Author's Note: So, I finally got to see the promo for episode 5x14 of the Mentalist! Yay! And *spoiler* there's a part where Lisbon faints and Jane catches-or at least tries to catch-her and I kinda just had to write something about it. I got this idea and wrote it out. It's late and writing this is the only reason that I am still up. I didn't want the idea to slip away. Anyway, this is what my mind created. Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Since I didn't get the Mentalist as a Christmas present...maybe a birthday present?

Jane and Lisbon followed the museum curator through the door to the storage vault.

"We have many different types of insects and wildlife in our showcase. We even have flesh eating bugs." The curator gestured for them to follow a younger museum employee toward the racks filled with boxes. There was one that was the size of a large cooler and it was wooden, on a high middle shelf. There were brass handles on the sides of the box to assist in carrying it.

They all stood around the box as the younger museum employee removed the lid to reveal the flesh eating bugs mentioned by the curator as they swarmed and devoured a corpse that had already started to look more like a skeleton.

One moment Lisbon was torn between running or barfing and she didn't know what happened, but the next moment she was fainting.

Jane saw her eyes roll back, but he didn't realise she was going to faint until her knees buckled. "Oh!" He gasped and moved to catch her before she hit the ground. He was lucky enough to succeed and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw he had. Her head rested on his shoulder as he cradled her body against his own.

"Is she all right?" asked the curator, worriedly.

"Oh, yeah." Jane said, dismissively. "I'm sure she's fine. Just tired and a bit grossed out. She'll probably come to in a few minutes."

"We should find somewhere for her to lie down." The younger employee suggested.

"Yes, of course." The curator nodded. "This way."

Jane shifted Lisbon so that he could pick her up bridal style and carry her as he followed the curator. He was led into a small office with a couch.

"Is this all right?" The curator asked. "She's not prone to things like this, is she? Is there a need for an ambulance?"

"No." Jane shook his head as he placed Lisbon on the couch gently. "She'll be fine. She'll be awake soon."

"Okay. Well, I do apologise, but I have some other things to attend to. There is always staff around. Let us know if there is anything else you need." The curator told him before hurrying out.

"I will. Thank you." Jane nodded after him before turning his attention back to Lisbon.

Ew. Maggots. They are disgusting. Lisbon couldn't ever remember a time that maggots didn't gross her out. She didn't have a problem with dirt, worms, spiders, flies, insects or bugs in general. Just maggots. They always seemed to get to her. It was just something about them. They were always on gross, decaying and dead things wriggling around like they relished in the stench and gross stickiness of it all. Plus, they were a gross colour to. Yellow. Not a nice yellow, but a very yucky shade of yellow. Nothing was ever going to convince her that maggots were good or useful. They were disgusting creatures and that was it. She wasn't expecting to have the flesh eating bugs remind her so much of maggots.

"Tommy, don't! That's gross!" She yelled at the oldest of her younger brothers. "I don't care what they say, Tommy! Don't eat it! Don't you dare!"

"Haha!" One of the other boys in Tommy's grade pointed and laughed for the convenience of the other kids from Tommy's grade, and a few older ones, that were watching. "He's being a pushover for a girl! Girly-boy! Girly-boy! He's not even going to eat it! He can't. He's too scared!"

All the other observers laughed even harder.

"I'm not!" Tommy protested.

"Then prove it." said the boy in front of Tommy as he held out the garbage plastic container that was platform to three maggots.

"Tommy. Don't!" Lisbon said again.

"Shut up!" Tommy snapped at her. "You can't tell me what to do!" He gulped as he looked back at the bugs that were being offered to him. He set his chin and decided his course of action, grabbing one of the bugs off of the plastic. The observers held their breath as Tommy opened his mouth and brought the maggot close.

"No!" Lisbon ran over and smacked the bug out of Tommy's hand, sending it flying and it landed on the cheek of the boy standing in front of them.

The boy let out a high shriek and tumbled backwards, tossing the garbage plastic aside and swatting at his face.

