Chapter 43 - Preamble

He woke to soft snores beside him as daylight filtered through the slatted blinds in Lisbon's bedroom. Her comforting presence next to him made him smile as he turned to face her. She was lying on her back, waves of chestnut lapping over a bared shoulder as she slept. He watched her silently, her hair delightfully tossed from sleep, the scent of cinnamon lingering on her skin enticing him to taste it. He moved closer and the fragrance washed over him anew. Gently he moved her tresses from her shoulder and dropped a small kiss to it. She moved slightly as a small moan was released at the interruption to her slumber. He continued, lips barely touching her exposed skin as he kissed his way to the bottom of her neck. When she exhaled satisfyingly he draped an arm across her waist and bit gently on her earlobe.

"Good morning," he whispered into her ear, before slowly kissing the sensitive spot behind it.

She moved a hand to his bicep and squeezed it tenderly. Sleepily, "Morning, what time is it?"

"Early," he responded as his hand travelled towards her navel and lingered it there. "You were asleep before your head hit the pillow last night," he added as he pecked her cheek.

"Mhmm, tired I guess," she breathed with eyes still closed as she moved her other hand to the back of his neck and teased the curls there. "Did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in over a year." He kissed her, enticing her to open her mouth as he deepened it. Smiling, "You even allowed me to have half the bed to myself."

As he went to kiss her again she mumbled into his mouth, "Well don't get used to it," before kissing him back.

He chuckled as he withdrew the bed covers and kissed her chin, then the column of her neck. She moaned softly as her fingers caught in his curls again.

As he dropped kisses to her collarbone he asked, "Just one question. Did you mean for me not to get used to having a half a bed to myself or not to get used to being in yours again?"

When she didn't reply he brought his face up beside hers and scraped some hair from her forehead. She opened her eyes and blinked as he waited on a response as he hovered above her.

She bit her bottom lip gently and stared at him. "I like having you in my bed," she said with slight hesitation.

It was not exactly a heartfelt declaration of love and devotion but it was good enough for him at the moment for him to grin in response. He pecked her lips. "Good, because I like being in it."

As they kissed again he began to glide his hand towards her rear until a cell phone to the right of him sounded. He sighed exasperatedly. "That's mine."

She giggled, "Then you better get it."

Another loud sigh and he toppled back to his own side of the bed and picked up his phone from the nightstand. He frowned and answered it. "Hello?"

A second later his face erupted into a smile and he glanced across at her and winked. He said into the phone, "Bret Stiles, how nice to hear from you. It's about time."

As he talked with Stiles, Lisbon slid out of the bed and padded downstairs to the kitchen to make coffee and tea for them. Whatever arrangements were being made she'd hear about soon enough. She smiled as she began to put the coffee into the filter, once upon a time she'd have been sure he'd keep something from her about a meeting such as this and before that he may not have told her about it at all. Her heart warmed at the progress they'd made together again in just a short couple of weeks as the water began to run through the machine. She filled the kettle while she was waiting. Her smile widened that this time there were no secrets between them and being with each other felt cleaner and clearer. Him being in her bed once again was beginning to feel incredibly right.

"You look like you're deep in thought," his voice said behind her with a hint of amusement and she jumped at being startled out of her thoughts.

"What did Stiles have to say for himself?" she asked as she took two mugs from a rack in the kitchen instead of responding to his assertion.

He came up behind her and kissed the side of her head while a knowing chuckle escaped his lips before he fetched the milk.

She rolled her eyes as he turned his back on her. Damn that man to catch her on when she's all gooey eyed over him!

"We're meeting at noon," Jane said, humour dropped from his voice as he turned back to her. "Kind of apt, wouldn't you say?" he shrugged.

"High noon, yeah sounds great," she said with an eye roll. "Nothing bad ever happens at that time of day."

"We're not in a Western, Lisbon," he smiled. "Though I can pull off a cowboy hat if you ever want to get me some jeans and leather chaps."

While that image flitted through her mind and made her pulse race quite unexpectedly, she kept her expression neutral. "Jane, this is serious. What did he say?"

He shrugged as he reached for the boiled kettle. "Not much. I just told him we needed to meet. He asked me to go to Visualize to see him-"

"You're not going to that place without me and some back up!" she bit back.

