Disclaimer for entire story: Bruno Heller and Company own all rights to the Mentalist. I own nothing. No copyright infringements are intended and I do not make a penny off my stories.

If you've seen spoilers indicating who's taking over for Wainwright, I haven't so I wrote it my way. ~Calla

#

Lisbon pulled her SUV into a parking space and turned the key in the ignition. She'd been in a meeting with LaRoche when the call came and knew her team was already here. Man, she hadn't seen that one coming. LaRoche stepping back into temporarily running things until a replacement for Wainwright could be found. That was a headache she didn't need. But, it couldn't be helped.

Qualified candidates weren't exactly lining up for the position many had decided was cursed. It was no secret Minelli had retired after the Bosco debacle, Hightower had been framed and hounded into oblivion, and Wainwright's death was a nightmare too cruel to contemplate. Lisbon still wasn't sure exactly what Darcy's role was in all of this. She'd figure that out later. However, one thing she did know was she certainly had no desire to advance any farther even if Jane hadn't made such a thing all but impossible. As for LaRoche, she'd play that one by ear and hope things continued between them as smoothly as they were now. That wasn't likely to happen with Jane around. He was bound to rock the boat at some point though he seemed to be getting along with the man suprisingly well for the moment. They'd made some semblance of peace between them recently. Probably about the time LaRoche had given up trying to make Jane responsible for Johnson's murder.

"Hey, boss, over here." Lisbon walked across the room to where Cho was standing taking in the ambiance of the grisly crime scene before him.

Looking from the bodies to the wall bearing the familiar symbol and back again, it wasn't necessary to state the obvious. This wasn't a hoax or a copy cat. Red John had definitely struck again. The two bodies spread akimbo bleeding from every pore were the fourth and fifth victims in the past several months.

Lisbon rolled her eyes at the thought she really didn't need this now. She and Jane had spent the morning grilling Lorelei to no avail. The woman wasn't giving an inch. Or she hadn't yet. Jane seemed to think she would. Lisbon wasn't so sure. There was something about her wiring that was seriously off…murderous psycho wrapped in a pretty package. She took particular pleasure in mimicking Lisbon to Lisbon's face which the Senior Agent found unsettling.

It had disturbed the hell out of her in the beginning before she'd worked through her feelings of hurt and betrayal that Jane had actually slept with the woman. It hadn't really mattered it was part of the con. That the man could be so cold-blooded had given her pause for quite a few days. The truth was, for the most part, she'd never really thought of Jane in that way. They were hang-out buddies who spent time at each other's places. They'd been known to hold hands. She'd kissed him a time or two over the years…always in comfort and never in lust. He'd kissed her the same way. They'd even killed for each other when they had to. But, they'd never been romantically involved. Or consciously considered it.

Unconsciously, that tiny part of her always believing Jane would eventually turn to her had quietly shattered when Lorelei called him "Lover." Lisbon hadn't expected the figurative gut kick almost bending her double at her words. She hadn't expected the feeling to compound at Jane's reaction. It was worse than his ducking out on the whole "love you" dialogue that never was. She'd had the attending officer haul Lorelei's dainty butt back to holding and beat a path out the CBI before anyone could stop her. Fortunately, Jane was nowhere to be found.

Unfortunately, he showed up at her apartment later that night. Tamping down on her first impulse to slam the door in his face, Lisbon invited him in instead. She'd made him a cup of tea and herself a glass of juice. If Jane wanted to talk, he could talk. That didn't mean anything would change between them. She wasn't in a very forgiving mood at the moment. That Jane told her imagining it was her had gotten him through the performance really, really hadn't helped at all. She'd been more creeped out than flattered. Yet, she'd let him stay on her couch that night and cook her breakfast the next day.

Eventually, they'd made peace as Lisbon accepted for the thousandth time over the years that Jane would always be Jane and that the end would always justify the means to his way of thinking. Why try to change the man? He solved cases as bent as he was. Now, they spent their time alternating between trying to break Lorelei and trying to keep her alive. Oh, and working on their active cases. No one was under any illusions the woman wasn't living on borrowed time including Lorelei.

