I know, it's been so long. :( Please read, even though i haven't UDed in such a long time, i had major writers block on this for a very long time! A massive thanks to Jenn (Shopping_luva91) who gave me a long list of ideas to get this kickstarted again, really you owe her for this one. Thanks to Hayley (OutCold) for being there for me to moan at on msn about this, and thanks Al (FadeIntoTheBackground) because no matter how much i tell you it sucks, you always argue :P This one is i feel horrendously OOC. . . and i apoolgize, it'll get better after this chapter. It's a bit of a filler, nothing in the actual case moves along, but i'm glad i wrote it all the same. Here's a quick re cap of the last chapter, seeing as most of you have probably completely forgotten what happened :P (Me included!)

They stood outside the room in silence for a little, "An eighteen month old? They've got a baby."

"We need to go run those names she gave us but I don't want to leave Natalie in that room so I'll bring her out, she can sit on your couch and we'll find her something to eat. She must be hungry."

Jane nodded, and asked her, "Are you ok?"

"I wish you'd stop asking me that," she told him sighing, "I'm as ok as you are."

"So not ok at all then."

Chapter 4

When Lisbon walked out of her office, Van Pelt was sat on the sofa with Natalie who looked relatively happy, despite the seemingly permanent serious look on her face. She was playing with Grace's hair, very softly. She liked the long, striking locks of hair, and Lisbon couldn't help but smile as a timid, small smile slowly spread across Natalie's face. She looked at the girl, and couldn't help but wonder how someone who had been through so much, could still so obviously gentle, and sweet. She had been sexually abused for six years - the thought made Lisbon sick to the stomach, yet here she was, caring and happy to be paid attention to by her or Grace. The only signs of what she had been through was her obvious distrust of Jane, her grubby appearance which could be quickly changed, and, perhaps the most profound insight, her eyes. Beneath the girlish exterior lay an almost frightening depth, she knew pain. That was something that couldn't be said about a lot of adults, let alone a ten year old. She had been through horrific things, and her bright, but serious blue eyes were a sign of that. She still had that childlike innocence about her in many ways, and in others, she had been stripped of it. It had been taken away. They had managed to save her, but she was only one girl. And, the ugly truth was that they had been too late. Six years too late. It was unlikely she would ever get over her traumatic past. In ten years, twenty years, fifty years these things would still haunt her on some level. She should know.

"Hey," Lisbon said, smiling softly at Natalie, and catching Van Pelts eye.

"Hi," Natalie said, smiling up at Lisbon, "Thanks for the orange juice,"

Lisbon smiled at her again, "You're welcome, you want anything else?"

"I'm ok thanks," she said, as Lisbon sat down on her other side, she continued plaiting Van Pelt's hair. "I wish I had hair like yours," she said to Grace, who smiled,

"You have beautiful hair," Grace told her,

She made a face, "No I don't," Lisbon laughed a little at her,

"Yes you do," Lisbon argued.

"I used to plait Mel's hair all the time, it's amazing. She's so pretty, it's long - like, right down to her waist - really bright blonde. It's like sunshine," she whispered the last part softly.

"We're going to find them," Lisbon found herself saying, you shouldn't make promises to the victims of crime, shouldn't give them false hope. But was it so wrong to give a ten year old, a ten year old the slightest bit of hope to cling onto, when she'd been deprived of any for six years? Was that so wrong? She felt yet another stirring of emotion inside of her, and decided it was best to focus on Natalie, try not to let herself feel, "I promise, we're going to find your friends," she said, avoiding Grace's eyes.

Natalie abandoned Grace's hair for a minute, and wrapped her small arms around Lisbon, who, slightly stunned, hesitantly put her arms around the girl, unsure of exactly what she should do.

Grace looked at Lisbon, a sad smile painted across her face, understanding passed between them, words were not required. "Do you want me to contact the parents boss?" She whispered.

Lisbon didn't say anything, just nodded, and smiled at her with thanks as she got up and walked away. Natalie eventually let go of Lisbon, "I hope you do,"

"We are very good at our jobs Natalie," she said, watching Jane across the room. Natalie shifted uncomfortably, "What's wrong?" Lisbon asked gently, she knew Natalie hadn't seen Jane, she was facing her.

"There's just a lot of people," she shrugged, talking quietly, "It's really… big."

"We could go in my office if you like?"

"You have an office?"

"Yeah, cos I'm boss and so that I'm not annoyed by the likes of Jane," Natalie giggled a little, and nodded at the suggestion.

"Come on then," Lisbon said standing up, "It's just over here," She walked over to her office, and opened the door for Natalie, who walked in and looked around.

"Lisbon?" Jane opened the door, and, taken by surprise Natalie jumped and quickly went to hide behind Lisbon.

"Sorry Natalie," he said, "Only me,"

Lisbon made eye contact with him, she looked tired. In more than one way, he frowned. He was fairly sure there was something more to this than she was letting on, but he wanted to establish a rapport with Natalie – he would talk to her later.

"It's ok Natalie, I wouldn't work with Jane if I didn't trust him," she said quietly, but regrettably, loud enough for him to hear. Instead of making some funny comment, which she thought he might, he said nothing. But he was touched. So she did trust him. That meant a lot, he had always know she did. But hearing him say it… was a completely different thing.