"Relax, woman," he drawled as he poured tea for himself. "While I doubt anything untoward would happen to me at Visualize I don't want to give him the advantage of home turf. We're meeting in a public park. Plenty of bystanders nearby." He tilted his head to the side. "Plus I might even get to feed the ducks."

"Jane," she said firmly, getting irritated by his lackadaisical approach even though she knew it was a front to make her worry less and more than likely to take some pressure off himself too. He took two steps until he faced her. "It's going to be okay," he said softly as he put his hands on her hips and kissed her quickly. "I promise, all right?"

"I'm coming with you," she said.

He sighed, retreated so his back was to the counter again and he was out of immediate punching range. "It's better I go alone, Lisbon. He'll talk more openly if it's just me and him."

"We're in this together, aren't we?" she pouted.

"Of course we are but...but...well Stiles is enough of a challenge-"

"Oh, so me being there will distract you, is that what you're saying?" she replied, wide eyed. "You're the one who gets flustered when you talk to him, Patrick. Not me."

He raised his eyebrows, more surprised at her using his first name than her reading of his interactions with Stiles. "Teresa," he said pointedly, "I do not get flustered when I talk to him. Perhaps when I first spoke to him he...unsettled me as he surprised me with how much he knew about me. But I know the man now. We have a certain...repartee and frankly, my dear, you'd get in the way of that."

He breathed out, preparing himself for a Lisbon ear bashing in response. As he saw her breathe in to no doubt explode in fury back her cell phone sounded and he breathed a sigh of relief at the interruption. She glared at him and snatched it off the counter.

"Stan?" she frowned. "Is everything all right?" The panic in her voice was clear and Jane arrived at her side immediately, throwing her a concerned look.

She spoke evenly, and if Jane were on the other end of the line he'd have had no idea of the frantic beating of her heart he could feel beside him. "When was this? Okay...no, for god's sake don't do that. No Stan!" She softened her tone. "She's okay though, right? Yeah, just keep her and the rest of the kids out of school for the time being and I'll come to you. I'll catch the first flight. I'm...I'm so sorry about this mess. Okay...okay, bye."

As she hung up her hand was shaking slightly and Jane took the phone off her. "What happened?"

Their argument over Stiles temporarily forgotten she said, "Annie, Stan's eldest. Karen was clearing out her school bag this morning...just in case there were notes from the teacher she'd forgotten to give her and...and she found a white sheet of paper with Red John's mark on it inside."

As Jane nodded she continued, her voice becoming increasingly panicked, "Jane, Karen clears out that bag every morning. Someone put that in there yesterday." Tears pricked at her eyes. "It's a message, right? That he can get to them. Jane, she's just a little girl...how could he-"

She stopped and closed her eyes, realising what she'd just said. "Oh god, sorry...I'm sorry." She took a ragged breath.

"It's okay," he said, taking her into his arms. "It's okay." He pulled back a little and brought her face to his again. Calmly, "Now, what was that you said about going to Chicago?"

She blinked and stammered, "I...well I have to go-"

"Why?"

"Why!?" she exclaimed. "Why do you think?"

"Lisbon, I understand that you want to be with your family right now but it's not a good idea."

"How can you say that!?"

He moved her to sit at the table in the kitchen and sat down opposite her. "Because you being there won't help them. It'll put even larger targets on their heads. This is what he wants. To separate us-"

"So do you. You're the one who wants to go meet Stiles by yourself."

He rolled his eyes at the stubborn woman in front of him. It was both one of the things he adored about her and his biggest annoyance. "That's different."

"Because it's you?"

He closed his eyes briefly. "Let's talk about your family first. You think that paper being stuffed into her school bag was a message. I agree, but not in the way you think. I'm guessing she leaves that bag at least one or two times a day...either to go swimming...or to gym class or whatever..."

"I guess..." she frowned.

"Then if anything it's a message that they can't get to her because Mashburn's people are there, too close to her for any of Red John's people to take her. Lisbon, they're safer if you're nowhere near them. If you were...well if you were then his people may risk a couple of lives to get to you." He breathed out and looked into her eyes. "And believe me you don't want those lives to be members of your family if they're caught in the middle."

She released a long breath and leaned back against the chair. "Stan wanted to come here and search for the son of a bitch himself," she said as she shook her head and closed her eyes.

