Washington wrap-up
Disclaimer: Guess what, I don't own any rights to the Mentalist, make no money from fanfiction, or intend any copyright infringement.
With thanks to Sue Shay and Cumberland River Relic for their critique of an earlier version of this story. All mistakes are, of course, my own.
Strolling into the kitchen, Lisbon pulled the last bottle of wine from the rack and scanned the label. Merlot. That would be fine. She must have drunk the Cabernet last Sunday.
Was it really a week since she'd started the moving out phase? She was still a little irritated. Everything would be packed and away by now if she hadn't had to fly back to Austin for another untimely and, for once, straightforward case. Goodness knows why they'd recalled her for that. But at least it was in Austin, not out on the Eastern seaboard this time. And not surprisingly, Jane had bust it wide open before lunch on the first day, with Cho and Fischer bringing in the perp – an unstable crackhead with a liking for violence – the next morning. It wasn't even a challenge for Jane, or for her for that matter. Why on earth did they order her presence? And for the whole week. After all the excitement, Wednesday and Thursday had dragged by. At least Fischer had kindly seen fit to relieve her of active duty on Friday morning so that she could catch the noon flight home. Abbott and Fischer sure liked to know where their 'assets' were at all times. Not only Jane but apparently her as well.
Much as life in Texas would prove to be a lot more interesting than the Cannon River PD, it sure wasn't like the CBI. Without Jane to liven things up, it really would have been cold. Sterile. And Austin was too. Another hotel room for another few days and then the prospect of apartment hunting. Not something that she relished. Especially not now. As she looked around her galley kitchen with the wooden worktops and sink under the window, in the heart of her comfy and cosy cottage home, it felt like her ship had hit an iceberg and she was being dragged under.
But that was being maudlin. And stupid. She'd had the chance to refuse Jane's offer, even if it wasn't really much of a chance. And it was good to see the arrogant trickster home and out of detention after all this time. A smile appeared involuntarily on her face. Arrogant, irritating and full of himself. Damn straight. But Jane was still Jane, and she still couldn't stay mad at him for long.
Carrying the bottle of wine through to the living room, she uncorked it and set it ready with the remaining three glasses from the cupboard and some cutlery. Over by the sofa, flames danced and spit in the open hearth. The room was pleasantly warm.
Nearly there.
Returning to the kitchen, Teresa emptied the last of the frozen peas into a saucepan, covered them with water from the kettle and set them on the hob next to the pan full of rice. A glance at her watch showed it was time so, turning off the oven, she lifted out the beef casserole, putting it carefully on the trivet to cool. Reaching into the almost bare cupboard for the plates, she brightened as the buzz of the doorbell sounded through the house.
They must be here. Slipping on her shoes she hurried to greet her guests.
"Wayne! Good to see you."
"You too, boss."
Teresa gave the gentle giant a quick hug, engulfed in his enthusiastic embrace, before waving him into the house with his suitcase. Stepping outside she waited, biting her lip as she watched Grace lean into the back seat of their SUV. They hadn't, had they? They must have!
Walking towards the vehicle, Teresa called out, "Hey Grace."
The younger woman looked up, a smile breaking across her face as she held her arms out wide. "Teresa, good to see you."
Teresa paused for a moment, drinking in the sight of the second of her former colleagues. Grace was looking well, her long fringe now grown out and held back with clips. In fact, Grace looked more than well. She was … radiant. Why was that?
Her cop brain never unplugged, Teresa began taking stock of her friends. Wayne. Well, Wayne was just…Wayne. Marriage suited him; that was clear. And he was happier these days than she ever known him, but still. Grace, on the other hand… Motherhood had softened her, brought out a contentment that had been missing in the driven former agent. That had been clear for a while. More surprisingly, Grace was nearly as placid as her husband these days. But Teresa swore Grace looked younger with every passing year, and especially now. Teresa smiled ruefully, thinking it was a sign that she herself was getting old.
After a good hug, Grace stepped back. "I hope you don't mind. Ben is with Sarah this weekend and we couldn't get a sitter…"
"Mind? Are you joking?" Teresa eased herself around the open car door so that she could look at the toddler asleep in the car seat. "It's always a pleasure to see my goddaughter." Crouching down, she lightly fluffed the child's hair, murmuring, "Hey little Maddie, how ya doing?"
Maddie stayed asleep, thumb jammed in her mouth and head lolling to one side.
Unclipping the car seat, Teresa gently manoeuvred it out of the vehicle, handing it to Grace. "Let's not get cold. Come on in." Grabbing the collapsed travel cot and the bag from the back seat, Teresa led the way into the house.
Fifteen minutes later, the grown-ups sat down to eat. The door of the guest room was ajar, just in case Maddie stirred, but the child appeared to be slumbering deeply.
