Many thanks to DaboGirl, MichaellaD, Make-mine-a-kiaora, Hayseed Socrates and shallowdweller for your positive and encouraging comments. Also to those who are following; I hope Chapter 2 lives up to your expectations

Michaella D the comment about Lisbon's letters is at the start of Green Thumb when Fischer arrives in Cannon River and says Jane is still in detention. Lisbon's response is "I know. You won't deliver my letters." I took a bit of a liberty in presuming that they were returned to sender.

Chapter 2

Life returned to its normal slow, peaceful pace in Cannon River. No more calls or visits from FBI personnel to confuse Henry, but Lisbon also received no reply to her letter and that surprised her in some ways. She hoped, no, expected to be informed if Jane accepted the job offer from Abbott. After all the FBI had pestered her when they were looking for him and had dragged her all the way to Austin when they did find him. She suspected it was because Jane had said they had to, or he wouldn't come back. She didn't even know exactly where he had been.

The general everyday events of the occasional stolen bicycle or farm machinery, straying animals in the Main Street and the local drunk driver were dealt with easily. She had a lot of time for reading now in the quiet of her office and was up to date with all the latest information for Police Chiefs. She'd spent the afternoon visiting one of the outlying farms to meet the new owners and check everything was fine. Just like on all the other such visits she was made to feel welcome, offered more cups of coffee than even she could drink, along with home-made cookies, and this time… muffins. She couldn't help think about Jane when she was offered the muffins; she must write him about that. Returning home that evening, she once more wondered why she hadn't heard anything from him. Austin was a couple of hours ahead and she suspected Abbott worked late so a call was in order; she still had Abbott's card from his visits before Jane returned.

"Supervisory Agent Abbott please."

"Your name please," a woman's voice replied, "and the nature of your business?" She must be through to the main switchboard, Lisbon thought.

Lisbon took a deep breath; "I'm Chief Teresa Lisbon from Cannon River in Washington State and I would like to talk to Agent Abbott about… a confidential matter."

"I'll see if he is still here,… putting you on hold."

There was a short pause and then Agent Abbott's warm but guarded voice came on line.

"Good evening, Chief Lisbon. You want to speak about a confidential matter?"

She took a deep breath; "I'd like to know how Patrick Jane is, please."

"He's in detention."

"I know, that's where he is, but I am asking you, how he is. Is he well?"

"Our detention cells are reasonably comfortable although I can't speak from personal experience, and I can report that he is well. Should he require medical assistance at any time that will be provided of course. Is that all, Chief Lisbon?"

From Abbott's tone, Lisbon knew the conversation was ended and that Jane had not accepted Abbott's deal. She opened her mouth to ask another question but all that came out was,

"Thank you, Agent Abbott."

"Well, that could have gone better," she found herself saying to the now dead line.

She put the phone down and immediately took the sheets of paper out of the cupboard.

"Cannon River,

07/25/2013

Dear Jane,

I phoned Abbott today as I hadn't heard from you. I wanted to know if you are well. Apparently, you are, but that is the only information he would give me.

I visited some newcomers at a farm today and with the coffee came… muffins. They were choc chip; no blueberry or cranberry to be seen, but I thought of you. Life is indeed good here."

"Remember, Teresa, you're making sure he knows you've moved on. Don't go back to the past!" she said to herself and paused before returning to her letter.

"I thought you might like to know how I got here; the retired chief, Mike Bennett, is a friend of Virgil's which explains it all really.

Virgil and May are still together and they were very kind to me… and the team after everything went… well… you know. I wasn't able to work, none of us were and we were all too well known in California. Other LE officers were suspicious of us so I must admit for a while I did wonder what I was going to do."

That was a bit of an understatement. Lisbon stopped writing as she remembered the painful memories of the aftermath of their hunt for Red John, and the web of corruption that was the Blake Association was slowly uncovered. She and all her Team had been looked on as pariahs instead of heroes, treated as lepers by others in LE. She remembered how just two years ago she had been thrown out of the job she loved, despite what she and her team had achieved. She and they were considered unemployable despite being damn good, honest detectives. Her department had been physically ripped apart, colleagues removed from their positions despite their honesty and then suddenly she was summoned to what had been Bertram's office and addressed coldly by a suited official whose name she didn't recognise, couldn't remember and didn't really want to know;

"Thank you for coming today, Miss Lisbon, please take a seat." Her heart sank at the way he addressed her.

"Thank you, Sir."

"As you know, Miss Lisbon, the CBI has been disbanded following the discovery of a network of corruption. The thorough and now completed investigations of the FBI, under Supervisory Agent Abbott, have concluded that you yourself have been cleared of all charges and a note has been made in your record regarding your role in helping to uncover the corruption. However concerns have been expressed with regard to your methods and also your obvious reluctance to support the agencies involved in the final apprehension of a certain serial killer. The disappearance of your former consultant is also a matter of concern and all efforts will be made to apprehend him. Is there anything you want to say about that?"

