So...I wrote this before I even realized there was such a thing as fanfiction. So, this story is kind of horrible, but don't hate me. This will probably not be continued. Also, I changed the gender of the Director (and the name) twice, so sorry if I made a mistake! Thanks for reading!
Also, title is sort of random. Let me know what you think?
"She's pacing again." Cho said, staring across the room at their boss who was indeed pacing the length of her office. Cho shook his head and stared at the rest of us. "That's never good."
I nodded in agreement and watched as Lisbon yelled something into the phone. I stared down at the leather of the couch without seeing it.
"You wanna go talk to her?" Even my coworker—the usually tall and unwavering Rigsby was afraid to talk to Lisbon while she was angry. He gestured towards our angry boss.
I raised my eyebrows at him. "You're the one with the gun."
VanPelt, who was sitting beside me, laughed and returned to her desk to work on the computer. As the team rookie, she was never far from some from of technology, while those sorts of things made my head hurt. I was more suited to the logic and puzzle work.
The door slammed, making us all look up. Lisbon stormed out, slipping her phone into her pocket and stomping our way. "If I here someone mention that—that man's name again, I will ensure that they are fired. Understand?"
"Yes boss." Van Pelt said, quietly.
"Want me to shoot him?" I asked her, standing up.
But she sank onto the couch beside me. "I'm not sure if you know how tempting that sounds right now."
I faked standing up. "Just give me your forty-five. I'll take care of it."
She jerked me back down by my jacket hem. "Sit down Jane."
I laughed and sat back down beside her. "Alright. Fine. We'll let him live a few more hours."
She laughed and leaned back against the edge of the couch, her eyes closed. "How 'bout minutes?"
"Deal." I said, watching her worriedly.
She was exhausted—it was easy to tell. Her normally bright brown eyes were framed by dark circles, and her hair was not it's normal glossy perfection. It fell brown and lank down her back. Her ridiculously beautiful face was tired looking and while I watched—she yawned.
"Maybe you should go home." I told her.
Lisbon shook her head, her eyes still closed. "Nah. It's only five."
"You look exhausted."
"No, I don't." She argued, jumping to her feet and walking to her desk. She reached for her phone, but before she could grab it—it rang. With a slight chuckle, she picked it up. "Hello? Yes, this is Special Agent Lisbon. No. Sure." Confusion shown on her face. "The fourth floor. I'll meet you at the elevator." Lisbon hung up the phone.
"What was that about?" I asked, aware of the same question mirrored in the team's eyes.
"Not sure—some social worker."
"I wonder what she wants." I murmured, watching Lisbon's nervous face.
"Me too." She said, glancing at me.
When she turned and headed towards the elevator, I followed her. She barely glanced at me as I stood beside her to the side of the elevator, but her shoulder's relaxed the slightest bit and I knew she was glad to see that I was beside her. Because we were partners—I was always beside her.
With a ding, the elevator opened and a woman and several children stepped out. The woman stared at Lisbon. "Are you Special Agent Lisbon?"
Lisbon didn't say anything for a moment, until I poked her. "Yes. I am. Teresa. What can I do for you?"
The woman's smile fell slightly and I knew she was about to deliver bad news. "Can I have a private word with you somewhere?" The woman asked, and I noticed several manila folders tucked under one arm.
"Sure, how about in my office?" Lisbon said, and at the woman's nod, she began to lead them that way.
I stared at the children behind the woman. There were five of them, all clustered together. All five of them had blonde hair and blue eyes. The oldest—wearing a kind smile and a pair of faded jeans—had a baby on one hip and held the hand of a child who looked to be about four. There was another girl who looked to be about ten or eleven, with short dirty blonde hair who had a hand resting maternally on the shoulder of the other little girl. They all looked hesitantly at me and then after the social worker who had disappeared with Lisbon
I stepped forward. "Hey kids. I'm Patrick. I work here."
The oldest girl stepped forward and dropped the toddler's hand to shake mine. "Mia Taylor. These are my siblings."
