A/N: Wow! You guys are awesome! I was so pleased by the reviews, and I'm so glad that you're all enjoying this. And I'm happy that I have you guessing and wondering. That was my goal. I must warn you that I will keep you guessing and confused throughout the story, so hang in there. It's only just beginning.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Lisbon's POV
Six Weeks Earlier
Bam.
Bam.
That's all it takes. Two earsplitting gunshots, two bullets, and the serial killer that we have been hunting down for years is finally dead. He's gone. He can't hurt anyone anymore. It didn't take large machine guns to take him down, or an entire army. It wasn't like slaying a dragon. Just two shots from our everyday pistol by my amazing rookie – or not so rookie anymore – agent.
Jane looks shocked. No, maybe shocked isn't the correct word. I mean, he does look surprised, but maybe the appropriate word is impressed. As Van Pelt was blowing two holes in the back of Red John's head, I was watching Jane, waiting for his reaction. He clearly hadn't noticed us sneak in. He had been a bit too preoccupied by the man with the large knife threatening his life directly in front of him. And Red John hadn't noticed us either, apparently. As Grace pulled the trigger, and the ear-piercing gunshots filled the room, Jane jumped, startled. I could see the relief on his face as he watched his enemy fall, and the relief switched to pride as he glanced at me.
He is proud of us. He is impressed that we had the ability to figure out that he had lied about where he was going. He is impressed that we found him, several miles outside of Los Angeles, where we were in the middle of performing a group operation in the Red John case. An unsuccessful one, of course, for Jane intentionally sabotaged us so he could sneak away and have the bastard to himself.
Cho and Rigsby lower their guns and silently exit the room to call forensics after Van Pelt checks for Red John's pulse. I walk toward Jane cautiously. He is staring at the body of his nemesis, and at Van Pelt. He backs against the wall and slides to the ground, as if he cannot stand any longer. I crouch beside him and try to catch his stunned blue gaze. "Hey," I whisper. "You alright?"
"He's dead?" he whispers back, as if the scene that had just unfolded before him wasn't proof enough. He watches Grace straighten up and follow Cho and Rigsby out of the room.
"Yes," I answer him. "It's over, Jane. You can breathe again." And so can I, I think to myself.
He nods and reaches for my hand, just as he had done months before. Before, when Lorelei was alive and taunting us. When Red John was getting a thrill out of sending us mixed messages and terrifying us. "I'm sorry I lied to you," he apologizes.
"No you're not," I reply softly. It's a fact. I'm not angry. Not anymore, at least.
"Not really," he admits. "I am sorry that I had to lie, but I'm not sorry that I did it to keep you safe."
I consider arguing with him, going over the fact that I am a cop, with a badge and a gun, and that I can protect both him and myself. But I don't say anything. I stand up and grab his other hand to pull him up with me. "It's over, Jane," I repeat.
"Yeah," is all he says.
"LAPD will probably be here soon," I tell him regretfully, for I do not feel like dealing with the stubborn local cops. "They're going to want a statement from you, but I'll try to shoo them away. I'll tell them that we can handle it." I try to smile. "You should go back to the hotel. Eat a good meal. Get some rest. You really need it."
Jane nods again and brushes past me. As he walks out of the room, he doesn't examine the dead body of Red John, like I expect him to. He hardly even looks at the body. He simply steps over it and leaves me alone in the cold, dark room, with the ghosts of his past.
I watch him go, and my chest tightens as I briefly wonder if I will ever see him again.
X
Present
"Hello," Jane cheerfully greets the young man who opens the front door of the house.
The man seems startled, and turns his attention to me.
"Hi, sir," I say in a somewhat irritated tone that is mostly directed toward my consultant. I flash my badge at the man. "We're from the California Bureau of Investigation."
He nods solemnly. "You're investigating Greg's murder," he finishes for me. He steps aside. "Please, come in."
I offer him a sympathetic smile and step over the threshold with Jane close behind me. I stand in the foyer and wait for the victim's brother to shut the door and lead us into the living room. He offers us tea or coffee, which we politely turn down, and then he insists we sit down. "I'm Connor Smith," he tells us. "I'm sure you knew that."
"We're very sorry for your loss," I say gently.
"Thank you," Connor replies. "I assume that you have questions."
I sigh. "Yes, sir." I slide my glance over to Jane for a split-second, to make sure he is behaving. He appears to be, as he sits quietly next to me. "Can you tell us about your brother?"
"He was a great person," Connor says in a small voice. "I mean, when we were kids he got into some trouble but he turned his life around after he met Amelia." He glances up. "That's his wife."
"Can you tell us about their relationship?" I ask.
