Back earlier than I thought…You know what people; I'll finish this fic then concentrate on the others. I dunno, I can't get rid of the itching of going on with this one. The others will be more or less updated, depending on the time I have for them. And the updates might slow down since I'll soon be working for summer.

Maybe a slight warning about language…

Thanks to BFangz; rigspeltforeverxx; Frogster; Jbon; autumnftw; Ally Ashes; raquelvalente91; Famous4it; yaba; Iloveplotbunnies; Flora24 (x2); Ebony10; black shadow girl; leelou09; Tinuviel Rose; Simonisthecuttestmentalist; MK (…you surprised me, really. I thought that detail had been forgotten. And yes it will be handy. kinda xD); MissMissKerry (meh, mean sisters go to mean places and see mean things xD glad you liked it) for their reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own Mentalist, I do not earn money over these fics, and I definitely don't deny having an obsession with AUs xD! warning: my English grammar isn't the best. Hope you'll enjoy the story anyway –won't blame you if you don't ;D

Slave

14.

"You were right Sophie, we did meet you somewhere" Frye stated coldly before smirking at Jane. "It seems you've broken the law again, dear brother."

Her few words had the domestics around glancing at Teresa. The young woman tensed against Jane, feeling Kristina Frye knew. When her brother didn't bulge, she went on with a triumphal expression on her face:

"You were Tom Brown's propriety and you escaped from him not so long ago" she stated, pointing at her accusingly. "You are a fugitive slave, Tessa."

-S-

The words pierced Teresa's mind. Tessa; only her former masters and Elias's guards had ever called her like that. Cold sweat slowly started running down her forehead and she bit her lip. When Jane bought her, he didn't know she was on the run from her former master. Elias had caught her by chance, but just wanted to sell her again for the profit; it was a waste of time and money bringing her back. She never thought anyone would recognize her, even less Jane's family.

From the corner of the eye, she saw Emma and Florin exchange intrigued glances, and clearly read the same question she was asking herself right now. What was he going to do with her? On one hand he followed the law; she clearly remembered him handing her back at Riddle at their first meeting; reluctantly, but handing her back. On the other hand, he had bought her. Legally, she "belonged" to him. The nagging anguish of him letting her down prevented her from speaking. Was he angry for her not telling him?

The arm around her waist tightened slightly and she found herself almost flattened against her master. She didn't know if she had to feel trapped or protected, wasn't sure she had to interpret it like a sign of possessiveness or something else.

"I believe you've said enough" Jane stated coldly. "Get ready to pack and leave tonight."

"So you don't mind us telling Mr Brown we found his slave at your propriety?" Frye snarled, almost triumphal.

Jane chuckled, amused. Teresa wondered what he found so diverting since his sister was threatening him –and herself by extension.

"No need to inform him, he already knows and has absolutely no intention taking her back."

The two sisters and Teresa stared at him incredulously. The dark-haired seriously doubted, the man had promised her hell if she managed to escape and he caught her back. But Jane had that confident air that said he told the truth despite any belief and went on lightly:

"I don't keep people under my wing randomly. I wrote to Minelli –a detective, friend of mine- who kindly made a background research on Miss Lisbon here. I visited her latest owner a few days before the journey to set of a few things straight. I don't know the name of the previous ones though, but I'll make sure to…make a halt at their place if necessary. Lisbon is mine now" he added on a low, threatening voice. "I dare you to try to take her from me."

The tone he used made Teresa shiver. It was a mixture of possessiveness, anger and perhaps some slight fear. His grip on her hadn't lessened. Was he afraid she would pull back? He didn't let it show on his features. The man matched Cho's imperturbable face sometimes.

"Anything to add, Kristina?"

The eldest snorted and glared at Teresa. She was about to talk when her sister beat her to it:

"You didn't tell her" Miller stated in complete indifference. "Either you will have a lot of fun, or you will be sleeping alone tonight. Kristina?" she added to her sister: "You heard the housemaster, we are supposed to leave."

"No way Sophie! I am not leaving this house before…"

"There is no winning round" the younger sighed and pulled slightly more. "You need to learn to back up sometimes or you'll find yourself ridiculous."

"I'm…" Miller shot her a look clearly making her understand she didn't feel like staying any longer at the manor anyway. Teresa felt the woman wasn't especially mean, just completely indifferent about her brother and didn't care the slightest about the little battle between him and her eldest.

Frye sighed angrily and turned her back to them.

"All right I will let it go for now. But I swear if I heard you messed up with my husband's company again, I will find something that will break you."

"Good luck with that" he replied on the same dry tone.

The two sisters walked away. Jane threw her a quick glance, asking Emma to finish the laundry for he and Teresa had to talk. The blond girl nodded quickly, Florin was sent back to his work and they both went towards the manor. None of them noticed the sided glance Sophie Miller threw at Teresa as she walked away.