Jane chuckled. "Then this really would be a Western. Groups of vigilantes running amok all over California."

She laughed despite the fear she felt. She straightened up again and pinned him with a gaze. "You really think it's better for them if I stay here?"

He nodded, hoping he'd never regret his next response or he'd never forgive himself. "I do."

She thought for a few moments then nodded. "Okay, I'll call him back. I'll call Walter too, see if he can spare a few more people to send to Chicago, just in case."

"I doubt that'll be a problem," he smiled as he took her hand and rubbed his fingers over her knuckles.

"We'll really owe him when this is all over," she said.

He kissed her lips softly. "We'll pay him back somehow. As long as he doesn't expect that type of payment in kind he can have what he wants and I'll help him get it."

"What about Stiles?" he asked cautiously. "You worried I won't tell you everything that's said afterwards?"

"No," she said quickly. She squeezed his hand, "I know you will."

He smiled softly at her as a warm feeling wrapped itself around him at her words. She didn't trust him entirely yet but she was getting there.

She continued, "I'm just worried about you going there alone. Jane, he could be Red John."

"I know that. Even if he is he won't do anything to me today." She saw something in his eyes, worry for her in case he realised Stiles was Red John at this meeting and wanting to keep her away from that. More worry that Stiles would realise it too and make a move of some kind against them or die trying. He took a breath, "Look, if you really think it's that important that you go-"

"No," she said, shaking her head. Now she'd had more time to think about it she decided he was right. He'd need all his mentalist skills for this conversation as it was and if she was there and he was worried about her in any capacity then she couldn't interfere. And if Jane did figure out Stiles was Red John he'd be able to cover it up on his face much more convincingly if he was alone. "You were right. He'll talk more freely to you. Just make sure you get something out of him. I can't have my family or the rest of us putting our lives on hold indefinitely. We need this to be over soon."

"Couldn't agree more," he said as he stood up. "What are your plans then? Because, call me overprotective, but I want you with Cho or one of the others while I go meet with Stiles."

"We'll check in with Grace at the Hospital then I'll either hang around there or go into the CBI. And before you say it, I'll make sure I have my protection detail with me. You take Cho as back up for Stiles. And that's non negotiable."

He smirked and kissed her temple, "Yes, boss."

Van Pelt was dosed up on strong painkillers after a fitful night's sleep and was coming in and out of consciousness for only minutes at a time. She had no recollection of the attack and her speech and co-ordination were still affected by the brain injury. Doctors were moderately hopeful that her speech would return fully, perhaps even within hours, but that intensive physical therapy would be needed for the left side of her body to function as it once did. She could squeeze Rigsby's hand with some effort but was incapable of getting out of bed or walking on her own currently.

As pastries were distributed between the agents at the hospital and her team, Lisbon's heart sank at the news. While Grace was lucky to be alive at all, the euphoria she felt the night before subsided quickly with both this new development and the news from Chicago.

Rigsby was coping considerably better, filled with hope and plans for Grace's recuperation. He'd already requested time off to be with her at her parents' ranch where the best medical care would be provided until she was literally back on her feet again. Lisbon agreed readily, not that she even had to be asked she assured him, but she got the feeling Rigsby and Van Pelt would never grace the doors of the CBI again. If there was a CBI left at all once the FBI were informed about Blake. The tall agent had aged significantly in the past few days and, while the fight was still in him to make Red John pay, she couldn't picture him having the same interest in catching other criminals. After being caught up on Blake he had just nodded and shrugged, his heart and mind only focused on the woman in the hospital room a few feet away.

"You okay?" Jane said at Lisbon's side as they sat in the waiting room while Cho took Rigsby to get some coffee as the doctors checked on Van Pelt.

"I knew it was too good to be true last night," she sighed as she looked down.

He took her hand and pulled on it to make him look at her. "Lisbon, she's alive. She will improve. She's strong and she will get better."

She blinked tears away as she saw the regret in his eyes that his wife and daughter hadn't been so lucky. That he would have given anything to be in Rigsby's position at that time. "You're right," she said, taking a breath. "Sorry."

He glanced around quickly and though there were a few other agents around he kissed her softly, slightly surprised she let him. "I love you and we'll get through this," he whispered in her ear.

