A/N: I'm a slave to the plot bunnies. I'm sort of, kind of, maybe contemplating a sequel to Pretty Lies. And they made me write this.

It's based on the promo for 2x17 and a sort of wish for how I want a certain scene to play out. Of course, it won't though. It'll be much better than this. Anyway, if you're staying spoiler-free I advise you don't read - or at least come back and read after 2x17 has been broadcast and then point and laugh. I won't mind.

A HUGE thank you to Koezh for going back and reviewing every single chapter. You completely rock! And thank you to: Viktorija, Iloveplotbunnies, AlternativeRocker, yaba, Divinia Serit, lisbon69, mtm, WildDaisies10, Nick Tarostar, Frogster, Phoenix Wytch, lil smiles, Simonisthecuttestmentalist, Ebony10, anthropologist, Koezh and IGottaFindYou for reviewing Keeping Track. And for all the well wishes for the migraine - it's gone. For now.

x tromana

Title: The Wedge
Author: tromana
Rating: T
Characters: Jane/Lisbon, Hightower
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Lisbon and Jane's thoughts on the latest shakeup at the CBI. SPOILERS.
Spoilers: 2x17 The Red Box
Notes: Based on the promo for 2x17. I couldn't get the dialogue out of my head. In the end I just gave up trying. 50 phrases: just behave

The Wedge

"This is perfect."

"She likes you, I can tell."

"Yeah. Right. I might as well go pack away my things now."

"Really? Why?"

"She's given you free reign. I'll be out of here by the end of the week."

"Really, Lisbon? Really?"

"Yes, really."

"You have that little faith in me?"

"Yes… now I have work to do. Just… behave. Please?"

"I thought you said I couldn't behave?"

"Shut up."

Jane watched as she stalked off. Madeleine Hightower was quite a woman. She really seemed to have Lisbon rattled.

***

Lisbon knew exactly what Madeleine Hightower was doing and if their roles had been reversed, she knew that she probably would have done exactly the same thing. While they had a stellar close rate, they also had several whole filing cabinets dedicated to the law suits Jane had racked up in the short time he'd been in the employment of the CBI. Minelli had no doubt confided in Hightower all the ways he'd tried to help Lisbon bring Jane into line, including all the suspensions and threats to his job. The other supervisors he'd worked underneath, usually with disastrous consequences, leaving Minelli no choice but to send him straight back to Lisbon, who had a modicum of control over him. The ex-director had believed that a little control was better than none at all.

But really, everything they tried had been a complete and utter failure and Jane was as impetuous as ever.

Minelli had never resorted to threatening her position though. But then again, during his reign, she'd almost been the CBI's golden girl. That was because Minelli had handpicked her out of a selection of candidates, always had some hand in her development as an agent and to be frank, he simply liked her. She had never expected to have that similar kind of bias from the new boss, but it still hurt her to know that the new woman in charge wasn't afraid to fire her if Jane didn't come into line - and fast. Lisbon didn't doubt that Hightower would either. If the woman wanted to show that she was completely in control of the CBI and her subordinates, she'd have to be true to her word.

She wondered just when they'd become close enough for her to become leverage for Hightower against Jane. Lisbon had always been a bit of a loner as a child and had craved her own space despite living in a bustling household. As she'd grown older and left her family life behind, she'd thrived on her own. Of course she could always work within a team structure, but that was different. She'd never let herself get close enough to colleagues to have them used against her, or her against them. But her inability to leave something, or rather, someone, broken alone had become the flaw in her otherwise fool-proof armor and Jane was going to be her undoing. When she'd first met the man, she'd had a feeling that he was too. And now she was on the verge of being proved absolutely correct.

In any other world, she knew her job would be secure. Lisbon knew she was an excellent agent and a good team leader, but that simply wasn't enough. Good agents can be retrained, people can be molded into senior agents. Jane's skills were unique. That was why it was her job on the line rather than Jane's.

And she couldn't help but hate him a just a little for that.

***

Jane was uncomfortable with the whole situation. Madeleine Hightower naturally had wanted to make her stamp on the CBI and she had the whole of the SCU running scared. Poor Van Pelt and Rigsby were facing the biggest moral dilemma of their lives and he genuinely felt sorry for them. Cho hadn't escaped a serious talking to, especially with allowing himself to get involved with his old gang recently. And of course, there was Lisbon.

She was absolutely terrified because of these new changes.

It had taken Hightower's threat for him to realize just how close he'd grown to the petite senior agent. Though he hadn't paid any particular attention to it before, he genuinely treasured their friendship and almost needed her care and attention. He didn't want to work underneath anybody else and hated this wedge that Hightower had intentionally thrown between them. After what had happened to his family, he'd vowed never to put somebody else in danger due to his own actions and he'd done just that. Okay so it wasn't exactly life-threatening but Lisbon was The Job and he'd seen just how important it was to her when she had come so close to losing it before. And besides she was practically the definition of a CBI agent. Heck, if you looked in the CBI textbook, there was probably a picture of her by it. Probably literally, knowing just how much of a chronic over-achiever she was. Hightower wouldn't really want to lose an asset like Lisbon, would she?

It hurt to think that Hightower has had to resort to using Lisbon in order to simply reduce the number of lawsuits the CBI has to face because of his actions. He was the one who was responsible, not her.

He comforted himself slightly with the thought that if, if Hightower did eventually fire Lisbon, something which he really didn't want to happen, at least she was a highly skilled individual. There were plenty of jobs she could easily fit into and excel with how she had developed at the CBI. Anybody would be lucky to hire her.

Nobody else would have the patience to stick with him. If he lost his job, he doubted he'd be able to find employment again.

But she wouldn't need to look again. He couldn't let that happen.

***

"Gotta go question a suspect again," Lisbon stated, peering down at Jane, still uncomfortable with the fact that her head was on the proverbial chopping board because of him. "You coming?"

"Mmm. Okay. But only if we can get ice cream first."

She was still angry and childhood foods cheered anyone up, he surmised. She shouldn't fret, he could behave. It'd be difficult, but he wasn't willing to be responsible for effectively destroying her life.

"Ice cream?"

"Yes."

"Seriously, how old are you?" she asked as she walked away from him.

"I'll take that as a yes."

end