-S-

Jane guided her through the corridors in silence. The previous tension hadn't diminished, and Teresa couldn't resolve herself to raise her head and ask the questions weighing on her mind. Did he mean what he said, when he taunted his sister about taking her away? That she was his? Since the journey in England she admitted liking to work under Jane's orders. She also knew she was perhaps too attached to him, to the point of letting him use her body willingly. She let out a sigh, wondering when exactly did things started to be so complicated.

They stopped in front of a plain door. Jane opened it and invited her to come in.

"It's my private room. No-one will dare get in here without my authorization" he explained quietly. "Not even Van Pelt if I don't allow her the access."

She didn't reply and entered. Once he shut the door, he mentioned a chair with a nod and she sat down. He settled himself in the armchair in the middle of the room and stared at her.

"I won't lie. There is a chance Kristina persuades one of your former owners of take you back. I'm sorry I haven't thought of that possibility."

Teresa shook her head.

"It's nothing you could have prevented. You couldn't have known they would recognize me" she paused a second. "I'm sorry I haven't told you anything."

"You acted to protect yourself, that's all" he replied with nonchalance. "You didn't trust me at first, which I can understand. My point is; if they do denounce you, things are going to turn more complicated here. They don't know where you live, so to avoid a big fuss I can free you right now and get Rigsby to accompany you back home after my sisters' departure."

The dark-haired young woman blinked, not certain she had heard correctly. As if reading her thoughts, he repeated:

"You might be safer at home, with your family. I can free you now, so you won't need to come back."

She was in loss for words. Seeing through his eyes, he was perfectly sincere about letting her go. A little part of him was indeed glad and relieved, but somehow…

"Am I a threat for your reputation? I mean, if I stay and the news is spread, will it endanger it?"

He denied immediately:

"Now that they think you are my mistress, the rumour will slip all over the place. To be completely honest if you leave people will think I chased you away so it would be quite a bad image of myself. But it should be a good deal for you no?" he added, eyes not as smiling as they use to be. "You can go back to your family earlier."

She stood there, stunned. A dangerous thought crossed her mind. She didn't want to leave. Not now. It was too soon.

"We made a deal" she reminded him dryly "That I should pay my debt to you. I'm not intending to leave without…"

"And I am saying you don't have to anymore…seriously Teresa, you've worked for me for almost two full monhs, what is a hundred dollars to me? I am wealthy enough not to suffer of that loss."

That was enough. She jumped off the chair, grabbed his collar and pulled his face close to hers. He was still sitting, so she had to incline hers too, bringing their heads almost inches apart.

"I haven't been through all this for peanuts" she growled. "I am not scared of your sisters. You bought me and we have a deal. I won't leave until both parts are filled."

Jane sighed in exasperation:

"You are going to leave anyway, why not now?"

"You want me to leave so badly, don't you?" she asked bitterly.

"I never said I wanted you to leave, I said it was safer for you!"

"I don't care!" she almost screamed, exasperated. "I don't care if it's safer for me to go! You labelled me 'yours' to your sisters! It doesn't matter for them if I'm free or not anymore."

They stood silent a few moments, defying the other by fierce looks.

"I just want to stay by your side" she whispered. "I like you."

After the words escaped her, Teresa dropped his collar and quickly covered her mouth with a hand, shocked by her own admission. Jane was staring at her with wide eyes, caught off guard as well.

"Oh" was his only answer. He didn't seem able to articulate more than she was. Thankfully, she was back on tracts quickly and cleared her throat:

"I…I was on duty for the laundry, and I'm not done yet…I'll be going now."

Without waiting for him to reply, she flew out of the room, not looking back.

-S-

As soon as she had managed to escape Jane's office, Teresa went down to the horse stable. She was greeted by a suspicious glance from Florin changing the loose-boxes. She replied by a stare and he went back to work. Something else to deal with; her colleagues' reaction. Though Rigsby, Van Pelt and yesterday Cho were informed of her condition and didn't question Jane's motive, the others weren't. She didn't know how to interpret Florin's earlier stoic reaction and Emma's worried one. She didn't deny being Jane's mistress after all. His sisters were here. Did they think she was? Probably. Just when Florin seemed to ask a question, she beat him to it:

"Has Emma taken care of the rest of the laundry? The dry from this morning I mean."

Her voice wasn't shaking. That was good, she guessed, to pretend nothing had happened. The man seemed to get it and replied warily:

"I don't think so. Van Pelt needed her at the salon for the cleaning."

"All right" she hesitated while they both glance at each other with extreme cautiousness. Teresa made the first move and added: "I…I'll tell you –to all of you- once this is done."

Florin shrugged and went back to work. Teresa got the hint and picked up a large basket to put the dry laundry in. She needed to occupy her mind right now, and busy herself with work was the best way she decided. She went out towards the section that was supposed to be ready to go back at the ironing. Good thing, when she brushed the closest sheets, they weren't moist anymore. She put down her basket and took off a pin.

"Have you really lowered yourself to become my brother's mistress?"

