Jane drifted in and out of awareness, the sounds of the three men a steady thrum in the background. His stomach had settled down, but his head still felt as if someone had taken a hammer to it. In fact, that's probably exactly what had happened.

He had little awareness of how much time had passed since he's been attacked on the lookout. It was still night and he supposed it couldn't be past 2 am. since the men were waiting for pizza and that was the time the place closed. He wanted to hit himself – why could he remember that detail and nothing of importance?

As he lay there he wondered briefly if he could alert the delivery person about his plight, but that idea left as quickly as it came. Not only was he sure that Ed would have thought of that, he didn't want to endanger some innocent kid.

He tried to think of some way out of the mess he was in, but his mind wasn't able to come up with anything. He couldn't concentrate at all, instead wanting nothing so much as to lie down on a soft bed and pass out.

Teresa! Maybe she would realize he was missing and would ride to the rescue? A sudden surge of hope had him feeling slightly better – then that was followed swiftly by the realization that she was angry at him and hadn't wanted to see him. She wouldn't even know he was missing until it was too late.

And maybe she wouldn't even miss him then, he thought with a bitter laugh. She'd be better off without him – messing up her life, causing problems, pissing people off and creating paperwork and headaches for her.

How did she put up with him, he wondered? He sighed and tried to turn his head – which caused an abrupt stab of pain – and caused him to feel even sorrier for himself. Teresa and Cho, Rigsby and Grace – they'd all be much happier without him.

"Oh stop it!" he whispered to himself. He was growing maudlin and self-pitying – both things he hated with a passion. He'd refused to allow himself to become an object of pity for anyone, including himself and he wasn't about to start now – just because he was injured and in big – big, big – big trouble.

So what the hell are you going to do about your situation, Paddy me boy? At least he was on home turf, that had to count for something. He had to figure out some way of getting out of this. He wasn't quite ready to die.

"When the hell is that food getting here?" Zack complained. "Hey you! Pretty boy! How long did they say it was going to be?"

Jane slowly lifted his head and tried to look at the idiot who had spoken. His eyes didn't seem to want to focus and squinting hurt, so he closed them and rested his head back on his knees. "Forty minutes," he said softly.

"What? What the fuck did he say? Hey!" he walked over and again kicked Jane in the hip. "I asked you a question!"

"And he answered you Zack," Charlie said then. "He said forty minutes."

"Well he should talk louder!"

"Leave him alone," Charlie spoke again. "Can't you see he's hurt?"

"So? That was his fault."

"Why the hell was it his fault?" Charlie sounded as if he thought his comrade was two cans short of a six-pack. "You're the one who hit him over the head."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't have had to, would I, if he had done what I asked!"

"You ass! He did do what you asked and you hit him anyway!"

Jane opened his eyes and tried to focus on the two men who were now engaged in a loud argument. His sympathies were definitely with Charlie, who at least seemed to have a tiny thread of decency. Zack, on the other hand, was a raging lunatic – and very, very dangerous.

"What's it to you?" Zack shouted. "You like the little shit, don't you? I bet you wannna do him. You like his blond curls, that's why you're feelin sorry for him. Well go ahead, I won't mind. In fact, I think I'd like to watch you fu -"

"Shut up."

Ed's voice, quiet and steady, interrupted the argument between the other two. Jane glanced at him and again realized that Ed was the one to watch. He was the one in control – the leader. Somehow Jane also knew that he was dangerous. In fact, he was probably the most dangerous of the three. He certainly was the smartest.

"Why should I?" Zack spewed back. "You're not the boss of me!"

The next thing Jane heard was a loud thud and a strangled shout. He blinked to try and see what was going on – and wasn't surprised to see Zack up against the wall, held there by Ed, who was gripping him by the throat.

"I am the boss of you, you moron," Ed told him softly. "I'm the boss of both of you – and you'll do what I say and I say to stop arguing. The food's gonna be here any minute and the last thing we need is to have the delivery guy hear you fighting. Now shut up!"

That seemed to finally get through to Zack, who grunted something and then was quiet. In fact, for the next few minutes no one spoke. Jane's mind began to drift.

He thought about the last case his team had just finished. It had been a difficult one, made even more complicated by the fact that the people involved were connected to the Governor and senior people in his administration. Jane always hated that – hated that they were expected to tip toe around VIP's and give them special treatment. As far as he was concerned, no one should get special treatment when a crime had been committed. Unfortunately, that attitude more often then not got him – and his team – into hot water.

He sighed. Maybe he should learn to be more discrete. Maybe he shouldn't try and piss off people who were important – or who thought they were. It wasn't that things would be easier for him, because he honestly didn't care, but it would make things easier for Teresa and for the rest of the team. And he did owe them something, after all. They had accepted him and supported him as one of their own, even though he'd been forced on them by Minelli.

His mind – still unable to concentrate or to focus on anything, flipped to a new topic. He wondered how Minelli was doing and admitted to himself that he missed the old guy. Although he'd always seemed to look out for himself, Jane knew that underneath his grumpy exterior was a man who was basically honest and who did care for the people working under him. He was also much easier to con than Hightower, who had proved to be a more rigorous opponent.

