Love At The Christmas Eve Table

A Jane & Lisbon Story

By Brown Eyes Parker

Author's Note:

I cannot believe we are at the time of year again where I am posting my annual Christmas story. But here we are, the holidays are upon us and I have a whole new story for you to enjoy. This one was loosely inspired by a Lifetime movie called "Love At The Christmas Table", I hope you enjoy it.

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I do not own the general plotline or the characters. If I did, then I wouldn't be so annoyed right now. Long story, don't ask.

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Chapter 1 First Meetings

"I cannot believe you talked me into this Amy," Alex Jane complained as they walked across the street to a beautiful Victorian house with a white picket fence. "If there's anything I hate more in this world it's a cop!"

"Virgil Minelli is a homicide detective. He's not going to arrest you because he doesn't trust a Carni" Amy Green replied. "Besides, you're doing it for Patrick. He hasn't been himself ever since you guys left the carnival. I think Teresa Lisbon will be just the thing to lift his spirits."

Alex looked over his shoulder at his nine-year-old son, who was dragging his feet and staring at the ground, his hands shoved in his pockets. "I don't want him to get too comfortable here or make too many friends. As soon as I get things squared away with the guys at the carnival, we're out of here. I hate the thought of staying here long term."

"I know," Amy soothed. "But right now, you have to make the best of your situation. One dinner with my neighbors on Christmas Eve isn't going to kill you."

"But a roomful of cops and morally upright people just might," Alex replied.

"You're so good at playing make believe, why don't you pretend that you're one of them? Just for tonight, I'm sure you'd have the whole neighborhood sold."

"Remind me why I put up with you again."

"Because of Gemma," Amy answered, knocking on the Minelli's front door. "You always did what Gemma wanted, out of every single woman you ever met, my sister had you whipped from the day she first batted her eyelashes at you."

The door flew open and a petite, brunette woman with emerald guys stepped outside. "Amy, I thought I heard your voice!"

"Hey Ruth!" Amy replied, smiling at her and patting her tummy. "How's baby Lisbon number four coming along?"

"He's coming. We're all a little anxious for him to make his presence known to the world," Ruth answered, looking over Amy's shoulder at Alex. "I see that you've brought company."

"This is Alex Jane, he was my sister's lover once upon a time ago. And the beautiful blonde angel dragging his feet is my nephew, Patrick. He's Alex and Gemma's love child," Amy said. "Do you think Virgil and May will mind that I brought them along for dinner? Patrick hasn't been himself the past couple of weeks and I was hoping Teresa might be able to lift his spirits a little."

"You know very well May and Minelli don't mind having extra guests," Ruth told her. "In fact, they plan for it. Teresa's in the living room watching White Christmas and coloring with some of the other kids. Why don't you go and introduce Alex to everyone, I'll take care of Patrick."

"Sounds good," Amy answered, turning around. "Patrick if you don't hurry up, we're going to be forced to leave you outside in the cold!"

Patrick broke into a run, never looking up from the snowy pavement for a second. When he reached the porch, he took the stairs two at a time and ducked into the house without saying anything.

"Is everything okay?" Ruth asked, glancing at Amy.

"We think he's just a little lonely right now," Amy answered. "He's been removed from everything he's ever known the past nine years and placed into a world that is so strange to him."

"I'm trying to get home as soon as possible," Alex added. "It's just taking a little longer than I expected."

Ruth nodded and stepped aside from the door, giving full access to the warm house. "Well, why don't you two come on in and I'll see if I can work a little Christmas magic?"

"Thank you Ruth," Amy said as she unbuttoned her coat and went inside with Alex at her heels.

"Why don't you go and take Alex to the den," Ruth suggested. "Minelli has Paul and the rest of the men in there with cigars he had imported for the occasion."

Amy looked at Alex and smiled at him playfully. "What do you think Al? Do you think you can handle a few hours of normal conversation?"

Alex smiled at her just as playfully. "You know very well that I can."

"I'll leave you to it then," Ruth said to Amy before going over to Patrick and holding out her hand. "Hey sweetie, I'm Mrs. Lisbon. Why don't you come with me to the living room and meet my daughter, Teresa? I'm sure you're going to like her."

"Okay," Patrick muttered, taking her hand reluctantly.

