Disclaimer: I still don't have rights to the show.

A/N: Thanks to my amazing beta and good friend Amber for all the hard work she does on my stories and mostly importantly for being a truly great friend.

Raising The Red Flag

Lisbon tossed and turned for about an hour trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. She had kicked the sheets off and pulled them back over her body but nothing seemed to work. She muttered a quick word under her breath before getting out of the bed and started to pace back and forth across the room. Her mind was trying to figure out every possible explanation to Van Pelt's father being associated with Red John, or worse, he actually being Red John.

"Can't sleep?"

"Dammit Jane!" Lisbon exclaimed as she jumped, turning to see him standing in the darken doorway.

"Don't closed doors mean anything to you?"

"I heard you pacing." He stated quietly before he walked over to her.

"No you didn't." She countered as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"How much do you want to bet?"

Lisbon could see his smile flash across his face as he finished speaking. Shaking her head she returned his smile before closing her eyes.

"What are we going to do Jane?"

"I'm not sure." He said honestly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have a plan?" She asked surprised.

"I'm working on it dear." He replied as he removed his hand and walked over to the bedroom window.

"Jane, look at me."

"What?" He asked as he turned to look at her. The moonlight filtering in gave her face a nice glow as she came closer to him.

"I know that look and whatever you're thinking, I want you to forget it."

"I wasn't thinking anything." He replied.

"I know you better than anyone, so do you want to try that answer again?"

"What am I thinking?" He asked with a sly smile. Lisbon huffed before giving him a glare. "That glare doesn't have the same effect in the evening."

"Don't be a jackass."

"I'm not."

"Then tell me the truth and don't give me that crap about Darth Vader being Luke's father." Lisbon stated as she moved closer to him.

He studied her for a few moments before speaking "You want to know what I'm planning?"

"Yes."

"We need to go to the crime scene."

"What?"

"Wainwright. I need to see the scene."

"They are not going to allow us anywhere near the scene." Lisbon said as she walked away from him and closed the bedroom door then turned on the bedroom light.

Jane blinked a few times allowing his eyes to adjust to the light before speaking again. "Then I'll just go by myself."

"No."

"No, I can't go by myself or no you won't allow me to go?"

"No, to both."

"What is the worst that can happen?"

"Really? Why would you even ask that?"

"Lisbon, we need answers and there will be answers at the crime scene." Jane explained urgently.

"How do you know this isn't a setup?" Lisbon asked as she sat down on the end of the bed.

Jane shook his head and sat down right next to her. "It isn't a setup."

"You can't be sure of that."

"Red John is not standing in the shadows at the crime scene just waiting for me to show up."

"There is too much at stake for you to go." Lisbon said as her eyes locked with his. Jane's face softened right before he pulled her into a hug. Slightly surprised by his action it took her a few seconds before she wrapped her arms around him.

"I need this to end." He whispered.

"I know you do."

"Teresa I need you to believe me when I say I need this to end."

"You want your revenge." She whispered so quietly that Jane had barely manged to hear it.

"Yes and no."

"But-"

"Yes I want the man dead for killing my family, but I want to move on, and I can only do that if he is gone. I have a reason to move on now that I didn't have before."

"Like?" She knew she was pushing him but if he was willing to admit something she wouldn't stop him.

"You." He said simply.

"I-" She tried to find the words but she couldn't.

Jane smiled and pulled back a little so he could study her face. Maybe it was the tiredness that she felt but she noticed something change in his eyes when he looked at her. A smiled appeared on his face before he slowly bent down. She allowed her eyes to close as she awaited his lips on hers.

"Grace!" Rigsby's voice echoed through the house causing the pair to jump away from each other.

"What the hell?" Lisbon questioned.

Lisbon walked to the door and opened it. Looking down the hallway she noticed Rigsby standing right outside Van Pelt's door. She glanced back at Jane who look a little peeved but she was positive that it was just the way the bedroom light was playing on his face.

"What's going on?" He asked as he got to his feet. She shook her head and walked out of the room.

"Wayne?" Lisbon whispered not wanting to wake anyone else.

"She came to my room to talk and then I asked her about her father."

"You're an idiot." Cho chimed in from the doorway leading to his room.

"What?"

"She wanted comfort from you." Jane stated.

"What?" Rigsby asked confused.

