White Rose

Chapter 31: Jisbon's POV

A/N: I've been really busy but I'm not going to make excuses. Here's the next chapter (finally)

~Lisbon~

I feel like my whole world is frozen. Everything is moving in slow motion and there's nothing I can do but watch as the bullets continue to fly.

Abbott. That son-of-a-bitch is Red John, and he's shooting at Jane. The slowness of it all makes it even worse, watching the bullet get closer and closer to the man I love and not being able to stop it. I won't be able to live with myself if he gets hurt, I already have enough guilt for what I've put Annie, Tommy, and James through these past few months. I don't want to add Jane to the list.

In the blink of an eye, everything speeds back up. Abbott pushes me to the ground and I hear another gunshot, Jane falls in front of me and my eyes lock with his. I don't care about anything else that's going on, the only thing that matters it's that we're together, and even if just for this moment, we're alive.

"Teresa." His voice is breaking and I can see the tears in his eyes as he reaches for my hand.

"Jane." I smile through my own tears as I wrap my fingers into his, "Are you shot?"

His eyes meet mine, he nods and we both start crying. We didn't come all this way to die in a hail of gunfire.

"Where?" I mumble, squeezing his hand tightly as Fischer and Cho rush over, "Don't you die on me Jane, don't you even think about it!"

"I love you, Teresa." He whispers and his eyes flicker closed, this is worse than any pain I ever imagined feeling.

He can't die. I won't let him.

~Jane~

I feel so warm. Everything is bright, it's like nothing I've ever experienced in my entire life. Am I dying? Part of me hopes I am. If by some miracle I make it to 'the great beyond,' I'll be with Charlotte, but if I live, I have Teresa. I love Teresa, and I also love Charlotte. If there really is a God, now is the time I hope he makes the right decision, to either send me to my daughter or keep me with the love of my life. I can't seem to make this choice on my own.

There's a commotion, I can hear voices but I can't make out their exact words. Something about "prep" and "surgery." I mean I was shot, so it makes sense.

~Lisbon~

I'm fighting with the doctors, I don't want to have my surgery until I'm sure Patrick is taken care of. He was in the lower abdomen, that's critical. I was just shot in my shoulder and heel, yeah I'm in a lot of pain, but his living is much more important.

"Miss. Lisbon, we need to get you prepped for surgery." One of the nurses coaxes and I glare at her. I explained this to them multiple times.

"Not until Patrick Jane is out of surgery."

"Ma'am you need medical treatment as well. You suffered far too much blood loss and you'll be lucky if you can properly walk again. Not to mention your shoulder, with where the bullet is, you're bone may be shattered. There's internal damage and te sooner we can get it corrected, the better."

"No. Take care of Jane first."

"We have more than one surgeon." She smiles warmly in a failed attempt to comfort me, "You need to get taken care of too, and quickly. Your case is just as big of an emergency as your friends."

I roll my eyes and stick out my arm so she can start my IV, doing my best to push all the worry about Patrick to the back of my mind.

~Jane~

What's going on? Where am I? The blinding light is still there and the warmth is getting increasingly, well, warmer. I try to move but my body feels so heavy, it's a wonder I'm even breathing. Am I even breathing? Who knows, I certaintly don't.

All of a sudden the bright light fades into a lush green forest, and I find myself standing, confused, in the center of it.
It's sunny and cool, it feels like summer when the gentle winds stir the tall grasses and give the trees the illusion of waving.

"Daddy!" A girl tells and I look to the voice, this can't be happening. Charlotte is running towards me, her long, blonde hair and light pink dress flowing in the wind as she gets closer. She looks the same as when she died.

"Charlotte?" This is all too surreal and I'm starting to regret wanting to see her again, "Baby, I missed you!" I pick her up and spin her around, in all honesty I did miss her, but this is just eerie.

"I missed you too daddy." She giggles as I sit her down, crouching to meet my eyes with her, "Where have you been?"

"In Sacramento, and then Texas." I say, not sure how to explain, "What's this place?"

"This is beyond." She smiles and I feel my heart breaking. This isn't real, none of it, "Grandma's here too dad, do you want to go see her?"

"Yes baby, I'd love that." I kiss her forehead and she takes my hand in hers, leading me deeper into the forest.