"All right, take a good look at Marco. What do you see?"

I circled around the bodyguard, who stood with a stoic expression. I looked back at Xavier.

"I see a bodyguard?"

Xavier rolled his eyes. "Yes, Ro, he is. But that's obvious. I'm talking about things that aren't as obvious."

"He's not giving me anything!"

"You know that's not true. He's giving everything you need. He just has a few defenses you need to take down. Look closer and get a read on him." Xavier encouraged.

I gave a glance to Marco, who just shrugged, allowing me to do whatever test Xavier was forcing me to take.

After going through four seasons of The Mentalist, Xavier decided that I should try to have my own "Patrick Jane" moment. After a lot of convincing and tips, Xavier was able to convince me to try it on poor Marco.

Sighing dramatically, I put all my focus on the security guard. I slowly examined him and made a mental checklist– stance, expression, clothing, and details. I tried to remember the brief exchanges I had with him, recalling any personality traits I've seen or witnessed.

Okay, Rosaline. The first step is to take them off guard.

I walked around him one more time before I asked, "Have you ever been a stripper? I think you would make a lot of income from it."

Don't be mortified. It's all part of the exercise.

Marco jolted, his unreadable expression replaced with a look of shock. I didn't blame him. This was probably the last thing he thought he would hear from the shy woman living in this compound. I only exchanged a few conversations with the man since he was busy running the security here.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm looking at your body– and pardon me for doing that," I blushed but continued my examination. "You're muscular but lean. You have the build of a dancer. Maybe you can join me for one of my pole dancing lessons? I think Jasmine would approve."

"N-no! I'm not a stripper!" Marco defended, his own face turning red.

"Based on that reaction, you think male strippers are beneath you, since you are a tough security man? Toxic masculinity doesn't look good on you– which is very odd when you work here of all places. Are you afraid of the women that live here?"

"What? No! Xavier, where the hell is this going?" Marco hissed.

"You said that Rosaline was allowed to read you and gave her permission. You know that the best approach is the Patrick Jane approach!" Xavier said as he lay back in his chair, thoroughly amused.

"I didn't realize my masculinity was going to be questioned. I respect women." Marco muttered, rubbing his face.

I smiled and snapped my fingers.

"Bingo! Those mental walls are down. Let me try again." I stepped closer to him and got right into his face. He was only a few inches taller than me. While normally I would have been embarrassed being this close in proximity, I was too focused on trying to get into his head.

"I don't think you are in the toxic masculinity category, but based on how uncomfortable you were at first, there may be some insecurity? That could be a reason as to why you were uncomfortable with the idea of being a stripper. I remember seeing you at Elysium once and you were nothing but respectful to the staff. I doubt you have any problems with their actual jobs.

"I don't want to dive too deep into your psyche - believe it or not, I am not Patrick Jane or Xavier. However, I see some white hairs stuck to your jacket, so you own some sort of pet. You seem like a cat person. I'm more of a dog person personally. There's also a small brown stain on your shirt. It's a bit damp, and it's early in the day, so I bet it's coffee. You don't seem like a klutz to me, so I'll just guess it was either the cat or another accident."

I took a few steps back and looked at Marco, who now seemed impressed.

"How did I do?"

"You were right about most of it, though no comment on the masculinity issue," Marco admitted. "I own a white ferret, not a cat. But the coffee stain was spot on since I bumped into someone on the way here this morning."

"Yes!" I cheered and started bouncing up and down. I did a quick spin, but stopped when I felt a tug on my side. I winced and rubbed it to soothe the pain.

I really need to ice my side better after dance lessons.

"You did good, Ro! I didn't expect you to talk about strippers, but it worked nonetheless." Xavier said, and gave me a fist bump.

"Now that I've been poked and prodded, I am going to check on Maria." Marco dismissed himself and left the office, leaving Xavier and me alone.

I sat on one of his comfy chairs, resting on the side that wasn't hurting. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and found an unread message from Damon:

Partner in Crime: Flower, I am heading out for a few hours. Hope to be back tonight before you go to sleep.

Me: Okie dokie. Be safe and don't do anything stupid. XO

I didn't bother asking where he was going. Damon was determined to make sure I didn't know too much about his missions, so he dodged most of my questions by claiming they were "classified".

I personally thought it was a bit too late for that, but I still found it cute that he was being protective.

A very scowly protector. But protector none-the-less.

"Is your side okay, Ro?"

I put down my phone to face Xavier, who was still resting in his chair.

"It's just a bit sore today. Jasmine wants me to keep stretching the muscles, but I'm almost afraid they are going to rip or something." I giggled as I patted myself. "Though I would prefer this then what it originally was. I didn't realize how stiff I was."

