Chapter 6 - Fighting & Faking

"So, we're all clear?" Jane asked seriously. "You know what you have to do?"

Lisbon's eyes went to his fingers as they moved furiously. She smiled, unable to concentrate fully on his words as his digits moved rapidly in front of her.

"Teresa," he said louder.

She looked at his face and nodded. "Yes, I was listening. I know what I have to do. Just react to what you say, act as if you mean it. Play along, it's hardly rocket science, Jane."

Then she grinned, watching him again.

"Have you never seen a man sew before?" he asked, some exasperation in his voice, as he threaded a needle through a button.

He sat at the table after finishing his eggs (they were a little dry but he wisely held his tongue on the matter) as she sat opposite him, dressed again in her jeans and bra. He continued to sew the buttons back on her blouse. As he had been the one to blame for their removal due to his impatience it was only fair he fixed the damage he'd told her. "That's extremely sexist, you realise," he continued, a smile now on his lips.

He cut the thread with his teeth and admired his handiwork. "Not bad, even if I do say so myself."

She kissed him as she took her blouse back. "You're a regular Elizabeth Keckley."

He laughed, kissing her back. "Spent many a night sewing clothes growing up, couldn't exactly afford new ones too often."

"Well I know where to come next time I need some pants adjusted."

"And with your height that probably happens quite often," he grinned.

She whacked him playfully on the arm and he kissed her hand in response. He took a deep breath. "Okay. Time for you to get your Oscar, Lisbon."

As she buttoned her blouse up he observed her obviously, his eyes glinting until she covered her body in front of him. It was strangely erotic to watch Lisbon reverse striptease for him.

"Ready?" he asked as they stood at the door a few moments later.

Now she was in the moment her eyes flicked back and forth nervously. "Yeah," she said nonetheless.

He bent down to look in her eyes. "Look he's already hooked. He'll believe what he wants to believe. See what he wants to see. So don't worry about going over the top. And just remember that whatever I say I don't mean it."

"I know. You already said. It's fine. Neither will I."

He tilted his head. "Well I'm sure there are a few things that you'd like to get off your chest after all these years, feel free to have at it."

She rolled her eyes in response. "Think I did enough of that when I got here yesterday."

"And remember-"

"Jane, can we get on with this? I know the plan. When I get back to Sacramento I buy a burner phone. I text you an innocuous message to your cell so you have my number-"

"Remember not to identify you or me in the text. Make it look like someone has sent a text to the wrong person just in case-"

"Jesus! I know that. You've told me twenty times!"

He grinned. "Good. You're effectively riled up enough. Let's do this."

She gaped at his actions to get her angry in advance of their fake fight as he opened the door a notch. Before he swung it open he kissed her quickly and said softly, "Good luck Teresa, love you."

He flew out the door before she could respond and began shouting. "Get the hell out, Lisbon! I never asked you to bail me out! I'm not coming back to Sacramento with you for the tenth time!"

She stood for a second, unable to move both by his out of the blue declaration and sudden apparent change in his temperament. Jane's eyes bored into hers, begging her to get started. Work with me, Lisbon, they were saying. After a second she stormed out. "You lousy son of a bitch! Where would you have been without my help all these years!"

"Your help! You'd be no more than a pencil pusher if I hadn't solved every case for you!"

"You egotistical jerk! And where would you be, huh? Either dead or in a Mental Hospital!"

He invaded her space and growled. "Go home Lisbon. I would say I'd pay you back for bailing me out but that debt is clear as far I'm concerned." He began to march towards his car, their argument now attracting attention from the other residents of the Motel.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" she yelled, taking the stairs along with him.

He stopped at the bottom beside his car. "You got what you came here for, didn't you? What you wanted since the first day you saw me. So, bravo, well done for seducing me when I was too drunk and messed up to fight you off." He looked at her disdainfully. "Hope it was worth it for you."

She squared up to him. "I don't know. It was over so quick I can't much remember anything about it."

He smiled inwardly as she got into her part but his expression stayed cold. "Wish I could forget about it. Frankly I was expecting a little more action myself after so many years going without. But I guess those Catholic schools don't teach you much in that respect, do they? No wonder you can't hold on to a man for any length of time if that's all you've got to offer, sweetheart."

