Notes: • So, the idea of this story wasn't all mine. I was without any ideais to write (or maybe too lazy to think) and then this precious human being called Beatriz came to me and said: "HEY, WHY DON'T YOU WRITE A STORY LIKE THAT AND LIKE THIS..." and I don't need to go on. Her ideia was perfect and here I am.
And of course, this story is dedicated to her. I love you, Bia!
• The guy named "Jake" in this story is my creation. I created him just to have some conection with Volker so I could make the story happen. All the other characters belongs to The Mentalist: Charles Milk, Judge Davis, Judge Manchester, Charles Milk's neighbor who supposedly commited suicide, and, of course, Jane and Lisbon (duh).
• My native language it is not english, so I am so sorry about any mistakes.
That's it. Hope you enjoy!
Based on Days of Wine and Roses (s05e11):
Lisbon: "I've got a hit on Volker. I think I found his enforcer. He's a guy named Charles Milk [...]. There's no way this guy is as smart or as careful as Volker. I can turn him."
Jane: "Excellent police work, Lisbon. I admire your pluck."
Lisbon: "I hear a but."
Jane: "Not but, I'm just a little worried that he's inside your head, and believe me, that's not a good road to go down [...]. I just... I want you to be careful [...]. If you need my help, let me know."
Lisbon didn't know why, but she wanted to cry. It wasn't sadness, it wasn't pity. After she saw that couple and Charles Milk there, with a bullet in their bodies, she went desperate. The first thing that came in her mind was Amanda Shaw and the promise that she failed. She was feeling all guilty and almost without hope. Almost.
Jane looked to the bodies in the floor and looked to Lisbon. One more time he was worried about her. He knew exactly what all this was about. Lisbon was starting to understand what a revenge feeling is and somehow, starting to understand Jane's feelings about the worst tragedy of his life.
– Uh, Lisbon... - Trying to break the tension around them, Jane wanted to say something, trying to calm her down or maybe trying to comfort her. Looking in Lisbon's eyes he saw her hopelessness. He was going to offer his help again because she needed that, but he didn't had time to say anything.
- Jane... – She said with sadness in the eyes. Instantly, Jane looked to her. – I need your help.
A few days have passed since Charles Milk murder. Lisbon worked hard trying to get more information about Volker so she can put that "son of a bitch", as she likes to call him in her mind, in prison. "Mr. Volker" was just a calm and educated way to call him. And of course, she wasn't working alone. Jane was always there for her and consequently, the whole team was already involved.
Time was something she was really avoiding to waste, that's why she came earlier to CBI. Actually, she's always the first one to arrive, but in that day she decided to arrive even earlier. Anyhow, she likes that, being there when no one arrived yet. Except Jane, of course, he sleeps there, she can't avert seeing him there so early. But that isn't something that bothers her. Jane's company is something that makes she feel better and somehow, protected. It wasn't common think about what his company meant to her, but in the moment she opened her door's office and saw Jane there, laying in the couch and sleeping, she stopped for a few seconds to think about it.
She was standing there, still with her hands in the door handle looking to him with a little smile in the face. She would stay there more if he hadn't opened his eyes, waking up. He looked around and sat in the couch, putting both hands in his face and then in his hair, trying to let it tidy.
- Good morning, Lisbon. – He said.
- Good morning, Jane. – She answered gently. – Your couch wasn't comfortable enough for you?
They smiled. – Actually, I just wanted to sleep somewhere closed and the attic was too cold. - He knew that was a rhetorical question but he answered anyway. – ... So, where do we start?
She didn't say, but she was really happy for Jane's initiative in helping her, it was like an incentive, she felt stronger and someway, excited. She was anxious to start working on Volker, with a strange feeling that something huge in that day was going to happen.
That feeling wasn't wrong.
After a lovely cup of tea made by Jane, she sat in front of her desk with a bunch of papers waiting for a reading. Jane was already reading some when she started. In that moment she thought about Van Pelt, realizing how important she was to the team. Without her researches, the cases would never close. Grace was always some kind of inspiration for Lisbon...
- Hmm... – Jane grumbled, with his fingers tapping his chin and with distant eyes. Lisbon looked to him, waiting for a continuation. – Volker is somehow worried, it's obvious. If we find out why, I'm sure it will be easy to catch him. What do we have so far, Lisbon?
