Chapter 36 – Case Closed

Lisbon glanced over at Jane, surprised, then to Julia who was obviously mulling something over in her mind.

Jane filled the silence. 'You think I'm tricking you somehow into revealing something I don't already know? It's taken me a while to piece it together but I'm pretty sure I'm right, especially seeing your face now.'

Julia stared back at him. 'You think you're so clever, tell me what you think I'm withholding.'

Jane nodded and sighed. 'Thomas McAllister was not just your mother's lover. He was your father too, wasn't he?'

Lisbon jerked her head again to Jane, utter disbelief on her face.

Jane's eyes remained on Julia as she answered him, 'Well, maybe there is still hope for you after all, your mind hasn't entirely gone to seed just yet. When did you figure it out?'

'Oh, it took me a while actually. There were many signs though, like how easily you fooled me, there aren't many people I can't read and you were undoubtedly one of the best I'd ever come across. But it really started to fit into place when I saw a holiday photograph of you, your mother and Jason. You don't look like your father or mother at all, do you, so I began to wonder some more. Then, you defended McAllister but didn't seem to give a damn about what we thought of Jason. I was naturally also wondering what made your mother different to all his other women, I had first thought that it was because they were some type of kindred spirits but it was more than that I finally realised, the difference was you. She had given him a daughter, a protégée I suppose. Someone he could begin to mould as a child, I imagine that was enthralling for him. Then, just now, you told us you were angry with him, you told us it was because he should have killed us sooner and maybe there's some truth in that but the real reason I think is because he abandoned you.'

Julia's eyes glazed over and she replied angrily, 'He never even told me himself, just let me believe Jason was my father all those years!'

Lisbon had finally recovered from the shock she first experienced and asked, 'When you told us before that your mother told you he was Red John after he was dead, she told you then that he was also your father?'

'Yes. By then my fath...Jason was going downhill fast and she had been diagnosed with cancer so she wanted me to know before she got ill so I could finally realise the person I was. If he had only told me himself I could have helped him the day you killed him. My mother shouldn't have been there, I should have been instead.'

Jane sighed and looked at Lisbon before looking back at Julia. 'The flash drive you were given, there were other details on it about this I guess.'

'Yes, he had made some videos for me to watch, to inspire me I suppose.'

Lisbon asked 'Why did you destroy it?'

'After he lied to me like that, you really think I was going to take his advice? I didn't need it by then. He wanted me to start up the whole gutting of people and smiley face thing again if he died. I wanted my kills to have more importance; I wasn't going to make kneejerk reactions like he had. But because he had helped conceive me I placed the paper with the face on it in Kerry's mouth, that was the only tribute I was going to pay to him. I thought strangulation would be my method instead, a final way of getting back at him, I guess.' She laughed faintly as she spoke the last words.

A short while later, Abbott, who was watching from the observation room, came in to draw up the formal charges. Jane and Lisbon left the room and walked to the break area in silence. As Jane sniffed his tea Lisbon sipped her coffee thoughtfully. 'She didn't stand a chance did she? With parents like that? I know what she did was truly awful but the whole thing just makes me incredibly sad.'

Jane nodded and embaced her, sighing 'Yeah, but she still chose the path to take in the end, she could have taken another.'

As they arrived home with Chinese later on Lisbon went to take a quick shower while Jane warmed the plates up. He couldn't help but think of Julia, a child born into the wrong family and how different her life could have been if she had been raised differently or if she had embraced the friendship Kerry offered instead of extinguishing it. Lisbon was right, it was incredibly sad. He was staring out the window when he felt two hands snake around his waist. He turned around and Lisbon said 'I guess I don't need to ask for a penny for them, do I?'

Jane shook his head, putting his arms around her and kissed her gently. He said 'I'm so glad I met you, you know you saved me, don't you? I always thought that it was searching for Red John that kept me going all those years but I don't think it was, or at least, it wasn't just that. It was all those other cases you made me work on, the belief you had in me, the friendship that we formed. That's what made me want to get up each day. I need you to know that, Teresa.'

Lisbon's eyes misted over. 'So I guess you're feeling a little melancholy tonight, eh? It wasn't a one way street you know, you know our friendship meant more to me back then than anything too. Why else would I have got so mad at you so often? Like you said once before, I was always meaner to you than the others because I liked you more.'

Jane smiled, kissing her lips again.

Lisbon asked uneasily, 'How does it feel, knowing he has a daughter?'

Jane shrugged. 'Dunno really. Okay I guess. She never harmed anyone I knew or loved. And she's going to have a sad pathetic life without any interference from me.'

'You know it's likely she'll end up in a psychiatric hospital, not prison?'

'Hard not to argue with that, she's hardly sane, is she?'

Lisbon nodded, wrapping her arms around him and listening to his heart beating gently. Jane stroked her hair. 'I spoke to Abbott by the way.'

Lisbon looked up at him 'About what?'

'About us taking a trip, remember we talked about it? You said we'd talk about it after the case. Well the case was over this afternoon so I asked him if we could have a long weekend off once he finished with Julia.'

'What did he say?' she smiled.

Jane smiled widely back. 'We go back to the Blue Bird next Friday through Sunday. Three days of frolicking await us' he said, winking at the end of the sentence.

Lisbon laughed. 'How on earth did you swing it with him?'

'Well, to be honest it was pretty easy, he almost recommended it before I even mentioned it. Think he's afraid of us both cracking up because of this case.'

'Well, he wasn't far wrong for a while there.'

Jane laughed. 'Well maybe we both had our moments this week but we make a formidable team so we got through them like we always do.'

Lisbon smiled up at him. 'Yes, we do make a good team sometimes'. She then added 'And you forgot naked by the way.'

A/N: Thanks again to all of you who have continued to read and review my fanfic. For all your diligence a couple more chapters of pure fluff will finish the story off next.