A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Really, all of you: auntcj, Entwife Incognito, Njtoocool19, MyDreamsForYou, Sonseeahray, Brooklyn79, Rosepeony, Rovendra, Grumpy Insomniac, Azucar, MartyMac49, TNBC and the two guests who commented and whom I don't know how to address :p Plus all of you who read the story, but haven't given signs of existence :p Thank-you!
Chapter 10: The A Team
"Cho, stop blaming yourself. Nothing good's gonna come out of it", Abbott commented, his voice ripping through the silence that had set in the room, like grains of dust. A silence smeared with all shades of guilt and regret.
Lisbon had certainly gotten her fair share of the deal.
"Abbott's right, Cho", she concurred. "This isn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything to prevent it", she solaced him.
"It is my fault", Cho disagreed, his voice full of responsibility.
"Whatever, it's done now. Go get some rest. You won't be able to help find them tomorrow, if you're exhausted", she advised.
Cho remained quiet, either because he had nothing to say or because he had too much. At any rate, he let out a sigh that seemed to release the tension from his muscles. Avoiding their concerned looks, he pushed out of his chair and withdrew himself from the room.
"Whether he helps or not, we're still going to be short-handed", Abbott said after a moment, addressing another one of their major unresolved issues.
His remark sparked off the fire she had been so adamantly trying to keep subdued. The flames flurried her consciousness.
She thought, a little bitterly, weren't they short-handed before? And then, reflecting on the words she'd previously used to comfort Cho, could she have prevented this from happening?
She would never know.
Of course, her suspension hadn't been her call. But that information did nothing to hinder the swarming of questions in her mind.
And she couldn't even begin to imagine the prospect of finding the two agents dead.
She hadn't meant to word her frustration, but her prolonged silence had managed to clue Abbott in.
"Lisbon, is everything okay?" he asked, squinting into her eyes.
Lisbon reformed her features and regarded him in a straight manner. Then, locking her chin with determination, she nodded.
"Do you think your old friends from CBI would be willing to help us on this one?" asked Abbott then, surprising her.
Recovering from her little shock, she answered, a little fazed. "I-I don't know, maybe", she mused; then, expanding the thought further, "I think they had firmly expressed their wish to avoid any involvement in crime solving", she countered.
"Hmm…" Abbott contemplated. "It wouldn't hurt to give them a call though, would it?"
"Look at you! You look fabulous", Jane coaxed, trying to sound like a professional fashionista.
"Oh don't patronize me", grumbled Minelli, his face appearing corrugated on the reflection of the mirror. Then, trying not to discomfort the female salon assistant who was fixing his tie, he turned to form direct eye contact with him. "Of course I look fabulous!" he said heartily.
Jane smiled. "That's the spirit", he approved.
Virgil rolled his eyes.
When released from the girl's careful ministrations, the old man approached him, a grave expression on his face.
"So, may I ask now what I need a formal suit for?" he inquired.
Jane gave his friend an amicable pat on the shoulder. "I'll explain everything very soon", he said, full of enigma. "Now, let's go meet the others. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you", he said cheerfully.
"Well, it will certainly be a reunion".
Cho woke up with a twang of soreness in his back. It was one of those occasions where moving meant nurturing the pain, whereas standing still had the definition of suffering in silence.
So he suffered and meanwhile, cursed himself for dosing off in his truck.
Well, it hadn't been a conscious decision on his part. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, when he sat behind the wheel. Hadn't considered it possible anyway. But, at some point, exhaustion must have overpowered his senses.
Now, as he slowly regained them, morning light settled on the back of his eyelids, whilst a loud crunching noise welled over his ears.
Still half unconscious, he couldn't define the exact source of the sound.
Was this a garbage truck?
Gradually, the hustle became more focused, until he would swear it was actually coming from inside the car.
Alarmed, he opened his eyes.
The brightness of the day impaired his sight for a moment, forcing his eyes to squint.
There was a flare of movement at his right arm. His head flipped toward its direction.
And there, on the passenger's seat, he finally located the origin of the sound.
However, his initial confusion and disgust upon discovering that this monstrous noise was actually mere chewing was overcome once he absorbed the sight of the man that produced it.
An overwhelming kind of joy filled his heart.
"Rigsby?" he said with pleasant surprise.
Rigsby, who had hardly taken another bite of his huge sandwich, started choking.
"H-ey, m-an", he stuttered, among coughs.
Despite his low-spiritedness, a little smile broke free on Cho's face.
"I told you you'd wake him up with your loud eating noises", reproached another familiar voice from behind him then.
Cho whirled at the sound, his smile already growing wider.
Van Pelt, sitting in the middle of the back seat, beamed at him, her eyes smiling almost shut.
"Hey, Cho", she greeted him earnestly.
"Hi", Cho breathed, taking them both in. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked, his gaze divided between the two, voice still marked with the upheaval of surprise.
Rigsby caught his enthusiasm and smiled a goofy smile. "Ah, you know. We were in the neighborhood. Thought we'd drop by", he teased.
For a few moments, they settled with revelling in the mutual feelings of their reunion. Then, Rigsby's face sobered a little.