- Well, we have Cassie Flood and Amanda Shaw's murder and the possible involvement of Volker Industries in the massacre of that South American village. Volker denies the involvement but Amanda said the opposite to me. The only problem is we don't have enough evidences to accuse him. All we had was Charles Milk and now he's dead. – Again that guilty started to grow inside of her and at the same time, anger.
Jane was still sitting in the couch, he looked to her and recognized her feelings. – You are not guilty in Amanda Shaw's death, Lisbon. You didn't cause her death, okay? There's no reason to you to feel that guilty. – He said, trying to solace her. – Believe me.
Even wanting to believe him, she would never agree. She looked in Amanda's eye and promised everything was going to be alright. She was wrong. – Jane... I promised her something I couldn't keep. I'll never stop feeling guilty. – It was the first time she was talking about that openly with someone, with Jane. – If I hadn't insisted in talking to her, she would be still alive.
He insisted, trying to change her mind. – She wouldn't, Lisbon, she wouldn't. Amanda was close to him and even if you had never seen her he would kill her anyway, just like Charles Milk.
Looking in his eyes, she felt better. Not totally better, but Jane did that guilty feeling go away for a while. For a moment she had a impulsive and weird desire, wanting to hug him and thank him for everything. Thank him for being such a kind person, even with the biggest troubles that he ever caused for her, for the team and for the whole CBI. She loves him, but she just don't confesses that for herself. With Jane is the same thing. They just keep hiding inside what they really feel for each other.
Lisbon was going to say a sincere "thank you" to him when he suddenly got up of the couch. – We have to search Volker's house, or whatever is the place he lives, and his office too. We have to prove Volker is the killer and then find evidences for all the other crimes he did.
- But Jane, we don't have a warrant. It was difficult to convince Judge Manchester to sign the warrant for Milk. A warrant to search Volker's house will be impossible.
- And who said I need a warrant? – He said, almost impatiently.
- Jane, you will not going anywhere without a warrant. – She already had problems enough with Milk's warrant and she didn't want more. Anyway, she knew Jane didn't care, he was going to search the house whether she likes it or not.
They would keep discussing about not having a warrant but Van Pelt entered in Lisbon's office and they stayed quiet, waiting for the news (all the team was already there, working in the Milk's case).
- Boss, I've found something. – Grace said. – I searched for Volker's finances and I've got this. – Saying that, she put a paper with a lot of numbers and names in Lisbon's desk. – All the names are people who work in Volker Industry and their salaries, except this one. – She pointed to a specific name in the paper. – This guy named Jake received from Volker a good quantity of money, a bigger quantity than his employees salaries. And the money has been given in the same day of the supposed suicide of that woman who was one of the Charles Milk's neighbors. The same quantity of money it's in Charles bank account, received in the exactly same day. – Grace was proud of herself. She felt like that was something really important and everything was going to change because of her good work.
And she wasn't wrong.
- Great work, Van Pelt. – Lisbon was really proud of Grace, as always. - I'll show this to Judge Davis and make her give me a warrant to this Jake guy, I want to surprise him. Tell Cho to meet me in Jake's house. You and Rigsby search Charles Milk's house and see if you can find something, take Jane with you.
- Ok, boss. – And Grace left the office, almost jumping of happiness because when Lisbon send her out to do some job, it means she had done a really great job.
- Meeh, warrant. – Jane said, almost whispering.
Lisbon looked quickly to Jane. – Don't do anything stupid without a warrant and do go anywhere. – She said authoritarian.
- I wonder what makes you think I will do something like that. – Jane said, ironically.
Lisbon hold a smile and walked away of her office. – Anywhere. Did you hear me? – She said loud.
- Loud and clear. – He answered.
Van Pelt, Rigsby and Jane were in the car. Rigsby was driving and almost arriving in their destination when Jane said him to stop the car. He said there was nothing to find in Mik's house, and gave an excuse, saying he was hungry. But of course he wasn't hungry at all, he was going to Volker's house. He got the adress with that bunch of papers in Lisbon's desk earlier. From where he was, the house wasn't too far, so it took just a few minutes to him to get there.
It was a big house, but not so big. Volker was smart, he didn't like to call so much attention. And if it was a big house, probably maids or butlers could be there so Jane wouldn't risk and go by himself. But that wasn't the case.
