A/N: This chapter was posted only a few days after the last chapter because (1) I'm really excited about the work I've put in on this arc, and (2) if I review this one more time, it might become two chapters! Just make sure you read chapter 9 before chapter 10. Otherwise, major spoilers abound! So, lol, what about that last chapter? Here, we are picking up with Jane in the aftermath. For Taylor Swift fans, the title may have you scratching your head. If you're also a country music fan, you might catch the reference about midway through the chapter. I explain in the end notes. This is an emotional chapter (because of the events of last chapter), but I promise no Lisbons or Janes were killed in the making of this chapter ;)

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When Teresa called and said she'd be late, that gave him the perfect window for what he needed to do. For the first time, he was making her pizza recipe for her. Always a hit around the house, it was something he wanted to try for her. It would be a nice surprise and a good start to the weekend!

As time went on, he called her cell to see how much longer she would be. It was already well after 9. Annie grew hungry and tired, so he fed her. Though, he would wait for her. He tried calling again. Only, she didn't answer. Her meeting must be really important for her not to answer his call or send him a text.

At around 10:15, he settled in to watch tv after getting Annie to bed. He checked his phone. Still no response from Teresa. It was odd that she missed Annie's bedtime without a call or text. She never did that because she was a firm believer in always saying goodnight. He started to call her again to see how much longer she would be because he was quite hungry now too. As he dialed her number, the doorbell rang.

It was late, but he'd check it out in any case. Opening the door, he was not prepared for the flashing red and blue lights or to see Madeleine standing on the other side with her badge hanging from a chain on her neck.

Her face looked grim, but sympathetic. He started to make a joke about seeing her here so late, but the panic set in as he realized Teresa hadn't responded to him for hours. Indeed, that was odd and nothing like her at all.

Madeleine stepped inside the door. "Patrick, where's Annie?"

He looked at her with his mouth agape for a moment. His mouth was dry when he finally found his words. "I just put her to bed. Is…is…what's going on?"

"Let's go to the living room. I think you need to have a seat."

Her entire demeanor, not to mention her escort, demonstrated that Madeleine was here on official business and for a purpose. Like Teresa, she was trained in difficult conversations, but she could just say it. He needed to know.

"Please just tell me. Is she…is she dead?" His voice broke as he tried to push that word out. He never wanted to use that word with his wife's name in the same sentence.

She shook her head. "She's not. She's been taken to the hospital though."

"Ok, which hospital? I need to get Annie, and we need to get there now."

"Just calm down for a moment. I know you need to get Annie, but let's talk about a plan first."

"I need to see my wife! What happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I just received a call that she was injured at the office. Minnelli asked that I come straight here to be with you and Annie. Now, I think it's best we make a plan."

"A plan?" She guided him to the couch.

"Yes, a plan. I know you want to go to the hospital, but right now, we need to think about how we do that in a way that's not harmful or confusing to Annie."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Patrick, I don't have any other information than what I've told you. I know she was injured. We're still trying to figure out what happened."

Maybe she didn't have a lot of information, but she was definitely trying to downplay the seriousness of what was happening. If it was just a matter of her being injured, Madeleine and these other cops wouldn't be at his door.

He should have known something was wrong when she didn't respond! She always responded to him and never let Annie go to bed without at least a goodnight. He should've checked in on her! He should've done something when he knew this wasn't like her! Did he really sit here with his thumb up his ass and leave his wife to die?

He shook his head as if to tamp those thoughts down. It wouldn't help to get stuck in his own thoughts right now. He needed to get to Teresa and make sure she would be all right.

"She called me and said she'd be late. She had a meeting at the office with someone. If you're here, I know it has something to do…someone hurt her. I need to see her."

"I know you need to see her. Grace Van Pelt is on her way. When she gets here, I am going to escort you to the hospital. She's going to sit with Annie while you go to the hospital. It's a confusing and scary time for us. Getting woken up and dragged to the hospital, when we don't know what state Teresa is in, would be even more confusing and scary for her. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah." He could barely breathe. Madeleine was making his child care arrangements so he could get to the hospital to see Teresa. She didn't know if his wife lived or died either, and he just needed to see her right now. He needed to hold her. What the hell was happening?

About ten excruciating minutes later, Grace was there. True to her word, Madeleine escorted him to the hospital in her police cruiser. When they arrived at the hospital, it was absolute chaos. Cops were everywhere, and Madeleine had to flash her badge for them to get through.

She pulled him by the arm through the crowd to the nurse's station. "This is Agent Lisbon's husband, Patrick Jane."

"How's my wife?"