"Ha!" Tommy yelled and pointed at the other boy. "Who's the girly-boy now!?" Then he rounded angrily on his sister. "But, what did you do that for!? This is my business!"

"Tommy, that's disgusting! You could get a disease!"

"So, you try to humiliate my younger brother!?" The other boy's older brother, who was Lisbon's age, yelled at her.

"Your brother started it, John!" Lisbon turned to face him.

"So, you get in the middle of guys business?" John yelled at her.

"Oh, is that what they're calling stupidity nowadays!?" Lisbon retorted.

That really pissed John off because he stepped forward and swung at her with his fist.

Lisbon managed to avoid most of the blow, but he did manage to graze her cheek. Now, she was furious. Not even thinking, Lisbon stepped forward and threw out a right hook, smiling when it hit its mark on John's cheek bone.

The boy stumbled backwards slightly, not expecting the hit, before recovering and retaliating. That was all it had taken for the incident to turn into a fist fight. And it all started with those disgusting maggots!

"Lisbon?" Jane asked as he sat on the edge of the couch. It hadn't been that long since the curator had left. Three minutes at the most, Jane would estimate. He looked down at the sleeping woman in front of him. She was beautiful, but he got a bit more worried about her with every passing minute that she didn't wake up.

"That's disgusting." She muttered almost incoherently.

A smile played on Jane's lips. "Excuse me? Lisbon? Hey, Teresa?"

"Mmmnnnhhh."

Jane placed a palm on Lisbon's cheek, his thumb running over her cheek bone gently. "Teresa?" He said softly. "Time to wake up."

Lisbon squeezed her eyes tighter shut before her lids fluttered and opened. She looked into Jane's eyes for a dazed moment and blinked a few times. "Huh? Jane? Wh-what happened?"

"Oh, you just fainted." Jane chuckled. "I think the flesh eating bugs got to you a bit."

Lisbon shuddered at the mention of the bugs.

"Don't worry, though." Jane continued, humouredly. "I caught you. You didn't hit your precious little head or anything. You're welcome." He kissed her forehead and Lisbon began to sit up.

The door opened and Cho poked his head in. "Is she o-hey, boss. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Lisbon shook her head to try and clear away the fog before pushing on with the investigation.

-Mentalist-

He was doing it again. Standing too close to her. Ever since the incident at the museum the day before, Jane was standing much too close to her for her liking. His shoulder was touching hers even though they had the entire elevator to themselves.

"Can you please stop?" Lisbon asked, a little irritably.

"Stop what?" Jane asked innocently.

"Standing so close to me all the time. It's annoying and weird. It's borderline creepy."

"And what would happen if you fainted again?" Jane inquired. "How am I supposed to catch you if I am standing far away?"

"I'm not going to faint again." Lisbon informed him. "I'm going to be fine." The elevator pinged and the doors opened on their floor.

"Admit it."

Lisbon stepped out of the elevator and headed for her office, Jane hot on her tail.

"You feel weak because you fainted." He continued as he followed her. "You feel that you somehow lost respect because you lost consciousness at the sight of flesh eating bugs. But, you know what? It's not that bad. People still respect you. They don't think any less of you. I don't. The team doesn't. So, you're irritability that stems from the incident is unneeded."

Lisbon didn't reply as she entered her office and tried to shut the door in Jane's face.

He caught the door and followed her in, shutting it behind him. "Come on-"

"Stop." Lisbon said sternly. "Seriously, stop. I don't need a speech about how people perceive me, Jane." She sat down behind her desk with a huff.

"I just think you should know that you're still respected and that the incident didn't change anything. Also, you're fainting is very graceful. Did you ever take dance lessons? Ballet, maybe?"

"Jane!"

He laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll go get you a coffee. How about that? Would that make you a bit happier?"

"Maybe." Lisbon grumbled.

"Don't worry." Jane leaned over her desk and patted her shoulder. " I still love you."

Lisbon opened her mouth to say something about that statement, but Jane was already hurrying out of her office.

"Be back with your coffee soon!"

Author's Note: Let me know what you think! I'm totally excited for the new episode!