"I can agree to that. I have been shot at a few times– not necessarily my idea of a good time." Xavier waved good naturally, as if this was a normal conversation to have.

He let out a hum as he tapped his finger against his chin.

"What?" I asked as I repositioned myself on the chair.

"It's strange. Hospitals are mandated to report anyone who has gunshot wounds. In your file it said you went to the hospital, but nothing about what caused it and the reason for your stay. We didn't even know you were shot until we patched you up after the bomb in your old apartment." Xavier muttered as he pulled out a pen and a piece of paper to scribble down his thoughts.

"I was interviewed by police officers and the hospital staff. All of it should have been on the file then." I sat up rigidly as my thoughts started racing.

"I don't think someone forgot to put it in, Ro. I think someone purposefully deleted it, it covers someone's tracks and I'm pretty sure we both know who would benefit from that." Xavier said gravely.

I gulped at the assumption, remembering the Men in Black. Seeing the horror on my face, Xavier was quick to reassure me. "Don't worry Ro, we won't let anything happen to you."

"Yeah, until the Men in Black come knocking." I muttered.

"Men in Black? Isn't that an alien movie with Will Smith?"

"Yes, but our shooters were dressed in black and no one knows who they are– very secretive and scary. It made sense to nickname them that."

"I don't know whether to laugh or point out the flaws in that logic. You could've named them something better like–"

A phone ringing interrupted our conversation and Xavier's face lit up. "It's probably Maria."

Maria had taken the twins to go out to buy some maternity clothes. Her bump was slowly beginning to show and her things were starting to get too tight.

When I volunteered to go with her, she asked me to stay with Xavier to distract him. Apparently, Maria hated shopping with Xavier and believed the only way she could escape was to use me as a decoy. While Xavier and I have been doing lessons, I could tell he was constantly thinking about her, checking his phone incessantly.

Xavier lunged for his phone and I used my hand to smother my giggles as he answered without looking.

"Hello?" Xavier said with a smile. His face instantly drooped as the person on the other line started talking.

I couldn't help but smile at the pout on his face. For a person who was in charge of running a "somewhat criminal" organization, he had a lot of puppy-like tendencies.

Of course, I would never tell him that, he liked to play "charming macho man" as Maria liked to call him behind his back. I did the same thing with Damon, who didn't appreciate it when I said his scowly front was "cute".

Men could be just as sensitive as women.

Xavier's face turned serious.

"Frank?"

My eyes widened at my former boss's name. I only heard muffle sounds from the phone as Xavier moved to the other end of the office, listening to what he had to say. They whispered to each other, which caused my anxiety to amp up. I started playing with my hair.

I knew Frank had some sort of involvement with the Organization, but I didn't ask too many questions. While I was curious, there were some things I didn't know if I wanted to know the answers to.

While I accepted Damon lived in a different world, I had barely set foot in it. It was one thing focusing on the case involving me, but completely different getting into everything else. I knew that once I jumped in all the way, there was no going back. I was scared that once I did, no one would be able to catch me.

I think this was why I was learning and training, so that I would be more prepared. Even if I didn't want to be a part of it, there was no way for me to go back to my old life.

The Rosaline who quietly resided in Los Angeles working at a bookshop was long gone. She perished the moment I saw Angelo and those men in the alley.

I needed to build myself up again and I could use my new friends to support me.

"Keep me posted."

I blinked out of my thoughts and let go of my hair as Xavier hung up. I stood quickly, cursing that I almost fell over because my leg fell asleep.

"What's up? We all good? Is everything okay?" I asked rapidly and Xavier frowned, staring at me. When he didn't say anything, I squirmed uncomfortably. "Why are you staring?"

"I'm trying to see if it's a smart idea to tell you."

I gulped.

"Is it bad?"

"It depends on your scale of how bad it is."

"So it's really bad!"

"And this is why I don't want to tell you. I haven't even said anything!" Xavier threw his hands up. "How about we wait until Damon comes back? Would that make you feel better?"

I shook my head. "If you make me wait, the panic is only going to build up. Just tell me now."

Xavier walked over and grabbed my hand. "Frank called about a few men at the club asking around for you. When they asked Frank, they claimed that you ran away and that your brother was worried about you."

I tightened my grip on his hand. "I don't have a brother. I'm an only child."

"We know that, and Frank isn't stupid. He said you quit a few weeks ago and hasn't heard from you since. But now we know that Lorenzo is on your trail. He knows you are in the area."

I thought I was about to throw up. My heart began to pound painfully in my chest.

