Disclaimer: I'm a poor grad student, I can't afford anything

A/N: hey guys, this is illicit. I'm supposed to working on my project on the development of the occipital bone but I did this instead. Oh well. I hope you like this, the two previous fics "Say Something" and "Not Ready Yet" were precursors to this one. It would be good to catch up on those before reading this but I think everyone will enjoy where this goes.

Special thanks to waterbaby and Steele Simz for keeping me motivated and encouraging me. I love them

Fool Me Once

Chapter 1: The Phone Call

Local Couple Slain screamed the headline in the Los Angeles Times; it was impossible for Lisbon to miss. Underneath the headline was a larger photograph of the victims, a married couple from the upper crust of the social scene in Los Angeles, oh yes the public would be crying out for justice and fast. But this wasn't her case, not yet at least. The local police and the new CBI would have control of the case until they determined that they needed assistance from the FBI. And with the details of the case pointing towards a real sick individual, Lisbon couldn't help but keep checking her phone. She was waiting for that phone call.

Lisbon knew what it was like to be one of them, she knew that it was difficult to ask for help, even more so when the help came whether they asked for it or not. That was why she never barged in on a case, she waited patiently until she had jurisdiction or was asked. Sometimes her patience was tested.

But there was a myriad of paperwork for her to catch up on as well as several other cases to supervise. She had several teams working on different operations; she shouldn't even be focusing on a case that wasn't hers yet. Except she was the best detective in the state to deal with pyschopaths and she couldn't help but feel like there was more to this then she was getting.

So she kept trying to work while ignoring the voices in her head urging her to be proactive and make the call first, damn her principles. A distraction did come eventually, walking in on heels wearing a tight white blouse and khaki shorts that barely counted as clothing, her apron didn't do much to help cover up and the matching visor only added to the ridiculous ensemble. "Please tell me you want to get some food, I'd kill for a pizza." Agent Lena Copewell said, flopping onto the chair in Lisbon's office.

Lisbon couldn't help but stare at her friend. "I'm not sure, it seems like you should be asking me if I want fries with that?"

"Very funny," Lena replied, "Wilder already asked me if I could 'take his order' because he had a 'footlong' to show me." She rolled her eyes, "Probably more like three inches."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that conversation," Lisbon said, "that still doesn't explain why you are wearing the McDonald's uniform from a Playboy cover spread."

Lena looked down at her outfit and shrugged. "Someone is using the fastfood chain as a cover for drug trafficking, the guy has a weakness for girls, you should have seen him when I applied for the job."

"I can imagine," Lisbon said wryly. Lena Copewell was an interesting enigma, tall with coppery brown hair and long tan legs, she could have been a runway model if she'd wanted to. Her specialty was putting on different roles; in another life she would have been an actress. But as the only daughter of an army colonel she got a taste for fighting her own battles, so she became an FBI agent with a specialty for undercover work, this way she got to actually beat up the bad guys.

"So, pizza?"

"I'd have thought you'd have enough fast food."

"That's why I'm not wanting a burger and fries."

Lisbon laughed. "How about deli? That way I don't feel guilty and you can fit back into those shorts tomorrow."

"Hey, you know I can eat a whole pizza and still wear these," Lena said, slapping her hip for emphasis.

"Yes, and that is why I hate you."

It was Lena's turn to laugh. "Fine, deli sandwiches it is."

"And you have to change," Lisbon replied, "No way am I walking out of here with you looking like a fast food hooker."

"Might get our meal for free."

Lisbon shook her head. "Not going to happen."

"You're Alex's mom, not mine." Lena reminded her but smiled, "But I hate these shoes enough to do as you say." That caused another eye roll from Lisbon who looked down at her phone again. Unfortunately Lena noticed. "Waiting for a call?"

"Something like that," she admitted, still staring at her phone.

"One of your exes?"

Now Lisbon turned to her friend with an annoyed look. "No."

Lena grinned, pleased that she'd gotten the best of her at the moment. "Well if it isn't about your bad taste in men, what is it?"

She wasn't sure if she should tell Lena, especially after the teasing she'd gotten. But this woman was a good friend and she understood her frustrations with the job. "It's the Thomson case that's in the headlines."

