A/N I know I haven't updated this in FOREVER. I apologize. I think/hope the wait will be worth it ;o)
Chapter 6
"You do know that we have to fit into the car too." Van Pelt said with her arms crossed.
"What? Jane told me to get balloons. I got balloons." Rigsby replied defensively.
"Did he tell you buy every balloon from the party store?" She asked, opening the rear door so that they could attempt to shove the helium-filled latex and foil objects into the vehicle.
"No I did not Grace." Jane appeared, smiling with a large wooden box in hand. "Though I believe Emma will love your selection Rigsby so thank you."
Rigsby thumbed his nose at Van Pelt. "You're welcome."
"Once you children are through arguing, could we please get this show on the road?" Lisbon asked as she crawled into the driver's seat.
They had met at the office on that particular Saturday in order to carpool to Emma's birthday party. Jane had asked Rigsby if he would pick up the balloons since he wouldn't be able to fit many into his little car. Emma was turning six today and at this age, birthdays were very important Jane had insisted. No one had argued.
"What did you buy Emma?" Lisbon asked curiously as Jane slid into the passenger seat with his box/crate. "Oranges?" That's what the crate looked like, as if Jane had imported fresh oranges from Florida or something (not that California didn't grow their own).
Jane chuckled. "No my dear, it's a surprise but I assure you, it's not a crate of oranges."
"Fine." Lisbon grumbled as the rear doors closed and she put the SUV into reverse. "Then I won't tell you what I bought."
"You spoiled her with some kind of jewelry."
Lisbon just stared at the road neither confirming nor denying Jane's guesses. He simply beamed.
"Uh, what time is our special guest arriving?" Rigsby asked, leaning up front between the two seats.
Lisbon looked over at Jane for the answer.
"Supposed to be there around noon." He said. "I figure we could do pizza and a couple of games before then."
Lisbon nodded.
They pulled up the long driveway of the house Emma's grandparents were renting. Children were running amuck in the backyard, assumedly students from the preschool class.
They piled out of the vehicle. Lisbon was last, deciding now was a good a time as any to make the pizza delivery order. Rigsby managed to retrieve all the balloons from the trunk without any of them escaping. Cho grabbed the piñata from the middle seat, a pony filled to the brim with goodies off all kinds. Van Pelt had cake duty. Mrs. Brooks met Van Pelt at the door and held it open for her.
"You can put that on the kitchen table dear, straight on through, you can't miss it."
"Maybe I should take these around back?" Rigsby asked from behind the flock of balloons.
"Nonsense honey. They'll fit through here just fine." Mrs. Brooks insisted, moving to the side to let him through.
"Gifts?" Jane asked with Cho and Lisbon following closely behind.
"Those can go on the coffee table." She pointed to the table just inside of the door. Cho put the piñata on the table as well.
"The children are all out back chasing Grandpa George around the yard. Thank goodness y'all are here. We're getting too old for this."
"Whippersnapper entertainer extraordinaire at your service." Jane bowed theatrically.
"Ten minutes from now you won't be able to tell who's the child and who's the adult." Cho said, from the living room.
"That's not true man." Rigsby countered. "Jane's taller."
Even Lisbon cracked a smile at that one. Rigsby gave Cho a high five as they went to find Van Pelt in the kitchen. She had moved the cake to the counter and was setting colorful birthday paper plates onto the table.
"You don't have to do that dear." Mrs. Brooks insisted.
"It's no problem Ma'am." Van Pelt assured. "I want to help."
"Please dear, call me Abigail. All this Ma'am nonsense is making me feel ancient. Now, why don't you buys go outside and relieve George while the ladies and I finish setting up the table."
When Lisbon and Van Pelt ventured outside ten minutes later, Jane was standing on one end of the backyard with the cluster of children and two male agents on the other.
"Simon says bend at the knees and touch your toes."
The children quickly obliged.
"Now, reach as high as you can. Try and touch the sky."
Jasmine moved, and quickly realized her mistake.
"Sorry Jasmine. You're out but you can come over here and help we watch for movers."
Emma's friend sprinted over to the consultant and turned. She watched her fellow classmates like a hawk.
"Simon says take three frog jumps in my direction."
At the sight of Cho and Rigsby hopping along the lawn with the rest of the children, Van Pelt and Lisbon collapsed in the lawn furniture in hysterics.
"You missed 'Mother May I'" George, Emma's grandfather said.
That only made the two women crack up even more.
"Why didn't we bring a camera?" Lisbon asked once she managed to get her breathing under control.
"Tell me about it." Van Pelt greed. "We would have had enough to blackmail them for the rest of time." She joked.
