Thanks for all the reviews! I wasn't really sure about this storyline, so it's nice to get positive feedback for it.
I have not much time to spend writing or even at the computer these days, but I already managed to finish another chapter. The chapters of this story probaby won't be too long, but that way I can update faster. I'll try to get at least one more update done this week.
In the solitude of her office - feet resting on her trash basket, an untouched box with green salad and vegetables on the table in front of her - Teresa enjoys her lunch break. She really needs some time for herself, time to relax. Lunch itself is a whole other matter though, seeing that the healthy salad doesn't provoke her appetite at all. She sighs and surrenders, wondering for the umpteenth time why, now that eating healthy is important, she can't stand that stuff anymore.
She takes the ultrasound picture out of her purse, hoping that looking at her baby will make her feel guilty enough to eat a forkful of salad. The sight of the shapeless figure, head and body hardly distinguishable at this point, never fails to amaze her. A wave of unconditional love washes over her, still a little strange and unfamiliar, but she is getting used to it more each day. Altogether, she came a long way in the few weeks between learning of her pregnancy and now.
Being pregnant is still new and exciting, but after the initial insecurities about her new condition, Teresa finally isn't wary anymore of anyone who crosses her path. When she realized that most people are so concerned with their own interests that they don't have time to stare at her belly or over-analyze her sudden voracious appetite for chocolate, things started looking up. In fact, she feels more comfortable in her role as a mother-to-be than she ever thought possible. Okay, she is only at the beginning of the second trimester of the pregnancy, but still.
Apart from being constantly tired and occasionally slightly nauseous throughout the day, she is doing well. Her doctor confirmed that she and her baby are healthy. The only thing she is worried about is her craving for unhealthy food in any way, shape or form, most of all the aforementioned chocolate. Of course she tries to eat healthy, but she discovered that eating chicken makes her puke and that she's unable to swallow strawberries or spinach without gagging. The prenatal vitamins the doctor prescribed put her mind to rest a little, but she's still wondering if she's breeding a future chocolate addict inside of her.
Her favorite jeans are a bit tight around the waist, but she can still wear them. Just this morning she discovered a suspicious bulge in her belly area, but it's nothing that can't still be hidden under a jacket. Or at least she hopes so.
Whenever she is with her team, she has to pull herself together to not do something stupid again as grinning like an idiot, happened once after her mind drifted off to the cute Winnie the Pooh onsie she bough the day before. Smiling happily while discussing a ghastly homicide is hard to explain logically to so far unsuspecting co-workers.
There are times when she wants to tell them about her pregnancy immediately, needing someone to show off the first ultrasound picture of her baby or to listen to her worries about the future. But then again, she prefers keeping things quite for a while longer, or maybe even waiting until someone directly asks her if she's pregnant.
So far, there's no immediate danger though, as far as she can tell.
Minelli is clueless for sure, seeing that he not only initiated a boost in her pay but also hinted that he's aspiring a higher-ranking position within the next two years and would like to see her in his job then. She didn't have the heart to burst his bubble right then and there, feeling that he'd be very disappointed that she chooses family life over her promising career.
Van Pelt didn't start to give out subtle diet or tummy muscle training tips yet, so Teresa concludes that her belly must look less suspicious than she feels it does. Cho and Rigsby are probably the most unlikely people to detect that something is amiss with her body, so she doesn't really worry about those two.
And Jane... well, Jane is an enigma. She is always very cautious when she's around him and even more so when she's alone with him. There is no indication that he knows anything, no meaningful glances or ambiguous comments, but a little amount of healthy suspicion can never hurt when it comes to Jane.
He is a little more introverted and less cheerful lately, but that already started before she found out about her pregnancy. She knows that he has a lot to deal with at the moment and she is aware that her behavior in the weeks, after his plans to take revenge on Red John went terribly wrong, wasn't exactly helpful.
It's not that they're not on speaking terms, they are. And it's not that he lost the ability to stun her and brighten up her day and to occasionally make her blush. But still, even though she is unable to pinpoint what exactly is different, she knows that their dynamic has changed. She hates it, but she doesn't know how to reach out to him and repair their ailing relationship.
The sound of the phone jolts her out of her musing.
"Van Pelt? I hope you finally have some good news." She answers, suddenly in full boss mode again.
"Well, the good news is, we found Gregory Staples. The bad news is, he is dead. Multiple gunshot wounds to the head and chest, just as in Lauren Hastings' case. You better get down here, the local police is less than thrilled by our appearance."
Crap. Finding their main suspect dead promises to make for a long workday. "Give me the location, Jane and I will be there as soon as possible."