"Nice to meet you all. Why don't you come with me?" I asked them, and led them over to the couch and chairs that we normally slept or ate on during breaks in cases.
All five of them, gathered around and stood staring at me sitting on the couch as if they weren't sure if they were allowed to sit.
"Come on, sit down. I don't know how long they'll be." I patted the couch next to me.
Mia, with the baby and the five year old sat beside me. She gestured for the other's to gather around her. They all sat down next to each other quietly. It was strange seeing kids to quiet. My own daughter had been a loud laughing toddler. But it hurt to think about her. I leaned on my knees and stared down the couch at them all. Well aware of my coworkers staring at me, I smiled at them. "What are all your names?"
Mia smiled at my kindness. "I'm Mia. This is Jake." She said, bumping the baby on her hip gently. She tussled the hair of the toddler next to her. "This is Lilly."
The little girl on her other side, leaned over to stare at me. "I'm Sky and I'm six." She said pushing her short blonde hair out of her face and then holding up five fingers.
Mia bit her lip to keep from laughing and leaned over Lilly to pat the other girl's knee. "This is Grace."
Grace smiled at me. "Hi."
"Hi." I stared at Mia. "Why are you all here?"
Mia shook her head and nodded downwards at the toddlers who were staring at her. "I have no idea. We've been in an orphanage for the last two days."
"Oh." I nudged the little girl beside me—Lilly I thought. "Do you like to draw?"
Lilly raised her eyes to meet mine, and with a shy smile, she nodded.
I stood and grabbed a few pencils and sheets of paper from my desk. "Here you go. Can you draw a flower? I bet I can draw a better one. Lets have a contest."
Lilly's smile grew, and she kneeled on the floor to lean over the table in front of us to begin to draw. The other kids, watching us with jealous eyes, sat down on the floor beside her and started drawing too.
Mia sent me a grateful smile. "Thanks."
I sent her a returning smile. But before we could get to far into our sketching contest, Lisbon and the social worker walked out of the office and walked towards us.
Lisbon's expression was hard to read—which was unusual—as she walked toward me. There was a certain level of pain and sadness to her face, but it was as if she was trying her best to close off her expression. Her face melted a bit when she saw me with the kids, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "Mrs. Adams, this is Patrick Jane, my colleague."
I stood to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Mrs. Adams's eyes watched me for a moment to long. "Likewise."
Lisbon leaned over and grabbed my arm, leading me a few steps away. "Excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Adams." She turned to me. "I need to talk to you."
"So talk." I said, unprying her fingers from my arm, where they were clenched nervously.
"Sorry." She ran her fingers through her hair nervously. "This is hard to explain."
"Come here." I led her over to the bench that sat by the elevator. "Sit. Okay, who died?"
Lisbon didn't even bother to look surprised at my blunt and rather knowing comment, she just tossed her long brown curls over her shoulder again and turned to me with very serious eyes. "My brother died three days ago. Heart attack."
"Was it investigated?"
Lisbon's mouth quirked up at the corner despite the circumstances. She must have thought the same thing when she first heard. "Yes. It was a heart attack, but the issue is—he left the kids to me. They are now officially under my custody."
I leaned back on the bench and blew out a breath. "Well, they're great kids."
Lisbon sighed. "I am sure they are. But I don't know what to do." She got up to pace again, like she always did when she got worried.
I stood up and grabbed her shoulders. "Lisbon. Slow down. Go talk to Baker."
"You're right. I don't know why I'm so frazzled."
"Your brother just died and you just inherited five kids. That probably has something to do with it. Now go." I pushed her gently towards the stairs to Baker's office. "You need to explain and take some time off."
"Alright. I'm going." With a thankful smile to me, she walked up the stairs.
I stared after her for a moment, before turning to walk back over to the kids still drawing on their paper with Mrs. Adams sitting like a statue on the couch beside them.
Skylar stared at me when I walked over. "Is your name Patrick or Mr. Patrick?"
