A/N: So this story is set after the season 4 finale *spoiler alert if you haven't seen it*. Although I suppose if you're obsessed enough with the Mentalist to be reading this you would have seen it by now, probably more than once! Anyways, enjoy! And review! Happy reading…

Bloodsucker

Def. any animal that sucks blood, especially a leech / an extortioner or usurer

Chapter 1

Jane peered through the glass that separated him from the woman. Minutes went by, though they felt like hours. Just staring.

After the past few days, the past few months, he was exhausted. Both emotionally and physically. He'd just been beginning to believe that his plan might work. He was so close. And yet he'd fallen at the final hurdle yet again.

Red John had actually fallen for his false break down, at least enough to send Lorelei to meet with him. All he'd needed to do was prove his allegiance. If only the price had not been so high.

The door swung open behind him, though he didn't even turn his head. His brain was close to exploding with all the activity, the constant thoughts buzzing around inside.

Lisbon stood behind him, unsure of whether to speak or leave him to ponder in silence. He'd been through so much, especially in the last few months. She couldn't believe the extent he had gone to just to get closer to Red John. She had always known his intentions, his hopeful quest for revenge, though she had still deluded herself with the faith that he would change his mind in the end.

The events of the last few days had blown that faint possibility away with a sudden gust that sent shivers down her spine. Finally she was forced to accept the inevitable. There was no stopping him.

Other things played on her mind as she gazed at the back of his head, and at the wavy blonde hair that had been absent for half a year. The fact that he had been perfectly willing to trick her and the team so readily to achieve his aim, never questioning for a second the outcome. Since the day he'd been fired she had not slept peacefully. Not a night had gone by when her dreams weren't filled with his face. For every unanswered call it got worse and worse, robbing her of her days as well as her nights. She would zone out whilst on cases, unable to banish the miserable thoughts. Was he okay? Was he addicted to drugs and alcohol? Depressed? Suicidal? Was he even still alive?

And then finally he'd made contact, just as sane and normal as ever. She hadn't completely gotten over her anger at him for that.

But now, that despair was very real. Sure, he'd tried and failed to catch Red John before. Though somehow this time it was worse. He'd been so close to his goal, so close to finally eliminating the man who had murdered his family. She wasn't sure whether he'd recover from that. Not until he finally killed him, anyway.

Despite all these things, one other kept returning to her thoughts, taking them over completely. It was so small, so trivial. And yet she couldn't ignore it, no matter how hard she tried. She'd tried to blow it off at first, blaming adrenalin, excitement and anticipation on his words. But the more she thought about it the less likely these explanations became. They were just two little words, meaningless really. Or were they? They kept circling around in her mind. 'Love you.' What did he mean?

Suddenly, Jane broke his gaze though the glass, turning to meet her eye. His body slumped slightly with disappointment and exhaustion, his eyes had lost their cheerful spark.

"Jane, we'll get her to speak. She'll be able to tell us who Red John is" Lisbon said confidently, trying to lighten the mood. He had barely spoken since they'd arrived at the CBI. So much had happen in such a short period of time that none of them had really uttered a word, except when interviewing Lorelei.

He simply nodded in reply, though he seemed less than convinced, His eyes focused on his shoes, trying to hide the single tear that ran down his cheek. Lisbon saw it, however, and was shaken. There were often occasions when he was upset, that was understandable. But seeing him cry was not a frequent occurrence. He usually managed to mask his true emotions with a carefree smile, but today he'd allowed them to break though. Lisbon was just praying that this was a one off moment, that the break down he'd pretended to have wouldn't be followed by another one, very real this time.

"Jane, we are going to catch him one day" Lisbon reassured. This earned her a smile, small and unenthusiastic, but it was better than nothing.

"Do you have any ideas that might make her speak?" she asked, turning her attention to the woman behind her, sitting silently with a smirk plastered across her pretty face. Neither of them could really grasp the idea that she had even met Red John, let alone was one of his closest allies. It just proved to them both the extent of Red John's power, that he could gain the allegiance of anyone, men and women, young and old.

"Yes, but you're not going to like it" he replied, finally speaking, though he lacked a certain positivity, a confidence, she had grown so accustomed to. He didn't even seem to gain the pleasure he usually did from ignoring her reluctance towards his questioning techniques.

He swung open the door into the interview room before she had a chance to question him, pacing two lengths of the room then sitting opposite his subject. Lisbon pulled up a seat beside him.

"Hello lover" Lorelei purred seductively, trying her very best to distract him from the issue at hand. She smiled sweetly, innocently, her perfect white teeth glowing. She leant forwards, reaching out and placing her hand on his.

He slipped his hand out from beneath hers, though he never looked away from her face. His expression was stern, unimpressed with her flirting. Lisbon seemed to share his view, glaring icily at her wide eyes.

"Tell us what you know about Red John" ordered Jane, his arms folded across his chest as he leant back in his chair. They never broke eye contact, barely even blinking, both as stubborn as the other.