The nurse in pink scrubs just looked at him. "They're working on her now."

"They're working on her now? What…what does that mean?"

"It means I have no information for you at this time. If you have a seat, the doctor will come talk to you when Miss Lisbon…"

"Jane. Her name is Teresa Jane."

"Well, when there's more information on Mrs. Jane, they'll come talk to you."

"Okay. Come on, Patrick. Let's take a seat."

He took a seat along the wall, and Madeleine sat next to him. Unbelievable! Something, or someone, had befallen his wife and no one wanted to tell him what exactly.

Though, he heard Teresa's voice in his head trying to soothe him. She would flash him a wide smile that reached her beautiful green eyes and tease him for his impatience. She would tell him that he should give the doctors space to do their work before finding some way to distract him. She was good like that: his major calming force.

Conjuring her image got him through at least three calming breaths before he once again reached his breaking point. He wasn't as calm and collected as his wife. That's why he needed her.

He swallowed before speaking very deliberately. "Madeleine, I want to know what happened to my wife. Why are they working on her? What are they doing?"

"I know this is scary. I doubt there is any information that we haven't been told already."

"Well, someone knows what happened to her. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here."

"I know, but they didn't tell me. Minnelli just told me that Teresa was hurt, and he sent me to pick you up. I asked for Grace to meet us before we left for the hospital. I wish I could tell you more."

Her brown eyes wide, she turned to face him. That was the first time he realized that she hadn't even bothered to put on her work clothes before coming to his house. She wore jogging pants and slippers, and her hair was covered in a brightly colored scarf. She hadn't spent a minute on comportment before jumping in the car to get to them immediately.

He sat there silently running through every possible scenario. What the hell could've happened to her in her office? And what about their little girl?

At that thought, a sharp pain ran through his chest. For the first time since Madeleine appeared at his door, he thought of his-their-little girl. Perhaps that's why no one wanted to tell him anything. Maybe they were waiting to tell him all at once that he'd lost his wife and daughter.

Some time later, Minnelli came into the waiting room. "Mr. Jane, I'm so sorry this has happened. We're working hard to figure out what happened tonight. How is she?"

"I don't know! I don't even know what this is! I don't know if my wife or daughter are even alive! No one will tell me anything!"

Agent Minnelli shrank back a bit before looking toward Madeleine. He wished he could handle himself better. After all, his dad didn't spend all of those years fine tuning his emotional centers, but he couldn't hold his panic in. He needed to know that his girls were okay.

He was glad when Madeleine spoke because he could no longer trust himself to speak. "We've received no updates."

He nodded. "I see. Can I talk to you, Agent Hightower?"

"I'll be right back, Patrick."

Minnelli pulled her to the side, but neither of them knew he could read lips. He told Madeleine there were two dead bodies, and they were still processing the scene. He told her that Teresa's office was a mess; there was blood everywhere. They were trying to ascertain how this happened, but they believed her attacker was one of the dead bodies. If all of the cops hadn't been a sign before, he now knew something major happened at the office. Someone hurt her. These cops were here to protect her in case there was another attempt on her life.

Who could hurt Teresa? Who could hurt their little girl? Neither of them deserved this. He'd done a lot of things in his lifetime to make him a right asshole. He didn't exactly start out well in life with his dad's emphasis on screwing others over before they got you. "Use your mind, Paddy!" That's what he'd tell him before encouraging him to do something absolutely shady, and he complied often enough. Sometimes, he was an all too willing accomplice.

When he got out, he tried to go straight, but maybe there were still accounts for him to settle. Well, if this was karma coming back around for him, he'd gladly take their place. They didn't deserve this. Briefly, he wondered if Teresa would pray right now. Early on in their relationship, they worked out she was somewhat religious and he wasn't at all. If her God was real, he hoped that he wouldn't take a good woman like Teresa. Certainly, he wouldn't take their baby. Even if he didn't believe, maybe her belief was enough. As he wondered if she had prayed before, or during even, whatever happened, a tear fell down his cheek.

Madeleine returned to her seat next to him, and he didn't push her on anything. He already knew what she knew. Yet, their wait continued. Each passing minute, he grew more anxious. Why the hell couldn't anyone at the hospital tell him how his wife was doing?

Sam Bosco arrived with Cho and Rigsby a little while later. Cho and Rigsby said their awkward hellos while Bosco just nodded toward him.

"How is she?"

Madeleine answered for him. "We still don't know."

Bosco closed his eyes. "We need to find a space to talk. We can read you in. I think we have a good idea of what happened."

"Great! I'd also like to know why my wife is being worked on but no one can—or will—tell me what the fuck is going on!"

