Shout-outs: Jade, OneWriterGirl97, Jane Doe51 and blueyedmentalistfan

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Chapter 11

Across town, at the CBI, Hightower was still trying her hardest to wrangle a confession from Thomas McAllister. Even though she couldn't really hold him on anything, she was too afraid to let him loose on the world again. Somewhere deep inside of her, she knew Patrick Jane was right. This was the man they had been hunting for years.

"You should get some rest," McAllister said when she came in to talk to him again. "You're looking tired Agent Hightower."

She shook her head and took a sip of her freshly brewed coffee. "One of us is going to break eventually Sheriff McAllister and it sure won't be me. So, why don't you save yourself the trouble? Tell me who and what you really are?"

McAllister shook his head this time. "There's nothing to tell."

"You see, I don't believe you. I mean, I would like to. You're one of my kind and I would hate to think that one of my kind is dirty. But I'm not a little girl, McAllister. I know that sometimes there are dirty cops. That serial killers are the last person you would expect them to be. Like the deacon at your church, the next door neighbor you converse with when you're checking the mail. Or even a supposed upstanding sheriff with a cute little wife and kids and a couple of grandchildren. Just tell me the truth, confess and it will make you feel better."

"What? Are you a priest who will absolve me of all my sins if I confess them to you?" McAllister asked. "If I tell you that I am guilty, it won't help me any. It'll be like signing my own death sentence. It'll be a ticket straight to hell. No, I'm not going to tell you anything."

"I'm not going to let you hurt anymore girls," Hightower said, standing up. "I'm assuming you're going to want an attorney?"

"Am I going to need one?" McAllister asked, looking at her seriously.

"Yes," Hightower answered. "I think you are."

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They weren't talking.

Not really.

There wasn't much to say except to accept the obvious. That there had been something between them since the moment they had met and he couldn't ignore it anymore.

Teresa stopped kissing him and licked her lips. "Isn't there something that you wanted to tell me?"

"Just that you're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met," Patrick answered, pushing his fingers through her hair. "And that I love you. I love you more than I thought I could love anybody again."

Teresa smiled. "I love you too," she answered. "I have ever since the first day I met you, I just couldn't admit it. I didn't want to scare you away, having you as my friend was better than not having you at all."

"I was terrified of loving you," Patrick replied. "I was hurt so terribly the first time around, I didn't want to face it again. I couldn't bring myself to face it again; I just didn't count on you being so wonderful. Everybody else saw it better than I did and it's my job to see things that other people can't see."

Teresa's laughter was like liquid sunshine to his weary soul. Somehow, lying here in her arms on her couch, he knew that everything was going to be okay. She chased the monsters away, she chased away the shadows. He sighed and closed his eyes, contented to be with her and forget for a little while.

When they were both drifting off to sleep, she invited him to her room just to sleep. Telling him that he needed to be well rested if he wanted to continue working the case, he took her hand and let her lead him to her bedroom, stopping quickly so she could scoop Asta up and bring him with them.

She pulled him down beside her without getting changed; without going under the covers and his last thought was as sleep finally found him that he could spend the rest of his life like this.

The next morning, he woke up to the sound of his phone ringing and the realization that he had slept the whole night without waking up once.

"Patrick," Teresa murmured in his ear. "Patrick, your phone. It's ringing."

He sat up, reached in his pocket and flipped it open. "Hello? Yeah, I'm just waking up. . . I can be there in twenty minutes. Okay, I'll see you soon."

Teresa was looking at him with sleepy green eyes, looking a little disappointed. "You have to go, don't you?"

"Duty calls," Patrick replied, leaning down and giving her a long kiss on the lips. "But I'll be back as soon as possible. Promise me that you'll stay safe today."

"I'll go stay with my dad for the afternoon," Teresa answered, tangling her fingers through his hair and kissing him back, reveling in the realization that she could kiss him whenever she wanted to. "Don't worry about me, I'll be okay."

"I'm still going to worry," Patrick said as he slid off the bed and she got up to follow him to the door, to make him some tea and kiss him goodbye.

When he was safely gone, she gathered up her clothes and bath stuff then clipped a leash on Asta, so she could go and spend the day with her father like she had promised Patrick she would.

It wasn't until she was showering when what had happened with him began to sink in. Not only had they spent the night together, he had kissed her again. He had told her he loved her, that he loved her more than he thought he'd love anybody again. A thrill of excitement shot through her whole body and she celebrated love in its newness as she squeezed some shampoo into her hand and lathered it up, remembering that at the same time there was a sort of somberness to their situation. It had come at the heels of a handful of tragedies.

Teresa took a deep breath and whispered a prayer for the whole Serious Crimes Unit, she knew today they would be facing their hardest task yet and they would need all the help they could get, even from a higher power.

