NOMINATIONS: Best Tearjerker Moment

[admin]

The Box of Tissues Berry Blue Jellie

This award goes to the Mentalist fic with the best tearjerker moment, where a character relives a horrific memory, there is a death of a character or the author made you misty eyed.

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: Pure and Simple

Author: MyGoldenGlow

Rating: K+

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

“Are you hurt?” the leader asks the two on the floor. Lisbon is standing now, sniffing back tears and wiping furiously at her eyes.

“No, we’re fine. Uhm…this man…Patrick Jane,” she gestures at him, struggling to control her voice just long enough to tell them what they need to know, “…he, uhh,” she swallows, forcing down the lump in her throat. Her mind won’t work fast enough, and she swipes at her eyes again, “He killed him. He killed Red John.” There. She said it. There was no going back now, no lying and telling them it had been self defense. Those four words had destroyed the life she had known for six years. The life she had been content living.

I did the right thing. I did the right thing.

“But, in, self defense, right?” asks the officer, confused.

“No,” she shakes her head and stumbles back from the man she once considered her closest friend, “no.”

Rigsby, Van Pelt and Cho are all standing at the door, and as she walks past them she can’t meet their eyes. She knows what she will see – pity, compassion, and probably a bit of hatred. She knows what they’re thinking: Couldn’t she have lied to protect him? She’d shielded him so many times; couldn’t she do it once more? But this is nothing compared to anything he’s ever done before.

[lilsmiles]

Nominee: Speed

Author: tromana

Rating: T

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

It had taken her half a minute to gain the confidence to open her eyes. It took another five for someone to stop and call 911, having discovered a little girl bawling, begging her Mommy to wake up. The bastard that hit them hadn’t even had the decency to stop and see if either of them had survived.

Luckily, she had survived. Just a broken leg. When the kind nurse told her that her mother had died in the accident, she refused to believe. It wasn’t until her tear-stricken father wrapped his arms around her, kissed her gently and told her ‘Mommy’s gone’ that she began to realise she’d never see her mother again.

[gracevanpelt]

Nominee: Thursday

Author: Penelope Louise

Rating: T

Story: Link Here

Lisbon was running out of time. She knew she was. It was only a matter of time before she broke the news to her team.

Soon she would be too weak to work. She knew it would happen, but she wished that she could have been able to live more of her life before it happened.

The doctor gave her two months.

After she heard the news, she didn’t cry. What reason was there to cry? She’d see her mother again…

It was a Thursday, the day she told the team her news.

It was a Thursday, the day she was admitted to hospital.

It was a Thursday, the day that she passed away in her sleep.

It was a Thursday, the day of her funeral.

[tromana]

Nominee: If Only

Author: hardly loquacious

Rating: K+

Story: HERE

Moment:

As he walked back to her office he wondered what would have happened if only he’d just followed her back to her apartment.

If only she had the courage to let someone in so she didn’t always have to go home alone.

If only he could forgive himself enough to stop sleeping in the room where he’d lost everything.

If only she could risk heartbreak on a man who was already broken.

If only he could forget about avenging deaths and instead devote himself to teaching someone how to live.

If only those days could last just a little longer.

If only both of them were brave enough...

If only…

[Taffy Mae]

Nominee: Scarlett Jane

Author: Jolie Freedman

Rating: M

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

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.

[gracevanpelt]

Nominee: Miss Lisbon

Author: Penelope Louise

Rating: T

Story: Miss Lisbon

“Tessa!” Teresa turned at the sound of her mother’s voice. She jumped up from the piano stool, glanced apologetically at Alan who she’d been playing to and ran downstairs.

“Yes, mommy?” Alice Lisbon tousled her daughter’s hair affectionately.

“I’m going out shopping with grandma, would you like to come?” She asked, and Teresa sighed.

“But, mommy. I’m busy.” She pouted, and Alice shrugged.

“Okay, then, honey. I’ll see you in a few hours.” Alice pulled on her coat and headed outside to her car.

“Bye mommy!” Teresa ran back upstairs to carry on playing the piano.

The next morning she walked into the kitchen to find her parents in deep conversation. Her mom was crying, and her father looked sad.

“Daddy? Why is mommy crying?” Teresa looked up at her father, who shook his head slightly and pulled Teresa onto his knee.

“Grandma is very ill, honey.” He said, speaking to her slowly. “She might not get better.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Teresa asked, her lower lip trembling slightly.

“She’s very, very tired. Tess, she’s gone to sleep and the doctors can’t wake her up at the moment. She might wake up… we’re not sure.” Lucien Lisbon replied sadly. Alice’s mother was in a coma, as a result of a stroke she had suffered two nights before. Alice had been the one to find her, on the floor of her own home, with no one to help her.

“I’m going to the hospital this afternoon, Tessa. Would you like to come?” Alice bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry in front of her daughter.

“Are Alan and Charlie coming?” Alice glanced at her husband.

“Alan can come if he wants to.” Alice conceded. Teresa ran up the stairs to tell her brother. A few minutes later, brother and sister came running down the stairs.

“We’re coming.” Teresa stated. Alice found their coats and helped them put them on.

“Alan. Shoes.” Lucien pointed out. Four year old Alan stomped back off upstairs to find himself a pair of shoes.

Half an hour later, Teresa, Alan and Alice were sitting in uncomfortable blue plastic chairs next to the hospital bed containing the sleeping Elisabeth Levato. Alice held her mother’s hand in her own, her cheeks damp from tears. Teresa had her legs pulled up under herself on the chair, and Alan’s head was resting on her shoulder, his eyes closed.

Alice took a deep breath and turned away from her mother. “Children, we should be going.” She said, and it took a superhuman effort for her to keep her voice steady. “Kiss your grandma goodbye.”

“Bye nana.” Alan leaned over and kissed his grandmother’s cheek.

“Teresa? Aren’t you going to kiss your grandmother goodbye?” Alice asked her eldest daughter.

“I…” Teresa wiped a tear away from her eye. Her grandmother looked so peaceful and serene, yet the sleeping face would haunt her. She didn’t want to kiss her cheek, so she settled for patting her hand lightly. “Good bye, nana.”

That was the last time that Teresa saw her grandmother. The next time her mother visited Elisabeth, Teresa opted to stay at home.

After that, there was no next time. All that was left of Elisabeth Levato was a granite headstone and the memories in their heads.

Whenever Teresa Lisbon thought of her grandmother, she saw the face wrinkled with illness and worry, the mouth straight with no emotion, and she heard the sounds of hospital machines beeping.

She would never forgive herself from being unable to say goodbye to her grandmother properly.

[lilsmiles]

Nominee: Scorecard

Author: speakup22

Rating: K

Story: LINK HERE

Moment:

“I just didn’t want you to see that. Not yet.” He knew before he finished that she wouldn’t understand. He buried his face in his hands as if he could hide for a moment from her before lifting his sad eyes back up to hers.

“I didn’t want you to see that part of me. A part that I can’t take back. That will now always be a part of the person you see in front of you.”

She walks around the table, never breaking eye contact as she closes the space between them. Leaning back gently she drops her voice to barely above a whisper.

“It doesn’t scare me, you know that right?”

Even someone without his abilities would have been able to read the honesty and levity in her body language.

“Maybe not, but you deserve more than not being scared.”

A silence falls over the two; they both knew this conversation wasn’t going any further. Not today anyway. It would be left unfinished, but neither minded. Actually, whether they would admit it or not, they liked it that way. Being unfinished.