I.
It was never nice when Alex Jane got angry, let alone the times he did so while he was drunk.
When his father was done with him Patrick crawled in a dark corner to lick his wounds. Carnie life was nothing short than a living hell, and he was seriously considering the option to flee as far away as he could.
Except that now he had a very special reason to stay. The same reason that showed up only a few minutes later.
"Tell me that your father didn't beat you up again."
"I'm fine, Angie."
"Yeah, I can see."
She helped him to his feet and dragged him to her trailer. There she peeled off his shirt and rubbed some ointment onto his bruised skin.
Her gentle touch on his naked chest had him suddenly overwhelmed. He closed his eyes and let his senses take over his brain.
"I need you. Now."
His hoarse whisper was matched by the sharp intake of her breath. For a moment he thought she was going to kick him out, then she dropped a tentative kiss at the corner of his mouth.
He felt her shiver when his trembling fingers found the buttons of her dress.
After that pain and pleasure mingled, and everything around them faded into a blur.
II.
The night after he was released from the mental facility Patrick Jane found himself knocking at the door of Doctor Miller's apartment. Sophie didn't question his reasons, just gave him one of her soothing smiles and let him in.
She made him tea and sat down beside him on the couch. Her hand rested on his knee, a friendly gesture meant to reassure him about her support.
That wasn't enough for him though. He was aching for the need to feel again, and he needed to burn it off right now.
Sophie protested weakly when his mouth covered her own, but he knew that she would eventually give in. She'd always had a soft spot for him, and he wasn't one of her patients anymore.
He kept his eyes closed the whole time, in a desperate attempt to pretend that the warm body beneath him belonged to someone else. It took him all of his willpower to stop himself from crying his dead wife's name when he found his pleasure at long last.
Not that the woman in his arms was under any illusions about what this really meant to him. She was a shrink after all, and a damned good one too.
III.
Jane was staring at the ceiling of his motel room when a knock came at the door. He half expected it to be Lisbon, and couldn't hide his surprise when he discovered that his unexpected visitor was actually Van Pelt.
"May I come in?" she blurted out, a haunted look on her face.
He nodded and stepped aside. Grace looked really fragile right now, her mind teetering on the brink of insanity after the spectacular crash and burn with Craig.
"How can I help you?"
"Why me?" she asked wildly. "Why does it always be me when one psychopath or another wants to gets closer to you?"
Because it wouldn't work with Lisbon, he thought to himself. Not that he was going to tell her that; she'd already been through a lot after all.
When she sunk onto his bed and started sobbing helplessly, he brushed her hair aside and planted a kiss on her temple. He had intended it in a strictly platonic fashion; but apparently she had quite different ideas about it, and he tumbled down beside her on the bed.
Both of them needed a way to release their frustration; if anything of that kind would work, then so be it.
IV.
That woman was more dangerous than a black mamba. However, he had to admit that was probably one of the reasons why he felt himself drawn towards her, even in spite of his better judgment.
Erica Flynn had killed her husband, and now she was trying to manipulate him in order to escape the punishment she deserved.
Never try to con a conman, that had always been his motto.
And yet he couldn't stop playing along with her dangerous game. She was determined to seduce him, and he was enjoying every second of it.
When she kissed him he felt the irrational urge to act exactly as she expected him to. It wasn't about physical attraction, about needs to fulfill; this was more of a challenge, and he would never step back from one.
Both of them struggled for control and he wondered briefly whether she was going to kill him later on, like female mantises do with their males after mating. He wouldn't mind if someone decided to put an end to his misery after all.
When he woke up Erica was nowhere to be seen. Jane slowly collected his clothes as he braced himself for withstanding Lisbon's rightful wrath.
V.
As he moved over Lorelei's pliant body, he couldn't help but mentally taking his hat off to her master.
Red John knew only too well that his preference was now for feisty brunettes, and had chosen a suitable candidate for the woman that was meant to seduce him. He might as well have some fun in the process, and judging from her moans Lorelei was having her fair share too.
She would lead him straight to his goal, whether she liked it or not; that was all that really mattered.
Jane shifted his hips and buried his face in the crook of her neck. With his eyes safely closed, he could almost pretend that he was with the woman he loved rather than a serial killer's minion.
He wondered if Lisbon would be a boss even in bed, and the thought was enough to rob him of the last remnants of his self-control. Then he had to bit his cheek in order not to call her name under such inappropriate circumstances.
Lorelei seemed pleased enough with their performance, and curled around the limp body of her lover. He kept his eyes tightly shut and hoped that sleep would take over soon.
VI.
Even though the movie that was playing onscreen had been Lisbon's excuse for inviting him in, neither of them was really watching it. There was a reason why she had sought his company, and that was because the Volker case was eventually taking his toll on her.
Jane knew it was rather hypocritical of him, but he'd rather not see someone he cared about obsess over revenge. He'd already wasted almost a decade on such a pointless task, and that was last thing he wanted for Teresa. She surely deserved something better.
Had he been granted one wish right now, he would ask for both Red John and Volker to magically disappear. Then they would be free to go on with their lives at long last.
Absent-mindedly Lisbon laid her head against his shoulder, and he froze in surprise. She almost drew back, before changing her mind and meeting his lips instead.
It was only when her fingers started playing with the buttons of his vest that he finally pulled back. He wouldn't risk their relationship over an ill-advised one-night stand; so he took her hands in his own and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.
Hopefully someday he would put a ring on her finger and take her far away from here. Until then, they simply had to wait.