They found me and they aren't going to stop until I'm dead.

Xavier pulled me into a brotherly hug, hoping to calm me down.

"It's going to be all right, Ro. We knew this was going to happen, but we can keep an eye out. I'll have Erik leave a false trail. The property is secure and there's no way in hell we're letting you get hurt on our watch. We're going to take these assholes down and keep you safe. Everything will be just fine, Ro."

I hugged him back, praying that he was right. I was finally finding a place where I felt happy and belonged. I knew that while I was terrified, I would do everything I could to keep this new life.

~*~

Damon was able to get me in contact with Dr. Paxton a couple of weeks ago. He was a sweet older gentleman who never judged me and listened to all my rambles.

I had been anxious about my first meeting with him, not knowing if we were going to click. Luckily, Dr. Paxton took my wary attitude in stride, telling me about himself and sharing what he had done recently.

Slowly but surely, I finally began to introduce myself. After around the third session, I began to open up to him about my life in Los Angeles, my family, and moving to New York. While Dr. Paxton was aware of my situation, I never mentioned the shooting. Dr. Paxton never poked at the topic, letting me lead the conversation. He also gave me advice about using calming breathing techniques if I had my panic attacks.

While we only had a few sessions together and there was a lot of progress that needed to be made, I was satisfied that I was at least going in the right direction.

"It has been around five years now since my mom and dad passed away," I murmured as I played with the bracelet on my wrist. "They were my best friends, which may seem sad but I was happy with it. I had a hard time making friends when I was younger, but they made everything okay. I could be myself and be happy.

"There are little things that I miss though. I miss being able to read with my mother and telling jokes with my dad, but I'm sure they're happy wherever they are."

I smiled as I leaned back into the comfy white chair. Dr. Paxton's office was very clean and orderly, the light colors in the room giving a calming atmosphere.

A small fountain laid in the corner of the room, the sound of flowing water bringing me a sense of peace. There wasn't a lot of furniture, just a desk and a few chairs to sit in. When I asked why, he said it helped patients feel like they were in a more open space.

Dr. Paxton was relaxed in his chair, his salt and pepper hair combed back nicely on his head. He adjusted his large glasses before he spoke.

"That's very nice. When you think of your parents, do you always focus on these happier memories?"

I shrugged. "Most of the time, yes. I don't like to think about the negative parts. Isn't it better to think about the good moments and only remember those warm feelings?"

"Certainly, it's very important to remember the happiness that you had with your family. However, it's okay to feel other emotions, including some that are negative."

"But that would taint their memory. I can't allow myself to feel any sort of negative emotion. Yes, I get sad and cry if that's what you mean. I miss them a lot, but I don't know how I could feel anything else besides happiness when I think of them." I wrinkled my nose.

The doctor gave me a soft expression, no pity in his eyes but a sense of understanding.

"When you spoke about them moments ago, you said 'I'm sure they are happy wherever they are.' The way you said it seemed heartfelt, but the phrasing seemed to mean something different. Can you explain what you meant by that?"

"Well, I...," I paused for a second, trying to come up with an answer. I looked down at my hands. "I just meant they are probably in heaven together or something like that. I always considered them soulmates, meant to be together in this life and the next. I think they are happy somewhere else."

"But they are somewhere without you."

I snapped my head up in shock at Dr. Paxton's statement. "N-no nothing like that! I mean sure, they are gone and I'm still here, but I still have a life–"

"Rosaline, it's okay to be angry at them." Dr. Paxton interjected softly.

"But it's not their fault! Mom got sick and it's not like she asked to die. My father didn't know how to function without his other half and he joined her."

Hearing the snippy tone in my voice, I tried to backtrack.

"All right, I might be annoyed that my dad didn't try harder to stay with me, but his love was so strong for my mom. I can't blame him for leaving me behind."

"But it still hurts to be on your own."

Feeling my eyes burning for some reason, I looked at the fountain while twisting my hair. All of a sudden it was difficult to speak.

"Yes. It hurt a lot."

Dr. Paxton rested his forearms on his legs.

"I know that this is only our fifth session, but do you want to hear what I have to say? You can tell me if I am right or wrong, I am only looking from an outsider's point of view. If I am off the mark, we will wipe this off the slate and not go anywhere near this subject again. Does that seem okay to you?"

Unable to speak, I nodded jerkily.

"I think you may be angry at your father for leaving you alone. In your position, no one can blame you for feeling that way. From the start, it was your parents and you. You said it yourself that they were your closest friends and confidants. But once your mother passed away, you thought that you still had someone to rely on and understood your loss. But once your father, it was just you against the world. You must have felt lonely. If I were in your shoes, I would've handled it much worse. But you persevered, you continued living in the city, had a stable job until the incident. Even then you moved to New York and started another life."