Teresa jumped in surprise and turned round to realize she wasn't alone anymore. Sophie Miller was staring at her, observing her now angry and defensive body language. Determined not to let herself distracted by her, she went on with her task and took another pin off the white shirt she was taking down.

"You're in love with him" Miller stated blankly.

"It's none of your business" the young woman replied dryly not stopping her activity and ignoring the budding pang in her stomach.

"Does he know? Does he use your feelings to sleep with you? Do you surrender because you are afraid of him?" The lowing of her voice betrayed the rise of a silent anger. "Because you think you owe him? Don't you feel tainted when he kisses you? When he touches you? When he's inside you?"

Teresa ignored the last sentence and turned back to take a large sheets of cotton off the string and folded it in her basket. Her heartbeats accelerated widely, and for once she wished she had slept with Jane, just to be able to retort something without lying. Not once, she had felt dirty during the few nights the line between them had dangerously scrambled. Rather flattered by his attentions, and completely willing to comply with anything he asked. The last thought nearly made her blush in embarrassment.

"What happened to your family? Did they sell you?"

"Shut up!" Teresa shouted, glaring in pure rage at her master's sister. "You don't know a thing! You don't know…"

"I do know Mary wouldn't be so glad her daughter had fallen into an insignificant whore" Miller snapped back.

"I'd rather be Jane's 'whore' a hundred times more than living the past year again" Teresa shot before freezing. Wait, did she…

The older woman was staring at her, waiting for a reaction. The light in her eyes made Teresa realize the younger sister hadn't said everything about her current knowledge; that she had been waiting to be alone with her to speak freely, out of her elder's ear reach. When Teresa decided to go back to taking off the dry laundry, Miller went on:

"You are Mary Jackson's eldest child, right? You are her perfect replica."

The dark-haired young woman's hands were shaking slightly. How could this woman know? How could she…

"Mary use to live near New York, and go to the same swhool where my parents sent me. It is really a strange, small world, don't you think?"

"I don't know what you are talking about" Teresa replied, thanking her voice not being as shaking as she was inside. No one mentioned her mother at home. Even her father wouldn't mention her, not after…

"I didn't like her, but I always assumed she would be a good mother. She loved kids. I heard from some friends she died some time ago."

Teresa ignored the clenching in her heart. Why wouldn't that woman live her alone? Why couldn't she let people of the past rest in peace? Didn't she see her words were hurting her? Didn't they have the slightest notion of privacy?

"My apologies, this is a displaced conversation" Sophie sighed, shaking her head in indifference. "Do you want me to warn your family of your presence here? I recall you live further north."

"No need to ma'am" she replied coolly. "I will manage. Now please let me work and get some rest, you are leaving tonight."

"My people had my suitcases packed for me and I had enough rest for the day. I am bored, so I figured I could keep you company."

"I do better alone, thank you."

"You are interesting, do you know that?" Miller went on with an intrigue tone. "No wonder why my brother is attracted by you. You obey him despite having previous masters, and you haven't abandoned yet. You have no doubt you will be with your family again. You willleave the manor soon, right? Did he promise it?" Teresa ignored her. "I believe he did then. Why were you sold?"

"None of your business ma'am; now will you leave me alone at once!" she nearly barked, very irritated now. Miller just raised her eyebrows and sat on a nearby bench; leaving Teresa with new worries. Not only the younger sister knew she was a slave, knew where she lived? Did it mean that no matter where she went, her former owners would find her? This was just a bad dream…She had to mention it to Jane now.

"Who are you?"

Miller's sudden question made her lift her head. The woman had stood up and was now glancing at a newcomer standing between the remaining sheets and clothes. Teresa's blood froze. Even though it had been dark at that moment, she knew she would recognize that man everywhere. He was medium-tall, with brown dirty hair thrown in a mess, and an ugly scar crossed his left cheek. This man attacked her the evening of her arrival. This was Red John, smiling in a disturbing way.

"Greetings Miss Sophie, don't you remember me?"

After a few seconds of thinking, the woman replied in a disinterested tone:

"Oh, you were father's head butler, John Scarny or something."

"John Scarlet ma'am. You are still so uncaring milady" he pulled out a long and sharp knife from its case and raised it to eye level. "You have already forgotten all the manners I taught you, I'll have to correct that afterwards…" Miller and Teresa took a step back immediately. The mad grinned stretched even more. "And you, young lady, are Jane's new whore? I head your early conversation, and I can't believe it" he shook his head. "You two must be close, very close."

Teresa didn't answer and stared at him. It was obvious from the mad eye he was throwing at her she was the real centre of interest. All traces of amusement suddenly disappeared from his features, and he pointed his knife in her direction, growling with a low, threatening voice:

"He took Tennessee away from me. Be sure I will take you from him!"

Red John is back xD! Easy question, do you want him stopped now (aka next chapter) of should I save him for later on? And if you could make my day and tell me your thoughts…I want to drown into reviews tonight! xD

Thanks for reading so far!