With a little piece of metal he opened the door, entered and started searching. Before saying to Lisbon about searching Volker's house, for a moment Jane thought he wouldn't find anything there, because was just too obvious. But with Charles Milk dead, the police would focus in everything that belonged to Charles and forget about Volker. And that was exactly Tommy Volker's plan. But, of course, Jane figured out.
He looked for everything: guns, dirty clothes, evidences. But as he already knew, Volker was was a smart guy. The last thing he checked was the computer. For his surprise there wasn't any passwords, but nothing in the computer was helpfull. Jane was almost turning it off and leaving the house when something like a message appeared in the screen. He looked for that for a few seconds. It was looking like an urgent and important message addressed to a personal mail of Volker. He opened and read. After reading, everything went clear to him. Quickly, he turned the computer off and ran away from the house. A scared and worried look was in his face. Taking the phone in the pocket, he made a call.
Lisbon was having a huge difficulty to get a warrant with Judge Davis, almost getting impatient. After give to her all the evidences and what Van Pelt had found, the judge took a deep breath and said a surly "I'll see what I can do for you" and got out of the office. Lisbon, alone in the office, tried to calm herself. "You can do it, Lisbon", she kept thinking. Everything was silent when her phone started ringing. She picked up, seeing Jane call and his picture. "I hope you didn't get in any trouble", she thought, answering the phone.
- Jane? – She said.
- Lisbon, where are you? – Jane said, desperate.
She realized the scary tone in his voice.
– Uh... I-I'm in judge Davis office. She said it was going to see what she can do for me. She should be back soon. Why, what happened?
- Lisbon, listen to me. You have to get out of there now. I went to Volker's house and looked in his computer. He received a message a few minutes ago from this judge Davis telling him everything you said to her. She is who informed him about everything and she said she was going to "do something about you". Now, get out of there, please. – He was still desperate. He stopped running while making the call but couldn't stop walking to a side to other, nervous.
Lisbon started walking quickly to the door's office. She couldn't believe what she just heard from Jane. – Ok, Jane. I-I'm walking away now. – She said quietly.
Jane stayed in the line. Somehow he needed to be sure if Lisbon would be ok. And Lisbon, she needed to feel Jane with her, even if in the phone. She wanted to face judge Davis but she didn't have any backup and didn't know what that woman was going to do. Carefully, she opened the door and looked through. It was empty, so she started getting out of there.
- Jane, I'm leaving. – She said with a whisper. – Cho is waiting for me in Jake's house, I'll call him. You tell everything to Rigsby and Van Pelt. Let's everyone meet in the CBI, okay?
- Ok. B-But don't torn off, I want to be sure if you will be fine. – He cared a lot about her, more than she had ever imagined. – Lisbon, are you still there?
- Yes, Jane, I'm here. – She said gently. – I'll be fine. – She wasn't sure if she was really going to be fine, but she said that trying to calm him.
After she said that, Jane heard a weird noise coming from the phone. A noise like something hitting in the floor. – Lisbon, are you there? – She didn't answer. – Lisbon?! – He said almost yelling.
Judge Davis was standing there, looking to Lisbon with a evil smile in the face. She just hit Lisbon's head with a small and heavy object, making her pass out.
The call has been turned off. Jane went more desperate and tried to call her again. Nothing. He quickly called to Cho and said everything, asking for help. Cho didn't take a long time to take Jane and together, they went to judge Davis office. No one was there. Jane tried to call Lisbon again, but he didn't get any answer. The last thing he wanted in his life was Lisbon getting hurt. She was the closest person he had, someone he trust, someone who was his friend. Actually, more than a friend. He didn't know where she was, she could be anywhere. For a moment he didn't even know if she was still alive. For a second he almost cried. She was the best person in his life after his family murder. He finally has realized he was in love with her and he didn't want to lose her.
The team went back to the CBI building to decide what to do. All of them was very concerned about Lisbon and they wanted to find her sooner as possible.
- Volker is the one behind all of this. – Jane was saying. – We have to go after him. Is the only way to find Lisbon.
- Van Pelt and I already went his office, he's not there and no one knows where he is. – Rigsby said.
- We don't have anything and sit here and wait won't help. – Jane said. – Grace, try to find, somehow, Davis and Volker's location by their phones. Rigsby and Cho, go look in Davis house. I'll go back to Volker's house and see what I can find. – He knew searching in that places wouldn't resolve anything, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. He tried to call her one more time.