"Well, truth is… Abbott called us and said you were in need of some extra hands. So, here we are", he said, opening his palms to highlight his remark. Only, the movement brought his sandwich into his awareness again and inevitably, the munching sounds filled the interior of the car anew.
"Thought you didn't want any part in this anymore", Cho pointed out.
"Well, I won't turn my back to my friends, when they need my help", Rigsby stated.
Cho smiled appreciatively. Then, another thought crossed his mind.
"What about your kids?" he inquired, his gaze assuming Van Pelt into the conversation.
"Ben is with his Mom…" Rigsby answered, then exchanged a knowing look with his wife.
"…and we hired a babysitter to watch over Maddy", she finished his sentence.
Cho shook his head with condescension.
"It's good to see you, guys", he said after a moment, his voice solemn.
"You, too", Van Pelt returned, warmly.
"Man, you were so still in your sleep, for a moment I thought you were dead", Rigsby teased.
"You were watching me sleep? That's creepy", Cho said in an unvaried tone.
Rigsby laughed. And choked again. Then, his eyes grew earnest. "Oh I missed you, too, Cho", he said wistfully.
Right then, his door pulled back and Lisbon was leaning into the car, a grin already evident on her lips. "Hey, guys! It's so good to see you!" she exalted in a high-pitched voice.
"Right back at ya", Rigsby said, squinting up at her.
Lisbon leaned further to give him a warm hug. He carefully passed one hand around her, the other cradling the sandwich. Cho rolled his eyes.
The welcoming hugs kept on for a while, as Lisbon went to sit at the back with Van Pelt. The two women exchanged a heartfelt embrace.
It wasn't long before the fifth member of their team joined them.
All focus shifted to the windscreen of the car, as the far corner of the street was blotted with the sight of two figures. One was their ever-jubilant consultant, grinning at them even from this far. The other looked like one of those whales at poker games, well-nourished and dressed in a white suit that was set off by a deep crimson tie. However, as they approached, some familiarity squirted from the second man as well.
"Is that…?" Van Pelt wavered.
"I think I'm having a déjà vu", Rigsby commented, pausing halfway at eating his snack.
As recognition shook in, Cho sought Lisbon, wondering if she had any clue about this. Her expression betrayed that she did. The corner of her lips was slightly twitched to a proud smile. He wondered then if she actually knew the details of Jane's mysterious plan.
The duo had almost neared the truck by then.
One by one they exited the vehicle in token of owning the newcomer's acquaintance.
Upon noticing Rigsby and Van Pelt, Jane's smile almost devoured his face. However, Cho could discern, that, just like Lisbon, his delight was devoid of surprise. He had expected to find the couple here. Cho assumed then that sometime during the night, Jane and Lisbon must have contacted each other.
"Hello, guys", Jane enthused, proceeding to give each of them a squeeze, whilst Cho extended a hand toward his company.
"Hello, sir", he greeted.
Minelli raised one hand to take off his sunglasses and used the other accept his gesture. "Hi, Cho", he said warmly. His gaze then moved to regard each one of them. "I see you're all here", he remarked.
"Just like good old days", Jane said earnestly, his excitement resembling that of a child's. His observation seemed to remind him though and his expression instantly grew inquisitive. "Where's Abbott?" he asked Lisbon.
"Fulfilling your requests", Lisbon answered with a bit of sarcasm.
"Oh", Jane acknowledged.
"Jane", Rigsby called for his attention then. "We're a little confused here. Will you tell us about this plan of yours?" he asked.
His curious expression was reflected on all their faces.
"Yes, the plan!" Jane exclaimed, as if he was just reminded.
They all looked at him with expectancy.
"Well, I'm sure Lisbon can explain it the same as well", he said then, his hand indicating the person in question, eyes gleaming with mirth.
There was a joint reaction of looking toward the brunette.
She blushed evidently, a silent understanding transpiring between her and the consultant.
Then, to feed their surprise further, she moved to stand beside Jane, who in turn shuffled to give her more room.
Lisbon cleared her throat as a way of summoning their attention, before her quiet, clear voice filled the parking lot.
"As you all know, two of our best agents were kidnapped last night. This operation aims at finding their kidnapper and bringing him or her to the face of justice. Now, the only information we own considering his identity is that he works as a waiter at the Inn Of The Seventh Ray and that he is a skilled hypnotizer. We are going to try and use that knowledge to our advantage", she explained and it was almost like Jane was talking. The similarity was confounding.
She then turned to regard Minelli.
"Virgil, you will visit the restaurant pretending to be a famous food critic. Van Pelt will make sure the owner of the restaurant knows that as well. It's common knowledge that when a critic visits a restaurant, all the staff must be present in order to be evaluated. That way we will be sure that our aim will be in the premises. After that, the plan goes like this".
They set base in two vans, parked several blocks down the main playfield. Jane would coordinate the whole operation from one van, along with Lisbon. For that purpose, he would need eyes in orchestrating positions throughout the restaurant, which meant their first objective was to evacuate the place in order to install cameras. That would be his and Lisbon's responsibility.
