A/N: Apologies for the lack of progress on all my stories currently. Have been off my game the last few days. To be honest I'm not sure what I'm posting below should even be posted but I think I'm at that stage where I just need to post it and move on. I'll endeavour for next chapter to be more to your (and my) liking.

Also, there's currently a buzz on tumblr about a Virtual Season 8 for those of you who aren't on there or Twitter and are not already aware of it. The project is looking for writers, animators, gif makers, basically anyone who is interested in TM and wants to be involved in this fun project. Even if you don't want to write a full 'episode' any help with plot ideas or story arcs you'd like to see would seriously be considered and helpful. If you want any details PM me and I'll post you a link to the site. There's still a little time to become involved. There's currently a vote open on the gender and then the name of Jane and Lisbon's child so that's a fun thing everyone can be involved in. Closing date for that is early on the 19th Oct. Again, PM me and I'll send you that link.

Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Chapter 29 - Propositions & Poisoning

Jane stared at the ceiling in the hotel room that had been acquired for him as he lay on top of the bed, his jacket thrown over a chair as soon as he'd entered, a single light switched on beside him. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Almost one am. He shifted on the bed to try to find some comfort and closed his eyes. Bloody faces immediately illuminated the blackness and he opened his eyes again as he sighed wearily. Some things never changed. His thoughts turned to Lisbon and the conversation they had at the beach hotel. Had it helped, dredging up the past like he had? Were they making progress in re-establishing their friendship?

He smiled at the thought that word. Friendship.

Those kisses that morning had proved he couldn't settle for that and he'd been fooling himself if he ever thought otherwise. The first two kisses were based on comforting her. They were quick pecks, chaste but affectionate. He'd tried to stop at that. But then he'd seen her face close to his, her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted in expectation, moist from his mouth. Suddenly he couldn't stop himself wanting more, to taste her again after so long in the abyss. And he couldn't help himself wanting more still it seemed as his mind filled with thoughts of her. Even with Red John at their door again he couldn't concentrate on his nemesis as solely as he had done once. Before she'd shown him he was capable of loving another person again. And right now he needed to focus on him more than ever if he'd interpreted his 'message' correctly earlier. He'd changed the game so Jane had to be on his top one too if he had any hope of catching him. Maybe coming back into her life had been a colossal mistake after all. Maybe she was in more danger than ever. He took little comfort in believing that Red John would take delight in playing with her some more before he came for her. He suspected tonight was just the beginning of him getting into her head.

A soft rap on the door interrupted his musings and he frowned as he made a disgruntled noise as he hoisted himself off the bed. He checked the peephole and furrowed his brow as he saw Lisbon outside, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

"Lisbon?" he said as he opened the door.

"Hey," she said with a shrug. "Saw your light on."

He squinted his eyes at her for a moment and then nodded for her to enter. "Come in." Closing the door behind her they stood at the foot of his bed.

She played with her hands and looked everywhere in the room but at him. "See you couldn't sleep either," she said finally.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded as he let go of a breath. "Yeah, don't think there's much chance of that tonight somehow."

"Yeah...I-I went for a run," she gestured to the black leggings and T shirt she was wearing, "but I'm still keyed up. Saw your light when I was heading back to my room."

He studied her for a long moment before he nodded. He motioned to the kettle, "Would you like some tea?"

As he moved towards the cups she said quickly, "I keep thinking about Maya Plaskett."

"Oh?" he replied as he placed the cups side by side and checked the electric kettle for water before switching it on.

"Yeah, Red John having cameras in her bedroom."

He nodded as he put teabags into the cups. Facing her from the other side of the room he shook his head. "You shouldn't worry about that. There were no cameras in the room we stayed in. I'd have noticed if there were."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because it seemed to me we only had eyes for each other that weekend."

He smiled as he shoved his hands back in his pockets again as he looked to his toes, rolling on the balls of his feet for a few seconds. "Well I can't deny that."

He took a few steps closer and shook his head. "There were no cameras, Teresa. I'm sure of it," he said with conviction.

Her eyes questioned him before her words did. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better or because it's actually the truth?"

