Chapter 12 – Old Friends
As Lisbon was getting checked by the doctor before her release Jane grinned as two familiar faces came into view as he waited outside the room. Van Pelt rushed up to him, enveloping him in a hug.
'Loosen up there, Grace, I'm an old man' he teased as she let go of him. She chanced a look into the room through the window of the door. 'How is she?'
Jane would have loved a dollar for every time someone had asked him that over the last few days. 'She's good' he nodded, smiling again.
Rigsby patted his shoulder. 'How are you, man?' Jane shrugged. 'Fine. We found her. That's all the matters. The rest...well the rest we'll figure out.'
He looked at both of them. 'Thanks for coming. After what happened...well I guess I'm being a little overprotective. Paranoid even.'
'Hey, where else would we be?' Van Pelt smiled.
'Kids okay with you being away for a few days?'
'They're with my mom and dad getting spoilt rotten. Jane, we're glad you called us. I'm just sorry we couldn't find her before now.'
'I know you did all you could and some more.' When they had found out about Lisbon's disappearance Rigsby and Van Pelt had used every resource they had to find her but had come up blank.
He gestured to the bag in Rigsby's hand and looked at Grace. 'Tell me you did the shopping and not him.'
'Hey!' Rigsby protested and Jane grinned.
Van Pelt cut in. 'Yes of course I did. I wouldn't let him pick something out for Lisbon.'
'Hey! You loved that...clothing I got you for your birthday.' He suddenly blushed at the admission and looked away.
'Wayne!' Van Pelt chastised him with a glare.
'Oh? And what kind of...clothing was that? I'm guessing red satin was in the mix somewhere' Jane said, a twinkle in his eye as Rigsby's face went redder remembering the red satin teddy he had bought for Grace.
Jane laughed and nosed in the bag, 'No offence, Rigsby but I think I'd prefer your wife buy underwear for Lisbon than you.'
Rigsby got braver. 'I'll have you know I have good taste, don't I babe?'
Van Pelt rolled her eyes. 'Hush, will you?'
Jane grinned as he dug through the contents and nodded, turning back to Grace. 'Thanks, this all looks perfect. Very Lisbon.'
'Has she remembered anything yet?' asked Van Pelt, her expression serious again.
Jane matched it. 'Not much. Well, nothing really. But...she will.'
Van Pelt nodded and a few moments later sent Rigsby away to get them all sandwiches from a coffee shop nearby.
As they sat on the chairs outside the room Jane said, 'So, you obviously want to discuss something with me alone?'
Van Pelt nodded. 'How are you? Really, Jane?'
He puffed out a long breath. 'Honestly? I have no idea.'
It was probably the most honest she'd ever seen him and she wasn't entirely sure how to respond.
He quipped, 'I confused you with the truth.'
She laughed. 'Yeah...you kind of caught me off guard. Should have known, you always do what people least expect.'
He shrugged. 'She's alive. She's right next door. Compared to some of the scenarios that might have occurred a little hypnotism and memory loss is nothing.'
Van Pelt touched his hand. 'She'll come back. Stronger than ever.'
He placed his hand on top of hers, squeezing it before releasing it. 'Of that I have no doubt.'
'Then what?' Van Pelt asked quietly.
'Ah...so this is the question. What happens once she's back to normal?'
'Yeah.'
'You're wondering if I'm going to go off on some murderous rampage to find the person responsible?'
'Well...yes.'
He stared ahead, sucking in a breath. 'I haven't told this to anyone else but...I'm not sure I want to find him.'
Van Pelt's eyes widened. 'What? Why on earth not after what he did to her? And to you?!'
He turned his face to her, a calm exterior keeping the anger beneath it at bay. 'For the very reason you're worried. What I'll do to him if I find the bastard.' His anger showed a fraction at the last word and Van Pelt blinked, nodding quickly in understanding.
He looked down and sighed. 'It doesn't look like we're going to find him any time soon unless she remembers something that will give us a clue where to look. He's covered his tracks. I don't want to spend another decade hung up on him. Lisbon's alive. She's my priority. Not this sick son of a bitch.'
'Once she's herself again the boss will want to catch him. She'll need your help to do that.'
He nodded. 'I know which brings me back to my earlier point. Grace...I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself from killing him if I catch him.'
'You know I empathise.'
Jane nodded. The betrayal of O'Laughlin had changed her from a naive young woman into someone entirely more cynical and cutthroat. Another casualty of Red John.
She started again. 'But you know Lisbon's feelings on the matter too. She'll want justice-'
'That's what I want too.'
She raised her eyebrows. 'Yeah...well you and Lisbon have differing opinions on what justice means as you well know. She'll want him put on trial. And...no offence but you're not going to get away with murder for a third time.'
Jane smiled. 'Third time's a charm.'
'It's not funny' Van Pelt replied seriously.
He nodded, running a hand through his hair. 'I know. I know. Anyway, first thing is to get Lisbon back to being Lisbon. That's all I focus on for the moment.'
'If you do kill this freak then make sure it looks like self defence. That's all I'm saying.'
Jane grinned at her. 'Since when did you get so devious?'
She shrugged. 'I used to work with a consultant for years who taught me a thing or two about underhandedness and using the justice system for my own means.'
'Sounds like quite a character.'
As the doctor came out of the room he nodded to Jane and told him she was ready to be discharged. Jane and Van Pelt entered the room, Van Pelt standing a step behind and fidgeted with her hands.
'Teresa, this is Grace. She's a friend of yours. Well of ours really.'
