Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly. Bruno Heller and CBS should be proud of what they accomplished with the Mentalist. Wish it was mine though…

Lisbon must figure out how survive in Beau's world. She does not have a chance to grieve for Patrick. That will come when she and her baby are safe.

And Their World Came Tumbling Down

Chapter 4 His New Wife

Teresa gradually became aware of being restrained in a car seat. Opening her eyes, she saw the comforting interior of the Airstream Patrick so loved. She was securely seat belted in the passenger seat and felt the road roll by under the tires. She slowly turned her face to smile at her adorable husband, but then recoiled in horror as she looked into the grim face of Beau. He grinned back at her with his foul teeth and unwashed face. They were driving through the back country roads, getting farther and farther away from Austin, and help.

"Well look who's awake? Hello darlin'!" he smiled. "About time you woke up and kept me company."

Teresa glared at Beau with undisguised anguish.

"You killed Patrick! You killed my husband!"

Beau snickered and let her anger go uncontested.

"Now let's not spoil this special moment by dwelling on the past. You are free now. You and me, we gonna be good together. A fine looking, educated woman like you- just what I need for my baby Momma!"

Lisbon unconsciously put her hands protectively over her belly and felt a shiver of disgust roll through her. This man was the most uncouth, uneducated, dangerous psychopath she had had the misfortune to meet for a very long time. She had to remain calm. She had to use her police training now to get out of this situation and arrest these guys, then go back and find Patrick's body. He deserved the dignity of being buried by those who loved him. She badly wanted to cry, scream, wail her anger and her grief. But now was not the time. To keep safe, she had to shut down her emotions and stay alive. She would grieve for Patrick long and hard when she and the baby she carried were safe.

Where was her badge and her gun she wondered. She had wanted to bring them on this vacation but Patrick had said no, it was a break from police work and there was no need for sidearms. He truly hated guns and teased her unmercifully for her penchant for carrying a gun, and having more in the trunk of her car. She had put her gun and her FBI identity badge in a hidden place in the Airstream. She wondered if Patrick had found them and removed them. She had to find out. If Beau found them while digging around in the RV, he would kill her immediately. Her life would depend on locating her badge and gun she decided.

"I have to use the washroom" Lisbon told Beau.

"No can do little Missus. You stay put."

"I have to pee - NOW! I am pregnant and pregnant ladies need to pee all the time! If you don't want the Airstream to get soggy, I suggest you let me go!" Lisbon asserted herself. This was a good time to see if Beau would back down or lash out at her for her sass.

"Well hell, don't you have a mouth on you!" Beau laughed.

"Look, you can keep driving and I can just go and pee in the washroom in the back and then come right back."

"Give me your cell phone" Beau demanded.

"Okay"

"And put your hands out."

Lisbon held out her hands, knowing what was coming next.

"Here, put these on."

Beau handed her an old pair of handcuffs.

"Don't even think of doin' anything stupid, or I will have to teach you a hard lesson" Beau mumbled.

"I just want to pee - then I will come back and sit down here, I promise" Lisbon indicated her chair.

"Okay, get going!"

Teresa unclicked her seatbelt and slowly made her way towards the back of the RV, using her hands outstretched before her to hold onto the edges of the cupboards and seats to keep her balance.

"I am watching you girl!" yelled Beau. "Keep goin'! I can see you just fine from here!"

"Watch the road! I will be right out!" called back Lisbon. She didn't want Beau to know just how afraid she was right now. If her badge and gun were found by him, he would not hesitate to kill her immediately. Kidnapping an FBI agent would be far too dangerous a stunt for him to pull off, so she had to keep that information a secret. She had to find her gun!

Once inside the tiny bathroom, Lisbon gratefully shut the door, glad of the privacy and the chance to relieve herself. Once that was accomplished, she splashed water on her face and cleaned up. She had put her badge and weapon in a tiny space behind her toiletries in the narrow bathroom closet. She reached in behind her shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant with her fingertips. No weapon! She knocked everything out of the way and looked again. Nothing. "Damn!" she whispered to herself. No gun to defend herself, but also no badge to give her identity away either.

"What the hell are you doin' in there?" Beau thundered.

"Done. I'm done now" Lisbon called back. She came out and wobbled her way back to her seat, both relieved and saddened by her discovery. Now what should I do? she wondered. She would play the part of a meek, terrified woman if it lulled Beau into thinking he was in charge. Good thing Patrick had taught her how to pick the lock on a pair of handcuffs. A life lesson he had called it.

"Thank you Patrick" Teresa thought. Maybe that would help get her back to Austin.

The air temperature had dropped 10 degrees and Patrick was shaking uncontrollably. He shook from the cold, but also from shock. He knew he was starting to weaken. It had been many hours since he had been shot, and both blood loss and dehydration would soon take their toll on his body. He had lain the whole night on the cold rocky ledge, exposed to the wind and the chill night air. Sleep was hard to come by as his pain was amping up by the hour. He had no idea how many hours he had been awake, or if he had slept at all. He lay on his badly bruised back, getting no relief from the pressure on his damaged spine. The noise of the night animals both above him and below him had been a constant source of wonder to him. He was totally alone, yet surrounded by life carrying on without regard to him and his predicament. He tried to wrap his jacket around himself tighter, taking whatever comfort he could from the short wool coat. Thank goodness Teresa had insisted they bring coats. He smiled in spite of himself. Teresa was so practical, and maybe because of it he would have a chance to make it until morning. He tried to close his eyes and doze for a while, hoping to make the time pass a little quicker.

The sky on the horizon had begun to brighten when Patrick opened his eyes. He realized he had survived the night and would soon feel the warmth of the sun on his face again. His back was hurting badly, seemingly in competition with the pain from the bullet wound in his shoulder. Patrick tried to maneuver himself around, so that he would be able to see how much room he really had on the ledge. As the day got brighter he could see that the ledge that had stopped his fall was only about 10 feet deep and at the most, 8 or 9 feet wide. If he had fallen just a few feet more to the right, he would have missed the ledge entirely and tumbled to the canyon below. Death then would have been a certainty. He tried to push himself around to face the canyon in front of himself. The day was fast approaching and he began to warm up a bit in the sun. He felt around in his pockets and to his surprise, found a roll of hard candies in his jacket. This would have to keep him going until help arrived, if it came at all. Taking one small candy out of the wrapper, he put it on his tongue and let it rest there. He would make it last as long as possible. The tart citrusy flavour exploded on his taste buds and at that moment, was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

"Now if I could just have a cup of tea…" he thought with a touch of irony.

The canyon was beautiful. From what he could see from the ledge, it was huge, filled in with towering trees. Large sections of the canyon walls were scarred by the erosion of large chunks of rock that had broken loose and tumbled to the valley below. Hawks circled overhead, peering down at him in curiosity.

Not a sound came from the campground above his head. Jane hoped someone would arrive to set up a tent or RV, look down and see him lying there. The idea was tantalizing and he imagined their surprise when they saw him flat on his back, looking back up at them. A fantasy. That's what it would remain until his situation changed. The sun was getting fuller in the sky and as his chills receded, Jane decided he had to make the best of his situation and relax. The day would be very long and harsh out in the open. If he was going to get through it, Jane had to face facts and tough it out. It took a long time, and with great difficulty due to his immobility and pain, Jane gave up fantasizing and finally fell asleep.

A harsh night for both Lisbon and Jane. Unless he is found, Patrick will not last much longer. Teresa must figure out how to gain the upper hand and make her escape, without endangering herself or the precious child she carries. Next chapter up pronto!