Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men or the Mentalist!

Chapter 75

Ari P.O.V

The next day Lena was delivered. She was mewling loudly to be let out, and I set the carrier on the floor, and opened it. She walked out of it carefully, and started to explore the room, sniffing around. The door to the second bedroom was open, and she entered it, and didn't come out. I went in an hour later to find her curled up on one of the pillows, sleeping. I just left her to it. The rest of my summer was spent between keeping up communication with my friends and family, visiting dad, getting ready for University, and of course being with Victor. Tigris and Sabertooth came out more often now, and I went through many bed sheets.

At the end of my holiday, I got a part time job waitressing in a small café. Victor said he was more than willing to get me anything I wanted, but I wanted to earn my own money. I didn't need someone providing for my every need, well, monetarily anyway… so I started waitressing.

I quickly learnt the names of all the customers. One of them was very interesting. His name was Patrick Jane. He came in, every Saturday and Sunday morning for a cup of tea. He was always there at half nine on the dot. He had a knack for being able to guess things that were just uncanny, and another uncanny ability he had, was how to piss people off. It was how we started talking. I was serving the table next to his one day, when the guys I was serving started mouthing off about 'mutant freaks'. I was about to open my mouth and say something that would probably have gotten me fired, when a blonde guy in a three piece suit spoke up.

"Maybe you should reconsider your definition of freak, Smith, after all, your aunt's your sister. Maybe you should look up incest, far more freakish than evolution." he said.

One of the men paled. They both slammed money down to pay for their things, and they hurried out of the café. I looked at the man. "Thank you. You probably just saved me from getting fired."

"Oh, that's no problem. I guessed you could probably handle it, but I've wanted to do that for a while. Patrick Jane." He introduced.

"Arianwen Evans. Patrick huh? I have a friend named Patrick. We call him Paddy."

"Are they all back in Wales?"

"How…?"

"Your accent. I'm guessing you haven't been here all that long, you haven't yet picked up a slight copy of an American accent. You here to study?"

"That's part of the reason. I moved here permanently a couple of weeks ago."

"Ah, let me guess… there's someone you know whose here, and from that mark on your neck… you and he are close."

"Got it in one. Plus, my dad moved to San Francisco after my parents divorced. So, I moved to be closer to him too."

"Ah. Well, it was nice meeting you, Arianwen, I'll let you get back to work."

"Yeah, maybe next time your in, you can let me guess something about you." I said.

He smiled and nodded. There was something interesting about Patrick Jane. He seemed like a good man. But he also seemed… haunted.

I soon learnt that he worked with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a consultant. He helped them on cases, in the most unconventional ways too. We became friends, but nothing more than friends. Had I been single, not a feral with a healing factor, and a couple of years older, I may probably have liked him, but I didn't.

I didn't expect to become involved in a CBI investigation that he was working on, in any way mind. I had been on my university courses for two months, when a murder took place. The victim was a guy called Steve Miller. He was a right jerk. If he wasn't mouthing off against mutants, for which I'd punched him for several times, he was hitting on me, and any other 'good looking' female in the area (again, I punched him).

Therefore I wasn't too shocked when Agent Teresa Lisbon pulled me into an office for questioning. I guessed when she introduced herself that Patrick would be there, and I was right. He however, was surprised.

"Ari! What are you doing here?"

"I went to classes with Miller. History." I said.

"Ah. Right." He said.

Agent Lisbon looked between us for a second and then shrugged. We all sat down, and the questioning began.

"I hear that you and the victim didn't get on." Lisbon said.

I snorted. "That's an understatement. If the guy wasn't insulting me, he was treating me like some common whore who would dance right into his bed. I punched him a couple of times on each account. But I didn't kill him."

"Where were you on Saturday evening between ten and twelve?"

I raised an eyebrow. "At home, with my fiancée."

"Can he confirm that?"

"I can call him here if you'd like?"

"Go ahead." She said, sitting back in her seat.

"Let me save the trouble, I know Ari, she's no murderer. She may be a Feral, with a bit of a temper, but she's no killer." Patrick said.

"Thanks Patrick, but I think I'd best put Agent Lisbon's mind at ease." I said, and I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I rang Victor, and he picked up quite quickly.

"I thought you had a lecture." He said. I could hear the purr in his voice.

"There's been a death, I need you to come over. Or, talk to Agent Lisbon over the phone now."

"I'll do both. Put him on."

"Her, actually. Here." I handed the phone over.

"Hello, I'm Agent Teresa Lisbon, CBI, where were you on Saturday night, between ten and twelve?" she asked. There was a moment as Victor answered. "Thank you, I still want to be able to question you in person, mind." she hung up then, and looked at me. "He elaborated."

I blushed deep red, and grinned. "Yep, that's Vic alright." I said, nodding. "But somehow I still cant believe he does things like that."

"How long have you two been together?" Lisbon asked.

"Just over a year now, why?" I responded.

"So, it was a short relationship, or has it been a recent engagement?"

"I don't see what this has to do with the investigation." I said.

"I just need to make sure that the two of you weren't in this together." She said.

There was a knock on the door, and a brown haired man in a suit stepped in. "Uh, boss, there's and army General here to see you, and Miss Evans."

"Who?" Lisbon responded.

"He say's his name is Stryker." The man said.

"Send him in." Lisbon ordered.

My blood ran cold. How could this happen? He was dead.

A/N: So, what's going on? What will happen next? Review for a quick update!