Things Better Left Untouched

I own nothing but my own ideas.

Takes place just after the crimson hat. Makes reference to ball of fire.

"I love you Libison"

Those four words had made her heart flutter, and sent a shiver through her. Latter when she had looked back on it she wondered why she had felt like that.

It could have been fear. The idea of being shot was terrifying. So was the plan they were about to attempt. It could have been the words, so rarely spoken to her in life. "Good luck. I love you." Simple but rarely spoken. But when it came down to it, it was probably who had spoken the words to her.

Jane. Patrick Jane, the conman. Hidden in a web of lies so deep, he no longer knew what way was up. Jane an annoying, rude, cocky, son of a bitch , who played mind on whoever had the misfortune of meeting him. Jane who never listens, and always got into trouble. Not that he would be punished. Oh no, if he went to far she would be the one in the line of fire. He solved cases in his own way, outrageously. He sent the people he angered to her, and while she apologized for his behavior, he followed no ones rules, respected no ones privacy, and often figured out the case a long time before them, but never said anything.

To add salt to the wound, they probably wouldn't be even half as effective without him. The manipulative bastard.

Her mind grew quiet as it ran over all over all the people he pissed off on a daily basis. With so many people on the list, it was a surprise to her he wasn't dead yet.

'But that's not going to happen" she muttered "Not under my watch"

It was strange how close her team was to her. Closer then her family at any rate. The calm, reliable Cho, who could always be counted on to be reliable, soothed her nerves. Grace was like a sister to her, she could always be counted on to get her ready for a social event. Rigsby could always cheer her up after a case went badly, or Jane had been particularly difficult. She had always been close to Hightower. She swore the woman had been an angel from god , when she shot the woman who had kidnapped Jane, then her. The woman had been named Rachel, but to Lisbon she had been a gatekeeper to her own personal Hell.

Two days after that incident ,she had seen a Red Delicious apple on her desk. Jane had said he was to busy recovering from the cattle prod to get it. But she knew.

After the worst cases she would always find a Red or Golden Delicious apple on her desk. She would bet a gun it wasn't Rigsby , and her life's savings it wasn't Cho. And if it was La'Roche then she was officially a flamingo.

How would they have ever known?...

The words "I love you" in his, Jane's voice, danced in her head strong and clear.

Her heart beat faster and her breathing hitched. She liked Patrick Jane. She wasn't sure how it happened, or even why. The brain is a cruel, cruel, necessity. "Calm down Reece" She told herself. "Deep breaths". The term love was a bit of a strong term for someone who she wanted to strangle every other hour.

He still loves his wife and child. Who have been dead for ten years. That wound wouldn't even begin to heal until he resolved his Red John feud.

And despite her best efforts , Red John would end up dead if Jane got his way.

He couldn't know anyway. She could not, Would not , EVER… tell him. If she told him, she would lose the little control she had over his actions , because he was manipulative like that. She would end up tangled in his web of lies, another victim. She would get fired, not him. Never him.

Finally she got sick of it and decided to ask her.

He told her (in his usual calm fashion) that he didn't remember.

Which could mean one of two things.

He was messing with her head.

She had imagined it.

Both possibilities were frightening she mused, turning into her office.

And stopped short.

Sitting on her desk was a seemingly innocent Red Delicious apple.

"Damn you, you manipulative , egocentric, conniving , Bastard!"

Libson is quite confused. Please read and review!