"And I met Damon, Xavier, and Maria." I spoke so softly, wondering if he could hear me. He must have because he nodded in confirmation.

"But was it there, that sense of loneliness?"

I released my hair from my grip, feeling my chest cave in.

"Yes. It was really hard. I lost my two anchors to this world and it was just me. I didn't like being by myself, but I knew my parents would want me to keep going. But...I think I was alone the moment my mom died. My father became the shell of the man he was when mom took her last breath. It was suffocating for the longest time, but I'm not alone anymore."

"Because of Damon?"

I let out a weak smile.

"Yeah, because of Damon. He introduced me to new friends and family. They know what I've been through and I don't have to hide who I am in front of them. I don't feel that suffocation as much anymore."

"But it's still there? Why do you think it's still there?"

I gulped, not wanting to talk about it. Dr. Paxton was very insistent today.

"There's so much going on. The people that are after me...I can feel them closing in on me. I just feel like what I have now is going to get taken away from me, that it's going to be just me again."

"You feel that the rug is about to be pulled from underneath you, so to speak?"

I rubbed my face and nodded silently.

"I don't know if I can go through it again. I don't even understand how I did it the first time. Now that I have Damon...I just don't want to be alone again."

There was no judgment in Dr. Paxton's eyes as he chuckled, giving me a soft smile.

"Ms. Sinclair, I have known that boy for a long time, since he was a little kid. If I know anyone who is determined and will fight for what he wants, it's Damon."

I giggled, the conflicting feeling I couldn't identify passing at Dr. Paxton calling him a boy. The doctor's smile widened at my laughter.

"Trust me honey, you will no longer be alone now that you are in this family."



"Everyone in position?" I said into the earpiece.

"All in position. Ready for your orders, sir."

I stayed relaxed in the van, watching Erik and another person work their tech magic on the cameras and blueprints to the government building.

"How's Rosaline doing? I haven't seen her in a couple weeks." John asked, tapping his fingers delicately on the steering wheel.

Rosaline and John seemed to have a father-daughter connection, both relating to their loss of family. John had been on a mission in Turkey protecting a female ambassador there. The ambassador was receiving multiple threats on her stance on women's rights and was almost killed in an assassination attempt. Luckily, John was able to get the situation under control.

"Good, but Xavier and Maria are corrupting her. Xavier already has her trying to read people," I rolled my eyes but fought not to smile.

Rosaline was blooming more and more, showing a side of herself that I don't think even she recognized. She was intelligent and clever, although a bit naive about things outside of academics. Xavier was teaching her criminal psychology and mentalism techniques (though I only think he's doing it for his own entertainment), and Maria was teaching her...other things.

Maria was having very...forward conversations about pregnancy. As Maria's caretaker, Maria droned on and on to Rosaline about the process of giving birth, having read multiple books on the matter.

I pitied Xavier for whatever future torture Maria would bestow upon him. Rosaline seemed scarred from whatever pregnancy changes Maria was experiencing.

But along with the birthing process, Maria would discuss more things about sexuality and sex in general. Maria barely had a filter on a good day, but she was holding nothing back now. Poor Rosaline would turn bright red and cover her ears or would squeal and run away.

But I already learned that my woman was not as innocent as she appeared. I shifted uncomfortably as I thought about what she murmured in my ear when she had that damn sleep medicine. It haunted my dreams in the most pleasurable way.

"Xavier is an ass and Maria isn't shy, of course she is going to have some new influences." John chuckled, bringing me back to the conversation instead of picturing Rosaline and I tangled in my sheets.

"Sir, Rodriguez just entered her office. According to her secretary's planner, she has a meeting scheduled with the head of the pipeline in ten minutes." Erik said as he typed something in.

"Well, I guess we need to change that. Jasmine, are you ready?"

"Always, Captain." Jasmine replied from the earpiece.

I let a smirk rest on my lips.

I guess it's time to take down our dear head of EP.

So far, I enjoyed Xavier's plan of poking the bear with a stick. The more we take out the Diablos' assets, the more paranoid the family would become. That would lead to sloppy mistakes or at least a tiny crack in their defenses.

And we will exploit every advantage we could pry loose.

"All right, Erik, lead the director of the pipeline to the correct office and occupy him will you? Also tell him that the deal is off."

Erik adjusted his tie, making sure his suit looked perfect.

"How do I look?" Erik asked in a fake hispanic accent.

