"Get lost, Jane," she ordered. "This is official agents only. You're not needed. Go, drink tea or something."

She could see a short glint of hurt in his eyes at her harsh words. But she should have known that she wouldn't get rid of him that way. He stepped fully inside her office and closed the door behind himself and took a seat at the last empty spot on the sofa. "I think - not. This is too intriguing. I always wanted to find out what you real agents do, while I solve your cases." He motioned with his hand in an inviting gesture. "Just continue. I'll be as silent as a mouse - you'll forget I'm even here."

Teresa got up from the chair behind her desk and went over to stand in front of him. "Jane, I'm serious. I don't want you here right now. Please leave," she said with a very stern voice.

Unfortunately, her lover happened to be a very perceptive man. He smelled the rat immediately. He jumped up from the couch. "It's Red John, you're trying to keep a Red John case from me," he stated angrily. "How could you do that? You're not leaving me out of this, Lisbon, I won't accept it, you hear me? I won't accept it!" He was very agitated and almost shouted the last part.

She put a calming hand on his arm. "Jane, please. Compose yourself. Trust me, I have my reasons. "

He shook his head vehemently and dislodged her hand from his arm. "No, Lisbon! You won't keep me from a Red John case, no way." He examined her stubbornly. Suddenly a look of comprehension appeared on his face. He let out an ugly laugh that had all the room's occupants flinching. "He killed Alex. That's it, isn't it, Lisbon?" He laughed again. "Of course, that explains it. You think I can't handle it." He paused briefly and his look turned intense. "News flash: I survived finding my murdered wife and child, people I actually loved. I assure you, I can endure this just fine. It's you keeping this from me I can't stand."

She cast him a pleading look. "Patrick, please be reasonable. You're injured. You shouldn't even be at work. I think…"

"Frankly, I don't give a damn what you think," he interrupted her angrily.

"Jane, you are way out of line! Pull yourself together or I will have security escort you out of this office and the building. Do I make myself clear?" she demanded in her strictest tone.

He deflated visibly. He made his way in the direction of the door. His voice was dripping with both hurt and sarcasm, when he addressed her again. "I apologize, Agent Lisbon. I am sorry I'm such a liability, being both injured by and related to the victim and thus, though being the foremost expert on the likely perpetrator, not suitable to offer the consultancy I'm so generously paid for by this fine institution. If you would excuse me? Obviously I have more important tasks to attend to, like drinking tea." The last sentence was spat out.

He'd reached the door by now and was about to open it when Teresa decided that enough was enough. This was not at all going the way she had wanted it to go. Well, she hadn't even known what she wanted. She had hoped to get her team's advice on how to proceed and what to do about Patrick. But now, things were getting completely out of hand. He had crossed a line but so had she, and she couldn't let him leave like that.

Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it had been a mistake not to involve him right from the start? She would truly need his expertise at the crime scene. He would be able to tell at once, whether this had been a deed executed by the serial killer himself or one of his minions. But it still was his father in that cell. And even though their relationship had been complicated, this had to affect him. Not to mention the letter…

Well, here goes nothing, she thought and stepped in his way before he could open the door. "Stop, Patrick. Look at me, please."

She was happy he did. But what she saw in his eyes made her shudder. He was deeply hurt and felt betrayed by her. On impulse, she pulled him into a hug.

He was tense and stiff as a poker at first, but after a moment his arms came around her and he melted into her with a shuddering sigh.

At this point she realized that the rest of her team was still present. They looked at her with varying expressions of shock, incomprehension and compassion. "Cho, Grace, Wayne, please give us a moment alone. We'll all drive to the crime scene in a few minutes. Get the cars ready. Thank you," she ordered.

The three agents left immediately, and her loyal second in command, when he left as the last, had the presence of mind to close the blinds and the door. She mouthed a thank-you in his direction and he gave her a nod.

The moment they were alone, Teresa pulled Patrick into a fierce kiss. She hoped she could convey all her feelings of regret with it. He didn't return the kiss at first, but when one of her hands fisted his hair at his neck and the other stroked his back, he moaned and kissed her back almost desperately.

She was the one who broke the kiss, before things could get out of hand, which wasn't too unlikely considering they were both tension filled and overemotional right now. She pulled him over to the visitors' chair at her desk and pushed him into it. Needing to put some distance between them, she sat down behind her desk and looked at him. "Patrick, I'm sorry. This was a bad call on my part. It wasn't supposed to go like this."

He held her eyes with a sad expression and whispered. "I'm sorry, too, Teresa. I… You hurt me and I took it badly. And you know how I get when Red John is involved. Can we please just start over? Pretend the last ten minutes didn't occur? You just called me into your office to tell me about our latest case…"

She nodded. "Okay. We can do that. But we should maybe talk about it at a later date. Right now, however, we do have a case…" She continued to brief him on the facts she knew and showed him the letter.

"I swear, the bastard gets sicker every day." Jane shook his head in astonishment. "What's it with all those 'my Patricks'?" His face showed disgust. "Sounds almost like a love letter." He shuddered at the thought.

