A/N: Thank you to all my Guests who reviewed Ouroborus. You are greatly appreciated as always.
I'm not one hundred percent sure what this story will be. I have a plunny (plot bunny) and I'm going with it. We'll see what happens. As I figure out more , I'll update the synosis. I won't tell a lie. This is another Ouroborus or Settling the Score where I'm flying by the seat of my pants with no idea where I'll end up! What else is new?:)
Also, DiL will not be undated quickly. I'm shooting for updating one chapter a week. As I've already said, I'm turning most of my attention back to my Historicals and Romantic Suspense novels for a while. I tend to burn out on my original work and pursue fanfic for a while before returning to my first love. Thanks for understanding. ~Calla
#####
Jane watched the scene unfolding before him with more shock than he usually felt. For one thing, he recognized the driver and passenger in the familiar black SUV and he knew Lisbon did as well. It was Harley and Buck from Homeland Security. Two of the more tolerable Agents they'd been forced to work with over the past several months. They'd met with both men not two hours ago at the CBI to discuss a case they were sharing.
Sensing the impact before his brain processed the blur of a blue luxury import plowing through the red light into the side of the SUV, Jane watched the larger of the two vehicles spin wildly into a telephone pole before coming to a stop much too close to that closed gas station for his peace of mind. Feeling the jar of Lisbon slamming on the brakes about the same time he absorbed the crash, Jane wasn't surprised by the sudden, screeching halt of their SUV. Or by the sight of his "Boss" throwing open her door to leap off the seat before weaving across four lanes of traffic in the direction of their injured comrades.
Nor was he surprised by Lisbon's very vocal demand that he head across the way to check on the driver so clearly at fault. Reluctantly complying with her demands, he couldn't shake the feeling something was terribly off. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Turning his attention to the totaled car in front of him, Jane tugged on the door handle hoping against hope it would open. Not disappointed, he offered his hand to the pretty chestnut haired woman struggling to get her bearings.
Brushing his feelings aside, Jane helped the late twenty-something female out of her seat before making a moue of distaste at the overpowering scent of peaches and Tequila wafting off her person. The cause of the accident was abundantly clear as far as he was concerned. She'd ingested one or three too many of those delicious, but deadly, lunchtime Peach Mega Margaritas at the Mexican Restaurant down the road. The ones he and Lisbon always shared just one between them. Looking her over, Jane seriously doubted even Sweet Pea's family money could buy her pretty derriere out of the world of trouble she'd bought for herself in the blink of her baby blues.
Taking his clean handkerchief from his pocket, Jane pressed it into the woman's hand and raised her fingers to the bleeding abbrasion on the side of her head before guiding her over to the curb. Helping her sit down, Jane pulled his cell from his pocket. Dialing 911, he reported the accident and the fact there was a couple of Homeland Security Agents involved as well as the third victim. If nothing else, adding those tidbits would ensure both the Police and the Paramedics arrived in a timely manner.
Lifting his eyes from Kerry or Kelly or whatever name the young woman had mumbled, Jane suddenly saw what he hadn't registered in all the excitement. Harley's SUV was shooting out more than a few flames. Yelling across the way for Lisbon to "Run!," Jane saw the flames licking at the gas tank in an ominous manner and knew it was only a matter of time before the SUV blew. When that happened, he hoped to hell they weren't close enough to ignite the gas station. And while Lisbon was probably far enough away from the burning vehicle to be safe, if that station blew, all bets were off.
Understanding dawning on her face, Lisbon shoved Buck as hard as she could about the time the black SUV exploded in a mass of fire and smoke. Watching in horror, Jane saw both of the Agents lifted in the air and splatted onto the asphalt to roll a short distance away. Racing across the road, he stopped briefly to check Buck in passing to ensure the bleeding man still breathed before kneeling by Lisbon's side.
As bad as it looked, he knew neither of them had truly been caught in the blast. They'd been on the outer fringes but still close enough to be knocked off their feet. Watching the Fire Truck and Ambulances pulling up along with the SAC PD, Jane reassured himself that Lisbon, while unconscious, was still very much alive. Her chest was very obviously rising and falling and she was moaning faintly even if her eyes were still tightly shut. From the looks of the cut on her head, she had a nasty concussion to go along with the rest of her injuries. From the way she was breathing, he suspected she had at least one cracked rib and there was something strange about the angle of her right arm.
Seeing Lisbon's eyelids flicker briefly, Jane watched her fight her way back to consciousness.
