Title: A Change of Plan

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with The Mentalist, or really anything profit-generating.

Author's Note: Here's the epilogue, especially for Chiisana Minako, who asked so nicely! It's a little long, but I'm terrible at knowing where to end things, so I'm sorry if it rambles. For all of you who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or just read this far, you have made me so happy! I'm grateful I found this wonderful, supportive community, and I know I'm going to enjoy the new season so much more because of all of you!

Chapter 16: Epilogue

Seven and a half months later

Teresa Lisbon peered through the large glass window, scanning the row until she found the person she was looking for. The baby was awake, and she could see that her eyes were blue (the wrong blue) and she was cute rather than beautiful. Jane was right, she thought. Not his.

Still, it would be a relief when the test results came in. They'd come all this way to where Lorelei—originally Mary Jenkins from Mason City, Iowa, now called Lila Page courtesy of the Witness Protection Program—had settled to have her child after helping round up what she knew of Red John's network, and Lisbon just wanted the whole thing over with. She knew Jane did too; though he'd been playing it cool the whole way to San Diego, he'd been uncharacteristically clingy last night. She was surprised he'd slept at all, though she'd certainly done her best to wear him out.

Footsteps and the crinkle of a wrapper alerted her that she was no longer alone before a hand landed on her shoulder and Jane said, "I love how you smile when you're thinking about me."

She smelled rich, dark chocolate and grinned up at him. "Maybe I'm just hungry."

He offered her the bar, and she took a bite, making a point of sucking some of the chocolate coating off first and slanting her gaze up at him mischievously.

"Behave, Agent Lisbon, or I'll have to report you for contributing to the delinquency of minors," he grinned. Then he turned to the window and asked, "Which one is she?"

"Third from the left," Lisbon replied. "Doesn't look a thing like you, does she?"

"How could she?" he asked calmly, as if he'd never entertained a doubt at all. Which she knew wasn't true, but old habits died hard, and his instinct would always be to conceal uncertainty or weakness.

They were silent for a moment, until Jane said, "Just ask me, Lisbon. I'm either going to give you a straight answer or not, but waiting won't affect the outcome."

So much for her hope that he might be more open, more reliable now that they were together, she thought. Though she supposed he was reliably Jane, the same irritating, unpredictable, charming, feckless man he'd always been. Still, she wasn't sure this was a wise question, especially since they'd only been sleeping together for a couple of months. It had taken longer than she'd anticipated for them to work through their individual healing processes and find the courage to share their scars, both physical and psychological. It was an ongoing process. "Do you ever think about doing it again? Fatherhood?"

"Are you offering?" he teased.

"Not at this time," she responded in the same tone.

"Good. Because it may surprise you, but I prefer to do things in the traditional order."

He must have felt her tense, because his hand moved from her shoulder to the base of her neck, and he began rubbing his thumb in slow circles there. He'd gotten very good at getting her to relax, no matter what outrageous thing he was saying at the time. And it was outrageous, she told herself firmly. It was one thing to be sleeping with her consultant—at least that could be done with discretion (or, as Jane insisted on calling it, paranoid, obsessive secrecy). Putting on a ring and announcing to the team, the CBI, her brothers, and the whole world that they were a couple was an entirely different concept, and she wasn't anywhere in that vicinity yet.

"Don't worry; I'm not asking," he murmured into her ear. "Just...introducing the topic for you to mull over in your spare time. Let me know if you ever feel like discussing it. Here, have more chocolate."

She took another bite of the candy bar without really thinking about it. Dammit, she thought, he had to know that she wouldn't be able to get rid of the idea now that he'd planted it. But of course that was his plan: the more she thought about it, the more used to the idea she'd get, and the less impossible it would seem. She'd probably wake up one morning and think it was the most natural thing in the world.

She'd get her revenge, though: for one thing, she was only getting married if she could do it in church. Making Jane go through pre-marriage counseling with a priest was either a brilliant stroke of revenge for all the times he'd annoyed her, or the very worst idea anyone had ever had in the entire history of ideas.

"Do you want to go see her mother?" Lisbon asked.

Jane shook his head. "I only came down here because you insisted. We'll do whatever you need to do to put this to rest, but as far as I'm concerned we can just spend the rest of the weekend on the beach."

