I had this in my head since the finale. Just getting it on paper now.
DISCLAIMER: Wow, I could not own this in a million years. The show is far too clever.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea."
Lisbon glared at the officer. "I'm his boss. I need to talk to him."
"Exactly. He was on a job that you were coordinating when he killed another human being in cold blood. I'm not sure you should be allowed contact with him."
"Oh, for God's sakes," Lisbon said. "He's in a room handcuffed to a chair. The room more than likely has microphones and cameras. It's not like I could be helping him escape or anything."
"That is not our concern," said the man. "There is a certain protocol involved…."
"Then you can take it up with my boss," Lisbon said. She marched around him and down the hall, feeling her breath coming shorter. Her shoulder still hurt from the bullet, although it had been removed already. Her time in the hospital had been spent thinking about how messed up everything was now.
Van Pelt had taken the week off to spend with her family, understandably crushed over Craig's betrayal. Rigsby was spending an awful large amount of time with Cho, although Lisbon didn't find that oddly unusual, there'd always been a bit of a man crush on the former's part. If anything, she found it wildly amusing.
But the man crush, the fiancé betrayer, all of that was nothing compared to what had happened with Jane. Jane had shot a man three times in the chest and stomach in a public place, and then sat down and asked for the check like nothing had happened. That was all she knew, and she also knew that was a trait of the most horrific of killers – the inability to show remorse. What was worse is that Lisbon knew that he didn't have any remorse to show, in his eyes, justice had finally been done.
But oh God, why did he have to handle it this way? She remembered telling him two years ago that when they caught Red John, they would arrest him, bring him in, and have him stand trial like any citizen. Jane had said no, when he caught Red John, he was going to cut him open and watch him die. Lisbon could still hear his words ringing in her ears as if he was beside her now, speaking them as he had before.
"You're an idiot," she said under her breath although she knew he couldn't hear her.
Ahead of her was the door, the door that he was behind. Lisbon stopped and took in a long, slow breath, trying to be rid of what she was sure was a rattled composure. She'd never been able to fully control Jane, but she'd thought they'd gotten to a point where he'd listen to her if the situation ever got really bad. She thought that they respected each other enough for that.
She'd gotten the first hint that she was wrong when he refused to leave her side the night of the bomb. She'd attributed that to the loyalty that they had for each other. He'd shot an accomplice of Red John once to save her life; it wasn't beyond him to try and talk the man into helping them disarm the bomb.
She'd been furious, of course, but a small part of her was glad he stayed, only because it had worked out.
But now. There was nothing she could do for him now. She'd try. She knew that Van Pelt, Rigsby, and Cho would, too, and probably Hightower if she was in a position to do so. But he'd killed. In front of a lot of witnesses.
Patrick Jane, the tea loving, smiling man who loved to make her blush just because he could, had murdered another man.
Lisbon threw the door open and stormed inside. He was sitting at the table, his arms behind his back, where he was cuffed to the chair. His smile lit up when he saw her. "Hello, Lisbon, long time no – "
"What is the matter with you?" She snapped, slamming her hands down on the desk, looking him in the eye. "We could have had him! We had his phone records to O'Laughlin, we had security footage of the gun he was carrying, if you'd had notified me…"
"You had a bullet in your shoulder," Jane said calmly.
"Irrelevant! I'm not the only one on the…"
"Lisbon," Jane said quietly.
"No, no, you're not talking!" She said, shaking her head.
"He would have walked."
"What?"
"He'd get away. He probably has a gun permit. He'd find a way out of this, Lisbon. This was the only way. And now I have my revenge."
For some reason, this didn't make Lisbon any angrier. She swallowed hard, her eyes still burning into him but her interior softening. She couldn't fathom how much what Red John did to him had to have hurt, despite her own past, and she knew she couldn't even imagine what it was like to be in his shoes.
But still, he broke the law. And ending another person's life had serious consequences. Lisbon knew this, and normally she'd be suggesting that the killer rot. But those killers were other people, people she didn't know and who she didn't care about. This was Jane. A great advantage on cases, a jokester, a friend.
"God, Jane," she said, surprised at how her voice sounded, all choked up. She looked at him, shaking her head slightly from side to side. "What have you done?"
"Don't cry, Teresa," he said. "Killing Red John was my ambition. It was what kept me living. I can be at peace knowing that the bastard is dead."
"What about the team?" She asked, tears threatening to escape her red eyes. "What about Rigsby? What about Van Pelt? What about Cho? What about me?"
"You'll be fine," Jane said in his best nah voice. "You were fine before I came along. You'll be fine now. And you may have retained some of my great criminal catching tactics."
"That's not what this is about, Jane," Lisbon said.
"I know what it's about. You all love me. You can't live without me."
Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself." She got up to leave.
"Teresa."
She turned. "What?"
"Thank you."
She gave a deep sigh. "For what?"
"You, and the others on the team…you were my family. The only family I have left." He blinked. "I treasure that."
She pressed her lips together and nodded. "I'll tell them."
He gave a slight nod. "Thank you."
They looked at each other a moment longer before Lisbon sighed. "I know each of us enjoyed your company."
He gave a small smile. "I quite enjoyed it myself."
Lisbon sighed again. "Will you be alright?"
He nodded. "Absolutely."
Absolutely. Lisbon bit her lip, looked at him again, and exited the room. She stuck her head back in. "Good – bye."
He nodded in acknowledgement, and then the door between them closed. Lisbon walked away, searching her brain for anything – anything that she and the team could do to help him. At the moment, she could think of nothing. But she had a good team. Hopefully, they'd find a way, but for now, all she could do was wipe the tears from her red eyes and keep on walking.
This was a one – shot. Hopefully next season starts after this would have happened so it can remain somewhat canon, but we'll see how things go!