"Like an idiot. Now mush! I can see the man from here," John waved dismissively.

Erik rolled his eyes before he attached his fake badge on his jacket, grabbed his suitcase, and got out of the van to catch up to the man. We silently listened to the upcoming conversation through the earpieces and cameras.

"Mr. Sanchez! Mr. Sanchez!" Erik called out, and the director turned wide-eyed as Erik rushed towards him. He offered his hand.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sanchez. I almost arrived late for our appointment. I'm Tobias Rodriguez, I am the brother of the EP and running this deal with you."

Mr. Sanchez shook Erik's hand slowly in confusion. "It is nice to meet you, Mr. Rodriguez, but I thought that I would actually be speaking with your sister to discuss our contract for construction."

"Yes, but unfortunately a matter has come up. I have been updated with my sister's plans and I think this discussion will be better inside. Follow me," Erik gestured toward the doors of the building. They passed through security, who scanned Erik's badge before giving them access. Erik had, of course, made sure that his badge gave him security clearance to the entire building.

Once the two figures disappeared, I knew that we had the director handled.

"Jasmine, you're up. Get to the mark," I said as I saw Sophia Rodriguez walk outside, ready to greet the visitor we diverted away.

"My favorite part," Jasmine purred as she made a beeline to her target. I watched the screen intently as Jasmine worked her magic.

"Good evening, Ms. Rodriguez. My name is James Sanchez, director and engineer for the Northern Pipeline, but you may call me Jamie."

Jasmine wore a dark brown wig, her hair done elegantly. She wore a one-piece business suit. Her makeup created different contours and features on her face, and she spoke in an American accent. You would hardly recognize her.

Rodriguez smiled professionally, though I saw a look of confusion in her eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Jamie. I'm sorry to say that I thought I was going to meet with an arrogant man who would undermine my authority."

Jasmine laughed. "My father wanted a son and got a daughter instead. I understand overbearing men more than anyone. They can't handle a woman being more powerful than them."

Rodriguez smiled more broadly, beginning to relax in Jasmine's presence. She doesn't realize that she's shown a predator a weak spot.

"Why don't we head into my office and complete this deal? I am looking forward to starting business with your company."

The two of them entered the building, making polite chatter.

"Change the cameras to the office, begin recording the conversation," I ordered to the other tech in the car. He nodded and changed our view.

"This better work." John said, but we both knew it would.

Jasmine knew how to get what she wanted. And she wanted a confession.

The women entered the office and both sat down, Rodriguez behind her desk and Jasmine in front. Sophia immediately started talking about the business transactions when Jasmine interrupted her.

"Ms. Rodriguez, there has been a development in the plans. We may have to bring our pipeline somewhere else. I've received a phone call from Arms and Protection– Campbell is actually a friend of mine that I see on occasion."

Sophia sat up straighter. "Oh? I wasn't aware of your connection with him. How do you know him?"

She was testing the waters, trying to see how much Jasmine knew or if she was even involved.

"Campbell and I have known each other for years, working on multiple projects together. We have a lot of different transactions and deals together, specifically for Sunshine Enterprises."

At the name of the fake corporation, Sophia's eyes flashed.

"I see. Tell me, what new changes have happened to this deal?"

Jasmine sent her a convincing smile.

"Campbell doesn't feel that you are covering your tracks well. He thinks there is a leak somewhere and that the people will notice that something is wrong. He wants you to have the people support the pipeline or he will cut you off from your other accounts."

Sophia gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"And how do I possibly do that? I am already hiding the paperwork, bribing lawyers to delay new cases against me, and ruining my image for a lot of environmentalists. There is only so much you can do!"

"Why are you worried? That you won't be re-elected? You know that won't be an issue," Jasmine taunted.

She was right, though. Since Sophia was connected to the Diablos, elections would never be an issue. She would always be elected if she continued to run for the position. It didn't matter what image Sophia had, she would get it and Sophia knew it. "Fix the issue or your accounts will somehow disappear– your choice."

Sophia's face turned red.

"And how am I supposed to do that? Are you and Campbell going to leave me with my personal resources? I have my own type of trees growing in those accounts and I would like to keep them."

Jasmine leaned forward, tapping her long acrylics on the desk.

"And that's why I am here, Ms. Rodriguez. With me as the head of the pipeline, Campbell has sent me to help you get this under control. Now would you like my advice, woman to woman?" Jasmine said in a sultry voice, knowing that the mark was falling right into her trap.

In the van, we listened to Sophia's plans and strategies, how she would convince the public and keep families and other lawmakers silent in the matter. I smiled.

We got her.