This is my first attempt at writing about this show. I really hope I got their characters right. Speaking of characters, I don't own anything or anyone from The Mentalist.

"I still don't get it," Cho said from his desk frowning. "Why a butterfly?"

Three pairs of eyes immediately shifted from their work to focus on the prodigal blond man casually lying across the leather sofa to reply.

Patrick Jane turned his head slightly to look at Cho and smiled. "Ah but that's the beauty of it isn't it? Such a small, frail and beautiful creature the creator of such a destructive event." Here Jane paused seemingly considering the irony and moved on. "However the point isn't the butterfly, although that is poetic in its own way. It's that something so small can alter events that can cause something incredibly bigger, hence the hurricane."

Van Pelt was the first one to try to make the theory simpler for Cho who was still looking confused. "Basically it just means that a tiny change in a system can cause a random chain of events that can have a large-scale impact."

Rigsby stared wide-eyed at the junior agent, awe barely hidden on his features. His infatuation was sometimes very obvious to his male counterparts but not so much so to the female ones. "How did you know that?" he asked.

"Easy," Jane answered before Van Pelt could. "She googled it. I heard the keyboard strokes all the way here."

Grace Van Pelt looked a bit sheepish sitting in front of her laptop but laughed anyway as she shot Jane a look. "Hey it was easier than having to wait for you to come full circle with your explanations. Cho was about to have a stroke."

"No I wasn't," Cho opposed as Jane and Rigsby laughed. "It's just that a butterfly is so unlikely to cause a hurricane. I would understand if it was something that actually had some menace to it like a tiger or elephant. But a butterfly? Sorry not buying it."

And he returned to the stack of paper he was supposed to have finished two days ago.

Rigsby shrugged from his corner. "I'm afraid I'm with Cho on that one," he said as he leaned his big frame back onto his chair. " I just can't see an insect's wings causing that much damage no matter what."

"Have you ever seen a swarm of locusts in action?" Van Pelt asked sweetly from her side.

Jane only smiled wider as he closed his eyes to the sound of the three agents' continued bickering. "Well it's just a theory," he whispered to no one in particular.

In the morning the three agents were already at their desks working on a new case but with the additional presence of their boss, Theresa Lisbon who was busy on her cell phone demanding lead on this new investigation. By the time the call ended she was positively fuming. She didn't like it when people saw her angry but the prehistoric Sheriff had pushed all her buttons and then some she didn't even know she had. But at least she had gotten what she wanted. The CBI was official in charge of this murder case.

The three agents were pretending they hadn't heard the exchange so they remained calm and unnoticed until Lisbon retreated to her office. She didn't slam her door because that wasn't something she did. Besides, that would be considered unprofessional. So she closed it gently to have a moment to subdue her sudden temper.

Patrick Jane soon walked into the office carrying a tray of coffees. Van Pelt sniffed the air and immediately reached out her hand for a cup. She wasn't disappointed when Jane handed it to her automatically as with the rest of the team. The routine good mornings were said and so began a new day at the CBI.

"Where is Lisbon?" he asked as his blue eyes looked around for the small brunette.

"In her office, but I wouldn't go in there if I was you," Rigsby said in a tone of warning.

Jane grinned as he ignored the warning. "I know. She isn't a morning person."

Just as Rigsby was about to wish him luck, Jane was already strolling confidently towards the closed door, two coffee cups perfectly balanced in the tray. Cho cringed hoping he wasn't going to say or do something that would make Lisbon even more furious.

From where they were sitting they only heard a slight knock followed by the opening of a door. Automatically they got back to the case at hand not really concerned with what was going on in their boss' office.

A few minutes later, a smiling Lisbon and Jane came out, each holding their coffee cups in their hands.

"Alright everyone," Theresa Lisbon announced almost happily. "Pack your things. We are going to Willows."

"Why there?" asked Van Pelt.

"Closest town to our murder. The body was found in the Mendocino National Forest, a great tourist spot. We need to get going now, it's more than a three hour drive."

No one wasted any time getting their stuff in order. Within half an hour they were all ready. Jane was looking at the big SUV when he heard Lisbon stop next to him.

"You aren't driving Jane," she said decisively, her black glasses covering the laughter in her eyes or so she thought.

"Ah but you said we needed to get there in a hurry," Jane hinted as he smiled boyishly down at her.

Just as Lisbon was about to open her mouth to protest, he interrupted her.

"I know you didn't say those words exactly but the impression of urgency was there I assure you. And since you always say I drive fast…" He let the question hang in the air, hoping that she would say yes even though he knew she was going to refuse because Lisbon was already walking towards the driver's seat. He had no choice but to follow.

"You know," Cho said as he watched the pair enter the truck from his rolled down window. "This chaos theory thing might actually have some substance to it."

From the back seat, Van Pelt rolled her eyes. "Well of course it has. Numerous scientists have made it a field of physics and mathematics."

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh. Sorry." She didn't sound apologetic at all. "So what are you asking?"

Rigsby meanwhile was in the driver's seat and following Lisbon's lead out of the parking lot.

Cho didn't seem to hear the junior agent's question as his mind was busy brainstorming. "What was it that you said about systems changing due to small changes Van Pelt?" Cho finally asked innocently.

I wonder if anyone knows where this is going. If not I've chosen a suggestion from redfeatherz in the only mentalist forum to write about. Reviews???? I really hope you like it.