With that remark Lisbon landed a right hook to his nose, off balancing him immediately and he fell backwards onto his car, rubbing his nose that was bleeding profusely. He saw her react for a moment, panic that she'd inflicted more damage than she was supposed to. He winked quickly at her, settling her fear. Derisively she finished, "Good luck trying to get out the mess you've gotten yourself into without my help. We're done, Jane. Enjoy prison."

She turned around and got into her car, its brakes screeching as it left the parking lot.

On the way back to her condo she acquired a burner phone and sent a text to Jane's cell. "Elizabeth, hope you had a nice birthday. Talk to you soon. Tyson."

Jane's lips twitched as he received the call an hour after she left, memorising her burner cell number. He tested his nose again. She'd landed a punch worthy of the boxing champion, certainly. And he had a feeling she would begin calling him Lizzie if they ever got through this.

He puffed out a breath as he lay on his bed, the smell of her scent still on the sheets, calming him and exciting him in equal measure. He checked his watch. Lorelei's shift began in an hour. He'd wait three before going there, not wanting to appear desperate to run into her. He'd gone out and acquired a bottle of scotch after Lisbon had left, to maintain the appearance of a drunk, acting intoxicated as he made his way back to his room. Now when he looked at the still full bottle in front of him he rolled his eyes, never wanting to see another one again. As he turned on his side and smelt Lisbon on his bed he drifted off to sleep, torrid fantasies filling his dreams instead of smiley faced nightmares.

After showering Lisbon was too keyed up to sleep as she waited on Jane's call and update on what had occurred with Lorelei so she headed to the CBI. She'd left her team during a case which she'd never done before and felt guilty about them having to take up the slack. Wainwright must have suspected her motives when she asked for some personal time as he had no doubt heard about Jane's arrest in Vegas. He seemed happy for her to go so it seemed he'd gotten over his spat with Jane six months prior. Closure rates being what they were it probably wouldn't take much for him to offer him a job again. She rolled her eyes as she exited the elevator. Of course, all she and Jane had to do in the meantime was trap Red John and not get themselves killed at the same time. No big deal, right, she thought sarcastically.

When she reached the bullpen Van Pelt was still there. "Grace, what are you doing here at this hour?"

Van Pelt looked at her watch. "Oh hey boss, you're back. Just finishing up some paperwork." The redhead glanced at Lisbon a little too long and licked her lips nervously. "How is he?" she asked quietly.

Lisbon hadn't thought much about lying to her team. But she also knew she couldn't involve them in anything until she knew what was happening herself. "Um...Jane, you mean?" she replied, stalling for time.

"That's where you were, right?"

Lisbon sat on Jane's couch opposite her. "Yeah," she sighed. "It...It didn't go well. He doesn't want to come back."

"Maybe if we all went there, you know together, tried to rally him-"

"No, Van Pelt. Just...just leave him be. I should have taken my own advice when I heard the news. He'll reach out when he's ready." She softened her expression as the younger agent looked visibly worried about his state of mind. "Try not to worry about him, okay?"

It was only as she spoke the words she realised she was telling herself the same thing.

Jane shuffled into the casino where Lorelei worked. He ordered a scotch and waited for her to approach. After ordering two more drinks (both of which he'd surreptitiously emptied into the almost glasses of patrons who had sat beside him and left) she came to sit beside him. "Patrick! How are you? I didn't think I'd see you around here again."

He smiled and frowned at her. "Laurie, right?"

"Lorelei," she corrected. "You don't remember meeting me the other evening?"

"No...No I do...Sorry. Head's a little fuzzy."

She placed a hand to his face. "That looks painful." She drew her fingers softly over his black eye.

"It's fine," he assured her. "You got time for a drink?" he said, moving his face back to the bar.

She smiled serenely. "Sure. You celebrating something?"

He laughed softly. "You could say that." He paused and ordered two shots from the barman. He turned in his seat and tipped his glass to her. "A new life," he smiled, downing the shot.

He watched her pause briefly, her mask slipping temporarily at his words before she drank the measure. That split second quashed any lingering doubt he'd been incorrect in his reading of her. She was Red John's girl and his heart skipped a beat. "A new life? Well, that sounds interesting. Tell me more."

