Emotional Compass
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. Made no profit.
A/N: Have mercy, I'm not a native and probably made a lot of mistakes. (I'm searching for a nice beta *hint*)
So I found this story on my computer... I started writing it in 2010 and now I've started adding to it and it is still not finished and I don't know where it's going and it is scaring me how dark and sad and strange the mood of this piece is... but it's the middle of the night, so why not just put it out there in the world wide web without thinking... This has been written with very long breaks in between and through patching together loose parts. At the moment I like the atmosphere that creates... this still isn't finished and I can't promise how fast the journey will continue. But I have 9 chapters at this point.
summary: Lisbon has enough.
Chapter 1: A Bump in the Head
The woman is torn between sorrow and anger and it doesn't need a psychic to see that. Lisbon can read it, see it, hear it. Loud and clear. Looking back and forth between the distressed woman and her consultant she actually isn't so sure he can read it. Or, well, he might be able to read it if he bothered, but he wants to know from her why her husband did what he did, he has no regard for what else she might be telling him with her body language. Drawing her hand away from the weapon strapped to her hip, where it instinctively went, she holds both her hands up while trying to get between the crying mother of three and the pain in the ass consultant she feels the need to look out for. "Ma'am, listen...", she starts in what she hopes is a soothing tone. Behind her Jane is throwing another insult at the woman about her diseased husband and asks her mockingly how she hadn't noticed what he was up to. Lisbon throws a horrified look at the children of the family that came out of the house when they heard their mother screaming.
"Jane!" she say's totally horrified, turning her head to look over her shoulder and give him a pleading look, so he might please stop whatever he's doing. Something, it must be the woman she's turning her back to, shoves hard against her left shoulder, sending her over the edge of the pool they where standing ridiculously near to. She can't get her footing, she really wasn't in the right stance to fight off attacks, she just didn't anticipate one, she anticipated having to insert herself between the two parties and calming the woman down, keeping her from suing the CBI, but she didn't see that coming. As she's falling she asks herself if Jane saw it coming and thought it would be funny, or maybe she didn't think it that second but came up with this particular accusation later on, it all goes pretty fast and later on blurs in her recollection of the events. As she's falling she looses all of the control that's so precious to her, there's not even ground she can brace herself against, only a diving board out of reach for her arms, but stopping her fall in an odd angle, gracing her head, snapping her neck and then the rest of her upper body painfully back so it's actually her feet that smash first into the cold water and then everything goes black for a second, or maybe longer.
As she opens her eyes again she's lying on the lawn beside the pool and for some reason there is water dripping from Jane's face as he hoovers over her. She turns her face to the side spitting out some water and splutters "I'm fine." already trying to sit up as Jane's hand presses her shoulder back onto the ground and an anxious looking Cho appears in her line of sight, right above Jane's shoulder. "I'm gonna call an ambulance." he announces and Lisbon is torn between smiling at the sweetness of his expression and intentions and telling him off for doing something so unnecessary.
She easily shoves Jane's hand away sitting up and gripping her throbbing head. "Don't. I'm fine." she say's loud and steady and Cho lets his phone sink, obviously reassured by her order. "Don't!" she repeats, now turned toward Rigsby who's standing restraining the shocked looking Mrs. Radar and he immediately let's go of her.
"I'm so sorry Misses Lisbon", the woman exclaims and Lisbon slowly stands up, steadying herself by grabbing Jane's arm for a moment.
"It's ok." she sighs.
"It's not." Jane exclaims as if he's personally affronted.
"Stop it Jane. You said enough today!" she hisses at him, letting go of his arm and explaining to her team that they can leave now.
She get's the change of clothes she has in the back of her car and changes in the bathroom of the families house, after Mrs. Radar offered it and she made Jane sit in the car and wait, while the rest of the team left in the other car.
"I'm sorry." Jane offers somberly as she opens the door to the passenger side and let's her car keys drop into his hand. She says nothing, stepping to the side as he get's out of the car to go around to the drivers side. As soon as she's in the car she flops her wet hair against the back rest, although she is considering how it might be bad for the upholstery. With a sigh she closes her eyes, turning her head toward the window, away from Jane and staying silent for the whole drive to the CBI, ignoring his worried sideway glances in her direction. She notices how the whole seat is wet and a glance at her consultant confirms that he must have gotten into the pool after her. She can't even appreciate that, her only thought is that he could have considered not ruining both front seats of her car by sitting on them dripping wet from head to toe. She grits her teeth and closes her eyes, holding back her anger.