On the day of the one year anniversary of Jane's disappearance Lisbon arrived at work, went into her office and saw that something wasn't as she'd left it. An unmarked envelop had in the course of the night appeared on her desk. In the past year she'd gotten used to things being normal again, no more schemes and tricks, no more surprises. She went over to her desk, put her briefcase down, scooped up the envelope and studied it. She didn't think anything more of it and so she found the crease with her index finger and tore it open. Peaked inside then turned it upside down and shook it a bit, with the result that a single sheet of white paper fell out and landed on her desk. At first glance it looked to be blank, but a closer examination revealed that there was something on the other side, the side facing the table. She lifted it up, turned it, looked at it, then released it and let it fall back down. Two lonely words were staring back at her. "I'M SORRY". She didn't have to be a psychic to figure out who that was from. There was only ever one person that owned her an - by now long overdue and major - apology. Patrick Jane. If he thought those two words on a piece of paper was even nearly enough as a genuine apology, he didn't know her at all.

Even after one year it still hurt to think about him. Not only had he betrayed her, by going behind her back, not telling her what he was doing, or that he even had a promising or good lead on Red John and his whereabouts, he'd also betrayed her trust in him, he'd killed a man, and not only that he hadn't had the decency to stay and take responsibility for his actions, he'd fled like a criminal. Running and hiding was all he was ever good at. She hadn't been able to track him down, because he didn't want to be found. So she'd let it be, because it wasn't like he officially was a murder suspect. If he'd thought she would be looking for him, he'd have to think again. As much as her heart wanted her to - so she could make sure he was okay - her brain told her he wasn't worth it. In the end he'd conned her one time too many, and with fatal consequences at least for one person she knew of.

No, she wouldn't acknowledge the note, and she definitely wouldn't forgive him. Ever! He'd done what he'd set out to do, kill the man that killed his family, and she had merely been a tool, not unlike Red John's minions, she'd been a means to an end for him. Nothing more. And it hurt her to admit it. To admit to herself that she'd been wrong, that it wasn't light she'd seen in his eyes, to admit that she couldn't save him from the darkness inside of him. The darkness that she unknowingly had allowed to fester and take hold of him clouding any sound judgment he had left. She should have done something, done more. The thoughts made the anger she held in everyday well up and she fiercely snatched up the note and forcefully crumbled it into a small ball and then threw it into the trash.

Then she closed her eyes and took a calming breath. The man had the power to be irksome even in his absence, or maybe it was especially in his absence. She needed to move on, to move past this. She sat down and got started on the day's work. And by the end of the day the note and Jane was forgotten.

xXx

When the trash was emptied by the cleaning personnel at the early hours of the following morning, the note that originally only had contained two words was now a whole letter. It had been lying next to a used earl grey teabag most of the day and had for that reason received two things. First of all the white paper was now stained brownish yellow, but the residing warmth from the teabag had also magically made a whole bunch of meticulous letters appear. Letters that made up words, and words that made up sentences. Sentences of guilt, love, apologies, and promises. Sentences that fate would have it, never would be read by the person it was intended to.

For the briefest of moments however it seemed that luck might prevail. When the cleaning staff emptied the waste bin into his container it fell next to it. Unfortunately it didn't go unnoticed, and for the cleaner who picked it up it held no meaning, for him it was just another piece of paper in his daily routine that tried to make an evasive action, but to no end. Because he was a man that took pride in his job and always left a room spotless - he could have easily gotten a job as a crime scene cleanup guy. But this was the cards life had dealt him and he was satisfied doing it. Besides everything eventually returned to the place from where it came, both objects and people, and he saw himself as a mediator in that process. So a little piece of paper trying to assert itself by hoping to get overlooked didn't stand a chance. It was easily spotted by the man, picked up and thrown into a black hole from which it would never again see the light of day.

A/N: You don't have to tell me, I already know, I suck at endings!

So I'm currently doing a rewatch of '24' and this little piece popped into my head, apparently it's an inspiring show. (there was a body in a trunk)

Oh and in case you didn't get it, except for the 'I'm sorry' part the rest of the letter was written with lemon juice, like the smiley on the napkin in 'The Red Barn'.