"He loved her," he explains. He shakes his head. "I don't know why."
"You don't like her," Jane accuses.
Connor shrugs indifferently. "Nah, it's not that," he says. "I like Amelia. She's nice enough, and I can see that she loves him too." He sighs. "She's just nothing like the other girls Greg went after. I don't know what it is about her that caught his eye, but something did, and it changed him." He pauses. "Not necessarily in a bad way, though."
"She's an attractive woman," Jane offers.
It takes all of my willpower to keep a straight face.
"She is," Connor agrees. "But not his kind of attractive."
"What do you mean?" I question.
"I tried setting him up with the most gorgeous women I know," he explains. "Kind, successful, beautiful women who weren't into drugs and partying all hours of the night. Women like Amelia. But Greg wasn't interested in any of them. He was constantly chasing after drug addicts or prostitutes." He smirks. "The day after he met Amelia, he checked himself into rehab. I was so angry. I couldn't understand how a woman he had just met could have a greater effect on him than his own brother."
"Were Greg and Amelia experiencing any complications in the marriage? Money trouble or even the marriage itself?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "No. They were so happy." He pauses. "As for the money thing, they were great. His restaurant was doing fantastic and she is a successful lawyer."
"Just one more question, Connor, if you don't mind," Jane promises.
"Not your call," I hiss. And if you ask him about animals, I'll shoot you here and now, I almost add.
He looks over to me and grins.
"Um, yes?" Connor asks Jane awkwardly.
"Did you kill your brother?"
I sigh. I should have known.
"What he meant to say was-" I begin, in an attempt to smooth things over.
"No, that is exactly what I meant to say," Jane argues, his eyes never leaving Connor's.
"No, I didn't kill my brother," Connor replies calmly, more calmly than I expect.
I nod and throw Jane a nasty glare. "We have to ask, Mr. Smith," I say. "Where were you last night at the time of your brother's death?"
"I was home. Alone, I'm afraid."
"Naturally," Jane mutters.
"Would you be quiet?" I snap. I turn back to the victim's brother. "You'll forgive us if we have a few follow-up questions, considering you don't exactly have a solid alibi." I begin to stand and Jane mirrors my actions, though this time, he actually steps a bit closer to me, to make sure I don't fall. I find myself touched by the subtle gesture.
Connor snaps his fingers three times in an I've got it kind of way. "My girlfriend called me on the landline, just a little after 11:30."
"Why so late?" I question.
"Her grandmother passed away late last night." Connor sighs. "My poor girl. She was so heartbroken. Her grandmother practically raised her. She was her role model."
"Does your poor girl have a name?" Jane interrogates.
I throw him another icy glare for his insensitivity.
"Heather Primer."
"We'll have her confirm your alibi." I smile as best as I can. "Thank you for your time, and I'm sorry for your loss."
Once Jane and I are outside, I curse.
"Teresa," he scolds me. "Such language for a small thing like yourself."
"Solid alibi, no motive." I run my fingers through my hair. "It can't be him."
"And that's a problem because…?" Jane trails off in a questioning tone.
"I just want this case to be over with."
As I am heading toward my car, my toe catches on the edge of the sidewalk and I start to stumble. One hand instinctively covers my stomach and the other flails into the air in an attempt to steady myself. Jane is next to me immediately, one hand wrapped around my elbow and the other on my waist. "Lisbon," he barks. "Are you sure that you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Just clumsy." I straighten up and smile at him. "Thanks." Plucking my keys from my jacket pocket, I hurry to the driver's side of the vehicle before he can protest.
As I unlock the car, I become painfully aware that he is watching me. Not in his observant Jane kind of way, but his I know your secret kind of way. The exact look that can drive any individual absolutely mad.
X
Jane's POV
She's pregnant.
I can't understand how I didn't see it before.
The snappy mood, the tired eyes, the dizziness.
As soon as the realization hits me, I am frozen in my tracks. I watch her walk away in that badass lady cop style that suits her so well, and I am completely still. My mouth opens to make an accusation, but I snap it shut. I know that she notices me staring at her, but she doesn't let on. She simply opens her door and slides in, clicking her seatbelt on and staring at me through the window. "What are you waiting for?" her muffled voice demands.
I open my door and duck into the car. I am staring straight ahead as I put my seatbelt on.
"Are you alright, Jane?" she asks softly.
I check myself and grin at her. "Of course," I chirp.
"You seem a little… pale."
My ever-observant Lisbon.
"Do I?" I ask innocently. I shrug. "Ah, well. Nothing to worry about, I'm sure. Where are we going now?"