Lisbon was waking up. It took a few seconds for her to remember and understand what was happening. She tried to move but then realized she was trapped. Her arms was behind her and tied in. She was sitting in a chair, inside of a room. It looked like some kind of hotel. There was a window in the wall in front of her and she recognized the place. After a few minutes, Volker entered in the room. She put all the strenght she had in her arms trying to free herself, but she was too weak for that. Seeing Volker's face made her feel angry. The same anger she felt when she saw what he had done to Amanda Shaw.
- Welcome back, Teresa. – He said with a malefic smile. – You were this close to catch me, huh?
- You son of a bitch. – Lisbon said.
He smiled again.
Her phone and her gun was over a table, in the right. She looked to her things, like hoping that somehow she could take it and try to do something.
- I wouldn't try if I were you. – He said, threatening.
Before she could say anything, her phone started ringing. Her heart started beating faster. "Jane", she thought, closing her eyes, holding the tears.
- This guy don't stop calling you. You both are totally in love, aren't you? – He laughed after saying that and took her phone. – Good to know. Tell him you are ok. Oh, and enjoy it! It will be the last time you will hear his voice. But don't try telling him your location or he will listen when I shoot you.
She couldn't hold the tears anymore. She was hopeless.
Volker answered the call and approached the phone to her face. – Hello? – She said, still crying and trying to not demonstrate that in her voice.
Jane's heart started beating faster. – Lisbon!... Lisbon, where are you? Are you okay? – He said.
Listening to his voice made her feel a little bit calm. - Y-Yes, Jane, I-I am. I was just going outside of Davis office and my phone stopped working, I'm sorry... – Volker was smiling once again to her. – I'm going to Jake's house now, okay?
Jane wasn't fool. He realized she was crying and she was in danger. But Lisbon did a smart play. Saying the words "outside" and "Jake's house" she said with a different tone, like showing to him that those words were important and somehow would help him to find her.
- Ok... I'll see you later, then. – He said with certainty and conviction.
Volker turned the phone off, still with a malefic smile and placed an adhesive tape in her mouth. – Enjoy the last minutes of your life, Teresa. – Saying that, he walked away from the room.
She was feeling pain and started praying, closing her eyes, hoping that Jane understood what tried to say.
"Outside". "Jake's house". He thought. "You tried to say your location to me, right?". Jane took his phone and called to Van Pelt. He asked her about Jake's house and she said the guy used to live not in a house or an apartment, but in a hotel. Jane didn't need anything else. He turned the phone off and started driving his car. Lisbon was in a hotel outside of the town. There was only one hotel possible and he knew how to get there. He immediately called Cho and told him to go to that location.
Jane arrived in the hotel and didn't want to wait for Cho and the others, he was desperate to see Lisbon's face again and save her. Asking to the employees there and saying he was with the police, it wasn't too hard to find out the number of the room. He ran through the stairs, not wanting to waste time waiting for the elevator. Entering quickly in the room, there he was. Volker, sitting in a couch, with a gun in his hands.
Volker was surprised with Jane there. He wasn't expecting him and didn't understand how he got there but he knew Jane was smart enough.
- Well, well, well. – He said. – I confess, I'm surprised. – He looked to Jane, raising from the couch.
- Where's Lisbon?! – Jane yelled.
- Your girlfriend? – Volker said, smiling. - Why don't you try to find out by yourself? You already did a great job finding me.
Jane was too impatient to wait. Forgetting, or maybe just not caring about the gun, he ran inside of a room on his left. He saw Lisbon sitting there, tied, with pain and scared, but alive. A huge relief ruled in his heart and Lisbon started crying again seeing Jane there. He came for her. He came to save her and she was happy for that.
Volker entered in the room and pointed his gun to Jane, who apace turned around to face the gun, with fury overflowing in the eyes.
- Leave her alone. – Jane said almost begging.
Again Volker laughed. – That's not an option. This is just between me and her, right, Teresa? So why don't you just let her alone in her personal revenge?... Oh! Because you are in love with her too! You know what? All of this is making me feel emotional. I already wait for the news tomorrow: boyfriend dies trying to save the girlfriend. This is touching.
Of course Volker was just trying to provoke Jane saying those things, but he wasn't wrong about Jane being in love with Lisbon and vise versa.
