living with the witness
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Jensen is knee deep in the case when Jared is released from the hospital four days later; the kid is refusing to talk. And Chris has given order to have him picked up, obviously thinking the vandals couldn’t kill him when he was in jail. Later that night Chris and Jensen go to a bar to unwind after a busy day.
“We have a serious problem, Jen,” Chris says as they are sitting down on the bar stool ordering a beer.
Jensen frowns and looks over at Chris guessing what the other man is talking about, “With Padalecki?”
They’re both out of their working clothes, but it was a known cops hang out place so almost everyone knew they were cops. But even cops needed to unwind. And Jensen knows it a place where other people didn’t listen into their conversation.
“Yeah,” Chris shifts so he’s closer to Jensen, “Look, he saw or heard something alright. Something heavy, something to do with the four robberies and the one murder you’re investigating. He’s just,” Chris wipes a hand over his face, “not talking.”
Like Jensen didn’t know this already. Jensen has been working his ass off on this case and Chris damn well knew it. He wants to ask Chris why and how and why the fuck not but he remains silent, lifting his eyebrows in question.
“There are some people after him which makes me suspicious. Also the kid keeps dropping hints that we might have a leak, so I’ve been keeping things on the down low. But Jensen, I trust you. And with the experience you have from the LAPD I think it would be best you lead this investigation.”
Jensen nods, it sounds logical. He also knew that with him being new to the squad he should be suspect Number One for the leak. Chris is only telling him this because they are friends and Chris trusts him. Which might be a stupid thing to do, but Chris is right, Jensen is the best man for this job. Also this is already his case, even before Jared got involved.
“Also I need you to look after Padalecki. Take him to your house and keep him safe.”
Jensen looks up at Chris so fast he fears whiplash, “What the fuck? No way, Chris! No fucking way!”
This was unorthodox, taking a criminal home. On the other hand, Jensen suspected that Chris really wanted this on the down low, so no safe house. Hell, if Jensen would have to guess he didn’t think Jared would even take the safe house.
“But why, Chris? He isn’t any safer with me than he is at his own house and you know it. Besides, it might be a bit suspicious if I suddenly took him in, right?”
Chris nods, “I know, I just can’t think of anything else. Maybe you can use the fact that your moms knew each other?”
“Doubt it would work, everybody knows everybody in this town”
Chris’s mouth tightens and he glares at Jensen, “I trust you because you’re my friend, Jensen. This however, isn’t me suggesting this as your friend. This is me telling you as your supervisor. Shut the fuck up and do it.” With that he walks away.
Jensen sighs, knowing this is a done deal and he is taking Jared home tomorrow.
***
Jared is quiet; it’s the first thing Jensen noticed. A week has passed by with Jared living with Jensen and the guy has hardly said two words. It’s strange, Jensen thinks, because whenever Jared was in the jail cell he would talk Jensen’s ears off. Of course this time he’s in some serious deep shit. Jensen figures that it might be a first for Jared.
Jensen also notices that Jared doesn’t have many things with him. Jensen doesn’t know if it is because Jared didn’t want to take a lot with him or the fact that he didn’t own a lot. Jensen suspected the latter.
They make Jared wear a detection device around his ankle. It is made so that if he goes too far from Jensen or the house an alarm goes off and they kind find him via GPS.
He had been given free range from Chris, so he could do whatever he found necessary. Jensen, however, didn’t know what to do yet. He was still busy reading everything that was found at the shooting and Chad’s statement.
Jensen is deep in thought, stirring chili when Jared comes into the kitchen.
“Man, that smells good,” Jared mumbles, sitting down at the kitchen table.
Jensen nods, keeping his eyes on the page in his hand. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea, cooking and reading about the case but Jensen was awesome at multi-tasking so he figured he could get away with it.
“What are you reading?”
Jensen is quick in pulling the file away so that Jared can’t see it, “None of your damn business.”
“Oh, police stuff, huh? Great! There go my hopes at making this a slumber party,” Jared says, grinning.