"You wanna sit down?" He said to the girl, who had come out from her hiding place behind Lisbon, sat gingerly on the couch, Lisbon sat on one side of her and Jane, a safe enough distance away sat on the other side.

"You wanna chocolate bar?"

She turned to Lisbon, for reassurance, he guessed, and she smiled and nodded very slightly. She turned and took the chocolate out of his hands. She unwrapped it, and bit into it, "Thanks," she said, looking at him, meeting his eyes for the first time.

"That's ok," He paused, "would you like to see something I made for Lisbon here one of the first times we met?" He said, grinning at Lisbon.

"Ok," she said, still wary and a little nervous. He beckoned for her to follow him round to Lisbon's desk, "Jane what are you doing…?"

Grinning he opened the second drawer down and extracted an origami frog, Lisbon's mouth was slightly open with surprise. "I knew you'd kept it," he said, still grinning at her.

"Yet you insist you're not psychic,"

"There's no such thing as psychic,"

"I heard you the first hundred times,"

"Yet you still ask?" Lisbon just rolled her eyes again and smiled, knowing what was coming.

Turning his attention back to Natalie, Jane beckoned again and she, with some hesitation, followed.

"I gave this is to Lisbon here, and I put it down on her desk, like this," he said, placing the frog down on the table.

She looked at him expectantly, but followed his gaze back to the paper frog. As it jumped on the table, she gave out a little squeak, but giggled. He turned towards her, "Good, isn't it?"

She nodded, smiling in delight, "Why did you give it to her?" Natalie asked, Jane could hear the confidence growing in her voice, and smiled – partly at Natalie, and partly at the memory.

"Because she was angry with me, for something I did on the case."

"So why did you give her a frog?"

"That's a good question," Lisbon said from across the room,

"I knew it'd make her smile," Jane said, "And I didn't want her to angry at me anymore,"

"Did it work?"

"Yes," Jane said, looking over at Lisbon, "She liked it, it's why she keeps it in here,"

"Shut up Jane," Lisbon said, blushing a little, but happy to see Natalie a little more relaxed around Jane – then again, he was Jane. If anyone could connect with her it would be him, even under the circumstances. She'd known Natalie would come through eventually, he was great with kids.

"Now she's blushing, because I'm right" Jane said to Natalie, who giggled a little more, which for some unknown reason made her blush even harder.

"Jane," she said, trying to sound like she was warning him, and failing because she was smiling too much.

Jane stood up and went over to Lisbon, "You're really very annoying," she said to him.

He nudged her, "I'm not that bad!" He protested, and caught her eye. Suddenly she couldn't look away, after a moment of silence and the two of them not breaking eye contact, she forced herself to remember this was about Natalie, not her and Jane, and turned back to the girl. Who was, to her surprise, smiling at the two of them.

She went over to them, they'd sat back down on the couch, and sat between again. "You're not like the other nasty people are you?" She said to Jane.

"No, I'm not," he said, seriously, "And a lot of people are good, you've just encountered lots of the bad ones."

"Really?" She said, her blue eyes wide, tinged with curiosity, breaking both of their hearts.

"Yeah," Jane said, he had that all too familiar distant look in his eyes, which she knew well. He was thinking about his own family.

"Jane?" Lisbon said gently, not getting a response, "Hey Natalie, come on, we're going to find Grace and see if you can talk to her about the other girls, descriptions and stuff, do you think you'll be able to do that?"

"Will it help?"

"Yeah, it will," she said, smiling at the girl, and walking out the office, leaving Jane.

Once they were out Natalie asked quietly, "Is Mr. Jane ok?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Lisbon lied, and quickly led her over to Grace, who pulled up a chair for her and started chatting away.

Lisbon turned back and went into her office, she sat down beside Jane. She didn't know what to say, but she knew that being there was something at least… something she could do to help.

Neither of them said anything for a while, they just sat, less than an inch between them, in silence. She knew that he would talk when he was ready.

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be," she said softly, "You made pretty good progress with Natalie," she said, trying to make conversation – not wanting to pressure him into talking if he didn't want to. It wasn't the right time.

"I didn't think it would take long for her to trust me, what with you and me being the way we are, if you say and do things that make her think you trust me, she will follow, because she trusts you and looks to you when it comes to judgment calls,"

She nodded, and they sat in silence for a little longer. "Do you think we'll catch them?" She said, her own voice cracking slightly, "Sorry," it was her turn to apologize as tears filled her eyes. But she wouldn't cry. None of this was about her.

"You won't break your promise Teresa," he said, and to her surprise he wrapped her arms around her. Knowing the human contact she was craving, the same craving he was having, but knowing she would never ask him for it.

"It's just a hug," he whispered, he knew she was about to protest.

"What if I do?" she whispered, "What if they get away? What if the other girls aren't found? We don't close every case."

"You won't break your promise," he repeated.

She prayed he was right.

Please review. They are very important for this one especially, if you have any ideas for the story also let me know, because i want to continue but i've been a little stuck!

Thanks! Emily xxxx