A/N: Written for Paint It Red's Monthly Challenge, January 2013. Prompt: Letters. It is also a tag/sequel for tromana's "Undiscovered".
He had been listening to Van Pelt's pencil scratch hard against paper for several minutes. Part of him wanted to ask, another part of him wanted to figure it out on his own.
Then the scribbling sound came to a stop. She got up, walked to his desk, and he realized he was about to find out what she had been up to.
"Jane? I made this for you," Van Pelt said as she handed him the piece of paper.
"What's on it, Grace?"
"Feel it. I found a Braille alphabet, reversed the image, printed it, and sort of embossed it by pressing down with a pencil. I overheard you telling Lisbon you were having a hard time with that book. I thought this might help."
"My own personal Rosetta stone," he said. In spite of himself, his voice betrayed more than one emotion.
"Lisbon's right. You are going to get better. But I figure it might come in handy for one of us to know on a case someday."
"And it will keep me busy and out of trouble."
"Well, with you boredom would be a worse fate than blindness."
"Thank you, Grace."
"You're welcome," she said. She waited for a moment, not walking away.
He asked, "Is there anything else on your mind?"
"I was just waiting for you to ask for tea."
"Oh, I wouldn't ask you for that now," he said.
"That's a relief." Van Pelt went back to her desk.