A/N: Episode Tag and SPOILERS for 4x24 The Crimson Hat during the missing 6 months.
Of course I had to come up with something after that wonderful finale. My shipper heart is still quite ecstatic! I'm thinking about doing one from Jane's perspective too. We'll see! The title is taken from one of my new favorite bands- Of Monsters and Men, song: King and Lionheart. Love this group!
For the Paint it Red May Challenge inspired by the prompt: "I'd rather be causing the chaos, Than living at the sharp end of this knife. (Gabrielle Aplin - Home)" And speaking of PIR, you should go vote for the paint it red awards! Of course, I'd love it if you'd go vote for me, but you really should check out all the wonderful stories nominated and vote for your favorites!
For Ebony10- cause you're awesome!
"And as the world comes to an end, I'll be here to hold your hand.
Cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart."
- Of Monsters and Men, King and Lionheart
The next morning everything felt the same. She went about her normal morning routine without a hint of discord, grabbed a chocolate chip pumpkin muffin to go, and made it to work in record time. It wasn't until she was faced with an empty couch that the bottom dropped out of her stomach and she shivered with a cold, clammy chill. Brushing her personal feelings aside, she flipped through new mail and files and tried to prevent her eyes from searching for Jane's familiar presence. Her team made small talk, the rest of the office avoided her, and she was content to bask in the delusion that nothing of significance had happened. After all, Jane was practically fired every day. Even Wainwright's scowl lessened as he passed by her office later that afternoon. In short, she had the most productive day in years.
After a week, she thought the twinge of Jane's absence would have lessened. But it didn't. She continued to go about her day with the others continuing to give her space. She was convinced that it was all a ruse. He had masterminded a similar scenario with her in the lead role not long before, so it wasn't much of a stretch to believe he had done something comparable. He had been known to go off the grid before, especially if he had an urge that something was related to Red John. She kept telling herself that she wasn't too worried about him. She'd send him another text, and in a few days, he'd be sitting on the couch, slapping Wainwright on the back, and laughing at the success of his latest con. She was sure of it.
When a month had passed with no word from Jane, she couldn't ignore the situation any longer. She called, and left a rambling message demanding he give her an update. Later, she texted him that the team was concerned, and that even Wainwright had asked about him. Surreptitiously, she began to inquire about his whereabouts. She stayed late- even by her standards- and attempted to trace his phone with no success. She even took a personal day to drive to Malibu, only to find the beach house locked and boarded up with no signs of recent habitation. Her nails were bitten to the quick, her desk was impossibly straightened, and she was still brimming with nervous energy. Her ammunition budget skyrocketed as her hours at the firing range drastically increased. She began to shut herself off from her team, not wanting to burden them with feelings she couldn't even admit to herself.
On the two month mark, she opened her bottom desk drawer for the first time since Bosco's death. Her calls grew increasingly frequent as her demands gave way to ire. How dare he leave them without an explanation. Her headaches increased, and her dentist scolded her for the increased tension in her jaw. The others avoided her, wary of her sharp tongue and short temper. Wainwright awkwardly attempted to inquire about Jane, but even he was met with a pointed glare. Her face became more angular as she lost weight. Van Pelt remarked that Jane had often been the only one to get their boss to eat. The couch was removed from the bullpen, and no one had the courage to question the change in décor. She threw herself into her work, and their closure rate continued to remain high.
By the third month, Lisbon was still trying to keep up appearances although dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her hair hung limply down her back. When asked if she was okay, she'd flippantly respond before diving headfirst into their current case. She'd often assign Cho as the designated driver while she quietly slept in the passenger seat. It was obvious to her team that she hadn't been sleeping. They silently agreed to protect her as much as possible. They took turns bringing in food to leave on her desk and rejoiced if half of it was eaten. She'd give them looks that told them she knew what they were up to, but she didn't have the strength to protest. Her current tequila bottle disappeared quicker than the one before it, and she welcomed the burn that chased away her feelings of uselessness and inadequacy. Did they- she- really mean that little to him?
After the fourth month, Cho intervened when he found Lisbon asleep in her office two mornings in a row. For the first time in her career, her personal life began to affect her performance as she ran herself into the ground. Their case closure rate tumbled, not because she didn't care, but because her drive seemed to have disappeared. They still solved cases, but not as fast. Wainwright went to her office to speak about the team's recent performance, but stopped when he found her staring out the window with a case file in hand. Taking a deep breath, he gave Cho a look, to which the stoic agent replied with a nod. Later that night, Cho stopped by her townhouse with a small grey kitten with tuxedo markings and told her no one else could take him. Lisbon smiled for the first time since Jane had been fired.
When five months had passed, she found traces of him in Vegas. Watching her kitten, a bundle of mischief and chaos all on his own and appropriately named Loki, tumble around the room she picked up her cell phone and pressed number one on speed dial. She left one last message, once previous demands now reduced to begs, before hanging up. She was currently content to know that he was alive and well, and now the next move would be up to him. Her team could tell the difference in her and greeted her with small smiles. She rolled her eyes and tossed out orders as if the past few months hadn't happened. Their small smiles turned to full-fledged grins when she returned to her office. Things weren't back to normal, but it was a step in the right direction.
By the sixth month, their closure rates had increased. They still weren't back to the record rates they had achieved with Jane, but Lisbon knew Wainwright was pleased with the improvements. She locked her bottom desk drawer and began to return phone calls that were long overdue. Van Pelt urged her to take a spa day with her, and Lisbon reluctantly agreed knowing she needed all the help she could get bringing her appearance back to normal. Loki continued to wreak havoc around her house bringing bittersweet amusement with antics that reminded her of Jane. She hadn't called Jane in three weeks, but she continued to check on his whereabouts as best she could. She carved out time every week to stop by her church to try to clear her mind, rebalance her soul, and pray that Jane would come home soon.