The minute Red John got word she was breaking, she'd be dead. And he would get word. Jane was sure of that. He had eyes and ears everywhere including the friendly neighborhood jail. The trick would be getting the information before he got Lorelei. Jane thought it could be done. Lisbon wasn't so sure. Frankly, she was at the point she was ready to just say the heck with it and beat his identity out of the wench. Jane didn't think that was a good idea. For once, he had the calmer head. As for Lisbon, she plain didn't like the foul mouthed woman. She played her a little too well.

Popping the latex gloves she'd carried in her pocket onto her hands, Lisbon reached out to touch the first body. She knew Carmen, no last name, and she knew her well. The woman was a CBI informant somewhat akin to Cho's friend Summer though in a class of her own. She'd been an elite escort moving as easily through the world of the rich and powerful as she did through the sleazy world of strippers and drugs. She'd had the advantage of being an undeniably beautiful girl with an engaging personality. She'd been good at her job and worth every penny she'd been paid over the years.

Moving to the other side of the bed, Lisbon resisted touching Gianni Rugolo. A wealthy businessman with questionable ties, he'd known his fiancee was a CBI informant and hadn't cared. He trusted her to leave his business out of it and Carmen had. He'd even been willing to feed her surprisingly accurate information on his rivals. Information she'd passed on to the appropriate sources. Quite a few nasty characters indirectly owed their incarcerations to Rugolo. Glancing at the swarthy man one last time, Lisbon decided he wasn't quite so handsome with all those slash marks in his skin.

"There isn't much to see here is there? Standard RJ." Lisbon stared at the wall in passing.

That blinking clockwise smiley face three fingers wide was the first thing she'd seen walking in and known, as she always did, that Jane was right. She'd felt dread and she'd seen the bodies. However, after that, she'd felt acceptance as she knew exactly what to expect. Then she was angry he'd struck again. They really needed a RJ break.

"Nope, except that the local PD are idiots who almost botched the whole crime scene." Cho said in passing.

The first thought of the powers that be had been, with the romantically involved couple being CBI informants, their demise was a nasty hit disguised to look like a Red John killing. Perhaps some of Rugulo's collegues had discovered his willingness to turn them in on a silver platter. Perhaps some of Carmen's clients had figured out what she was up to and chosen to end the leaks in a notable manner. It made sense to them. Right, if they ignored the truth in front of their eyes.

Lisbon and Cho knew better. Their unholy deaths had been Red John's way of sending her unit a message. He wasn't happy with the whole Lorelei situation. Something hadn't played out exactly according to plan and they didn't know what that was. Maybe that he hadn't been able to kill his pawn yet. It was no secret anyone who could identify Red John ended up dead. By Lisbon's estimation, Lorelei's expiration date had passed several weeks ago.

Hence the fiend's latest ramped up killing spree. Red John wanted them to know he was omnipresent and omniscent. He knew everything. He could interfere with their plans whenever he liked. He could kill their people at will. There was nothing they could do to stop him and they wouldn't be able to save Lorelei. Lisbon snorted at the thought he had an overinflated opinion of himself. He was hardly God. She turned her thoughts to the victims instead.

First, there was the corrupt lady attorney twelve weeks ago. The one representing Lorelei and running her mouth so brazenly. They'd found her in her office sliced and diced beneath the serial killer's calling card.

She'd been followed up by a small time dope dealer a month later. No one was quite sure why he'd made the RJ hit list except it now appeared he might be one of Carmin's informers. Cho had found his name in her address book with a star beside it.

A few weeks after that had been the cute little waitress who used to wait on the team at one of the cop dives they frequented. Everyone suspected she was a random kill to make a point no one wanted to accept. That he could take anyone any time he wanted. Frankly, Lisbon wouldn't care if Red John just walked into the jail and took Lorelei as long as he left the rest of them alone. Now, it was Carmen and Giovanni.

"It's definitely him again." Coming up behind them, Jane stated the obvious.