Lisbon looked her up and down and bit her lip. 'I'm sorry, I don't-'
'That's okay' Van Pelt replied, taking a few steps closer. 'I know you don't. But you will.'
Lisbon nodded and looked at Jane again. 'Doctor said I could go.'
'Yeah, I know.' He took the bag off Van Pelt and handed it to her. 'Grace did a little shopping for you.'
'Just some blouses and jeans and...undergarments. The kind of stuff you wear.'
Lisbon rifled through the bag. 'Thanks. How'd you know my size?'
Van Pelt blushed and stole a glance at Jane. Lisbon eyed them both and her own cheeks flushed with colour. 'Oh, right' she stammered.
Jane said, 'Wayne, Grace's husband, should be back with the sandwiches soon. That is if he didn't eat them all before then. Okay if I leave you two alone for a little while? Let you get changed.'
He could see Lisbon's anxiety but she nodded. 'Of course, do what you need to do.'
Van Pelt pulled a chair up beside her. 'Is the stuff really okay?'
Lisbon shrugged. 'It's lovely. So...we're friends?'
The redhead nodded. 'Yeah. We don't see each other as much as we should I guess but you live in Austin and we live in San Francisco and we both lead busy lives but yes, we are. In fact, you used to be my boss.'
'Really?' Lisbon couldn't hide her surprise. 'You worked for me?'
'Yeah, me and Wayne, you'll meet him soon and Cho.'
'The FBI Agent who helped find me?'
'Yeah. And Jane of course. Although...'
'Although what?'
'Well you and Jane...well it was never really a boss and employee relationship. He always saw himself as off to the side if you like. More of a partner really. He's not really one for taking orders.'
Lisbon smiled. 'From me or anyone?'
Van Pelt grinned. 'Anyone. But the closest he ever came was listening to you when we all worked together. He wouldn't work for anyone else. Even before something happened between you I always knew you had a thing for each other. '
Lisbon shook her head. 'I wish I remembered. I can see how much it hurts him that I can't respond the way he wants me to.'
'He understands. One thing about him is that he's incredibly patient. He'll wait as long as it takes. He loves you.'
When Jane and Rigsby came back into the room Lisbon was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and an emerald loose fitting blouse. Jane's breathing hitched, captivated by her as he entered the room. The introductions were made between Lisbon and Rigsby and the four of them ate the sandwiches in the hospital room before Lisbon was handed her discharge papers.
As Rigsby and Van Pelt left to bring the car around Jane held back with Lisbon for a second. 'You okay with them coming with us?'
Lisbon nodded. 'Yeah, I like them. Wayne can really eat, can't he?'
Jane grinned. 'Yeah, I always thought he had a tapeworm.'
'I like Grace. She seems strong.'
'She is. She had a good mentor.'
Lisbon shrugged. 'Yeah, apparently so.' She exhaled. 'Hope I can find that part of me at least.'
The drive to Sacramento was spent listening to some light jazz, Jane and Lisbon sitting in the back of the car where he noticed her tapping her foot along and looking out the window. Rigsby drove and Van Pelt took a call from her mother. Jane saw tears pricking Lisbon's eyes and her mouth purse as Van Pelt spoke to her daughter on the phone. After she got off the phone Lisbon asked, 'What age is she?' as Jane saw her struggle with keeping her tone light.
Grace closed her eyes briefly, berating herself for taking the call after what had happened a couple of days earlier. 'Um...just gone two. I'm...I'm sorry...I wasn't thinking.'
'Don't be silly' Lisbon replied. 'It's fine. I have to get used to people being able to speak to and about children in my presence. It's not like I actually lost my own child.' It was now her turn to mentally torture herself for those words and looked apologetically at Jane beside her. He nodded in understanding and smiled, reaching out and squeezing her hand. To both their surprise she didn't flinch but squeezed his back before removing it and placing it back on her lap.
As they approached the deserted CBI parking lot Rigsby said, 'Well, here we all are. There's no place like home.'
Lisbon felt all eyes on her as they exited the vehicle. 'Sorry. Nothing' she said as she looked up at the red brick building. 'So, this is where we all worked for over a decade?'
'Yeah' Van Pelt replied wistfully, stealing a glance at her husband who smiled in response as they both remembered their first ever kiss inside its walls.
'It's okay for us to be here?' Lisbon asked Jane who was making his way to the front of the building.
'Yeah. When the CBI was closed down the FBI took it over with the thought of turning it into a field office. But budget cuts and so on...So it's pretty much been left as is since it was closed down. Abbott called in a few favours and got us access.'
As they walked through the security area Lisbon put her hand to her side as Jane felt for the light switch. It stopped him in his tracks. 'What are you doing?' he asked her.
She looked at the hand on the side of her belt and frowned. 'I...I don't know.'
Jane grinned as he flicked the switch. 'Cop instinct to put your hand on your gun when you enter a dark deserted building.'
Lisbon grinned back. 'Well, that's something I haven't lost at least by the sound of it.' It was the first time she didn't feel like it was a joke that she was a FBI agent since she had been rescued and gave her confidence that this trip was a good idea.
Van Pelt touched Jane's arm. 'Maybe the two of you should go up on your own. We'll wait in the car for ten minutes or so before joining you.'
Jane thought for a second and nodded once he had checked Lisbon was comfortable with them doing that.
As they approached the elevator he pushed the call button. He smiled as the familiar 'bing' sounded, echoed by the quietness in the building. He gestured for her to get in first and pushed the button for their offices as he stood beside her.
