Crimson Pain
It happened- Red John caught Lisbon. Her team can save her, but Jane comes undone in the aftermath…can Lisbon bring him back? Rated M for adult content. Pretty dark, even a little violent- but do not fear: it will have a happy ending.
Chapter 1
Lisbon tried to be brave and swallowed the tears.
She was icy cold, and the shackles bit into her wrists- Red John taunted her mercilessly and she felt so miserable and desperate that she almost wished to be killed soon.
But he wouldn´t let her die, not yet- first he wanted her to suffer.
"He won´t save you", he whispered into her ear," he feels nothing for you- he won´t even mourn you for a week. He breathed for his beautiful wife- but he won´t have the slightest notion to avenge YOUR death. You´re just a pawn for him, a puppet he can discard when it isn´t needed any longer…and now, agent Lisbon, you´ve just become collateral damage. But be merry, at least he won´t suffer more because you´re gone- poor man, he´s been through so much already…"
Lisbon felt raw and vulnerable. She had always known that Jane didn´t love her, but that Red John used her tender feelings to mock and taunt her hurt tremendously.
He called her ugly, repugnant, ridiculous- surely Jane had no reason to love her, he had only contempt for his boyish, scrupulous team-leader.
His words wormed their way into her mind, until she couldn´t escape them any longer.
She wanted desperately to be of worth to Jane- but she knew she wasn´t. He´d never look at her like he had looked at his beautiful, perfect wife. The wife Red John had taken from him.
Lisbon was small and unimportant, and the truth was: nobody had ever really loved her.
The floor beneath her was moist and dirty, she slept on the naked stone, hurting all over, brooding, dreading, so, so scared…
Red John cut her frequently, only superficial wounds, inflicted by a sharp knife, again and again, just to see her in pain- his greatest pleasure. Blood caked her arms and legs. She wanted the ordeal to end. Why wouldn´t death come for her of its own accord?
Her pent up tears started to fall, wracking sobs shook her tiny body.
Jane had loved Angela so much- losing her had destroyed his life.
Lisbon amused him, but most of all he could manipulate her easily, make her help him with his vendetta. Losing her wouldn´t mean much to him.
Red John was right- she was nothing but a means to an end for Patrick Jane.
She cried herself to an uncomfortable, restless sleep.
xMentalistX
Time blurred in her mind. How long had she been here? Didn´t know.
It was dark, Red John had just hurt her again, the wounds on her legs were still bleeding softly. She felt numb and filled with sorrow at the same time.
Jane. She tried to recall his beautiful face, his angelic smile, his slightly mocking, but oh so warm voice- how much she missed him. How much she wished to see him again.
She shivered in the cold. He would never smile at her again. She would be dead soon. Dead and forgotten.
xMentalistx
Voices- Lisbon heard faint voices, waking up from her peaceless slumber. Harsh voices, nervous, anxious.
Suddenly the door was kicked in, wood splintering- Lisbon shielded her face against whatever came for her, but when she risked a glance she immediately recognized Cho´s deadly calm figure against the backlight.
They had found her.
xMentalistx
Everything diffused into a cloud of noise and light.
Lisbon felt tired and confused, after days in the darkness she could hardly see due to the harsh illumination, she tried to recognize the faces around her, but mostly everything was a blur. Her mind felt bruised, her senses raw.
VanPelt rushed to her side, relief and compassion written on her face, freeing Lisbon´s hands from the shackles. She tried to help her up, but Lisbon couldn´t stand, her legs wouldn´t support her. Finally Rigsby picked her up and carried her to the EMT. Lisbon was ashamed- she hated being weak and dependent, but right now she couldn´t help it.
Nobody noticed Jane, who stood hidden in the shadows, his face darksome and woebegone.
He wouldn´t come close to Lisbon and waited in his car while the EMT checked on her and dressed her wounds.
The team was full of compassion, everybody tried to help her, to be there for her, to show her she wasn´t alone.
But Jane just pulled back.
xMentalistx
And he continued to do so.
Seven days later, Lisbon was back in charge. She needed to work, to hide behind the shield her work provided, so she talked LaRoche into cutting short the dreaded sick-leave.
They still hadn´t caught Red John- he´d long been gone when the team had found her. Lisbon had managed to cope with her disappointment- she had to move forward. They would find him eventually. She didn´t allow herself the shadow of a doubt.
It was Jane who slowly drove her insane.
He was embittered and aggressive, so much that nobody dared to come near him. He refused to talk to her, and if he couldn´t avoid it completely, he stubbornly kept his eyes averted. The rare looks he cast her way were angry, almost hateful- what was the matter with him?
She pondered the situation for hours but found no explanation.
Jane even stopped to lie down on his beloved couch and spent as much time as possible in the attic- utterly alone. He stopped to participate in their cases. He didn´t care for anything anymore.
Lisbon suffered badly.
She longed so much to be close to him, but he pushed her further and further away. She was on autopilot most of the time, not feeling anything, and at the same time being so sad it felt like death.
She couldn´t go on like this. She wanted him back.
What had happened to "her" Patrick Jane?