Speaking of Hightower – he was disappointed that she'd given Teresa so much trouble. It had been Jane who had called the guy an ass – not her. She really shouldn't have to bear the brunt of his impatience with narcissistic blowhards!

Poor Teresa! He'd have to buy her something to make her feel better. He'd already given her a pony so he'd have to figure out what else she would like. Or maybe he'd take her out somewhere. Yeah, that was a good idea. He'd take her to a jazz club – she'd like that.

He was so caught up in his thoughts – which were flipping around like a deck of cards in a magician's hands – that he didn't hear the doorbell. It was only when he heard footsteps walking past him that he realized something was up.

He lifted his head – unable to stop the small groan that escaped. What was happening now?

"Shut up!" someone hissed. He rather thought it was Charlie this time.

"Huh?" he asked, shaking his head to try and clear it. Damn! That was a mistake. The nausea suddenly reared up again and he moaned as he tried to stop himself from heaving again.

"Would you shut the fuck up!" This time it was Zack who spoke so Jane figured he'd better listen. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

He heard the front door open and wished he could see what was happening. Why was there someone at the – oh yeah – he suddenly remembered the pizza.

The next moment Jane was confused by the flashing red light that shone on the wall opposite him. He couldn't see beyond the half wall that separated the dining room - where he now sat - from the front room. He also couldn't figure out what could be causing the lights, and looked to Zack and Charlie – who were both standing over him – to ask them.

Before he opened his mouth he heard a voice from the front door, which stopped him cold.

"What can I do for you officer?" Ed's voice floated back to the living room where Jane and the two out of three criminals were waiting.

"Good evening Sir. My name is Officer Clark from the Malibu Police. We received a call from the California Bureau of Investigation who asked us to stop by," a voice responded.

"Uh – really? Why was that?" Ed asked, clearly trying to sound relaxed and unperturbed.

"Are you Patrick Jane?" the other voice asked. "cause my boss got a call from an Agent Lisbon who asked us to check and see if a guy by that name was here. I guess he was worried that he hadn't heard from him."

"Yes," Ed laughed softly. "My name is Patrick and this is my house. As you can see," he gestured to the empty room behind him, "I'm in the process of moving in. I just drove over to check a few things."

"Next time you might want to tell Agent Lisbon where you are!" the officer told him. "We don't really have time to be checking up on people like this!"

"I know, and I'm sorry Officer Clark. I will definitely make sure I tell him. You'd think I was a kid the way he acts."

"Hmm – this Lisbon guy sounds more a wife," Clark huffed. "Well – you can go back to what you're doing. I'll let the CBI know that you're here, but I suggest you call Agent Lisbon directly and let him know too – take the poor man out of his misery."

"I will officer – thanks so much!"

There were a few more words spoken, which Jane couldn't quite hear and then the front door slammed shut. He peered up at two of his captors and almost wanted to laugh. They both looked as if they'd just about dirtied their pants.

"Oh my God! That was the cops," Charlie breathed, finally coming of what appeared to be a stupor. "They almost found us."

"They did not almost find us," Ed said sarcastically as he moved back into view. "I handled everything and they're gone."

"How do you know?" Zack asked. "Maybe they're planning on coming back."

"The cop believed me – why wouldn't he. He'll report back that Patrick Jane was here and that will be the end of it." Ed sounded confident, although Jane could detect a ribbon of fear running through his voice. He suddenly felt a small dot of hope.

"Hey you!" Ed came over and looked down at his prisoner. "Who's agent Lisbon and why is he interested in you?"

"Mmm," Jane answered, his eyes closed. He counted one. two – yup, there was the kick. "Ooof!" he exhaled and cursed the men who had kidnapped him. "I told you I was meeting a friend," he said, trying to think up something that would help him. "He must have call he – him and told him I didn't show up."

"So, do you know him?" Ed was looking down at him from what seemed to be a great height. Jane tried to clear his eyes and see the leader of this little band of men.

"My friend?" He asked, sounding confused. That garnered him another kick – his left hip was going to be black and blue if it wasn't already.

"Agent Lisbon, you moron!"

"Agent Lisbon?" he asked, his eyes slowly drooping shut. "Don't – know any – Agent Lisbon," he muttered. "My friend – knows – him." With that he faded out.

"Shit! We didn't think of the friend. We shoulda stayed back and killed him when he showed up."

Before Ed had a chance to reply the doorbell rang again. Without missing a beat, the three criminals each had their guns out, they moved out of the dining room area and into the living room and pointed their weapons at the main door. Charlie was sweating, clearly nervous and frightened. Zack had a wide grin on his face, and eyes that looked as if there was nothing behind them. Ed simply looked – like Ed. Calm, quiet, and in control.

"What're we gonna do?" Zack whispered. "We're gonna have to kill him. No one will know! We''ll bury him somewhere so no one will ever be able to find him."

"You freakin' idiot!" hissed Ed. "We can't just go kill a cop! They'll be after us in a second!"

"But what can we do?" Charlie asked. "He must know you were lying, otherwise why did he come back?"

"I think it's the pizza delivery," Jane finally spoke up, hoping he was right and that no one would get hurt.

