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Prompt #25: Tombstones - When that fateful day rolls around, she knows exactly where to go.

Words: 686

When he did break out of the sanitarium, it wasn't a shock to Lisbon. Honestly, she'd expected it to happen sooner than this.

He did flawlessly fake his last breakdown for six months, after all.

The date didn't escape her notice. She knew exactly where he'd go after springing the coop. So after deploying the usual units to his Malibu home and blocking all the roads out of the city (a waste of time, in her opinion) Lisbon got Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt into the car and headed for the cemetary.

She parked along the closest access road. "I'll head in alone," she informed her team. "Stand guard. Don't let anyone approach him."

"He's not dangerous, Boss," Van Pelt objected.

"We know that, but not everyone knows Jane as well as we do," Lisbon replied. "Remember, he's just busted out after eight months' catatonia and a drug regimen meant to keep him nonviolent. Coming off a cocktail like that will make him badly disoriented. Keep everyone back until I can talk him down." Taking off her jacket, holster and gun, she handed them to Cho.

Walking up to where Jane sat was a test of self-control. She wanted to run to his side, but Lisbon knew that was a bad idea. The last thing he needed was adrenaline triggering his fight-or-flight reflex. He'd probably mistake her approach as a capture attempt and bolt. So she measured her steps and controlled her breathing.

He looked battered, tired, and defeated. His suit was wrinkled and his curls stuck out at odd angles. Sitting on the tombstone directly in front of his family's, he was slouched forward to rest his elbows on his knees. For once, Lisbon could perfectly read his body language. He was a man at rest, but not at peace. Not quite.

"Hello Lisbon," he said without breaking his gaze away from Angela's grave.

"Jane." She stopped six feet away from him, keeping her arms at her sides. "You okay?"

He shrugged. "I've been better." His hand rose to gesture to the two graves. "I - I haven't seen them in a while. I wanted to tell them myself."

Lisbon nodded. "Makes sense." She took another step closer. "Mind if I stick around?"

Jane patted next to him. She carefully sat on the tombstone as well, silently apologizing to the owner for perching there. "Been here long?"

"Since sunrise."

"What did you tell them?"

"That Red John is dead." His eyes hardened. "And that I killed him."

Lisbon nodded again. "Angela have anything to say about it?"

"Of course not. She's not really there. Neither is Charlotte."

"So what are you here for?"

He looked at her, his blue eyes baring his soul for the first time in almost ten years. "I don't know. Redemption?" he said feebly. "Forgiveness?"

"From them?" She leaned closer, brushing shoulders with the mentalist. "Did you find it?"

In a surprising display of normalcy, Jane scoffed. "You're kidding, right? They're dead. They don't care about what's happening around those in my life." His eyes flickered away from hers, then back. "Not like...not like how I care."

That surprised her, and Lisbon let the surprise show. "That's big of you to admit."

"It's the drugs talking," Jane assured her.

"I'll take that into consideration." Rising from the tombstone, she offered her hand to the mentalist. "How about I take you back to the CBI? Your couch will be happy to have you back."

That puckish smile of his reappeared instantly. "Meh. I bet you've been sleeping on it on your later nights."

"Accuse me not of deeds, and I shall not attempt to lie."

It was when Jane reached for her hand that Lisbon noticed. His wedding ring was gone. He caught her looking at it and grinned. "Figured it was time to move on."

Her returning smile was warm as sunshine. "Welcome back."

"Good to be back," he replied, closing his fingers around hers.

And here we are, halfway through!

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