"Yeah, I agree with him." Cho stated the obvious as well.

"So? We're all in agreement. What do you propose we do now?" Lisbon gave them both the evil eye.

"Go back to office and do what we always do. Try to piece together a killer's identity without any real clues." Lisbon was a little annoyed the remark was made with typical disinterest.

The man really wasn't assisting in any way. Displaying predictable ennui, Jane was making no bones he was ready to go. There was nothing here for him to see. She could see he'd rather get back to the jail to verbally beat on Lorelei some more. Rolling her eyes, Lisbon resisted her usual "bite me." She was up to her eyes with dark Jane. He was a much of a pain in the rear as he'd been in the early days and when he'd been all full of the 'any body who gets close to me gets hurt' spiel after Kristina Frye disappeared. She'd had a merciful break from that Jane for a while; but, now he was back again.

"Thanks, Jane, that's real helpful." Lisbon so wasn't giving in to that one. She needed a day or two away from the dark haired spinx.

"Come on, Lisbon, we all know what the techs are going to find, absolutely nothing." Jane didn't need to study the crime scene again. He knew it by heart.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Jane. Maybe he made his this time." While that was what they were all hoping for no one really expected such a thing to be true.

"I'm not betting on it. He's toying with us now. That lawyer signed her death warrant mouthing off the way she did. She let her desire to set up her client for an insanity plea outweigh her sense of self preservation. I tried to tell her; but, she wouldn't listen.

The informants are telling us he has his pulse so deep into the CBI he can set our operations back at will. The drug dealer's death is connected to Carmen in some way. He was probably a snitches' snitch.

The little waitress was meant to convey he can take any one of us at will. Like he needs to tell us something we don't already know." Jane gave voice to what they all spent a lot of time ignoring.

"I can tell you're going to be about as much help as a two year old. We're going back to the office, Cho. You and the team can handle all of this. Call me if they uncover anything of interest." Not likely at this stage of the game.

"Right, boss." Cho absently waved them on while he studied the bodies sprawled on the bed.

Van Pelt was around somewhere, probably with the forensics guys, and Rigsby was interviewing the neighbors on both sides. They had things under control if the boss needed to go babysit Jane for a while. Better her than him. The longer Lorelei resisted breaking, the more of a petulant pill Jane became at times. One of those times was now. Thank goodness Lisbon had the patience to handle the man in his present mood. Cho certainly didn't.

"Come on, Jane. We're out of here." Lisbon's tone said she wasn't tolerating any monkey business.

For once, the man followed without putting up a fight. There were no smart butt comments or meanderings, just the consultant obediently following Lisbon out to her SUV for a change. Maybe the day would get better yet. Cho watched the vehicle depart before scribbling in his notes.

#

Wearily rubbing her neck, Lisbon stared out the window at the parking lot. It had been one nasty day. She'd been going over files and victim boards searching for that one illusive clue they might have missed most of the afternoon. That is until she'd been interrupted by her three o'clock appointment. She'd wrapped up a lengthy interview with the waitress' distraught fiancé two hours later. That had been six hours ago.

From what she could gather from the people closest to her, there was absolutely no reason that girl should be dead. It was just her misfortune to wait on their table and harmlessly flirt with Jane a few times. It was her misfortune the wrong person had watched their interactions. It was her misfortune she'd entered their lives at a time when they were holding one of Red John's most prized possessions: one of the few living people who could identify him. The whole scene had been a horrible finale to a really crappy day.

To cap it all off, everyone had left the CBI hours ago leaving her behind. Truthfully, she'd sent them home. Her team was exhausted and there was no reason to make them suffer any more. As for Jane, he was still lurking out there waiting to pounce the moment she stuck her head out that door. She really wasn't in the frame of mind to deal with him. She really wasn't.

"All right, Lisbon, enough of this hiding out in a darkened office. You know I'm not going to leave. I've brought you a cup of tea instead." Jane said as he sat the cup before her.

"I don't want a cup of tea." Lisbon didn't try to keep the grumpy note out of her voice.