"Jane?" Lisbon opened her eyes to find Jane's concerned face much too close to her own. "What the hell happened?"
Things were muzzier than they should be and she didn't like that. She didn't like it at all. Making to push into a sitting position, Lisbon wasn't happy to find Jane's hand firmly holding her down. Then again, maybe he was onto something. It seemed any serious movements on her part sent her universe into a nauseating tail spin of unbearable pain.
"Stay down." Jane sat on the asphalt beside her. "You got caught in the blast when that fire hit the gas tank."
Jane wasn't pleased by a single word exiting his mouth. Lisbon had ensured both of those idiots made it out of their car and to a degree of safety only to run out of time at the last moment. She'd gotten caught in the tail end of the shock wave instead. Looking at his "Boss", he decided while bad enough, Lisbon could have gotten hurt a lot worse or even killed had she been a few seconds slower. He liked that thought even less than the fact she'd shielded Buck with her body when it should have been the other way around.
Jane decided he'd be glad for small blessings instead like the fact she didn't seem as badly injured as she could have been.
"Harley and Buck?" Lisbon ran her left hand over her face making a moue of distaste at the crimson staining the fingers she pulled away from her head.
Crap. She probably had a concussion from the looks of things. That cut felt pretty deep and that was a lot of blood on her hand.
"Over there." Jane nodded in the direction of the ambulance. "They're pretty banged up from the explosion more than the accident; but, I'd say they'll both be okay thanks to you."
"Good. That might make all of this worth it." Lisbon closed her eyes against the pain. "I think my right arm's broken."
She stated conversationally trying to ignore the agony radiating up her arm.
"I'd say that's a good guess." Jane agreed. "You probably have a few bruised ribs though the nice gentleman over there tending Buck doesn't seem to think they're broken. You have a wicked cut on your forehead that's going to need ten or twelve stitches, and you're going to be covered in bruises from head to toe. I'd say you won't be skipping around quite so enthusiastically by this time tomorrow."
She'd be knocked out on triple strength pain pills if he got his way.
"I'd say you're probably right and thanks for the catalog of boo-boos. It makes them hurt that much less." Lisbon would have slapped him if the act of doing so wouldn't make her scream like a girly-girl. "I need to get up. My injuries aren't that serious."
"You need to lie right where you are." Jane placed a restraining arm on her uninjured shoulder. "They'll be over here to load you into the ambulance in a minute or two. Chill until they bring the gurney over. Who knows? This might get you another long overdue commendation."
"Shush, Jane." Lisbon fixed him with a glare.
"Think about it, Lisbon.
Bertram's going to love this. His cutest, sassiest, sexiest female Detective saved two robust Homeland Security Agents from certain death. No one's going to care the idiots put themselves in danger by driving too fast for conditions and getting hit by a car driven by an inebriated debutant who ran a red light trying to get home before her husband did.
All that matters is your diminuitive size and what you did. Harley and Buck are two big guys and you're just an itty, bitty little thing. That's going to look good for the CBI and another award will look good in your file around review time."
"Right beside all those black marks I have thanks to you." Lisbon leaned back and closed her eyes.
"You know, I'm really sorry about those." Jane said quietly as he patted her uninjured hand. "I never meant to hurt you."
"I know, Jane." Lisbon found comfort in the hand holding hers. "Things happen. Think they'll let you ride with me to the hospital?"
"I'll ask." Jane said knowing he would do just that to no avail. "But, don't get your hopes up. There isn't all that much room in that matchbox on wheels."
"I know; but, I don't really want to go alone." She hated being tied to a rolling bed inside of a moving box and Jane knew it.
"I'll be right behind you." Jane squeezed her hand as he watched the Paramedic's preparing to lift Lisbon onto the gurney. "And I'll go back with you if they'll let me."
"They'll let you if I ask them to." Lisbon said firmly watching Jane step into the back of the ambulance with her.
"I'm sure they will." Jane reassured her not knowing if they would or not; but, as he'd deal with that issue when it arose none of that mattered at the moment.
For now, all he cared about was getting Lisbon's injuries taken care of. As Harley and Buck were already in route, it was time to get their show on the road as well. Patting Lisbon's uninjured hand yet again, Jane exited the Emergency Vehicle. Nodding silently to the Paramedics, he watched the doors swing closed before heading for their SUV keys in hand.
When that ambulance pulled out of the drive, he would be right behind them exactly as he'd said.