"Oh shit!" For the first time Ed seemed to be thrown – his calm demeanor had obviously been false. "I totally forgot. Charlie, go get the pizza."

"But what if it's the cop?"

"It's not. I heard the car drive away," he admitted. Clearly he'd missed that fact when the doorbell rang. "Just go."

Charlie made his way to the door and soon could be heard talking to what was definitely the pizza delivery person. A moment later he returned with a stack of pizza boxes and a case of beer.

"Hey – didn't pretty boy order two cases?" Zack asked, suddenly forgetting everything but his desire for alcohol.

"Yeah, the other one's by the door. I couldn't carry everything."

Five minutes later the three men were seated on the floor, wolfing down the pizza and guzzling beer. Ed seemed pleased with everything and even went so far as to offer a piece of pizza to Jane.

He hummed a refusal. Even the smell was making him sick. His headache wasn't getting better and he didn't know how much longer he could stay conscious. Hoping that no one objected, he allowed himself to slide down until he was laying flat. The next moment he was asleep.


Teresa was sitting in her office – Cho was sitting across from her and Rigsby had just entered. Grace had called and said she was on her way in. All of them were worried about Jane.

Suddenly Teresa's phone rang and she grabbed it and had answered before the first ring had even finished. "Hello?"

"Hi – I'm calling for Agent Lisbon. This is Officer Clark from the Malibu Police."

"This is Agent Lisbon," she answered. "Were you able to locate Patrick Jane?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone and then Officer Clark spoke again.

"Uh – are you sure this is Agent Lisbon?"

Teresa frowned. "Yes, this is me. Uh – did you get my request to check on Patrick Jane?" She looked up at Cho and shook her head. Something felt off.

"Uh – yes I did but - you're a woman."

This time Teresa paused, her expression growing dark. "Yes, I'm a woman," she snapped. "What the hell- if you'll pardon me – does that have to do with anything?"

Great – it sounded like she'd been connected to a macho, woman hating policeman. She had no time for this and was ready to snap someone's head off if he –

"I'm sorry," the officer interrupted her train of thought. "It was just – I thought Agent Lisbon was a man."

"No – I'm sorry – what does it matter?"

"Well – I went out to Patrick Jane's house – the man you asked my boss to check up on -"

"Yes?"

"And well – a guy was there who said he was this Patrick Jane."

Teresa felt herself relax and breathed out a long sigh. She looked over at Cho, Rigsby and the newly arrived Van Pelt and gave a thumbs up. Both Rigsby and Van Pelt responded with a smile, and even Cho looked pleased.

"That's great Officer Clark. Thank you!"

"But – you don't understand," the officer replied on the other end of the phone. "He spoke about you – as if you were a guy."

"What?" she asked, sounding confused.

"Yeah – when I told him that Agent Lisbon was asking about him, he responded as if you were a man. Called you "he" and everything. I mean, I also assumed you were a man – sorry, I just didn't know – and he didn't correct me. It seems kinda weird, unless he's never met you?"

"Yes, yes it does, and yes, he's met me. In fact we work together." she answered softly. "Officer Clark, could you describe the man who said he was Patrick Jane?"

"Sure. He was about 5'11" tall, brown hair, brown eyes. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and looked kinda – sorry – but he looked kinda grubby, as if he hadn't showered in a few days. He had a tattoo of a -"

"Agent!" Teresa interrupted. "That was not Patrick Jane. I'm assuming you didn't ask for any ID?"

"No – I didn't. I'm sorry – I was told this was a favor for you guys and that the guy wasn't a criminal or anything. I didn't know I had to ask for an ID!"

"It's fine officer," she told him, her heart sinking. Something was definitely wrong.

"Did you want me to go back and check?" the officer asked.

"No – not yet. I'm worried that something might be wrong, but I'm not sure yet what it could be. Do you think you could have a couple of officers watch the house – but without being seen?"

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem – the Captain told us to cooperate with you guys. But what are you gonna do?"

"My team and I are coming to Malibu. I'll have my boss contact your Captain. Also, if you could check to see if anyone matches the description you just gave me, that would be great."

"Sure – happy to. It'll bring a little excitement into my life. Usually I spend my time breaking up wild beach parties."

" – and Officer Clark – thank you!"

"No problem," the reply came. "Glad to help out fellow law enforcement folks."

"What is it boss?" Grace asked as Lisbon slowly placed her phone down on her desk.

She looked up at her teammates and took a deep breath. "Something's wrong. Someone answered Jane's door – and it wasn't him."

"Maybe it was a friend," Rigsby told her.

"Jane doesn't have friends," Cho said. At the glare he received from Grace he clarified. "Okay, he might have friends, I don't know, although I've never seen any. But I don't think he drove all the way out to Malibu to see one. That's not like Jane."

"I agree, it's not," Teresa answered. "Come on – we're going to Malibu and figure this out. And if Jane is okay – well then I'm gonna kill him!"

"But – it'll take hours to get there," Grace said as she trailed behind.

"No it won't. We're gonna fly."

A moment later Teresa's team was on the move, headed for the airport. They were going to make sure their teammate – and yes, their friend – was safe.