A/N: Beware, angry Jane alert up ahead!
Chapter 3 – Reunion
Morris directed Lisbon and her team to the observation room. Through the two way mirror she caught her first glance of a man she hadn't seen in over a year and she released a silent breath as her heart hammered in her chest. He looked exactly the same apart from a few more lines etched on his face. He sat with his hands handcuffed on the table and his head down, his three piece suit and white shirt crumpled after a night in holding. She could just make out heavy stubble on his chin. He suddenly lifted his head and stared straight ahead. She stepped back automatically as his eyes seemed to penetrate the mirror in front of him. It was as if he had somehow sensed her presence. His expression was made of stone.
"Does he know we were coming here today?" she asked Morris, but not taking her eyes off the man in front of her that seemed to be staring into her soul.
"No, did just like you asked last night, told him he'd be questioned further this morning. He wasn't too happy about spending a night in the cells."
"I'll bet," Rigsby sniggered.
"He looks good," Van Pelt said. "You know, like himself."
"Who else is he supposed to look like?" Cho interjected.
"Okay," Lisbon sighed, turning to address her team. "Enough gawking. Cho, Rigsby, you go question him about Janet Walker. See if a night in the cells has loosened his tongue." She knew it was a long shot but she had to give it a go.
"You're not going to talk to him, boss?" Van Pelt frowned.
Lisbon shook her head. "Not yet. I want to assess his mood first. Plus he's more likely to tell you, Cho or Rigsby the truth than he is me."
As the door opened Jane blinked twice in rapid succession when Cho and Rigsby entered the room. After giving them a quick onceover he immediately settled his eyes back on the mirror in front of him and stared coldly at it. After a small shake of the head he turned his attention to his former co-workers who took a seat in front of him.
"Well, guys, long time no see, huh?" he said evenly.
"Hey Jane," Rigsby replied as he shifted nervously in his chair and kept his eyes on a file in front of him.
"What's your relationship with Janet Walker?" Cho asked.
"What, not even a 'hello' first, Cho?" Jane smirked.
"Hello. What's your relationship with Janet Walker?" he tried again.
Jane leant back in his chair and let out a long sigh. "Same script, eh? I was hoping for something a little better than the local cops from the great CBI."
"Jane," Rigsby attempted, "come on man, you know how this goes. If you've nothing to hide than just tell us the truth. Easier for everyone in the long run."
Jane shrugged. "And why would I want to make things easier for the CBI?" He brought his eyes back to the mirror in front of him and stared icily at it. "Lisbon too chicken to face me herself?" he smirked, looking back at them.
"Answer the question," Cho ordered.
"Ah, what question was that again?" Jane smiled, feigning confusion, "You know me guys, and my brain doesn't work without a cup of tea first thing."
"Answer the question first. Your relationship with Janet Walker?" Cho continued.
Jane looked to the side, sucking in a breath before turning his head towards them again. His voice dispassionate he replied, "Yes, we had a relationship. And now that I've answered your question I'd like a cup of tea as agreed."
Cho shook his head. "What kind of relationship? Were you friends? Lovers?"
"Tea," Jane repeated.
Lisbon, Van Pelt and Morris watched as he continued to run circles round Cho and Rigsby. "Oh, for god's sake," Lisbon sighed after a few minutes watching her agents becoming increasingly frustrated and left the room.
A few minutes later she rested her hand on the door handle of the interrogation room and took a deep breath before opening it. Immediately his sea green eyes met her emeralds in a cold stare. Any hope she had that time had lessened his anger towards her were immediately dashed. He quickly trailed his eyes over her entire body before resting them back on her face. She felt naked and vulnerable and knew he was reading every iota of her body language. She remained in the doorway for a few seconds before pulling some semblance of herself back together and addressed her team.
"Take a break, guys," she ordered. A second later she added, "And clear the observation room."
Cho and Rigsby exchanged glances of relief of not having to witness this showdown and concern with what they may have to deal with afterwards. Rigsby patted Lisbon on the shoulder and gave her a look that said, 'Good luck'.
After they left she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and placed a cup of lukewarm tea that looked like dishwater in front of Jane before sitting down. "Your tea," she smirked, opening the file in front of her.
Her eyes fixed on the documentation in front of her she felt her heart thump against her chest, the silence of the room escalating her nervousness. She eventually lifted her eyes to meet his once again. Now instead of betrayal and anger in his expression she saw nothingness in it instead. Pain ripped through her that he could look at her with such emptiness, as if she had never meant anything to him. He really could be a cold bastard when he wanted to be.
