I disappeared, I know and I'm sorry. Creative block it sucks, plus some problems in my life = zero stories :( But here it is another Pattian's oneshot. I hope you guys enjoy, let me know what you think about the story and if you liked you not; Comments are always welcome. ❥
"Let's reunite on the FBI them we try to locate Mark searching for any association with these guys or the Cartel." Kurt's voice sounds by the comms for all the team and Patterson on the FBI's lab.
"Copy."
"Roman, are you in comms?" I call when I notice that I hadn't heard his confirmation and his comms was soundless. "Roman?"
No answer. I check the comms' panel realizing the light that indicates his comms is red over blue. Damn.
"Roman, are you in comms?" Kurt repeats.
"What's going on, Patterson?" Jane asks, her voice sounding anxious.
"He was…" Reade starts to talking but I interrupt him.
"Uh, nothing, I think Roman's comms isn't working well but I'm already working on it."
Roman's signal was off and the tracker doesn't show any movement about 30 minutes.
"Let's take Jones and the others to the FBI, try to track Mark, and Roman!" Kurt's says firmly on the communicators pointing the priority on Roman. "We're on the way, Patterson."
"Understood."
I isolate Roman's comms, leaving it just connected on my own and then I check the signal again. It still "Off" but at least is connected to our database. That's a good thing.
"Roman?" I call once more.
Nothing.
"Roman, are you there? Roman, please, answer me." I ask making clear the anxiety in my voice. A short static signal makes me swallow dry waiting for an answer, but then the frequency drop in the silence again.
"Thank god." I breathe out releasing the air that I didn't even realize I was holding. His comms still connected so it's possible to track.
I start working running a thousand of softwares and doing my magic determined to find him. It's a fast process but seems to take hours by the urge to make that red light shining brightly in front of me, turn to blue again.
The search is completed and there is an approximate result of his latest location. It's just in time to take my tablet and yell an "I'll be back soon!" to Stuart, asking him to keep eyes on monitors in case the team contact us, and I leave my lab.
Across the street leaning against the Brooklyn Bridge grid, is him. He has the communicator in his hands, spinning between the fingers while he is facing the sky. He could easily throw the little comm in the sea but he didn't and for some reason that I can't explain, this makes me smile. I took my cellphone and send a message to Kurt saying that I'm with Roman and it's everything ok.
"You can't disappear like that". I say approaching and stopping a few steps away behind him.
"If I had disappeared you'd have found me". he answers ironically. I roll my eyes and sigh loudly.Touché. "And I knew you'd found me."
Of course, he knew. After his comms had been turned off, he activated it just enough for the program save an approximate location so I could find him; because in fact, he wanted to be found.
"Will you tell me what happened or I'll have to guess?" I ask crossing my arms while I stare his back.
"Won't you give up, will you?" He asks rhetorically because he already knows that no, I wouldn't give up.
"Nope". I confirm, standing beside him and shaking my head in denial.
The sun was beginning to set what makes the sky colorful by the most diverse colors on the blue immensity. Roman stare the horizon but his gaze was far as his thoughts.
"Sometimes I think I won't be able to handle to everything, that it's too much pressure and someday I'll explode".
"You won't."
"You don't know that". He mutters picking a small stone and throwing it at the sea in front of him. Although his expression was frustrated, his voice was calm.
"There were times when I thought you were going to explode, but you hold on". I say, staring at him. "And you're not that Roman anymore and what it matters it's not what you did in the past, is what you have here."
A trace of a smile appears on his lips when I speak, pointing my finger to his heart, and he takes my hand, holding it for a moment. He frowns and his lips tighten in the expression that I already knew. There was no long since Roman had actually get in the field team so probably today had been one of those days.
"Our team is like a Tangram…" I give the same reason that I gave to Jane when she came up and things seem not to fit. "Before Jane, we've been in a shape for a long time. After she came up we work on it and we familiarize to her as a new piece. Now with you, we're going through the same process again and all we have to do is figure how to fit in and get in a new shape. May could take time but it will work".
"And if I don't fit in?" he asks. At the same time, I punch him in the shoulder but he barely moves or feels it because of our height difference.
"And if I don't fit in?" I thicker my voice on imitating his. "Stop, ok? I won't say it again".
Roman roll his eyes hearing my voice tone and laughing. For the first time today.
