Jane stood, his hands in balled fists hidden in his coat pockets, jaw clenched as he stared down at the lifeless body beneath him. Cut up Red John style, complete with the smiley face on the wall that always taunted Jane's dreams.

They got the call an hour ago, his fight with Lisbon forgotten, as they drive to the crime scene in silence. He could feel the empathy pouring from everyone in the car, and truthfully it just irritated him more.

Upon arrival, he stayed right behind Lisbon, like a lost child. Then when seeing the body, he felt his heart drop all over again and he managed to step away from Lisbon and stand over it. Scanning for any detail that might go missed by a normal person, but not him.

He bit the inside of his cheek as he determined there was nothing new and strode from the room. Leaning against the railing on the front porch of the house, he took a deep deep breath and closed his eyes. He stay that way until he felt a small hand on his back. He didn't jump, but the tingle that ran down his spine at her touch was unexpected.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. We leaving?" he didn't bother looking up, he didn't want to see the pity in her eyes.

"We still have to try, Jane," she pulled her hand away.

Jane let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping and pushed himself to a straightened position. "Yeah," he breathed.

"Take another pass through the room and then we are done here,"

Jane nodded.

Two hours later, they were back at the office, Jane disappearing as soon as they stepped off the elevator. Lisbon made a couple of phone calls, checked on a few leads herself, then 30 minutes later slammed the phone down in frustration.

Making her way out to the bull pen she frowned when she saw his couch empty. "Anybody seen Jane?"

The team shrugged their shoulders as Lisbon mumbled something about putting one of the electric shock dog collars on Jane and headed for the attic

"Jane," she called out. No response. Walking over to his make shift bed, she saw his notebook sticking out of from under his pillow. "Jane," she called out again, her curiosity peaking. With another glance around the dimly lit attic, Lisbon pulled the book out from under the pillow and flipped it open.

So enthralled by the scribbled notes, names and poems she didn't even hear the footsteps behind her.

"Lisbon, what are you doing?"

Lisbon froze, not moving until the book was suddenly yanked from her hands.

"I...was looking...for you,"

"But decided to read my notebook instead,"

Lisbon couldn't tell if Jane was angry or amused, and decided to go with amused, she cracked a smile and slipped her hands in her pocket. "I was curious. Not like you don't ever go snooping through my things,"

The corner of Jane's mouth twitched into a lopsided grin as he took a step closer. "The knowledge that I possess by snooping through YOUR things, wont' get me killed," he said in a low voice.

"No, but if I ever caught you it might," Lisbon countered.

Jane stared at her than shook his head, tossing his notebook on his bed.

"So, what's with the William Blake poem?"

Jane hesitated for a moment. "It's just a poem I like," he mumbled.

"Oh...well, you and Bertram have something in common," Lisbon said absentmindedly.

Jane froze. "What did you say?"

"Bertram, when everything happened with Hightower, he quoted a William Blake poem," Lisbon could see the wheels turning in Jane's head as his eyes widened and he just stared blankly at her.

"What did he say? Why did he say it? What poem?"

Lisbon took a step back to counter his step forward. "Whoah, power down. What just happened?"

Jane ran a hand through his hair. "Why would he do that? Why would he have YOU hear it too," he turned his back to her as he voiced his thoughts.

"Jane, what's going on?"

He stopped in his tracks, turned back to Lisbon. "Nothing,"

"No. No, you don't Patrick Jane, not this time. What is it?" It was Lisbon's turn to invade personal space this time, pointing a finger at him. "You talk, now. I'm not telling you anything else until you tell me what's going on,"

"I'm trying to keep you safe Lisbon!" Jane said, his voice raised. "It's not that I don't trust you, It's not that I want to be the lone ranger and do it myself, I don't want a mark on your head,"

"I can take care of myself, Jane," Lisbon yelled back.

Jane shook his head.

"You listen to me Patrick Jane. We've been partners for a while now and we've been through a lot, THAT alone is enough to be a target on my head and the whole team's head for that matter. You withholding information me is just making us ignorant and more susceptible to danger cause we don't know what to look for,"

Jane stared at her, hating the fact that she was making sense.

"Talk. NOW," she demanded, infuriated at the man standing before her. "You've been keeping stuff from me for too long, out with it,"

Jane let out another sigh, dropping on the ledge by the window, his hands on his knees. "Back..when...Red John saved me...and you ...you asked me if he said anything and I said no...well, that wasn't true," his voice was low and husky as he remembered being face to face with him. A chill went down his spine, his eyes flicked up to meet Lisbon's. "He quoted a William Blake poem, Tiger Tiger,"

Lisbon's eyes widened.

