Bloodless Bonds Chapter Nine
Title:Bloodless Bonds Chapter Nine
Words: Total fic, about 10,000
Spoilers: All four seasons.
Summary: After Red John is killed, Lisbon must convince Jane that quitting the CBI is not what he should do next. Includes flashbacks to the final confrontation with Red John.
“Welcome back, Boss,” Cho said the following morning, holding out his hand for Lisbon to shake. She reached out a bandaged limb, and carefully accepted the welcome. “Good to see you, Cho.”
“Boss!” Rigsby said from his desk, grinning that grin that made him appear so much younger than he actually was. “How’s your hands.”
“A lot better Rigs, thanks,” she said, smiling. “You cleaned your desk.”
He shrugged. “Eh, you know. I was bored.”
“Kormiloff made him,” Cho said.
Rigsby threw his hands up. “Dude.”
“What? It’s the truth.” Cho shrugged. “And if you were trying to be funny or clever by your lie it didn’t work.”
Lisbon had seen her team only a few days before, but for some reason being back in the CBI, among their casual, natural banter, made her feel a lot better - she’d been feeling rather down since she’d left Jane’s the previous day. She’d always considered the five of them to be a family - none were incredibly close with any living family members - but saying it all to Jane, laying it all out on the line, made her realize just how true her words were. And she knew that, on some level, each of them felt that way. That just made Jane’s leaving worse. She stretched her fingers as far as they would go. A lot of things would take time to heal.
Van Pelt entered the office space, and a smile lit up her face when she saw Lisbon there. “Boss,” she said happily, coming toward her boss and giving her a hug.
“Oh,” Lisbon said in surprise, awkwardly trying to put her sore arms around the youngest team member. Despite the fact that Van Pelt’s affection for her senior team member had always been clear, displays of affection in general made Lisbon uncomfortable when she wasn’t expecting them. Lisbon decided that this particular one she should have expected.
“Oh,” Van Pelt repeated, backing up a step at her boss’ exclamation. “Did that hurt you?”
Lisbon smiled. “No, Grace, it’s okay.” Van Pelt stood their awkwardly for another moment, so Lisbon restarted the hug to break the tension. “I’m so glad you’re back,” Van Pelt told her.
Lisbon smiled. “Me too.” They broke apart and Lisbon looked to Cho. “Are we working on anything?”
“Double homicide, came in this morning. We’re leaving in a few minutes to go and talk to the widow of one of the victims.” He gestured to her office. “I never put my stuff in there, so it’s all yours.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Van Pelt, you can explain the details to me in the car. Now we’re a man down, so everyone is going to have to…what?” She looked around at the team, all of whom appeared to be trying not to smile. “What?”
Behind Van Pelt’s head, she saw movement on the old couch, a blonde head lifting up from a lying position into sitting. Her jaw dropped slightly in the moment before it aided the rest of her face in a smile.
“Lisbon,” Jane said, smiling back. “Did you bring any muffins?” “Welcome back, Boss,” Cho said the following morning, holding out his hand for Lisbon to shake. She reached out a bandaged limb, and carefully accepted the welcome. “Good to see you, Cho.”
“Boss!” Rigsby said from his desk, grinning that grin that made him appear so much younger than he actually was. “How’s your hands.”
“A lot better Rigs, thanks,” she said, smiling. “You cleaned your desk.”
He shrugged. “Eh, you know. I was bored.”
“Kormiloff made him,” Cho said.
Rigsby threw his hands up. “Dude.”
“What? It’s the truth.” Cho shrugged. “And if you were trying to be funny or clever by your lie it didn’t work.”
Lisbon had seen her team only a few days before, but for some reason being back in the CBI, among their casual, natural banter, made her feel a lot better - she’d been feeling rather down since she’d left Jane’s the previous day. She’d always considered the five of them to be a family - none were incredibly close with any living family members - but saying it all to Jane, laying it all out on the line, made her realize just how true her words were. And she knew that, on some level, each of them felt that way. That just made Jane’s leaving worse. She stretched her fingers as far as they would go. A lot of things would take time to heal.
Van Pelt entered the office space, and a smile lit up her face when she saw Lisbon there. “Boss,” she said happily, coming toward her boss and giving her a hug.
“Oh,” Lisbon said in surprise, awkwardly trying to put her sore arms around the youngest team member. Despite the fact that Van Pelt’s affection for her senior team member had always been clear, displays of affection in general made Lisbon uncomfortable when she wasn’t expecting them. Lisbon decided that this particular one she should have expected.
“Oh,” Van Pelt repeated, backing up a step at her boss’ exclamation. “Did that hurt you?”
Lisbon smiled. “No, Grace, it’s okay.” Van Pelt stood their awkwardly for another moment, so Lisbon restarted the hug to break the tension. “I’m so glad you’re back,” Van Pelt told her.
Lisbon smiled. “Me too.” They broke apart and Lisbon looked to Cho. “Are we working on anything?”
“Double homicide, came in this morning. We’re leaving in a few minutes to go and talk to the widow of one of the victims.” He gestured to her office. “I never put my stuff in there, so it’s all yours.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Van Pelt, you can explain the details to me in the car. Now we’re a man down, so everyone is going to have to…what?” She looked around at the team, all of whom appeared to be trying not to smile. “What?”
Behind Van Pelt’s head, she saw movement on the old couch, a blonde head lifting up from a lying position into sitting. Her jaw dropped slightly in the moment before it aided the rest of her face in a smile.