"Yeah, I saw it, everyone is talking about it."

"The guy who did this is going to be tough to catch," Lisbon pointed out.

"Has LAPD or the CBI asked for help?"

"Not yet," She admitted, "that's what I'm waiting for."

Lena shrugged. "Give them time, they want to give it their best shot first."

"Yeah," she said but didn't quite agree. Lisbon couldn't shake the feeling that there was more, something big was happening; it didn't make sense for a killer to escalate so quickly. What were the police hiding this time?

"Come on," Lena said standing up. "Let's go get some lunch, I'm starved."

So Lisbon pasted on a smile and gathered her things to follow out of the door. The phone would wait, for now she would just go on with her life.

Life did go on for Lisbon and she stood by the rule she'd set years ago, her job stopped once she left the building. That was a recent rule but it was important, she was no longer just Agent Teresa Lisbon anymore. That was why she was completely relaxed and happy as she picked her daughter up from daycare, never let it be said she was an agent before a mother.

Alex was always happy to see her mom, she chattered away about her day, her friends at daycare and whatever else struck her interest. She was certainly a happy girl, easygoing and precocious, it was as if her single desire was to please everyone around her, a lot like her mother in that regard.

There was no thinking about the horrors of her job, not while she was with her daughter, her innocence could not be touched by something so tragic, not yet at least. In some ways it was exhilarating to finally have a reason to let it all go when she left the building, she slept better at night because she wouldn't allow herself to dwell on the cases she was working on or the pain she had seen that day.

So her evening was spent playing with her daughter in the living room and then preparing her dinner. Lisbon listened to Alex talk about anything she wanted and it was wonderful to feel all of the stress leave her completely. There was no doubt that being a mother had changed her for the better.

Lisbon was cleaning up the dishes when her cell phone finally rang, but Lisbon knew it wasn't the phone call she'd been waiting all day for. No, this was another one entirely.

"Hey, Jane," she said as she answered it, "How are things going in Austin?"

"A lot more interesting then in L.A."

For once she doubted that. "Yeah? I did hear something about a state senator, apparently you faked an aid's death to get him to confess?"

"It wasn't that severe."

"Right, so the reports that you had Cho pretend to shoot her and then get him to help 'hide the body' were just imaginations run wild?"

"It had to be done, he was sleeping with her and then killed the guard to cover it up."

Lisbon laughed. "I'm sure Abbott was ready to kill you for that stunt."

"Close to it."

"I'll bet, not sure I would have been able to resist myself if I'd been there."

"Oh you would have, you just would have hit me instead."

She laughed again. "You're probably right."

The conversation hit a slight lull once the laughter faded and Jane took that opportunity to change the subject. "How are you?"

"I'm good, busy, got an interesting case in the works," she admitted, "but nothing that is as exciting as a lawsuit from a senator."

"Good, and Alex?"

"Is that my cue to hand her the phone?"

"Only if you don't mind."

That made her grin and she put the phone down. "Alex!" she called out and walked into the living room where her daughter was playing. "Daddy is on the phone and he wants to talk to you."

Alex had known of course, Daddy always called at the same time every week, no matter what he was doing and that was the truth. One time he had called her when he was sitting in the car in the middle of a stakeout. But she still dropped everything she was doing to make a dash for the phone. "Hi, Daddy!" She said happily once she put the phone to her ear. "I'm good," she said answering his question.

Lisbon pretended to be preoccupied with finishing cleaning the kitchen but all the time she had one ear listening in on the conversation between Jane and their daughter. Mostly it revolved around Alex chattering about her life, her friends at daycare, the gymnastics class she was in and a birthday party she would be going to in a few weeks. There was never anything bad about these phone calls except for a recent tradition that had started popping up towards the end. And sure enough, it happened.

"Daddy, when can I see you?" Alex pleaded softly. "Will you come see me soon?" She waited dutifully for his answer and then tried another way. "Can I go see you?" Another response. "But why? Please, Daddy, please." Another pause. "When? …Okay, goodbye, Daddy."