Bosco pursed his lips before looking at Madeleine and back to Kimball and Wayne. Neither of them looked entirely present. Teresa's office-the crime scene-must have been terrible.

Bosco sighed. "We can't discuss ongoing investigations."

Suddenly, he was out of his seat and in Bosco's face. "Ongoing investigations?! THAT IS MY WIFE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! And…and my little girl! I deserve to know! Are they going to live? Who hurt them? Why would someone hurt them?"

He started to weep. Under other circumstances, he may have been more sensitive to the fact he was having a very public breakdown in front of Teresa's coworkers-some of whom were their friends. She would probably swat his arm and tell him to stop embarrassing her, but he didn't know if she would ever playfully hit him again. He didn't know whether his wife or daughter lived. No one would tell him anything.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Bosco grasping his shoulder with a sympathetic look in his eyes. "You don't need to hear this. Just let us do our jobs, and you wait here in case there are any updates."

"I need to know what happened to her. She was on limited duty because that's supposed to be safe, and apparently, it wasn't. I need to know!"

Bosco held a sad, somewhat guilty look in his eyes before nodding. "Come with us."

He walked with the four of them—Madeleine, Kimball, Wayne, and Bosco—into an empty room. There was a moment of silence between them.

"It is against CBI policy to discuss ongoing investigations, but seeing as how you're on the books as an approved consultant, I suppose I can talk to you barring the disagreement of anyone in this room." He paused as he looked around, receiving nods from everyone present. "But I'm not sure how much of this you need to hear…"

"Just tell me."

"Teresa was attacked in her office."

"Attacked? At the CBI? On purpose?"

"Yes, it looks like it was another cop."

"One of the dead bodies?" Bosco looked at him with surprise as he gestured toward Madeleine. "I read lips, but they didn't know that."

"If I have a good read of the situation, yes."

"So, he asked to meet with her after hours to attack her?"

Bosco looked away as he rubbed the back of his head. "No, she was meeting me. And if I thought there was any danger in the building I wouldn't have suggested it. I would have made Minnelli get a detail on her if I knew she faced any immediate and present danger, if it wasn't just an oddity I thought I'd noticed in these cases. I didn't think it was anything but my eyes playing tricks on me."

Madeleine blinked rapidly. "What cases? What are you talking about?"

He huffed before placing five photos on the table. "She asked me to review these five case files, believing they might be the work of a serial killer. She didn't want to send up the alarm bells without a second opinion. All five of them within the year. He was good at covering his tracks, but not so good she couldn't smell something was going on."

She shook her head. "She never mentioned that. Are these the cases in Napa County?"

Bosco looked to Madeleine to answer her directly. "Some of them are. He was across jurisdictional lines, and each case was poised for CBI involvement. She thought it was a long shot…or that maybe she was just seeing things because she couldn't close five cases. I think the last one really affected her."

Cho spoke out. "Yeah, the victim was pregnant. We should've known something was wrong. We are her team. What the hell good were we?"

"Come on, man. There was no way we could've known." Wayne clasped a hand over his shoulder. Though no tears slipped from his eyes, Cho's eyes were wet. He didn't imagine Cho was a man who cried often.

He still needed to know what happened tonight. "Known what? This killer would attack her?"

"We believe that's what happened tonight. He surprised her at the office after hours."

"So, happened to her tonight?"

"He attacked her." Bosco was evading his question, and he didn't have the patience for this.

"What does that mean? Tell me. In consultant terms if you must."

"It means that that's what you need to know at this time."

He scoffed. "Listen, she's my wife. I want to know why she wasn't properly protected. What the hell happened? If you knew she needed protection, why didn't you tell her?"

"The same reason she had me look at these files to confirm her suspicions. Use your skills. Look at the photos."

He and Madeleine both looked over the photos. There were five dead women in front of him. What the hell was he meant to be looking at here? Then, he saw it. Freckles. Dark hair. Green eyes. Pregnant.

He touched the photos. "The women in these photos all share a physical commonality with her….but this one doesn't?"

"Not physically. She was an ambitious young woman, a leader."

"But…" His head was swimming as he heard Madeleine inhale sharply next to him. Those women had all died horrible deaths.

"When she asked me to review the files, I looked to see if I saw what she did. The guy had no real patterns other than her team was called up for these cases in and around Napa County, and they've not been able to solve a single one of them despite their efforts. And that doesn't really prove anything—but the last woman. She was pregnant. Lisbon said it was a particularly gruesome scene. I got the sense that she had a gut feeling something was up but was afraid she was seeing things that weren't there."

