Chapter 3
I apologize for the delay in this chapter. As I said before most of the story is written, however this chapter I had to write from the beginning. Thank you for the follows and reviews for the previous chapter.
Disclaimer:Don't own the show
Lisbon watched as her brothers, nephew and husband lined up with their catches proud and ready to be praised over their proud trophy fish. The boys' enthusiasm was contagious as well sweaty.
"I caught the biggest." Jason said. "A five pound walleye!" Jason said with a toothy grin showing off the large fish on the line.
Karen picked up Paul and walked happily to her son. Lisbon followed and Annie Lou skipped excitedly to her brother. "Ooh, ooh, I want to see."
"Wow, it's gigantic." Annie Lou observed the fish her brother proudly held up.
"That's great, honey." Karen smiled. "I'm so proud of you."
"What are the small fish?" Annie asked as the young adult came closer.
"Oh, perch." Tommy replied to his daughter. "You should've come."
"I enjoyed being with the girls and babies." Annie said.
"Did you have a good time with mommy?" Jane said as he saw Lisbon carrying Lisby Michelle. The baby reached out to her father.
"Here, hold this." Jane said to Lisbon as he handed the lined fish and pole. She rolled her eyes and took it with her free hand and handed the baby to her husband.
"She was fine with us." Lisbon said.
"We better get our catches in ice." Stan said as he headed away from the beach towards the campsite.
"We can have a fish fry tonight." Karen suggested.
"Yeah, great idea, hon." Stan said to his wife.
"I want hot dogs." Annie Lou said begging with wide eyes to her mother.
"We can have hot dogs too." Karen said. "Right now let's have some sandwiches and chips." Lisbon smiled to herself as she witnessed her family doing simple tasks such as fishing and camping. She winked and grinned at Patrick, "You really do have a family here, you know."
"They're great, Teresa. I appreciate this family so much."
"It's really thanks to you that you have brought us together. I would've been left in my stubborn ways of not seeing them." Teresa admited. She spent too many years ignoring her brothers and feeling guilty over leaving them.
"All they really wanted over the years was their sister." Jane said.
"Yes, I know." Lisbon answered. A cloud of memories floated by Lisbon's mind as she went back to one specific time.
Lisbon stayed busy working at her desk writing up reports. Those reports included explaining one of Jane's crazy stunts. It was Thanksgiving week and she had no plans to see her brothers. It was difficult to get away being a cop. Van Pelt had plans to travel to Iowa to visit her family. Cho was visiting his parents in Oakland. Rigsby was celebrating with family. As far as she knew, Jane wasn't celebrating. He hadn't celebrated holidays since he started working with the CBI. She guessed he was too focused on Red John or it was too sad for him. Her brothers were doing their own celebrations. Stan was celebrating with his in laws. He had two children, Jason and Annie Lou and his wife Karen. She had seen them on rare occasions, but hadn't traveled much. Tommy was with Annie. She didn't really know where Jimmy was at this time as she didn't hear from him much. She heard a light knock on her door. "Come in!" She tensely said without looking from her desk.
"I'm so glad you're so thrilled to see me." She heard Jane's voice say sarcastically. She looked up and sure enough Jane was entering her office but then looked down again pretending not to notice him.
"I got a headache because of you." Lisbon looked up and frowned at the source of it who had slipped on her couch and laid down with his hands behind his head.
"The pleasure's all mine, my dear." Jane looked at her and grinned.
"I'm serious. You are the cause of all my pain." Lisbon said seriously.
"But Lisbon, your job would be boring without me. If it wasn't for me you'd be doing the same old, same old cop thing and not get cases solved." Jane elaborated.
"With no pain in the ass consultant." Lisbon responded. "It'd be a vacation."
"Speaking of vacation, aren't you going on Thanksgiving to see your brothers?" Jane asked.
"No, I'm not. There's too much to be done here. They don't want to see me anyway." Lisbon said.
"Yes, they do. You're their sister." Jane said. "Family's important."
"I don't see you going anywhere." Lisbon said.
"I'm right where I want to be." Jane said. He then turned solemn. "Unfornately I found out the hard way how important family is to me."
"I'm sorry, Jane. I didn't realize." Lisbon apologized remembering the tragedy.
"Don't be sorry about anything." Jane said. "So, what are your plans?"
"Just takeout and catching up on paperwork." Lisbon said.
"Don't tell me you're that behind on my paperwork. Come on, Lisbon let's go to the grocery store." Jane grinned getting up from the couch. "I hardly think you have enough to feed yourself and I'll cook."
"You're going to cook something for me?" Lisbon questioned.
"Yes. We're both two lonely souls with nowhere to go on Thanksgiving, why not spend it together?" Jane grinned.
Lisbon watched as Jane pick out the whole Thanksgiving works with the exception of a small turkey. He also piled up on other food for her. She had needed to get to the store but hadn't had a chance.
They arrived at her apartment and filled up her refrigerator with food. Jane grabbed the needed food supplies and started cooking.
"Lisbon, you just sit down and relax. No work for you." Jane said.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" Lisbon asked looking at the counters with the food.