Her breath caught and she nodded as a tear trickled down her cheek. Still the words back to him got stuck in her throat and she frowned as to why that was. There was no point denying she was in love with him so why couldn't she say it to him again? He smiled with a raised eyebrow and said, "I should go meet Stiles. I'll grab Cho on the way out."

As he stood up she hugged him briefly. "I'm going to stay here. I'd like to talk to her when she's conscious again."

"Good," he said. "Stay here and I'll come right back afterwards."

"Make sure you do," she ordered him, taking a hold of herself in the process.

For the second time that day he replied, "Yes, boss."

Jane took up residence at a park bench with a view of a duck pond and waited for Stiles. Cho was sitting a few feet away on a bench of his own, on his normal stakeout attire of a T shirt, jeans and baseball cap. Not that it was necessary. Stiles knew him and he was too clever to imagine Jane meeting him without some back up.

Things were changing, he said to himself as he watched some ducklings follow their mother on the still pond before him. He'd picked up on Rigsby's ambivalence about his career and imagined him, along with Van Pelt, leaving the CBI to start a new life away from Sacramento. He could hardly blame them for wanting more from their lives than living in constant danger and working seventy hour weeks. He'd begun to feel much the same himself if he could only make Red John disappear from his and Lisbon's lives. The younger agents would want to start a family and a safer and less time consuming environment to raise children.

He'd saw it in Lisbon's face too when she recognised the same thing. The team that she had nurtured for so long was breaking apart and it would impact her far more than she would ever say. And Blake...well that was something altogether more terrifying and not something he even wanted to think about taking on. Lisbon, on the other hand...

"Patrick, how nice to see you again, dear boy," Bret Stiles said with a smile as his shadow was cast over Jane.

"Bret, please do take a seat," Jane said with a lazy smile in return and putting all other thoughts to the back of his mind.

Stiles sat down and sighed happily as he put his back to the bench and patted down the white pants of the suit he wore. "Beautiful day," he remarked as he gazed around.

"Certainly is," Jane agreed at his side.

"Is that Agent Cho I spy?" Stiles said as he glanced to his left.

"He likes coming to the park of a lunchtime."

Stiles chuckled briefly before turning towards Jane. Solemnly, "Terrible news about Grace. Tell me, how is she?"

Jane shifted on the bench to face him. "She'll recover," he said evenly.

Stiles nodded slowly. "I'm pleased to hear it. She is a beautiful girl. Even if she does have questionable taste in men like her current paramour." He made an appearance to look around him again. "No Agent Lisbon with you? From what I hear you two have been joined at the hip since you've returned from your sabbatical. I even heard romance has blossomed between you both."

Jane smiled faintly. "She was busy but I'll tell her you were asking for her. I'm sure you'll see her soon enough when she arrests you."

Stiles laughed. "Arrest me? For what this man Forster supposedly said about me?"

"You've heard about that, have you?" Jane smirked.

"As you no doubt intended I would."

"Warrants take a little time to prepare," Jane shrugged. "Paperwork, the blessing of bureaucracy. How'd you hear about it?"

"You know many people in my organisation work in law enforcement, Patrick. It pays to keep one's ear to the ground when your name is being bandied about in such a fashion."

"Like Forster?" Jane smiled.

Stiles chuckled. "You know I've never met that man, Patrick. And that he has no intention of testifying against me. And I know that you're using this statement of his," Stiles waved his hand around dismissively, "to merely blackmail me into meeting with you. So...now that we have that cleared up what do you really want to talk to me about?"

"I'm sure you know," Jane said with a steely gaze.

"Ah, Red John, of course!" Stiles replied with a loud sigh. "I thought you'd given up that particular crusade a year ago."

"You're remarkably well informed. Care to share your source?"

"Care to tell me where this Forster is so I can question him myself?" Stiles said with thinly veiled hostility. "Though he is not to blame for my current predicament. That, I am sure, is all down to you, my boy."

Jane shrugged nonchalantly. It hadn't even been his idea but there was no point bringing Lisbon's name into this.

"Red John," Jane said with upmost seriousness. "I know that you know him. And you'll tell me who he is. Now."

Stiles drew his head back and widened his eyes. "Oh? I shall, shall I?" he smirked. "Or what?"

