A/N: The end! I can't believe I have finished it. I wasn't even going to write it until OnlySoAnHour suggested that I extended a drabble, so thank you. I've enjoyed writing this so much and I'm quite sad that it's over. At least I have my new multiparter, Unbound, to keep me occupied.

Thanks go to: PhoenixWytch, Abandoned Anarchy Angel, Divinia Serit (aka twin from across the pond), smch8382, Habeous Corpus, cureless, MyGoldenGlow, Penelope Louise, Emma Berlin, Ebony10, dddynamite, kathiann, LOZZEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY, Wuchel1, shopping-luva91 and Queen Em for each and every review you've left me. I find them incredibly helpful and encouraging so thank you! And thanks to everyone who has added this to favourites and/or story alert. It means a lot to know that people like this and are following it.

And a massive, massive thank you to lil smiles for being completely amazing and betaing this.

Thanks again!

x tromana

Part Twelve

She remained holed up in her office until clocking off time, only briefly leaving to share lunch with the rest of the team. Lisbon hadn't at all been surprised at the influx of paperwork that had occurred while she had been off, but Cho had done a very good at keeping everything organised on her behalf. Except for the visits from Jane and Sam, the day had been uneventful, which was a blessed relief. But if the next four weeks she was forced to stay out of the field remained like that, Lisbon knew she would go mad. It didn't help that Jane had been avoiding her, either. She glanced at her calendar. Only one week until her stitches were removed, she mused. She'd been warned that there might be some permanent scarring, but that didn't bother her too much. Lisbon had never been particularly vain, after all.

She had spent a lot of time considering what Jane and her brother had said though. Lisbon hadn't noticed when her brother had become so wise and cursed herself for underestimating him. As for Jane, well, where could she start? Of all that he had said, one thing had stung. He didn't have the right to tell her what she 'deserved'. His admission was enough for her to know that he was as confused about everything as she was, but he had as near as admitted that he was attracted to her. They both deserved a shot at happiness after everything that had just happened, didn't they?

Jane was still in the bullpen, talking amicably to the others as they all prepared to leave. With some resolve, Lisbon left her office and walked determinedly towards him. Jane looked at her curiously and she just smiled slightly in return. Nobody spoke as she stood directly in front of him. Carefully, she wrapped an arm around Jane's shoulders and placed a kiss firmly on his lips. Shocked not only at the initial contact, but at the fact that she was willing to be so forthcoming in front of her team, it took Jane a while to respond. All too quickly, they parted, breathless. Lisbon glanced at the others, all of whom were attempting to avert their eyes and their surprise. They had all expected something would happen, just not in front of them.

"Don't tell me what I do and don't deserve, Patrick Jane," she said, while prodding him gently in the chest. "Dinner, tonight?"

He nodded dumbly and she smiled broadly in response. Lisbon bid farewell to her team as she went to grab her jacket and a file from her office. Jane followed after her quickly, trying to hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks. When they left, Cho raised an eyebrow at the other two.

"You guys owe me 100 bucks."

"No," Rigsby protested, "you said that they'd hide it from us. That definitely wasn't hiding."

"Stop being pedantic, Rigsby," Van Pelt smiled, pleased that the two of them had finally come to their senses. "He called it. Anyway, he said they'd probably hide it."

***

Samuel Lisbon didn't bother to knock on the door of their old family home. Both him and James knew that Teresa wouldn't dare set foot in there; she just couldn't for some reason. That was what made it the perfect hideaway, the perfect base for their operations. James nodded in response and indicated to his younger brother to come closer. He'd finally managed to get the footage recorded from the hidden camera in the Major Drench warehouse.

"The loss of Daniel White was regretful," James muttered as he heard the sitting room door swing open. "He was becoming such a good little pawn."

Sam nodded in response. "I'm surprised that the Van Pelt woman was the one who got him, though. I genuinely thought it'd be Jane. Teresa's soft on him."

"Oh good, that'll make it even sweeter when we catch up with them next."

As Sam pulled up a chair, they fell into a restive silence, just observing the footage. While their sister was unconscious, bleeding copiously, Jane had fought against everyone in attempt to see her. That was despite having been unconscious for a good fifteen minutes and having been shot. Jane had provided a good distraction from their ultimate target over the past six years and the irony that their sister and Jane had begun falling into some semblance of love hadn't been missed by either of them.

Sam glanced at his brother, a smile was traced across his lips. They both knew just how much it would devastate the little dark haired lady to know that two of her younger siblings were the notorious 'Red John'. But really, they had done it for her. After all, when your elder sister is a high-flying officer of the law, sometimes the only way to gain her attention is by killing someone. Jessica's death had a dual purpose, it attracted the attention of Teresa and punished the silly girl for cheating on him in the first place. She had been so woefully naïve to believe that he would never know; just playing on a falsified speech impediment that he'd long since grown out of, meant that people acted differently around you. And as for Elizabeth, she was just another way of ensuring that the case remained personal. Teresa hadn't even suspected them for a second. She never did. And she gave up information to them so very willingly, just making it all the easier for them.

"Do you know how many people she has shot dead now?"

Sam shook his head. He never bothered asking James where he got his information from, though he suspected he had an informant within the CBI. They definitely weren't on their sister's team though. They were all too close, too much like a family. And Teresa cared for them the way that she should care for her brothers.

"Seven. Hypocritical little bitch."

Sam wasn't quite sure when they decided that their sister was the source of all their family problems. But James was very persuasive; it was him who had invented the Red John persona, him who came up with blood red smiley face, him who had recruited Daniel for their latest games. Sam just went along with all of it and was only now beginning to have some doubts. Teresa couldn't have been directly responsible for the deaths of their parents. She certainly couldn't help the fact that they went into care.

"I don't think we should go after her or Jane for a while. What about the rookie? Van Pelt?"

James grinned at his brother as Sam nodded in response. Their eyes flicked up at the smiley they had daubed on the wall. They knew that Teresa would be poring over the details, trying to see if there truly was any link between Daniel White and 'Red John'. She wouldn't know that the fun and games were just beginning.

end