A Face in the Crowd

Chapter 1: Boom

Teresa Lisbon knew immediately that it was going to be one of those mornings. She was already late for work but at least this time she had a good excuse. That excuse was the one, the only Patrick Jane.

Jane was good at his job, and she knew that he was a big part in her success but sometimes, sometimes he could just be a bit much. He liked to play games with people. That was the thing about him, he couldn't just come out and say it was Peter, in the basement, with the crowbar, no he said that kind of thing lacked finesse. His finesse was the reason why she spent most of last night filling out mountains of paper work, while he got to have another dinner with Kristina. She had the right to be upset about him and his shenanigans, it had absolutely nothing to do with being jealous. She wasn't wired that way. So she was on her way to work, and she wasn't going to get him one of his favorite blueberry muffins from the bakery. No he would have to watch her eat her cranberry one.

She had just entered the building when she heard her cellphone ring, she knew it was him. No matter how much she tried to at least stay angry at him for a little while she just couldn't and the familiar smile began to dance across her face.

"What do you want Jane? Are you going to apologize again?" she asked.

"Sorry Teresa, I don't think that Patrick will get that chance to make up your little mishap to you." A voice on the other end sneered. She knew immediately who it was.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I think it's time this game comes to an end don't you, we're both are getting rather old."

"If you think that I'm going to let you hurt him, you have got another…."

"I always told him that tea would be the death of him." He told her cryptically cutting off her statement.

"Jane!" she shouted once the elevator had finally made its way to her floor.

It was like everything was moving in slow motion. When she came around the corner he looked up at her and smiled. She let out a sigh of relief that he seemed to be okay. Red John must've been just playing one of his games, or if he wasn't at least they had time to figure things out. That's was when she heard the humming of the tea kettle.

Patrick walked to the little stove to retrieve the little kettle and start his first cup of the day. That's when she realized too late what was supposed to happen.

"Jane no!" she shouted but it was too late.

Jane releasing the kettle from the stovetop was the trigger in the mechanism in a small bomb that was in the stove. It went off just as she was reaching him. The impact knocked her further from him, he was blown clear across the countertop, and the thing that scared her the most was when the back of his head smacked back end of what use to be the stove. Then everything went deadly quiet.

*A Face in the Crowd*

Everything was a buzz. He couldn't think straight. He had gotten their early and he was just about to have a cup of tea. He remembered someone called his name, but who was that? He just couldn't think straight. The whole left side of his body was one big ball of pain. Someone needed to make it stop. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to stabilize the pain, but that wasn't working.

"Jane!" he heard coming from the left.

It took a lot of effort, but he turned his head and saw a figure coming his way. They were crawling, and that's when he noticed that half of the room was on fire, and beams were down all over the place.

"Jane, are you okay?" she asked.

He blinked his eyes rapidly and that's when he saw that it was Lisbon. She had been hurt, she had a giant gash going across her left cheek, but it was her eyes that struck him the most. They were greener than he had ever seen, and she was crying.

"Why are you crying?" he asked.

He watched her face change. It played out so many emotions, but the ones that were shining through was concern and love. Love, he could see love all in her eyes.

"Oh my head." He sobbed reaching for the back of his head but she stopped him.

"You don't want to do that. I can hear the ambulance Jane, stay with me! You hear me just stay with me!"

Why was she panicked? He was feeling pain in the beginning but now everything felt lighter it was like he was on a cloud.

He looked at her one last time she was truly beautiful. Even with the cut on her face, somehow it made her look lovelier. He had to say it, he knew that he felt something for Kristina but not like for her. He had to tell her.

"Love you." Then everything went black.