Scribbling down the information, she already jumps up to gather her stuff. Before putting the lid on the container, she quickly shoves two remorseful forkfuls of salad into her mouth to silence her conscience. She feels a little queasy, but swallows the food down anyway. Luckily she has a chocolate bar in her bag, just in case she'll need something later to appease her stomach.
"Jane!" She calls out when she leaves her office and walks into the direction of the couch.
"Is it time to go home already? Time flies when you nap." He answers sleepily without even opening his eyes, looking so content that she can't help smiling. It's been a while since she saw this expression on his face.
"It's only noon. We need to drive back to Elk Grove, Gregory Staples turned up."
"Ah, finally someone to wrestle minds with." Getting up, stretching and grabbing his jacket from a chair next to the couch happens in one swift movement.
"Well, unless you're skilled in forensic medicine, I doubt that he'll be able to give you any valuable information."
"He's dead?" Jane is obviously taken aback.
She nods in response.
"Suicide because he was haunted by guilt after killing Lauren Hastings?" He asks in a hopeful voice.
"Rather unlikely, he's too riddled with bullets for that."
"He still could have killed Lauren Hastings before someone killed him, right?"
"It's possible." Her experience tells her that the chance is slim, but she doesn't want to shatter his hopes just yet. It's not the first time in the past weeks that one of his hunches went in the wrong direction and she knows he takes it pretty hard.
They walk to the elevator, when he suddenly stops and comes to stand right in front of her, looking her straight in the eye.
"Are you okay?" His look is concerned and his tone soft enough to alarm her.
"Sure, I'm fine." She replies as nonchalantly as possible.
"You look a little pale." He states, still eying her curiously.
"It's nothing." His eyebrows jolt up and she knows he won't let her off the hook before she offers him a solid explanation for her pallidness.
"Really, I only didn't get much sleep last night." A total lie. She went to bed before 7 PM, barely able to keep her eyes open any longer, and slept for 10 hours straight.
He frowns. "In a good way?"
"What?" She asks, clearly puzzled.
"You said you didn't get much sleep and I subtly inquired if you had company that kept you up all night." Whoa! She isn't really fond of blunt Jane when the topic is her private life. He behaves like that quite a lot lately.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I just had trouble sleeping."
As they wait for the elevator, Jane attempts another foray. "Does your back hurt?"
Surprised she turns around to face him. "Excuse me?"
"Your posture suggests that you suffer from back pain." As long as it doesn't suggest that she is pregnant, it is alright with her.
"It's only a strained muscle." Another lie. Hey, anything to distract him from what's really going on with her body. "Why are you all of a sudden so obsessed with my health?"
He shrugs his shoulders. "Only training my observation skills. My hit ratio regarding suspects wasn't exactly satisfying lately, I need to practice more to not lose my abilities completely."
They enter the elevator, when Teresa suddenly feels the weight of a hand on her back. The light contact inebriates her more than it should. These days, her body seems to be overly sensitive, and apparently overly receptive to the unexpected touch of the man next to her. The hand creeps under her jacket and she is sure to be as much blushed now as she was pale earlier.
"What are you doing?" She finally manages to stammer.
"Looking for strained muscles to massage them away. I'm quite good at this." The reminiscence of a long lost memory tells her that he indeed is.
She can't let him touch her like this. It might send the wrong message and the last thing she needs in her situation are complications due to a misled Patrick Jane. Resolutely she wriggles to free herself , but is surprised how strangely cold and unprotected her back feels after his hand is gone.
"Oh right, I forgot. Rule number one when dealing with your boss: no touching." He remarks sarcastically and stares straight ahead at the elevator doors.
"I never said that!" She defends herself.
Still not looking at her, he is silent for a while before settling for another cryptic comment. "You don't have to, your body language speaks volumes."
Why the heck is he so snappy all of a sudden? "Are you mad at me?"
"If I'd say yes, would you know why I am mad at you?" He inquires, finally looking at her again with the strangest of expressions, a mixture of hope and chagrin that she is unable to make sense of.
"I don't have a clue." Not exactly a lie, but also not completely true. She has a vague idea what might have triggered his behavior, but she refuses to go back to the point of origin and continue a conversation with him that ended so long ago. In her opinion, there isn't really anything left to say on the matter and if he still wants to hold a grudge, then that's his problem. She has too much other stuff on her mind these days.
"Well, that's actually pretty sad then." He exits the elevator, leaving her behind with a feeling of confusion and emotional turmoil. And collywobbles, but she is sure that one is not Jane's but that stupid salad's fault.
