as the tears she was holding were released from her sorrow filled eyes. Jane just sat with her and rocked her softly whilst stroking her hair.

In that moment, he realised that their relationship had once more taken another step forward.

[Taffy Mae]

Nominee: Scarlett Jane

Author: [url=http://www.fanfiction.net/u/999335/
]Jolie Freedman[/url]

Rating: M

Link: LINK HERE

Moment:

Jane hadn’t come into work that day and Lisbon found that she was worried about him. It wasn’t like him to miss a day and even more unusual for him not to ring her so that she wouldn’t about him.

So after work she had decided to call on him. As a friend she assured herself, she was just a friend worried about another and it made perfect sense for her to check up one her team’s most valuable member. Of course none of the team had believed her when she had said that. She hadn’t missed the looks between Rigsby and Van Pelt as she announced why she was leaving the office early. She couldn’t fool anyone that her feelings for Patrick Jane were purely platonic.

The house looked cold and dead as she approached and it made all of the hairs on her body stand on end.

She did knock but the door was open. She stepped inside calling out Jane’s name but no-one answered her. The house inside was pitch black but even so she could see the vast emptiness of the rooms she passed through. Not even a single piece of furniture remained. It was no longer a family home but nothing more than a tomb.

“Jane?” she called out again looking round but seeing no sign of anyone. The kitchen was slightly more filled than the living room with a table and a large cork notice board on which was pinned every single article from the same report she had at home and filled with newspaper clippings about the Jane murder and Red John. It was filled with Jane’s writing, notes on who and where Red may be or people who could be linked to him.

A loud crack under foot alerted her to the fact that the floor was strewn with the broken remains of a coffee mug which she guessed from the stained wall had been thrown against it. A single letter lay open across the kitchen table dated marked from that day. She picked it up and began to read the short note written there become more and more horrified as she continued to read.

Dear Mr Jane

Just wishing you best wishes on your wedding anniversary.

Her lips tasted like blood and her hair smelt like cinnamon. She screamed for you. Oh how she screamed.

Beautiful woman. Beautiful blood.

Red John.

His signature smiley had been added underneath as a signature in blood. Lisbon threw it back down to the table disgusted by what she had just read a hand over her mouth. What kind of sick, twisted individual would so something like that? As she stared at the envelope she saw something else falling half out onto the table top. A clump of brown hair stuck together with long since congealed blood.

Suddenly she was more than worried for Jane. She was petrified about how he had reacted to this letter, this sick, torturous piece of writing that ripped more holes into his already shredded heart.

She all but ran upstairs taking 2 steps at a time knowing already the door that would be facing her. A door which had seen such horrors committed beyond its threshold. She pushed it open both prepared for what she would see but in another way completely unprepared at all for what waited for her.

The first thing she saw was the face sat in its eternal death watch over the room and the house. The next was Patrick Jane sat clutching bleeding knuckles from where he’d slammed his fist into the smiling red face and tears falling down his face. She had never seen him fall so spectacularly apart before and she had no idea what she should do. When he saw her he began furiously rubbing at the tears that covered his face.

“Lisbon what are you doing here?” he asked her and she began to stutter over her words

“I came to see how you were when you didn’t come in today” she told him and he tried to send her the most charming smile that he could muster though she didn’t believe it for a second.

“I’m fine, there was no need for you to come really” he tried to convince her but she knew better. She wasn’t going any where, not this time. Not matter what he tried to say,

“I saw the letter” she told him quietly and whatever resolve and façade he still held around her in that moment crumbled away and gave way to the real Patrick Jane. He clutched his head pressing his face to his knees and sobbing loudly. Lisbon was rooted to the spot unable to move as he dissolved before her but it didn’t last long. She quickly knelt by his sides and folded his shaking form into her arms as he sobbed. He clutched at her body desperately as he were drowning and she was his only lifeline and she held him as tightly as he held her.

“I’m here Jane, I’m here. You’re safe, you’re safe” she assured him as he cried Lisbon’s heart once more breaking as her own tears joined his. She do anything to stop the pain he felt but how could he ever heal until Red John was caught? She finally understood why he couldn’t move on till Red John was dead or behind bars because until then it could never be over, could never be let go off. She could never have a future with Jane until Red John was caught and the whole affair was ended.

But she didn’t care then even if he never wanted her. She loved him and he was in pain and she would hold him till every tear had been shed. Hers and his.

When he had finally finished they had ended up laying backwards on the mattress on the floor her head on his chest and her arm nestled into the curve of his shoulder. His hand was still clutching at her waist puling her to him and there were still tears on her face. His other hand rested tangled in her short, tear soaked hair stroking a thumb across the back of her skull.

“I’m sorry” he told her quietly eventually breaking the silence that had descended upon the room. Her hand found his hand and squeezed it between her fingers. He laced his fingers in-between hers and pulled their hands up to rest near his heart.

“Don’t be. It’s that bastards fault” she told him and she heard him laugh sadly

“Thank you for being here. You didn’t have to”

She squeezed his fingers again feeling the deep thrum of her heartbeat underneath their linked hands “ Yes I do, you’re my friend, my best friend and I will always be there for you” she assured him and even though she couldn’t see his face she knew that he was smiling at her words.

“Its has been five years and I still miss her so much, I miss them both so badly” he said quietly and for the first time she realised that he had broken down all of the walls he had erected between them and was allowing her to see who he really was, what he truly felt and she was honoured.

“I know Jane and no one would expect you to feel any different. But you have to remember that all of us, me, Rigsby, Cho and Van Pelt, we’re your friends; we want to help you if you’ll let us. We love you”

He laughed softly and she sat up looking at his tear swollen face “Come on, you should come back to my apartment, you shouldn’t be alone in this room tonight” she told him and she was expecting him to argue as he always did but he didn’t perhaps because he had no energy left to fight her.

He didn’t say anything on the journey over to her apartment but rested his hand on top of hers atop the gearstick. His palms were sticky on hers.

Inside he headed straight to the couch and lay down. She gathered a couple of pillows and a blanket for him from the airing cupboard and gave them to him “Is there anything that you need before I go to bed?” she asked him and he shook his head closing his eyes tight shut “Okay, sleep well Jane” she wished him and made her way to bed where she quickly fell into a emotionally exhausted slumber.

She was awoken a few hours later though she wasn’t sure why at first. Looking at the clock she quickly realised that it was the early hours of the morning and no a single speck of light was streaming in through the windows. It was only after a few moments that she realised that she had been woken by soft sobbing coming from her living room. She got out of bed quietly and wandered to see Jane sat on her couch face race and tear stained. She didn’t say anything but walked over to him and took his hand in her own.

She led him to her bed tucking him underneath the covers before slipping into bed next to him and wrapping her arms around him. She felt his own wrapped around her and what she thought or perhaps hoped was his lips on her hair and her neck as she tangled his legs into hers before shutting her own eyes and drifting into sleep once more listening to Jane’s steady heartbeat.

When she awoke she was alone and in Jane’s place sat two blueberry muffins and a note with only a single word written on it in Jane’s neat and flowing handwriting.

Thanks.

[lilsmiles]

Nominee: No Good Deed

Author: mswyrr

Rating: K

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

When she caught sight of him asleep on the couch, she felt such a sense of relief. She got some mother hen comments from Cho and Rigsby, she was so vigilant that nobody wake him. It probably wasn't necessary. He was exhausted from being sick, and he hadn't stirred by the time they shut down for the night. She didn't know what to do yet, but she got some peace from knowing he wouldn't be locking himself in that dead house tonight.