Author's note: Written for the Paint It Red March 2013 Monthly Challenge - prompt: "All the words unspoken".
A Year Ago Today
Little Jesse hadn't woken up crying for once, contenting himself to gurgle in his crib until his father scooped him up and cradled him tenderly in his arms.
As he sat down on the living room couch Jane whispered sweet nothings in the child's ear, relishing the warmth of that little body pressed against his chest. A pained look showed on his face as his mind drifted back to the events of the past year.
Lorelei dying at Red John's hands. He and Lisbon giving in to years of pent-up feelings.
His worst nightmare coming true when the serial killer decided to go after Teresa.
Today was the day. Exactly a year ago he'd found the woman he loved sprawled among bloodstained sheets, her life slowly draining from her veins.
They'd been able to save her somehow. Red John's intention had never been that of taking her life, but rather of doing as much damage as possible without actually killing her.
She'd been lying in a coma ever since, but she was still alive.
What none of them had known back then was that there was a tiny life growing inside of her. A life so stubborn that managed to make it through against all odds.
Seven months and a C-section later, Jesse David Jane was born. His father was weeping as he held him for the first time, joy and sorrow inextricably mingled in his heart.
Red John was still lurking in the background, and the doctors couldn't tell whether Lisbon was ever going to wake up.
However, he had a son now. And there was no way he was going to forsake him this time.
His lips brushed over the baby's soft curls, dark as his mother's, and a lone tear ran down his cheek.
It wasn't fair that Teresa didn't even know she'd had a child.