She is still watching me. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Where are we going now?" I repeat.
She explains to me that we are stopping by the headquarters before we visit Heather Primer and puts the car in drive. As she accelerates down the road, I let my mind wander somewhere else.
She's pregnant, I think, allowing my eyes to slide over to her for a brief moment. I still can't believe that I hadn't seen it right away.
I swallow hard and glance out the window, absently watching my surroundings pass me by.
X
"Okay. Thanks, Rigs." Lisbon hangs up the phone. "Rigsby checked Primer's phone record and confirmed that she did call her boyfriend last night on the landline." She knocks on the light blue door of Heather Primer's home.
"So why are we here?"
"Just to straighten some things out."
The door opens.
"Heather Primer?" Lisbon asks the woman who opens the door, flashing her badge.
"Yes," Heather replies cautiously.
"I'm Agent Teresa Lisbon, and this is my consultant, Patrick Jane." She smiles softly at the petite auburn-haired woman. "We're from the California Bureau of Investigation, investigating Gregory Smith's murder. May we come in?"
"Yes, of course." Heather nods, stepping aside to let us pass. She shuts the door and we follow her into the living room. She sits and crosses her ankles in a ladylike fashion, and Lisbon takes a seat in a chair across from her while I stand behind Lisbon's chair. "I'm sure you have questions," Heather Primer says softly. I watch her wring her hands together, then pry them apart nervously, several times. She notices me watching her and I smile warmly at her.
"Just one, actually," Lisbon assures her. "Your boyfriend claims you to be his alibi the night of his brother's murder. Can you confirm that?"
Heather nods again. "I called Connor on the landline last night, to tell him the news about my grandmother."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Lisbon apologizes like the kind-hearted soul she is.
"Thank you."
"Heather," I say, catching her attention. "Why did you call Connor on the landline? Don't most people use cell phones?"
"Yes, but his cell phone was off last night. Dead, I assumed."
"Do you think your boyfriend is capable of murdering his brother?" I ask bluntly, too casual for Lisbon's liking, I'm sure.
"Jane!" Lisbon snaps and I attempt to bite back a dark grin. Doesn't she know by now that I won't listen?
Heather shakes her head immediately. "No, absolutely not," she says affirmatively. "Connor loved Greg, and Greg loved Connor. They were best friends. They were… brothers." She shakes her head again. "There's no way Connor could have done this. No way."
"What about Amelia?" I ask.
Heather's eyes darken a shade and she looks pointedly away.
"Heather?" Lisbon says. "Do you think Amelia Smith could have done this?"
I analyze Heather. She swallows hard and laces her fingers together nervously. "I don't know," she finally answers Lisbon. She's a liar. A bad one at that.
"Yes you do," I accuse.
This time, Lisbon doesn't glower my way. She simply stares Heather down.
Heather sighs. "I really don't know," she says, exasperated. "I mean, I have spent a lot of time with them lately, and something about her seems…" She pauses. "Off."
I attempt to catch Lisbon's eye but she refuses to look my way, and I assume that she is afraid she may start laughing if she meets my gaze, which would be completely disrespectful in a situation such as this. Still, I try to meet her eyes, without success.
"Off," Lisbon repeats, her voice a bit squeaky. I actually have to bite back a grin of my own. "What does that even mean?" This is clearly a question for both Heather and me.
"She was always nervous around Greg." Heather shrugs. "I don't know. When I mentioned it to Connor, he got all defensive and told me that they were in love, they were happy, and I shouldn't be meddling. Which I'm not, by the way," she clarifies. "It's just… a thought."
"She was nervous?" Lisbon asks. "Do you think he was abusive toward her?"
"No!" Heather answers immediately. "I know Greg well enough to know that he would never, ever hurt anyone. And besides, I really do think that he loved her." She nods wistfully. "He did. He loved Amelia."
"And you loved Greg," I comment lightly.
Both Lisbon and Heather look startled.
"I beg your pardon?" Heather croaks.
"Greg loved Amelia. Connor loves you, but you loved Greg," I reply, and I can see that the simplicity in my tone makes her even more fidgety. I glance over to Lisbon. "Love triangles. They can get so messy, can't they?"
Lisbon smiles at me and turns to Heather. "Yes, yes they can."
"I didn't kill Greg!" Heather squeals. "I didn't!"
"But you were sleeping with him," Lisbon drones accusingly in a tone identical to mine, the tone that never fails to get a suspect all worked up.
I almost smile. That's my girl.
"I love Connor," Heather says.
"No one is saying that you don't," Lisbon tells her. "Heather, we aren't interested in your sex life. We just want to find out who killed Gregory Smith." She stands from her chair. "And I've got to say, your affair with him makes you look pretty guilty right now."