She smiled again, dropping the charade of innocence and instead seeming unfazed. Her eyes appeared to be laughing at him and his ridiculous questions.

"You really think I'm going to answer that?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and grinning profusely, like a cunning Cheshire cat. "I'm not going to betray him Patrick."

Jane sat up straighter, pulling a small silver coin from his pocket. He twirled it around with the tips of his fingers, allowing it to glint in the light. He moved his hand directly between himself and Lorelei, placing the coin directly in her line of vision.

"You're really gonna try that Patrick? Hypnotism?" she questioned sceptically, shaking her head. "After all these years our friend has done his research on you. He knows everything there is to know about even the tiniest aspects of your life. Including your skill at hypnosis. He's trained me against it. You can try all you like, you're not getting any information out of me."

Lisbon had sat silently throughout the interview, not wanting to intervene. Her look of contempt had remained constant, however, and Lorelei was irritated by it.

"Are you going to try and get something out of me too?" she asked, turning her attention away from Jane for the very first time. "Nothing you can possibly do will change anything. I will not betray Red John."

"You will" Jane spat as he stood up abruptly, leaning across the table, bringing his face as close as he possibly could to hers. "You're going to tell us everything. I will do whatever it takes."

He flung his arm backwards violently, knocking down his chair with a loud clang before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Both women's eyes followed him out, though their faces portrayed very different feelings. One was sympathetic, her face drawn and concerned. The other seemed pleased with his reaction, enjoying every moment of his frustration.

After a full minute, during which time neither had even laid a glance on one another, Lisbon rose and moved towards the door.

"Agent Lisbon" Lorelei called just as she reached out to turn the handle. "You know there was a reason Red John chose me to be Patrick's lover."

"What has that got to do with anything?" Lisbon asked impatiently without turning, unwilling to even look at the girl any longer, let alone speak to her. Her immense hatred for her was irrational, she couldn't even understand it herself. All she knew was another second spent with her was too long.

"He chose me because of you." This gained Lisbon's attention, and she spun around briskly, facing her with a fierce expression that said 'don't try to mess with me'. "You see Agent Lisbon, despite our differences, we bare an uncanny physical resemblance. That's no coincidence." The look on Lisbon's face was venomous, scowling angrily.

"Why are you telling me this?" she growled, wary of her intentions.

"No reason" Lorelei replied with a sly smile, running her fingers through her hair.

Lisbon left the room, locking it carefully behind her, and headed towards the bullpen, trying her best to wipe the frustration from her face. She was annoyed at how easily she'd allowed Lorelei's words to get to her. Red John had trained her well. But she reassured herself with the hope that Jane would be able to crack her defences and get even the tiniest ounce of information out of her.

Her mood was definitely not lightened when, on entering the bullpen, she was greeted by the one person in the world she disliked even more than Lorelei. Except maybe Red John himself.

"Ah, Agent Lisbon. Nice of you to finally join us" Agent Darcy addressed her, though she seemed far from pleased. Her face was serious, irritated.

Van Pelt, Cho and Rigsby were seated at their desks, all three trying desperately to hide their expressions of contempt towards the woman. The only one succeeding was Cho. Granted he'd had much more practice.

Lisbon too had difficulty keeping her face free from the emotions she was feeling. This woman could have cost Jane his life. In fact, Wainwright would still be alive if it weren't for her. The second she thought this she knew she was being unfair. Had their positions been reversed, Lisbon knew full well she would have acted similarly. But that didn't erase her dislike for the woman.

"Yes, Agent Darcy? Is there anything I can do for you?" she queried politely, though through gritted teeth. She didn't bother attempting a smile, knowing it would look false and unnatural.

"Can I speak to you in your office?" Darcy ordered more than asked. She had already begun moving towards the door before Lisbon had the chance to answer. She followed, somewhat reluctantly, closing the door behind them.

"Agent Lisbon, it's time that your actions, as well as the actions of your team, were addressed. I was fine with leaving the matter until you'd had a chance to speak with the girl, but I feel it cannot wait any longer." Darcy informed her the second she'd turned around. They stood facing each other, inches apart. Darcy stood straight, her shoulders back and her head held high, clearly trying to intimidate Lisbon.

"The team were only acting on what I told them to do" Lisbon defended, unwilling to let her friends pay for Jane's reckless plans. Besides, she had needed to convince them, they weren't entirely willing after being kept in the dark about Jane's break down.

"So you're saying you allowed yourself and your team to be led by a mentally unstable individual, influenced by drugs and alcohol and on a revenge mission to kill a serial killer? Is that what you're saying?"

Lisbon had to admit, when she put it like that it did seem rather ridiculous.

"Jane was faking his break down to lure Red John into contacting him. And it worked. He sent that woman to speak with him. Red John was ready to meet with Jane, he just had to prove his faith with a gift."

