A/N: First things first: Spoilers for 2x08 His Red Right Hand feature in this chapter.

I have to say, I've been completely overwhelmed by the kindness of your reviews to the first part. Seriously, I'm so glad you guys are loving it as I'm really excited about this too. My Secret Santa multiparter is quite light-hearted, so this really contrasts nicely for me, thank goodness. I need somewhere to write my angst fix. Heh.

Thank you to: Divinia Serit, WildDaisies10, Penelope Louise, runningwild14, yaba, cureless, Rissa545, Frogster, Queen Em, macisgate and Habeous Corpus for reviewing part one.

I hope this part lives up to your expectations. Just a note: there's some foul language in this chapter. The rating is T for a reason (and not just because it's the initial of my name, heh.)

x tromana


Part Two - Coincidence

She's glowering as she walks back into the office at seven a.m. the next day.

Cho had the common sense to call ahead and warn her that Red John appears to be back on the scene but that has done little to lessen Lisbon's mood. If anything, it's probably made it even worse.

If Red John has struck again, she would like to remain close to Jane. Only if it is him, for they've dealt with copycats before, so she cannot be certain until she knows the full picture. Some murderers seem to think emulating the most notorious means that they're more likely to get off the hook, after all. But then again Red John has broken MO before, several times in fact. One of those times famously involved Jane's precious family and more recently, poor, poor Bosco and his unit. Everything feels so much more personal this time around. She curses the timing, wishing she had been back twenty four hours earlier. Mainly because the potential fallout terrifies her and regardless of whether or not this is actually Red John, she wants, needs, to be nearby simply for damage limitation.

She doesn't like the potential for crazy that could have happened in such a short time period. It always happens on this kind of case and terribly fast, too. It's like water trickling through her cupped fingers - impossible to control. After all, water always wins.

In fact, it's making her regret the vacation she has just had with her family. Not that it was much of a break, considering that it actually involved the funeral of an elderly aunt, too. Death may surround her constantly during work but it's always different when it's one of your own. It doesn't matter that she rarely saw the woman or that she died of a heart attack, but it still hurts. It isn't exactly a gaping void that she would notice constantly, but nevertheless, it is still a hole in her life that hadn't been there a month ago.

Even though the old woman, who had done a marvelous job at being there for her during the insanity that was her childhood, had deserved that final respect, somehow Lisbon can't shake that tiniest feeling of dread. Like she shouldn't have been there and should have been here instead. The thought is niggling at the back of her mind as she just goes about her 'normal' morning routine. Well, as normal as a routine can get when Red John has reared his ugly head again, proverbially speaking.

The team, though somber, welcome her back with open arms, just as she expects. Bright eyed, bushy tailed Grace Van Pelt, ever the optimist and as enthusiastic as ever. Wayne Rigsby hanging behind her protectively, pleased as punch to see his boss back. He hopes, knows, that she can bring back some level of sanity to proceedings. Cho, smiling slightly, saying more with his eyes than with unnecessary words. And Jane.

Jane who is in the exact state she expected him to be in - a nervous flurry of activity, desperate for this to be the time that Red John doesn't slip through their, his, fingers.

Jane, not bothering to wear his normal mask because even he knows that on this occasion that they will see right through it anyway.

She loves them all and knows that she would be relieved to be back under different circumstances. Instead of dreading what could potentially unfold.

She knows that the tension is running through the team, like an elastic band pulled to snapping point and she can only hope that it doesn't break any time soon. She needs them all, needs them to be working hard and focused despite the strained working conditions. To be there for her and one another.

They're on the road again within an hour. Though she knows that the team spoke to the grieving parents yesterday, she still needs to meet them. Lisbon feels that it's her duty to comfort them herself and confirm that, as lead agent, she will do her utmost to bring the perpetrator to justice. Besides, Cho has already told her that they had only received minimal information from them anyway and had already agreed to meet them again today. Jane is staring out of the window endlessly, his fingers tapping incessantly against his left knee. Lisbon knows she'd find it distracting if she couldn't at least empathize with him on some level. They have both lost somebody to Red John now, after all.

The mother is shaking in her husband's arms as he grips Lisbon's hand firmly. Quickly, quietly, she, Jane and Van Pelt are welcomed into their comfortable, now silent, home. It's a place that's designed to be filled with the sound of a child's laughter, but a daughter has just been stripped from the bosom of this family. She shudders inwardly as she takes a seat and a glass of sparkling homemade lemonade. It can't be a coincidence that this girl was on only child, too. Red John just doesn't work on the theory of coincidences. She just hopes that Rigsby and Cho can untangle the few clues they have from the foot before things get out of hand.

The conversation starts, quiet and lilting. Lisbon explains just how sorry she is and she means it, though she does realize that people like this probably rarely believe her. After all, she's said it so many times now that it could all seem false and rehearsed. This broken family, now filled with broken hearts and broken dreams, hurts her terribly. She knows loss, but is well aware that losing a parent too soon is completely different to losing your offspring. It's a sentence she wouldn't wish on anybody: she sees the damage caused by the death of children on a daily basis, in Jane.

"You see, we found out she wasn't our biological daughter…"

Lisbon hadn't thought the case could get much worse. But that was something she hadn't quite expected to happen. She watches them with eagle eyes, noting with interest how Jane placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Swapped accidentally at birth. We told her as soon as we found out but she didn't want to know who her biological parents were," the father trails off, watching the two agents and Jane despairingly.

Jane's hand flies away from the mother's shoulder, like an electric jolt has just surged through his body. For some reason, Lisbon had the desperate urge to get him out of the room. There is something about the situation which means she just didn't want him to hear this.

"We know our real daughter died young too…"

That has got to be a coincidence even if Red John is involved. Lisbon decides quickly that she really, really likes coincidences. He probably only picked on this family because he wanted to blatantly taunt Jane. Right?

"…and her Mom…"

Oh no, no, no, no, no. It can still all be coincidental, right?

"I've found the letter, dear."

The husband approaches them, unfolding the pale piece of paper, taking a painfully long time about it. Lisbon closes her eyes, offering a silent prayer. Please be a coincidence. Please, oh please be a coincidence.

"I thought I found your name familiar, Mr. Jane."

Shit.

TBC…