A/N: Like everybody else I just had to make a tag to epi 7x10. What even was that episode...

Spoilers: Up to and including 7x10 Nothing Gold Can Stay.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mentalist, but I own my love for the show.

In that very moment she felt betrayed. Of course she was empathetic enough to understand his reasons for wanting to leave her. But she couldn't help but feel like a fool, deceived by love. Hoping beyond hope that he was done leaving her. That his selfish acts were behind him. Yet here he was betraying her with a kiss.

Love was compromise. Love was putting your heart on the line. Leaving it out there, open and vulnerable. He might not want to go through losing her, but he wasn't even considering what losing him would mean to her. Couldn't he see that her love for him ran just as deep as his love for her? Or was he still too blinded by his grief? His heart as frail as a shattered cup glued back together.

She might look stronger than him on the outside, made of harder material, but on the inside she was just as fragile. The walls she had built had been for her own protection. But she had lowered her defences, let him behind her guard and now she was paying the price. Two simple words "I'm leaving" went like stones right through her heart of glass. They were enough to shatter it completely, and with her mind also went, her otherwise rational thoughts were turned into mash. And all she was left with was one question - not 'why' or 'was he coming back' or 'was this it' - no all her mind came up with was "Where are you going?" It sounded pathetic and she didn't even know what she was hoping to learn by asking him that. As soon as the words left her mouth she was dreading his answer. Was he going someplace she could follow? Or couldn't follow? Did she want to, even if she could? The possibilities made her head spin.

When was being left by him going to be one time too many? When would her unquenchable and untameable love for him die out? If ever. Where did the line go, or did she have to draw one herself? Stand by and watch him cross it without a chance to return. Would she be able to do that? Their whole relationship had been built on top of second chances. Was she strong enough to tear that foundation down? It shouldn't be this hard. When had love come to be this intense?

They both knew that with great love came the potential of great loss. Fear had kept them apart, and love had brought them back together. It was a graceful dance back and forth, where one false step might ruin the whole routine.

Her feelings were just as valuable as his. He didn't have a monopoly on emotions, neither love nor fear. They were in this together, that was what constituted a relationship after all. And his desire to wanting to work things out, seemed like a hollow promise now, after he'd left her standing there at a lone tree in a graveyard, unshed tears filling her eyes.

She should have seen this coming. She had seen it coming. Had feared it even. Nevertheless she didn't want to believe it. Had given him the benefit of the doubt. He'd said, he couldn't imagine not being with her, not seeing her every day…, and still here he was walking away from her. Sure he'd given her an option, stay here alone or walk away with him. It was an ultimatum, one she didn't much care for. How could she choose one over the other? Somehow he'd found a way to break the synergy between their work and their private life. Distorted a balance it had taken them years to build up.

Love, it was supposed to be beautiful and good, but right at this moment all she felt was betrayed.

A/N: Even in this season of Jisbon Bruno Heller just can't seem to stop trolling, I swear I have a love/hate relationship with that guy.