A lot of things was passing through Jane's mind in that moment. He was looking for something to do, something to distract Volker so he could get the gun from him. But nothing came to his mind, all he could do was keep talking with Volker to have more time to think.
- Irritate me won't mask your defeat. Even if you kill us, they will catch you. It's over. – Jane affirmed.
- No, it's not. – Volker answered. But he knew Jane was right. Even him didn't believe in what he just said.
- Oh, c'mon... We already know about judge Davis. You went so desperate when Lisbon was close enough to catch you that you killed Charles Milk. You got nothing but you keep lying to yourself. – While saying that, Jane had an idea. It was a silly and desperate idea, but he just couldn't think in anything more. – Stop it. You will just make things wors-
Jane stopped talking suddenly. He started looking to the corner of the room, scared. Of course he was just doing that to distract Volker. And it worked. Volker looked to the corner where Jane was looking and immediatly Jane kicked him in the hand and the gun flew from his hands and then fell in the floor. That wasn't enough. After doing that, Jane punched him in the face. Volker walked two steps back, putting both hands in the face.
Unfortunately, Jane wasn't so good with fights, and Volker retaliated the punch in the face, he was stronger and easily made Jane fall in the floor and started kicking him.
Lisbon tried again to free herself, but she knew she couldn't do it. Again she cried. Cried for Jane. The little happiness she felt when he appeared there was gone. The only thing she was capable to do was pray. And she did. With all her faith and heart, she prayed. Just like Jane, the last thing she wanted in life was him getting hurt. Jane was the closest person she had. She would say his brother was, but Jane was different. Jane was always there for here. And in that moment, he was there, fighting, suffering, just to protect Lisbon.
Looked like Volker would never stop hitting and hurting Jane. But just looked like.
Volker reached his gun and took it, pointing to Jane.
Jane with all the strenght he had left got up from the floor and walked a few steps, standing up in front of Lisbon, staring Volker, protecting the woman he loves. And she, she just wanted all of this to end to hug him tight and thank him and say that she loves him.
- Nice try. – Volker said. He was going to pull the trigger.
Jane closed his eyes. "That's it", he thought. "I tried, Lisbon".
- I'm sorry, Lisbon. – Jane said, disappointed with himself for not being successful in protecting Lisbon.
Lisbon closed her eyes too. She didn't want to see that scene. She didn't want to be there. She didn't want to lose him.
A shot.
Lisbon screamed behind the adhesive tape in her mouth, producing a stuffy sound. She didn't want to open the eyes. Her tears was all over her angelic face. "Why, Jane? Why did you have to go?".
And then, she felt two hands touching her face. Two trembling, but soft hands. She opened her eyes. It was Jane's hands.
Volker was down in the floor with a bullet in his leg. Cho was there, going to arrest him. "Cho!", she thought. The happiness she felt in seeing him and seeing Jane alive just made her cry again.
Cho walked away from the room, carrying Volker with him.
Jane started pulling the ropes that tied her hands and then started removing the adhesive tape slowly. They looked in each other's eyes deeply. The desire of giving him a hug and telling him all her feelings came up again. Jane needed the same thing. But a hug wasn't enough. They wanted more than that. For something like an impulse, they kissed. Jane slid his hands throught her hair and she just left her hands on his chest.
After a long kiss, they hugged. A tight, warm and comfortable hug. They cried. Cried of happiness and relief. Cried because they finally could be together after all that happened.
A few days have passed since what happened with Volker. Lisbon came earlier to the CBI. But this time she didn't decided to do that because of some work. She was there soon because of Jane. She wanted to be with him. And in the moment she opened her door's office, she saw him there, sleeping in the couch. "Typical", she thought with a smile in her face.
Hitting lightly in his nose, she made him wake up. He sat in the couch so she could sit next to him.
- Good morning, Lisbon. – He said, putting his arm through her shoulders with that large smile in his face.
- Good morning, Jane. – She said, smiling and Jane gave her kiss in the cheek.
She never saw Jane so happy like that. He was always smiling but never demonstrating happiness. But in that moment, she saw right through him, he was really happy. "Thank you, Jane", she thought. "Someday I'll just help and save you of your revenge too. Now, I can understand you better". Lisbon was truly happy as well, and from that moment, she was prepared to do whatever she could do to help Jane. "Someday."