Ending Two

A/N: I am so sorry for the long, long wait. School is really getting to me. I had a Chemistry and French test last week, I know I probably failed the Chemistry one because I was the only one in my class who knew nothing about the stupid test since I was absent for the last class, but on the bright side (if there is one) I know I did wonderfully on the French one. Well this is the final installment for Taken which makes me really sad, but I have a new story that I'm going to get typed up and posted along with this one. I really hope you check it out and I'd love to know your views on it. Thanks. Love you all so much for the encouragement. I'll miss you all. One other thing, a lot of this chapter is re-written from the last chapter just to build on the angst. Hope you don't mind. Thanks also to Katrina. Thanks for your review, it made me smile! I'll be glad to email the link to you, but I'll need your email address. On with the story.

Disclaimer: Even for the last chapter? Oh well, need I say it?

It wasn't long before Jane pulled up at said gas station which Red John had instructed him to. Pulling to a halt, Jane exited his vehicle and approached the mini mart at the gas station. He carefully surveyed his surroundings for any signs of Teresa or Red John.

"Good afternoon," he said to the clerk behind the counter. The man, about fifty-six and a tad over-weight, nodded at him, never removing his attention from the register. Jane cleared his throat, "Have you seen a man and a woman come in here?" The clerk knitted his brows together with a quizzical look on his face. Jane sighed heavily, "She's short height, dark, short hair. Was she with this guy?" He flashed the man his picture of Red John and waited impatiently as he analyzed the pic and information Jane gave him. After what seemed like a millennium, the man finally nodded gradually. "Where did they go?" He hoped he hadn't missed them again, or that it wasn't another one of Red John's mind games. "'Round back." He jerked his head in the direction behind the gas station. Jane thanked him and dashed off around the other side of the building.

He stopped in his steps when he spotted Teresa a few feet away from him. Relief flooded through him before his eyes came to rest on Red John. He had a knife to her throat, holding her back. "Ah, ah, ah," Red John said in a sing-song voice as Jane had taken a prompt step forward. His fists clenched at his sides and he gritted his teeth together. Red John wore that smirk of his as he drew the blade closer to her neck. Teresa pulled back inwardly. She was rendered completely helpless. Her hands were bounded together in front of her and there were several visible bruises across her face and arm. "Let her go Red John or should I say Jake McKenzie, she's not part of this. It's me you want; not her. Just let her go." Jake's smirk widened even more, "I was wondering how long it would take you incompetent fools to figure out who and what I was, and oh, but she is a part of this, you see. Beautiful little thing, isn't she?" He bent his head down and placed a light kiss behind her ear. She shuddered in response as his cool, rough lips came into contact with her flesh. He smiled, observing Jane's reaction through his peripheral vision. Watching anger and abhorrence overcome his facial features brought content coursing through his body. "Don't touch her!" Jane growled in a voice that Teresa had never heard from him before. "Oh come on, Mr. Jane. Lighten up." Jane growled again and Red John emitted a loud laugh. Teresa cringed in his arms. "Relax. Remember our deal. It's you or her."

"Her," he said firmly. Red John smiled, "I was hoping for that answer, although you do know after I kill you, I'll kill her too. Or I'll leave you alive to watch her slowly and painfully die before finishing you off. Ah, so many choices." Patrick kept a straight face, "Not if I kill you first." Red John smiled, "We'll just have to see, now don't we?" Brusquely he pushed her firmly to the ground. "Teresa, run. Get away from here." Jane nonetheless never broke eye-contact with Red John through saying this.

"Patrick, don't do this. We can leave, please. Let's get the hell out of here. Don't sink to his level. He's not worth it." Teresa stood and pleaded with him. She held just as much hatred for that despicable excuse for a human being as Patrick. Would she want him dead? In a split of a second. Would she want Patrick to become a murderer for killing him? No, of course not. And that's exactly what he would be if he killed this man. "Teresa, go. Now." He broke contact from Red John abruptly to look at her. She seemed so lost and scared; two qualities that never went well with the tough CBI boss. His features softened when he took in her eyes. They were soft and pleading but he wouldn't give in. He couldn't allow this bastard to harm her again. It had to end and it was going to, despite the fact that it would cost him his life. At least she would be safe. She would be alive and would eventually move on with her life. And that—that was worth anything he could sacrifice.

