Chapter 1

White Orchids and Birthday Invitation

It was a beautiful and cold morning on 15th November. The sun was shining on the beautiful city of Sacramento. And on a land situated on the outskirts of the city lies a beautiful house right next to a lake.
The sun shines on the house there and its ray's falls on one of the rooms.

In the room lies a beautiful girl sleeping and hugging her teddy bear. Then the door of her room opens and a lady enters and places a gift box next to the night stand. The lady then goes and sits on the bed next to the girl and places a soft kiss on her cheek and says "Good Morning and Happy Birthday my Princess". The girl smiles and opens her eyes and then she gets up and hugs the lady and says "Thanks mom". The lady says "Come on princess, get ready so that we'd go uncle's house to celebrate your birthday". The girl says "Yay! Im gonna get a lot of presents tonight". The lady smiles and says "Yeah".

Then she hears someone calling her and she says to her daughter to get ready and leaves the room.

As the lady descends the stairs, she finds a familiar face waiting for her, she gets happy and goes to the person and hugs her and says "Hightower" and Hightower says "Hey Lisbon".

The convo:-

Lisbon: how are you, how's the kids?

Hightower: We're good, how are you and how's Charlotte?

Lisbon: We're fine too. I just woke Charlotte up. Have to get her ready and drop her to Rigsby's house and then go to the office and then…. (pause)

Hightower: You're going to see Jane

Lisbon's eyes gets welled up and nodes a yes and says "I just spend a few hours with Charlotte every day, as I have to go to the office and then to see Jane and then back to Rigsby's house to take Charlotte back home" and she starts crying. Hightower consoles her and says "I know how hard it is for you, but you're doing a great job coping up with it". Lisbon thanks her and says "Sorry, its rude of me, I haven't asked you, shall I make you tea or coffee". Hightower says "No worries, I make something; you just go and get the Birthday girl ready for her big night. Lisbon says Okay and leaves while Hightower goes to the kitchen.

Lisbon goes to Charlotte's room and gets her ready and as Lisbon makes her wear her beautiful dress Charlotte notices the gift on the night stand. She goes and picks it up and shows it to Lisbon and asks "Who's this from?" Lisbon acts surprised and says "Don't know". Charlotte looks at the gift again and finds a tag and reads it Love Dad. She gets happy and says "Look Mom Dad sent me a gift". Lisbon says "I know, Dad loves you more than Mom as he's always the first person to send you gifts". Charlotte giggles and opens the box and finds a pair of beautiful pink hair clips that matches her beautiful dress. She says "Mom, it's beautiful. Can I put these on?" Lisbon smiles and puts the clips for her. Charlotte asks "How do I look?" Lisbon says "Just like daddy's princess". Charlotte smiles. Lisbon says "Aunt Hightower is down in the hall, why don't you go and say hi to her". Charlotte nodes and leaves.

Lisbon then goes to her room and closes the door behind her, and then she goes to the table and looks at her and Jane's wedding photo and get sad. She wants to cry but composes herself, and gets her car keys and leaves.

Lisbon gets down and sees Charlotte and Hightower giggling. She goes to them and says "Hightower if you don't mind, could you drop off Charlotte to Rigsby's house as I have some important work at the office". Hightower says "Sure as I am too heading there". Lisbon bends down to Charlotte and says "Honey, I have to leave as I have an important work, Aunt Hightower will go with you". Charlotte says "Okay Mom, but do come soon". Lisbon says "Don't worry; I will be there on time" and kisses her. Then all of them leave the house.

Lisbon goes to the office and takes some of her files and she also invites the other agents to the Birthday party. Then she goes to Abott's office. Abott sees her and says "Come in Lisbon". Lisbon smiles and enters and takes her seat. Abott says "What brings you here". Lisbon says "Just came to pick up some files and also to invite you all for the birthday party". Abott says "Yes Charlotte's birthday party" and continues "Lisbon, I'm sorry for everything that happened, it's my fault entirely". Lisbon says "It's not your fault, it's all fate". Abott says "But still". Lisbon cuts him off and gets up saying "No, don't blame yourself." She looks at her watch and says "I have to go, see you at the party." Abott stays silent as he doesn't have the heart to say anything more and sees her leaving.

Cho and Wylie in the bullpen see Lisbon leaving. Wylie asks Cho "Is she going to the same place as always". Cho looks at him and says "Yes". Then Wylie says "I just pray that everything gets back as it was before". Cho then looks straight at him.

Lisbon leaves the office and drives to the city shops and she goes to a gift shop and buys a beautiful present for Charlotte. And then she goes to a flower shop and buys a bouquet of white Orchids and then leaves the shop.

After 20 minutes of drive Lisbon stops at a hospital's parking lot. She takes the bouquet and leaves the car and enters the hospital and then she goes to the elevator and then goes to the special ward. As she walks in the special ward, one of the nurses at the Nurse Station sees her and welcomes her, Lisbon sees her and smiles and walks to one of the room and stops in front of it. She holds the bouquet tightly to herself as she opens the room's door…..

TBC

Author's note

Hope you liked the chapter, and sorry if there was any mistake in it. And as for the location it is truly fictional and I just use the city's name only. If you have any suggestions do share as I would love to know what the readers think of the story.

Thank you