"It'll make you feel better." It might make him feel better, but certainly not her. She didn't particularly even like tea and Jane knew it.

"Jane, I really don't want a cup of tea. If you were offering a stiff shot, we might talk about it." They both knew that bottle that sometimes hid out in her bottom drawer was long gone.

They'd emptied it a few months ago in a little closed case pizza celebration with the team way after hours. There'd been enough tequila in that bottle for about a half of shot for everyone. They'd honestly done a lot more laughing than drinking that night which was perfectly all right. Lisbon had never bothered replacing it.

"No such luck. I'm totally out of booze. You can have this nice cup of tea instead." Jane offered.

"Fine. Give me the flipping cup of tea." Lisbon could be a petulant brat too.

Almost snatching the cup from his hand, Lisbon took a sip of tea. It really wasn't half bad. Not the way he made it. A shot would have made it better. Could you put alcohol in tea? She guessed you could if you wanted to. Lisbon fought the urge to just empty the cup. That would never do. She really wasn't in the mood for a lecture about gulping tea.

"It was a hard interview." Jane observed.

"Yeah, it was. They were getting married in three months. They were high school sweethearts. She was starting nursing school next semester and he's starting med school in the fall. They had their whole lives ahead of them. There was absolutely no reason that girl had to die." Except Red John wanted it.

"She crossed Red John's path." As could anyone at anytime.

"She crossed our path." Lisbon reminded him.

"Lisbon, we're not responsible for her death. If we'd had any idea he'd start targeting random people whose lives touched ours in such a fleeting way, we'd have done something to prevent it. We didn't know so there was nothing we could do to stop him. Obviously, we'll think twice about our casual case closed get-togethers from this point on. Other than that we're powerless to stop the maniac from doing anything he wants to do." Jane wasn't letting this drive him any more nuts than he already was.

"It's not fair, Jane." And it wasn't.

"Life isn't fair, Lisbon. You're a cop. If anyone should know that, you should. If life were fair, I'd be dead instead of my family. I'm the one who said the wrong things, not them." It was a bit easier to say that now than it used to be.

"You're not responsible for what happened to them. You might have opened your mouth, but he's the one who chose to act in such a reprehensible way. You didn't make him do what he did." Lisbon defended him.

"I gave him just cause in his mind." He hadn't known he was doing; but, that didn't change a thing.

"Only because he's a whack job." As all of his cohorts were.

"He might be a whack job, but he's the whack job that's getting the best of us." Jane really hated saying that after all of these years.

"Jane, I honestly don't know what to do at this point. He's killed five innocent people in the past twelve weeks and none of them were his underlings." Lisbon twirled her cup in her hands.

"Only one of them was truly innocent, Lisbon. Our other victims were a lawyer willing to make her case unethically, a call girl, a mobster, and a dope dealer. Hardly innocents I should say." Not that any of them deserved to die; but, none of them were very nice people either.

"I know you're right, Jane; but, this is supposed to get easier. Not harder. We're supposed to get closer to catching him. Not what feels like farther away." Lisbon briefly wished someone else was working this case before taking it back. Jane wouldn't be standing in her office now if they did.

"What do you want me to say, Lisbon? It's Red John. Nothing about him has ever been easy."

Watching the woman, Jane realized she hadn't turned from the window for several minutes. She'd steadfastly refused to look in his direction since she'd taken that cup and he wondered why. Walking over to face his boss, he turned her face towards the light. It was just as he suspected. She'd been crying off and on for quite a while. No wonder the room was dark except for her desk lamp. Lisbon wasn't about to let anyone see her tears.

"Frustration, my dear?" Among other things Lisbon would never admit to.

"What do you think?" She snapped back.

"I'd say that's a distinct possibility since we're both pretty annoyed with the powerlessness of the whole situation. I'd say its frustration mingled with a little sorrow over the waitress who shouldn't have died. I don't think you're that broken up about the rest of them. Not to say they aren't human beings deserving justice for what was done to them. They are, they do, and you'll do your best to see that they get it; but, it's not the same. Then there's the whole you-know-who-situation." Neither of them needed to say the "L" word. She was always there on the periphery every minute of every day. Lisbon really, really loathed that woman.