"No, Sir."

"Obviously we will compensate you generously for the last few months and hope that you will find this settlement useful in your future career."

"Future career, Sir?"

"The Sacramento Police Department is being completely re-organised" he explained in a patronising tone, "and there will be no position available for yourself. I'm sure you understand how difficult it would be for your new colleagues to work with you or for you, knowing the events that led to the disbanding of the CBI. I'm equally sure that you will find a position in another force, outside California where perhaps you are less … should we say… well known."

Her heart had sunk at that point, she felt sick and was sure that she was shaking. Everything gone in a moment. Everything she had worked so hard for…

"I'm sorry, Sir, my team, Agents Cho…?"

"Your former colleagues have already been spoken to and they have received what we hope they consider appropriate compensation for the loss of their positions. Their records also state that they are in no way involved in the Blake Association and contain a note about their part in its investigation and discovery. What they choose to do now is nothing to do with us."

Lisbon was shocked, but for the life of her couldn't find anything to say.

"I think that concludes our meeting, Miss Lisbon and please rest assured that we will find Mr Jane and bring him back to face the serious charges against him. Are you sure you have nothing to say about that?"

"I have nothing to say, Sir," she said with total honestly, "I don't even know if he's still alive."

"Thank you, Miss Lisbon. That will be all."

Lisbon stood up knowing that she should say thank you and shake the hand of the nameless suit, but she couldn't bear to so she strode out of the office, head held high; walked purposefully out of the building to her car and then drove back to her apartment. Front door firmly locked behind her, she took out the bottle of tequila from the back of her kitchen cupboard, and unable to stop the flow of tears, bitter tears for what she had lost, drank herself into oblivion. This had been the pattern of her life until one morning a phone call from Virgil interrupted her solitude and the next day he came round with the application forms for her current position. He even stood over her while she filled them in and then took her out for dinner. May went to the store and stocked her cupboards and fridge up with healthy food, along with giving her a fairly strong talk about the perils of alcohol. It did the trick and now here she was, a respected member of a small but friendly community. Yes, life was… good.

Jane didn't need to know all this, well… not just yet, so after making another strong mug of coffee, she went back to her letter writing. Yes, life was… good… now.

"I see the ex-chief quite regularly; he comes into the office for a coffee once a month and tells me about the history of the families who have lived here for generations. He's been very helpful, especially when I first came here and didn't know anyone; introduced me to the "important" members of the community. I'll tell you about them another time.

Virgil and May came to stay with Mike not long after I got here and we spent a lot of time together, talking. I think they were making sure I was settled; May worked in the garden with me and helped me choose the right plants for the different borders after all I haven't got a clue. I do have an apple tree, it looks quite old, but I'm not sure I'm up to cooking apple pie yet! Last year I gave the apples to Milly who runs the general store and she made all sorts of things with them. Her apple cake was really good. I haven't had a garden since I was a child, never had time, but here everything grows pretty well, or at least the plants May chose do. The next fine day, I'll take some photos and send them to you; I know you like plants and flowers. Their last day here; Mike took Virgil fishing and they were so confident they'd bring supper home; but they failed to catch anything so after much laughter we ended up at the local hotel and had a huge fish dinner instead. It was good to laugh and enjoy the company of old friends.

Virgil asked about you. He told me to tell you how glad he was that you had introduced him to May; he'd been lonely and began to think he was finished once he retired; then along you came, left him with May and he found happiness with her. I told him that I was unlikely to see you again but he insisted I should say thank you from both of them when I next saw you. I haven't had a chance to pass on his message until now, so there you are, now you know! You did good!

And what about Cho! No business like Cho-business! I hadn't heard from him for more than a year and there he was an FBI agent in Austin. I am glad Abbott had faith in him as a good agent because he was… we all were. It was just things didn't work out quite as we all hoped; or perhaps they did in the end.

I'm glad that you are well and hope you enjoy hearing the news from Cannon River. It is good here and now I'm in my second year I'm used to the change of pace."

She was about to sign when she thought to add

I know you are stubborn, it was one of the least annoying traits of yours but enough is enough. I don't want to see your face on the news because you're coming to trial; you don't deserve that despite everything that happened. Accept Abbott's offer- it's a good one. You can put the past behind you and make a fresh start."

"Like I have," she said to herself, "like I have."

"Lisbon"

She re-read the letter several times before finally folding the papers into the envelope and addressing it. There was nothing in the content that Abbott didn't already know or that it would hurt Jane for him to read about.