A serial killer had killed Teresa five times over before making his move on her: his true target. She had a gut feeling about a serial killer whose pattern she suspected but couldn't even see. Even Bosco, her second opinion, hadn't seen it clearly until tonight after he hurt her. How could anyone see it without the context of this guy making a very overt move to harm her?

"And only a cop would know how your rotation system works, right? How could a cop...do this?"

"Beyond the fact that anyone who would do anything like that was never fit to wear the badge, I don't know. When she wakes up, she can shed light on what happened."

"Minnelli said there were two dead bodies."

He nodded somberly. "Ray Haffner was dead at the scene. From the video, it looks like he just stopped by her office at the wrong time. Didn't even have a chance to get his gun out."

"Oh. I'm sorry. But…there's video. How was she injured?"

"You think you want to know the specifics, but you don't."

"Please don't patronize me!"

Bosco looked away from him. He suspected that perhaps he wasn't just patronizing him. He had no real desire to hold the information that he held either. Well, he needed to know what happened to her.

"You found her, didn't you? When you went to meet her?"

"Yeah."

"It was bad. That's why you won't tell me."

"It was."

From Kimball turning away, he could also gather what else Bosco didn't want to tell him based on the photos. The man took a certain interest in the rather young, beautiful female victims.

"She was shot in the shoulder and had a head wound. She was barely conscious when I got there. She'd slumped over near Ray. From the video, it looks like she got to his gun and shot the guy. She never did get hers out of her locked drawer."

"He surprised them."

"Yeah, I'd say so. Two seasoned CBI agents, and neither of them sensed danger. When I found her, she was mumbling about blue eyes. A blue eyed boy or something. Maybe she was talking about Ray because...well, his eyes were frozen open. She wasn't coherent because she was bleeding and probably in a lot of pain."

No, she wasn't talking about Ray. Teresa was calling for him...and he wasn't there for her. He told her he would always protect her, and he wasn't there! She was calling out for him while he was sitting at home, watching a fictional cop show while his real life hero—his heart—was fighting for her life.

His voice was barely above a whisper. "And what else?"

The room was so silent he could hear Bosco swallow thickly. "Her clothing was disheveled." He looked away before lowering his own voice. "I covered her with my jacket, but there's no guarantee that...I ordered a forensic exam. I don't want to disrespect her because I suppose it doesn't matter if he's dead, but if she needs treated..."

Bosco's words trailed off as he struggled to continue that line of thought. So, the pervert's goal was to torture her before he killed her. Now, his wife was being poked and prodded-while friends discussed intimate details about her to figure out what happened to her. Perhaps it was good he didn't eat tonight. Otherwise, he might be sick.

"Are you sure he's one of the dead men?"

"Based on what I saw in the video, but I will need to talk to Lisbon to confirm what happened in the office. She was clearly caught off guard, but you know her. She's a fighter."

It sounded like Teresa shot him. If that was the case, good. He tortured and killed all of those women-and tried to do the same to Teresa-he deserved to die. Good riddance. Probably not what the cops wanted to hear though.

He just nodded. Indeed, she was a fighter. But in all of trying to figure out what happened with Teresa, he realized there was no mention of their little girl. Would she be ok? Was that freak after her?

"Was…did he injure the baby?"

"Not that I could tell. They put a fetal monitor on her at the scene. I was hoping they'd have info by now."

There was a knock on the door before it opened slightly. "Mr. Jane?"

"That's me."

"Mr. Jane, I'm Doctor Moore. Is it ok to talk in front of these people?"

His eyes darted around the room. All of these people cared about his wife, too. "Yeah. They're her coworkers and friends."

"I've been working on your wife since they brought her in."

"How is she?"

"She lost a lot of blood from a gunshot wound and a head wound. She also suffered a fractured leg, a sprained wrist, and some other contusions. She's being moved to a room now. You will be able to see her soon."

"How's my daughter?"

"There seemed to have been no physical injuries to the baby. We're monitoring her closely as well, but everything looks normal for now."

"For now?"

"I'm sorry. I know this is hard to hear, but your wife lost a lot of blood. We gave her a transfusion so that we could work on her and get her stabilized. However, I am not entirely certain whether she will be able to carry the baby to term."

He had no idea what that meant, but hearing Madeleine's gasp clued him in on it being bad. "What does that mean?"

"Well, I've consulted her doctor. She's had an otherwise healthy pregnancy so far, so that's good. We need to monitor the fetal heart rate closely over the next few days. If necessary, we can perform an emergency cesarean."

"Okay, whatever it takes to save them."

"Mr. Jane, the thing is that at 24 weeks, the baby's chances of survival are very narrow."

