GASP! Inspiration has finally struck me out of this stupid writer's block I've been in. I'm tres excited for this story.

I do not own The Mentalist, which is probably a good thing. For I am not as awesome as Bruno Heller.

Oh, and I apologize for this chapter being short, it'll all be worth it though! Reviews are always wonderful!

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Ch. 1 – Rookie Killing

Another dead body. Another bloody smiley face.

Hardly anything could seem pleasant at 5:30 in the morning. The smell of stale urine and fresh blood did very little to improve such a rude awakening.

The team received a call from a random man, alerting them to a murder in a parking lot in Sacramento. The call ended abruptly with a scream, and Lisbon's team was immediately notified. Everyone rushed out of bed, knowing they had no time for a shower or any other conveniences. The man could still be alive, only they couldn't find him.

Even in the open space of the parking lot, Jane felt the walls starts to close in on him. The woman looked almost exactly like his wife. Jane stared at the dead woman's body without blinking, as if he was willing her to come back to life to give him answers. The rest of the team had separated, looking for the missing man in and under every car and crevice.

Lisbon ran back to the woman's body when the coroner arrived, hurrying the sluggish man to give her answers.

"This woman couldn't have been dead longer than thirty minutes." The coroner explained.

Immediately, Lisbon pulled out her phone, ordering a perimeter around the parking lot.

Jane had barely moved, his gaze was still fixated on the woman's body. Lisbon grasped his forearm and looked at him with concern.

"Jane, are you okay?"

He didn't respond.

"Come on, Jane. Let's get you some fresh air."

"Okay." He finally snapped out of his stupor.

Just as they started walking towards the exit, three gunshots echoed from the second floor of the garage. Instinctively, Lisbon pushed Jane away as she rushed toward the source of the piercing sounds. Jane disregarded her nonverbal command and followed her as quickly as he could.

A local police officer who was helping with the search stood shaking in place. His gun was still drawn, and a look of horror was spread across his face. He hadn't been in the police long, Lisbon could tell. She walked to him slowly, lightly pushing his arms down so that he would lower his weapon. But his terrified eyes were still glued to the hooded man who was slumped over the body of another man.

"What happened?" Lisbon demanded, trying to keep her voice as soft as possible. But she needed answers.

"I-I-I just heard shuffling. I turned the corner, and... and that hooded man came after me wielding a knife! I didn't mean to kill him, I swear."

"It's okay, it was self defense. Just calm down."

Jane arrived with the rest of the team. They all stared in confused horror as the hooded man, and the bloody knife that was next to him. It couldn't be that easy. It couldn't be him, could it?