Alex handed the phone back to her mother, not quite her cheerful self now. Lisbon sighed and put the phone back to her ear. "She's upset again isn't she?" Jane asked.

"Yep," Lisbon replied, not even bothering to sugar coat it.

He sighed now too. "You should go cheer her up."

"I'll do that," she agreed. She wasn't even being passive aggressive, just accepted what she had to do in the circumstances.

"Just remind her that I love her."

"She knows, you tell her and I tell her," Lisbon said, "But sometimes words aren't enough."

"Just tell her."

"I will," Lisbon replied. "Good bye, Jane."

"Good bye, Lisbon."

She hung up the phone and closed her eyes for a moment, making yet another wish that things could have been different. Then she put the phone away and set off to do what she'd said she would.

Alex had crept up to her room after the phone call and Lisbon found her playing with her dollhouse. Or more specifically, the dollhouse Jane had purchased for her last birthday. The dollhouse itself was a work of art, no doubt custom made. It had three stories, a wrap around porch with an attached gazebo, another porch on the third floor and two gables. That wasn't even mentioning the inside, which had a curved staircase; a dining room with a chandelier and to top it all off the house actually had electric lighting! The furniture had all been included, all miniature versions of classic beautiful furniture that Lisbon wished she could own.

Then there were the dolls. Three dolls that were tiny versions of them, one for Alex, another for her mother and a third of him. Her doll had come with tiny handcuffs! It had been extravagant and unbelievable…but Alex had adored it.

The gifts had started when she was born; he'd gotten a silver shoe with her name, date of birth, birth weight and height engraved on it. Lisbon had it sitting on a high shelf because she knew that thing was outrageously expensive. Then there was the life-sized baby giraffe for her first birthday, that thing took up a good chunk of floor space but was still Alex's favorite place to sit and read. Last year it had been genuine porcelain tea set with a table, four chairs, all hand carved and real lace table clothes. Lisbon liked to joke that if her house ever got robbed the thieves would bypass all of the electronics and just raid Alex's room to make a killing…and it was the truth.

The birthday and Christmas gifts were beautiful, personal and touching…but they didn't make up for the fact that he had never once seen her face when she opened them. Lisbon knew that Alex would probably trade all of the gifts for her father to come and see her. It was why she always played with the dollhouse after the phone calls; it was simply a way to stay connected to him.

Lisbon sat down on the carpet next to Alex and put on a fake smile. "What are you doing, baby?"

"Nothing," Alex said, her voice was filled with sadness. She had two dolls in her hand, the one that represented herself and the one that was her mother.

"Where's the daddy?"

"Away."

Well it was hard to blame her for that choice. "Alex," Lisbon said softly, "You know your daddy loves you."

"Then why does he stay away?"

"Because it isn't easy for him to be a daddy," Lisbon told her, "He's sad, his family died and it broke him. He thinks he won't hurt you as much if he stays away."

"Why?"

"Because he hurt me a lot," Lisbon reminded her, "he did and he doesn't want to hurt you too."

"Why was he bad to you?"

Boy she could write a book trying to answer that question. "Because he made a lot mistakes and bad choices."

Alex thought about that for a moment before meeting her mother's eyes. "Will he do that again?"

Lisbon studied her daughter, her smart little girl who saw far too much, no question where that came from. "I don't think so," she admitted, "But, Daddy has to believe in himself first and that might be the hardest thing he has ever done."

"I believe in him."

She smiled and hugged her daughter close. "I do too…and someday I think he will."

The next day Lisbon was at her desk doing the exact same routine as she had done the previous day but this time she was finally rewarded with the long anticipated phone call. It was Agent Rothman of the CBI who wanted to meet with her about the case. She gladly agreed to that arrangement and waited for the anticipated meeting, finally she could get somewhere with this case.

Agent Rothman looked grim when he finally arrived, along with another man who introduced himself as Detective Chase. She knew they weren't exactly happy to be there, no one liked admitting that they needed help, but they were smart enough to know when they were in over their heads. She smiled at them appreciatively, "I'm happy to help you with this case," she told them. Yes, she would be taking the lead but she wanted them to know that they would still play a part. She wasn't going to take it away from them.