Jane ignored the reply and said to him, "Unless he's you. Tell me Bret, are you Red John?" He leaned in and studied him furiously, every micro expression, every miniscule movement.

"I am not," Stiles replied.

A beat passed as Jane assessed his response. He was difficult but not wholly impossible to read. As well as the outright denial, Jane noticed a flicker of something else in his eyes. Anger. Not at the question, though there was a hint of annoyance at that too. What interested him more was the anger was at something much more deep-seated. And mixed in with that there was animosity and outrage.

"I believe you," Jane said, leaning back again but still staring into the other man's eyes.

"Then you can stop all this Forster nonsense-"

"No," Jane commented, "I meant I believe you're not Red John. But you do know him. I've always suspected as much but now I know for certain. Well...more certain than I already was."

Stiles shrugged, "Well, if there's nothing else, Patrick, I better talk to my lawyers-" he began as he went to get off the bench.

"Sit back down," Jane commanded him with a dark look. "We have more to discuss. Like the letter you wrote to Henry Jacobs."

Stiles, half on his feet, looked at Jane and saw the intensity in his expression. Frowning, he sighed and sat back down again. "And who exactly is Henry Jacobs?" he said with another sigh.

"You tell me. Not his real name but he's implicated in another murder. And the person who committed it was this Henry Jacobs. It's another alias of Red John."

Stiles frowned. "I have no idea who you're talking about, Patrick. And frankly, these questions about Red John are becoming quite tiresome."

Jane withdrew the letter he'd found at Jacobs' house from his jacket and handed it to Stiles. Stiles furrowed his brow before fetching his glasses from his front jacket pocket and read it. "I've never seen this before in my life. It's my stationery and...well the handwriting is quite a good match but it's not mine, I'm afraid."

"Then he was setting you up," Jane said as he took the letter back. "Red John left this in a house he knew we'd search and knew it would lead us to you."

Stiles, his interest piqued now, narrowed his eyes at Jane. "Am I to believe this is not another fabrication?" he asked with tight lips.

"It's not. At least, not by me," Jane said, allowing the other man to see his honesty.

Stiles exhaled loudly and made an annoyed clicking sound with his tongue as he came to terms with that revelation. Jane added, "He's coming after you. For what I don't know. This is only the start-"

"And you're helping him with that Forster nonsense," Stiles bit back.

"Then tell me who he is and I'll stop him," Jane said, leaning forward.

"I wish I could, dear boy," Stiles said with a sigh.

"You two used to be close – friends even. Am I right?"

As Stiles looked in his direction Jane spoke again before he did. He talked quickly and with conviction. "Yes, I am. You had...some kind of falling out. Over what I don't know. You went your separate ways afterwards. What I fail to understand is why you won't give me his name. Why won't you? Is it out of some respect for old ties?"

"Certainly not," Stiles snapped. "You think if I could have I would not have rid the world of that wretched man myself by now? I am many things, Patrick, but a child killer is not one of them."

Jane frowned then nodded. "He has something on you. That's why you won't tell me. It'll never see the light of day if you tell me who he is. I know now you didn't murder my wife and child. Whatever else you've done is not my battle to fight. I just want him."

"You think a man such as Red John would not have an insurance policy against me already in place in the event of his death?"

"Tell me who he is and I'll find it and give it back to you before I touch him." Jane took a breath. "You have my word."

Stiles regarded him for a long moment as Jane looked beseechingly into his eyes. Eventually the white haired man shook his head. "I'm sorry, Patrick. While I believe you'd do everything in your power to keep your word it's not worth the risk to me if you're unable to. And, while the leverage you have on me with Forster is convincing at first sight, it's not enough for me to give you Red John."

Jane's lips parted in disbelief as Stiles stood up. "I'm sorry, Patrick. I hope one day you'll find your man. But not with my help, I'm afraid."

As he walked into the distance Cho immediately walked over to Jane. "How'd it go? Not well judging by your expression."

Jane watched Stiles' retreating figure. He took a calming breath. "Not as well as it could have but worthwhile. We just need some more leverage against him and Stiles will sing like a bird." A smile crept up on his lips. "And I've just had an idea on how to get that."

A/N: Just fyi the letter mentioned was talked about in chapter 32 in case you'd forgotten about it.