Thanks so much for the reviews:lysjelonken, Lauri-mentalist, Beth-taurichick, lisbon69, and liquidcrystal94! Please keep the reviews coming. I promise there will be activities of the mature variety to come.
Also note—the characterizations of the Ruskin's are completely different than what we saw in 3x02. Similarities are in name only.
Ch 5
"Well, you sure as hell can't take her back to your house," Lisbon stated baldly, tossing the wet diaper Jane just handed her into the pail, while making a mental note to dispose of the family's refuse elsewhere, as well.
Jane sighed at the veracity of Lisbon's pronouncement—his Spartan home with its grisly reminder of Red John still painted on the wall would be no place to care for the little girl.
"We'll take to her work with us…fix up that spare office next to mine for Lily. I think Minelli has a daughter-in-law whose last kid just started to school—maybe she could help babysit."
Jane put the toddler down so she could reach the toys she had eyed in a basket beside her bed.
"Bew…bew…,"Lily pulled a well-loved, floppy teddy from the basket, showing her treasure to Jane and Lisbon.
Lisbon squatted on the floor beside Lily.
"It's a very sweet bear," Teresa cooed and smiled, putting up a brave front for the little girl whose world had just been turned upside down, though she was not yet aware of that fact.
Agent Lisbon remained on the floor, still holding the gifted bear while Lily scurried back to the basket to find another toy. Feeling the soft brush of Jane's fingers on her shoulder, she looked up with wide, green eyes.
"Thank you, Teresa," Patrick whispered, his eyes as bare and guileless as she'd ever seen them. Rising from her spot on the floor, the fiercely protective and compassionate brunette wrapped her arms round the man, with whom, only a couple of hours before, she'd been planning a typical Sunday afternoon of DVDs and take out.
"You're welcome, Patrick," she said softly in return. Pulling back a bit to look her friend in the eyes, the senior agent stated, leaving no room to doubt her words, "We'll keep her safe. We will find Red John, and we will keep her safe."
Jane and Lisbon were both startled from their embrace by a loud pounding at the door and the thumping catch of the doorknob that Lily was trying to open. The toddler had apparently found a sippee cup in her basket that she had thrown down when empty, reminding her that she was thirsty after her long sleep.
"Mama…cup," Lily clanged the plastic cup against the door, expecting her mother to open it at any moment.
"Mama…juuus…,"Lily called again, causing both adults in the room to blink back tears.
Quickly covering his upset, Jane swept the little girl into his arms and distracted her with an airplane ride across the room.
"How about you let Uncle Patrick get you some juice?" Jane deposited the toddler into Lisbon's waiting arms, deftly substituting the favored bear for the empty cup, "You and Auntie Teresa," Jane quirked an eyebrow at the senior agent, who returned the presumption with a grin, "can start packing all your pretty clothes and toys to take with us."
Lily giggled as her Uncle Patrick tickled under her chin, then whipped around to look over Teresa's shoulder, hearing the blare of a car horn from behind the curtained window.
"I'm going to check out the living room on my way," Jane nodded grimly, mentally chastising himself for being incapable of doing so earlier.
"Are you sure?" Lisbon's sympathetic eyes looked into Jane's as she bounced the baby lightly.
Jane simply nodded and gave baby Lily a kiss atop her head and Lisbon's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Back in a minute…," Patrick Jane declared softly before pulling the door shut behind him.
ooooo
"A little thirsty there, Jane?" Cho quipped with his typical dry delivery, not meaning to be insensitive, but rather testing the waters with Jane, making certain that the consultant could assess the scene with any degree of objectivity.
The corners of Jane's mouth quirked up at Cho's question, he lifted the pink-lidded sippee as he would the teacup normally found in his hand and mentioned unnecessarily—
"This is for Lily," he smiled, indicating to the team that he was, once again, calm and controlled.
"I'm through here," Van Pelt stated, stowing away the electronics she'd utilized. "I'll take it to her," the redhead plucked the cup from Jane's fingers. "I'm just gonna' grab some bags under the sink and help Lisbon with Lily's clothes and stuff."
"Would you get her some cereal from the kitchen—she must be getting hungry," Jane called out.
"No problem."
"Thanks, Grace," Jane sighed and smiled slightly.
A few moments later, Lisbon pulled Lily's bedroom door closed, leaving the baby and Van Pelt on the bedroom floor, Grace keeping the toddler busy with her apple juice, cheerios, and stacking blocks that she would retrieve one at a time between fistfuls of dry o's and sips of the amber-colored juice that squeaked as she sipped through the tiny holes.