When her shower was over, she dressed quickly and combed through her dark locks then joined her father for breakfast, where he offered up more prayers for the team before they began to eat.

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"He confessed to everything," Hightower said as Patrick got off the elevator.

Patrick frowned. "What? Why? He wasn't budging yesterday, what changed between now and then?"

"We did some digging, found out about a girl he's having an affair with. We threatened to tell his wife about the affair and bring the girl in for questioning if he didn't cooperate with us. He sang like a bird after that."

Patrick's frown deepened. "This is all so confusing; the persona that Thomas McAllister has created for himself doesn't seem like the type that would cave just because you threatened him."

"Seems the man cares about something after all," Hightower answered.

"Mmmh. . ." Patrick replied feeling slightly tortured by this bit of information.

It was all too fast, all too easy. He couldn't help thinking that something was going to go wrong down the road. Maybe his lawyer would say they tricked him into a confession, that he had said what they wanted to hear because they had backed him into a corner. The possibilities were endless, were sickening. There were chances that McAllister could get off scot-free because they hadn't handled it properly.

"I can read your thoughts loud and clear, Mr. Jane," Hightower said, pressing her lips together. "Don't judge me when you yourself have used unconventional means to close cases, all the times we've had to do paperwork because of you. All the times we've had to go around you hypnotizing a suspect. . . we've all done things we're not proud of. We'll make the charges stick."

"And if we don't?" Patrick asked.

"Do you really think he'd be cocky enough to kill again even after he was let off for murder?"

"Yes. Yes, I do," Patrick answered. "We're dealing with a psychopath here, there is no logic to what they do or why they do it. If he gets off, he will kill again. It probably won't be for a few years but eventually he'll get the itch to do it again."

"We'll know who he is this time though," Hightower countered. "He won't get away with it. If I have anything to do it, he won't get away with it this time. Have a little faith, Patrick."

"I'm trying," Patrick said ruefully. "But it's so hard; I haven't had faith in a very long time. I don't know if I can ever have it again in the way that I used to."

Hightower shook her head. "You're different ever since she came into your life. She's changed you Patrick, for the better. I think the faith you lost is slowly coming back to you, whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not. Now come on, let's go close this Red John case for once and for all."

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It was far from over; there would be a trial to get through. The public wanted to see the man who called himself Red John get retribution, to see closure for all the girls who had tragically lost their lives.

After he had been toted away to maximum security prison, Hightower let everybody go for the day, saying she would fill the paperwork out later. They needed a chance to decompress and unwind before they completed the Red John saga once and for all.

Patrick went to see Bosco. There would be plenty of time to see Teresa later, to talk to her about plans for a future, to kiss her mouth and revel in the realization that he had found somebody again.

Even though the dark clouds gathering promised rain, he could see the world in vivid color for the first time in three years. He felt lighter than he had in years. Life, he felt, was suddenly starting over for him and he couldn't wait for it to begin.

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"You told her, didn't you?" Bosco asked as soon as Patrick had entered his den. "There isn't any more denying it. You look more peaceful than the last time I saw you."

"Yes," Patrick answered, nodding and smiling a little bit. "I told her. . ."

"I know that isn't why you came to talk to me though," Bosco said, muting the television. "I was just watching CNN. You got him! Good for you, I hope we can make the charges stick."

"We?" Patrick asked.

"I might not get to go back to work, but I will fight tooth and nail to help make sure he gets what he deserves," Bosco replied. "He ruined so many people's lives, he probably ended my career. I would love to see him ended!"

"I'm afraid that he's going to get off if we're not too careful," Patrick confessed. "He's manipulative and conniving. He could do it; he could get away with everything if he wanted to. And I know he's going to want to."

"Well, I guess you guys are just going to have to find a way to make it stick then," Bosco said. "I know if anybody can do it, it's you. You are one of the best investigators that I know!"

"Yeah, I like you too," Patrick replied, smiling at him.

Bosco rolled his eyes. "I appreciate the sentiment."

Patrick sighed. "I guess I better get going now. You still need to rest; I just wanted you to know we arrested him. I should have known it would be all over the news by now."

"Thank you for stopping by, I'm glad you came," Bosco said, smiling at him.

"You're welcome," Patrick answered. "I'll see you later, Bosco."

.

Later that night, he went back to Teresa's apartment. When she opened the door, she smiled at him and he gathered her up into his arms. He didn't say anything; there would be time to say things later. He just wanted to hold her like this forever.

When she stood on tip-toe to kiss him, he reciprocated, weaving his fingers through her hair and clasping her waist with his other arm. They walked together into her house and she closed the door behind them, feeling for the locks with her free hand. He heard them slide into place and then allowed her to bring him to her bedroom.

There she was the first person to love him fully and completely for the first time in years.

TBC. . .

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Author's Note:

One more chapter left in this story. I hope you guys will stick around for the ending and in the meantime, please review!