The game came to an end at the sound of a car horn. The pizza had arrived. Being closest to the side of the house, Lisbon stood and walked around to the driveway to meet the delivery boy. She paid the teen and then juggled the stack of five large pizzas back around the house and deposited them on the lawn table.
"Ok, we have cheese, pepperoni, and a pepper and onion pizza."
The children sprinted over to the table. The adult 'boys' were a tad slower.
"Emma, sweetie, what would you like? You may choose first since it's your birthday." Van Pelt said, handing the girl a paper plate.
"Cheese please."
Lisbon plopped a large greasy slice of cheese pizza onto the girl's plate. Jane came up from behind with a stack of napkins. He handed one to Emma.
"Good thinking." Lisbon said. "Rigsby, can you and Cho handle drinks?"
"Sure, where are the cups?"
"They should be in that bag there." Van Pelt pointed to the plastic bag on the bench.
Pizza and drinks were passed out with almost military precision. Within fifteen minutes, every child was munching happily at pizza. The yard was unusually silent.
Jane spotted the large truck first, slowly making its way up the rural street. He smiled. Lisbon noticed and followed his gaze.
"Pete?" She asked.
"Yup, right on time."
"You did tell Mr. and Mrs. Brooks about this didn't you Jane?"
"Of course dear. I'm going to go help him set up. Give us ten minutes and then bring Emma around front ok?"
Lisbon nodded as Jane disappeared around the side of the house. She let the children eat in relative quiet for another five minutes and then grabbed a trash bag. She was at the second cluster of children when she felt a tug on her pant leg.
"I can get that for you, Ms. Lisbon."
The agent turned to find Cody, the little boy in Emma's class. Lisbon smiled.
"Thank you Cody. I really appreciate it."
The blonde boy smiled, grabbing the trash bag with one hand and hiking up his baggy jeans with the other.
Lisbon shook her head in amusement and then turned to find Emma. The girl was sitting with Jasmine.
"Emma sweetie, Jane and his friend have a surprise for you but you have to come with me to see it."
The girl looked at her friend in confusion and then back up at Lisbon.
"You can come back and play with your friends soon but I think you'll want to see this."
Emma nodded and grabbed Lisbon's hand. Together, they walked to the side of the yard and around front. The first thing Emma saw was the large trailer, then Jane.
He was standing on the trailer with his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up. He was holding on to a rope when he spotted them coming.
From inside the trailer, came a muffled shout. "Ok Patrick, back her out."
Jane took a slow step backwards on the ramp. "Emma, I would like you to meet Daisy." He said, as he continued walking backwards. The elephant emerged moments later at the other end of the rope.
Emma's eyes widened and then her face broke out in the biggest grin Lisbon had ever seen.
"Lisbon, would you grab the bag from the SUV?" Jane asked.
"Stay right here for a moment Emma. I'll be back."
The girl barely nodded, her eyes still wide in amazement.
Lisbon returned a minute later with the bag of apples. "Daisy loves these." She explained as she pulled open the bag. She took one out and then walked closer to Jane. She placed the apple in the elephant's trunk. Daisy scooped the fruit and it disappeared into her mouth.
"Your turn Emma." Jane said.
The little girl peeled an apple from the bag at her feet and then hesitantly moved to where Lisbon was standing.
"Just place it right there at the end of her trunk." Lisbon pointed and Emma followed the instructions closely.
Daisy consumed that apple as well.
Emma giggled in delight. "She's so big."
"Over nine thousand pounds." Pete said emerging from the trailer. "Daisy here is an Asian elephant. Now, if she was an African elephant, she'd be even bigger."
By now, Emma's grandparents had come to see what the commotion was all about. They were standing on the front steps watching Emma interact with the giant animal.
"So," Pete continued. "You going to ride her?"
Emma's eyes widened even further if that was possible. She looked from Jane to Lisbon to her grandparents.
"You don't have to." Jane explained. "But she's a good old girl if you want to go for a ride."
"Can I?" She asked excitedly.
Her grandparents nodded. Jane had talked to them already and they had reluctantly agreed after Jane had explained how docile this particular elephant was.
Jane whispered something into Emma's ear and then nodded.
"Down." The girl commanded clear and forcefully.
Daisy shifted her weight and then kneeled before lying down on all fours.
Emma clapped and then kissed the giant on her trunk.
Lisbon lifted Emma onto Daisy's neck, behind the ears.
"You can hang on to the rope around her neck for balance." Pete instructed. "Tapping her behind her ear on either side will make her turn though Patrick will hold onto the rope the whole time."
Emma hugged Daisy around the neck and then grasped the rope lightly in her small fists.
"Ready?" Jane asked.
Emma nodded.
"Up." Jane commanded.
