Author's Note- This came out a little different than I intended. Still, I'm not dissatisfied enough with it to scrap it, so...

Disclaimer- If it were mine, this is what would have happened... I think. So it's obviously not.

Jane watched the techs above him carefully removing the patch of marked skin from one of the branches above his head, eyes narrowed against the harsh afternoon sunlight. Trying to think past the headache niggling at the back of his skull was making him nauseous.

The mangled flesh taken from the victim's back made no sense. The placement too, was completely off. Red John put his own signature center-stage, always, not hidden away to be found after the spectacle that had been made of the body. His kills were more personal, more frightening in a sense. His presentation of his kill was personal too.

This was just... brutal. Savage. The inherent rage was center-stage and the body was posed to taunt. It wasn't so much a presentation as a pandering for attention. None of it made sense.

Besides all that too, it wasn't Red John's red, smiling face painted on the flesh.

"Is it supposed to be some sort of copycat?" Van Pelt asked from behind him, not sounding convinced of that herself.

"Can't be." Rigsby commented. "Not with the smile switched out for a frown. The killer had to know we'd figure it wasn't Red John."

"A copycat would have used Red John's sign exactly." Cho spoke. "And it would be red blood, not black... stuff, so as to make it obvious. Like Red John does."

"Agreed." Lisbon said, so close to Jane's shoulder, he could feel it as she shifted to look back at the others. "No copycat would have made it this obvious that they were a separate entity."

"So... Why the face at all?" Van Pelt asked. "I mean, there's isn't anyone in California who hasn't heard of Red John and his smiling faces painted in the victims blood. This couldn't have been unintentional."

"Not with the way he made us search for it." Lisbon commented. "He definitely put it there for a reason."

"He's paying homage." He murmured quietly toward the tree.

"What?"

Jane turned toward the team, seeing them watching him, but moved too fast so that he wobbled a little, his headache surging uncomfortably.

Lisbon caught his arm to steady him and held on even once he had regained his balance.

He didn't pull away from her like he normally might have. Instead, he leaned into her a little. "It's a disciple. It has to be. It's the only thing that explains why the sign was altered and hidden. The killer wanted his own spotlight, to show off his kill- his superiority. He wanted to be recognized. But he also to needed to show who he was working for. His 'master'." He sneered the last word.

"Why?" Cho asked.

"To send us a message. We were meant to find it after we appreciated his work."

"Sick bastard." Rigsby grimaced at the piece of flesh as it went past. "What's the message, do you think?"

"Probably Red John's way of telling us he's involved so we better sit up and pay attention." Lisbon growled.

"Which might mean he sent this guy for a specific reason." Jane huffed. He rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand, trying to rub away the stiffness.

Lisbon motioned to an officer and took a bottle of water handed over to her. She let go of his arm, took the cap off and handed it to Jane while she spoke. "Maybe it's to distract us. Which also means we can't let our guard down."

There were nods all around at that.

Jane took the proffered bottle, taking in a long pull from it. He could feel some of the pain recede with it's advent and sighed in relief. He bent at the waist, ducked his head and poured some on his neck so it ran into his hair. With a shake, he straightened again.

"I want this scene worked with a fine tooth comb." Lisbon ordered, speaking up so that even the officers around her would be able to hear. "Not a single, solitary piece of evidence can be missed or dismissed. If you even have a funny feeling, I want to know about it. Understand?"

There was a chorus of 'yes ma'am's' in response and the bustle reentered their surroundings. Techs collecting evidence, officers searching the brush.

In all the hubbub, Lisbon stepped close and gave orders to the team but Jane had already tuned her out. The water had helped with his headache, reaffirming his need to keep hydrated, but now he was being plagued with a sense of deja vu. It wracked his brain like an annoying tune stuck in his head. Something he was trying to remember. Maybe he had a concussion.

Perhaps that was why Lisbon looked like she had a halo around her as she turned back toward him. An glowing aura. Her black hair especially, looked like it was shining right now. He blinked. He'd never really realized how much he liked how silky it looked. He wanted to touch it and almost reached out his hand impulsively to do so. An odd feeling was saturating his insides, as though he had every right and reason to touch Lisbon and any part of her he wanted. He could almost feel himself touching another part of her on a whim, but fought it off. That was too unlike him. Lisbon wasn't really the touchable kind, and he respected her usual aversion to it because he often felt the same. So, why would he have been...

"Come on, Jane." Lisbon spoke near his ear.

He turned to her in surprise, noticing suddenly that the rest of the team was no longer around them. He must be more out of it than he had thought.

She took his arm gently but firmly. "We need to talk."