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Chapter Eleven: Bonding Time

That evening, Van Pelt decided to go see Jane. "How are you feeling?" Van Pelt asked as she walked around to Jane's bed.

Jane shrugged. "Perfect. House is basically just keeping me here now for his own reasons."

Van Pelt shook her head. "He's a weird guy."

Jane smiled slightly. "Maybe that's why he's grown on me."

Van Pelt sat down in the same chair Lisbon had sat in last night. "Grown on you?"

Jane tipped his head side to side. "Yeah, he's an absolute ass, but... he's interesting."

She laughed. "I suppose that why he's keeping you here, too. He finds you interesting."

Jane smiled. "I'm honored." He bowed his head. Van Pelt smiled, and shook her head.

They grew quiet.

"How's Lisbon?" Jane finally asked. His voice was quiet and leathery, like he almost didn't want the answer, but thought it polite to ask.

Van Pelt narrowed her eyes. "Um..." She knew Jane could tell if she was lying. "She's... distant," she finally admitted. Jane glanced over at her, and saw worry bright in her eyes.

"An explanation would be nice," Jane said softly.

Van Pelt bit her lip. "It's just... not that big of a deal. We're all kinda worried about her, though." She shrugged, glancing at the floor, then back up at Jane. "She's like the mom of this... family. Without her, we're not..." Her voice trailed off, but Jane knew what she meant.

"So you still care for her feelings, even after she destroyed yours?" Jane asked Van Pelt.

Van Pelt's mouth opened, then closed, as she struggled to find a reply to that. "I- she told you? About-"

Jane smiled. "She didn't have to say anything. I could tell what happened." Van Pelt stared at him anxiously, rubbing her thighs nervously and looking away. "I'm not mad. It's kinda funny, actually."

Van Pelt sighed. "Thanks, that really helps," she said shortly.

"Come on, we all know about you and Rigsby," he said kindly, reaching out and touching her hand. It was warm, and soft to the touch.

Van Pelt swallowed. She knew she could talk about this with Jane. She trusted him. "I just don't understand," she said harshly. "It's not fair. Why can't people love each other? It's just a stupid job. A stupid rule."

Jane gazed at her through sad eyes. "Van Pelt," he sighed. "It's not a stupid rule. It's to make sure people stay focused, to remember the law is their love, their first priority. Not their colleague."

"But why can't we be together? Jane, I just... I wish Lisbon understood what I'm feeling. Then maybe she'd not be so..." Van Pelt shivered, and got up suddenly. "I need to go."

"Wait," Jane said quietly when she was at the door. Van Pelt stopped, and sighed.

"What, Jane?" she asked as she slowly turned around to look at her friend once more. His blue eyes sparked emotionlessly up at her, his face more serious than it had ever been. She wished he would smile, to break the ice.

"Don't speak so quickly of Lisbon. She might understand better than you think," he told her, voice distant.

Van Pelt gazed at him, frowning. She almost said something, then stopped, and shook her head. "Good night, Jane," she finally spoke, and left.

Jane gazed at the door for a long time. He realized he missed Lisbon. Things had been fine until she'd gotten too emotional... too friendly with Jane. Why did she have to do that?

Now, gazing at nothing, sitting in his dull, quiet room, Jane realized that work back home in California was going to be impossible after this trip.

* * *
"You little sneak," House declared as he limped into their meeting room.

Cameron was sitting, discussing Jane's case with Chase. Foreman was making some coffee over at the fridge. They all glanced up at House, puzzled.

"What?" Foreman asked first.

House made himself clear by jabbing his cane at Cameron, whose eyes were wide. She stared back at House, startled. "Cameron, you little sneak. Does that help, Foreman?"

Foreman rolled his eyes and went back to sit at the long glass table. Cold light seeped into the room, but it was not tinged with any gold; the sun was sleeping, tucked away behind a cloud, while a fuzzy gray sky stretched out as far as the eye could see across a young New Jersey day.

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked quickly. Chase glanced at her, then at House.

"A dying man. A crippled man. An Aussie. Now an Asian man? Really, Cameron, in some books that's called... well, some bad things." House widened his eyes and put his hand to his mouth, mocking shock.

Cameron's face set, and her eyes turned cold. "Luckily, in my book, it means I'm being open-hearted. At least I don't pick one group and stick with it, like you and your hookers."

Chase and Foreman, confused, just watched as House's eyes lit up and he smiled wryly. "That was below the belt, sister, good one," he said sarcastically as he made himself comfortable on a chair and leaned his cane against his lap. He popped some Vicodin while he waited for someone to speak.

