A/N: No, there's no explanation for the big delay on this story. Seriously. All I can say is that, regarding this story, I suffered a bit of a writer's block. I've had so many versions of this chapter, just unbelievable. I came up with this, I hope it does not disappoint one of you.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.


Jane looked at Charlotte.

She was a beautiful girl. She reminded him of her mother. She had the same blonde hair as him, but of course, the straight hair of her mother. She had cute freckles on her cheeks, under her eyes and on her nose, but not too many, just enough.

She really was a mixture of Angela and him.

He smiled.

"You're beautiful."

"Don't say that, I'm not real," Charlotte said.

"But-"

"No but, okay. Just..." Charlotte stopped talking. She looked down at her lap.

The fatherly instinct kicked in, and Jane rushed to her side. He tried to grab her hand, but forgot that she wasn't actually real. He awkwardly pulled back his hand, and just looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just... Since I passed away, I haven't seen Mamma anymore. I can't seem to find her. I gave up and then I saw you," she said.

Jane closed his eyes, not putting the pain in his eyes on display for her.

"There's a reason for that, but I'm not telling you that."

"Why not?" Charlotte asked.

"Because... Because I don't want you to know, it will hurt you."
"Nothing can hurt me more than you keeping things from me. So please- tell me."

He swallowed, and looked her in the eyes. He saw a clear determination in them. He'd always been interested when he was younger, he still was. He always wanted to know what people thought, what they knew. Even when he knew that weren't happy sappy thoughts. And he saw that exact determination in her eyes.

"The reason that you couldn't find your mother is because... because when you died, she did as well."

She gasped. And he saw the tears already stinging in the corners of her eyes.

"I told you it would hurt you."

-YulianaHenderson-

"Erik Tenny and his wife Liza. Around ten yesterday evening, Erik called the alarm call service because he thought he heard a burglar. Two hours later, neighbors broke in the house because they heard screams, and found the two like this," Van Pelt said, and motioned to two people laying on their bed.

It were two slightly older people, aged around fifty. The man was cuffed to the bed, his arms strapped to each other in a somewhat painful angle. The woman was hanging from the edge of the bed.

Lisbon looked at Jane for a reaction or remark about them, but he kept quiet. She sighed quietly.

"Children?" asked Lisbon, looking at Jane. She saw Van Pelt shaking her head from the corners of her eyes, though.

"Childless. No other family, other than each other," Van Pelt answered.

"Okay, thank you Grace. Get them out of here, we'll meet in the bullpen," Lisbon said, and Van Pelt nodded. Lisbon looked over at Jane, and grabbed his wrist.

She pulled him around the corner, not letting go of his arm.

"You know, I'm this close to forcing you on sick leave," she said. He nodded.

"Dammit Jane!" she exclaimed, releasing his arm.

She turned around, running her hands through her hair.
"Why won't you tell me anything?" she whispered.

He leant against the wall, and shrugged.

She turned around to look at him.

He saw desperation and concern in her eyes, and he had to fight back the urge to pull her onto his chest, make her suffocate in his warm embrace. He knew he couldn't. So he forced a friendly smile on his face.

"I told you everything I know, my dear."

She nodded, and grabbed her phone.

"Yes, Wainwright, it's me, Lisbon. Please, can you send Jane on a compulsory sick leave? As a friend, I think I may say he's not doing well last days. Yeah, I do. I'll fill them in. Okay, thank you Sir," she said, and hung up.

"I don't want to see you again in my office, in the bullpen, or anywhere around me and the team, starting tomorrow. You're supposed to stay away from the CBI for at least three weeks. Do you understand me?" she asked.

But she didn't see any emotion in his eyes when he nodded. Though she wanted him to be helped, her heart broke when she saw that this all didn't affect him in any way. She found it really difficult to do this to him, since he was her best friend and she always hated seeing him in pain. But this went too far. The last straw, so to say.

She was about to turn around and walk away, join her team, when Jane grabbed her wrist like she'd done with him moments ago. He turned her around, and pulled her against him. He immediately engaged her in a hug, pulling her impossibly close.

"I'm sorry if I'm hurting you, Lisbon, but I don't even understand what I'm going through myself. And yes, this might be the best thing, because I won't hurt you this way. But please, don't think I'm hurting you on purpose," he whispered in her hair. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I know," she said. He placed a small kiss on her ear, which made her shudder.

"Call me when you need something," Lisbon whispered. He nodded.

"I'll do, my dear. I'll do," he replied, and pulled away. He awkwardly tapped her shoulder, and then left.

Lisbon looked after him.

She really needed to find help for him, or else she might end up in a loony-bin.

"Boss?" Van Pelt asked behind Lisbon, and Lisbon startled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Van Pelt said, but Lisbon waved it away.

"It's nothing, Van Pelt. What've you got?" she asked, though she was not sure if she could focus on the job today.

She would undoubtedly call him this evening, despite her saying that she didn't need to call him. Now that he was still a 'free man', talking to him would be much more easier.

Listen to what you're saying, Lisbon, she thought to herself, you're so sure of him ending up in a mental ward. Why?

Lisbon shook her head. Get a hold.

"Good job, guys. Have Pat move them to the CBI, I need to do a few things but I'm going to meet you in the bullpen this afternoon," Lisbon said, and the team nodded.

She'd looked at which direction Jane went, and got out to follow him.

She didn't know why she cared so much. It was a bad habit of her, to care too much about people and then end up doing stupid things just to save them.

"Jane!" she exclaimed, but he didn't turn around.

"Jane, please, wait," she said, this time softer, but still audible. He stopped walking, and she ran over to him.

"Wait. You can stay at my place," she said, and he looked at her.

"That's no need-"

"Jane. You don't know what you're capable of at the moment."

She turned him around, but saw he didn't comprehend what she was saying. She sighed, and grabbed his hand.

"Come with me," she said, and he nodded again.

This was going to be harder than she thought.


A/N: So, what do you think? Let me know in a REVIEW, thank you!