A/N: Firstly, Jello Forever Summer Secret Santa Sign Ups have opened. (Whew. A mouthful there.) You know you want to join in. No, really. You do.

And yay. Another fic finished. Only a little longer than I initially anticipated, but never mind that. This could've gone on for another couple of chapters, but really I was losing steam with it so felt it better to end it sooner rather than risk me growing completely fed up with it. Besides, it means I can start really focusing on my new fic - Army of Me.

Thank you to: lisbon69, boutondor, ShunKickShunKers, yaba, Frogster, anthropologist, jisbon-sessed, forthecoast, Divinia Serit, Famous4it, Chiisana Minako, Viktorija, Koezh and waterbaby134 for reviewing part eight.

Anyway, thanks for sticking along with me for the ride. I hope you enjoy the final chap and hopefully anything else I come up with.

For Chibs. *hugs*

x tromana


Part Nine

Lisbon balks slightly when she sees a slender man approach her, juggling two hot drinks. As he goes to sit down opposite her, she stands to leave. It's too forward of him to take a seat opposite her without even bothering to ask and frankly, all she wants is some peace and quiet, some time alone. The atmosphere back in the makeshift offices had been stifling and she really didn't want to replace the team for a stranger.

She stares at him again.

No, not a stranger. She's seen this man around CBI headquarters, but she can't quite place him.

Still, whoever he is, she doesn't want to spend time with him. That would defy the objective of her leaving the others to get on with their work without her. Quickly, she makes some rushed apologies and leaves the café. The air has never felt fresher as she lengthens her stride and walks quickly away from the building and that colleague. She needs to get back to the others, or at least find somewhere quiet so that she could call Hightower. Lisbon doesn't trust this man's presence so far away from Sacramento.

And her misgivings are entirely justified when she feels the blade of a knife pressing gently against the exposed skin of her neck and somebody's left arm wrap tightly around her waist. She hadn't even realized he'd made chase.

"Hello Teresa."

His voice is warm and smooth, but unsurprisingly she shudders slightly, the sharp edge of his weapon gently nicking her skin, encouraging pearls of ruby red blood to come to the surface. There are many ways in which this is not good but all she can think of is just how much of an idiot she is to have left the protection of the others when she knew that Red John was still at large. The man's hand presses against the small of her back and he hisses a rushed 'walk' into her left ear. She knows what he's planning to do, he just wants more privacy, more time. Wants to make it as theatrical as possible as that's what Red John does. And she knows, understands just how much this will kill Jane. She hadn't meant what she said earlier, not a word of it. She's just angry and confused and now she's about to die.

Funny how that's what you need to put your thoughts back in track.

"Personally. I suggest you don't go anywhere."

Van Pelt's voice has never sounded more beautiful to her, even with the faltering confidence. Lisbon knows the shot is probably tight, tighter than even she'd feel comfortable with and the knife blade complicates matters. If this bastard severs an artery, she's dead and the younger woman doesn't want to risk it, even if it is Red John and frankly, Lisbon thinks she's worth sacrificing if it means that he dies too. Even with Jane's emotions on the line.

"Van Pelt, shoot him."

She winces as his forearm digs tighter into her ribcage in response to her words. The man seems to have finally gotten the message that either one or they both die, it's simply his decision whether or not he dares kill her in front of Van Pelt. Normally, he wouldn't have a second's doubt - killing is what he does best - but somehow the situation and the woman who he is threatening just gets to him. Lisbon tries to glance at Van Pelt with what she hopes is a pleading expression. However this situation is going to end, she just wants it over and now.

Van Pelt mouths a quick 'I'm sorry' and if she hadn't had a knife pressed to her neck, she would have nodded slightly in response.

Instead, her knees simply buckle as the knife digs into her flesh microseconds after Van Pelt fired her shot.

***

Jane doesn't like seeing the white bandage covering the wound on her neck but somehow, his eyes are frequently drawn to it and he feels guilty for staring. The harsh whiteness just sticks out like a sore thumb, ruining her otherwise well turned out appearance. What's underneath is going to scar, going to become a permanent reminder of how close she came to losing her life. It'll be unfamiliar, new for a while, but a fine line around the base of her neck is far more preferable to the alternative.

"You don't need to keep looking away, Jane."

"Don't I?"

She shakes her head and perches on the arm of the couch. Lisbon knows how obvious it is because she cannot help but let her fingers graze the white gauze every so often. It's coming off soon, at least and once it does, she feels like she can finally put this all behind her. At least she feels happy, happier than she has for a long while. It didn't take her long to adjust to being back in Sacramento, a mere couple of hours and she's now pretty much reacting how she had done beforehand. There had never been any question that Lisbon would return to her old position, as far as their boss had been concerned, she had never left their employ. When Hightower had arrived in Malibu hours after the scuffle, she had been pleased that Red John had finally been stopped, even if he had been under her nose the whole time and furious that a whole team had disappeared on her without permission. Not to mention that Lisbon had received a life-threatening wound too and was in the middle of surgery as she landed. It had created far too many unanswerable questions as far as she was concerned, especially that of how he had gone unnoticed in the CBI for so long, but the fact that they had finally stopped California's most notorious serial killer had gone some way to silencing the critics.

Lisbon would have gone mad in hospital while recuperating, but the team had kept her company during their resulting suspension. The hospital in Malibu had been nice enough and the others had been thrilled with the idea of an extended stay in the city. Jane and Lisbon, however, both felt rather uncomfortable until the moment they left for Sacramento. Malibu held too many bad memories for both of them now. Another inexplicable bond which Lisbon has been trying desperately to ignore since the realization that it exists at all.

"You lost a lot of blood, are you sure you're okay being here?"

"I'm fine."

Jane sits up, tentatively brushing her hair out of her eyes. It's grown a little in the past four months and she likes the difference. He does too and his movements falter slightly as she glances away to the ground. Just a week ago, she'd still barely been talking to him and it's a blessed relief that she's now willing to hold a conversation with him, even if it is just while the others are out on their lunch break. She's still uncomfortable though and has been doing a very well at deflecting certain topics. It's obvious to Jane though and he knows they'll both be happier if they just give up the 'just friends' charade and go back to how they were before the whole sorry mess they're just recovering from.

"I love you and I think it's about time that you admit you love me too."

"Where did that come from?" Lisbon snorts, glancing at Jane warily. "Can your ego get any bigger?"

Jane's eyebrow raises.

"You're incorrigible, you know that?"

"What do you have against admitting your feelings?"

She takes a deep breath and stares at him. Instinctively, her fingers reach to her neck and she remembers just how she received the wound and some of her many last thoughts before Red John cut the vein (though, mercifully avoiding any arteries somehow). The anger at their lack of communication has long since dissipated, she understands why he never told her about the death threats. Now, she's put it in the past and strangely enough, feels ready to move on again.

"Yes, fine. I love you. Happy now?"

"Perfectly. So when can I move back in?"

end