A/N: Wow! Thankyou THANKYOU for all the reviews! They make me so happy, and want to update ASAP…

I was pretty stumped as to what the massive secret plotline should be (I don't plan ahead, it just unfolds as I type; just as much fun writing as it is reading!), I didn't want it to be too predictable either…but I think I've got it; let's see what you think.

Thank you again!

Disclaimer: Nope, Simon Baker still has his shirt on. Therefore, the Mentalist is yet to be mine.

The case that fell into the hands of Lisbon's Homicide team that week was one of those cases that were particularly hard to stomach.

A relatively rich family that on the outside seemed perfectly happy, yet this mask concealed the truth of the deep, dark and detached relationships between both parents and siblings. One child had brutally murdered the other out of the sheer, unabashed competitive nature to which they had been nurtured.

While Jane did find cases such as these completely fascinating from sociological and psychological perspectives, he observed the tragedy and noted that it affected his colleagues also.

In particular he noted that it had hit Lisbon quite hard. He knew that child cases always distressed her, as a result of her traumatic childhood he presumed. She had never told him the ins and outs of her experiences as a young girl, but he knew as others did about the hard, true facts of her mother's death and her father's alcoholic response to this heartbreak.

He had further suspicions as to details of her ordeal, but could not set a single one as certain. The fact that her emotions at times were so easy to read, yet her secrets at others so obscure, both frustrated and enthralled him. She was different to the rest; an impressively complex individual that Jane often subconsciously compared to the most intricate and fulfilling puzzle he had ever set his mind to. One that he came close to, but never quite succeeded in solving.

Another slightly unusual factor to the solving of this particular case was the frenzied involvement of agent Millar. At first Jane put this observation down to the fact that he watched Millar like a hawk after the incident he had witnessed in Lisbon's office a week earlier. But after the first few days, he could not deny that whenever there was a slight development in the investigation, Millar was in her office like a shot, despite clearly having no ulterior motive nor invested interest in the case.

He always left with a smug smile on his face, that caused a bubble of emotion to rise through Jane, and it took all of his inner strength to remain fixed to his couch and refraining from putting his head through a window during those moments.

Lisbon continued to act as anxious and out of character as she had that day in her office, and it drove Jane literally to the brink of sanity in his attempt to fathom the reason. This unusual behaviour was not caused by the case, but the investigation and Millar's involvement in it had acted as a severely aggravating catalyst in her transformation.

So far, the connection that was painstakingly obvious just screamed at him; Millar. Something about the man is affecting Lisbon, but what…

Jane instinctively knew that the answer to his question could not be obtained through a simple confrontation with Lisbon herself. A secret that caused her this much internal conflict and grief would no doubt be locked and wrapped securely within the beloved figurative "puzzle", and was essentially inaccessible to the likes of Patrick Jane.

Therefore, the solution, as much as he disliked it, seemed to be to confront the only other person who knew the truth. Agent Millar himself.

He braced himself, and yet again in such a short space of time, Jane had no idea what to expect. The potential outcomes could be that Millar confesses all, in which case, would he be able to bear the truth of knowing the specifics of Millar's romantic endeavours with Lisbon? The other outcome of course being that he denies all knowledge and involvement, which of course, would lead Jane nowhere.

The outcome that did occur, however, was one that was not even comprehended by Jane's predictions.

Outwardly confident, yet with a dry mouth and limited breaths, Jane approached the door to the office that bore the name "agent D. Millar: Narcotics Specialist". He rapped upon the glass before entering; an unusual action for Jane, but he had previously decided that his usual unnerving spontaneity would not bode well for him in obtaining this delicate information.

Jane was greeted reservedly by Millar. Once inside the office, Millar gestured politely for him to sit opposite him at his desk, whilst eyeing him suspiciously.

"What can I do for you Mr. Jane?"

Jane had thought of everything he would like to say to agent Millar, however not one of his propositions was planned for a scenario during which the agent acted as calmly and civil as he did in that moment. Sighing, and deciding to just throw himself in at the deep end, he began.

"Agent Lisbon is dear to the hearts of her whole team, and we believe that this case in particular has affected her somewhat. As you seem to be playing such an active role in her life at the moment, I was wondering if you could provide some insight."

A smile began to form at agent Millar's mouth. Not a smile of sympathy or compassion, but a knowing smile, with a glint of something that caused Jane much discomfort in his eyes.

"Teresa and I, we have a past, a past that she left many years ago. During that time, she confided in me."

He paused, his eyes glazing over at the memories. Jane could not deny this man was in love with Lisbon, or at least the Lisbon she used to be, back at SFPD. He almost felt sympathy for the man, until his eyes snapped back into focus and directly bore into Jane, before continuing.

"You see, she may have left that past behind, but she can't undo the things she did, or let happen. I know things about your precious agent Lisbon, things that would ruin her career and reputation in a heartbeat. She can't seem to learn her lesson either…always claiming to be blissfully unaware of the pain she causes, whether directly or not. My "involvement" as you put it? She has made her choices. I simply wish to remind her of that."

Jane took a breath. This man was clearly insane. He swiftly exited the office, mind racing trying to analyse what the man had just said.

He was stricken with some form of grief that he believed to be caused by Lisbon, and was therefore responding by blackmailing her with secrets she had divulged to him at a time in their relationship when they were close…

His thoughts momentarily suspended as he processed the fact that they had certainly at one point been lovers, and he later deemed it odd to not have been surprised as his heart sank at this thought. But there was time to try and understand that later.

The question being, of course, what secrets could Lisbon possibly hold that consist of such devastating consequences? The secrets of her childhood that Jane had for so long pondered? It hurt him that she may have confided those in someone other than him, despite knowing the unreasonable extent of those thoughts. He hadn't known her when she had known Millar, and besides, they were lovers…and what was Jane to Lisbon?

The only thing that he doubted of this theory was that no matter the degree of trauma she had experienced, it wasn't anything that could affect her career, as Millar had so explicitly mentioned. So there was something else… something she had done? Or let happen? And what was it about this case that Millar was so intent on using to torture her?

Jane settled back into his couch, feeling that his investigations had clouded his knowledge further, rather than providing any more pieces to his puzzle.

I know that got complicated there…but all will be revealed…somehow. I promise, bear with me! Just need to think of a way to get Lisbon to open up…and explain what Millar means exactly. The end is near, couple more chapters max I reckon. Very ambiguous at the moment, but tell me your thoughts! Review Review Review!