Simple Diversions

A/N: So... the final showdown. NOW, some of you might not like what is going to happen, but I encourage you to keep on reading and try to keep the comments clean. As much as I love you guys reviewing this fic, I don't appreciate being told that I am crazy and stuff. OK... READ ON!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mentalist or any of the characters or ideas.

Chapter 34

The buzz of radio chatter sounded through the vans that Lisbon and her team were in. Everyone was running through their final checks as they waited for Jane's car to pull up.

"Here he comes," Cho said into his radio as Jane's car came to stop in the empty parking lot of the old, musty warehouse.

"Keep your eyes open and your weapons ready." Lisbon commanded before they lost sight of Jane as he made his way into the darkness of the building.

It took a few minutes for Jane's eyes to adjust to the light as he smelt the old room that probably hadn't been cleaned in years.

All around were old, torn posters, indicating that this warehouse might have once been a building full of life… That is until it, like everything else… it died.

"I'm here!" Jane said loudly, but the only reply he got was the soft echo of his own voice. "Let's stop playing games and finally face each other! Or are you a coward?"

That last question seemed to send something stirring through the air and Jane felt a chill run down his spine as shadows moved around the old room.

"It's nice of you to come Patrick," A sinister voice spoke. "We were afraid you weren't coming."

Two figures stepped into the only real ray of sunlight in the room and Jane immediately recognized them to be Red John and Mia.

"Why would you think I wouldn't come?" Jane asked as he tried to keep his voice smooth and hypnotic.

"Well, a leopard can't change his spots," Red John replied. "And you have always been a selfish man."

Red John had a large, shiny blade pressed not too firmly against Mia's neck and his right hand was wrapped tightly around her shoulders, forcing her arms to her chest.

Jane could see the tear streaks on Mia's pale cheeks and he immediately felt a fire burning in his chest.

"That's rich talk for a man who kills for pleasure," Jane said as he took a slow step forward. "Tell me, is it easy to wield that blade, or is there a slight chance that you sometimes find yourself doubting your thirst for blood?"

"Oh Patrick," Red John chuckled. "You'll never change will you? Even now you're attempting to appeal to my better nature and use your little mind tricks to turn me. Well I can tell you now that I have never felt the slightest bit of hesitation with my beautiful blade. I could always demonstrate."

Red John lifted the knife so that the blade looked like a flash of lighting.

"No!" Jane yelled as he took a weak step forward.

"Hmm… so you do actually care for her." Red John said as he lowered the blade back to its original position. "I was wondering if you weren't maybe snatching up your first chance at a second family… whether you loved the mother of your children or not."

"Just please," Jane pleaded miserably. "Let her go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that Patrick," Red John replied. "I wouldn't be sticking to my plan if I did."

"Please," Jane said as he tried to think quickly. "Let Mia go and take me instead so that we can finally finish the battle that concerns only the two of us."

Red John seemed to contemplate this idea, but didn't have much time to think as Mia started crying and said, "No Patrick, please!"

"Hush!" Red John said angrily as he lifted his blade slightly. "You know, you two were definitely cut from the exact same cloth. You're both so similar, which makes it easy for me to see why you two work so well together. You have the same work ethic."

Jane felt like time was moving just a little too slowly as he kept his gaze on the glinting blade and on Red John's mysteriously disgusting mask at the same time.

"Please," Jane pleaded one last time. "A trade."

"Fine," Red John replied with a slightly frustrated sigh. "Slowly walk forward."

xxxxx

In the vans, the air was tense as they listened to every word exchanged between the serial killer and their friend.

"Please," They heard Jane say somewhat desperately. "A trade."

Everyone waited with baited breath as they listened hard for Red John's reply.

"Fine… Slowly walk forward."

"That's it," Lisbon said into the radio. "Let's move in."

xxxxx

"That's it," Red John said as he slowly started loosening his grip on Mia. "Slowly."

As Jane was about to reach his hand out for Mia, everything went downhill.

"CBI! Freeze!" Lisbon screamed as they all burst in, weapons raised.

Red John panicked as he realized that he had been played. He should've known that Jane would involve his friends.

Red John jerked Mia back into his arms and swiftly shoved the glistening blade of fate into her back, almost all the way through to the front of her ribcage.

"No!" Jane yelled as Mia's cry of pain rang through the warehouse and she collapsed to the floor.

Red John ran as fast as he could, using the back exit that he had had in mind as a plan B.

Everything was in slowed down as Jane collapsed to his knees and gathered Mia in his arms.

"No…" Jane sobbed miserably as he kept one hand on Mia's wound and the other ran through her hair.

Mia lay in Jane's arms unconsciously and Jane was oblivious to Lisbon's orders to her team.

Lisbon yelled for Rigsby and Cho to chase after Red John and for van Pelt to call in an ambulance.

Lisbon knelt down next to Jane and was about to lay her hand on his shoulder in comfort when he pulled further away.

"Stay away!" Jane said. "This is your fault! I should never have got you guys involved."

Lisbon's heart was torn in two as Jane's words pierced her deeply.

Lisbon stood again and went to stand next to van Pelt as they listened to Jane's whispered words.

"Please Mia," Jane sobbed. "Don't leave me."

xxxxx

Everyone was talking in a rush of voices as they sped the gurney through the halls of the hospital.

"I need an IV!"

"Clear the way!"

"Where's the doctor?"

And all Jane could do was follow in silence until they told him that he couldn't go any further.

The doors closed and Mia disappeared out of sight.

Jane swallowed back tears as he sank down into one of the hard chairs in the waiting room.

There was blood on his hands and his suit, but he couldn't even think about that as he remembered Mia's face… The expression she had had just seconds before Red John had stabbed her.

He remembered how frightened she had looked… How it had seemed as if her eyes were pleading for him to save her.

Jane was brought out of his reverie when a paper cupped filled with steamy tea was held underneath his nose.

He looked up and immediately felt the tiniest bit guilty as he realized who the tea bearer was.

"Lisbon," Came Jane's muffled words as his throat ached from crying. "Thank you."

Jane took the tea and took a sip before placing the cup on the small table beside him.

Lisbon moved into the chair next to Jane and lifted one of the magazines to start lazily paging through the glossy pages of gossip.

"I…" Jane began, but he just couldn't find the words to say. "I'm sorry… about what I said… in the warehouse."

Lisbon lifted her head and her mood softened as she saw how broken Jane was.

"It's OK," Lisbon said as she briefly placed her hand on top of Jane's. "I understand that you were in an emotional position. I know that you didn't mean any of those words you said."

"Thank you for understanding, Lisbon," Jane said with a small, watery smile. "I was worried I had run out of second chances."

And so the wait began… The wait as Mia and the baby's life hung in the balance.

PLEASE DON'T SHOOT! Just review... *hides behind Jane's couch* ... Please?