“Lisbon,” Jane said, smiling back. “Did you bring any muffins?”
Words: Total fic, about 10,000
Spoilers: All four seasons.
Summary: After Red John is killed, Lisbon must convince Jane that quitting the CBI is not what he should do next. Includes flashbacks to the final confrontation with Red John.
“Welcome back, Boss,” Cho said the following morning, holding out his hand for Lisbon to shake. She reached out a bandaged limb, and carefully accepted the welcome. “Good to see you, Cho.”
“Boss!” Rigsby said from his desk, grinning that grin that made him appear so much younger than he actually was. “How’s your hands.”
“A lot better Rigs, thanks,” she said, smiling. “You cleaned your desk.”
He shrugged. “Eh, you know. I was bored.”
“Kormiloff made him,” Cho said.
Rigsby threw his hands up. “Dude.”
“What? It’s the truth.” Cho shrugged. “And if you were trying to be funny or clever by your lie it didn’t work.”
Lisbon had seen her team only a few days before, but for some reason being back in the CBI, among their casual, natural banter, made her feel a lot better - she’d been feeling rather down since she’d left Jane’s the previous day. She’d always considered the five of them to be a family - none were incredibly close with any living family members - but saying it all to Jane, laying it all out on the line, made her realize just how true her words were. And she knew that, on some level, each of them felt that way. That just made Jane’s leaving worse. She stretched her fingers as far as they would go. A lot of things would take time to heal.
Van Pelt entered the office space, and a smile lit up her face when she saw Lisbon there. “Boss,” she said happily, coming toward her boss and giving her a hug.
“Oh,” Lisbon said in surprise, awkwardly trying to put her sore arms around the youngest team member. Despite the fact that Van Pelt’s affection for her senior team member had always been clear, displays of affection in general made Lisbon uncomfortable when she wasn’t expecting them. Lisbon decided that this particular one she should have expected.
“Oh,” Van Pelt repeated, backing up a step at her boss’ exclamation. “Did that hurt you?”
Lisbon smiled. “No, Grace, it’s okay.” Van Pelt stood their awkwardly for another moment, so Lisbon restarted the hug to break the tension. “I’m so glad you’re back,” Van Pelt told her.
Lisbon smiled. “Me too.” They broke apart and Lisbon looked to Cho. “Are we working on anything?”
“Double homicide, came in this morning. We’re leaving in a few minutes to go and talk to the widow of one of the victims.” He gestured to her office. “I never put my stuff in there, so it’s all yours.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Van Pelt, you can explain the details to me in the car. Now we’re a man down, so everyone is going to have to…what?” She looked around at the team, all of whom appeared to be trying not to smile. “What?”
Behind Van Pelt’s head, she saw movement on the old couch, a blonde head lifting up from a lying position into sitting. Her jaw dropped slightly in the moment before it aided the rest of her face in a smile.
“Lisbon,” Jane said, smiling back. “Did you bring any muffins?” “Welcome back, Boss,” Cho said the following morning, holding out his hand for Lisbon to shake. She reached out a bandaged limb, and carefully accepted the welcome. “Good to see you, Cho.”
“Boss!” Rigsby said from his desk, grinning that grin that made him appear so much younger than he actually was. “How’s your hands.”
“A lot better Rigs, thanks,” she said, smiling. “You cleaned your desk.”
He shrugged. “Eh, you know. I was bored.”
“Kormiloff made him,” Cho said.
Rigsby threw his hands up. “Dude.”
“What? It’s the truth.” Cho shrugged. “And if you were trying to be funny or clever by your lie it didn’t work.”
Lisbon had seen her team only a few days before, but for some reason being back in the CBI, among their casual, natural banter, made her feel a lot better - she’d been feeling rather down since she’d left Jane’s the previous day. She’d always considered the five of them to be a family - none were incredibly close with any living family members - but saying it all to Jane, laying it all out on the line, made her realize just how true her words were. And she knew that, on some level, each of them felt that way. That just made Jane’s leaving worse. She stretched her fingers as far as they would go. A lot of things would take time to heal.
Van Pelt entered the office space, and a smile lit up her face when she saw Lisbon there. “Boss,” she said happily, coming toward her boss and giving her a hug.
“Oh,” Lisbon said in surprise, awkwardly trying to put her sore arms around the youngest team member. Despite the fact that Van Pelt’s affection for her senior team member had always been clear, displays of affection in general made Lisbon uncomfortable when she wasn’t expecting them. Lisbon decided that this particular one she should have expected.
“Oh,” Van Pelt repeated, backing up a step at her boss’ exclamation. “Did that hurt you?”
Lisbon smiled. “No, Grace, it’s okay.” Van Pelt stood their awkwardly for another moment, so Lisbon restarted the hug to break the tension. “I’m so glad you’re back,” Van Pelt told her.
Lisbon smiled. “Me too.” They broke apart and Lisbon looked to Cho. “Are we working on anything?”
“Double homicide, came in this morning. We’re leaving in a few minutes to go and talk to the widow of one of the victims.” He gestured to her office. “I never put my stuff in there, so it’s all yours.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Van Pelt, you can explain the details to me in the car. Now we’re a man down, so everyone is going to have to…what?” She looked around at the team, all of whom appeared to be trying not to smile. “What?”
Behind Van Pelt’s head, she saw movement on the old couch, a blonde head lifting up from a lying position into sitting. Her jaw dropped slightly in the moment before it aided the rest of her face in a smile.
“Lisbon,” Jane said, smiling back. “Did you bring any muffins?”