Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

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'Jane was right boss,' said van Pelt swivelling on her chair. 'Hugh Lombard was having an affair.' Picking up the paper in front of her she read out the name as Jane remained on his couch and Rigsby came over. 'It's a one Miss Cora Carmichael. 24 year old flight attendant.'

'Motel footage puts Mr Lombard at the motel the night of his wife's murder,' said Cho from his desk as Lisbon stood in the centre of the room. 'But the tapes show him leaving just after midnight.'

'Well, that is more than enough time for him to get home and kill his wife,' she speculated as Rigsby turned to her hopefully. 'Bring him in boss?'

'Bring him in.'

Van Pelt reached for her jacket, Rigsby for the keys, as Lisbon turns to her other agent. 'Cho – keep digging.'

'On it boss.'

The two agents on pick up duty had almost reached the doorway when the front desk officer stepped into the bullpen. 'I've got a Hugh Lombard at reception wanting to speak with Agent Lisbon.' Lisbon looked in confusion at van Pelt and Rigsby who had stopped abruptly at the announcement. Who had asked him to come down?

'Ah good, he's right on time,' declared Jane leaping up from his couch. Well that answers that question. She flashed him a look as he came forward gleefully rubbing his hands. 'Let's get the interview started shall we?'

Van Pelt and Rigsby are delegated to digging further as Cho takes the interview, Lisbon and Jane standing behind the glass window. Jane is fidgeting as Cho conducts the interview in his usual 'I understand why you did it, well who wouldn't' manner. 'Stop it,' mutters Lisbon when Jane uncrosses his arm for the nth time before crossing them again. 'He knows something he's not telling us.'

'His wife has just died and the fact that he is having an affair doesn't look too good for him,' said Lisbon derisively. 'So of course he's hiding something.' Crossing her own arms across over her chest, she pinned him with a look. 'Don't we all?'

Jane pointedly ignored her as he turned back to the glass screen. She looked at him for a moment longer. He looked his usual self – but she could detect the tension in the slight clenching of his jaw. When he turned to face her, she swiftly looked away and turned her attention to the interview going on before them, refusing to be caught staring.

'So Mr Lombard,' said Cho conversationally.

'Hugh please,' interrupted the well-dressed man.

'Hugh,' corrected Cho as he leaned on the table and laced his fingers together. 'Tell me about the affair.'

'What affair?' Hugh fudged, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

'The one you were carrying on with Miss Cora Carmichael.'

Hugh Lombard leant forward. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'We have footage of you at the motel on the night your wife died.'

'I didn't kill my wife,' protested Lombard.

'Time stamps give you ample time to get home and kill your wife,' stated Cho.

'Alright, so I was at the motel,' admitted Hugh. 'But when I got home, she hadn't gotten home yet. And before you ask, no there wasn't a body in the kitchen or anything like that yet.'

'So who was at home when you got home then?'

'Just the kids. They were asleep.'

'You sure about that?'

Lisbon sighed as she tapped her head against the glass. This case was going nowhere fast. She turned to Jane to say something as Mr Lombard continued to talk on the other side of the glass. 'I'm a good father Agent. I love my kids.'

The words died on her lips as she saw an empty spot and realised that Jane was no longer standing where he had been just seconds ago and she was now looking at the door swinging shut. Time seemed to slow down as she saw the door opening on the other side of the glass and Jane stormed into the interview room. This was not going to be good.

'You call yourself a good father?' yelled Jane at the shocked Lombard. 'You were having an affair.'

'Hey...' objected Lombard, rising in his seat as Cho cautioned the consultant. 'Jane...'

'Who was looking after the kids while you were off having fun? Hmm?' railed Jane as Lombard flustered under the interrogation. 'Maybe if you'd been home, your wife wouldn't have been killed. Did you think about that?'

'Jane, that's out of line,' warned Cho as Lombard stepped around the desk and Lisbon dashed from the observation room. This was going nowhere any good any time soon.

'You want to talk about being home?' taunted Hugh Lombard. 'You want to talk to me about being a good father? At least I didn't get my wife and child killed.'

Lisbon stepped into the interview room as Jane lost all reason and looked ready to punch the living daylights out of their suspect. Cho had reacted instantly at the comment and now had Jane's arms pulled behind him as Hugh Lombard stood cockily in front of them.

'Yeah, I know all about you,' he scoffed as Jane strained against Cho, eyeing Hugh with hatred. 'I don't know how you forgive yourself.'

