Chapter two! Haha, I never figured that I'd actually get to writing it, but whatever :D Anyway, thanks for the reviews! It's making me actually want to write a second (And third and fourth...) chapter, so enjoy! And don't forget to review, and remember, I dunna own the Mentalist, just Melody.
Chapter Two;;;
Van Pelt stayed behind to help Melody get her things, and she warned her that Jane could be an idiot most of the time, which Jane denied. Melody didn't have a lot of things, just her music, a few stories, clothes and a few pictures. Surprisingly it all fit into one bag. Van Pelt and Jane left Melody alone for a few minutes, giving her time to change, and see if there was anything else she wanted to take with her. She took a minute to put her I-Pod charging cord and cell phone cord in her bag, and then sat down on her bed for a moment. She blinked back a few tears that wanted to fall, and then quickly changed from her pyjamas' to some real clothes, as it was getting light out.
Melody took a look at the clock beside her bed; 8:30. Wow, it had been a long night. It was hard to believe that she'd woken up to Elizabeth's screaming only three hours before. Three long painful hours. She shoved the thought from her head as she pulled her old tee shirt over her head, grabbing a newer shirt, one that her mom hadn't liked to begin with, but soon learned to like. She smiled at the memory as she ran a brush through her tangled mess of curls, and tied them back.
A few stray tears ran down her cheeks as she pulled a random pair of shoes on, and pushed her cell phone into the front pocket of the suitcase that she'd used four years before, when she'd moved across country. She took a few deep breaths before opening the door that she'd closed not long before, and lugged the rather large suitcase out of the room. She blinked quickly as she pasted Elizabeth's room, the door shut.
"You and Lisbon just have trust issues," Melody heard Jane say as she approached the top of the stairs. She pulled the bag down the middle of the stairs, the carpeted part, and tried to ignore the things around her, listening to the sound of the suitcase, the smell of the rose garden out back, the sound of the fountain that was ever flowing. She knew the rest of the world couldn't be ignored for long though, and let it back in when both feet were planted firmly on the ground.
"Hello, Melody," Van Pelt smiled at the young girl, standing up and moving towards her. "Got everything you need?" She asked, glancing down at the bag that sat at the blonde feet. Melody nodded, having to wait a moment to speak.
"Everything I can bare to take with me," She told the older woman, chewing on her bottom lip after wards. Van Pelt nodded, giving Melody a reassuring smile again.
"Everything's going to be alright," She said, leading her towards the door, "You know, as long as Jane doesn't drive you mad." She joked, turning to see Jane smiling also. Melody let a small smile onto her face, nodding. 'Yea, everything will be fine... Well, nearly.' She thought, following right behind Van Pelt, and Jane behind the two. Being the last out, Jane locked the door of the large house. The large house Melody was afraid she may never see again; Well, never live in again. Maybe she could get the other three to come down some day and they could live here while going to school or something, her parents did – had – owned the place after all.
She blinked back more tears as she saw the silver Mercedes Benz that they'd driven from Texas to California in four years before; The car her father was teaching Melody to drive in. And the red Ferrari sitting next to it, both of which should have been on the way to work, one to a law firm five blocks away where her mother should have been sitting in a desk working on a case as the lawyer she was. And the other to the local collage, where her father was teaching an English course, one Melody had been going to take after graduating.
Tearing her eyes away from the cars in the drive way, she looked at the other car that she'd never seen before, a black non-descript SUV sitting there, one that Van Pelt was leading her towards, laughing at the face that Melody didn't realize she was making.
"Yea, the CBI cars are nothing compared to those," She said, talking about Anne and Jesse's car's. Melody smiled a little.
"Dad was teaching me how to drive in the Mercedes, mom wouldn't let me touch her Ferrari, afraid I was going to crash it," She said, hearing Jane chuckling behind her.
"Well, I don't blame her much," He said, coming up beside Van Pelt, who was unlocking the car. "Can I drive?" He asked hopefully, a huge grin on his face. Van Pelt scoffed.
"Yea right, and have you crash? Or worse, Lisbon finding out, I think not." She muttered the last part.
"Pleaseeeee?" Jane dragged out the word, whining.
"Not gonna happen, Jane." Van Pelt said flatly, "End of story." She got into the car, Jane mocking her. Melody laughed, biting her lip to hide it. Jane sighed, opening the back door of the car.
"After you," He said already seeming to have forgotten the few exchanged words over driving, helping Melody into the car, which was higher off the ground that the Mercedes she'd been driving in the back yard for the past three months. Jane put the bag that Melody had left on the ground by accident into the car, closed the door and headed around to the passenger seat, climbing in himself. Both Melody and Van Pelt were buckled, but Jane just sat there for a minute, smiling.
"Jane, just put your seat belt on." Van Pelt rolled her eyes, turning to face the consultant. Jane glanced over at her, an innocent look on his face.
"What if I don't want to?" He asked, his smile turning into a smirk.
"I am capable of arresting someone, namely you," She muttered, watching him sigh dramatically and then actually listening. "Thank you," Van Pelt murmured, while starting the car.
After a few minutes, the silence is starting to become the awkward type, that comes with being in a smaller area with people you either don't like or don't know, not the kind that comes after a big shock of some kind.