The senior agent stepped out onto the front porch to speak with the uniformed officers. Although under normal circumstances, Lisbon would've ripped into the officers on duty for their inadequate job of securing the crime scene and passing over the toddler sleeping in her crib, the senior agent was playing things very close to the vest.
Lisbon kept the information concerning Lily to herself, just in case some rookie fell under the spell of a pretty reporter…or worse. Lisbon didn't want to even consider the possibility of a chink in the armor of any agency involved. Nevertheless, she was tight-lipped with the details of the double-homicide.
After retrieving the witness' statements from the investigating policeman, Lisbon encouraged the officers to head back to their station, informing them that her team was still collecting evidence and would be a couple more hours, yet.
The witness's statement wasn't the most illuminating one she'd ever seen—the passing runner had heard screams coming from the Ruskin home, and seeing as he was without any sort of weapon to defend himself, quickly ran back to his own home, six houses down the block to call the police. By the time the dispatcher had finished with his call—Red John was gone.
Lisbon and Jane would return to question the witness tomorrow—even though it went against her better judgment to wait—today there were more important matters to attend to. The witness couldn't see through the curtained window and could offer no help with the physical description of the assailant, so Teresa decided that their time would be better spent in getting Lily moved and settled in.
As the uniformed officers turned to go, Lisbon stepped back into the Ruskin home while her new roommate was trying to get a bead on the serial killer who was plaguing Sacramento.
ooooo
Armed with an empty cardboard box, Jane began the hateful task of gathering up important papers and family memorabilia that Lily would need or want.
While the other members of the team were busy with packing up the toddler's necessities and keeping Lily entertained and out of the living room, Jane surveyed Danny and Laura's bedroom, gathering their wedding rings, watches, favorite perfume and cologne…. He boxed up Laura's handbag, bedside photos, and an heirloom quilt before laying the weighty load on the bed.
Teresa slipped into the bedroom to check on Patrick's progress after phoning Minelli to update him on the unique circumstances of the case. Inquiring about the possibility of his daughter-in-law babysitting at the office, and maintenance refurbishing the space adjacent to hers, Minelli said he would check into it, and he'd drop by later that evening. Calling forensics soon thereafter, Lisbon insisted that the utmost discretion be used in the Ruskin case.
Eyeing the items inside the cardboard container and smiling sadly, the senior agent sat on the bed, careful not to upset its contents as Jane searched through the bedside tables for any significant items to salvage for his niece.
"After I spoke to Minelli, I called Dr. Rayburn on his cell…," Lisbon began, "asked him to just bring Casey and Freeman with him. I let him know that since this was a Red John case; he was to bring the files back to me personally—no mailroom, no underlings…"
"No irksome ghouls?" Jane quipped.
Lisbon scoffed lightly, "Nope…I told Rayburn the fewer people in the loop—the better. And anyway, Cho's going to wait for forensics—I want to get Lily out of here before they arrive."
"Absolutely," Jane agreed, dropping to his knees to give a quick glance under the box springs before moving to rifle through the drawers on the opposite side of the bed.
"Rigsby and Cho loaded up her furniture; Grace finished up with the clothes and toys. Rigsby even had the presence of mind to look through the cabinets for her favorite foods…found a cooler for the milk and juice," Lisbon listed the mundane details of the team's efforts. "Cho located their laptop and digital camera, Grace can hack the computer for account numbers and contacts when we get back to the office."
"Have they found a lockbox…fire safe…anything that would contain legal documents?" Jane inquired, wanting to at least find Lily's birth certificate before they left.
"They didn't mention it—did you try the closet already?" Lisbon asked, rising from the bed and heading toward the darkened walk-in, switching on the overhead light as she entered.
"Hadn't made it there, yet," Jane explained, shutting the drawer that hadn't offered up anything of value and moving to join Lisbon in her search of Danny and Laura's closet.
As Lisbon shoved aside shoes from the closet floor, and Jane poked through stacks of sweaters and handbags, their search was finally rewarded when Jane's agitated displacement of several shoeboxes caused a metal container to thud against the closet wall.
"Teresa, I think I found something," Jane exclaimed with a tinge of relieved excitement in his voice. Reaching up blindly, the blonde consultant raked the metal box across the wooden shelf, ignoring the cascade of sweaters that tumbled down in the process.
Jane made his way quickly to the dresser, depositing the lock box on top. Lisbon followed after tossing the sweaters back onto the closet shelf and joined Jane in studying the sealed container.
