A/N: Thanks to all who keep on reading, and keep on reviewing. I wish I could respond to everyone, but I can't if you aren't logged in or you don't receive personal messages. So if you haven't heard back from me, it could only be due to one of those reasons. Please check your settings! This chapter is a little lighter on the surface, but there are still some dark undertones. I appreciate those who keep hanging in here…

Chapter 5

The following day…

Miss Jessie's restaurant was packed—a good sign, thought Jane as he waited for the hostess to seat him. He'd made reservations and invited Cho to join him for lunch. His colleague hadn't arrived yet, which was just as well; Jane needed to check things out a little without the very observant agent noticing what he was doing. As requested, he was seated at a table for two overlooking a lush courtyard, and the French-style décor gave the eatery an aristocratic air, yet there was also the welcoming feeling of a New Orleans café. When Jane had learned that LaRoche's old flame owned a restaurant serving Creole cuisine, he immediately understood the attraction: Jessie Lynch's establishment reminded LaRoche of home.

Jessie was obviously managing the place very well, given the lunch crowd. He was glad he'd taken the advice of the woman he'd spoken to over the phone who'd suggested the reservation. The diners seemed to be mainly businesspeople, but here and there were shopping ladies who lunched, a couple meeting for an afternoon tryst, and an obvious regular who preferred to eat alone. Jane couldn't wait to try the food.

The waitress came just as Cho was escorted to the table, and he sat across from Jane, curiosity animating his dark eyes—the only sign of emotion on the younger man's face. After the waitress left them menus and took their drink orders, Cho became all business.

"So, what's this all about?"

Jane grinned. "I've missed you, Kimball," he said in amusement. "Does it have to be more than that?"

Cho's only reply was a blank stare.

Jane chuckled. "Okay, you caught me. I'm doing a little personal investigation here. Thought you might want to be in on it."

"What about Lisbon?" Cho asked, and there was a world of meaning behind those three words. Cho knew of Jane's intimate relationship with their boss, but, characteristically, Cho wasn't talking, and wouldn't; their secret was safe with him. A shadow suddenly passed over Jane's face, and Cho's eyes narrowed.

"Trouble in paradise?" he inquired.

"A rough patch," Jane replied, brushing it off. He didn't have time to think about Lisbon right now. It was too painful, and he didn't want the fact that she hadn't called him since she stormed out of his apartment the day before to interfere with his mission today. "But that's not why we're here. We're here to begin the delicate removal of the thorn in our sides."

"And we can do this by eating red beans and rice?"asked Cho dryly, his eyes on the menu.

"In a manner of speaking. This, my friend, is about getting rid of J.J. LaRoche."

Cho lowered the menu, quickly sizing up Jane's degree of seriousness. Cho remembered the grilling he'd received at the hands of their new director, the mess he'd gotten Rigsby out of by lying for him, as well as the recent—though short-lived—ouster of Lisbon in favor of Cho. He didn't like the man's management style, to put it mildly. So if Jane had conceived of a way to make things difficult for LaRoche, Cho just needed to know how and when.

"I'm in," he told Jane.

"Great. I had a feeling you would be. So tell me, has any of your stuff been rifled through during our fearless leader's recent spring cleaning…?"

While they were waiting for their orders, Jane filled Cho in on how he and his stuff had been kicked out of the attic, leading to a major disagreement between him and Lisbon. Jane glossed over the details, but Cho got the sense that the consultant was majorly pissed off, and taking things very personally—feelings easy to come by when LaRoche was involved.

"I got a look at LaRoche's personnel file. It seems he was involved with the proprietor of this restaurant several years ago. Since there was nothing remotely damning in his work life, I thought we could meet the woman and find out what we can about his personal life."

Cho didn't even question how Jane had gotten hold of LaRoche's file. That's what Jane liked most about Cho—he wasn't bogged down by the unimportant details. A flash of red caught Jane's eye, and he turned to see the object of this mission coming out of the kitchen. Jessie Lynch was wearing the formal white of a chef, her vivid red hair pulled up in a messy bun as she spoke with a member of her wait staff. Even beneath the shapeless fit of her uniform, Jane could see her luscious, hourglass figure. Her slightly rounded cheeks were flushed from the heat of the kitchen, but her blue eyes sparkled animatedly during her conversation, which ended with the woman's musical laughter.

"That's her," Jane nodded toward her. "The red-head."

Cho's eyes widened slightly in appreciation of the vivacious woman who could have sprung from a painting by Rubens. Both men were struck with the idea that such a warm, sensual woman could have been attracted to a cold fish like LaRoche.

Their lunches arrived, and it smelled divine. Jane had ordered Trout Meuriere Amandine, and, as he'd suggested, Cho had the simplest of Creole faire—red beans and rice. Jane, an obvious foodie, took his time, enjoying the brown butter sauce and the crunchy almonds that complemented the lightly fried fish. Cho just dug in with a soft grunt of appreciation. When the waitress returned to check on them, Jane made his move.