"What did your parents do, Melody?" Jane asked, and Van Pelt slapped his arm as they came to a stop sign, "If you don't mind my asking. There, happy?" He added the last part to the red head driving the car. Melody swore she heard Grace say 'Meh', but couldn't be sure.
"I don't. My mother is – was – My mother was a lawyer at a firm... I don't remember the name of it, somewhere about five blocks from here. And daddy taught an English course at Sacramento State." She told the two, "I was going to go there after high school," She admitted.
"I thought you wanted to be a cop?" Jane said, turning, sort of, in his seat to face her.
"You have to be at least 23 to start training, the English course will help pass the time." She told him nonchalant.
Jane grinned, turning back to face forward. He was defiantly taking a liking to this girl. She reminded him of a younger, female, more down to earth version of himself. Like a daughter, almost, except, he wouldn't grow too attached to Melody if he could help it; He'd lost too much to grow attached to anything now day, except maybe the couch in the bullpen.
Now, knowing that Melody would either end up at the CBI building all day, since they all had to work, or school, which seemed highly unlikely, she'd have to get to know Rigsby and Cho... And Hightower. Jane internally groaned thinking of how he was to explain to Hightower that she needed to stay around the office all day, or at least until Jane went home. But, then again, Agent Hightower did have children of her own, maybe she would be able to watch the blonde sitting in the back of the SUV for a little while.
It was only a matter of minutes before they would get to the CBI building, and Jane closed his eyes for a minute, until interrupted by a song playing.
Cause your broken and beautiful, and you're so damn cynical, but I'm drawn in by the darkness in your eyes. And it's beautiful. Broken and beautiful.
Melody blushed, and dug her cell phone out, flipping the Sidekick open to read the new message; From Tara.
Hey Merry Melody! What's the happ's? Or... Aren't you in school? – Tiara Tara
Melody smiled, glad her friends hadn't forgotten about her yet, even after four years of only seeing each other over summer and spring breaks. Although, at the moment, 'Merry Melody' didn't fit her.
Hi Tara... Melody typed, unsure of how to word what had just happened; Tara, Jenna and Becca had always liked Elizabeth, Jesse and Anne. Uh... I have some realllly bad news. Mom, dad and Elizabeth... Their dead. They were killed by a serial killer... Umm... Red John, I think is what Grace said his name was. She was satisfied with that and sent it to her friend. Just the thought of school... It would be terrible come time to go back, which would probably be in a few days time.
Melody went to a private school, rich kids and a few students on scholarships. Melody was both; She'd won a scholarship, three years ago for one year, but she was still going thanks to her father and mother. Rich kid. She'd always laughed at that, never figuring she'd be one.
"A friend?" Jane asked, as Van Pelt stopped the car to get through the CBI gates.
"Yea, Tara," Melody said, closing the phone.
"Morning Agent Van Pelt, Jane." The man at the gate said, smiling in at the two. "Uh... Who's that?" He asked, seeing Melody's blonde head, and hearing her speak.
"Jackson, this is Melody Boone. Her family was the one we were called out for; Red John." Van Pelt muttered, trying to keep Melody from hearing and worrying about it.
"Alrighty, well, good morning and nice to meet you Melody." Jackson smiled in at her, ducking his head, and opening the gate for the car to go through. Melody chewed on her lip as Van Pelt parked the car, and before she could have her seatbelt undone, Jane had already gotten out and opened the door for her.
"Thanks," She said, smiling, sliding across the seat to get out, Jane helping her down, and then reaching back into the SUV to grab her suitcase.
"You're welcome." He smiled at her, "I'm not sure how long you may have to be here, like, all day, or just a little while, so, you may want to make sure you have something to do." Melody shook the hand that still held her phone, "I think I'm good," She said, laughing a little. Texting, internet, and music, she was set for life as long as the battery was charged. A moment after that, the phone rang again, and Melody opened it quickly, and opened the text; She would have to put it on vibrate or something as not to disturb any one.
Oh my gosh! Melody, I'm soooo sorry to hear :( We all loved Lizabeth, and your parents. Wait... Serial killer? And he left you alive? That is the strangest thing I've heard in a while. So, what's going to happen to you? You can't live alone, your only 15 (For 2 and a half more months)! Hey, what if you came back and lived with us? Well, mom, dad, Drew and I – Tiara Tara
Melody smiled at Tara's attempt to cheer her up, it was nice to see they still cared about her that much even if she hadn't seen them since December. She hit reply, and started typing while Jane looked over at her intently, Van Pelt going inside.
I don't get the me-being-left-alive-and-unharmed thing either, but whatever. The guy is sadistic. And I wish I could, I'm staying with Patrick Jane for the time being, the physic who was helping the police, and then everyone stopped talking about him, remember him? Becca used to laugh because she kept saying there was no such thing, and I'd tell her it was Mentalism. Anyway, he's really nice, and he offered, but I have to go at the moment. – Melody
She sent the text and flipped her phone closed, turning the sound off and having it on vibrate, as not to bug anyone.
"Sorry 'bout that." She said to Jane, looking over at him; He looked amused. Stange.
"Your friend sounds like me." He said, chuckling.
"What do yo – Wait a second! How'd you know that?" She demanded to know. He would have needed to have been looking over her shoulder to read the text.
"You said it yourself, Mentalism." Jane said in a joking tone, gesturing towards the large building. "Shall we?"
