IMPORTANT A/N: This story contains non-graphic, off-page references/insinuations of RAPE. Please do not read if you are under age or disturbed by the subject matter.

This is a repost of an old story from 2010 that will end up being partially rewritten over time as there are areas I honestly don't like.

It's also the last complete story I have from my before time writing for this fandom. ~Calla

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mentalist, receive no compensation for my fics, and no copyright infringements are intended. All rights belong to Bruno Heller and associates for creating this wonderful show.

#

Cramming the last of the plates and boxes into the plastic trash bag and setting it aside, Lisbon wiped the conference table one last time. Satisfied no one would know they'd shattered the no food in the conference room rule, she tossed her rag in the can savoring the silence. She'd sent her team home a half hour ago reassuring them she would happily clean up the mess from their working dinner. Rigsby, Van Pelt, and Cho deserved the break. Everyone was exhausted.

They'd spent the past few hours feverishly ripping apart every detail they knew on the case and reassembling the pieces in every conceivable combination they could think of without success. Even Jane wasn't able to pull a rabbit out of his hat. He'd succeeded in landing a mound of complaints on her desk; but, little else since the case began. They'd constructed victim boards, conducted extensive online searches, and examined every data base known to law enforcement for all fifty states and beyond. They kept drawing a blank and Lisbon didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. There had to be something obvious they were missing. There always was.

She'd decided around one p.m. they'd burned the midnight oil long enough even if the case was a nightmare and their perp straight from the bowels of hell. Demons weren't stopped overnight. Even by her team. Making a judgment call, Lisbon pulled the plug on their think tank overriding the protests of her team. She wanted to stop this monster as much as any of them; but that wasn't happening if they lost their edge. So, she'd sent her guys home in spite of their vocal protests with orders not to reappear before eight. It really didn't matter that everyone knew she would be seated behind her desk long before then.

Dragging the trash bag over by the elevator for the cleaning crew to remove, Lisbon walked back into her office. Opening her file cabinet she carefully stowed the last of the files back in the drawer in an orderly fashion. It made life a lot easier when they were in a crunch like they were now. There wasn't a member of her team who wasn't getting more stressed out with every passing day.

Lisbon decided things really couldn't get any worse at the moment. Though temporary, her life sucked and would continue to do so until this case broke. The higher ups were breathing down their necks and Jane was being a pain in her rear. They hadn't gotten a decent break since the case started and weren't likely to any time soon.

Lisbon shook her head at the thought why was she complaining? She thrived on stress or she'd have gotten rid of a certain golden haired consultant years ago. She might as well put on her big girl panties and accept the truth. It was just business as usual around the CBI. Grabbing her purse and her keys, she took one last look around her office. Satisfied everything was as neat and orderly as it should be; she pulled the door shut and locked it behind her.

"Jane, I'm gone." Her voice echoing through the seemingly deserted building was disconcerting.

Punching the button, Lisbon stepped through the open doors of the elevator without waiting for a response. Her consultant was around somewhere. He'd pulled his disappearing act right after the team left. He'd probably gone off to pick the lock on someone's file cabinet so he could access files that were none of his business. She wouldn't put it past the man and she didn't want to know. Jane could get his kicks any way he pleased as long as he left her out of it.

Exiting the elevator, Lisbon walked across the lobby and out the front door. Thoroughly scanning the parking lot before leaving the building, she made her way to her SUV. Opening the door, she climbed inside flipping the lock. Fastening her seat belt, she pulled onto the highway heading in the direction of her apartment.

Responding to her voice, Jane unfolded from the couch in the attic and rose to his feet. Walking down the stairs he quickly picked the lock on Lisbon's office door and walked inside. Peering through the blinds he waited for his boss to emerge down below. He watched her walk to her vehicle and climb inside pulling the heavy door shut behind her. He knew she'd already locked the door and fastened her seat belt before turning the key in the ignition. Lisbon was nothing if not cautious and safe.

Jane turned away as the SUV pulled onto the highway. Leaving her office, he relocked the door and headed for the elevator. He could now go home to the new condo no one knew he'd bought to pass another restless night. He'd done his duty. He'd seen Lisbon safely on her way. Jane refused to admit exactly how long he'd engaged in his strange little ritual. He'd been doing some form of it since the early days. About the time he'd realized they'd clicked in some inexplicable way he'd deliberately ignored in the many years since.