He shrugged as he smiled, "Does it matter if it makes you feel more at ease?"

"Suppose not," she admitted. "Thanks, I guess. I was worried about what he might have...well you know witnessed."

"That's not why you came here though," he said with seriousness once again as he continued to regard her.

She drew her head back, perplexed, "It's not?"

"No."

She waited for him to continue. When he didn't immediately she asked brusquely, "So, you going to tell me why I am here, then?"

He licked his lips and took a breath. "You sure you want me to do that?"

She crinkled her brow. "What?! What are you talking about, Jane?"

"Okay," he sighed. "First, you lied about going for a run. Your clothes are fresh on and your trainers don't bear any traces of the sand that's all around here from the beach. Perhaps you thought you might, dressed for it but you probably only made the parking lot before you turned back. You haven't even broken a sweat. Secondly, you could have called me on the phone to talk to me about your fear of cameras watching while we were in that room alone-"

As she was about to interrupt he added, "-And thirdly, if this is the point you were about to make, you don't pass my room to get to yours. Unless you actually did go for a run and ran up the back stairwell. But we've already established you didn't actually go for a run in the first place."

She seethed at him reading her before looking away briefly. Then she raised her chin to him defiantly. "You still haven't told me why I did come here, genius."

His eyes darkened as they scanned her features. With assurance, "To finish what we started in your office this morning."

Her eyes widened immediately and a chuckle escaped her. "Wh-at?!"

His tone remained the same, almost clinical in its cadence, "I'm not suggesting you consciously came here with that in mind, Lisbon. That you did it with that purpose beforehand. Instead you made up an excuse to yourself to see me again tonight. At the moment you're feeling...adrift. Like you're treading in deep water and have forgotten how to swim. You're searching for the ground beneath your feet-"

She laughed in his face. "Believe me, if I were looking for the ground beneath my feet I certainly wouldn't come to your door to find it."

"Yet you did. I know the feeling only too well I'm afraid. Why do you think I distanced myself from you after a Red John case before we got together? Or during it, come to that. To stop myself doing exactly what you're doing right now. I saw it as soon as I opened the door. And especially coming back to this place...the memories it's stirred up...along with what happened this morning-"

"In case you're forgetting I was the one who stopped what was happening this morning."

"And you were right to do that. Despite our talk back at the Palms there are still a hell of a lot issues between us before we should even consider something like that again. And I know you're not nearly ready to consider it. It's probably made things even more complicated between us because of what we've just experienced. It would be a mistake. I-I lost my head this morning when I kissed you."

He saw the glimmer of disappointment cross her features before he noticed her frown. "If you knew all that...if you thought that was why I was here when you opened the door then..." she bit her lip and took a step closer, "then why did you invite me in?"

The kettle sounded and switched off as they stared at each other. Then, "Jane?"

He blinked twice, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets to stop reaching out for her. "You should go, Lisbon." He shook his head. "Really, you need to go."

"Why?" she asked, her green eyes pinning him to the spot.

"You know why."

"Jane, got some information on that Sac PD officer you asked me to get for you," Van Pelt said as she looked over her shoulder at Jane lying prone on his couch.

"Hmm?" he replied, opening his eyes with a groan. He and Lisbon had returned from their idyllic weekend together two days prior. After engaging in more physical activity than he had in many years his less than nimble body was still feeling some painful after effects.

"Officer McKinney, you mean?" he added but made no attempt to move off the soft leather.

He'd interviewed McKinney just before they'd left for Florida as he'd been at the scene of the Norris poisoning and had suspected he was hiding something about it. The man in his mid forties with thinning ginger hair was certainly twitchy when questioned about his movements that day. He'd been one of the last people Jane had talked to as part of his investigation as he'd been back in his hometown in New York State looking after his elderly mother for the past two months and only recently had come back to California.

Van Pelt continued, "Yeah. His mother's medical care. He checked her into a private hospital with round the clock nursing staff before he arrived back here."

"And from your tone I'm guessing he shouldn't have the money to pay for that."

