A/N: So this fic is for boutondor, who asked for a Jane/Lisbon fic from somebody else's perspective. Of course, that means I choose to write both perspectives, because I'm a slave to the plot bunnies like that.
It shouldn't be necessary to read both perspectives, but hopefully it'll be fun and they'll make quite interesting contrasts from one another. Inside should focus more on the case, whereas Outside will focus more on Bosco's opinion on Jane and Lisbon and the way they work together.
Anyway, enjoy. I think.
x tromana
Title: On the Inside, Looking Out
Author: tromana
Rating: T
Characters: Jane/Lisbon, Bosco
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: -companion fic to On the Outside, Looking In- A SCU case goes sour and Jane and Lisbon are caught in the middle of it all.
Spoilers: Up to 2x07 Red Bulls
Notes: written for boutondor. Beta'd by my twin, tea-drinking buddy and co-conspirator, also known as Divinia Serit. You so totally rock (squirt).
On the Inside, Looking Out
Part One
"Jane!"
Jane recognized the tone instantaneously. It was her 'I'm pissed as hell with you and you really don't want to mess with me' tone. The kind which normally sent him scurrying away to hide rather than suffering through her wrath. It was easier for everyone that way - she kept her voice intact and actually managed to deal with the fallout of whatever the problem was and he managed to avoid any damage to his not-so-fragile ego. Briefly, he wondered what it was he could have done wrong this time around and then he remembered. Bosco. Lisbon was always a little funny when it came to her old mentor and despite the fact she refused to admit it, Jane knew that she had more than a little affection for her old mentor. Since the deal with the whole Westlake incident, Bosco seemed a little more accepting of Jane's talents and frankly, that was a relief. Especially since it had gained him access to the Red John files, albeit abridged versions. Admittedly, that case had only concluded a mere handful of hours ago, but Jane was confident that the change would last for some time. Maybe teasing her about it had gone a little too far…
The little woman had a vicious, almost predatory, look in her eyes as she approached Jane, looking like she was about to explode. Out of sheer instinct, he smirked in response. After all, people said nice things come in small packages, like diamonds. Or dynamite. For some reason, he had a feeling that Lisbon was more easily comparable to the latter than the former. Shaking his head, he observed her with interest as she approached him, cornering him by the kettle in the kitchenette. Her fingers were bending and flexing, her breathing was slightly faster than usual, obviously preparing for the fight and she held her gaze defiantly. Yes, she was definitely angry. Or, maybe that was phrasing it a little lightly, but never mind.
"Why did you…"
"Uh, Boss?"
The start of Lisbon's question reminded him of something else he'd done for her lately. Maybe it wasn't Bosco she was annoyed with, maybe it was what he'd done to her office earlier? He'd thought it was nice. Shrugging his shoulders, he glanced up at Rigsby. He looked frankly terrified at the concept of interrupting Lisbon's tirade and cowed a little when she turned on her heels to practically shoot death rays in his direction. Jane was not only grateful for the reprieve, but highly amused at seeing the sight of the large agent looking so terrified at the sight of such a petite woman. Though he'd been working with the SCU for quite some time, it still hadn't grown old.
"Yes, Rigsby?"
"We have a case."
"Lovely," she replied with clipped tones. "You can update me on the way there."
She started walking out of the kitchenette and looking down at his cup of tea with a distinct air of disappointment, he tossed it down the sink and watched as the milky liquid swirled down the plughole. That was a waste of a damn fine beverage and he had to take a second to mourn the loss.
"Well, are you coming?" Lisbon snapped, her penetrating gaze fixated on him. "Or would you rather stay here and do some paperwork?"
"No, no, I'm coming, I'm coming."
As she nodded, Jane swore he heard her mutter a quiet 'damn' under her breath. Poor woman was translucent, however much she tried to deny it.
***
"What do we have here?"
Cho listed the facts with practiced ease and Lisbon nodded as she took in the details. The local sheriff eyed Jane warily as he scoured the body, identifying the fact that she hadn't been murdered in the location as originally suggested and had been transported after death. Lisbon was growing concerned; the last thing she wanted was another ruckus between Jane and the locals, it always caused far more hassle than necessary and besides, they had a murder to focus on. The victim, a teenage girl, had her recently obtained driving license on her and it revealed her identity, quickly answering a piece of the puzzle. Michelle Creston appeared to have received a single gunshot wound to the head and merely dumped on the side of the road. There were no obvious clues as to why she'd died and she certainly didn't appear to have been sexually violated, so Lisbon could only hope that informing her father would give them a few more answers than her body had done.
When traveling to the Creston family home, Lisbon found herself trapped alone in the SUV with Jane. Somewhat sensibly, Cho and Rigsby had opted to travel in another vehicle leaving the other two alone with their atmosphere. She knew it was a little petty, but really, what grown man thought it was a good idea to cover somebody's office with confetti, thus making her waste an entire hour tidying up before facing the avalanche of paperwork (most of which was the fault of said man?) Really, he was just infuriating. Just when she thought she was getting somewhere with him, he pulled a stunt like that. But Lisbon also knew there was little point in asking Jane why he'd done it. She's learned a lot about him since working with him, one of which being his desire to be a nuisance as demonstrated with incredibly childish behavior. That's all this latest charade was, attention seeking. And she also knew that given a little time and a good night's sleep, her mood would dissipate. It always did.
She just had to inform a father that his little girl had died first. And get to their home without killing Jane.
"You're still angry," Jane spoke genially, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. Lisbon merely clicked her tongue in irritation. "You're wondering why I did it."
Silence.
"Doesn't every girl like pretty things?" he continued.
"I'm hardly a girl anymore, Jane," she eventually responded, though immediately regretted encouraging him.
"Ah, but there's still that inner child within you, however much you try to deny it."
"Whatever."
"I saw you smile. If only for half a second, before you realized that you had to do all the cleaning up."
"Whatever, Jane," she repeated but her eyes lit up when the Creston family residence came into view. "We're here. C'mon."
Generally, Jane was torn when it came to this type of meeting. Sure, it gave him the ideal opportunity to observe the mourning relatives first hand and pick up clues about the deceased's lifestyle which people wouldn't usually offer willingly. But it also posed too many uncomfortable questions about his own sordid history. Like how different things could have been if a cop, not too dissimilar from Lisbon, had informed him of his family's death rather than him being the one to discover their bodies. Besides, he didn't like being trapped in a room filled with such despair and hopelessness. It reminded him too much of how he felt underneath the mask he'd spent years honing.
Edward Creston was no different to the usual drill. The moment Lisbon uttered the fateful words, the man's world appeared to turn upside down, though there was something that suggested he seemed to have been almost prepared to receive it too. Frowning, Jane excused himself from the room, allowing the agents to do their jobs while he undertook some snooping. He wasn't really expecting to find anything. In the short time he'd spent listening to the conversation, it was obvious that Edward appeared devoted to his only child, almost to an unhealthy extent. But then again, that was also hardly surprising. The man, being trapped on the inside, probably hadn't realized his near obsession with caring for his daughter, probably exacerbated by the death of his wife. He probably wore rose colored glasses, was blind to her every fault and attempted to wrap her up in cotton wool as she tried to find her own way in the world.
That was why Jane was somewhat surprised when his hands came into contact with a firearm, quite possibly the one used to kill Michelle, as he rifled amongst the garbage. Obviously though, he wasn't as surprised as Lisbon who looked at the weapon with wide green eyes for a good few seconds. Eventually, she shook her head to come to her senses and cuffed Edward. She really liked easy cases.
TBC…