A/N: This is my first crossover. While I know my SG-1 quite well, I'm a Mentalist newbie. Please forgive any mistakes. But since this is AU anyway, I can probably get away with most of it. Plus I am screwing with the SG-1 time line ("Smoke and Mirrors" is Season 6 while "Seth" and "Bane" are Season 3 – if you're not familiar with those episodes this fic might not make much sense I'm afraid). No particular time line for Mentalist other than early in the show. Oh and it's my first slash. Beta read by the lovely ebineez01. A pleasure as always.
Federal Prison, Washington
Jack stared at his visitor for several seconds before he pulled himself together. The man turned to the guard and gave him a wide smile. "I'm sure the cuffs and shackles aren't necessary."
"Colonel O'Neill is a dangerous man, sir. I strongly recommend that they stay in place."
He shrugged and turned back to Jack. "I'm Patrick Jane. I'm supposed to find out if you killed the senator."
Jack heaved a sigh. "Here we go again."
"Did you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Did you kill Senator Kinsey?"
"No, I didn't."
Jane fixed him with a look and held it for a beat. "You're a hard man to read, Jack."
"Don't call me Jack."
"OK, what do you want me to call you?"
Jack rubbed a hand over his face. "Forget it. Jack is fine."
"OK, Jack, you didn't kill the senator. But you'd be capable of it, right?"
"I assume you know my file."
"Yes, anything that wasn't classified. Actually a surprisingly big part of it was classified."
When Jack didn't say anything Jane went on: "OK, so you used to do special operations, you used to be a sniper, and you used to be good. So assuming that your hand is still steady you are capable. And you didn't like the senator very much."
"He was enough of a weasel for me not to mourn him, but I didn't shoot him."
"You claim you were in Minnesota at the time of the crime."
"Yes."
"Alone."
"That was the point."
"You do realize this looks bad."
"No shit!"
"There's evidence against you."
"So I was told."
"Jack, look at me please."
Jane focused on Jack O'Neill like he had done on many others a million times before. He was a hard man to read. Probably trained to withstand all kinds of interrogation methods. Something about him felt odd. Jane was almost sure he was telling the truth, but he was holding something back. Hiding. Actively hiding something. Most probably nothing to do with the case. Or he was playing him. What a challenge.
~o0o~
"He didn't do it."
"You believe him?"
"Come on, that evidence screams 'orchestrated' right in our faces, doesn't it? A man with his record would make damn sure his face wasn't on any security camera, and no way would he dump the weapon in his own pond – let alone allow himself to be seen doing it. No, something doesn't add up here."
"But as it is, his face is on the security tape, and the witness is positive it was him getting rid of the weapon."
"But why would he do it on his own ground? Why drive all the way to Minnesota? No. He's telling the truth. He believes that he didn't do it."
"What are you saying – that he doesn't remember doing it? You think he was – what, hypnotized? Someone wanted him to get caught?"
Jane made a face. "I don't know. The hypnosis theory would make a lot of sense – if it wasn't a former black ops officer we're talking about. I'm pretty sure he was trained to resist hypnosis. I don't think it would have worked - unless it was done by someone he trusts, or there was something else going on, something weakening his defenses, like a drug for example."
~o0o~
California Bureau of Investigation
"Jane, come here! Quick!"
His team was looking at the TV screen, tuned in to the news as usual.
"What? What is -"
Oh. He recognized Jack O'Neill immediately although he was in uniform now. He was standing next to Senator Kinsey.
"So Kinsey isn't dead?"
"Obviously he isn't. And you were right about O'Neill. They're not telling us much, but it looks like it was some super secret plot to get rid of both of them."
Jane noticed Jack had a look of pure disgust on his face, and when the senator turned to him and extended his hand Jack waited that extra second before he shook it. Jane smiled. Those two definitely had history. He was glad he had been right though. He loved being right, and he usually was, but something about Jack O'Neill not being executed for murder felt good on a more personal level.
~o0o~
Jane's house, California
Jane turned Angela's ring on his finger. He hadn't felt like this for a long time. He knew what he needed to do, what he wanted to do, but he felt guilty. Tears were coming to his eyes. "I know you understand," he whispered as he slipped it off.
~o0o~
Stargate Command, Colorado Springs
"A cult whose leader is named Seth, just North of Sacramento. The ATF are investigating him now because they've become so heavily armed and fortified. This guy has about fifty followers, who are all apparently ready to die for him. The CBI are investigating him because a deprogrammed ex-member died before he could testify."