You are so full of it, she didn't say, knowing he'd hear her anyway. But she wasn't surprised that Jane didn't want to see Lorelei again. He'd spent quite a bit of time with her after Red John's death, persuading her that the only way to make sure her baby stayed out of foster care was to avoid prison by cooperating with them. Once convinced, her testimony had been invaluable in rooting out Red John's network, although Lorelei didn't appear to know about everyone, since she hadn't identified the mole in the FBI.

Lisbon was both grateful for and worried about the fact that identifying Red John's disciples had kept the team so busy. She wondered sometimes if Jane would get bored with solving cases without his nemesis to drive him. When there were no more moles to root out, would he get restless? He seemed content to carry on for now, and in fact had put some effort into his other relationships at the CBI, but the doubt still plagued her.

"Let's get some lunch," Jane suggested. "I saw a lovely little cafe on the drive into town."

mmm

When they'd finished a lovely meal and were relaxing at their outdoor table, enjoying the sunshine, sea breeze, and the luxury of wine at lunchtime, Jane said, "Run away with me, Lisbon."

She stared at him, wondering if he'd just said what she thought he just said.

"Not for forever. Just for a little while," he assured her.

"How long is a little while?"

"A month?"

"A week," she countered.

He grinned. If she was negotiating, he knew he already had her. "Three weeks."

"Two weeks," she said. "That's all I can afford."

"Nonsense. You must have months of accumulated leave," he scoffed. "You work constantly. You've taken exactly three vacations in all the years I've known you."

"There's a reason for that."

"Yes, but I'm going with you, so you don't have to worry about what I'm doing in your absence," he pointed out. "Cho's more than capable. The team, the CBI, and the good citizens of California can all do without you for two weeks. Or longer."

"Two weeks. But only if I approve the destination," she said. "What did you have in mind?"

"Somewhere with a beach," he mused. "And I suppose it has to be a foreign country, because I want it to be somewhere you'll allow me to hold your hand in public."

He'd complained about that before, even though he had no one to blame but himself, she thought irritably. But she wasn't going to hint that he should take his wedding ring off, because he needed to do that when he was ready and not a moment before.

"Foreign beach vacations aren't exactly in my budget," she said.

"Not a problem. I have all that money from selling the land."

She hadn't asked him how much he'd gotten from the sale, but he'd once remarked that Red John had done him a favor: It was much easier selling the land than a house where a gruesome murder had once taken place. He'd been moody and morose immediately before, during, and after the sale, though. Letting go of the past wasn't something that came easily to him. "You should buy another house with it so you don't have to pay capital gains," she said. Though she had to admit, she liked the cozy little apartment he'd finally managed to commit to.

He laughed. "Who are you, and what have you done with Teresa Lisbon?"

"I dated an accountant once."

"Oh? When was that?"

"Once," she smiled. "Do you think I'd ever sit through more than one conversation about capital gains?"

"Does that mean I'll have to handle all the finances once we're married?"

"Well, I'll be too busy ducking all the flying pigs to do it myself," she retorted.

He grinned. "You're being awfully mean to someone who wants to take you on an exotic vacation, and who may even be persuaded to spring for a spa day if asked nicely."

"You always think I'm up to something if I'm nice to you."

"Because you're always up to something when you're nice to me. Anyway, it doesn't happen that often. Do you realize you're much snarkier at work than you used to be? I know it doesn't seem possible, but I've heard it remarked on."

"You didn't expect me to go around humming and daydreaming, did you?"

"No, but it would be nice, just every once in a while, to have some evidence that I make you happy."

"Since when do you need evidence? Which you get plenty of, by the way, in private," she pointed out, picking up her glass and draining the last of her wine. Who would ever have thought that Jane was insecure like the rest of humanity, she marveled.

"That's very selective and specific feedback," he said. "I'm serious now, Lisbon. There's something holding you back, and I'd like to know what it is."

She couldn't help herself—she looked at the damn ring. He followed her gaze and said, "Ah."

His air of surprise took her aback. How had he not figured that out? "I'm not asking you to take it off. Not until you're ready. But you can't expect me to publicly commit to a married man."

"No. No, I can't," he said thoughtfully.

"But that's really just part of a larger problem," she said. In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought. "I have no idea what your perspective is on all this. What are you planning to do once we've found the last mole?"

"Is there something I need to be planning?" he frowned. "I think a celebration would be in order. And I keep hearing rumors about a promotion for Cho, though I think there's only about a 50/50 chance he'll take it."

