Hope you enjoy chapter two! (I've decided to write all the chapters in one go before publishing them, so you won't have to wait weeks for the next chapter. Except if I want to build up tension/suspense. 'Cause I'm evil like that. :b )

Disclaimer: The main characters are not mine, (CBS and Bruno Heller's) although White is my invention. The story belongs to me. :)

2. Red and Gold

Teresa

Teresa had never expected this to happen. Okay, sure, a few weeks after the incident she had gotten a little worried, but ten years later? She had never seen this coming, and obviously, neither had White. She sighed, resting her head wearily on her paperwork-smothered desk.

After the previous night's Ball had ubruptly ended, Jane had taken her home. He had walked her straight to her door, an unreadable look on his face, and intently told her to call him if she needed anything. "Anything at all," He had emphasised to her, face stony.

She knew he was worried about her, and didn't really know how to feel about that fact. Teresa normally hated people bothering to worry about her, but now... She wasn't so sure. Living alone suddenly seemed like a stupid, scary idea, and she had actually been thinking about asking Jane to spend some time sleeping on her couch, just so she wouldn't be by herself.

The normally fearless Teresa was gone, leaving an anxious woman who slept with a pistol hidden under her mattress. Teresa had told her story to the Sacramento Police Department (they were handling the case, due to Teresa's personal link to it). Of course, she hadn't told them the full story. That could have lost her her job. But Jane had helped her out, telling her what to say, so that she didn't have to reveal the dark secret she had been keeping for so long.

When she had arrived at work that morning, she had shut herself in her office, closing the blinds on all the glass windows and door so that she felt truly alone, with nobody peering through at her.

Teresa sighed, pressing her sore temples with her fingertips. She had spent the entire night sitting in bed reading, too scared to sleep. And now she was exhausted because of it. She lowered her head back down to rest on the table, but no sooner had her forehead touched the wood when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," She called, picking up a pen and pretending to look busy. The door hesitantly cracked open, and Van Pelt peeked her head in. Her face was sympathetic and slightly scared, as though she expected her boss to yell at her for daring to knock on the door.

"So, uh, Boss, can I just get something straight? We are no longer taking this case, right?" Teresa shook her head.

"The SacPD are handling it. Why?" Teresa put her pen back down, too tired to pretend to be working.

"Oh, it's just you asked us to do that research yesterday night? Should we just email it to the SacPD?" Teresa groaned, smacking herself in the head. Dammit. She'd totally forgotten to tell her team they weren't on the case anymore.

"Oh crap. I'm sorry, Van Pelt. I should have told you guys earlier. Have you done much?"

Van Pelt looked almost relieved, like she had expected to be blamed. "Oh, no, not much has surfaced. It seems White lived a pretty happy life." She paused, glancing at Teresa's self-beating-up facial expression. "It's fine, Boss, really. I'll email it now." She gave a small sympathetic smile and left the room.

Teresa slumped again as soon as the door was shut again. Her eyelids were almost dropping, she was so tired. She glanced longingly at the couch in the corner of her office where Jane sometimes slept, if his favorite leather one was in use. If he could sleep there, so could she.

Patrick

"Lisbon?" Patrick knocked on her office door. She hadn't emerged to have her usual two 'o clock coffee break, and he had decided to check on her. There was no answer. "Lisbon?"

He pushed through the door, instantly seeing her empty desk. A rush of panic started to bubble up in his chest. But then he saw her, and sighed in relief.

Her face was pressed into the arm of the couch, expression peaceful. Her chest rose and fell steadily, but Patrick saw she still had one limp hand over the gun at her hip. He smiled gently, glad she was getting some sleep, and quietly closed the door.

It was midnight, and the last dedicated CBI staff were finally leaving. Patrick sat up from his couch, stretching his arms over his head. He had left Lisbon to sleep, but now he decided to wake her. He himself had just taken a small nap, and was now feeling wide awake, but if he didn't wake her now, she would be grumpy. And a grumpy Lisbon was a scary Lisbon.

He stood and made his way over to her office, feeling slightly cheerful despite the fact Lisbon may be in danger. But as he got to the glass door, blinds still closed, an unexplained feeling of dread began to crawl up his spine. He quickly looked around himself, trying to catch up with his sub-concious, to pinpoint what was different, or wrong. And then he saw it.

A small glint of gold beside the door. He quickly bent and picked it up, but he knew exactly what it was before he did. Lisbon's cross necklace. There was a tiny red smudge on the right arm of the cross. Blood? Patrick thought dizzily.

Feeling as if he was in a dream, Patrick put one hand against the door, hesitating. His brain was screaming at him not to enter. Getting a clue to what he might find on the other side of the door... It was all far too much like the scene when he had found his wife and daughter. But he swallowed and pushed the door open.

Papers were scattered all over the floor. There was an indent in the couch where Lisbon had been asleep. A small splotch of scarlet stained the pale carpet. And Lisbon was gone.

-Dramatic gasp- What will happen next?

(Wow, I felt like a dweeb typing that. Haha.)

Hope you enjoyed this (extremely short) chapter! Next one is on it's way! :)

- Ashlee-Rose :)