"What do you mean?" Chase asked House, setting down a manila file.

House laughed. "You mean he doesn't know? You don't know? Foreman, do you know?"

"I think we can establish Chase and I have no idea what you and Cameron are talking about," Foreman said simply, sipping his coffee.

House slapped his knee and shook his head. "This is a riot, I'm loving it too much to tell you-"

"I went on a date with Kimball Cho," Cameron cut House off.

Chase blinked, and Foreman lifted his brows.

House rolled his eyes. "Way to break the ice, Cameron," he accused her.

"That Asian guy? The one who's on Lisbon's team?" Chase asked, some blond hair falling into his eyes. Cameron sighed and crossed her arms, glaring at House. She really hated him sometimes.

"No, the other Asian guy," House whispered.

Chase looked bewildered.

"I think I can take it from here," Cameron told House coolly, and looked over at her colleagues. "Yes, I agreed to go to the Igarta Restaurant with him. It was nothing big, we just talked-"

"Did he ask you on a second date?" Foreman interrupted.

Everyone leaned it.

Cameron stared around at them in disgust. "Yes, alright?"

"That's big," Chase said suddenly.

"Chase!"

"Well I'm just saying..."

"Why do you have to be such a child, House? I was going to break the news like a normal person, not like this," Cameron hissed as she got up, grabbed a handful of folders, and stomped out of the room.

Everyone stared at the glass door as it clicked shut, Cameron leaving from view.

House let out a deep sigh and shrugged. "Well, that was my high social event of the day." He got up and began limping out of the meeting room.

"Wait, House, you're not even gonna ask us how we're doing on Jane's case?" Foreman asked.

House stopped and looked at them. "Nah. I've got a better way to spend my time."

Foreman and Chase exchanged a glance.

"Ever heard of an ice balloon, instead of a water balloon?" House asked as he swung open the glass door and left.

Chase blinked, and Foreman sighed. "Poor janitor..."

But the Aussie didn't respond. "What would draw her to an Asian guy? He's not even that attractive," Chase said roughly.

He glanced over at Foreman, who was staring at him, dead-panned. "Oh yes. He's so sexy," Foreman said flatly, got up, and left a bewildered Chase alone to his thoughts.

* * *
"Nothing?" Lisbon repeated.

The two police-officers sighed as they stared back at her. "Ms. Lisbon, you have no idea how much this upsets us, we're as frustrated and confused as you."

"Yeah, you look really upset," she told them frostily.

The taller police-officer, whose last name Lisbon believed was Michael, shook his head and folded his arms. "Now, Ms. Lisbon, please, we really are unhappy. This investigation is important to us-"

"Bull. If it was truly important, you'd be done by now. That's my friend who was attacked a week ago, and you police still have no leads? Does the California police have to do something? Should I step in with my team?"

The shorter officer, Bank, quickly said, "We can't help it. The attack was so vague, like it never happened. There's almost no proof someone jumped Mr. Jane..."

"Except for the fact he's got scratches and bruises."

The officers exchanged a look.

Lisbon finally realized how rude she was being, and how tired these men looked. She knew what jerks she dealt with in her job, and knew she was being one of them. Putting a hand to her face, she sighed slowly. "Mr. Bank,
Mr. Michael, I'm really sorry, I'm just unhappy and tired..."

They nodded. "We understand," Michael told her kindly. "And we swear to keep you updated on any new information. We just came to tell you that, well, frankly, nothing is promising. These is one of the hardest cases we've had, and experts are working on it as we speak. But with such little information on the attacker, well..."

Lisbon shook her head, then said, "Well, thank you for your efforts, I appreciate all of this. Have a good night," she added.

Michael and Bank tipped their hats, and the two police-officers left the lobby of the hospital. They were talking to each other as they left, probably about her.

Lisbon watched them leave, arms cross, face disappointed. One full week and no idea about the attack on Jane. This was hopeless.

Rigsby walked up behind her. "Boss."

"Rigsby," she greeted, blinking and glancing up at him. She frowned. "Did you get taller?"

Rigsby chuckled. "I don't think so."

Lisbon sighed for perhaps the millionth time as the two police officers left Princeton-Plainsboro hospital, and were gone into the cold December day. Lisbon had been so busy recently, she hadn't even realized November was gone. December. Christmas time. Yikes.

"Anything?" Rigsby prompted when she stayed quiet. Nurses, patients, visitors, and doctors all walked busily around them. The action in this place never seemed to die down.