"Meh," I pipe up.
Lisbon stiffens, and then slowly turns to look at me. "What?"
"She may have cheated on her boyfriend with his brother but I don't think she killed Greg."
"I didn't!" Heather adds frantically. "Besides, I was at the hospital all night! The nurses and my relatives can confirm that! I did not kill Gregory."
Before Lisbon has a chance to speak up, I do it for her. "Thank you, Heather, that's all we need as of right now," I say, earning myself a furious look from my lovely lady boss, as expected. "You'll understand if we have a few follow-up questions."
"Of- of course," Heather stammers.
"Have a nice day." I smile and offer Lisbon my hand so she can stand. She declines it, as I had predicted, and instead stands on her own and curtly brushes past me without another acknowledgement toward Heather. I sigh and drop my hand to my side, following her out the front door and down the pathway to our car.
"What the hell, Jane?!" Lisbon screeches without turning around.
"I'm sorry," I tell her.
She whips around. "No you're not!" she fires back. "You're not sorry, Jane. You never are!"
"Should we really be doing this here, now? It isn't professional."
"Oh, right. And you care so much about professionalism!"
I lay a hand on her shoulder. "Teresa, please calm down," I say softly. "Stress really isn't good for you right now."
"Then don't stress me out!" she retorts and smacks my hand away. She turns back around and storms to her side of the car, opening the door and sliding in. I hear the door slam and I sigh again. I truly did feel guilty for getting her all worked up, especially in her state, but Heather Primer is not guilty for Gregory Smith's murder, that much I know. I step toward the car and open the passenger door, ducking into the car and shutting the door. I glance over to Lisbon, who is staring straight ahead, eyes seemingly empty.
"You know, don't you?" she asks me quietly. "You've figured it out."
I know exactly what she means. I swallow. "Yes."
"Say it," she requests, "just so I can be sure."
"You're pregnant."
Tension overcomes the car and suddenly I am extremely uncomfortable. Teresa is still not looking at me. She continues to stare out the window with a blank look on her face. I hesitate before sliding my hand across the console and grasp hers firmly, waiting for her to say something, anything.
"I'm scared," she finally whispers.
"I know."
"I don't know what to do."
I stare at her a few moments longer before unbuckling my seatbelt and turning in my seat so my body is facing her. "I'll tell you what you are going to do," I say, and I am relieved when she finally looks my way. "You are going to go straight home and get some rest. You are going to take a hot bath and watch awful, cheesy Hallmark movies and you are going to relax. I will go back to the HQ and tell the team that you needed to take a personal day. They'll understand. We will chase down any leads we have so far and do our best to close this case as soon as possible." I smile encouragingly at her and squeeze her hand. "But you need to get home."
Her eyes begin to lose their hardness and are replaced with soft warmth. She briefly glances down at our conjoined hands. "Thank you, Jane." She smiles gently. "But I meant more like, I don't know what I am going to do about, well, my life."
"You're having a baby," I state bluntly.
She winces. "Yes," she says slowly, "but I have no idea what I'm doing." She covers her face with her hands and sighs.
I chuckle and take her tiny wrist between my thumb and middle finger, gently removing one of her hands from her face and then doing the same with the other. She seems surprised by the gesture, probably wondering why I am being so touchy-feely with her. I'm honestly wondering the same thing. "No one does," I tell her honestly. "I remember when Angela told me she was pregnant. I immediately began panicking." I pause for a moment, before smiling and continuing. "Turns out I had a right to panic. Being a parent is terrifying."
"Oh my God, Jane!" she squeals, re-covering her face with her hands.
I have to laugh at that. "Let me finish! And please look at me."
With a heavy sigh, she drops her hands to her thighs and gives me an irritated look. "That wasn't funny."
"It wasn't a joke," I confess, "but being a parent is also one of the most fulfilling duties you can possibly possess." I watch her expression soften slightly and I feel encouraged to continue. "Just wait until you hold your child in your arms for the first time, and I promise you that all of your worries will go away."
She stares at me, clearly stunned at my sincerity.
"And in the meantime," I go on, "I'll be here to help you every step of the way."
Her lips creep into a little smile and she leans across the console and puts her arms around me. I am slightly taken aback at first; this is our first hug that she herself has initiated but I am definitely not complaining. I smile easily and reciprocate the hug.
"Thanks, Jane."
"Of course."
When she pulls back and turns on the car, I swallow nervously. "So," I say casually, "who's the father?"
TBC
I know you're probably mad about a cliffhanger, but reviews would be appreciated ;)