Jane slid the door of their van shut to offer him and Lisbon some privacy, while they changed into their uniforms.
They started undressing hastily; he unbuttoned his vest, then his shirt and shuffled out of them simultaneously, while Lisbon gripped the hem of her camisole and started pulling it up, causing his hands to dawdle on the buckle of his belt, his eyes to gape.
Upon meeting her gaze, as she took off the garment, he felt his lips twitch to a befuddled smile.
She smiled knowingly and blushed and tilted her chin suggestively and suddenly, he wished they weren't in such a hurry.
She dissuaded her gaze—much to his relief and disappointment—and grabbed the upper part of her uniform, a white loose shirt with two rows of buttons.
He finished unbuckling his belt and took off his blue pants to ease into the new set of black ones.
Lisbon passed her arms in the sleeves of her shirt and, leaving it unbuttoned, came to help him into his own.
"You know, I prefer when you do that the reverse way", he remarked playfully, as he drew his hand in the sleeve.
"Hush!" Lisbon reprimanded, honouring his bare chest with a little jab.
Jane grinned, challenging her with his eyes. After a moment, she smiled, despite herself.
His eyes devoured her, as she buttoned his shirt, completely engrossed in her task. There were black marks under her eyes and the lines of her face lacked their usual smoothness. Jane realized then, he wasn't the only one that had spent the night tossing and turning. Thinking about it now, he felt almost scared at how much she was held accountable for his sleeplessness.
"I missed you", he whispered softly.
Lisbon raised her face to look at him, warmth melting the emerald in her eyes.
"I missed you, too", she said.
He raised a hand and stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers. Looking into her eyes, he could almost discern a glimmer of unease in their depths, though he wasn't entirely sure. He dipped his head lower to have a better view of them.
"Is everything alright?" he asked uncertainly.
Lisbon nodded, but at the same time, tried to escape his gaze. He knew then that she wasn't speaking all her thoughts.
His hand moved under her chin. Gently, he lifted her face and urged her to look at him.
"What's all this guilt about? You know that Wylie and Vega's kidnapping wasn't your fault".
Lisbon stared for a while, an on-going war marking her eyes. Then, finally, ration seemed to prevail.
"No, it's not", she said calmly. "But that doesn't mean I don't feel terrible. I don't know if I would be able to prevent it from happening and… that's it. I will never know". Her voice sounded harsh, as if she was holding back strong emotions.
Jane, for once, was devoid of words. Not because of what she had said, but rather because of what she hadn't.
Because if someone were to point fingers for her sadness, the aim would be himself. Indeed, Abbott had lit the fire, but he had pretty much given him the match. He, with his permanent unresolved issues and incapability of normalcy, had dispensed her demons. He, who still couldn't feel sorry, because, as much as it hurt him to see her like that, he knew that there was pain even greater than that. It was the very knowledge of this pain that nourished his selfishness.
"I just hope we find them, before it's too late", Lisbon said and he could see in her expression that it hurt her, as well, to see what reaction her words had ignited.
"Everyone, please, stop what you're doing! We're from Hygiene Supervision. I would suggest that you all evacuate the place for us to inspect it", Jane announced with unquestioned authority, unsettling the peaceful routine at the kitchen.
Several eyes spun toward their direction, among them waiters, chefs and the manager of the restaurant. Finally, the latter came to their aid.
"I'm sorry, but I'm sure the check was arranged for the next month", he pointed out.
"Excuse me, sir", Lisbon contradicted, "are you implying that you didn't have time to clean up, so we'd better come at a more convenient time?" she exclaimed, staring at him askance.
"No! I didn't—" the man wavered.
"Then, you won't mind removing yourself from the premises and letting us do our job", she interrupted him.
The man looked at her in disbelief, before drawing his gaze toward Jane, as if expecting that he would be more rational.
"What she said", Jane concurred, with a hint of pride.
All the personnel gradually made it out of the kitchen, granting them the place for their own use.
Once they were completely alone, Jane scuttled toward the rear of the building and unlatched the door there.
Rigsby appeared under the threshold, wearing his usual ludicrous smile.
"Hey, guys", he said merrily, as he casually walked in, cradling a set of cameras. "Nice outfit", he complimented.
Jane smiled humbly.
Then in followed Cho. "You look like amateur chefs", he said impassively.
Jane peeked down at his ensemble, then at Lisbon's next to him and shook his head with condescension.
The two agents finished installing the cameras under his careful instructing. Once they were done, the used the same door to leave.
Then, he and Lisbon waited for several more minutes, before returning to the yard, where the restaurant's staff had assembled.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, you can all get back to your works now. We're finished. Congratulations on keeping your restaurant such a clean place", Jane announced.
After acquiring a few glares and angry remarks from the attending crowd, they both made their way toward the entrance.
Once they were past the gate, Jane glanced mischievously at Lisbon.
"Let the games begin!"
A/N: Now you know what I want from you and what will make me happy! :p Lol please review :)
Also, you can always check my profile to see when updates are coming ;)
Next in line: Well, at this point I really don't know how to say anything without revealing too much.