#####
Walking into the ladies restroom, Lisbon stared at her reflection in the mirror one last time making sure there was no lipstick on her teeth and every hair was still in place. As for the predictable black suit, what could she say? That the narrow pin stripes matched her cobalt silk shell and the black cast cradling her lower arm wasn't all that distracting? All in all, she looked as good as she could after body kissing asphalt less than 48 hours ago.
Talk about bad timing. She had it in spades. Another minute or two and they'd have all been out of explosion range.
Unfortunately, it hadn't happened that way. Jane was on the other side of the road aiding the driver who'd lost control of her vehicle and crossed the median after running the red light to cause the accident in the first place. Haley and Buck had escaped mostly unscathed all things considered thanks to her while she'd gotten royally smacked by the tail end of a gasoline blast. The last thing she remembered was being thrown off her feet by a massive shock wave before striking asphalt hard enough to see stars.
And, quite stupidly, her last coherent thought concerned Jane….
An indeterminate amount of time later, the initial darkness receded and her Mentalist's worried face came into focus.
The rest was history.
Taking her small makeup bag from her purse, Lisbon found the fancy pot Van Pelt had given her not five minutes ago. Flipping the lid, she gently dabbed a dot of the magic concealer the red head swore by on the nasty bruise beneath her right eye. The one still shining through her heavier than usual make-up. Lisbon silently prayed it would finally cover the discoloration as she wanted it to. Actually, the darkness marring her fair skin so visibly was more on the curve of her cheekbone than actually beneath her eye and the sucker hurt like hell to the touch. It and every other wicked bruise mapping the right side of her body where she'd landed after that blast.
Though she was hiding it well, Lisbon could hardly put one foot in front of the other. If anyone expected her to stay after Bertram's Spin Session they were in for a rude awakening. She already had a standing appointment with her nice, warm bed and a pain pill.
She'd see all her guys including Jane bright and early tomorrow morning.
She'd shoot the lot of them if they so much as thought about calling her in the interim.
Taking one last glance at the woman staring back at her, Lisbon decided she'd do in a pinch. She was undeniably badly bruised and battered no matter how hard she tried to disguise it. There was no denying her mouth was drawn with pain. Or that her eyes reflected most of the shock she still felt at how close she'd come to biting the dust yet again.
Not her best public face by any means; but, the Big Boss probably preferred she look this way: like she'd really been through something. It made her look more heroic. More like the not-so-cut little "pocket rocket" Jane had called her once and better never call her again.
What an ass.
Bertram, not Jane. She hated this whole "Meet the Press" bit. She wouldn't be doing it now if she had a choice. Unfortunately, Bertram felt differently. He so wasn't letting her off the hook. Not about this. Not when there was the "perfect opportunity" to make the CBI look good. Lisbon owed it to them. After all, she was getting that very public commendation Jane had mentioned in passing. Like she really cared when she should be home in bed.
She was stuck meeting Gale downstairs in fifteen instead.
They'd be on cameras in twenty she was sure.
Walking towards the elevator, Lisbon decided she needed to look at the upside. No one would have believed she'd been in the back of an ambulance two days ago. Or that she'd just been released from the hospital yesterday. Granted, it was only observation; but, still. She'd gotten caught in an explosion and had the broken bones to prove it. Only a cracked rib and a fractured radius…Right, she'd like to see Bertram hauling his butt out of bed for a Press Conference with the same injuries.
So not going to happen.
But, she had no one to blame for herself. If she didn't keep doing stupid things like checking out of the hospital against doctor's orders when she'd taken a bullet to the shoulder to check on Jane, the higher ups wouldn't keep thinking she was Superwoman. Note to self: She wasn't invincible so stop acting like she was.
That had been a couple of days ago. An ambulance had hauled her to the hospital where they'd kept her overnight for observation releasing her into Van Pelt's care around midday yesterday. She'd had her Agent drive her home and promptly kicked the red head out to lick her wounds in private. Unfortunately, she hadn't gotten off as easy as she'd hoped.
Bertram had called within the hour letting her know to be at work bright and early. She didn't have to stay more than a couple of hours; but, she did have to suck it up and make an appearance. As they had to strike while the iron was hot, there was a Q & A with the Press at ten o'clock the next day. The stream of cuss words leaving her mouth as she hung up the phone would have made Cho blush.