He returned his stare to a smug Red John enjoying the scene playing out before him.

"Touching," he remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't mind if the lady sticks around for the show."

"Teresa, for the last time, get the hell out of here." His gaze remained fixed on Red John. She turned around and sprinted for the mini mart. All she could do to help him now, was getting the CBI. Hopefully they would arrive before something horrendous occurred.

Once she was out of sight, Jane charged towards Red John. The only weapon he had was his gun but he wouldn't use it. He would kill Red John with his bare hands. He would make him beg for his life as he had his victims, he would watch his life drift slowly and painfully away from him, he would feel. Yes, he would feel all he had done. Jane landed on top of Red John with a force. His fist immediately connected with his jaw again and again. He abruptly stopped when Red John started laughing. Red John then drew his knife and sliced Jane's left arm. Pain flooded through him and he stood up, driving his foot into the other man's abdomen. Blood spurted through Red John's nose and mouth and his body cringed into a ball. Swiftly he brought his knife around swiping across Patrick's ankle, right where the vein was. He crumbled to the ground in agony. Red John stood and connected his knee with Jane's nose. Blood now splattered across his face. "Pathetic really," Red John choked out, "One would think I'd be dead by now," a smirk flashing across his features. Jane attempted getting to his feet but was unable to accomplish it. He fell to the ground again and Red John came to stand over him. Just as he was about to plunged the blade through him, Jane kneed him. The knife collapsed onto the ground as Red John fell back. Jane made a dash for the blade just as Red John. He was inches away when Red John grabbed his feet, pulling him back. Jane tried to reach further but was unsuccessful. Red John was crawling up his body, heading for the knife when Jane slammed his feet into his face. Blood gushed out of Red John's nose and mouth again. As his grip loosened on Patrick, he reached forward and snatched the knife off the ground. Snapping up in a somewhat standing position, he limped his way to Red John on the ground. He grabbed him by the collar and sent the knife piercing though the flesh on the right shoulder. Red John cried out in anguish. "How does that feel?!" Jane roared at him. He pushed him against a wall slamming his fist again and again into Red John. He brought the knife to Red John's face and drew a wide slash that went deep through the flesh. The red liquid promptly spurted to the surface before running down the side of his cheek. Jane then held the other man's head with his free hand and began slamming it against the wall. A huge gash emerged at the back of Red John's head and he winced visibly. Satisfaction flooded through Patrick's body then, knowing he was delivering agony to this monster. Jane clutched his hair roughly and brought his knee forward, connecting it with Red John's stomach. Blood filled his mouth with every kick Jane brought to him. He was weak, and he knew it was visible. His vigor and smugness had left him but he still had something to accomplish. His face was now completely bloodied and his wounds were raw and malicious.

But all through it he never emitted any signs of fear. His face was empty and detached. Adrenalin pulsated through his body as a dreadful, disturbing noise echoed through Patrick's ear. He was laughing. The bastard was amused! Abhorrence coursed though him and in a fit of hate he brought the blade to the man's neck.

"Do it," he taunted through his smirk, "You're just like me. Now do it. Repay me for all I did to you. You and your precious wife and child. I can still hear her voice in my head. Her screams and pleas." He laughed again. "And all I felt was pleasure." He was now whispering. Patrick remained there, holding the knife at his neck, his facial features engrossed in sorrow and despair. "Pleasure when that very knife you now hold sliced through her flesh, pleasure when her sweet blood dripped from my knife—that knife. That's all it was: pleasure. And that's all it will be when I kill that one too. Kill me if you like, it won't matter. There are people, people who trust me, who are loyal to me. If I fail, they will succeed."

Jane eyed the knife he held in his hand pressed it against the flesh of the man who took his everything and was about to take it again. Would it ever stop? Would he ever have peace? Would anyone be safe from him? In a slow movement, Jane drew the blade across the man's neck, deep. He could almost hear the flesh tearing under the knife's blade. Red John emitted a sickening sound before he was allowed to fall to the ground, blood pooling around the body.