Jack's head snapped up. Daniel looked at him with his brows raised. Jack sighed: "Great. What about the FBI?"
"Not as far as I know."
"Not yet. We need to take over before even more civilian agencies are involved."
~o0o~
Outside Seth's compound, California
Teal'c turned to Jack, covertly indicating the man on a cherry picker: "O'Neill, we are being surveilled."
"Yeah, I saw them. It's probably ATF, maybe CBI."
~o0o~
When they returned from their recon on the compound they were confronted by a group of armed men, their weapons aimed at SG-1. Agent Lisbon stepped forward and addressed Jack: "Lower your weapons. Colonel O'Neill – tell your people to stand down."
"And you are? We got bets. I say ATF, they say CBI."
"State Agent Teresa Lisbon, CBI."
"Damn."
They all lowered their weapons.
"Fine, I'll tell you what. The United States Air Force has not been invited to participate in this operation, therefore you're out of your jurisdiction, therefore I'm ordering you all to leave. Or I'll have you arrested."
Jack stepped forward. "Is there a secure phone here, Agent Lisbon?"
"Yes, why?"
"Can we use it to place one call?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Thank you."
~o0o~
The phone rang and Lisbon answered it.
"Lisbon?"
...
"Yes, Mr President. Yes, sir, I am."
…
"Well, yes, sir, they are here, sir. But…"
...
"With respect, sir, the jurisdictional rules in this case are clear, this is a civilian matter…"
She obviously didn't like what the President was saying.
...
"Are you sure you want to do that, sir? Yes Mr President."
Lisbon went outside to talk to Jack. "Colonel O'Neill? I just got off the phone with the President."
"Of the United States of America? Sweet. How's he doing?"
"He seems to have a thing for you."
"Yeah well, you know."
"In fact he's put you in charge of this operation."
"Excellent."
"You want to tell me why the Air Force cares so much about this cult?"
"I'm sorry, Agent Lisbon. I can't."
~o0o~
"OK everyone listen up, this is where the air force takes over", USAF Colonel Jack O'Neill called as he re-entered the tent with a a few long strides, taking in the scene before him. Far too many civilians from far too many agencies. And a man who hadn't been there before, or else he would have noticed him - surprise evident on his face. Jack took a breath and smiled. "Mr. Jane, nice to see you. I'm sorry to rain on your parade -"
Lisbon cleared her throat. "Actually, colonel, you're raining on my parade."
"Yeah, right. Sorry..."
"The president wants you in charge and that's fine with me, but personally I think Jane could help assessing if Seth is a psychopath who really believes in what he preaches, or a cold blooded egomaniac manipulating his followers."
"We're pretty sure we know the answer to that, ma'am."
"You do?"
"Yeah. We've dealt with - his kind before."
"So you're telling me you don't need us."
"I'd like to meet him", Jane intervened. Obviously he had recovered from the shock.
"What?" Both Lisbon's and Jack's heads turned to Jane. He shrugged.
"Find out if the AF's assessment is correct."
"No."
"Oh come on, Lisbon. It's our case!"
"Not any more."
"What, you're just giving up?"
"Colonel?" Lisbon turned to Jack for help.
"Hm?"
"Could you please tell him that he's not going in there?"
"You're not going in there, Jane."
"Why not? I could -"
Jack just looked at him, and Jane fell silent. "OK OK fine. I'm not going in there."
"Wow, what just happened?" Lisbon raised her eyebrows at Jack. "Can you teach me that?"
"What?"
"How to discipline Patrick Jane with nothing but a look?"
"You got trouble with him?"
Lisbon just rolled her eyes.
"Funny, it never works on my resident civilian."
"Speaking of which – where is Jane?"
"He left, why?"
"I have a bad feeling. He has a tendency to wander off and get himself in trouble. I better find him, he's probably sulking."
She left the tent, too, and a moment later he heard her call Jane's name. She sounded rattled. When Jack stepped out of the tent he froze. Jane was walking down the road to the entrance, his hands in plain sight. "You stupid son of a bitch", Jack growled and made a dash for him, grabbing him by the back of his vest and literally dragging him back at the same moment that one of the guards fired a round of shots in their direction. The moment Jane was safely behind the lines again Jack forced him back against the side of one of the trucks. "What's fucking wrong with you, Jane? You will follow my orders as long as you're here or you are going to wish you were somewhere else. Am I clear?"
Jane swallowed. "Crystal, colonel."