His chest fell. They wanted their little girl. Maybe they hadn't picked a name or set up the nursery yet, but they wanted their little girl. After soccer sign ups tomorrow, he was taking her to look at baby furniture and get an idea on how to plan their nursery. This...this couldn't be happening.

Madeleine took his hand before speaking. "What the doctor is saying is that we will just have to wait and see what happens over the next few days. That's all we know for now."

She didn't need to protect his feelings. Teresa would wake up, but when she did, the thought of telling her that after surviving whatever manner of hell she faced in her office that they lost their daughter terrified him. But if it came to that, he would. They would get through this together.

He cleared his throat. "Can I see her?"

"She won't be awake for quite some time."

Madeleine squeezed his hand. "Patrick, it's late. Maybe you should go home and…"

"No, I'd like to see her. Please. I'd like to sit with her."

The doctor nodded. "I'll have a nurse escort you to her room."

Bosco held his files up. "Doctor, I will need to talk to you about her injuries for the report."

As soon as the nurse was there, he was being shuffled off to Teresa's room. Madeleine went off to check in with Grace. It was well after midnight now. Of course, Annie was asleep. He felt slightly guilty realizing that she may wake up without them at home and wonder whether they'd left her.

When he saw her, all of the air left his body. There were so many tubes and machines, so many noises.

As he approached her, he noticed the swelling on the right side of her face along with other marks that look like they'd turn to bruises. Her right arm was in a sling and her left leg was in a boot and elevated. Amid all of that, he also noticed the blood caked in her hair. Obviously, the hospital staff was more concerned with closing her wounds and saving her life than washing her hair, but it was hard to see the aftermath of Teresa's battle with a serial killer.

He got the wash basin and filled it with soapy warm water. Grabbing a cloth, he wet it and started working it in her hair gently so as to not disturb her. He cleaned as much of it out as he could. She didn't need to wake up with yet another reminder of the attempt on her life tonight. If he could fix her injuries, he would. He would make the whole day disappear if it were in his power.

When he finished cleaning her hair, he dragged the chair from the corner of the room to the left side of her bed. He took his hand into hers. As he listened to the sound of the dual heart monitors, he wished he could fix all of this. Why couldn't it have been him? She didn't deserve this. She was Teresa: the woman who loved with all of her heart. Why would anyone want to hurt her? Finally, the dam broke. He started to weep.

"My green eyed girl." He laid his head over her chest so he could listen to the beating of her heart for himself.

Surely, Bosco waited for him to exit the room to get the gritty details from the doctor. Perhaps the man had a point: he didn't want to know. If Teresa ever wanted to share anything that happened tonight with him, he would be there to hold her and listen. Otherwise, he didn't need to know anything other than his wife was doing what she'd always done: fighting to live, surviving. He only hoped their little girl could do the same.

Some time later, he fell asleep.

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He jolted awake as something pushed him back. Teresa was awake. Moving away from his contact, she was panicking. Her eyes were wide with terror as she started to claw at her throat.

"Nurse! Baby, it's me." She was absolutely terrified. He'd never seen her that way before. He wanted to take her hand again, to soothe her, but she needed to feel safe first. So, he didn't force the contact.

She looked around for a moment before murmuring his name and scratching at her throat. Obviously, she was feeling discomfort from the tube down her throat.

"It's me, baby. I'm here, and that tube is helping you breathe for now." She reached for his hand. He squeezed her hand in return.

She moved their hands to her bump before looking up at the fetal heart monitor.

Within minutes, the nurse was there. After a check up, they were removing that tube and getting her sips of water.

"The baby?"

"Is fine." Of course, the answer to that question was much more complicated.

She started to cry. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, she's fine. The doctors are just monitoring her closely for now to make sure she stays that way. How are you?"

"I don't want to lose her." Her voice was barely above a whisper. The nurse told him it might be that way for a few days.

"I was scared that I might lose you both. The doctor just said we have to wait a few days to see how she's doing."

"I need...I need to tell the team. I have to tell them what happened."

"It's ok. Just calm down, baby. They're already working on it. They caught it on video."

"Is he...did I get him?"

"I think so."

"Are you sure? I need to talk to someone. We need a protection detail for you and for Annie!"

Obviously, the man had threatened them. He hadn't thought of that particular possibility beforehand, but he seemed to enjoy terror and pain. Perhaps he was enjoying hell now, but she needed assurances, that everything was okay and that they were all safe.

"It's ok. Grace is at home with Annie, and there are a lot of folks outside."

"Are...are you sure?"