Exiting the elevator, Jane beat a path to his vehicle. The parking lot was unpleasantly deserted and not welcoming at all. This was one of the things that had prompted him to adopt his protective angel routine. Opening the door to his car, Jane climbed inside, locked the door, turned the key in the ignition, and headed for home. He couldn't shake the unsettling feeling things weren't exactly as they should be.

#

Seeing the familiar supermarket sign looming in the distance, Lisbon suddenly switched lanes and pulled into the lot. Oh, crap, she'd almost forgotten she had to stop by the market. She'd never leave the house without her morning coffee. She might as well pick up cereal and a few other things while she was here. She was so not in the mood to be shopping. A hot shower, a cup of that relaxing tea Jane forced on her that she'd never admit drinking, and her nice warm bed called her name instead.

Exiting the SUV, she scanned the parking lot as she made her way inside the store. It was pushing two o'clock. There was no telling what kind of creepy crawlies were lurking out there in the darkness. Shaking an unease she didn't customarily feel, Lisbon made short work of grabbing juice, coffee, fruit, cereal, peanut butter, and a few other odds and ends. After checking out and leaving the store, she scanned the parking lot one last time before heading for her vehicle.

She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something was off kilter but nothing looked unusual or out of place. Besides, it wasn't like her handgun wasn't within easy grabbing distance. Dumping her three bags and her purse in the floor behind the driver's seat, she pushed the buggy the few feet to the corral before climbing back in the SUV and pulling away. Her spidey senses were having a field day for no good reason. She must be more exhausted than she thought to be seeing shadows where there weren't any. Paying more attention to the road ahead of her than the parking lot behind her, Lisbon never noticed the light colored luxury car exiting the side street behind her.

Pulling into her parking space ten minutes later, she hopped out of the SUV happy she'd arrived home safely. Opening the passenger door, she reached for her bags only to freeze as the unpleasant burning, tingly sensation spread across her body much stronger than she'd ever felt in practice. Incapacitated, Lisbon didn't resist as she was effortlessly dropped into the open trunk off to one side of the silent parking lot with no one the wiser. It was the wee hours of a Tuesday morning. No one in her conservative complex was even awake at this hour. Not even old Lady Sims with her flatulent cat.

As the trunk lid closed, Lisbon caught sight of her assailant and cursed at the thought she was in serious trouble now. She knew the man. She knew him well, though she hadn't seen him in years. For once in her life, Lisbon was geniunely afraid in ways she'd never been. She'd seen the look in his eyes as he'd dumped her so carelessly into the yawning space. If she could move, she'd make the sign of the cross. As it was, Lisbon was already praying for a miracle she never though to receive.

A silent tear rolled unbidden down the curve of her cheek. None of her team would ever see her again. She was as sure of that as she was of her regrets. The main one being she'd never get to save Jane as she'd always intended. That realization hurt more than the loss of her family or her team. Drowning in her thoughts, Lisbon slipped into nothingness as she felt the vehicle roll softly into the night.

#

Somewhere across town, Jane turned his car around in an empty parking lot and headed for Lisbon's place. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling something wasn't right. The sensation had been gnawing at him all evening to the point he couldn't ignore it any more. He'd just swing by her place to make sure everything was okay before heading home. There was nothing wrong with that. It was what any friend would do who was having similar thoughts and feelings. Turning the radio off, Jane forced his mind to go blank as he drove the last few miles in silence.

Swinging into the parking lot, he saw Lisbon's SUV parked in its assigned spot. All of the doors were properly closed and the lights were off. Swinging his eyes towards her apartment, he was reassured to see the den lights on. Jane briefly thought about walking up the stairs, knocking on her door, and inviting himself inside as he'd done several times before: but, he wouldn't. Not tonight when he knew Lisbon was so tired.

Though she'd have allowed it as she always did, Lisbon wouldn't appreciate such thoughtless intrusion. Not when she was driving herself to be back at work at an ungodly hour. She'd be there much too early in his opinion. The woman really needed to take better care of herself though she wouldn't. She was much too driven to be everything she could be.

As he pulled away from the complex confident everything was okay, Jane had no way of knowing the truth. Lisbon had forgotten to turn off her den lights in the midst of her 'running later than she wanted' early morning haste.