"Todd Johnson, quoted the same thing right before he died," he continued.

"Oh god, was Hightower?"

"No, I thought at first...but when I figured out she was just avenging the person she cared for...I had to help her get away,"

"You son of bitch," Lisbon muttered.

"Lisbon, that doesn't matter. The poem, you said Bertram recited a poem, why? What is it?"

"And when... thy little heart doth wake...then the dreadful night shall break,"

"That's it?"

"That's it,"

Jane bit his bottom lip. "Lisbon, I don't think Red John would let one of his men slip like that, he wanted you to be the one to hear that,"

"Hold on, now. Are you trying to tell me that you think Bertram is connected to Red John?"

"That is exactly what am saying,"

Lisbon shook her head. "First Hightower, now Bertram-"

"Lisbon, Lisbon," Jane jumped to his feet, his hands going around Lisbon's shoulder, he held her in place. "It is not a coincidence that Bertram quoted from William Blake, the same writer of the poem that Red John said to me,"

Lisbon stared at him, she knew he was making sense and she hated it. She glanced down at Jane's hands then back up at him. He caught the meaning and slowly loosened his grip, letting his hands fall to his side. "Okay, so IF Betram is with Red John, IF, what can we even do? He's the director-"

"I don't know," Jane dropped back down on the ledge, turning his body so he could stare out the window.

"Well, I can tell you what you aren't going to," Lisbon sat next to him, waiting for him to turn his gaze on her to continue. "You will not attempt to go at this by yourself like you did with Hightower. You will NOT confront Bertram by yourself, you will not make a move without talking with me first,"

"I can't-"

"I swear to God, I will handcuff you to my desk, don't think I won't. This time I WILL have GPS trackers in your suits,"

Jane's mouth twitched a smile before turning serious. "I believe you," he said quietly.

Lisbon's face softened as she saw the worry in his eyes. Reaching out she laid a hand on his knee and gave a a little squeeze. "We'll figure this out, just don't go crazy on me,"

Jane nodded, his chin in his hand, his elbow on windowsill.

They sat in silence for a moment, before Jane leaned forward and took Lisbon's hands in his.

Lisbon, slightly taken aback by the amount of affection he was showing, stared at him, one eyebrow quirked up.

"Lisbon, if Bertram is with Red John , there is no telling who else is with them too,"

"I trust my team,"

"I was just gonna say...be very careful,"

"Oh, well yeah, you too,"

Jane gave her hand a squeeze before letting go, immediately missing the feel of her hand in his, he leaned back. He knew he didn't like Bertram the instant he met him, no, the instant he saw him. Just something about him.

"What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking...I was right from the beginning about him,"

"You don't know-"

"I know. I know he's connected to Red John, just to figure out what he wants. Why that line from that poem,"

"Bertram just said it was an old poem he liked. When he walked away, La Rouche was the one that said William Blake,"

"Not surprising,"

"Don't tell me you think La-"

"No, I don't think La Rouche is connected to Red John, just he seems the type to read William Blake's writings,"

Lisbon leaned her head forward in her hands and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe this was happening. First the Hightower fiasco, now Bertram. Lisbon almost felt sick to her stomach at the thought. Her mind was racing with different possibilities and probabilities of this new finding, bringing them another step closer to Red John. As long as Jane didn't get all hot headed and handle the situation by himself with a shotgun again. She would have to keep a better eye on him, she didn't know if she could handle anything happening to him, the scare with Hightower was enough.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone vibrating. She pulled it out of her pocket and sighed when she saw Mashburn's name flash up on the screen.

"Don't ...leave this building without coming to see me, okay?"

Jane nodded.

Getting to her feet, Lisbon ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'm gonna take this,"

Jane watched her slip out of room and heard her voice muffled through the door, trail down the hallway until it disappeared. He leaned his head back against the window and closed his eyes, this was news was thrilling, in one way, terrifying the next. He believed his blood still pumped for these moments and to catch Red John, but it terrified him to know end to know that Lisbon was now in the middle of things. His heart felt heavy at the thought, he had to figure out what to keep her away from it all. Maybe, just maybe her being with Mashburn wasn't such a bad a thing at the moment.

a/n: Okay, so if you nix Mashburn out of this whole chapter, this is how I believe at some point in this season things will play out. Lisbon has one piece of the puzzle, Jane has another, they have to connect at some point. Mashburn is just in here, for ...well it is fan fiction..and who can resist writing a jealous Jane :) as always, reviews make my day :)