After clearing her throat she glanced at the file in front of her. "Janet Walker," she began, her tone businesslike but with a slight tremor to it that she couldn't control, "are you going to tell us anything about her or are we just wasting our time? If so, we have plenty of work to do back in Sacramento, Jane."
She fixed her eyes on his and concentrated on telling herself that she was merely questioning a somewhat recalcitrant witness/suspect to a crime and not Patrick Jane, the man who stole her heart.
A hint of a smile played on his lips but there was no warmth to it. "I'm sure you do, Agent Lisbon. Closure rates have no doubt suffered this past year. How is Wainwright anyway?"
Agent Lisbon. Not Lisbon. Certainly not Teresa. The man had lost none of his ability to know exactly how to rattle someone. Her pain was suddenly replaced by anger that he was playing this game with her after everything they had been through, after everything they'd shared. "Mr Jane, I'm only going to ask this once more. Tell me about your relationship with Janet Walker."
"Why don't you just ask the question you really want answered, Agent?" he smiled and leaned forward in his chair, studying her. "Ask me if Janet Walker and I were lovers."
She licked her lips nervously. "Were you?" she whispered.
He sucked in a breath and shrugged slightly. "When the occasion arose," he smirked.
She fastened her eyes back to the file in front of her, turning a page to give her time to recover from his revelation. "What happened that night? Was she still alive when you got there?" she asked, her eyes downcast.
"No."
She looked back up at him and narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."
He chuckled lightly. "Are you trying to read me, Lisbon? Really?"
She smiled thinly. She had caught him off guard and he'd dropped the 'Agent' crap. It was a small victory but she would take what she could get for now.
His stare once again cold he added, "And you're hardly one to talk about lying, are you, Teresa?"
The use of her first name sounded like poison coming off his tongue.
"You really want to do this now?" she said, closing the file and leaning back in her chair. "Fine. Let's do it, Jane. It's only taken a year for you to talk to me about it after all."
"I don't need to talk to you about it. I found out everything I needed to know the night I left. But...if you want to explain...somehow ease your conscience then, by all means, go right ahead."
She shook her head and seethed, her patience run out. "You know what, screw you, Jane. I've felt guilty for over a year for lying to you. I admit that was a mistake. But, even now, even though you hate me I don't regret what I did. I don't regret saving your life."
He clenched his hands together. "I never asked you to save me-"
"Yeah, well it goes both ways."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That day in the shipping container. You told me you'd save me whether I liked it or not. Goes both ways."
He shook his head and breathed deeply to control his temper before staring back at her. "The difference is you weren't the only one who saved me, were you? You colluded with him, Lisbon. Him. And then you lied to me about it. For months."
He put his hand up to stop her interrupting.
"I was so infatuated I never saw it. Never wanted to see it I guess looking back now. And there was I who thought you were once a terrible liar. Guess the joke was on me all along."
"Jane, I tried to tell you, many times-"
He laughed derisively. "Did you? You really still believe that? You knew what telling me would do. And you knew the longer you took the more I'd resent you for keeping it from me. At least admit the truth to yourself now, Lisbon. You were too busy reaping the benefits of our sexual relationship to want to spoil it with some good old fashioned honesty. In a way I can't blame you. Sex with you was certainly passionate."
Anger burned through her. "You can't really believe the only reason I didn't tell you was because we had a great sex life!"
Calm again he replied, "It doesn't matter why you didn't tell me. The fact is you didn't. Not until you had no other choice and even then you were trying to think of a way out of it."
He averted his eyes and pursed his lips before looking back at her.
"The fact is I'm alive because of Red John. I have to live everyday with the knowledge I'm breathing because of the man who murdered my family. And you're responsible for that, my dear Teresa."
A/N: Okay, so I kept my promise (kind of...hopefully) of telling you why Jane is mad at Lisbon. But of course there are a lot of questions still to be answered on what part RJ exactly played in curing Jane and how Lisbon was involved. And just for those who are uncomfortable with a Jane who seems to despise Lisbon there will be lots of nice moments ahead for our couple too as I delve into the past some more and reveal how they became lovers. And, of course, how they try to reconcile their differences in the present. So, I hope you keep reading although it will be painful at times! Lisbon, though, will not take Jane's anger lying down though just for those who think she's going to spend the entire story apologising and trying to appease him.