"And what about the rumors about you?"

"There are rumors about me? I mean, beyond the ones that have been going around for years about how I must be blackmailing you or hypnotizing you or using my freaky powers to keep you from shooting me?"

Seriously? He was usually her best connection to the grapevine, and he wasn't hearing all the speculation about his leaving? Or was he just pretending not to know? She was beginning to think she needed a third glass of wine, despite the fact that would mean Jane had to drive. "There's a pool going on how soon you're going to quit the CBI."

He laughed. "Oh, that! All you had to do was ask. Cho and Rigsby already got the inside scoop. The only problem is how long they're going to have to wait to collect. You can probably still get in on the action, though I think once people find out which way you're betting, the payoff won't be nearly as good."

"I don't care about the pool," she snapped.

He looked surprised for a second, but one look at her face was all he needed to figure out what she was really asking. "I have no plans to leave, Lisbon. Where the hell would I go? Back to the psychic business? You'd hate that. You'd hate it worse than Angela did, and that's saying something."

She felt herself soften—talking about his family was something he'd been working on, and she knew it was still hard for him. But still, there was a point to be made here, and he had either missed it or was glossing over it. "Jane, you have to choose your career path based on what you want to do, not what I think about it."

"But what you think about it matters to me," he protested. "Besides, outsmarting criminals is fulfilling, if not financially rewarding. Getting to see you all day every day doesn't hurt either. Why on earth would I walk away from that?"

Lisbon didn't reply, looking around for the waiter instead. This was turning into a much bigger conversation than she'd intended, and she needed fortification. Maybe more wine was a bad idea, but something gooey and chocolatey would do the trick. Jane looked amused while she ordered, but his expression gradually turned serious again.

"My stint in Vegas did more damage than I realized," he said. "Even after all this time. Is it because you've always been the one to leave before?"

"Stop psychoanalyzing me, at least until I have some chocolate," she retorted.

"All right. I'll just point out that I'm the one with reason to worry. I've never known you to date anyone more than a few times. And my knowledge of how you think is only going to buy me so much time. Is all this talk about my leaving CBI really you wanting me to, so it's less awkward when you decide you're done with me personally?"

"No," she said quickly. Then she thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't think so," she said more calmly. "But I can't start thinking about being in this for the long haul if I'm not sure you are too."

"Fair enough." He started to say something else, but her cell phone rang.

She picked it up. "Lisbon."

"Agent Lisbon, you asked to be notified when we received the paternity results from Isabel Page. We've excluded Mr. Jane as the father."

Lisbon could feel the smile breaking out on her face, and she tried to keep the joy out of her voice as she said, "Thank you. I appreciate you letting me know so quickly." She barely remembered to say good-bye before hanging up.

Jane was smiling back; it was obvious what the news was. She still wanted to say it to him. "You're not the baby's father."

"The sun rises in the east," he replied in the same excited tone. "The sky is blue. And that—" he paused as the waiter set a small mountain of chocolate brownie, vanilla and mint ice cream, and chocolate sauce between them "—is enough dessert for the entire Serious Crimes Unit."

"Ha, ha. Admit it: There was a possibility."

"There's also a possibility a meteor will hurtle out of the sky and annihilate us where we sit, but I'm not worried about that either," he said, picking up his spoon and examining the dessert, looking for the best angle of attack. "We'll still want someone checking on them, you know. To make sure she's not trying to raise another psychotic killer to walk in his footsteps."

"Yes. That's why I was so relieved she was a girl. Much less statistical chance of her becoming a serial killer," Lisbon said. She finally managed to get a spoonful that combined all the flavors and put it in her mouth, closing her eyes and savoring it.

When she opened her eyes again, Jane was grinning at her. "I love watching you eat ice cream."

"Good, because you're going to see a lot of it in the next few minutes," she replied. "We're celebrating, after all. Now, tell me more about this exotic beach."

"Ha. I'm on to your plan, Lisbon. If I'm talking, I'm not eating, leaving more for you."

They finished off the dessert in a remarkably short time, and Jane signaled for the waiter and asked for the check. When it came, Lisbon made sure to snatch it first. "My turn," she said firmly.

He shrugged. "If you insist."

She was pleased he'd finally acknowledged the futility of trying to pay for all their shared meals. It took her a minute to look over the list of things they'd ordered to confirm that yes, they really had spent that much on lunch, and then pull out her credit card. When she looked up again, Jane was staring down at his ring thoughtfully.

