A/N:Sometimes there are some things you'd just like to see. This is one of those times for me.
Your thoughts??? Could happen like this, couldn't it?

Madeleine's Hightower

Madeleine Hightower looked up from her desk as Patrick Jane knocked and then entered. His demeanor was serious, not his normal languid, knowing smile. "Hello, Mr. Jane. What can I do for you?"

Patrick entered and sat facing her, intently staring at her. The silence extended as he sat, motionless, considering her as if she was an interesting specimen. Finally, he said, "What can you do for me? That's an interesting question." He paused and continued staring at her. "It would seem that you are a bully. You've found that you can get your way and control people by intimidation. It's worked well for you. Most people just don't want the confrontation, and in today's world you've got a couple of things going for you that makes you very politically correct, and I doubt you can do much for me, to answer your original question."

Madeleine visibly controlled her reaction. "How dare you come in here and talk to me like that?"

Patrick held up his hand, interrupting her. "You have to ask a question like that? Didn't you do any of your home work, or are you completely unprepared for this job?"

Visibly taken aback, she took refuge in the techniques that worked so well for her. "You will never speak to me like that again, Mr. You work for me and you will show me the respect that I deserve! Forget that for one moment, and you're history, here. Now, get out of my office."

Patrick smiled and asked sweetly, "Is that so? I'm history. Let me see if I have this right. You are brought in to a very successful investigation team that has one of the highest clearance rates in the state, much of that due to my contribution. You give me a song and dance about how I'm the golden boy and that Lisbon is dispensable and threaten me with her termination. How am I doing so far?"

He held up his hand, again, interrupting her when she started to speak. "Don't bother. I know how I'm doing and let's get something straight: I do not work for you. In fact, I do not work for anyone. On good days, I collaborate with the CBI team and that collaboration earns me a handsome paycheck, which, by the way, I really don't need. I'm not working. I'm passing the time, having fun and serving my own ends. That's some of the homework you should have done." He smiled and waited.

Madeleine glared at him. Patrick grinned as she began to speak through clenched teeth. "Mr. Jane," she hissed, "You will leave this room and be a good little boy or I will break you like a rotten twig. You will never work in this town again. No, you will never work in law enforcement, anywhere, ever again. Now leave, and give me some time to contemplate how I'm going to make your life miserable for the next few weeks while you learn who is the boss around here." She glared, daring him to dispute her.

"My dear Madeleine," Patrick said, leaning back in the chair and putting his ankle on his knee, "I"m not sure you know the meaning of the word miserable. You are about to face one of the most career crushing blows an administrator can suffer. You are about to suffer the total dissolution of the team.

"Lisbon is the head of this team. She always has been and she always will be. She is the leader, and don't you ever forget that. We may butt heads, but I do know who the leader is. I, as you may have guessed, am the brains. Cho, Van Pelt and Rigsby are the workers that actually get things done. They are dedicated, intelligent and very, very effective. Without them very little would actually get closed.

"And you, my dear lady, are about to end all of that. If you think that any of us will allow you to come into our lives and threaten our friends and us, you need to think some more. I do my homework, or do you know that about me? I didn't walk into this room without knowing exactly where this meeting is going.

"If necessary, we can all walk. With them, I'll form a private investigation company that will shine like no other in this state. You, on the other hand, will find your name in the news, and before upper administrative levels that no longer have a CBI team to clear cases. You do know that I can get on national TV at any time I want to, don't you? Consider this and tell me where your career will be."

Jane stared at her. He hunched shoulders, the perspiration on her upper lip and her darting eyes indicated the impact his soliloquy had on her. He stood. "If you want, we can keep this little conversation between us; and you can be a good administrator and administrate, not try to rule. Administrators are necessary. YOU can be necessary. Or it can be the other way."

"It's your call." Jane stood and walked out.

oOOOo