Van Pelt nodded as she stared at bank records on her screen. "Yeah. No family money to talk of, lives frugally according to his credit card statement, rent on his apartment takes almost half his pay cheque."

Jane pulled himself into a sitting position with a moan as his thighs and back protested. Van Pelt swivelled in her chair. "You okay?" she frowned at him followed by a smirk.

"Fine," he replied, clearing his throat, colouring a little. "So, where did Officer McKinney get the money? Have you been able to track where the nursing care funds originated?"

"Eventually. An offshore account held by McKinney. Day after Norris was murdered $50,000 was lodged into it."

"Hmm, interesting," Jane commented as he tapped his index finger to his lips. "So McKinney was paid off to hide evidence quite obviously. You know who paid him?"

Van Pelt shook her head. "Not yet, still working on it."

"Okay, well in the meantime I think I'll pay Officer McKinney another visit. See if I can get it out of him."

He entered Lisbon's office a few minutes later, her head predictably lowered as she completed paperwork at her desk. "Hey, looks like McKinney's our man."

"Oh?" she replied, raising her head. "Van Pelt find something in his financials?"

"Yes. Going to have another word with him, see how he responds to a little more poking. You want to come with? We could grab a bite on our way back." He added with a smile, "Might even have time for some lunch, too."

Her face flushed and she laughed softly. "I wish I had time for either one of those. Up to my eyes in budget reports. But take someone with you in case you poke him a little too hard."

"I feel like some in depth conversation on the drive so I'll take Cho."

She rolled her eyes at his joke. "All right, let me know how it goes."

He arrived back at the office a couple of hours later, depositing a sandwich onto her desk. "He admitted it," he started as he eased himself into the chair opposite her.

"He did? Just like that?"

He smiled smugly at her, taking a bite of his own sandwich. "Well...it took a little poking but...nothing for you to worry about I assure you."

She regarded him sceptically as she unwrapped her lunch. "If it's all the same to you I'll ask Cho if I have anything to worry about when I see him later. Anyway, did he tell you who paid him off? Grace told me about the offshore account."

"He did. Man by the name of Irvine Miller." He took a swig from his water bottle.

Instead of continuing when he'd finished drinking he took another bite of sandwich. She rolled her eyes at his showmanship. "And who is Irvine Miller?" she glared.

"Ah...well that's where it gets very interesting," he smiled as he swallowed and leaned forward in his chair. "Seems I wasn't the primary target, merely an incidental one."

She heaved a sigh of relief that Red John hadn't somehow orchestrated this entire situation.

He continued, "Irvine Miller is a thoroughly pissed off ex husband of a wife Norris represented and managed to screw out of two million dollars in alimony."

"So he killed the divorce lawyer of his ex wife? Okay, suppose I can see that. But why that way...and why the cover up afterwards?"

"Mr Miller in a previous life before he became a millionaire was a biochemist. He invented some drug for hair loss would you believe and made his fortune, retired young and married a beautiful woman who stood a foot taller than him, ten years younger than him and ten inches slimmer than him."

Lisbon smirked, "So not a match made in heaven, then?"

"Well I don't believe in that concept but...no, wouldn't think so, would you?" he smiled.

"We looked into Norris' associates. And recent ex clients. I should have thought to look into-"

"Hey, you did the best you could at the time. You had a lot on your mind, don't beat yourself up. Besides she was his client three years ago. There was no reason to look into someone that long ago. I'm sure Miller would have thought the same, that too much time had passed for him to be a suspect. But he wanted to cover up any trace at the scene just in case. Seems he and McKinney went to high school together years ago, they met up at a bar by accident just before this happened, each telling the other about their woes and...well a plan was hatched. Miller pays McKinney $50,000 to help with his mother's nursing care-"

"-And McKinney gets rid of any trace evidence that might have been present on the tea box. But why did Miller decide to kill Norris three years after he was divorced?"

"Seems Miller has fallen on hard times. He had enough to pay off McKinney and still has enough in the bank to get by for the rest of his life but his ex cleaned him out. He became depressed and couldn't work, couldn't think. Then his dog died a few months ago-"

"You think that was the trigger?"