"When you're ready," she said gently. "I'm not asking anything."

"But you're never going to believe in us until I do," he pointed out. "And the reason I haven't taken it off isn't because I have doubts. It's just...I promised myself when she put it on my finger that I'd never take it off. And I haven't. But maybe this is one more promise that I have to admit I'm not able to keep."

He still hadn't fully come to terms with not keeping his promise to kill Red John, she knew. "You can take all the time you need," she said. "I don't blame you for having a hard time with it. I admire that you take it so seriously. Marriage should be taken seriously. I'd be unhappy if you didn't."

He nodded, then slowly slid the gold band off his finger and looked at it. She could tell by the tension lines around his mouth that his was an emotional moment for him, and she made herself sit quietly so as not to intrude. When the waiter came back with the credit card slip, she was grateful for the distraction as she quickly calculated the tip and signed.

"Maybe I could start with taking it off for a few minutes at a time," Jane mused. He glanced up at her hopefully. "Maybe you could offer me an incentive?"

She smiled. "Let's go for a walk on the beach. You can hold my hand."

He looked down at the ring again, then slid it into his inner jacket pocket, over his heart. Lisbon found it touching; Angela and Charlotte were always going to be in his heart, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She got to her feet and held out her hand to him, her heart fluttering a little at the brilliant smile he gave her as he took it. She couldn't resist giving him a quick kiss; his lips tasted of chocolate and the red wine he'd been drinking.

"Mm. We should have dessert after every meal," he decided as they started down the sidewalk.

"Tell me about this exotic beach you have in mind," she asked. "Somewhere tropical?"

"If you like. I was thinking more Mediterranean, but on second thought, maybe we should save that for a special occasion."

"Our first vacation isn't a special occasion?"

"Not as special as the honeymoon will be."

"You know, it would be nice if you would at least pretend not to take my cooperation for granted when you come up with crazy ideas."

"Then you'd just accuse me of withholding information, or lying, or some such nonsense. Don't you get enough of that at work?" he grinned.

"You do realize that this scheme of yours would mean we couldn't work together anymore, right?"

"What, you think you can find another team to put up with me?" he laughed. "And Bertram isn't going to give me up, especially since consultants fall into a gray area in the rulebook. No, I'm not worried about that. If anyone gives you any flak, you can just tell them it's a brilliant management tactic: you finally discovered the right leverage to make me behave. It's far less fun to annoy you when it might result in being tossed out to sleep by myself."

She tried to picture herself saying that to anyone and couldn't help laughing. "I hadn't noticed that effect. Really?"

"Your complaint paperwork load has gone down, hasn't it?"

It was true that he seemed to have slightly more tolerance for the irksome these days, but she hadn't made the connection he was claiming. "Wow. If I'd known it was that easy, I would have slept with you years ago. Next time they ask me to present at a management seminar, I'll blow them out of the water with this topic."

"You know, your sarcasm was one of the first things I liked about you," he recalled. "I knew you'd never bore me the first time I heard you threaten to make Cho wear a stupid hat with a straight face."

She thought back. "I thought you were the best-looking jackass I'd ever met. And I knew you were going to torpedo my career someday; it was only a question of how long it would take."

"And yet here you are, still employed by the CBI. Despite several close calls, which I take full credit for resolving happily."

"Of course you do."

They'd reached the beach now and paused, looking up and down the coast to see which direction promised a better walk. "Well?" she asked.

"You choose," he replied. "I'll follow your lead."

"Better watch out; I could get used to that," she warned.

He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not promising to become predictable."

She wouldn't want him to, she knew. After another glance at both alternatives, she chose north, toward home.

Author's Note: Okay, I can hear some of you saying, "But you skipped the best part!" Yes, those 7.5 months were probably really interesting and worth writing about, but they're not part of this story. Maybe someday I'll circle back and fill in with a sequel, but for now my brain is fizzed out on the angst. All it will throw at me is weird parody ideas like "Agent Cho Hosts the Emmys" ("That's enough. Take your statue and go. Now.") or "Jane and Lisbon Get Married, As Seen on TLC" ("I put up with you hypnotizing the caterer, but leave the priest alone!"), neither of which I have any intention of inflicting on anybody. Hopefully the premiere tonight will spark something in my head. Even if it doesn't, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!