Title: Learning Curve
Author: tromana
Rating: K+
Characters: Van Pelt, Lisbon
Summary: Grace Van Pelt is still learning where the boundaries lie.
Disclaimer: Still not mine.
Notes: Episode tag to 1.03 Red Tide
Learning Curve
Grace Van Pelt is still learning where the boundaries lie.
She knows about Jane's past - but that's because everyone does. He was a minor celebrity only six years ago and at college she absorbed gossip magazines voraciously, eating up every little detail about the murder of his wife and child. If she'd known that she would be working closely with him in the future, she'd never have touched their glossy pages.
Cho's stint in juvie surprised her. But it was all clear as day in his file. As was Rigsby's mild violent streak. She'd made a point about reading them; it was the only way she knew she'd find out about the history of her co-workers without explicitly making a point of asking. And she's the junior agent, the rookie. Grace knows no one will take her seriously, not yet, anyway. She knows she still has to prove herself to them.
So, when Grace asks her boss how she's coping with a case which involves a history oddly similar to her past, many emotions seem to flash through Senior Agent Lisbon's eyes. Self-pity? Just a little. Sadness? Naturally. And anger. Grace knows the anger isn't just at the fact another family is suffering because of a father's pigheadedness, but it's also directed at her. Because she has to be the one to drag personal issues into the limelight when they can quite happily be brushed under the carpet.
Grace has always been taught to talk through her problems, whether it was with her Dad, the footie team or mates at school. Lisbon hasn't had that luxury. The look she gives her after scrambling to her feet, clearly embarrassed about the fall, is enough to make Grace feel one inch tall. And all she wants to do is hug her boss, make sure she knows she is cared about, is appreciated. That there are people who will always be there for her no matter what. Grace cares about her boss dearly, even though they have only been working together for a couple of months. It's been more than enough time to establish the roots of trust.
She hopes that one day, maybe, Lisbon will be able to put aside the excuse of 'professionalism'. That time will allow Lisbon to trust her enough to remove some of the barriers to be able to talk through issues rather than hide them. Grace is well aware that she's living on false dreams and all that when it comes to talking about personal issues.
All she can do is hope that one day, Lisbon will trust her as much as Grace trusts her boss.
end