Return to Sacramento: Chapter 15

Hi guys. This is the last chapter before the epilogue. Thanks for all the feedback as usual, you guys are awesome! I had a blast writing this and I'm sad it's almost over.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

"Mommy, Mommy!" Jess called, running towards her mother and pulling at the hem of her dress to catch her attention. "Mommy, there's chocolate pudding down there! We have to take Daddy some pudding. He'll want lots and lots of pudding."

Lisbon looked down at her overly-excited daughter and chuckled. "Really? Are you sure its Daddy that wants the pudding and not you?"

"Yes..." Jess drawled. "Daddy likes pudding!" She crossed her little arms and frowned.

"Yes, sweetie, Daddy does like pudding. We'll put some on the tray."

Lisbon bent down and picked Jess up to sit on her hip as they glided their tray over the counter in the hospital cafeteria; she let Jess take the plates with the small portions of hospital food that cafeteria lady handed them and place them on the tray. A bowl of undistinguishable meaty mush, two pudding cups and a Styrofoam cup with a tea bag, some sugar lumps and creamer.

Lisbon could practically hear him complaining: Teresa, this tea tastes like liquid garbage! Creamer is no substitute for milk and you can absolutely taste that the water wasn't even close to truly boiling!

But nevertheless, this was the best they could do right now. They were stuck in this hospital, at least for the day.

Last night they had walked into the CBI Fundraiser Event, expecting something, but definitely not expecting what happened.

In the end, she had ended up trapped at the other end of the room, watching her husband standing off against a madman with a gun. Snapping her eyes shut so hard that the tears spilled over her cheeks when she heard those two gunshots, echoing ear-splittingly loud against the walls of the hall. Pressing Jess against her chest, holding her ears closed and her eyes away from the unfolding scene.

The chaos that erupted afterwards. Thompson's "friends" started shouting, attacking the LAPD agents that surrounded them, anyone. Then that second gunshot. Somehow, that last one worse thanthe others. It made her blood run cold in her veins.

Once the chaos quieted just a bit and it seemed that the agents had things under control again, she handed Jess over to Van Pelt, frantically whispering words of comfort and kissing her cheek, and she ran.

The image she saw running down the way between the tables has been haunting her ever since.

He was lying there up on the stage, clutching his leg where he was shot – later Cho would tell her that Thompson hadn't fired his gun. One of his "henchmen" landed the shot, that shot that made her blood curdling in the chaos.

Patrick had fired those two first shots. His jacket's pocket was seared where the bullet had torn through the fabric. She didn't even know that he had brought the gun. It was one of her off-duty weapons that she kept in her bedside table. But then again, he always did have the habit of keeping some details from her...

This time, she decided to let it slide (though she might change her mind and return to the subject if he continues his reputation of being a terrible patient).

"Come on, Mommy, let's go!" Jess said urgently. "Daddy said we should hurry up!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Why don't you walk, honey, I can't carry you and the tray all over the hospital."

She placed Jess down and picked the tray up from the counter and they started walking towards Patrick's hospital room. Lisbon's feet were aching – she was still wearing her ridiculous high heels from the function and she couldn't take them off and walk over the hospital floor barefoot...

She was tired – exhausted – and there was nothing she wanted more than to get out of this damned hospital.

Jess ran out in front of her, stretching on her tippy-toes to reach the doorknob and open the door.

"Hey stranger." She heard his familiar voice, if a bit raspy, as they walked into the hospital room.

She looked up and smiled at him – he was pale from losing blood and visibly tired. His three-piece suit had been removed – ruined with bloodstains and tears from shooting and receiving bullets – and was replaced by a blue hospital gown. A little baggy of bright red blood hung behind his bed and ran through a line "Hey yourself. Brought you some hospital food."

"Yum." He smiled. "Hey angel." He looked down, seeing Jess jumping up and onto his hospital bed and clamber up next to him. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Jess nodded silently.

"It was scary, huh?" He whispered into her mop of ebony hair, hugging her tightly against him.

"I wasn't scared." Jess said, sitting up with her arms folded over her chest. "Ask Mommy."

"Yes, you were a very, very brave girl." Lisbon said, sitting down beside them on the bed and ruffled Jess' hair. "And we're so proud of you."

"Are you okay?" Jane said softly, looking up at Lisbon.

Swallowing a lump she wasn't even aware was in her throat and nodded. "I'm fine. I just want to get back home. What did the doctors say?" She said, looking over to his leg.

"He said it's okay. The bullet lodged in the muscle, but they removed it in the emergency room. I'll need some physical therapy to recover; he gave me a number to a good physio therapist in LA already. They just want to finish the blood line and then they'll discharge me."

"Thank goodness." Lisbon sighed heavily. Jane scooted a bit over and patted the space beside him until, smiling, she lay down beside him and cuddled into his side. They lay silently for a while like this, just the three of them, their family.

"What happened to..?" Jane asked after a while.

"To Thompson? He was dead on the scene."

"Did..?"

She nodded, understanding what he meant. She felt his nose nuzzle against her hair, seeking comfort from her. She squeezed her arms a little tighter around him.

"It's okay, Patrick." Her arm reached over to gently hug Jess on Jane's other side. "Everything's going to be okay now."

"It's over." He whispered against her temple, gently kissing it. "It's finally over."

"Yes, it is."

Okay, next chap is the epilogue. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Feedback please!

Much love, Zanny