Speaking of wounds, there wasn't a lot she could do for the very visible cut near her temple. The one that hot Emergency Room doctor had taken twelve neat stitches in while flirting outrageously with her…It was a cut that was going to leave a nasty scar not easily hidden by her hair once it healed…The damnable thing was just what every girl needed….
Another Badge of Honor screaming "Cop" to the male population at large.
As if it wasn't hard enough to get an occasional date when she was married to the job and had a Jane to contend with. If being a SA of the Serious Crimes Unit at the CBI wasn't enough to give a man pause, tangling with her Mentalist was. Jane had managed to screw up her last four dates and chase off four different men on general principles simply by being Jane.
She wasn't quite sure she'd forgiven him for the last one yet. Even if said guy had turned out to be an off-the-chain, certifiably insane, A-1 Jerkosaurus Rex. Jane had still made an ass of himself, and by extension, of her. He'd done it in public no less. Note to self: Do not date attorneys whose butts you've whipped in Court at least once and never if you've done it several times.
No matter how many years may have passed between the last event.
Taking one last look and declaring herself done, Lisbon made for the door. If she hurried, she might make it to Bertram's side before the Press Conference began. If she didn't, she wouldn't hear the last of it. Steeling her back and taking a calming breath, Lisbon rounded the corner to step on the elevator. Pressing the "Down" button she focused on remaining serene. She had no reason to be nervous. She was the "heroine" of the story.
There was nothing to be concerned about.
Not until they started asking about Jane.
#####
Returning from lunch, Van Pelt led the way into the bullpen. The Press Conference had gone better than planned. Bertram had shot the bull with the best of them and Lisbon had comported herself with the dignity befitting a Senior Agent heading the Serious Crimes Unit at the CBI. And, battered or not, she'd looked quite lovely getting her Commendation for all of Sacramento to see.
After that, the pain pill Jane managed to slip into Lisbon's coffee had taken the edge off enough she'd found the idea of a celebratory lunch on her Mentalist's dollar tolerable. An hour and a half later the plan was to grab a file or two to work on at home before Van Pelt drove her home. Lisbon had no intention of leaving her bed for the next couple of days. Fortunately, her team supported her plans including Jane which meant he was going to stay as far away from her door as possible until she returned to work. That included not calling her unless she called him first.
"What's that?" Grace asked as she caught the flash of orange covering the end of Cho's desk as she turned her computer on.
"Don't look at me." Cho reached for the card attached to the bouquet of brightly colored roses knowing darned well those buds weren't for him. "They're for the Boss."
He'd see that she got them once Lisbon unlocked her office door.
"From who?" Rigsby asked clearly confused.
As far as he knew, Lisbon wasn't dating anyone. Or, if she was, she wasn't talking. Which wasn't anything new as the Boss didn't discuss her private life. Not with her team. She could be doing Jane and they wouldn't know it. Not that they thought she was or she would. That was just a random illustration popping into his head. Not to mention way too out there. The Boss had more common sense than to ever see Jane on the sly or otherwise.
Speaking of Jane…Rigsby glanced towards the couch with questioning eyes somewhat surprised when the Mentalist only shrugged his shoulders. While he didn't really expect the man to own up to sending Lisbon flowers, he did expect him to have an inkling of who actually had.
It was an undisputed fact the man knew everything, right?
"Don't look at me." Jane said. "I bought Lisbon's lunch…I didn't buy her flowers."
The Boss had relented on the going straight home long enough to join them for a decadent lunch. Jane had done some kind of hokey carney thing that had helped with the pain along with whatever else he'd slipped in her drink. While Rigsby would swear he'd hypnotized his Boss, he would vocalize no such thing. Lisbon had made it clear a long time ago there would be no mesmerizing of her person.
Oh, except that time with Dr. Carmen. That was the one time she'd given her permission anyways. Personally, Rigsby wasn't sure he hadn't done it a time or two without her consent. He so wasn't going there. He'd think about their lunch instead. They'd gone to one of those fancy Japanese places on Jane's dollar for a change. Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves including the Boss.
Now, Lisbon was going home. Or she would be once she came out of her office after checking her messages. Oh, she was already out. In fact, she'd slipped into the bullpen when he wasn't looking or when he'd been preoccupied with his thoughts most likely.
"Grace, I'm ready to go." Lisbon said quietly.
"Let me find my keys." Van Pelt said as she reached in her desk drawer to grab her purse.
"Something we need to know, Cho?" Lisbon asked catching sight of the bouquet.
