Authors Note: I'm not 100% thrilled with this chapter, but, there it is anyway. I hope you all like it.

Disclaimer: The only people I own in this fic are Abby and Sarah. I don't even own Sarah's 'boyfriend', I totally stole him. Bonus point for anyone who can figure out where I stole him from.

What if? Chapter 20-Eric Northman

Jane was sitting on his sofa doing Sudoku puzzles. Actually, it just looked like he was doing them. Really he was just writing numbers absently in the little squares and thinking about the conversation he and Sarah had the day before in their therapy session. He didn't want to tell anyone but he was thinking of giving up his work at the CBI. He didn't know if it would help, but it was worth a try. He didn't know if he would ever be able to go back to 'work' in the privet sector, but, he loved Sarah, he had to do something. Didn't he?

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Van Pelt was coming down the hall from the file room. Jane had been acting odd all day and the less time she spent around him the better. She stopped dead in her tracks when she rounded the corner however. Standing by the elevator, looking a little lost, was one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. Taller than Rigsby and not an inch of fat on him. Blond hair, ice blue eyes, he was like a god.

She shook herself when she realized that she was staring and walked up to him. "Hi, can I help you?"

"Yes, I am looking for Patrick Jane." He had an almost undetectable accent, she couldn't quite place it, but if she had to guess, she'd say he was from somewhere in Europe.

"Patrick Jane, sure he's just right in there." She pointed and then watched as he walked away. He was even more gorgeous from behind. She had to share him with someone, someone who would appreciate his beauty. Lisbon, she'd have to go tell Lisbon.

"Hey Lisbon," she said poking her head into her office, "You have to see this guy who just came to see Jane."

"Really? Why is that?" Lisbon asked as she got up from her desk.

"You just have to see him, you'll understand." She walked out of the office and pointed discreetly at the man who was now standing in front of Jane at the couch.

"My god, literally. He is breathtaking." Lisbon whispered to Van Pelt illogically thinking that if she whispered no one would notice that they were staring.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Rigsby asked walking up to them and noticing the odd looks on their faces.

"Jane's got a visitor." Van Pelt said gesturing. Rigsby looked over and let out a low whistle, even he could appreciate that.

As they were watching Jane jumped off his couch and threw himself at the stranger. He was obviously trying to tackle him to the ground. Jane took a swing at the man and brought the rest of the team out of their trance and into action.

Rigsby ran and grabbed Jane's arms and pulled him off the stranger while Lisbon got in between them.

"What the hell are you doing Jane?" Lisbon asked looking at him in disbelief.

"This is my old manager." Jane said in explanation. Only Lisbon understood.

"Oh. Um, Van Pelt, why don't you take Mr.-"

"Northman"

"Mr. Northman to the interrogation room to wait for Jane. Jane, come with me." Grace led the man to the interrogation room and Jane reluctantly followed Lisbon to her office.

She shut the door behind her and gestured for Jane to take a seat in one of the chairs by her desk. He shook his head and remained standing as Lisbon took a few steps closer to him. "I don't care who he is Jane, you cannot attack people."

"He was sleeping with my wife."

"I know that. I also know he's practically twice your size. If he wanted to he could have probably knocked you out."

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Defiantly. What did he say to you anyway?"

"He told me that he loved my wife and was sorry for any problems he may have caused."

"So you tried to tackle him? Did you actually think you would have pulled it off? You couldn't even tackle Rigsby and that Eric Northman is twice his size."

"He's not." Jane said in a tone that was almost sulking.

"Yea he is. Jane, I know he did some pretty crappy things to you, I know he betrayed your friendship, but you CANNOT attack people inside the CBI headquarters. Take him out for a drink and then get the shit beat out of you, don't do it at work."

"Right. Thanks for the advice Lisbon."

"I'm serious Jane. No funny business at work. Go ahead and talk to him, but if you want to get your ass beat, take it outside."

Jane just glared and walked out of her office. She didn't understand. This man had ruined his marriage. He had been sleeping with his wife. He had once been considered a friend. It just wasn't fair. And now Eric showed up and his work and all the woman swooned for him. Jane wasn't stupid. He knew that at least Lisbon and Van pelt had seen him. He had been described as a god by some.

He walked into the interrogation room where Rigsby was busy sizing up Eric. Jane could practically read Rigsby's mind. He was thinking that the new guy didn't seem so tuff, and that, given the chance and enough alcohol he could take him. "Thanks Rigsby, I can take it from here."

Rigsby looked like he didn't believe him. "It's ok Rigsby, I'm not going to try to attack him; Lisbon has sufficiently chastised me. I'll be good."

"Fine, but if I hear anything but talking coming from here, I'm coming back in." Rigsby gave them both one last glare and then walked out the door leaving them alone.

Eric was sitting at the table, in the typical suspect chair. Jane took the seat across from him, the one he sat in so often. "So, before we were so rudely interrupted, what is it that you wanted to say to me?"

"I am sorry Patrick for any harm I may have caused you or your wife."

Jane snorted.

"I'm serious. I had no plans to start an affair with Sarah when I ran into her that day at the club."

Jane just stared at him, waiting for him to go on.

"You never went out with her anymore. It started out innocent enough. We just talked. She told me about the attack, about how you changed, about how she didn't really know Abby anymore. She really is your daughter, always has been. And it hurt her to know that Abby was closer to you than she would ever be to her."

"She talked to you. That's how this all started? Because she talked to you?"

"Yes. And for a while that's all it was, talk."

"Is that what they're calling it these days?"

"Humor was never your strong point Patrick. No, really we'd talk. She'd come to the club and we'd have lunch and we'd talk. It wasn't until one night when you didn't show up that we moved our relationship forward."

"When I didn't show up?"

"Yes. It was a function for the art museum. You were supposed to meet her there but called at the last minute and said that you couldn't come because of work. She was devastated. She said that she just didn't understand you anymore."

Jane glared at him, waiting for him to go on.

"I didn't plan on it happening Patrick, and when I found out that not only had she not told you but that she never planned on telling you I broke it off. She's a very special woman, I love her, and I want her to be happy. Despite what the problems in your marriage are, I couldn't be with her when I knew that she must still love you."

"How'd you come to that conclusion?"

"Because she didn't want to leave you."

Jane just sat there looking at him, not saying anything. After a few minutes Eric got up and left, not saying good bye, just leaving. Jane continued to sit there after he left, thinking. He thought about why Sarah had an affair in the first place, because he hadn't been there for her. He remembered that case; it was during that case that he first felt something improper for the small woman who was now watching him from the interrogation room.

It was that feeling that had kept him from making it to the art museum that night. He'd been with Lisbon as she tracked down a suspect, he didn't need to be there, but he was. He thought about what they had talked about in their last therapy session. Was he going to be able to leave the CBI and go back to those functions? The art museum had been the first one he'd missed in the entire time they had been married, and he hadn't gone to one since then.

Had Eric been the one to accompany Sarah to everything that he, Patrick Jane, now loathed. He thought about why he had stopped going, other than the reason he'd thought of before. He hated going and deflecting people's requests for readings. At crime scenes he could play around and have fun and not have to worry about anyone asking them to contact dead relatives or channel cheating spouses.

He made people laugh now, not cry. And when he made her laugh, that was more important than anything.

Jane sat bolt upright in the chair. This was not good. He needed to talk to Sarah, and he needed to do it now. Not caring who was looking or who would see he practically ran out of the CBI building to his car. He needed to see her now. He needed to know.