Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

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Lisbon raced over to van Pelt's desk as the agent held out her phone for her boss without a word. 'Horatio?'

'Ma'am?'

'Put your sister on the phone.'

'Are you sure that's a good idea?' said the scared kid. 'She's got a gun.'

Oh shit.

'Hannah has a gun?'

'Horatio?'

'Horatio?' she repeated when she heard no response.

They all wait, each fearing the silence, before they hear noises that sound like a scuffle and a far off voice can be heard ordering for Horatio to hang up the phone. A dial tone sounds. They all looked at each other wordlessly before they snapped into action.

'I'll drive.'

As Lisbon entered the Lombard home phone number into her mobile, she didn't object as she threw Jane the car keys and they dashed out of the carpark. 'Get Cho, notify the police and follow us as soon as you can,' she shouted behind her as the phone began to ring.

As Jane started the car and they left the carpark at a breakneck speed, Lisbon muttered under her breath. 'Come on. Come on. Pick up the phone Hannah. Pick up the phone.'

'She's not answering,' Lisbon said frantically as she turned to Jane. 'Just keep trying,' he responded tensely as he swerved and overtook the car in front of them. She braced herself on the door and was about to criticise his driving abilities when the phone was picked up.

'Hannah. Is that you?'

'No, it's Henk,' said the high voice of the eight year old.

'Henk?' confirmed Lisbon. 'Where is your sister?'

'She's in the lounge room with Dad. Dad's sitting on the chair and he isn't moving.'

The blood froze in her veins. 'Why isn't your Dad moving Henk?'

'Cos Hanny told him that he couldn't.'

Oh thank god. 'Where's your brother Henk?'

'Horatio can't come to the phone right now,' said Henk in such a tone that Lisbon feared he was about to hang up. 'Henk. I need you to do me a favour. I need you to put your sister onto the phone.'

Silence.

'Henk?'

She exchanged a look with Jane as she repeated the little boy's name. 'Are you there?'

'Agent Lisbon?'

'Hannah!' she exclaimed, before she quickly checked her voice. She needed to keep as calm as she could. 'What's going on Hannah?'

'It wasn't supposed to happen like this,' babbled the teenager. 'Dad wasn't supposed to be having the affair. He knows better, he knows better than that.'

Lisbon took a deep breath. This could be a minefield. 'Where's your father now Hannah?'

'He's here.'

'You don't plan on hurting him do you Hannah?'

'This wasn't supposed to happen,' repeated the teenager, avoiding the question.

'I'm almost at your house Hannah. What do you say that you and I have a talk when I arrive? We don't want anyone to get hurt do we?'

The only response she received was a sniffle, but it was better than nothing. 'Think of your brothers Hannah. What will happen to them if you go away?'

'I'm going away anyway.'

'Why would you say that Hannah? Why do you have to go away?'

There was a moment of silence before Hannah burst into tears and shouted. 'I killed my mother! Oh God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Mum. I was wrong.'

She had no time to process how she felt about the the girl's confession and plowed on ahead. 'I know you don't mean to to kill your mother. But maybe if you talk to me about it, I can help you. Let me help you Hannah.'

'You can't help me. Nobody can – not now, not then, not ever.'

'Hannah – tell me what happened.' They were getting closer. 'What happened that night Hannah?'

'I don't want to talk about it. I've got to go now.'

'Go where Hannah? You've got to go where?'

'It's all his fault.'

'Hannah, are you going to shoot your father?'

'I should have done it right the first time round.'

'Hannah – listen to me. I know you want to make your father suffer, but is killing him really the way to go about it?'

'He knew better than that. Why did he have to have an affair?'

'I don't know why he did that Hannah, but I need you to do something for me. I need you to put the gun down and leave the house. I'm almost to your house Hannah. Can you do that for me?'

Silence.

'Hannah?'

'I've got to get out of here.'

'Hannah? Hannah!'

The phone was still on, but Hannah's voice could no longer be heard as other noises took their place. Looking at Jane, she saw him gripping the steering wheel fiercely as they rounded the corner and entered the Lombard's street. She struggles to distinguish between the noises on the phone, before she hears one noise that cannot be mistaken.

An engine started.

'Hannah? Are you in a car?' she said quickly into the phone. 'Hannah?' The rumble of the engine was all she could hear before Hannah's voice came over the line for the last time. 'I can't live this life,' were her last words before she hung up the phone. As Jane flew up onto the kerb, she was out of her seat before he had even stopped the car, Cho, van Pelt and Rigsby pulling up right alongside them. Jane throws the car into park as he leaps out of the car and races behind Lisbon as the sirens of police cars can be heard getting closer.

The five of them rushed forward and watched the scene unfold before them in horror.

Hannah Lombard's Mini flew down the driveway at a breakneck speed as she neared the end of her driveway. She did not look at the road and nor did she look at any incoming traffic.

Lisbon tries to rush forward and stop this meaningless accident that she knows without a doubt is going to happen, but she finds herself trapped when Jane grabs her, wrapping her arms around her from behind and pulls her back against him, preventing her from moving. As she claws at his arms, she can hear a scream of 'No...' rent the air and it takes her a moment to realise that it was her voice.

It was all happening in slow motion.

The big SUV was travelling along the main road at the designated road speed, but that was more than enough. The small Mini that flew out of the driveway and onto the road was suddenly right in front of the SUV's bumper and the crash was instant in all its horrific glory.

Hannah Lombard didn't stand a chance.

Jane could restrain her no longer. As van Pelt and Rigsby moved to deal with the SUV, Cho called for an ambulance and the newly arrived uniforms took on the responsibility of crowd control, Lisbon rushed forward to the mangled wreck of the car, Jane not far behind.

She tries to open Hannah's car door, but it wouldn't budge. Jane grasps her arms and pulled her back and tried to open the door himself, but to no avail. The door was jammed. Lisbon knelt down to be on the same level as Hannah as she reached for her hand and whispered comforting words to the teen.

He could hear the faint siren of the ambulance in the distance as Lisbon continued to hold Hannah's hand. The ambulance officers were there in an instant as he bent down to help Lisbon up and out of the way. But as he leant down, Hannah uttered her last words. 'Forgive me.'

Jane moved back as if shot. That was the second time that he had heard those words this week. Standing up and stepping back, he ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at the scene before him as time seemed to slow down once again. Lisbon was still crouched down, van Pelt was consoling the SUV driver, Cho was preparing to enter the Lombard house and Rigsby wasn't far behind him, waving frantically to someone off to his left.

There was no taking back the carnage before them.

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Next Chapter: Why?