"This is absolutely spectacular!" he exclaimed. "It's like I can taste the French Quarter in every bite. You must send our compliments to the chef. No—on second thought—please, send her out here so I can thank her in person!" It was very hard to resist Patrick Jane when he turned on the charm. The young woman smiled and promised she would pass on his request.

Cho just shook his head indulgently. When it came to Jane's Prince Charming act, he was one of the few people who was completely and utterly immune. Then, like Jane had waved his magic wand, Miss Jessie herself came through the swinging kitchen doors and made her way to their table. Jane and Cho rose politely.

"Awww…the chef honors us with her presence," exclaimed Jane, pouring it on thickly, putting his palms together and bowing slightly before her awesomeness. Patrons at neighboring tables smiled and clapped at Jane's antics and in agreement with his praise of Jessie's cooking.

Jessie laughed. "Oh stop! Sit down, please!" She motioned with her hands.

"We will if you'll join us," said Jane, indicating the chair beside him. She flushed prettily, looked around self-consciously, and took the seat that Jane gallantly pulled out for her.

"Now this is the biggest ego boost I've had in weeks," said Jessie. "Two handsome gentlemen inviting me to their table. You flatter me, truly."

"You're the famous Miss Jessie, aren't you?" Jane asked. "You flatter us."

"The restaurant is actually named for my namesake, my Grand-mere Jessie from New Orleans, whose recipes inspired my own."

"Isn't that lovely. My colleague and I couldn't leave without letting you know how impressed we are. Everything is absolutely wonderful, right Cho?"

"Yes, very good," responded the agent automatically. Truth be told, he'd rather be eating pizza.

"So, are you two new in town?"

"No, no. We've lived here for ages. We just were in the mood for some authentic Creole food, and this place came highly recommended by a friend of ours. I think you might know him. J.J. LaRoche?" Jane's face remained pleasantly neutral, and the sudden tightening of her smile spoke volumes.

"You know John.?" she asked, looking a little pale now. Jane was startled at her use of his first name rather than initials, but he hid it well with a smile.

"Why, yes. We work with him."

"You must be with the CBI then," she stated.

"Yes. This is Agent Cho, and I'm a consultant for the Bureau—Patrick Jane. J.J. certainly had nice things to say about you."

She nodded at the introductions. "Well, I haven't spoken to J.J. in years…how…how is he?"

Jane saw a flash of pain in her blue eyes, and he pushed away the guilt as he manipulated her for his own ends. This is all for the greater good, he told himself.

"He recently got a big promotion. He's actually our boss, now," Jane informed her. "Someone upstairs has really taken a shine to him. He's like the CBI's new golden boy. He can do no wrong."

"I'm uh, very happy for him." At her watery eyes, Cho shot Jane a meaningful look. He didn't care much for unnecessarily upsetting innocent bystanders. Jane ignored both Cho and his conscience, and moved in for the kill.

"Actually, Jessie," Jane said, leaning in closer and dropping his voice to a conspiratorial level. "We have an ulterior motive here. You see, J.J. is about to celebrate his fiftieth birthday, and we need a caterer for the surprise birthday bash we're planning. Since he's originally from Louisiana, we thought we'd try to find a restaurant who served authentic Creole cuisine. The fact that J.J. himself suggested your place made it all the more fitting, don't you think?"

She swallowed hard and blinked several times in a row, obviously trying to avoid the embarrassment of tears. Wow, LaRoche really did a number on her, thought Jane dispassionately. When she didn't immediately reply, Jane contorted his face into a mask of concern.

"I'm sorry, did I say something to upset you? Jessie?"

"Oh, no. Not at all," she answered, pulling herself together. "I'm just surprised, that's all. I mean, it's been years, and now suddenly…this." She gestured to the two men helplessly.

"Well, obviously something very unpleasant happened between you two. I certainly don't want to dredge up any unhappy memories for you."

She hesitated a moment, and Jane knew she was contemplating whether or not she could share her old grief where LaRoche was concerned.

"It's really sort of a long story, but I'll just say that John and I were involved. Engaged, actually. It didn't work out. I haven't seen him in about six years now."

Jane reached over to put his hand atop hers where it rested on the table. He looked deeply into her pain-filled eyes, this time with genuine compassion. He knew what it was like to mourn for someone that long. "It was because of his mother, wasn't it?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know that?"

Jane shrugged. "Just a guess. I didn't know the woman, but I'm guessing she didn't approve of you, probably because you would be taking away her baby boy. Is that about right?"

"Yes," she said in the whisper. Cho handed her the extra cloth napkin from the unused place setting beside him. She took it gratefully, wiping at her eyes.

"Did you know that Mrs. LaRoche passed away five years ago?"

