This is my first "Mentalist" fanfic so I apologize if my characters are a little OCC. Please read and enjoy.

1000 Paper Cranes

Patrick Jane held up the paper creation in the palm of his hand and grinned. It was scarlet and gold, bright and beautiful, sure to cheer up anyone's day. Jane tucked his prize carefully in a pocket and headed out the door to his car, smiling as he thought about the person receiving his paper present.

Teresa Lisbon blew her nose miserably as she lay on her couch, staring at the TV screen blankly. She hated colds. Hated them with a passion. Now here she was, stuck at home, sick and downright miserable. There was a sudden brisk knock at the door followed by the sound of the door opening and cheerful footsteps coming her way. Moments later, a grinning Patrick Jane stood before her, hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Lisbon glared at him, not in the mood for his cheerfulness. "Do you always just walk into someone's house uninvited?"

"No, just yours," he replied. "And only when you don't feel well enough to answer the door."

She sighed. "What do you want, Jane?"

"To see how you were doing. And I have a present for you." He pulled something bright from his pocket, messed with it a moment, and presented it to her. Lisbon took it gently. It was an origami crane, made of red and gold paper. She looked back up at Jane's expectant face.

"It's beautiful. Did you make it?"

He nodded. "That's one. Only nine hundred ninety-nine to go." Lisbon raised her eyebrows and Jane hurried on, noting that she wasn't in the mood for games. "According to legend, if you make one thousand paper cranes, people who are sick will get better. You're sick and I'm making them for you."

"You actually believe that making a thousand paper cranes is going to make me better?"

Jane shrugged. "Nah, but it'll still be fun. And it will help cheer you up." He grinned again. "I'll be back." Almost before Lisbon could realize he was leaving, Jane was gone, the front door clicking shut behind him. Lisbon looked at the paper crane in her hand, smiled, and laid it on the coffee table where she could look at it.

Jane came again the next morning, looking like he hadn't slept at all the night before. In his hands was a bag that rustled with the sound of paper objects.

"Good morning," he greeted cheerfully, his tone contrasting with the weariness LIsbon could see in his eyes.

"Stay up all night making paper cranes?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"At least tell me you went home last night."

Jane glanced away sheepishly. "The couch was more comfortable. I did go home early this morning to get some things," he added quickly upon seeing Lisbon's disapproving look.

"Well, good, you actually set foot in your house," she replied sarcastically. Jane grinned again, but Lisbon thought she could see a hint of sadness just behind his eyes. He handed her the bag he was carrying and she sat up to peek inside.

"Do you have any tea?"

"No, I don't."

"Then it's a good thing I brought my own." He pulled several tea bags from his pocket and headed for the kitchen while Lisbon reached into the bag and began pulling out cranes.

"Don't forget to count them," called Jane so she did. Two, three, four, five . . .

Lisbon stared in amazement at the pile on her coffee table. Ninety-nine plus the first one made one hundred paper cranes, each made of different paper.

"One hundred down, nine hundred to go." Lisbon turned her incredulous stare towards the kitchen, silent because she couldn't think of a thing to say.

"Speechless. Wow." She could hear the smile in his voice. He walked in, carrying two cups of tea. Placing one in front of Lisbon, he seated himself in an armchair and sipped quietly.

"You made all these last night?" Lisbon asked. He nodded. She shook her head at him and leaned back into the couch.

"I should let you rest," Jane said abruptly, standing. "Enjoy your tea." Lisbon waved and then he was gone, the only remainder of his presence the pile of paper cranes on the table.

Wow, the below part was totally like the wrong author's note! I use this same document for all my stories I'm uploading and I didn't replace the author's note. Silly me! Oh well! Thanks so much for answering my question those that have and keep answering it those just reading.

Sad, I know. Sorry about that. Please review and please answer my question which was, for those of you too lazy to scroll back up and refresh your memories, "If you could see time, what would it look like?" Do not say "I don't know" because that answer is unhelpful and unexceptable. I want to hear your answers because a) I am curious and b) I am doing research for an original story I am thinking of writing about a man who can see time. Yeah. So review and answer:) Thanks so much for reading.