"Bosco is here, and from what he said, it sounds like you got him. There were two bodies in your office." She seemed to breathe a little easier with that information.

"Ray."

"Yeah."

"He...he didn't do anything. He just shot him. Right there. Right in front of me. Right between the eyes."

Her face froze in horror. Seeing her colleague gunned down would definitely impact her. As much as he wanted her to rest, maybe she needed to talk to someone.

"I'll get Bosco."

She just nodded, before looking away from him. She had only just woken up and was trying to make sense of what happened. Selfishly, he hoped that she didn't turn away from him in the process. Though, he also knew she wouldn't be remotely okay until she told someone her version of the events.

Bosco was still sitting in the hall. "She's awake and wanting to talk, but I don't know."

"I'll talk to her alone." Not a chance in hell. Bosco must have picked up on that resistance. "I meant without other cops. I can imagine she's panicked right now and probably doesn't want a lot of people around."

He nodded as they walked into her room together.

Bosco went to her right side, but noticing it was hard for her to move, he moved to the foot of her bed. "Lisbon, how are you feeling?"

"McAllister is the killer."

"I know."

"He killed Ray."

"I know."

"Why...why did he do this?"

Bosco just looked at him. "I don't know. Lisbon, you need to get some rest. We can talk about this once you're in a better space tomorrow."

"It won't matter if we do this now or tomorrow."

Bosco nodded curtly. "Did McAllister confess to the murders?"

"After he killed Ray. He wanted to kill me, too. His eyes were frozen open as he fell. He didn't see it coming."

"You mean, Ray?"

"Yes. He was just stopping to see if I had dinner. Wanted to order dinner. He wanted to buy me Chinese food. His eyes were frozen."

"He took you both unaware."

"But I knew...I knew something felt off. I just didn't know how. I wish I had screamed for Ray to pull his gun. Did I get him?"

"You got him. No matter what, he probably would have had the drop on you. He was prepared. You weren't. You did what you could. You did good work."

"I didn't. Six people are dead."

She blamed herself...for all of them. Maybe this McAllister person told her it was her fault. It wasn't. He took her hand again.

"That's not your fault, baby."

"He killed them because I was distracted."

"Distracted?"

"From him, I guess. He said our daughter was a distraction."

He looked at Bosco as the light bulb went off. This McAllister guy stalked her. The murders started a year ago…when they started seeing each other. If his obsession weren't already clear, it would be now. But Teresa didn't need to hear this. Not right now.

He squeezed her hand. "You weren't distracted. You did your job the best you knew how."

"He said he had friends. Someone is working with him. They let him in the building! God, how could I have been so stupid? I knew something was wrong when he was just in the kitchen after hours. You have to find who's helping him, Sam."

Bosco sighed. "Teresa, he was working alone."

"But how did he get in? He told me…"

"He was trying to get into your head. I know how he got in."

"How? He said he came every week. And no one noticed?"

"You've been to Napa County a few times. And worked at the office? You and Van Pelt?"

"Yeah."

Bosco nodded. "I've been able to confirm that he's been there every Friday night for the past 3 months. It corresponds to the last time you all were in Napa County."

"That's what he said."

"I also confirmed that Van Pelt was in the building each of those times—well, at least her key card said she was. He copied her key card. Of course, we'd never find it suspicious that a CBI Agent was in the building after hours. It gave him a pass to come and go."

He furrowed his brows. "How would he get Grace's credentials?"

Teresa groaned. "3 months ago? In Napa County? California's most eligible bachelors."

"What?"

"It's an inside joke Grace and I have about the local cops hitting on us nonstop." A look of guilt crossed Bosco's face. He'd not had a chance to work out exactly what or when it had happened, but it seems the two of them had their own reckoning. "He kept hanging out in the room where Grace and I were working. He must have swiped it and replaced it while we were none the wiser."

"That's what I think happened as well. I've not spoken to Van Pelt yet, but this will probably be a write up in her file."

"Sam, it's not her fault. We were in a secure location." Of course, she would protect Grace as a member of her team and recognize that she'd not really done anything wrong. He wished she could do the same for herself.

"Hmm. Just like it's not yours. No matter what he told you."

She looked away again. "Are you sure he was working alone?"

"I'm pretty sure. We have an independent team working it up now. You know there will be investigations because of the weapons discharge and because of...well, because we lost an agent. But you don't need to worry about that."

"Okay."

She was worried that if he were working with someone, they might come after them. The man was a stalker, who was obsessed with her. He was definitely working alone; he would hate to share the so-called object of affection with anyone. He wanted inside of her head, and her family was the most direct route to what he wanted. Undoubtedly, she fought off his manipulations to whatever extent she could. Otherwise, she wouldn't be here.