He shrugged. "You know what it's like to lose a pet you doted on-"

"Yeah, when I was a kid."

"Well imagine if that's all you had in the world as an adult. Add depression into the mix and-"

"I guess," she sighed. "Seen people kill for less. So...where's Miller?"

Exasperated, "Well that's a problem. He's not at his house. Cho's put a BOLO out on him and his car. Getting a warrant to search his property. I offered to have a look around but...well I should have taken Rigsby with me, Cho wouldn't allow it. Just checked with Van Pelt and she says there's been no activity on his accounts since Norris was murdered. Except for that transaction to McKinney."

Lisbon's blood began to run cold. It was obvious Red John had found Miller somehow and extracted the cure from him before killing him. But if that were the case then why hadn't the body surfaced yet?

She took a step back again and nodded, afraid of where this topic was taking them. Of where it was taking her thoughts. Changing the subject, "I've been thinking about the timing of this."

He took a breath, relieved talk had turned back to the recent murders again. "Yes?"

"From outward appearances it looked like we were getting along better the last week or so. Would you say that's true?"

"Certainly. I thought we were too until you made it clear last night that you didn't share that view on the matter. You never explained why you believe that, by the way."

She waved off that topic with a flick of her hand. "That doesn't matter right now. But someone looking in from the outside might-"

"-Believe we were...rekindling things?"

He narrowed his eyes as he thought through that proposition. In public and in front of the team they had made an effort to appear united and friendly lately. And the night before in the bar he hadn't exactly been subtle about hiding his lustful feelings to anyone looking on. Finally he nodded. "Yes, I can see where it might be interpreted that way. What's your point?"

She licked her lips nervously. "Well...maybe this is his message telling us to put the brakes on. To back off from what he thinks might happen between us again."

He resumed his tea making with a puff of breath. "Well...it's an interesting theory."

"So you think it's wrong," she stated plainly.

He smiled at her as she pouted. "I didn't say that. But I doubt he'd be so subtle. But you may be on the right track. He certainly doesn't want to see us back together in any romantic sense whatsoever. He's been there, done that, so to speak. Perhaps his aim is a simple one. Separate us-"

"He did that before."

"Yes. And then I came back. There were no Red John murders while I was away, Lisbon. And none while we were...well I was...being openly hostile towards you when I got back."

She rubbed her hand across her forehead as a headache formed. "So...what's the solution? You go away again? Start laying into me in front of the team again?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps. If it stops him killing again-"

"Jane, he's a serial killer, he's not going to stop. You know that."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, handing her a cup of tea.

"What if we did the opposite?"

He furrowed his brow. "How do you mean?"

"Well I don't know about you but I'm sick and tired of him making the rules of this 'game' where all we seem to do is follow them and wait for his next move. I say we don't anymore. I say let him bring it."

He shifted nervously on the balls of his feet. "Lisbon, while I certainly admire your pluck-"

"I'm not afraid of him, Jane. But what I am afraid of is turning into another person. Someone weak. Someone who is afraid like I was earlier when I saw those bodies. I'm not going to let whatever his intentions are fester in my head. I did that the whole time we were together. Kept thinking about what his next move was. Or if he was going to make one at all. God knows how you've coped with that all these years. I'm done worrying about what he wants. I say we turn the tables on him. Do something he doesn't expect or want us to do."

While he was fearful of what she wanted to do he was also intrigued. "What are you suggesting?"

She began to pace around the room. "When I talked to Wainwright earlier about...well about us being together he...well naturally he wasn't happy he was kept in the dark-"

"Understandable I suppose but it was really none of business."

"Well...while he wasn't happy he remarked that he didn't see any difference in our results."

"If anything closure rates probably increased as I...well...didn't want you to spend every night at the office."

She blushed slightly as she nodded, conceding his point.

Suddenly he realised where she was going with this. "Teresa, if you're suggesting what I think you are then...it's extremely dangerous. You want to bait him like that?"

She marched up to him. "Yes. I want us to get back together."

A/N: Has Lisbon lost her mind? Does she just mean for show? How will RJ react if Jane agrees? All to come...