"And that gift was you?" Darcy asked, though she already knew the answer. "So you fabricated the death of Agent Rigsby and your kidnapping, sending the whole of the CBI, the whole state of California, into a state of panic? Do you understand the seriousness of what you've done? Every single member of your team could have been killed, and not just by Red John, but by the police force too. We sent out orders for your capture, alive or dead. Can you imagine the outroar there would be if agents were killed by police officers and it all turned out to be an elaborate hoax to lure out a serial killer?"

Lisbon remained silent, looking down at her feet in shame. Though she couldn't help but notice that Darcy's concern lay with the public's view of the CBI and FBI rather than whether her team lived or died.

"We cannot have people working in positions of such high responsibility who misuse their authority by going behind the backs of their superiors just to assist a grief-stricken man in his revenge. Which, might I add, involves murder. It doesn't matter how many people Red John has killed, Jane will still be held responsible if he commits murder. He got away with it once, and I will personally make sure he does not get away with it again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes" Lisbon answered quietly, nodding vigorously.

"As a result of Special Agent Wainwright's unfortunate death, I have been appointed your boss for the time being. I therefore have the ability to punish you and your team for the events of the past few days. As of this very moment, you are all suspended until further notice. Jane's status remains the same, he is still fired. None of you are allowed inside the CBI for a minimum of six weeks, when your situation will be re-addressed." Darcy seemed almost out of breath from ranting, though behind her serious, stern expression Lisbon sensed pleasure. It had been clear to her for a while now that Darcy disliked her and the team, especially Jane. Now she finally had a chance to act on that dislike.

"But what about Lorelei?" Lisbon pleaded. After everything the only hope they had was that Lorelei would eventually give in and tell them something about Red John. Would Darcy really take that away from them too?

Apparently she would. "Another team will be assigned to the Red John case, and they will be the ones to interview Lorelei."

"But… Bosco…" Lisbon attempted to warn her about the fate of the last team who took over the Red John case, but was interrupted.

"I know about what happened to Bosco and his team, Agent Lisbon. Precautions will be put into place to prevent a similar event taking place again. They will be well aware of the dangers, and will proceed accordingly. Nothing you say or do will change my mind, Agent Lisbon. It's time for you to go and tell your team the news" Agent Darcy said. She seemed to be enjoying her superiority.

Lisbon let out an almost inaudible sigh as she opened the door. Just as she was about to leave, Darcy spoke again.

"Oh, and Lisbon. Don't try anything whilst you're suspended. Next time I may not be so lenient. I'm not afraid to fire you." With that she moved past her to the door, marching down the hall to the office that had only yesterday been Wainwright's.

Lisbon returned to the bullpen, here face grim. Her team had been waiting expectantly at their desks, Jane lying with his eyes closed on his couch. He sat up when she walked in, eager to hear the update.

"Well?" Rigsby and Jane asked at the very same moment.

"What did she say?" Van Pelt questioned.

"Agent Darcy has been given Wainwright's job" she said, and immediately the mood changed. Everyone stared at her with looks of shock. Even Cho broke his usual lack of emotion.

"She's suspended all of us, and Jane, you're still fired" Lisbon finished, guilt and regret etched on her face.

She was met with stunned silence. They had all realised the seriousness of their situation, but none of them had expected this.

"What?" Jane cried, standing up abruptly. "What about her?" he asked, pointing a finger down the hall towards the room where Lorelei was being held.

"Agent Darcy is going to appoint another team to the Red John case. I know, I know" she said, preventing the oncoming avalanche of comments on Bosco and his team. "I tried to warn her, but she said she had it all under control. I don't agree with this any more than you do, but for the moment we just need to put up with it."

Jane stood completely still, unwilling to process the news. He had been working to catch Red John for months, given up everything for it, and it had failed. The only good thing that had happened was Lorelei's arrest. And now even that was being taken away. He was confident he was the only person who would be able to get any information out of her, and even he would have difficulty. There was definitely no way another team would be able to add any helpful new information to the search for Red John.

He stormed out of the room, brushing past Lisbon, shoulders low and head down. At the end of the corridor he turned cautiously, checking to see if anyone was watching. Once he'd confirmed the coast was clear, he pulled out the key that he'd slipped out of an unknowing Lisbon's pocket and placed it into the lock.

His body was filled with relief when he saw her still sitting there. He'd half expected her to be sprawled, pale and unbreathing, across the table, as so many other of Red John's supporters had ended up after their arrests.

"Hello lover" she murmured quietly. Her seductive tone and glow of defiance had vanished. Instead she seemed worried, unsure. The dire position she was in had finally caught up with her.

"Please Lorelei, just tell me who he is" Jane pleaded.

"Patrick, I can't" she replied. She almost seemed sympathetic. As though she wanted to tell him, but couldn't.

"Just something, anything" he begged, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Her body language changed suddenly, her shoulders loosing their perfect posture. She pulled Jane's hand from her shoulder, holding it tightly as she stared into his eyes.

"You've met before, in person, you just never realised it."