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"Teresa would you come here please!" Ruth called over the din of "Minstrel Show" and a half-a-dozen kids talking loudly about what they hoped Santa would bring for them that night.

A pretty little girl sucking on a candy cane and wearing a crushed velvet red dress with sparkly white tights and black Mary Jane's hopped up from the floor and came over. "Yes mommy?" she asked, pushing her mass of dark curls away from her face.

"Teresa honey, there's somebody I would love for you to meet," Ruth said. "Teresa, this is Amy's nephew Patrick Jane. Patrick, this is my daughter Teresa Lisbon."

"It's nice to meet you Patrick," Teresa said through her mouthful of candy cane.

Patrick lifted his head and looked her straight in her large green eyes, for a moment he didn't know what to say, aside from his friend Angela Ruskins, he had never seen anybody quite as cute as the girl standing in front of him. And then he put on his most charming smile, the one that had bought him countless Happy Meals and extended a small hand to her. "It's nice to meet you too," he said.

"Do you want to color with me until dinner's ready?" Teresa asked, not letting go of his hand. "I'll share my coloring book and crayons with you."

Patrick looked at Ruth, who nodded encouragingly and then back at Teresa. "Sure," he answered.

"I'll just leave you two to it then," Ruth said. "I'll be in the kitchen helping May if you need anything Teresa."

"Okay mom," Teresa replied going back to her space on the floor. She flopped down on her stomach and patted the space beside her. "Come on Patrick."

He joined her and she pushed her box of crayons towards him as she flipped through the pages of her holiday coloring book, looking for two uncolored pages that were side-by-side while she hummed a Christmas song under her breath.

"How old are you Teresa?" Patrick asked abruptly.

Teresa stopped humming and looked at him. "I'm going to be seven in April, how old are you?"

"I'm nine," Patrick answered, picking up a red crayon and starting to color in Santa's hat.

"Ten," Teresa repeated. "That's pretty old."

"Meh, I'm still young enough to be your friend," Patrick answered.

Teresa's eyes widened. "You want to be friends?"

"Sure, who else am I going to play to while I stay here?" He replied, moving from the hat to the reindeer, his eyes never leaving the page.

"Good," she said. "Because I really would like to be friends—"

"Okay kids!" May interrupted, coming into the living room and clapping her hands. "Dinner is on the table! Follow me into the dining room!"

"Come on," Teresa said, tugging on the collar of Patrick's red sweater vest. "You can sit beside me at the kid's table."

"The kid's table?

Teresa sighed. "All the kids have to sit at a special table until we're eighteen. It's the rule."

Patrick observed her. "And you're all about following the rules, aren't you?"

"The rules are there for a reason," Teresa replied primly.

"Don't you ever just want to break the rules?" Patrick asked

Teresa looked appalled at the thought. "And lose my TV privileges for a week?"

Patrick laughed as he took a seat beside her at the kid's table and propped his elbows up. "TV privileges, what are those?"

"Don't you have TV where you live?" Teresa asked, dropping her napkin into her lap.

"Well, of course. Most of the time we don't get very good reception, or the electricity in the trailer is on the fritz."

"You poor thing," Teresa clucked sympathetically.

"Who's your new friend Teresa?" Virgil Minelli asked, interrupting their conversation as he squatted down between them.

"Agent Minelli, this is Patrick Jane. . . he's Miss Green's nephew. Patrick this is Agent Minelli, he owns this his house."

"Pleasure to meet you son," Minelli said, shaking his hand.

"You too sir," Patrick replied politely, pasting on another one of his best charming smiles.

"Is Teresa treating you well?"

"She's nice," Patrick answered, giving the young girl a sideways glance.

"Good, good. Well, I won't bother you two any longer. Enjoy your meal," Minelli said.

"Thank you," Teresa and Patrick said together before digging into the meals that were in front of them.

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A few hours later, the Lisbons, Alex, and Amy found Teresa and Patrick sprawled out underneath the Christmas tree, fast asleep with crayons scattered around them, their faces were bathed in white twinkle lights.

"See," Amy whispered, nudging Alex. "I told you that they'd be good for each other."

TBC. . .

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Author's Note II:

I hope you will take the time and leave your thoughts on this first chapter. I am really excited to share this story with you. I'll be updating soon because this is a long story. Tell me what you think in the box below. Thank you.

Love,

Holly, 11/30/2013_