Lisbon looked up at him, eyes hollow. "Nope. They have no idea who attacked Jane, and why."

"No DNA evidence? So people saw what happened?"

"Guess not."

Rigsby stared at the doors. "Some police they are."

"I think they really are trying, but Jane's case is just one in a million. It's Christmas time, crime doesn't stop because of a holiday." She began walking away, Rigsby following her.

"Yeah. Everyone's busy mugging the mall Santas," Rigsby agreed. Lisbon chuckled, when suddenly someone called her name.

"Teresa! Hey, Teresa!"

She looked around, and was surprised to recognize her brother, William, and a strange woman walking over to them. They were bundled up and just entered the doors to the hospital; cheeks rosy, eyes frosty, they grinned
and waved.

"Relatives?" Rigsby muttered.

"My brother, in fact," Lisbon muttered back.

"Oh yeah, the one with the wedding that didn't really take place!"

"Don't remind me," Lisbon sighed.

"Teresa, hey!" William laughed, hugging his sister.

"Hi, Will. What are you doing here?"

William shrugged. "I figured you should meet Molly, and anyways, I want to meet this Patrick Jane."

Lisbon stiffened.

"Hello, Teresa, I'm Molly. We spoke on the phone once," the woman next to William warmly greeted Lisbon. She was pretty, with curly, dark blond hair and blue eyes the color of the marble no one wants to lose.

"Oh, yes, I can't forget. I'm Teresa- obviously. Good to meet you," Lisbon replied, forcing a smile. She wished she could be happy to see family, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Will again and meet Molly, but... but the
gaping hole in her chest was painful. She knew she couldn't ignore it much longer, and somehow, the love of her long-lost brother just didn't patch it up.

"Teresa, is this your boyfriend?" Molly asked, grinning at Rigsby. He coughed and his cheeks went red a bit. Lisbon closed her eyes, annoyed, for a moment. I don't need this.

"Molly, I told you that-" William started, seeing his sister's impatience.

"No, it's fine. Actually, this is my colleague, Wayne Rigsby. Rigsby, my brother and his girlfriend."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Molly said, honest, and eyes wide. Lisbon thought she looked like a fawn. "But hello... Rigsby."

"Hey," William shook the tall man's hand.

Rigsby smiled uneasily and nodded.

"How'd you know to find me here?" Lisbon asked.

William shrugged. "Seems like you spend most of your time here instead of the hotel."

Lisbon blinked. He was right.

"So you said you wanted to meet Jane?" Rigsby asked loudly.

"Yes, if that's fine. Teresa was talking about him at Bob Evans the other day, and I got curious," William explained.

Lisbon's eyes widened, and she bit her lip. She knew avoiding Jane ever since that... that one night... wasn't healthy, and could only end painfully, but that didn't make her want to stop. She was miserably hopeless when she
thought about going back to California, having to always see Jane, always see that golden ring...

"You guys can go," she said abruptly. "I've got to find Van Pelt. Um... she's probably hungry for lunch."

"Oh- mind if I..." Rigsby stopped as Lisbon's eyes flashed. She hasn't forgotten about the incident at the hotel quite yet. "Actually, I think I want to take William and Molly to see Jane. Uh... say hi to Van Pelt, would you?"

"Sounds fine."

"You sure, sissy? We only just got here," William said, eyes shrewd. He knew something was up. Lisbon only prayed he never put two and two together, for God's sake. Or... for that matter, anyone else on the team. Or in the
world.

"I'm sure. You guys go," Lisbon told them, nodding and forcing a smile.

William glanced at Rigsby, then back at Lisbon, and shrugged, waving bye, as the tall man lead him and Molly down to Jane's hospital room.

Lisbon sighed ruefully and shook her head, beginning to walk towards the hospital entrance as she got her cell out, dialing Van Pelt's number.

Abruptly a girl gasped, and Lisbon looked up, dropping her phone, as she froze, nearly knocking Karla Sheppard down. The girl looked nervous and jumpy, for some reason. Lisbon wondered what was wrong.

"Crap, Karla, I'm so sorry, my phone was distracting me..."

Karla swallowed hard. She stared at Lisbon, but didn't look like she was seeing her. "It's okay," she squeaked.

Lisbon frowned as she bent down to retrieve her phone. "Are you sure you're..." Lisbon had straightened back up, and realized Karla had vanished.

She twisted around to see the young nurse walking quickly away, arms at her sides.

"Weird people around here," she muttered, as she shook her head and continued dialing Van Pelt's number.