"I'll come see you tomorrow, Lisbon. Get some rest."

Once he was gone, he held her hand as she fell back asleep. He watched her sleep in marvel. How could she be so strong?

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A few hours later, Annie called him from her iPad.

She was still in her princess nightgown, rubbing her eyes. "Where are you, daddy? Why is Grace here? You promised we could have waffles this morning."

"I'm at the hospital….with mommy. We will have to do waffles a different day."

"Is mommy okay? Did my sister come?"

Leave it to Annie to bring a smile to his face. Ever since meeting Stan Junior, she was very interested in when her sister would arrive and how. She overheard Teresa and Karen talking about birthing, which left her with a few questions. Luckily, they were answered easily enough with "mommy and I will bring her home from the hospital." That brought his smile down. Would they be able to bring their daughter home?

"Well, she had an accident at work." He didn't know where to begin to describe what happened to a six year old.

"Will she get better soon?"

"Maybe she can come home in a few days. I am going to stay with her at the hospital. Will you be good for Grace and Wayne?"

"You promise we can have waffles on another day?"

"I do."

"Okay, I'll be good!"

Teresa was asleep through his phone call with Annie, but after a series of questions throughout the day about her well being, she sent him home that evening.

"You have to go check on Annie. She needs one of us at home. Go put her to bed, take a shower, and get some sleep."

"She's in good hands. She's with Grace and Wayne, probably having the time of her life."

"They're not her parents though. We are."

"But she is fine. I think my green eyed girl…"

"Patrick, I'm serious!" The bite in her voice took him aback. "Go check on our daughter. Get a shower and maybe a meal."

"I just want to be with you. You need me right now."

"Annie needs you. She's just a little girl."

In the end, he kissed her forehead and left her, vowing to return the next morning. When all he wanted to do was hold her, the idea of ten hours away from her seemed unbearably long. Though, she was right. Annie needed to see him. She needed a sense of normalcy.

Holding Charlie, she ran and jumped into his arms at the door.

"How's mommy?"

"She's ok. She's better than last night. Have you been good for Grace and Wayne?"

She nodded. "Wayne was showing me soccer moves."

He tickled her belly, making her giggle. "Yeah, I bet you loved that."

"I did! I can't wait to play on my team!"

Shit. Soccer sign ups. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry we missed sign ups this morning. We will try to get you on a team next year."

"Miss Hightower took me! I'm playing for the Cardinals with Mimi! And we got lunch after!"

Oh. He hadn't expected that. But then, he remembered Madeleine saying something about getting the girls in the morning before leaving the hospital last night. Admittedly, he was zoned out by that point.

"Well, I will have to thank her for making sure our little Soccer Princess got on her team. Did you have fun today?"

"I did. Can I swim now?"

"You can." She scampered off to get ready for the pool.

Grace stood there with a guilt ridden look on her face. They must have told her. "How is she?"

"She's okay for now. They're still keeping an eye on the baby."

She clasped one hand over her mouth and the other over her own baby bump. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"But it is."

He shook his head. He had a lot of time to think over this.

"That man wanted to cause pain. He loved the pain of women specifically. He could've lifted anyone's badge. He lifted yours because it was yet another way to hurt a woman. It's not your fault, just like it's not hers." Cops really had a way at blaming themselves for the wrongs of others.

She nodded. Wayne came into the living room, and he filled him in. Before they left, he agreed to drop Annie at their house tomorrow while he went to check on Teresa.

The next morning, Annie ate her waffles in a less than happy demeanor.

"I thought you wanted waffles, sweetie. What's wrong?"

"I miss mommy. Are you sure she's ok?"

"She will be. They just want to keep her there for a few days to make sure everything is fine."

"Can I go see her? I'll be good."

Honestly, it might help Teresa to see Annie. On the other hand, he remembered Madeleine's words about confusing and scaring Annie.

"Not now. But how about we call you from the hospital? Would you like that?" Teresa's phone was now in evidence, so she didn't have a direct way to call.

She shrugged. "Ok, I guess."

He reached in and grabbed her chin, tilting it toward him. "Hey, everything is okay. She will be home in a few days."

"Are you sure? Riley told me on tv sometimes bad things happen to police officers like mommy. Did something bad happen?"

"Yes, but the doctors are making her better. And they want to make sure your sister is also okay."

"Please bring her home, daddy."

She hugged him, as he nodded. "I will."

"And my sister, too?"

"We will try."

"I hope you bring her home. I have a lot to show her."

"Me too, sweetheart."

