Sorry for another delay!

Nine

After a long eventful day of watching both Maddie and Ray run around gleefully burning out all the energy their small bodies possessed, Teresa found herself lying down on her bed, hand resting on her belly running small circles with her finger. She leaned her head into the pillow and looked back up at the ceiling. She really had missed being here.

Then there was a knock at the door, slowly she sat up, then it was pushed open and Maddie moved into the room followed by Ray. Both children, who were supposed to be in bed, now stood in the center of her room.

"Aunt Tess," Maddie began, "There's some weird man outside our house," Teresa felt her body go numb, "He just looks into it and stuff," Ray held onto his sister's hand, obviously nervous about this man.

The children most likely came to her room because their parents' room was downstairs; the duo hadn't wanted to leave the second floor thinking that this man could be a criminal. Plus there was also the fact that their aunt was a senior agent for a crime unit.

Teresa leaned in closer, "What does this man look like?"

Maddie looked down at her brother, fear still evident in both of their eyes, "He's wearing a mask."

Teresa froze once more before moving off the bed and grasping Maddie's shoulder, "Listen to me," she paused, "Both of you," Ray looked up at her, "Maddie, I want you to call 9-1-1,"Teresa couldn't hold back the fear in her eyes anymore, she did her best not to show it in front of the children, "After that I want you and Ray to stay underneath my bed and do not move," Maddie nodded pushing Ray quite hard towards the bed.

"Auntie?" Ray asked as soon as she turned to open the top drawer of the dresser, "Wh-what are you doing?"

She ignored him, focusing on the cold metal feel of her gun now encased in her hand. Teresa turned and nodded towards both children before leaving her room, shutting the door behind her. Slowly she made her way down the hallway, cursing when a floorboard creaked. Biting her lip she then found herself slowly making her way down the stairs.

A scream erupted from the master bedroom. Her instincts took over, forgetting what situation she was in, she ran from the bottom of the staircase towards the room. Once she reached the door and wrapped her hand around the handle, she realized it was locked. She tugged on it before moving backwards, about to kick it down. One solid kick wasn't enough. She kept on doing so, but no prevail. When the wood broke, she was able to get through. Standing before her was Red John, he held up a bloodied knife. In front of her laid Matt's lifeless body and Mary. Red John cackled and turned towards Mary, ripping the knife across her neck spilling blood everywhere.

He turned towards Teresa slowly, his smile bringing an extremely worse feeling into the pit of her stomach, "Agent Lisbon, pleasure," she held her gun up towards his chest, "Don't waste your time, it's empty," she looked down at the gun, that's when Red John took this as a chance to take a shot. She wasn't quick enough to react, her shot missed him barely, but when she felt him grab her, she felt her heart beat quicker.

How could she be so stupid?

…

Patrick was once more nodding off on his couch. He tried to think of what life would be like once Lisbon had their daughter…would he still be trying to find Red John? That was something he was sure he couldn't give up. It was his own personal heroin, the very thought of Red John seemed to be the only thing keeping him alive.

But maybe he could move on, with Lisbon. She was his future.

A shrill wringing brought him out of his thoughts. Groaning softly he moved up and reached for his phone. He looked down at the caller I.D.

Teresa Lisbon

Why would she call him at midnight? Was something wrong?

He put everything together. What if Red John had found her?

He wasted no time in flipping the phone open and pressing it to his ear, "Lisbon?"

The reply wasn't what he would expect, "Mr. Patrick!" it sounded like a little girl, "There's a stranger in our house!" he sat there for a few moments. Lisbon's niece was calling him, asking for his help even, but she didn't know him. Probably got his name after a 'recent calls' list but this was not the time to think about that, "Aunt Tess went to go get rid of him," he feeling of dread filled him

She was his future.

...

She stared up at the hand wearing a kitchen glove. That hand also carried a knife. Following the hand up the arm of its owner, she found the masked man's piercing eyes staring back at her, an evil glimmer evident. She tried to struggle, but he held her down with his other hand. Pain was felt in her shoulder, where she had been stabbed. He put his hand down on the wound once more causing her to scream as the pain radiated throughout her body.

"Why are you doing this?" was the first thing she could muster, "I want to know why?" she dared him looking at his eyes. Fear suddenly appeared in his before it disappeared again, "Why!" she demanded earning him to actually slap her, hard.

She turned her head away from him, but he quickly grasped her chin and turned her roughly to look at him once more, "Why won't you beg for your life?" he was getting nervous, she wasn't like the others, she was special. She didn't say anything to the serial killer, showing her strength to him, he cackled once more, "You're a special one."

He then took his hand pressing it against her wound once more, her back arched as she screamed again. He brought his knife down, plunging it into her side between her ribs, piercing a lung. She gasped in pain, her eyes wide with shock as the pain filled her once more. Red John withdrew the knife and looked at her in the eyes, almost like a challenge.

Then he took he began to paint her toenails in her own blood…making her watch.

…

Patrick found himself calling the police department, desperately eager for them to give him an exact saying on what they were going to do. He had challenged them, told them that the life of a well-respected family, which was true, was endangered. They had told them that officials were already on there way to the scene.

Frustrated and worried, he threw the phone down and sat back down on the couch, fisting his blonde curls in his hands. How could he had been so stupid and decide not to go with her? He should have gone with her; he would know she would be safe.

It was his fault.