"Just Patrick." I replied and sat on the floor across from the table.
"But you need to call him Mr. Patrick, Skylar." Mrs. Adams corrected me.
"No she doesn't. Patrick is perfectly acceptable." I told her, staring at her intensely.
"I think that who decides what is acceptable for the children is not up to you." Mrs. Adams told me, with a fake—and rather forced looking—smile.
"Are you their mother? No. Are they ever going to see you again? No."
"I am not sure how you are involved either Special Agent Patrick Jane. Are you going to see these children again? I am not even sure that you are aware of the situation. Are—"
"First of all, I am not an agent. Consultant. Do I look like a cop? And they are going to see me again, actually. Teresa Lisbon is my girlfriend. I am living with her." I said angrily, astonished by this woman's rudeness. I was aware of Van Pelt's amazed—and slightly gleeful—look and Rigsby's amused smirk. Even Mia smiled at me.
"Really?" Mrs. Adams asked, with a sarcastic smile. "I didn't know that."
"You don't believe me." I noticed, smiling a bit at the fun involved in this little encounter.
"I do. I just wasn't aware. Teresa didn't mention it."
I heard Lisbon's boots clacking down the stairs in the distance. "In fact, there is Lisbon now. Let's talk to her."
"I don't see her." Mrs. Adams said, stiffly.
I stood and stared down at her. "She's right there."
Lisbon strode around the corner as if summoned by my words and walked quickly over to us.
I walked to meet her and swung her around as she tried to walk past me. "Teresa dear, I need to talk to you."
"And I need to talk to her." Lisbon said, shrugging off my hand.
"I told her you were my girlfriend."
Lisbon skidded to a stop and whirled to face me. "What? Why the he—"
"No swearing." I interrupted her. "She was being incredibly rude and controlling so I told her that we were living together."
"Why the heck would you do that Jane? God."
"It was fun. Besides she was being rude."
Lisbon shrugged and opened her mouth but before she could speak, Director Baker leaned over the catwalk railing. "Mr. Jane. A word in my office?"
"Coming!" I called up to her. I turned to stare at Lisbon.
"I really do hate you Jane." She said, but her face was no longer angry. "But please, stop doing stuff like this, okay?"
"Just tell her you forgot to mention it and it'll be fine. She was being extremely rude—I couldn't help myself."
"You never can." Lisbon said, and with a small amused sigh, she turned to walk over to the kids and Mrs. Adams.
"I am going to pretend to ignore that comment." I told her, walking backwards up the steps.
"Good idea." She mouthed to me, before turning around with a cheerful smile.
I shook my head in amusement and tromped up the stairs to Baker's office. Inside the door, Baker sat calmly in her chair, her dark hair pulled back in a severe bun and her mouth a thin line. She moved some files, signed a piece of paper, and raised her eyes to me.
I moved to sit down on the chair across from hers.
"There will be no need to sit." She told me, and I hesitated above the chair. She smiled at this. "I want you to go with Agent Lisbon. I don't want to deal with you without her here."
"Fine."
"And she needs help with five kids, and the mess with her brother. Don't come in tomorrow—take the long weekend."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Help her out a bit, Jane. She's got a lot to handle."
"Will do."
"That'll be all."
I bowed my head to her as I exited the room, and I quickly swept down the stairs and back over to Lisbon and the kids. They all looked up when I stood in front of them, and I even got smiles from at least two of them. It was much better than the look that Lisbon shot me—one of anxiety mixed with annoyance.
To my ultimate relief, it appeared that Mrs. Adams had left the building.
"Are you ready to leave?" I asked Lisbon while sending Lilly a smile. She merely hid behind Grace.
Lisbon's head jerked up in surprise. "What? You're not coming."
I nodded with an amused smile. "Baker's orders."
She sent a long look at Baker's office as if she could zap him through the wall with her laser eyes, but when her gaze returned to me, it was one of relief. "Yeah. I'm ready."
