Red Conciliation: Chapter 2
In here, you will meet Lisbon's new team (including a little surprise for you jealous-Jane-lovers like me!) There will also be the set-up for their reunion! :D
Also, I'd like to thank all of you awesome reviewers! Day. Made. I hope this chap sets your minds at rest.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine
2 years later, in the NYPD building
"I'm sorry Teresa, but we have no choice." Jim Reid, the head of the Serious Crimes
"Please sir, just give me another shot. Every time he shows himself, we get closer and closer to getting him. We're so close, sir…"
"I know, I know… But we've been getting a lot of pressure from the higher ups. You and your team have had this case for almost two years now and the rare leads you get turn into nothing. And we can't afford to lose anyone else." His eyes flicker down to her abdomen; the thick bandage wrapped around her waist is visible beneath her sweater. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Teresa. Better than you have tried and failed to catch this guy. The case is becoming more of a liability than ever before, and the smartest thing we can do his swallow our pride and hand it to the feds."
She sighs and sinks back into her chair, her lips pursed together in frustration. Then her eyes light up with an idea.
Outside the office, three men stand outside the door. They try to look as inconspicuous as possible, but they're all but pressing their ears against the door to hear the conversation.
"What did she just say?" The one asks, earning a chorus of hushes from the other two.
When they hear her sharp footsteps approach the door, they scatter across the hallway. One stands behind the water cooler, one starts chatting with a PA and the other uncertainly tries to head in every direction, before deciding to simply stand in the hallway, looking very much awkward and out of place.
The door opens and Teresa Lisbon walks out, thanking her boss once again as she leaves. When she turns around, she sees her three colleagues.
"You know, for police officers who investigate crime on a daily basis, you three are extremely un-sneaky." She says with an amused smile.
"What Reid say?" Guise asks. He and the other two men, Ross Weekes and Warren Kings, fall in behind her as they walk back to the bullpen.
"He wants to hand the case to the feds."
"What? No, he can't do that! The case is ours; we're so close to nailing him."
"I know, I know. But I got us one more shot."
"How'd you do that?" Weekes asks.
"If we call in a consultant, we get to have one more try. But if he strikes again and we hit a dead end again, we're over. Then the FBI comes in and take it." She said, turning to lean on a desk as they reach the bullpen, her arms crossed.
"So, then we're hiring a consultant."
"No."
"No?"
"No. Reid won't let us add another job to the payroll for a case that's considered dead. So I'm calling in a friend of mine. Patrick Jane. We used to work together in Sacramento."
"We know who Patrick Jane is." Kings says. "His name is in the news all the time. All kinds of indiscretions. Are you sure you want to call this guy in?"
"Trust me, I know he's unconventional and… indiscreet." She smiles lightly at the word. "But I worked with Jane for years. And he closes cases like a machine. And I'm more than willing to go through a few weekends worth of paperwork if we can get this case solved."
"How do you know he'll agree?"
"He'll agree." She said, offering no motivation.
The three men don't seem to mind, and they nod at her confidence. "Alright, Boss, we trust you."
And they head back to their desks to finish up their work – all but Ross Kings, who (peering over his shoulder) discreetly follows her into her office.
"I think this is a bad idea." He says once he closed her office door.
"Really? Tell me more." She said, sarcasm dripping off her every word, as she smiles with amused familiarity.
He isn't offended. "Seriously, Tess, this guy is a bad idea. I've seen his record, I've read his file."
"You read his file?"
"His name came up a lot in yours."
"You read my file?"
"Please, Tess, not the point." He says, shaking his head. "Don't do this."
"Ross, I've handled Jane before. I dealt with all his crap for more than four years at the CBI. I dealt with the paperwork, with the pissed off families, with the pissed off authorities…" She lists, exasperation filling her words more and more with every moment.
"Then why would you want to put yourself through that again? Why don't we just hand the case off to the feds? It isn't like there isn't enough cases to go around."
"You don't understand, Ross. I know Jane could be a pain. But he's my friend. And I know he's the person who can solve this case."
Ross Kings sighs perturbed and paces slowly across her floor. "I guess I'm not going to talk you out of this, am I?"
"Have you ever?"
He smiles fondly. "Nope. I'll see you tonight for dinner?"
"Yeah. See you tonight."
And he discreetly slips out of her office.
X
Patrick Jane lies on his brown couch in the corner of the bullpen. Dozing. Observing.
In the corner, on the desk that used to be Cho's, a rookie is typing away.
In the office that used to be Lisbon's, Cho is handling the mountain of paperwork, supplied by Jane's latest indiscretion. Feeling extremely out of place.
After she left two years ago, Cho was promoted to Senior Agent, as everyone expected. For a few months, the only thing that changed was the voice and face of the person who lead them with a case. Her office was left empty, because Cho thought it didn't feel right. But when Hightower hired a new rookie, she figured out that he'd been working in the bullpen and told him to man up and sit in the office already. So he did.
Two years… It's been two years. Strange, it felt like an eternity.
Her leaving turned out to be quite the traumatic event for him. It split everything in before-Lisbon and after-Lisbon. After all this time, it still felt like a part of the team was missing.
How many times has he stared at the phone? Wanted to call her and beg her to come back. He regretted more than anything not making her stay that night of her going-away party? Or at the very least, demanded a more satisfying explanation than 'I'm tired of the city'? He felt like a child whose best friend moved away.
His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket, alerting him that he's got a new text message.
He sighs and fishes the phone out of his pocket; it's probably Rigsby, who's gone out to get lunch for everyone. Probably forgot what Jane asked for.
But when he looks at the phone, the name on the screen isn't Rigsby's. And the shock almost throws him off his couch.
"CHO!" He calls.
The Asian man comes running out of the office. "Jane? What's wrong?"
"I just got a text message."
Cho's shoulders visibly sags tiredly. "Really? You sounded like you were being attacked by an axe murderer. Please man, we've got work to do!"
"No, Cho-… Wait, why would there be an axe murderer in the CBI?"
Cho shrugs. "To make consultants scream like little girls?" Van Pelt and the rookie chuckles.
"My text message is from Lisbon." Jane says, suddenly serious.
"The boss?" Cho asks, walking to Jane confused.
"The boss?" Van Pelt excitedly jumps up from her seat, also making her way to Jane and his phone. "What does she say?"
"I don't know, I haven't opened the message yet."
"Well then, open it, idiot!"
Tentatively, disbelievingly, he pressed the button on his phone and opened the message.
For a few moments, he sat silently, staring at the screen.
"What did she say?" Van Pelt asked, craning her neck to try and read the message.
On the screen of Jane's phone, were words Jane never expected to read. And they sent a surge of strange hopefulness vibrating through his veins.
Hey. I know it's been a long time since we talked, but I've got a case here in NY that we really need help on. Could you call me? TL
"I… I think she wants me to go to New York."
So that's chap 2… Took me a lot of hours I could've been doing homework to write, so better give plenty of reviews! :)
Much love, Zanny