Jane turned away from the body to see Teresa staring wide-eyed at him. Her eyes drifted to the body on the ground, to the knife that remained in Jane's hand, to his eyes again. She carefully approached him keeping her emerald eyes fixed with his. His blue eyes softened and he let the knife fall from his hand. Teresa walked more briskly towards him before enveloping him in a hug. He rested his chin against hers and wrapped his bloody hands around her petite frame. He could feel her body shaking slightly and released her momentarily to wrap his jacket around her. Her eyes were welling up and he pulled her into a tight hug to avoid seeing her tears. He couldn't bear to see her cry, it ached his heart. Eventually they broke apart as the CBI came swarming in. Teresa was reluctantly taken to the ambulance for a quick check up while Jane remained where he was, refusing to get looked at. He looked over to see her arguing with the EMT and chuckled softly, briefly, before his thoughts started haunting him again. He had become well aware what Red John was trying to do when he taunted him about his wife, he knew, but he did it anyway. The hatred he felt for the man had won over and he had rid him of his pathetic excuse for a life. But was he any different? Was he any different from the man he had killed? No, he wasn't, he mentally told himself. He was just, if not worst, like Red John. He had proved that today. He couldn't protect her. By God, he loved her so much, but he couldn't protect her. He had managed to rid the world of one psychopath, but what of the others? If I fail, they will succeed. Red John's words rang in his head. How could he protect her from those monsters? Monsters like him. How could he protect her from himself? He could only do the one thing to at least attempt to have her safe. Maybe if he left—if he just disappeared—maybe if he stayed away from her, maybe they would leave her alone. She would get on with her life without him, she would be happy again, and if that meant him leaving, then so it would be. He took one last look at her and smiled sadly.

"Good bye Teresa. Be well," he whispered quietly before turning his back to her and walked away.

Teresa's head snapped up. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. She ignored the rushed words of the EMT beside her who was desperately trying to persuade her into getting checked up. A pretty scowl graced her features as she surveyed the ground for Patrick to no avail. She promptly rushed up to Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt talking quietly to each other.

"Where's Jane?" she asked worriedly, interrupting their conversation. Van Pelt scrunched her nose, "I don't know. I haven't really seen him since I got here, Rigsby?" The tall man shook his head slowly. Teresa turned desperately to Cho. "He was right over there, just a minute ago. Maybe he went for checkup," the stoic man volunteered. Teresa shared a look with her team which said that was definitely unlikely.

"Billy!" Cho yelled over to a man dressed in jeans and a shirt and jacket. "Have you seen Jane?" The man nodded. "Yeah, he was right over there," he pointed in the same direction as Cho had, "I saw him leaving a while ago." Panic rose to Teresa's throat. "Where did he go?" Cho question the man. Billy started to get a bit nervous, "Um, I don't know, I'm sorry. I turned away as I saw him turn around." Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt rushed over to him, determined on coaxing every bit of information out of poor Billy.

Teresa numbly walked over to where Jane had stood. She was afraid of this, of him blaming himself and leaving her. How could he?! How could he leave her? Did he have any idea how hard it would be on her? Did he even stop to think about her love for him? Didn't he love her as much as she did him? She knew it was unfair but at that moment she didn't care. Teresa angrily shoved her hands into the jacket she wore. Jane's jacket. She was about to throw it off of her in anger before her fragile hand came into contact with something hard and cold. Curiosity got the better of her and she carefully drew the substance out off the jacket. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared breathlessly at the tiny metal held loosely between her fingers. It was the ring, the one she had been admiring in the store. He had bought it, he had bought the ring. Her eyes widened as realization hit her. Patrick was going to propose. He was going to ask her to marry him, and she knew she would've said yes. But he wasn't there anymore, he had left her alone. Tears welled up in her eyes and this time she didn't bother holding them back. Droplets rolled freely down her cheeks, but it wasn't just the ring that was making her cry, it was what was engraved into it. Together Forever. I'll love you forever my dear Teresa. I promise, Patrick. Her tears never ceased, and she could feel a hole forming in her heart. Through her hot tears, Teresa slipped the ring onto the finger where it belonged. Together Forever Patrick, Together Forever.

~FIN~

A/N: I can't believe it's over. I am so sad. I tried my best to prolong this, I truly did. I'll miss this fic so much and your kind words of encouragement. Lastly, I'll like to thank everyone for their reviews. If you'll like a sequel just let me know which ending you'd like it for, I'd do anything for you people. Almost anything, lol. Take care you lovely people, xxx Cordy. All my love.