He squeezed her little body tightly as his tears fell. Without a mention of his tears, she ran off to gather her things for a day with Grace and Wayne. It wasn't her job to notice, but she had no idea just how much he wanted to bring her sister home, too. He focused on having to tell Teresa and her needs following a killer's attack-but that outcome would destroy him. He didn't want to linger on it too long because she needed him.

He never believed making promises, especially to Annie, that he couldn't keep. Teresa would be home, and he had to believe that her sister would be home too.

On their way out, Annie shoved Charlie into his arms. "Here!"

"Why am I holding him?"

"Her! You're going to take her to mommy, and she is going to spend the whole day with you and the night with mommy."

He blinked. "But don't you want to hold onto her?"

She shrugged. "You're really sad, and mommy is hurt. You need her more right now. And maybe she can think of me and know I'm with her even if I can't see her. Just like Grandma Annabeth!"

It was such a simple, yet sweet, gesture. "I'll take her to mommy."

After getting Annie situated with Wayne and Grace, he made his way into Teresa's room. She was sleeping when he arrived. The doctors said that recovering from her blood loss would make her sleep a lot. So, he just put Charlie in her arms, kissed her forehead, and took a seat quietly. She needed the rest for her and the baby.

The baby's heart seemed to be still going strong. He and Teresa made her; of course, she was strong.

About an hour later, Teresa stirred. "You could've woken me when you got here."

"You need your rest."

She looked down in her arms, and lifted Charlie in the air. "And why do I have Charlie here?"

"Annie wanted you to hold onto her for a bit."

She half smiled. "I see. How is she? And where is she?"

"She's doing ok. Just worried like we all are. I dropped her off with Wayne and Grace. She's probably going to play soccer until her feet fall off. And by the way, Madeleine got her signed up for soccer yesterday."

"I'm glad she's doing well…and that you get to be a soccer dad." Her spirits seemed to be on the rise.

"Well, apparently her and Mimi are on the same team. The girls seem happy about it." At least that was his impression when he called to thank Madeleine.

"Of course." Her smile fell.

"What is it?"

"The baby."

"What about her? Have the doctors said anything?"

She shook her head. "No. Just that her heartbeat is still strong for now."

"She's a fighter, like her mother."

She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Maybe that had been a misstep on this part. "Maybe. She…she needs a name, Patrick. If we lose her and can't give her anything else, she at least deserves a name."

Her voice broke, and his heart went right along with it. She deserved so much more than a name.

"Hey. You just told me—and I can hear for myself—that our little girl is still going strong. Let's not think like that."

"She is for now, but who knows what could happen? I'm so fucking selfish, and it's ok for you to say that. It's ok for you to be angry with me."

"Well, I can't say that because it's not true. You're the most selfless person I know. Someone tried to take you from us." Indeed, he tried to steal his heart. "It's not your fault."

He kissed her hand as she continued her soft sobs. He knew no matter how many times he told her it wasn't her fault, it wouldn't stick until she believed it. It would hurt like hell if they lost their baby girl. He felt that, but he also felt the fear of losing the woman he loved and who he planned a life with. He'd never blame her for that. No, the blame lay with the man who tried to brutally kill her.

He pushed that down to try to be present for her. She needed him right now, and their girls needed both of them.

"What are some names that you like?"

"I don't know. I thought we had more time!"

He noticed she held Charlie close to her the way Annie would sometimes when she sought comfort and needed to feel less afraid. Charlie… "Charlotte. How about Charlotte?"

"That's a beautiful name."

"Charlotte Teresa Jane."

"Teresa?"

"What? I thought we were giving our baby girl a fighter's name?"

She frowned before smiling slightly at that. "Charlotte Teresa Jane."

He placed his hand over their little girl. She had a name now. Teresa was right. At least they'd given her this much, even if she deserved so much more from two parents and an older sister who already loved her beyond words.

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A/N 2: So, the name...I wasn't going to go with Charlotte, but I remembered someone popping on that when I introduced Charlie in Is There Anyone Out There? Charlie was actually the name of my stuffed comfort bear, but the longer I thought on it, the more I could see that definitely working here. Hope that didn't come off as sounding way too corny or anything!

RE the title: Taylor's "Tim McGraw" is from her first album (when she was 16), and it is a song about missing an old boyfriend, hoping he would remember her. Not the exact vibe for this chapter, but another song came to mind a lot while I was working through this: Tim McGraw's "Don't Take the Girl." It really fit Jane's desperation a lot, so I sorta broke with the theme of Taylor Swift songs, but not really? Anyway, if you want to cry, go listen to that song. It's where I imagined Jane's headspace. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!