"Dinner?" Jane whispered as we unloaded the kids from my SUV.
"Pizza?" I whispered back as I lifted Lilly from her car seat. She made no move to say hello or smile at me. It was a little discouraging.
"I'll call." Jane volunteered as he ushered Skylar and Grace towards the house. Mia followed close behind us with Jake on her hip and a small denim bag over her shoulder. I was disheartened to see that was the only bag they had—Mia's bag. A major shopping trip was in store for tomorrow. Something that would probably cost me a lot of money—not that I minded—and all day.
Together, Jane and I walked the kids up my driveway and to my door—the same door that I had been walking up to for my entire life. I shifted Lilly to my other side so I could grasp at the keys in my back pocket. Before I could grab them, Jane reached over and lifted them from my pocket and deftly slid the key into the lock. I shook my head with a slight laugh and moved past him to walk into my darkened house.
The house was pretty small, but very large for one person. Seven, on the other hand, was a totally different story. The one level house would be slightly more cramped with all of these people, and I would have to move some of the junk that occupied the bed rooms to the attic or the unfinished basement.
The kids all followed behind me in a single file row. Lilly with me, Jake with Mia, and Sky, Grace, and Jane bringing up the rear. They were all quiet—tired it seemed, and they watched in the living room as I walked around, turning on lights and setting down my backpack.
"Come on in guys." I beckoned as I walked into the kitchen and searched in the kitchen drawer for the pizza menu. They all moved inside and Mia sat down on the couch. They all looked so stiff and unsure, I wanted to hug them all. But I wasn't sure that it would be reciprocated nicely.
Jane strode over and took the pizza menu from my hand. "Cheese?"
"Yeah."
He looked at all the kids next. "Cheese?"
Mia nodded, but it was Skylar that spoke up. "Extra cheese."
With a loud laugh, Jane walked outside on his cell phone.
"Come on, I'll show you guys around." I said, walking over to the couch and lifted Lilly up. "We'll go shopping tomorrow. Maybe we'll camp out on the floor tonight." I led them down the hallway and showed them the two bathrooms and the four bedrooms. "This is my room, and Mia and Grace, I think this one will be yours." I said, pointing to the large bedroom with the attached bathroom.
"Are you sure?" Mia asked, walking around inside the room. She trailed her hands along the queen size bed.
"Yep." I nodded. "It'll be perfect for you two."
Grace surprised me with her huge smile. "Thanks."
I smiled back and led all five of them into the other bedroom. "This will be for Skylar and Lilly."
Sky smiled a toothy grin and skipped inside. She stared quizzically at all the boxes and junk. "What is this?"
"That is stuff from my parents, and stuff from when I was a kid."
"Did you live here?" Grace asked, following her younger sister into the room.
"Yes."
"Well, then where are your parents?" Skylar asked, opening one of the boxes curiously.
Mia met my eyes. I shook my head to her and turned back to Skylar. "They left a long time ago."
Thankfully, Skylar dropped the issue, and they all follow me back into the hallway so I can show them the tiny room that will soon be the nursery for little Jake. I think Mia had tears of happiness in her eyes when I am finished the small tour and we are seated back in the kitchen. In fact, she handed Jake to me and escaped quickly to the bathroom.
By then, I realized just how long Jane had been gone, and I carried Jake to the door and looked around for him. My car and him were gone, he having pick pocketed the keys without me noticing. I shrugged and headed back into the house.
By the time I made it back into the house, the four kids were sitting on the couch again, lined up once more in an orderly line. It pained me to see them so formal and I was worried about the damage my thoughtless and alcoholic brother had done to these precious kids.
I heard my car in the drive then, and I moved to the window to see Jane emerging with several bags of things and a pizza. He walked up the steps, and let himself in, with a smile to us all.
"Where were you?" I demanded, handing Jake to Mia and moving to help Jane set his stuff down.
Jane flashes an innocent grin that doesn't fool me. "Getting pizza. Come on. I'm starving."
I can't help but smile.
Review?