Oh shit.

Lisbon stepped in front of Jane and planted his hands on his chest before he could do anything they would all regret. 'Get out Jane.' As his eyes came down to look at her, he wasn't focussing. She hit his chest as she gestured to Cho to get him out. Jane snapped back to the present as he was pushed from the interview room and Lisbon pulled him to the side furious. Cho re-entered the room to continue the interview after checking that Lisbon was okay to handle it.

She took a breath to calm herself and faced the furious consultant who was now storming away from her. 'Jane, get back here.'

The only response she received was a hand brushing her away over his shoulder as Lisbon forcefully grabbed his lower arm and pulled him to face her. She's ready to rip him one when a new voice sounds. 'Agent Lisbon? Can I have a word with you? In private?'

It was Hannah Lombard.

Squeezing Jane's arm painfully she let go as she looked him in the eye and warned him. 'Do not move.' Jane promptly walked off as she sighed and escorted the teenager to her office. 'What can I do for you Hannah?'

'They told me you've got my Dad in here,' said the teenager nervously, playing with the tassels on her skirt. 'Do you think he killed my mother?'

'We don't know sweetheart,' said Lisbon softly.

'But what about Mark Burrie?' questioned Hannah raising her distressed eyes to Lisbon's. 'He was having an affair with Mum.'

'He couldn't have killed your mother as he has an iron-clad alibi. And we don't know if your mother was actually having an affair with Matt Burrie yet either,' said Lisbon gently as tears began to run down Hannah's cheeks. 'What's going to happen to me?'

'What do you mean? Has someone threatened you?' asked Lisbon worriedly as the teenager looked at her startled. 'No, I mean what's going to happen to us three kids?' Hannah corrected with a sniffle. 'Dad works such long hours, and I don't know how I'm going to cope. Henk needs a mother – and I guess I'm going to become it aren't I?'

Lisbon's heart clenched as she clasped the hand of the girl in front of her. She felt for this kid. She knew what it was like to have life as you know it come crashing down around you. She came around the desk as Hannah burst into tears. 'Well, who did it then? Who killed my mother?'

'I don't know yet,' said Lisbon as she pulled the girl into a stiff hug. 'But I promise you I will find out.'

When Jane stepped into the office minutes later, she flashed him a furious look as he raised his hands in surrender. 'I come in peace.'

He ignored the daggers she was mentally sending him via her eyes as he turned to Hannah Lombard – now seated in her chair once again. 'Why were you sent to boarding school?'

'I wanted to go,' was the firm response. 'It was easier,' she added softly to herself as Jane nodded his head with a 'hmm' before he turned to Lisbon. 'Agent Lisbon, Mr Lombard has admitted to having an affair.'

Hannah's head flew up at this declaration and she looked at them in horror. 'No!'

'Jane!' Lisbon admonished as the teenager looked to her for confirmation. The girl had just lost her mother, and she didn't need any more awful truths. 'Please tell me that isn't true.'

'I really wish I could,' said Lisbon awkwardly as Hugh Lombard entered the office and cut the conversation short when he fixed a glare on Jane. 'Let's go sweetheart.'

Hannah pulled her thin jacket around her closer as she arose from the chair and approached her father. Lombard hadn't looked from Jane yet, and Lisbon feared that World War III was about to erupt in her small office. 'I should have you charged.'

'With what?' she defended Jane as she stepped between the men.

'He punched me.'

She continued to look at Mr Lombard as she raised her finger behind her to stop Jane from saying anything. For once the man listened to her. 'Almost Mr Lombard,' said Lisbon in a hard tone. 'Almost. Go home and be with your children Mr Lombard and allow us to do our job.'

There was no movement for a second before Hugh Lombard wrapped his arm around his daughter and turned for the door. Hannah shrugged off her father's arm and hissed 'don't touch me' as they walked down the hallway, Jane slipping out of her office at the same time.

Jane was missing yet again when it came to hometime that night, but Lisbon was actually thankful this time. She wasn't in the mood to talk. She couldn't shake the image of the distressed teenager that had sat in her office and wondered about the future. Poor Hannah.

She did spare a thought to Jane's behaviour though. She rarely saw him lose control, and yet he had lost it twice in the last three days.

Little did Lisbon know that it would all come to a head the following day.

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Next Chapter: Jane and Lisbon have a showdown.