"Well when a women feels lost and confused then she turns to someone she trusts for comfort and in this case Grace came to you."

"Hush." Lisbon told Jane.

"I'm just saying."

"Everyone go back to their own rooms I'll talk to Grace." Lisbon said as she looked at each of them.

"Boss?" Rigsby pleaded.

"I know you want to help, but for now just go." Lisbon said nicely. Rigsby nodded and walked away from Van Pelt's door.

"Everyone try and get some sleep." Lisbon added as Cho and Rigsby closed their own bedroom doors.

"So what now?" Jane asked as he joined her.

"Go away."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

Jane nodded and headed to the stairs. "I think I'll go get some air."

"If I so much as hear a door or window open downstairs then so help me God I will handcuff you myself until this is all over." Lisbon threatened.

"You really must work on those trust issues of yours." Jane stated as he headed down the stairs.

Lisbon shook her head before knocking softly on the door. "Grace?"

"What?"

"Open the door, please." Lisbon asked. She heard shuffling of feet and then the turning of the doorknob.

"With all due respect Boss, I want to be alone."

"I'm not here as your Boss. I'm here as your friend."

"I don't want to talk." Van Pelt stated firmly as she walked away from the door and to her bed.

"I don't want you to talk, but rather I want you to listen to me closely." Lisbon stated. Van Pelt nodded softly. Lisbon nodded. She stepped in closing the bedroom door, then took a seat next to Grace before speaking.

"Whatever is going to happen in the next few days you must remember that you have nothing to do with this. Even if your father is connected to Red John, it doesn't mean that you are. Everyone on this team cares about you and wants to help you."

"Why me?" Van Pelt asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Why is it that someone I care about is always out to hurt the team? First it was the lawyer who went after Jane, cracking Wayne's skull and leaving him to die. Then Craig turned out to be a mole."

"Grace, none of that is your fault."

"But I still brought it to the team."

"No, you didn't. For some reason beyond my understanding our team seems to be a magnet for attracting the worst people." Lisbon stated with a slight smile.

"Do you think he is Red John?"

"I'm not entirely sure Grace. I can't be sure if the memory was planted or if it was real. And for that I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be sorry."

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because I can't control what is about to happen."

"But whatever does happen isn't your fault." Van Pelt stated.

"And?"

"And it isn't my fault either." Van Pelt answered.

"Yes. I know I'm asking a lot but try and get some sleep." Lisbon said as she got to her feet and headed to the door.

"Boss?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Van Pelt said as she got to her feet and walked over to give Lisbon a hug.

"Sleep." Lisbon told her once more after Van Pelt broke the hug.

Lisbon closed the door and headed down the stairs to see where Jane had disappeared to. The only light came from a table lamp next to the couch in which Jane was sitting and drinking his tea. He motioned her to join him on the couch.

"Everything okay?" Jane asked her as soon as she sat down.

"As well as can be, considering."

"Have some tea." Jane said as he handed her a cup.

"Thanks." Lisbon replied and took a small sip. "I'm surprised they had some tea here."

"They didn't."

"Then where did it come from?" Lisbon asked.

"I have my ways."

"Whom did you con into bring the tea?"

"No one."

"Jane?"

"I didn't con anyone. I actually took this from your house."

"You went through my cupboards?"

"Did you want to deal with me if I didn't have my tea?"

"Does anybody want to deal with you if you don't have your precious tea?" Lisbon shot back.

"Same could be said about you and your coffee." Jane pointed out.

"Bite me."

Jane smiled as he took another sip of his tea while the two of them enjoyed each other's company. Lisbon handed Jane her empty tea cup and then lean back against the couch. Her eyes began to close and her head began to nod toward Jane's shoulder. A smile crept on his face before he placed his own tea cup on the table and reached to turn off the light. He started to close his eyes when he felt his phone vibrate inside in vest pocket. He moved slowly to pull it out so he wouldn't disturb Lisbon. He opened the phone and clicked on the button to see who had left him a text message,

"You are on the right track. "

"Who is this?" Jane text back. Turning down the volume on the phone he waited for the response.

"Tyger, Tyger." Jane looked at the message from Red John and was about to write back when the phone beeped again.

"You two look nice and cozy."

"Lisbon!" Jane shook her awake.

"What?"

"We're being watched."

To Be Continued...