"I'm sure you can read from the reports that this is a pretty intense case," Rothman said.

"The newspapers have hinted that it was a rather gruesome death."

"You have no idea." He handed her the case file and she opened it to get her first taste of what this case would bring, and even she hadn't been prepared for it.

She hadn't seen anything like it.

The first picture showed Jason Winters lying on a child sized bed, he had been cut at the waist, his lower limbs no where to be found. Blood had spread all over the bed and dripped down to the floor. The coroner's report stated he had died from blood loss; he'd been alive when his legs were cut off and slowly died from those wounds.

The next was of his wife, Hannah. She was on a bed as well but this one was huge, it engulfed the small woman completely. But this was no ordinary bed; her feet and arms were tied to bedposts with strong nylon ropes for rock climbing. There was a crank at the foot of the bed and the ropes were pulled tight. The report stated that the crank tugged on the ropes, stretching her limbs inch by inch until her bones were dislocated, her muscle fibers snapped and eventually she died as her limbs were torn off.

Dear God what monster had done this?

"There is something else," Rothman said and pointed to a photograph in the file, "this was found displayed with the bodies."

It was a simple white card with a red lower case 'g' printed on it. Nothing more.

"Do you know what it means?" she asked.

"No," he told her, "but it hasn't been released to the public, we don't want to start a panic."

"A panic?"

"Agent Lisbon…this isn't the only scene we've found this at."

That startled her and it was made even more horrific as two more files were placed before her. The first was a name she recognized from the papers a couple of months ago, Angelica Marsh was found in a spring outside the city. What she hadn't heard was that Angelica had been dragged to death but something, possibly a bull if the hair fibers were correct. Her mutilated body had been dumped in the spring, along with the 'g' calling card.

The third was Jason Fletcher, found killed in his home. He had an arrow through his heart, an arrow tipped with a sprig of mistletoe to be exact and the 'g' was left by his body.

Four gruesome deaths, different people, ages, statuses, and methods of execution. The only similarity between them was the card with the letter 'g' on it.

Now she understood why the police had kept it a secret, no one wanted the public to know that there was a serial killer prowling the streets of Los Angeles.

Time could pass but some cases would bring it screaming back. A seven-year-old girl was kidnapped and the FBI had been brought in to find her. They had, just a few hours too late. It was always devastating and catching the killer wasn't much comfort either. The mood was somber in Austin and the only thing that could conceivably ease the pain was strong liquor. Jane was tempted to partake in that traditional elixir but he also knew that doing so would only lead to more problems in the future.

But he didn't, instead he sat still on his couch and just let the events wash over him. Pain deserved to be felt sometimes.

He saw others leave slowly, weighted down by the sadness as well. Cho was one his way out himself but he stopped at Jane's couch. He was silent for a beat before finally telling him, "You should call your kid."

He was surprised by that comment, more than he should have been. "I called her on Wednesday."

"Call her again."

"She is probably asleep." Jane said, it wasn't necessarily true since the time difference meant there was a chance but it was a reasonable excuse.

Cho didn't buy it though. "I think Lisbon would be okay with it."

Jane sighed and shook his head. "It's not going to happen, Cho." Abbott was usually the worst offender in trying to push Jane into being more than what he was currently, but even Cho had his moments where he tried to do the same, like now.

"This hit all of us, don't pretend it doesn't bother you. Call your kid, you'll feel better."

"Why would waking her up from her pleasant dreams make me feel better? I know she's fine. I don't need to disturb her or Lisbon unnecessarily to know that."

Cho shook his head. "I don't get you, you have something great and you just let it slip away."

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Because despite what an utter jackass you are I consider you a friend and you need to hear the truth."

"What truth would that be, Cho?"

"You're an idiot."

"Thanks for the newsflash." Jane said dismissively.

Cho stared at him for a moment, before walking away while shaking his head. He never would understand Jane's mind, especially not in this situation. Of course, Jane didn't really understand it either anymore. Everyday that clear line was getting blurrier and blurrier to the point where he wondered why he'd set it in the first place.