He talked to her matter-of-factly. "Time for me to get out of Vegas. As you could see the other night I've made a few enemies here. Time to move on."

"But...where will you go?"

He almost laughed at her clumsy attempt to gain more information to report to her master.

"Don't know yet," he shrugged. "Mexico most probably. Due to my antics here I'm in some trouble. Got myself arrested the other night. Some pretty significant charges pending against me. I need to get out of town before the hearing."

"If that's the case how come you're not in prison? I'm surprised you were able to make bail."

She was getting him to talk about his night with Lisbon. Obviously Red John wanted confirmation from the horse's mouth about their tryst and subsequent bust up.

He sighed loudly. "Someone who should have known better bailed me out." He laughed afterwards. "She's just lost a lot of money trying to be a Good Samaritan."

"Well, she sounds like a good friend if you ask me, helping you that way."

"Hmm." He took a large sip of his scotch for effect. He didn't want to elaborate on what Red John had already surmised and this girl was not about to extract any lurid details, true or fabricated, from him about his night with Lisbon. "Let's just say I've well and truly burnt my bridges with her and leave it at that."

"Well, I'm sure if you apologise for whatever you've done-"

He looked her directly in the eyes. "She's better off without me. She's finally realised I'm not able to be fixed." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Finally."

Lorelei tried another tack. "How will you get to Mexico? Do you have money, friends there?"

"Nope," he grinned. He laughed heartily. "Haven't got a friend in the world. Not anymore. It's quite liberating, actually. The practicalities of getting there...well you're right about that. But I'll figure something out I suppose. I always do."

She placed a hand on his and he frowned at her touch. "I might know someone who can help you," she said quietly.

He widened his eyes in surprise. "You know someone who can get me over the border?"

She grinned, biting her bottom lip. "Better than that. I know someone who can get you set up someplace new, find you a job if you want one, money-"

"Hang on. This sounds like one of my old schemes. And if you're looking for me to give you any money upfront then I'm afraid you're out of luck."

"It's not a scheme. I promise. Hand on heart." She crossed her fingers in a X over her heart.

He pulled back from her and narrowed his eyes. "So...this friend of yours...he'll do this out of the goodness of his heart. He doesn't want anything in return?"

"Nothing of monetary value but I'd need to ask him."

Jane chuckled. "Okay, ask away. But I don't have much time."

"Before you get excited there's something you should know first, Patrick. Now, please hear me out."

Jane looked at her suspiciously. "Okay."

"My friend...it's...it's Red John."

He blinked rapidly at her, feigning shock and disgust. He drained his glass and got up to leave. She was after him a second later. "Patrick, you said you'd hear me out."

He snarled, "I've given up. He knows that. And now...now he wants to draw me back into one of his sick games-"

"It's not that at all. I promise you. Patrick, after all these years he sees you as a comrade in arms, not an enemy. He wants to help you. Give you your new start. Offer the hand of friendship."

Jane scoffed. "He's crazy if he thinks I'd be his friend after what he did."

"So what are you going to do instead? Reach out to your friends in CBI? You've just admitted you've burnt your bridges with them. You need a new life. Let him help you."

"It...It wouldn't be right," he said quietly.

"What did you tell me the other night? There's no wrong and right. Just stuff that happens."

He studied her expression. "So, he'll just help me, just like that after all these years?"

"Well, he'll want to meet you first. Make sure you're on the level."

"And how will he decide that?"

"He'll most likely require a gift, something like that. You've sprung leaving Vegas on me tonight so I'll need to discuss it with him, see what would be a suitable present to show your appreciation."

"I...I don't know."

"Look, I'll go make a few calls. Meet me back here in an hour and I'll have the terms for you."

He nodded, sighing. "Don't suppose I have any other choice," he replied, despondently.

When she was out of sight he grinned widely.

He didn't know it but the sense of satisfaction he felt in this instant of getting the closest he ever had to Red John would quickly disappear and turn into unadulterated terror when she returned with his directive. And worst of all, he would have no choice but to accept and play along.

A/N: Okay, a little cliffhanger before we get to the end! But I'm sure you can guess who's at the centre of RJ' s terms of friendship...