"I guess it's not." Scrubbing her face, Lisbon turned away from the window and walked towards her desk.

She was getting tired, beyond tired actually. It was time to just gather her things and go home. Tomorrow was another day. Maybe she'd see something she'd missed when she was fresher. She usually did.

"Hey, Lisbon?" Jane's voice intruded on her thoughts.

"Yeah." She was only half listening to his chatter.

"It has to get better." But it wouldn't stay that way.

"Yeah, I guess it does." Right. Like they both believed that one.

Opening his arms, Jane wasn't surprised when Lisbon walked into them. It wasn't the first innocent hug they'd shared in times of stress though this one felt different. There was a certain desperation radiating off of her as she burrowed closer against him. Desperation he didn't usually feel. This case was really starting to get to her. It was more than just the little waitress. It was the escalating death count. The higher ups could not be happy. It was Lorelei. The woman's mocking was wearing on her. It was wearing on him. He and Red John shared something in common. They both despised cheap copies and that's exactly what Lorelei was.

Rubbing her back soothingly, Jane couldn't help thinking how nice Lisbon felt in his arms. She was still soft and womanly in spite of all that lean muscle she worked so hard to keep. It had been a long time since he'd been this close to an attractive woman in quite this way. Lorelei didn't count.

Rubbing her hand absently over his chest, Lisbon couldn't help noting the firm muscle beneath her palm. She was sure she'd noticed it before at some point over the years. She'd just never allowed herself to acknowledge exactly how good it felt to touch Jane. They were friends. Really good friends and had been for years. Until the whole Lorelei incident had made her begin thinking differently. Closing her eyes, Lisbon inhaled deeply of the pleasant scent of Jane. The man really did smell good. It must be his cologne. Or maybe it was just Jane. His hand against her back was starting to make her skin tingle.

Lisbon wondered fleetingly if he looked half as good without his clothes as it felt like he did. Scolding herself for her unprofessionalism, she acknowledged she'd really like to see. It wasn't the first time she'd had such thoughts. But it was the first time she hadn't driven them immediately from her mind. From the response of his body to her nearness, Jane was having similar thoughts and it wasn't like he was broken anymore. And it wasn't like he hadn't had similar thoughts before. He'd told her so.

Without thinking, Lisbon stood on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. Though Jane didn't pull away, he didn't exactly respond either. Maybe she'd caught him by surprise. From the look in his eyes, she'd definitely caught him by surprise. Standing back on her tip toes, Lisbon kissed him again. This time Jane was ready for her. She couldn't have escaped the assault of his lips if she'd wanted too. She didn't. The man was a mighty fine kisser. Whatever else he might or might not have forgotten over the years, he'd definitely not forgotten how to kiss.

"Lisbon, is there a point to this exercise?" He sincerely hoped there was. He hadn't been sure his little confession about Lorelei hadn't repulsed Lisbon past the point of no return.

"What do you think?" Lisbon returned.

The woman never did anything without a point. He could read her point on her face without her saying a word.

Breaking free of their embrace, Lisbon gathered her purse and her keys. Turning to face Jane, she saw the answer to her question shining in his eyes. She wasn't surprised when he followed her out of office, waited patiently for her to lock the door, and rode the elevator with her to the ground floor. Following her out of the building, Jane hesitated a moment before following Lisbon to her SUV. Waiting for her to unlock the door, he located his own vehicle nearly hidden across the parking lot.

Climbing into the SUV, he watched Lisbon shove the key in the ignition. There was no reason to take two cars. It wasn't like they wouldn't be back bright and early in the morning. They had several interrelated cases they were currently working on. They wouldn't be taking the weekend off. Besides, his car would be perfectly fine in the parking lot overnight. No one would think twice about it. It was hardly the first time he'd left it there. Truthfully, he'd done so regularly over the years. Though admittedly usually for radically different reasons.