"You're always so persistent like that?" he asks fixing his eyes on mine. Illuminated by the light of sunset his eyes seems even more intense and deeper.
"Only with what is worth to be". I say it holding his gaze on mine and putting my hands in my pockets. A smug smile shows on my face when I realizing what is in there. "Here, eat."
I take the small chocolate bar from my pockets, giving to him.
He takes the chocolate and analyzes it while holding back a smile.
"What is it?"
"Chocolate," I answer as if it wasn't obvious. "It has been scientifically confirmed that it's impossible stays bad after eating chocolate".
"Oh really?" he says ironically, crossing his arms.
"Eat. Now." I say using my best bossy voice.
We face each other for some time, his eyes fixed on mine until a slight laugh escapes from his lips. He gives in and grabs the chocolate giving a generous bite. In an attempt to hide how delicious the chocolate is, he looks away and starts to look the horizon above the sea so he closes his eyes and runs his tongue over the lips, smiling.
"Always work." I smile smugly looking to the sky with him.
"Do you really think it's worth to fight for me?" He asks between one bite and another.
"No, I don't," I affirm making he hold his breath and paralyze by my side. I turn to him slightly smiling and our eyes holding each other. "I'm sure you're worth it."
Letting out the breath, Roman rolls his eyes at me again and takes another bite of the chocolate. Rolling eyes and chocolate seemed to be becoming his favorite things.
"Come on, let's go back to the FBI," I say offering my hand indicating the way. "I promised that I would find you and I'm not in the mood for being beaten by Jane".
Roman raises his eyebrows on an ironical look, certainly imagining a fight between me and Jane and then he laugh. I look at him as if I was offended and punch his biceps, but he remained smiling.
"This smile means you're going back?"
"Yes, Patterson. I will." He confirms.
"Amen!" I thanks raising my hands to the sky in an exaggerated action but sure could reflect the unexpected happiness and relief that fell over me when he confirmed that he would come back.
The moonlight lights up as the night begins to fall, a cool breeze stirs the air and a few moments of a comfortable silence goes on until I look to the side and see the chocolate in his left hand.
Acting impulsively I break the calm moment trying to take what's left of the chocolate but unfortunately, he's faster than me and puts the chocolate in his mouth.
"Roman! I can't believe!" I shout out crossing my arms with a disbelief expression but then I laugh off what he just did. "I offered you my Chocolate Cure for extreme cases and you didn't leave even a little bit for me!"
My reaction makes him laugh and he did. Playful, joking just like a boy who did something and now has fun with it. A slight laugh, funny, one of those who enchants and makes you want to laugh together.
"I went through a supermarket on the way here, come on, I'll buy a box of them for you," he says laughing, reaching out to me. "So you'll always have one of them to offer me If I have a relapse or feel that I'll explode again."
I open my mouth to answer but then the only thing I can do is stare at him absolutely delighted by this lighter and playful side that had never shown up and surely has been sleepy for a long time.
"Patterson?" he calls snapping his fingers on my face to catch my attention.
I blink a few times momently lost in my thoughts noticing how his eyes light up and look even more green when he smiles.
"Only if you promise to laugh like this more often," I say reaching out to him and proposing a deal.
"If you react like this whenever I steal your chocolate, deal."
"Deal." I smile putting my hand on his and as soon as he catches it, he pulls me to the street and starts walking almost making me lost my balance.
Leaving the supermarket on the way to the FBI, we laugh, talk about chocolates and eat some of what we buy for him discover his favorite. We walk almost all the way without even realizing that we were holding hands and this was good.
"He's alive and well!" Patterson says opening a huge smile as she sees Jane on the other side of SIOC. A huge smile takes Jane's face when she sees his brother more than okay and smiling, finally looking comfortable and happy to be on the FBI.
Kurt who had just finished the day's reports comes and hug her from behind, and then she remembers the conversation she had with Patterson after Dr. Sun's harsh diagnosis.
"Weller wasn't objective and he brought up the best on you.
Maybe you can do that for Roman."
And seeing Roman walking through the SIOC with Patterson and discussing something while they laugh eating a chocolate, Jane realizes that maybe it wasn't her to be for Roman what Weller was for her when she arrived at the FBI. Maybe that person would be Patterson. Maybe Patterson already is this person and maybe, she and Roman could be more.