Not What We Used To Be
A/N: A tag to the episode Jack and Jill (S3E6).
Reddit dialogue prompt: "Why do you care?"
Short one-shot that leaves things unresolved. Might continue this if there's interest. It bugs me so much that the whole xanax and alcohol issue is simply dropped like it never happened and we suddenly see Brie not taking any more again or struggling from cutting them cold turkey. Her and Jack never talking about it. His not digging for answers on what has his sister so upset and scared enough to run away.
It's also all over the place with Brie and Jack, like their relationship isn't really explored or given any depth. One minute Brie's like you're a stranger and the next they hug it out casually with Jack never really trying to figure out what's going on.
This one-shot doesn't explore any of the above for now. It's just where the muse took me for the dialogue prompt. But if there's interest I'd consider exploring all these with a few more chapters.
So, if you enjoyed this and would like to see more, review and let me know. I've no idea where exactly I could take this, but I don't mind having some fun with it.
Brie walked to the first-aid station, her smart outfit standing out in the sea of flannel shirts and denim. The air around her was filled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked goods, mingling with the scent of pine and sawdust. Laughter and chatter surrounded her from every direction, a stark contrast to her inner turmoil.
"Oh, you came!" Mel called out with a big smile when she saw Brie approaching.
Glancing down at her outfit, Brie chuckled self-consciously, feeling slightly out of place. "Yeah! And it seems like I missed the dress code memo," she quipped.
"Well, they do sell fake beards in one of the tents, so you could always blend in," Mel teased, eliciting a genuine laugh from Brie. The idea of her donning a comically large, fake beard seemed both ridiculous and oddly tempting.
"You're sure you're up for this?" Mel asked, concern creeping in her tone, as she noticed the faint traces of weariness in Brie's eyes and the lingering paleness on her cheeks.
"Nah, I'm fine," Brie assured, mustering a smile. "Plus, I promised Jack I'd help around."
"Well, I promised Jack I'd saw down a tree with him," Mel said with a sheepish smile, having a hard time believing she actually uttered those words.
"You must really love my brother," Brie softly chuckled, smiling warmly at the redhead.
Mel's eyes sparkled with affection as she nodded. "That, I do," she confirmed.
A comfortable silence lingered for a few minutes before Brie's stomach growled, reminding her of her hunger. "Hey, I'm starving. What's good around here?"
Mel's eyes lit up with excitement. "How about we go raid the baker tent?"
"I'm in," Brie nodded eagerly, grateful for the distraction. She waited for Mel to wear her cozy sheepskin jacket before they started walking side by side towards the mouthwatering aroma wafting from the baker tent.
"I'm sorry about last night," Brie blurted out after a few silent seconds.
"Oh, no problem! I'm just glad I was there to help make sure you were alright!"
Brie noticed Mel's answer was reassuring and she was thankful the woman didn't seem to want to probe. Still feeling bad and wanting to make sure nobody was worried enough to start asking questions, she continued with what she hoped would pass as a solid excuse. "I think I just ate something that didn't agree with me."
Mel pulled her hair out of her jacket as she turned to look at Brie with an uncomfortable expression. "Um… Brie… I saw the Xanax," she trailed off, watching Brie's expression shift from confident to defensive.
Shoving her hands into her coat's pocket, Brie asked in an accusatory tone, "You went through my purse?"
Mel could read the younger woman like an open book in that minute. Until the night before, she had chalked the whole incident up to anxiety from what had happened to Jack, but now? Now she could tell there was more to this than she initially thought.
"No," Mel immediately clarified, her voice gentle.. "No, I didn't. You knocked it over as you passed out, and everything spilled out… Jack found the bottle and asked me what they were."
Eyes enlarging, Brie's gaze left Mel's face and turned upwards, her expression growing even more worried. Great. Jack knew. Just fucking awesome. Her first instinct was to be worried about this. But then she realized Jack wasn't the way he used to be, where she was concerned. He had grown distant and he probably wouldn't sweat too much over this. Brie wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse.
"So, how much are you taking?" Mel asked conversationally.
Brie considered lying but didn't think there was a point. She felt uncomfortable not knowing how Jack would react to any of this, but then again, he hadn't reacted to anything or bothered to check up on her in an awful long while, so…
"Well… One isn't enough for me, you know?"
Mel looked at her, her gaze reflecting no judgment. Just understanding. She did know. She had been there. "Have you been mixing it up with alcohol?"
At Brie's surprised glance, Mel added, "I noticed an empty wine glass last night, and I wondered…"
Unable to hide anymore, Brie let out a sigh. "It's just that sometimes I need them to work faster. But I know it was a mistake. Definitely won't happen again." Her eyes glanced at Mel, hoping against hope that she'd believe her.
She didn't.
Mel carefully weighed her options, understanding the delicate balance between offering support and giving Brie space. If she called Brie out at that moment, she might push her away and lose any chance of learning what was eating her to the point of self-medicating. And she had grown to care deeply for Brie, not just because she was Jack's little sister, but because she was slowly but surely becoming her friend. As the bustling crowd surrounded them, Mel searched for the right words to handle the delicate situation.
