I'm sorry this chapter is short! (I've been doing that a lot lately) After this chapter I got kind of stuck on where to go from here, but I think I've figured it out. Now I just have to actually get to writing it. Life's been hectic, and I'm not around a computer much, but I shall try my best to work hard!

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Ch. 11 - Martyr

Lisbon walked to the blond man sitting in her hallway and handed him a cup of tea, which he took haphazardly. She sat against the wall opposite to him, facing him. She had no idea how she managed to keep Jane from leaving, but she did. But he hadn't said a word since he sat there. And Lisbon really didn't know how long ago that was, but she guessed pretty close to thirty or forty minutes.

"It was my decision. You shouldn't blame yourself. It's not like you forced me to."

"But you made that decision because of something I did."

"It's not like Boris didn't have anything to contribute to this. He backed me into a corner I felt I couldn't get out of. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before. I'll be okay."

Jane's gaze jolted up from his tea to Lisbon's face, giving her a look mixed with confusion and slight disappointment.

"You've done this before? Why would you do that to yourself?"

"Not exactly this... My father, he'd get angry. Never really at me, but he would get angry at my brothers. I had to protect them. So I would... I would get him to get angry with me instead. I didn't know what else to do at the time."

The news articles about Lisbon's hard work when she was younger flashed through Jane's mind. Saint Teresa they all called her for doing her hardest to protect people. Teresa the martyr was more like it. So willing to put herself in harm's way just to ensure the safety of those around her.

A twinge of sorrow tugged on Jane's heart as he thought about all the things Lisbon's gone through for those she cared about. He concluded that the only selfish thought this woman probably ever had was to be happy with those around her. And really, how selfish is that? She deserved happiness. Though happiness seemed to want nothing to do with this woman.

He finally got up and sat next to that selfless woman and placed his arm around her. He realized that he had stayed because she needed just one shred of happiness. And while he wasn't really sure how he could give that to her, he needed to try. His selfishness had cost him his happiness, and he felt he deserved it. But this woman seemed to only give and give, while receiving nothing in return. He had to show her that her sacrifices were not all made in vain. Teresa the Martyr needed just the slightest hope of salvation.

Lisbon leaned her head on Jane's shoulder. They sat in comfortable silence for what seemed like hours, completely comfortable in their silence. Their breathing lulling them into a kind of relaxing trance, and Jane couldn't help but wonder what he had done to deserve the compassion of this woman.

The silence was finally broken by Lisbon's phone in the next room. She looked up at him with confusion and a shred of annoyance that this moment had been interrupted. But she excused herself and answered the phone.

"Lisbon. Oh, Cho. What's up? Oh... Well, I don't think... What? How?... I don't know if we... Okay, okay. See you there."

She placed the phone back down gently, as if the slightest contact with the table would cause it to shatter. Jane looked up inquisitively at Lisbon, waiting for the news. But when he saw the look of terror on her face, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

"It's Red John... He killed Boris."