We've got bolt cutters in the back of the truck," Lisbon suggested, her words shaking Jane out of his dark thoughts.
"No need, really," Jane sighed, turning the barrel to 5-1-5 and sliding the steel latch to the right. Patrick Jane exhaled a relieved breath as the catch sprung open and the seam of the metal box gave way.
"Their anniversary date," Jane supplied, followed by Lisbon's short nod.
"Well, hopefully Lily's birth certificate is in here," Lisbon encouraged as Jane began sifting through the contents.
"Right on top," Jane replied, automatically handing the newer document to the senior agent.
Lisbon thought themselves rather fortunate at finding the papers so quickly, but her brow furrowed as Jane kept digging through titles and insurance policies. Those moments he had just spent studying the dusty box reminded the grieving consultant of the last time he had seen this container and the contents that might still reside within.
"What are you looking for?" Lisbon inquired, though Jane seemed not to hear her.
Patrick Jane held his breath as he unfolded the notarized documents. His eyes closed briefly in thankfulness as Teresa nudged closer to gauge the importance of what the blonde consultant was holding.
"You're still named in their will?"Lisbon inquired, a little incredulous after Jane's six-year estrangement from Danny and Laura.
"Annie and I had just amended our will after Charlotte was born. Naturally, we had chosen Danny and Laura as Charlotte's guardians and executors of the estate.
"Even though they didn't have any kids yet, my brother-in-law had just started his I.T. consulting business, landed a few big clients, and bought this place," Patrick smiled sadly at the still room, then back down at the creased papers. His fingers traced over the typewritten letters, designating Patrick or Angela Jane to be the sole beneficiaries of the estate, entrusted with managing all property, debts, and taxes; making final arrangements for the deceased; and providing for the guardianship of any future children….
Patrick's breath hitched at the sight of his wife's name on the document, recalling the by-gone days when the two families were inseparable, though those happy memories were quickly displaced with tragic ones—the loss of Annie and Charlotte…the brutal fistfight…his dismissal from Danny and Laura's lives…all culminating in that morning's tragic discovery.
"I don't know if Danny forgot about it…," Patrick began, the last will and testament tipping up slightly in his grip, "or if there just wasn't anyone else left."
Teresa gently took the papers from Patrick's hand and placed them back in the box, closing it quietly.
"Well…," the petite brunette shook her head faintly and sighed in acceptance, "whatever the reason…it just makes it easier for us to protect Lily, doesn't it?" Teresa asked rhetorically.
Patrick Jane nodded softly in understanding before lifting the metal box and placing it with the other items he'd collected.
From the other side of the hall, they heard Lily slamming her cup against the closed door once more, shouting, "Go! Go!" as a testament to the boredom of being cooped up in her now-empty bedroom even as Rigsby and VanPelt tried to distract her with goofy faces and simple games.
"Are you ready?" Teresa asked softly, her hand sliding up between Patrick's shoulders, hunched over the cardboard box that held the remains of Danny and Laura Ruskin's life together.
From his stiff-armed stance, Patrick Jane lifted the box and smiled softly at Teresa Lisbon.
"Yeah…," he breathed out, giving one last glance to the room and its ghosts, "let's take Lily home."
00000
As Cho scanned the backyard for any onlookers, and Rigsby latched the car seat in place, Grace carried out the last box of toddler toiletries from the bathroom and Lily's diaper bag, stowing them in the rear of the SUV.
Cho gave the 'all clear' from the kitchen door, signaling for their safe exit from the house. Lisbon proceeded with the weighty box, while Lily and her Uncle Patrick, highly skilled in all forms of distraction, emerged from her room, playing a long game of peek-a-boo with her favorite blanket as they passed the horrific scene in the living room.
Patrick Jane gave a last long sigh as he looked over his shoulder, silently saying goodbye to Danny and Laura Ruskin. As Lily moved to yank the blanket away, Jane was once again torn from his melancholy thoughts, and quickly swept Lily out into the sunny, autumn afternoon.
0000
With Cho remaining to meet forensics, the loaded-down truck with Rigsby at the wheel and Van Pelt sitting close to his side drove out of the backyard and backed up the alley, leaving room for their boss to exit and lead the way.
In the SUV, Lisbon, as usual, took the driver's seat, with Jane sitting shotgun, and a wide-eyed toddler in the backseat, craning her neck to note her displaced belongings. The senior agent, her grieving consultant, and an orphaned toddler pulled out into the alley, heading toward Lily Ruskin and Patrick Jane's new home.