"Teresa, we need to go to the crime scene as fast as possible. This was personal. And in those cases he usually acts by himself. But this was on such a short note and in a prison, that he took a high risk. He is a careful planner normally, but in this instance, if he did it in person, there is a chance he's slipped up somehow. We need to get there immediately, before some disciple of his on a tech team or on the prison ward gets the chance to destroy possible evidence."

He got up from his chair, cast her a demanding look and motioned for her to follow him. "Let's talk about the other details – mainly the letter and what it entails – later," he added, when she'd closed the gap between them.

She stopped him for a moment right before they were about to leave the office and asked softly. "Patrick, are you really alright with this? In spite of everything, he was still your father."

"I have to do this. And I will do this. Afterwards might be another story, but right now I'm keeping my emotions out of this. Trust me, I can handle it. And don't worry too much, okay?" He looked at her intently. His left hand came up for a short, reassuring touch to her cheek. "I'm glad I have you by my side and I really hope, you'll be there for me later, when all of this catches up to me," he added sincerely.

"I'll always be there for you, Patrick. We'll get through this together, never doubt that. Let's go," she said with finality.

"Ah Lisbon, just one last question. I'm sure I already know the answer, but…the team. You told them about us?" he inquired.

Teresa nodded. "Yes. I figured that they need to know all the facts especially considering what was in that letter. It wouldn't be fair to them."

"I'm sure it's better that way. Acting isn't exactly your forte. You are too honest a person to be a good liar. We have established that before." She cast him a sullen look, which made him chuckle. "Oh come on, my dear. That was a compliment actually." She still looked defiant. "Then think about all the embarrassment we can cause Rigsby. I'm sure he blushes at the mere thought of mommy and daddy kissing." He grinned evilly.

"Mommy and daddy?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Yes of course. In our little family we are definitely the parents. Well now anyway. Before, you were mum and I was some goofy uncle," Patrick explained keeping a completely straight face.

Lisbon laughed out loud at that and with a mischievous grin she said, "Oh yes. Riling up Rigs is going to be fun. But Jane?" He nodded. "Don't exaggerate it, okay? And I don't want this," she gestured between them, "to become public knowledge outside the team, okay?"

"I know, Teresa. I will be discreet, I promise. I'm an excellent liar after all," he replied. "Now let's go."


They met the rest of the team by the cars. The three others were occupying a dark blue SUV already, another one was ready to be used as well. Lisbon went over to Cho, who sat in the driver's seat of the first one. "You know where to go? The remand center, okay? I'll take Jane. See you there."

Jane had taken the passenger seat and was waiting impatiently for them to get moving. When she got in, he asked her to hurry up in an agitated tone. She cast him an irritated look conveying the silent message that he should pull himself together.

He pouted a bit at first, but after a moment he started to talk calmly with her. "You've figured out that he must have a very close informant either inside SacPD or the DA's office. Well, I wouldn't put it past him if it was both actually." She nodded and motioned for him to continue. "Especially the SacPD-connection could be a very old one because they had the case before it went to the CBI. And there must be a mole in the remand center as well."

He shook his head in exasperation. "I hate that bastard – he has his fingers literally everywhere it seems." He sighed. "Is it any wonder I have trust issues? At the moment the only person I trust completely is you in fact." He gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. "The team's a solid second, but as it stands, I can't give them the full 100% I'm afraid…" he added sadly.

She nodded. "I understand that, Patrick. But we have to take a leap of faith once in a while. If we don't, we'll go crazy because we'll see his minions everywhere. That way lies clinical paranoia, and that's one direction I'm not willing to follow you."

"I don't want to be like that either. I'm very happy I have you to ground me. I think I would've succumbed to madness long ago without you. I love you, Teresa. I don't think I've told you that yet today." His hand, which still rested on her thigh, started to caress her tenderly.

It reassured her immensely. Before in her office she had been afraid his infamous RJ-obsession would take over completely. He lost his cool each time they were faced with a case concerning the serial killer and acted even more irrational than usual. And this was a very special case to boot. So hearing him talking calmly and taking the time to show her his affection made it clear that he really had meant it when he'd said her happiness was his first priority now. It meant more to her than she could express with words. She was actually speechless.

"Did I say something wrong, Teresa?" he inquired anxiously, when she didn't react.

She shook her head and did everything to collect herself. It wouldn't do to leave him out in the cold right after he'd offered her the deepest declaration of love he could possibly make. "No, Patrick," she started after a moment. "Actually, I'm deeply touched by your words. They made me a bit tongue-tied, I guess. I mean, you've said so before a few days ago, but to hear you confirm this in the face of an actual Red John case…" She paused to take a deep breath. "I mean, that your feelings for me are more important than your vengeance…I must confess that I didn't truly believe it before. I hoped…and now…I don't know what to say, Patrick, apart from I love you too, with all my heart. And that I'm happy."

She smiled warmly in his direction for a moment, before her gaze went back to the street ahead. "We are driving to what I know will be a grisly crime scene and still I'm happy. Guess I'm finally losing it, hmm?"

His quiet, short chuckle warmed her heart. "So my lunacy is contagious after all." He squeezed her thigh another time before he removed his hand completely, seeing their destination was near. "Let's get it over with," he added seriously with a deep sigh.


TBC

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