Disclaimer: Santa never came to deliver!
A/N: Happy New Year! Hope you guys enjoyed your holiday like I did. Thank you for being patient with me. I know it's been a year since my last update *wink*. Since I'm running on a sugar high, might as well do some writing, right? It is currently 4:50 in the morning my time and it's the first time I ever posted anything this early.
Teresa Lisbon arrived in the SCU's bullpen before her team as usual to finish some unattended paperwork due to the recent case the team just closed which mostly contains lawsuits and complaints against the CBI caused by her very own pain in the ass consultant, Patrick Jane. About an hour later, she looked up from the current complaint and reached for her phone to look at the time, it was ten minutes before seven and everybody would start arriving soon. Stepping away from her desk, she looked down at the huge pile of reports she accomplished and praised herself for it.
Lisbon started for the door to get herself a cup of coffee but her phone started ringing and the caller ID revealed that it was Hightower calling. She answered the phone and brought it to her ear. "Lisbon," she greeted formally.
"I'll be right over Ma'am." She said nodding as though her boss were there to see her approval. She hung up her phone and headed out to the direction of her boss' office.
Lisbon knocked lightly on the door and opened the door when she heard a muffled 'enter'.
"You called, ma'am?"
"Yes, Agent Lisbon," the older woman gestured for the seats in front of her desk and Lisbon sat waiting for the repercussion of Jane's action in the previous cases but it never came. Instead, she said, "I want you and your team to handle an out of town case. Local PD asked for help about an hour ago. A man named Wesley Cordova was found dead in his cabin in Santee Lakes and his companion, Charlie Reid is missing."
Teresa Lisbon's face was as white as a sheet of paper at the mention of Charlie Reid's name.
The great agent that Hightower is witnessed Lisbon's change of color. "Are you okay Agent Lisbon?"
"Y-yes Ma'am," she stuttered as she replied, "I-I'll get right on it as soon as my team arrives." And with that, she exited Hightower's office and fished her phone from her jacket pocket and dials a familiar number.
After minutes of dialing the same number over and over Lisbon was frustrated. Her calls all went straight to voicemail. She was getting worried now and a little frantic by the minute. Lisbon frowned at her phone and shoved it back to her jacket pocket and headed to the bullpen.
The bullpen was already crowded when she got there and all three of her agents were already seated on their respected chairs, working and each one nestling their own cup of coffee in hand.
A chorus of 'morning boss' echoed through the bullpen and Lisbon nodded her head at her agents in acknowledgement. She looked through the folder containing the information about their recent case and announced, "Pack your bags! We're headed to San Diego. Be back in an hour and be ready to go." Looking around the bullpen, she noticed that a certain battered couch was unoccupied. "Where's Jane?"
Cho got up with the rest of his fellow colleagues and headed to the elevator. Cho, stoic as ever, replied, "In your office with your breakfast."
Lisbon waited for her team to disappear before an eye reaching smile graced her pale face. She turned around and headed to her office. Still looking at the file in hand, Lisbon walked to her desk and grabbed the cup of coffee waiting for her and addressed her consultant without surveying the familiar space, "Jane, we have an out of town case. You better be ready in an hour or else we're leaving without you." When Jane didn't answer, she tore her gaze from the files in her hand and was met by a shocking sight.
The person she's been trying to get a hold of for the past ten minutes was sitting on her couch right in front of a smug Patrick Jane.
"Thea?" Lisbon's confused expression was accompanied by worry and relief. "I've been trying to call you, why weren't you answering?"
Her sister's eyes were red and puffy, she's been crying. She always hated seeing her sister cry, it always reminded her of the hardships they went through while growing up. Well, who wouldn't be crying when your husband is missing? Wait-she knows? Lisbon's thoughts were running miles a minute and she was brought back by her sister's sarcasm. They really are twins.
"I missed you too sis!" was Thea's only reply as she sauntered to where Lisbon was and envelop her into a hug. Lisbon immediately reciprocated and that's when her twin sister, Thea Lisbon started crying. Aw crap!
Lisbon assumed the all too familiar routine and hugged her sister tighter and started murmuring comforting words to her ear just like what she used to do when they were younger. It seemed to have worked since Thea started to calmed down a little. They stayed in this position for minutes, Thea's head on Lisbon's shoulder while Lisbon held her and soothingly ran her hand up and down her sister's back.
The crying diffused to sniffles, Thea slightly pulled back to look Lisbon in the eye and pleaded, "I need your help Reese."
She smiled at her nickname and reassured her sister, "I'll do everything I can to help Tey, my team and I are headed there now."
"Where are we headed Lisbon?" asked Jane from her white couch. She completely forgot that he has been in the room with them this whole time and just noticed her sister's breakdown.
"San Diego, now go and get ready!"
Jane stood up and walked to Lisbon's office door. "Finish your food." He stated over his shoulder on the way out.
Lisbon ignored Jane's comment and continued talking to Thea. "Where's Tony?"
"I left him with Charlie's cousin, Jamie. My flight is not till about two more hours, I'll be there before the sun sets. I just came to ask your help personally Reese and I don't really know what else to do." Thea paused and blew her nose at the tissue that Lisbon offered. "You have to find Charlie because I don't know what I'm going to do if he isn't here to help me raise his son!" with that, Thea started crying again.
"It's okay. My team and I will do everything we can to find him." Lisbon said, trying to sooth her sister again, "My consultant is amazing at what he does," Lisbon smiled at her sister, "Patrick Jane may be an ass, but he's the best damn consultant you could ever have in the state."
Thea Lisbon's face was now lit with a smile full force and her one Teresa Lisbon didn't like it one bit. Thea looked at her with a knowing smile-the smile her consultant usually parades around anywhere near her vicinity and urges her to smack the living daylights out of him-despite her earlier meltdown. "You do know the man is heels over head in love with you right?" Thea said, all seriousness aside and wagged her eyebrows menacingly at her sister.
"I know." Lisbon stated plainly, grabbing the white doggie bag resting on her desk and started chewing on Jane's description of breakfast; bear claw from Marie's with her favorite brew of coffee.
A/N: Santee Lakes is a real place in San Diego, a place which I'd love to visit… It looks amazing from what I saw. So sorry for ruining it with the murder here…
XOXOXO
Leah