Apertured

It was yet late in the evening when Lisbon decided to switch off the lights of her office and to set off for her going home. She snatched up the many files which were lying on her desk and darned them all into her moldily old handbag. Her team had left the CBI building a couple of hours ago but she had insisted to stay longer and try to find new evidences in their current case. A little boy had been kidnapped and Jane suspected the father whereas she thought of the lousy neighbour of the boys family. They argued about the different witnesses and in the end Lisbon told Jane to shut up and called him an arrogant jerk. The blonde adviser had stared at her with big eyes and without a further word he took his jacket and went downstairs. Since then she hadn't heard of him. While she was searching her pocket for the car keys she discovered a sheet which was folded together. "That cannot be true", Lisbon sighted. It was an important form for Jane which he had to fill out until tomorrow morning. But he didn't have time to do it. "I have to bring him the sheet otherwise our boss will be mad at him and mad at me", she added and rolled her eyes. That was typical; she thought and left eventually the office. When she was sitting in her car she considered again whether she should bring Jane the sheet or not. After all he had said to her today she was on the brink to let him drop but her inner voice was stronger and so she drove direction his house.

Lisbon realized that in these years of collaboration she never had the chance to take a look at Janes house. He never spoke about it and made a big secret of it. Before she rang the bell she stopped for a moment. Was it okay for Jane to visit him so late in the evening? Maybe he was yet asleep and she would wake him up but on the other hand he needed this form and couldn't bear it. She pressed the little button but there was no sound. She tried again. After a few times Lisbon opened the door and to her surprise it wasn't locked up. "Jane. Are you here?" she shouted in the darkness. There was no answer. She walked into the living room. It must have been months until the last clean up. There was dust everywhere that she had to cough. It seemed impossible that this house was inhabited.  As she had arrived at the stairs she called again after her teammate. Nothing. She climbed up the stairs and opened the door at the end of the corridor. It grated that a shiver ran down her skin. "Jane. Where are you?" she heard that something moved in the corner. It was him who was lying on an old gone yellow mattress. "Oh, hi Lisbon. I didn't hear you were entering the room", he said and smiled. Lisbon was shocked. She stared at the wall upon her adviser. The smiley of Red John showed off and exasperated she looked down to Jane. "I know. It isn't so comfortable but enough for me. Actually more than I deserve" he said in a low tone and sat up. "I don't know what to say", Lisbon stuttered. "No need to be afraid" Jane stood up and took her hand. "It is okay. I also had to get used to it", he looked at the grinning face and then back to Lisbon. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he proposed but his boss was rigid with fear. All the mysteries they had solved hadn't made her feel the way she was feeling now. "How can you possibly sleep in this room?", she whispered and her voice broke down. "This is like a punishment", she added and went a step closer towards Jane. Her eyes filled with tears. All the rude things he had said to her vanished and she felt sorry for him. She couldn't stop herself and hugged Jane. Lisbon was desperate. She had thought of Red John yet and what he had done to his family but never had it been so intense. She felt like a part of her family had been killed too. It was so realistic she was so near, near to this smiley. Jane didn't let her go. He didn't want her to see that grin on the wall anymore. "Come with me" he said softly and together they walked downstairs to the kitchen.

He prepared them a warm mint tea and asked Lisbon to sit down on the chair. "That was the chair of my daughter. She wanted to sit in the corner so she could look outside the window", he explained and pointed in its direction. Lisbon blotted out the tears and tried to simper. "Sometimes we counted the birds which passed", Jane added and a little sight escaped him. "You must miss her very much", Lisbon said while she was holding her cup and inhaled the anodyne vapors. Jane nodded. "During summer we used to cook with her in the kitchen and then we enjoyed our meal outside. She was always so ardent if it was about trying out new dishes. Once she made us a big surprise and baked a cake with her nanny. It tasted delicious. Chocolate with a lot of berries", he closed his eyes and imagined that day. "She was an amazing piano player, like Mozart", he laughed and took another big sip. "My wife gave her lessons", it was the first time after the terrible murderer that Jane talked so apertured. It felt good and he knew that he could trust Lisbon and that she cared. They talked on for a while until it was time for her to go home. "Jane. It was wonderful and thanks that you've told me about your sweet daughter and your wife. That means a lot to me. I am very sorry for what happened today and I hope that it won't happen again", she put down the cup and walked to the door. "Good night, Jane", she said and kissed him on his cheek. She walked down the path when Jane called her back. "Lisbon, my form please!"