"Those aren't mine." Cho said as he erased a message on his phone.
"Whose are they?" Lisbon asked curiously. "Van Pelt is there something we should know about?"
"They're not mine, Boss." Van Pelt said as she walked over to lift the bouquet and offer them to Lisbon. "They're yours. They came while we were at lunch. Your office was locked so they left them on Cho's desk instead."
"What does the card say?" Lisbon asked curiously as she knew darned well those flowers weren't from any of those four last dates.
They hadn't parted on any kind of terms where those men would be interested in extending olive branches.
"Teresa Lisbon." Van Pelt said.
"That's all?" Lisbon asked more puzzled than flattered. "They're lovely; but, what the hell? Jane, is this your doing?"
"I assure you it is not, My Dear, though seeing the look on your face makes me wish it was." Jane said honestly.
"Right." Lisbon said dismissively. "Whatever."
She still wasn't sure this wasn't one of Jane's twisted mind games.
"Lisbon, if there were twenty five roses I'd say it was a fragrant congratulations on your commendation." Jane said as he rose to his feet to join the team at Cho's desk. "Since there's only thirteen roses, I'd say you have a Secret Admirer instead."
"Don't be ridiculous." Lisbon cut her eyes dismissively in Jane's direction as she leaned over to smell a plush orange blossom enjoying the unexpected citrusy fragrance and hiding her betraying blush. "What makes you think I have a secret admirer?"
"Floriography 101." Jane reached out to take the plain white card bearing nothing more revealing than Lisbon's name written in beautifully flowing calligraphy obviously penned by a feminine hand. "The only other thing I can tell you for sure is we won't get any information from the florist. The order was placed anonymously and paid for in cash to that intent. Even if we got video feed, his or her face would somehow be distorted or hidden beneath a hat. As for the card, it was written by a female employee according to the purchaser's instructions and the flowers were hand delivered while Lisbon was giving that press conference with Bertram by their standard delivery person."
"You know that how?" Lisbon asked again deciding she could get used to having fresh cut flowers in her office every day.
Maybe Jane had had wrong all these years. The way to her heart really wasn't through her stomach. Rather unexpectedly, she was finding a bouquet of roses trumped a Red Delicious any day.
"It's what I would do." Jane said quietly. "It's not what I did in this instance; but, it's exactly how I would do it if I had."
Glancing briefly at Jane and deciding there was something off about his tone, Lisbon agreed he was probably speaking the truth. If he ever decided to send someone flowers, he'd probably do it sneaky like this. In fact, she was sure he would. Cunning and devious were Jane's middle names.
"Why orange?" Lisbon turned to face Jane asking the only thing really bothering her. "Why not red?"
A part of her kept whispering those roses should be red.
Guys sent red roses, not orange.
That's just the way it was done.
"Again, Floriography 101." Jane corrected her. "He's not saying, "I love you." He's conveying he finds you fascinating. ..Unless, of course, he's actually saying he finds you desirable instead. I certainly hope not. Such forwardness is a little creepy at this stage of the game don't you think?"
"Shush, Jane." Lisbon's tone clearly conveyed she wasn't in the mood for his foolishness.
"Hey, don't look at me." Jane held up his hands. "I assure all of you that I did not send those flowers nor did anyone else in this room from the looks on your faces. You didn't send those roses to yourself did you, Lisbon?" Jane smiled at the murderous expression in Lisbon's eyes. "Then it appears you do have a secret admirer, Senior Agent T. Lisbon."
Jane said again as he meandered towards the break room and that imaginary cup of tea that wouldn't be so imaginary in a few moments.
He wasn't at all surprised to see Lisbon make her exit a few moments later with Van Pelt in tow. Returning her good bye wave with a wave of his own, Jane watched the two women enter the elevator carrying Lisbon's bag and those gorgeous flowers. Watching that bouquet disappear behind closing elevator doors: Jane wasn't sure how he felt about this newest development beyond he didn't like it.
He didn't like it at all.
He'd thought he'd done a pretty thorough job of getting rid of those last four Bozos Lisbon had gone to dinner with. None of them had asked for a second date which was a good thing. As sad as it was to say, the woman had lousy taste in men. She really did. Not a one of them had been good enough for her and she'd been too blind to see it. But, he had, and he'd taken care of the problem for her.
Or so he'd believed.
If those roses were any indication, he'd not done nearly as good a job as he'd thought he had.