"No." She dabbed at new tears. "Poor John. I wonder why he never called me."

"Pride, I imagine. Or maybe fear that you wouldn't forgive him for choosing his mother over you."

"But I understood," she said passionately. "My own parents passed away; I know how terrible that can feel. I have so much guilt myself because I wasn't there with them, at the end."

"There, there, Jessie. You must stop blaming yourself." He gently patted her hand. "You know, maybe suggesting we come here was J.J.'s awkward way of letting you know he's still interested, but afraid to reach out on his own."

Amidst the sadness, her eyes took on a gleam of hope. "You think so? I mean, he couldn't possibly still be single, a good man like him."

"Oh, he's single all right," Jane responded, trying not to laugh at her loving characterization of the man he always thought of in comparison to various unsavory animals. "But I can't believe you are free, Jessie," he commented truthfully. "A lovely woman like you must have dozens of beaus."

She blushed. "Well, there have been a few. But they all meant nothing. None of them could ever measure up to John in my eyes."

Jane glanced at Cho, who was looking upon the spectacle in disapproval; although someone who didn't know him would only see a mask of serenity. Jane raised an amused eyebrow, then refocused on Jessie.

"I have an idea. Why don't you come to CBI Headquarters on Monday, and pretend to just be there to see me. The restaurant isn't open on Mondays, right? J.J. will be there and you could see for yourself if the spark is still there. And a little jealousy that you are there to see another man couldn't hurt."

"I don't know…I never was much for playing games like that."

Jane grinned. "Now, Jessie, all is fair in love and war, remember?"

She sniffled a little and smiled through her tears. "Maybe. But I have to admit, Mr. Jane, I'm a little scared. I don't want to get my heart broken again."

"It's Patrick, please, and anyone worth fighting for is worth taking a risk for. A leap of faith, if you will. Don't let fear keep you from this second chance to be with your true love."

She was quiet a moment, then her eye was caught by another chef gesturing wildly at her from the kitchen door. "Oh, I'm sorry. Looks like I'm needed in the kitchen."

She rose, and the two men rose with her. "Will you at least think about it?" Jane asked kindly. "I have to admit I'm somewhat of a romantic, and this story of yours and J.J.'s is irresistible. Here's my card. Call me if you need to talk." He had taken out his wallet and pulled out one of his CBI consultant cards. She took it, then impulsively gave Jane a grateful hug.

"Thank you, Patrick. Maybe I will see you Monday. I'll think about it. Nice meeting you both. I gotta run. Good-bye."

"Bye now,"called Jane as she headed back toward the kitchen.

"Bye," said Cho. When they were alone, Cho folded his napkin and pushed his plate away. "I've lost my appetite," he said tightly.

"No banana pudding?" Jane said, signaling for the waitress. Cho listened to Jane exclaim over the rest of the meal in silence. He kept waiting for Jane to tell him his plan, to explain why the hell Cho had needed to be there at all. But nothing more was forthcoming, and Jane chattered inanely about the food and the ambience before gladly paying the bill. Cho didn't even offer to pay his part.

Outside the restaurant, Cho could hold his peace no longer. "That really sucked, Jane," he said. Jane eyed the agent in the afternoon sunlight.

"It's for the greater good," Jane countered benignly. He'd found a new mantra, words he could repeat to himself when his plans began to become too morally questionable to deal with.

Jane was parked in the lot next to the restaurant and Cho's car was on the street. The two men parted ways and Jane got into his blue Citroen, started the engine, and drove away.

Cho stood by his own vehicle, waiting for Jane to drive out of sight. He hadn't liked the way Jane had handled Jessie Lynch at all. It was one thing for Jane to try to entrap a suspect; quite another in Cho's mind to mess with a heartbroken innocent who had nothing whatever to do with Jane's perceived injuries at the hands of J.J. LaRoche. Despite this, Cho wasn't about to call Mommy Lisbon, and definitely not Daddy LaRoche. He was no rat, after all, and he usually looked the other way—sometimes even helped—with Jane's schemes. But this just didn't sit well with Cho's naturally chivalrous sensitivities. Cho decided at that moment exactly what he must do.

"The greater good, my ass," he mumbled to himself. He pocketed his car keys and walked back into the restaurant, embarking on a quest to save a red-headed damsel from even more distress.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jane finished his circuit around the block, slowing down as he came back to Miss Jessie's. When he saw that Cho's car was still parked in the same place, Jane grinned in satisfaction. People were just so predictable sometimes, he thought. He turned up his radio and whistled along with the smooth jazz, directing his trusty Citroen toward the freeway's mid-afternoon traffic.

A/N: I'm sure many of you are disliking Jane right now—and that's okay. He is deep in obsession mode, ignoring the needs and wants of others in order to get what he wants. I promise it will all pay off in the end. In the meantime, I'd love to know your thoughts. Thanks for reading!