Disclaimer: The mentalist is not mine and I get no money from this

Author's Note: Hello readers, this is a darker, sadder ending. Thanks again to Just Mosie, jisbon-sessed, MJ2387 for reviewing

Red John studied his once handsome face in the mirror. He had an ugly burn scar running down the left side of his face, surgery could only do so much. He also scars on his body where Jane had cut him.

He remembered the day clearly, it had been the worst mistake he'd ever made trusting Rosalind with his number after she'd seen the twins. He'd just been arrogantly confident because getting the twins had been so easy. He'd never made that mistake again. After the incident...

Red John tried to breath through the pain as he hurridly picked the lock on the handcuffs, his house was going to explode and he had no desire to die if he knew he could get away.

He finished picking the lock and ran outside as the house blew apart. The explosion was deafening and the pain searing as fire caught the left side of his body. He was propelled throught the air and collided with the CBI's vehicle.

Red John had looked shakily at the ruin he had once called a house. He knew he had to get out of there before the other CBI got there but he couldn't resist checking for Lisbon, Jane and the twins.

He limped towards the prone forms lying on the grass. He bent down and rolled Lisbon over to reveal a pair of emerald eyes. Unblinking, unmoving, sightless. Jane's lover was dead. Red John had forced a smile as he pryed open her arms to hold the twin. It blinked as Red John held it, looking up at him with eyes identical to his mother's. Except he lived whereas she died.

Red John placed him carefully on the grass and went to check on Jane lying beside her. He was dead to, his body as lifeless as hers. Pity, Red John had thought, he'd have prefered to kill Jane himself. Shaking his head Red John picked up the other twin and she started crying immediately, she was alive!

Red John smiled as he picked up the other twin and glanced at the both before turning and walking away...

Red John tore his eyes from his reflection as he exited his apartment, at least being burned had given him a new identity. No one recognized him with the scar.

"Hey Johnny," called a familiar voice, he spun to see Agent Cho there, carrying groceries into his own apartment.

Red John always thought it was hilariously ironic he lived opposite the man who had become his newest obsession. Cho had become as determined to catch him as Jane once had been. They all assumed the twins were dead of course but he hadn't been able to resist the alluring desire to kill again, and besides he'd had to punish Rosalind. Then they'd known he'd survived, they knew he'd returned.

"Hey Cho, have a good day at work?" Red John asked cheerfully.

"We solved another case but still no new leads on Red John," Cho informed him bluntly, but then Cho was a blunt person. Unlike Jane had been.

"Don't worry, you'll catch him," Red John encouraged as he offered Cho a sympathetic smile.

"I know. How's the twins?"

"Great, I gotta go pick them up from school now. It was nice talking to you again though," Red John called as he went into the elevator.

"Yeah," Cho muttered as he went into his apartment.

Red John was glad the elevator doors hid his cruel smile. Cho had no idea, none at all. It was fun in a way that Cho wasn't as observant as Jane, Jane would have recognized him despite the scar whereas Cho did not. None of the CBI team did. Red John got in his car and drove to the elementary school, he couldn't believe the twins were in the first grade already!

Red John parked his car and went to stand by the gate, notcing his arrival he was approached by a tall brown haired man and his heavily pregnant red headed wife. Grace Van Pelt and Wayne Risgby. A short little girl with brown hair skipped beside them.

"Hi Johnny!" grinned the little girl giving him a hug.

"Hey Johnny," said the couple in unison.

"Hi guys," Red John smiled kindly at them, "I see the pregnancy's going fine."

"Yeah, it's a boy," beamed the father, "Jane, you got stop hugging Johnny now," he scolded gently and the girl reluctanty let go.

"He's gonna be called Patrick," Jane informed him happily, "I'm gonna be the bestest big sister ever! Better than Teresa."

"Jane, remember what we said about saying nice things about people," Grace muttered half heartedly. Red John surpressed a cruel smile, that'd be another child named after their fallen friends.

The school bell rang out and a pair of golden haired 7 year olds ran over to him followed by a red haired beauty.

"Hi Daddy!" the blonds said happily throwing their arms around him as he bent down to hug them.

"Hi kids," Red John whispered to them as they pulled away, "have a nice day in school?"

"Yep!" beamed the girl delightedly, he'd been kind enough to name them Sarah and Sebastian as their parents had wanted. Sarah was alot like Jane, trouble some and confident whereas Sebastian was more withdrawn and liked to follow the rules, he did seem to get dragged in with his sisters schemes alot though.

"Can Seb and Sare come over play at out house Mommy and Daddy, please?" begged Teresa of her parents, despite being almost an entire year younger than them she was the best of friends with the twins.

"Teresa, you know we're busy today. Maybe tomorrow if Johnny says it's okay," answered Grace gently. Of course Red John realized suddenly, it was the anniversary of Jane and Lisbon's death. The team always visited their graves on this day, Red John liked to aswell, just not today. Too risky.

"Tomorrow's fine," Red John agreed, he would visit the graves while the twins were there.

He hadn't told them yet, he'd have to wait till they were older or else they wouldn't understand, they might turn against him and that would suck. He had grown fond of them after all, it would be such a shame to kill them after all the effort he'd gone through to look after them.

They even had their own graves, empty graves. They'd assumed the body's had been obliterated in the blast, it was not uncommon. Red John had never given any impression they were alive, no one knew.

"Johhny, are you okay? You look kinda spaced out," Grace asked kindly.

"I'm fine, just thinking of her," Red John spoke quietly. `Her` was supposably his dead wife who'd died in labour with the twins, it ended all questions about thier maternity.

Teresa and Jane said goodbye to the twins and went off with their parents. He was sure they were scowling as their pathetic minds failed to place who the twins' reminded them of. They'd never guess.

Red John took the twins back into his own car as they chatted away about thier exciting day. Red John couldn't wait until he showed them how to really have fun. Killing was the greatest pleasure of them all, he would show them of course. In time...