"No, I do not. Sit down and watch TV." Jane said waving her out to the living room.
Lisbon grabbed the remote and turned on the TV and turned it to the football game on TV.
A few minutes later Lisbon came in the kitchen. "I want to help with something."
"Okay, you can set the table and put the dishes out." Jane said looking at the empty table.
She set the table with the plates and silverware along with the dishes of food. Finally, Jane sat down and presented the small turkey on the table.
"Anything new on Red John?" Lisbon asked wondering his progress on the serial killer.
Jane looked up. "Tonight means no work for me either. There will be no Red John talk tonight. Tonight it is just two good friends spending time together." Jane smiled.
"Fine." Lisbon said as she took her first bite of food. " This is delicious. I didn't realize you cook like this." Lisbon said surprised.
"I'm glad my culinary expertise satisfies you. My aunt taught me some and I learned some from Angela." Jane said.
"You're good. Thank you." Lisbon said.
"I thought about what you said about the team being family." Jane said.
"It's been a long time since I said that, Jane. Why bring it up now?" Lisbon asked.
"Well, for one thing it's Thanksgiving and we're supposed to say what we're thankful for. I know I haven't always shown how I appreciate you and the team."
"You don't have to say anything." Lisbon said.
"I do. I appreciate you letting me on your team. I've seen how you care about each other and the fact you even care about me. I do rely on you and the team. If it wasn't for you giving me this job, I would be nowhere. I had no place to go or anything else to do. I'm thankful for Cho, Rigsby, Van Pelt and especially you Lisbon. You are a good friend."
Lisbon fought the tears. "Thank you for saying that. This surprised me coming from you." Lisbon said.
"I can be smaltzy if I want to be." Jane said.
"Okay, I admit I'm thankful that you help us solve cases even with your crazy ideas." Lisbon said. "And you are a good person, Jane, even if you don't like to admit it."
"Lisbon, are you at least going to call your brothers?" Jane said.
"I don't know." Lisbon answered unassured.
"You should call them. You need to be thankful you have family. I don't have my family and I regret it everyday. I never appreciated them and I lost them." Jane said.
Lisbon took out her phone and dialed a number.
The family returned to the campsite and took out the bread and deli meat they had brought along with them and fixed their sandwiches. Karen set out the checkered tablecloth on the picnic table and set out the fixings. The group settled on the two picnic tables they pushed together. Karen set up the portable high chairs they got for camping. Jane put Lisby Michelle in one too. Everyone prepared their sandwiches. "I'm so starved. I'm ready for a nap. Fishing's a lot of work." Stan said taking a giant bite in his sandwich.
"I hardly think sitting at a dock is a lot of work." Karen teased.
"Waiting for fish to bite is a lot of work too." Stan protested. "Plus I set up the tent."
"I'm peckish too. And I love sandwiches." Jane said taking a bite of his sandwich.
Tommy and Stan looked bewildered at Jane's choice of words.
"It's really great that we all can get together as a family." Jimmy started.
"We haven't done something like this in years, Reese." Tommy said.
"I know. I apologize for not spending as much time." Lisbon said.
"Don't worry, Sis. We all get busy. You're here now." Stan said.
"I should've been there for you more through the years." Lisbon said. "I kept myself too busy."
"But Aunt Teresa, you had to save people and that's important. You being a cop is a cool thing." Annie said. "And now it's even more cool an FBI agent."
"What are we doing tomorrow?" Annie Lou asked.
"We're going to Point Pelee National Park." Karen told her daughter.
The rest of the day was lazy and what a vacation should be. Everyone was tired and so they stayed around the campsites. The babies napped and Annie Lou and Jason played with their toys. The adults talked among themselves and past times when they themselves were young. Jane read a book he brought. It was good to relax, Lisbon realized that thinking back at that Thanksgiving made her feel how important it was that she and Jane needed someone. Jane had noone but the team and herself at the time. Now he had her, and Lisby Michelle and her brothers. She knew she always had them but she was afraid and kept herself occupied with her job.
After the sun went down the family came to life to celebrate each other. The evening campfire reflected the eyes of the Lisbon family and Jane as they roasted hot dogs and ate the crispy fried perch with French fries. Stan, Jimmy and Tommy passed around a few cans of beer as Teresa brought a bottle of Rose wine to crack open. Girlfriends Julie and Tara laughed and wrapped in blankets around them as Julie brought out her guitar and started playing some campfire songs. Lisby Michelle's eyes were drooping heavily as Teresa rocked her gently. Maybe camping was not that bad after all. She held onto Patrick's hand as he watched his family glow in the love of the embers of the campfire.
Just a reminder if you haven't read Our Life From Now On. Annie is Tommy's daughter and Annie Lou is Stan's daughter. I did that so there is no confusion with the two Annies. Julie is Jimmy's girlfriend and Tara is Tommy's girlfriend. I broke up Lucy and Jimmy in Our Life From Now On. Next chapter will be the park. Point Pelee is the national park I went to in Canada. I started writing this camping story on vacation.
The flashback is set around the fourth season.