Wonder ~ Patrick Jane "the Mentalist" One-Shots

A CBI Christmas (Christmas Special!)

Summary: It's your first year with Lisbon and the CBI and you're beginning to fit in, but maybe the Christmas season will speed the integration along?

Warnings: Mild swearing.

A/N: Helllo everyone! Merry Christmas! I'm reallly excited for Christmas which is coming so sooon AGHHHHHHH! To celebrate (and partly as a challenge) I'm trying to pump out a Christmas One-Shot for each of my One-Shot books before the 25th. So I did my Locklyle one yesterday but posted it today and I wrote this baby today and I'm posting it so I don't forget! Look out for one on my Pedro Pascal + Characters One-Shot book and Ethan Hunt/Tom Cruise One-Shot book! Lastly, a little apology for the lack of Jane content in this One-Shot. The whole Team is heavily involved so there's not much for the Reader and Jane to get up to romantically! That aside, enjoy! And again, Merry Christmas!

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When you joined Lisbon's CBI Team back in February, you hadn't expected to last very long. After graduating from college with a degree in criminal investigation and law, you landed a job as a local police officer in Sacramento, before you decided to try your hand at something of a larger scale and wound up in the CBI offices. Lisbon was a tougher boss than any of the guys back at Sac PD and for the first few months, you felt like the odd one out. Always left at the office to finish up the dirty work or man the computers if VanPelt was needed elsewhere. Aside from VanPelt, you didn't get along with the rest of the team. Rigsby felt you were stealing VanPelt's place as the rookie and Cho was distrustful of any newby and you hadn't gotten the chance to prove yourself to him in those early months.

Your only consolation was Patrick Jane.

He too was the odd one out.

The consultant who picked fights and made mischief and got into trouble, and caught your eye immediately.

The two of you bonded over your displacement in the team, furthering the coworker relationship into a dynamic duo that caused all sorts of havoc for Lisbon.

While this might've made bonding with the rest of the team harder for a month or two...it was a heck of a ton of fun and you needed some of that in your life. You needed some of Jane in your boring life and he gladly donated, asking only for your unfailing loyalty. Whether he was springing a convict or going directly against Lisbon's orders, Jane required your help and you provided it without hesitation.

After all...Jane's your friend.

Or...he was your friend.

Now he's maybe a little more than that...

But neither of you have said anything.

So you go on flirting and avoiding a confession and dance on the fine line between friends and lovers.

Kind of like VanPelt and Rigsby, who broke up a few months back.

Because they're idiots, you think with a shake of your head, which rattled the necklace of Christmas bells VanPelt made you wear. Jane brought headbands and slipped a reindeer antler one over your head while you made coffee in the morning. The bells and antlers coupled with your ugly green sweater make you look like Christmas vomit. But you don't look as ridiculous as Jane, who insisted everyone dress as Christmasy as possible for the annual CBI Christmas party. This being your first year with the CBI means your first time attending the party. It's really only a party for Lisbon's team. The universal CBI agency holiday party was last week. You blush to remember the tight, evening dress you had to wear and the way Jane couldn't stop looking at you. For someone who doesn't like having much attention, you certainly got enough to last a lifetime. Looking back, you wonder at how you didn't just die right then and there. Oh the embarrassment...it haunts you to this day.