Passing round the vegetables, Teresa paused as sadness and longing flooded through her. This was the last meal that she would cook in this house. And the last time that she was here with her friends. Tomorrow morning would be the diner since the only food left at her place was a little milk and a jar of coffee.
And then Wayne and Grace and Maddie would head home, and she would be headed back to the FBI, Jane and a rootless existence.
"Teresa?" Grace's voice pulled Lisbon back to the present, "You OK?"
"Sure. Sorry." Teresa silently cursed as she heard herself speak. Too fast, too high. You've been away from Jane's influence for too long. "Would you like some more peas?"
When Grace declined, Lisbon passed the remainder to Wayne, knowing that he would wolf down the lot. Grabbing the wine bottle, Teresa reached across to fill Grace's glass, wondering in the back of her mind if her friend would refuse the alcohol, not remotely surprised when Grace asked for water instead.
"So guys," Teresa said, looking from one to the other, "any news that you'd like to share?"
For a moment, it seemed that time had stopped. Rigsby froze, a forkful of meat half in his mouth. Grace dropped her head and hid behind the curtain of her hair. Not a gesture with which Lisbon was familiar.
Almost subconsciously, Teresa found herself counting. One… Two…
Rigsby's fork clattered as it hit the plate. He burst out laughing, reaching for his wife's shoulder with his left hand. "Told ya," he muttered, gaze levelled at the ceiling.
Lisbon glared at him whilst Grace ran her hands over her face before looking her friend in the eye.
"How did you know? I mean, it could have been antibiotics…"
Wayne cut in, still laughing. "She's a cop. That's how. She probably figured it out ages ago. The wine was just confirmation, not cause."
"Well," Teresa started cautiously, "you do look really well. I mean, you always do…but now somehow more."
Wayne nodded, "yep, she's glowing."
Clearing her throat, Grace found her voice. "Yes, OK. We're expecting…" Holding her hand up, she quelled any interruptions from the others. "But it's really early days. Seriously early. We've only just found out. And I wasn't going to say anything until the first trimester was over. It's just too soon to be sure…"
Smiling, Lisbon raised her glass. "Grace, don't worry, I understand. But hey guys, congratulations." She offered a toast, "to the Rigsby family present and future."
She and Wayne took mouthfuls of wine whilst Grace reached for the water.
"Oh, and I may be moving to Texas but I expect an invitation to the Christening guys."
Grace smiled back at her. "I should think so. Maddie isn't the only one who needs her godmother."
"Yeah, and who knows. Maybe we could get Cho there as well." Rigsby commented. "He didn't make it to Maddie's Christening because he'd just started training with the FBI. It would be good to see him again. Him and Jane."
Lisbon nodded, thinking for a moment about how she might be able to arrange it. But that wasn't something that she could promise as things currently stood.
Seizing on the chance to deflect attention, Grace asked the inevitable question, "So, how is Jane?" Lisbon just shook her head. "We can talk about him later, after dinner. I'd forgotten how overwhelming he can be, and, after a week of putting up with him, I'm not going to let him take over our evening together as well."
"Fair enough", Wayne muttered through his mouthful of bread as Grace thought for a moment, evidently deciding not to push things until more wine had flowed, and then changed the subject to their most recent case.
Later, mellowed out by the fire and an evening spent on food, drink and conversation with old friends, talk turned to Lisbon's impending move.
"What can we help with?" asked Grace as Wayne got up to tend the waking baby.
Lisbon quickly ran through the check list in her head before replying.
"Not much really. The FBI are paying for my moving costs and storage. Don't ask me how. Jane, ya know. I get every assistance possible to uproot whether I like it or not."
She paused for a moment thinking of Jane. It was a wonder Abbot hadn't made her take his leash for the weekend. But the FBI weren't quite there yet. And Jane… Jane had no wish to be reminded that she'd made a life without him. No wonder .
"The removal company are coming on Monday, and I have the boxes ready to throw everything in tomorrow. It won't take long. This place goes on the market on Tuesday and I start at the FBI officially on Friday."
And I'll be back with Jane and with Cho. And other colleagues who think I'm a brainless floozy. But I won't have Wayne and Grace anymore and I won't be seeing Maddie every few weeks. She'll have grown so much by the time I get to see them again.
Letting her determination filters slide into place, Teresa refused to be depressed. She had tonight with her friends and her godchild. She would make it count.
"OK." Grace relaxed back in her seat. "You know you can ask if you need anything, right?"
Sitting forward, staring at her interlaced fingers as they sat in her lap, Teresa realised that there was something she did want. A box, well two boxes really, keeping out of the FBI's territory, even if she was being paranoid. A box of letters. Private letters. And a crate full of memories.
Yes, she was going to ask for their help. And, what's more, it would be a promise. A promise that she would be back to see Maddie. And that she would be there when she was needed. She might be an FBI agent now but there was such a thing as annual leave. And these days, she was going to make full use of it.