Jane didn't stick around much longer after Cho left. He headed for the only home he had but it was a stretch even for him to call it that these days. The trailer was much the same, large enough for one and small enough to make him feel even lonelier than usual. Once inside he sat on the edge of his bed for a long moment, letting the silence eat at him.

He remembered those parents, their grief as Abbott explained that their daughter was never going to come back. He hadn't wanted to be there, had tried to avoid it, but even being far away he had seen them collapse in their grief. He knew that pain all to well. There was no comfort for something like that; just time, but even time couldn't heal everything. He'd learned that lesson years ago, those wounds have a nasty way of opening up all over again when you least expect it.

Jane reached over to the drawer of the nightstand; he pulled out a stack of glossy photographs that were probably his most prized possessions these days. Lisbon had started sending him photographs of Alex after she left Austin, usually Christmas cards but sometimes she would just send some favorite snapshots. He'd gotten more in the recent years, no doubt a result of him calling weekly. It was a benefit that he hadn't expected but appreciated.

There was Alex's first Christmas, she was wearing a little Santa hat and popping out of a wrapped box. Lisbon had really gone overboard that year, no doubt an attempt to sell her brothers that her life was actually normal. He knew it had failed but at least she'd made an adorable picture. There was her first birthday, her face and hands covered in cake but she had a big smile. One of her standing in the backyard, a finger in her mouth looking very serious.

She got progressively older, getting more and more animated with the camera. The most recent was from a photography studio but he loved it, Lisbon and her daughter both lying on the floor resting their chins in their hands and their feet sticking up from their bent knees. They were both laughing and looking so much alike, identical poses between mother and daughter. They looked so happy together, just like it should be.

Things had changed for him in the last couple of years, he found himself longing for more instead of wishing to stay away. But it wasn't as simple as just giving in. It had taken him twelve years to finally get to that point with Lisbon and that had fallen apart relatively quickly. He didn't know what surprises would pop up again, what could destroy him once more.

The truth was it was frightening, the idea of even moving on and being a father again. He'd failed once before, it was likely he would fail again. The only thing he'd truly succeeded at was hurting the people he loved. So perhaps it was best to stay away, at least for Alex's sake.

Even if he was beginning to hate that idea.

Lisbon felt like she was getting nowhere, probably because that is exactly what was happening. Usually serial killers had a pattern, a type. Even Red John had had one, young women that he posed underneath his signature, the times he'd deviated had always been for personal reasons. Ted Bundy had a type, so had Daumer, Gacy and Jack the Ripper.

But not this guy.

He had men, women, couples, young and old. And there was no similar method, one was cut to pieces, another stretched until broken, a third shot with an arrow and a fourth literally dragged until killed. Not one had been murdered in the same manner and the only thing that connected the murders was the calling card with the letter 'g'.

But Lisbon wasn't willing to admit defeat, there was something there, something obvious that was staring at her in the face. If Jane were here he would know but he wasn't so she was going to solve this one.

She stared at the photograph of the dead couple and frowned at it. What would Jane say if he had a look at this? She spotted the painting of the sea in the background. Well, she thought, he'd say that was a really bad imitation of Monet.

She was still looking at the photos when Lena walked in, her heels clicking on the floor. "You know what they say when the pictures talk back to you right?"

Lisbon smiled ruefully. "That it's time to get some sleep."

"Bingo."

She laughed and looked up at her friend. Lena was now sporting a light pink micro mini skirt and a pink and green camo skintight t-shirt. "Nice outfit."

Lena grinned. "Drug dealer and I had a date tonight, got cut short when he took me to the warehouse to meet with a guy first, we arrested them both."

"Good, then that means you didn't dress like a white trash slut for nothing."

She rolled her eyes and stepped over to Lisbon's desk. "What have we got here?" Lena peered at the photos, a miracle that her boobs didn't pop out of her shirt. "Ugh, this guys a sicko."

"That's one way to put it," Lisbon said.

"What do you know?"

"That he has come up with inventive ways to kill people," she replied, "other than that…nothing."

"You're not telling the great Agent Teresa Lisbon, the one who caught Red John, is stumped?"