Daisy stood and Emma hung on.
"You alright up there?" Her grandfather called from the stairs.
"Yes." Emma said. "It's so high up here." She observed.
"You wanna show off a little Em?" Jane asked.
The girl shrugged. "Ok I guess."
"We're going to walk now. Hang on tight."
Emma kept a firm grasp on the rope as the consultant and Daisy moved forward. They moved towards the backyard where the children were seated in a group. They erupted in cheers as Daisy came into view with Emma perched on top. They lapped the yard a few times and then the children watched in amazement as Emma instructed the animal down again. Instantly, Daisy obeyed. Lisbon helped Emma off and the children were allowed to pet the elephant one at a time. Once everyone had a turn, Emma was allowed to feed Daisy a final apple and then Pete led her out of the yard. The children waved as their new friends left.
Jane was sitting at one of the tables when Emma came to sit on his lap. "Thank you Trick. That was the bestest birthday present ever."
Jane smiled. "You're welcome kiddo but that wasn't even your present."
"It wasn't?"
"Nope. Why don't you gather your friends and we can open your gifts."
Emma beamed, kissed Jane on the cheek and then hopped off to gather the troops. When the roudy bunch was all settled back down again with the help of Cho and Rigsby, everyone watched Emma open her gifts as she sat perched again on the consultant's knee.
The first gift was from Jasmine: An interactive board game of some kind. Next came Cody's present. It was a wooden box hand-painted in colorful swirls.
Some of the children snickered. Lisbon noticed and took action.
"Emma, why don't you open mine next. It goes with Cody's gift." She handed over the small wrapped box.
Inside, was a small golden heart-shaped locket. Lisbon showed Emma how to open it, revealing small images of her parents inside.
"So they'll always be close by." Lisbon explained fingering her own necklace absentmindedly. "When you're not wearing it, Cody's beautiful box will be a safe place for you to keep it."
Emma took a final glance at the necklace before placing it delicately Cody's box. This ended any further bickering.
One by one the gifts were opened and piled onto the table along with the corresponding cards. The pile included a leapfrog reader from Cho, a kite from Rigsby and a matching set of gold earrings from Van Pelt.
Jane's gift was last and it was inside of a wooden crate instead of being wrapped. The consultant set Emma on the ground and then brought over the crate. Emma lifted the lid and then dug through the shredded paper packaging. When she pulled out the first pink china teacup Lisbon audibly gasped from where she was sitting next to Mrs. Brooks.
The older woman looked at Lisbon, the question on her face obvious.
"It's a tea set," Lisbon said. Silently, she added 'and I don't think It's new.'
Jane had disappeared early one afternoon earlier that week and Lisbon had wondered where the man had run off to. Now, she was confident she had a fairly good idea. She watched as Jane pulled out and showed Emma each part of the delicate set, a wistful look now clear in his eyes.
"It's a real shame." Lisbon hadn't realized Mrs. Brooks was talking again.
"Hmm?"
"I said it's a shame." The woman repeated. "Emma's preschool graduation is next month. I'm afraid our vacation ends soon after that. We'll have to take he back to Connecticut with us. I hate ripping her from her friends here but unfortunately we can't stay forever."
Lisbon nodded in understanding but at the same time the weight of the idea settled like a rock in the pit of her stomach. As difficult as the move would be for Emma, it would be equally if not more difficult for Jane. Children adapt easily for the most part. Jane, on the other hand, did not let his guard down for just anyone. Her thought's drifted to what Pete had said to her when she had followed him out of the yard to thank him for coming.
"You know, you're alright Pepper. Though, I'll never try to follow you again."
Lisbon smirked at the memory of cuffing him to his truck.
"Jane's come a long way." The man said, completely serious now.
Lisbon nodded.
"We were all worried about him for a while. He went through a real rough patch."
"Yeah, Jane's mentioned some of it to me but not everything, I'm sure." Lisbon said.
"Take my word for it, whatever you're doing, it's working so keep at it." Pete closed the door of the trailer and then wiped his hands on his already filthy pants.
She nodded again, and offered her hand.
"Thank you Pete, for coming and for bringing Daisy."
"My pleasure Pepper." He winked and hopped into the driver seat of the truck.
Lisbon withdrew from her thoughts and watched Jane interact with Emma. She was sure some of the happiness Pete had seen in his friend was the result of the little girl sitting next to him. At the moment, Jane glowed like the lights of a spinning ferris wheel in the night sky. Lisbon feared that Emma's departure would in fact be the wrench that freeze the delicate gears keeping her friend together and plunge his world back into darkness.
TBC
Next chapter: Graduation (I'm all sad just thinking about writing the next couple chapters :o/ )