Jensen frowns at him before putting the file away in his safe; he didn’t want those things lying around when Jared was here. Chris didn’t seem to be concerned about the kid but Jensen wasn’t sure yet and he wouldn’t be doing himself any good if the information they had was leaked somewhere.
“You know,” Jared says stirring the chili before getting some plates from the cupboard, “I really have to get used to seeing you out of your police uniform.”
Jensen frowns looking down on himself, he was wearing a green button down and a pair of old jeans. He didn’t think he looked unusual.
“How did you know where the plates were?” Jensen asks looking back at Jared deciding not to react on his comment about Jensen’s clothes.
Jared shrugs, “Lived in a lot of different houses with a lot of different people. Plates are almost always in the top cupboard, closest to the sink.”
Jensen looks at Jared for a long time. He hadn’t taken the time to read Jared’s file, he knew about the break-ins and the fights the kid had been getting into but figured there wasn’t much more to know. He had assumed that Jared lived with his mom his whole life - it seems he was wrong.
He can’t help the startled, “What?”
Jared smiles at him, “I thought for sure you would ask me about the case,” then he continues, ”When my dad died, my mom got arrested and I went from foster home to foster home.”
Jensen frowns, thinking he really should have read the kid’s file. He hated going into a situation unprepared. And right now he felt as if he’d lost all his footing.
“Your mom got arrested?” he made a mental note to read the Padalecki files as soon as possible. Until then he had to make do with what he had, which was a first-hand account from a very unreliable witness.
“Well, yeah, she shot my dad. What did you think would happen?” Jared says like it’s nothing, while spooning the chili onto both plates and putting it down on the table.
Jensen looks at Jared for a while before regaining his composure and sitting down to eat. He doesn’t remember Mr. Padalecki from his childhood memories; it always seemed to be his mom and Mrs. Padalecki. And the way Jared was talking about this, like it was no big deal. Jensen really couldn’t believe Jared had accepted all this. But then again the kid was dealing with the most dangerous criminals so it made sense that he wasn’t at all fazed by this situation. Hell, maybe he’d even killed his fair share of people for all Jensen knows, which, if he had to be honest with himself was nothing.
“You really figured I would try and ask you about the case? Even after you refused to talk to all the other people, including your own lawyer?” Jensen asks, zooming in on something he knew he could handle - talking about the case a little.
Jared lips turn up a little shifting a little in his seat a little before he responds, “Well, maybe you thought our history mattered? There must be a reason why they’re letting me stay with you?”
“Wasn’t my choice,” Jensen mutters before taking a huge bite of chili , “but you must know something, right? I mean there must be a reason why they tried to kill you?” he asks after he finished swallowing.
Jensen had no illusions about Jared opening up to him. Their history meant nothing, it was a long time ago and neither of them really remembered it. But he was curious, he also was the best interrogator back in LA; he’s thinking that could count for something.
“Maybe,” Jared answers, “there is a reason why they want me dead, I can tell you that. Not that I would co-operate with you pigs anyway. I’d rather be dead than a snitch, which I reckon means the same thing at the moment, since the moment I talk, they kill me.”
“How do you know that?”
Jared shrugs, “Seen it happen before, Jensen. I’m not stupid, there is a reason I survived this long. Besides, all you cops are on the take, they just have to figure out your prize. If they haven’t already.”
Jensen feels anger rise inside him, he hates it when someone suggests that he might be corrupt. He hates it even more when colleagues only prove these criminals right when they take a bribe. Jensen wasn’t on the take, there was nothing he wanted that he couldn’t get himself and he liked to keep it that way.
“Then why are you here?” he asks through gritted teeth.
“Officer Kane suggested that I didn’t really have a choice,” Jared says, just as angry.
Jensen looks at him for a moment; it was true Jared was kept here. They made him wear the device but Jensen had thought that it was for his own safety. They could track him just in case the criminals got him. It wasn’t to keep him here. Jensen wasn’t going to tell Jared that just yet though. The kid might not see it yet but he needed the protection right now. If it had to come by force, then so be it.
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