"I didn't catch Red John," Lisbon corrected her, "My team caught him, or rather found him out and then he was killed." She omitted the part that Jane killed him, everyone knew that and it didn't need to be said. "And I'm not admitting defeat, I'll figure this out. It'll just take time."

Lena shrugged. "You need help?"

"No," Lisbon said, "But if I do I'll get it."

Her friend waited for a minute, as if she might change her mind, then she patted Lisbon on the shoulder and left her to finish her job. She watched Lena go, feeling grateful for her friend and sad that it wasn't as simple as it used to be. Years ago she'd had a team, a team that worked together. Now she was the boss and dictating what other teams did…she didn't have a team of her own and she wasn't a part of one. She missed that.

Lisbon studied the photos until it was time to go and this time she was really tempted to break her own rules and bring the files home with her. She almost did but the idea of Alex somehow stumbling upon them made her think twice. Instead she left them on her desk to be looked at in the morning. It was time to stop being agent and be a mother again.

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It was four thirty in the morning when Lisbon's cell phone went off. She knew immediately it wasn't good news even before she found out it was Agent Rothman on the phone.

"We have another one."

Alex was left safely at home with her emergency babysitter that was the sweet old lady who lived next door. She might feed chocolate chip cookies to her daughter for breakfast but that was something Lisbon was willing to put up with in the middle of an emergency.

She sped to BrightonHills, a new neighborhood for the affluent, flashing her badge and lights anytime someone tried to cut her off. The guys at the gate let her through right away; a conga line of police cruisers was going in with her.

The house with everyone in front of it was the one she was heading to. Rothman was waiting outside and he looked pretty grim, the sun just starting to peek over the horizon and turning the sky a shell pink.

"It's bad," he told her, "you might want to make sure you hold on to your breakfast."

Lisbon wondered about that as she saw one uniformed man run out of the house and start vomiting into the bushes. As she went into the house she saw others looking shell shocked, grown men quivering in absolute terror and one sobbing woman being held up by another officer.

It seemed like every other scene she'd been at before, until she made it to the bedroom.

One officer shook his head, his face completely white. "I'm not going in there again, never ever again." He repeated over and over as he rushed away. That was her first clue that this wasn't going to be something she'd ever seen before.

She was right.

The smell of blood hit her first, strong and pungent. But she quickly stopped smelling it when she stopped breathing as her eyes took in the sight.

The man was lying propped up against the footboard of the bed, the bloodstained sheet in front of him. His back was to the door, but no one could even imagine look past to see his face. His entire back was cut out, exposing his ribs. The ribs of his back had been severed and pulled back, bent at an angle to form curved bloody spikes. Then there was a flimsy shiny tissue pulled back over them, spread out to form…wings. Bloody wings that dripped red onto the floor.

"Dear God," she gasped.

Rothman nodded. "Doc says the guy pulled his lungs out of his back, his fucking lungs!"

She shook her head. "I…I've never seen anything like this."

She couldn't tear her eyes away from the gruesome sight, a man spread out naked with his lungs behind him like a macabre angel…or a fallen Lucifer.

Lisbon took a step back. "I…I need to step outside.

Rothman grabbed her arm. "Wait…we need your help!"

She met his eyes. "Yes, help." But she wasn't thinking, she couldn't erase that awful visage from her mind, no matter how much she closed her eyes.

Help.

That word kept going through her mind as she rushed outside, sucking in the air, grateful that at least the sweet smell of the morning didn't taste like blood.

Oh God in heaven, who could have done something like that?

She didn't know, the worst part is she didn't have a clue. Lisbon remember how just a few days ago she'd thought the police were in over her head…now she was beginning to wonder if she was in the same spot they were in.

"We need your help"

"You need help?"

"No, but if I do I'll get it."

Help. She needed help.

Lisbon grabbed her phone from at her waist and punched in the number she knew so well. It rang twice before he answered.

"Jane…I need you."

A/N: Lisbon knows when she needs help and boy does she need it. Next chap Jane and the rest of the Austin team go to LA where they get a nice little reunion with Lisbon...and eventually Alex. Stay tuned, there will be quite a few twists in this little fic ;)