"Well, both Xanax and alcohol depress the central nervous system functions like breathing, so… you know… they can be fatal," she finally spoke, her words hanging in the air, causing Brie's expression to shift to a mix of guilt and fear.
"Yeah, ugh… I was just having a bad day, I guess," Brie trailed lamely, not knowing what else she could say. She felt annoyed with the knot that was forming in her throat as well as the one in her stomach. Possibly fatal behaviors didn't sit well with Jack and she knew this first hand. Yet he'd turned a blind eye too many times now. That thought instead of easing her nerves drove her even more on edge. What the hell was wrong with her? She was an adult and yet she was bitter that her older brother had finally started treating her like one?
As Mel turned her full attention to Brie, her eyes conveyed empathy and understanding, devoid of any judgment. "Look, I get it. After Jack was shot, I had some bad days," she said softly.
Brie's eyes welled up with tears, and she shook her head, feeling a sudden urge to open up to Mel. "I started taking Xanax before the shooting," she admitted quietly, surprised by her own willingness to confide in her.
Mel's concern deepened as she observed Brie's fragile state. "Oh, Brie, I'm sorry… Do you want to tell me what's going on?"
Brie fought to keep her voice steady, her eyes growing distant. "I was dating a guy in Sacramento… He, uh… He was an attorney. And it ended badly. Really badly. So, I quit my job."
A million alarm bells went off in Mel's mind as she processed the information, trying to understand what could have led Brie to leave her job, her home, her whole life and run to hide in Virgin River.
"Did you work with him?" she asked gently, hoping to gain more insight into Brie's situation.
"No. I just couldn't stomach the idea of seeing him in court," Brie responded with a nervous chuckle.
Mel nodded, recognizing that there was more to the story than Brie was revealing at that moment. And also that Brie wasn't willing to share any more with her. "I'm so sorry, Brie. You know… You should talk to Jack; he's really worried about you."
"Oh, I don't know. We're not as close as we used to be," Brie managed through a half-hearted smile, her uncertainty evident.
Mel understood the complexities of sibling relationships, especially with someone like Jack, who kept his emotions guarded. "Well… Now that you're both here, maybe you could change that. I know he cares so much about you. And he looked really worried last night."
"He did?" Brie asked, trying her best to hold back tears. At Mel's nod, she took in a shaky breath. A moment of silence passed between them before Brie regained some of her usual confidence. "So, the baker's tent… Do they have cinnamon rolls? 'Cause I'd so dig some cinnamon rolls right about now…"
Mel smiled warmly. "The best you've ever tasted."
Jack's heart was pounding as he rushed through the forest, desperately calling for Christopher. The weight of the world seemed to bear down on him, every worry and trouble crashing over him like a relentless wave. His life felt like a chaotic mess, with Mel's talk of having a baby, the Todd situation, the suspicions about Brady, his sister struggling to the point of Xanax and alcohol cocktails, and everything in between left him breathless, exhausted, and drained. Christopher going AWOL on Preach was just the final straw, pushing him to the edge. It felt like the cherry on top of a shitcake, a bitter and overwhelming taste of life's unfairness.
In the midst of this whirlwind of thoughts, he spotted Brie. "Hey! Have you seen Christopher?" he urgently called out to her.
"No," Brie shook her head, her brow creasing with concern as she noticed Jack's distressed appearance.
"Please, keep an eye out, will you?"
"Sure," Brie nodded, her gaze following Jack as he walked away. But before he could go too far, she found her courage and called out, "Hey, Jack!" When his blue gaze locked with hers, she awkwardly blurted out, "I'm really sorry about last night. I'm just dealing with some stuff and..." She trailed off, unable to find the right words to explain her struggles.
Moving closer, Jack's gaze softened with genuine concern. "I just wanna help you, Brie," he said sincerely
"Thanks, but I don't need help," she responded confidently, even as her eyes told a different story.
Jack didn't back down, his worry driving him to press on. "Why are you pushing me away?" he asked, yearning for an honest answer.
"I'm not," Brie scoffed and shook her head slightly, but her emotions were too raw to hide completely.
"Okay then, talk to me!" he urged, his head tilting to the side as he tried to understand her.
"Why do you care?" Brie retorted with a hint of disbelief.
"Why do I care?" Jack repeated incredulously. "You're my sister, Brie! That's why I care!" He couldn't bear to see her in pain, and he wanted to be there for her, no matter how difficult it might be.
As he looked into her weary eyes, his concern deepened, and he made a heartfelt plea, "Come on. Hey! Whatever's going on, I can handle it, okay? I can help you! I am here for you!"
The bitterness in Brie's mouth intensified as she heard his words, but she tried to maintain her composure.
She shrugged, simply saying, "It's personal."
"So what?" Jack responded, refusing to back down.
"So what?" She fired back. "So, Jack, before the shooting… When was the last time you called?" Her expression revealed frustration and hurt.
His heart sank with the weight of her accusation, but he refused to be sidetracked. "And? You're keeping me in the dark about something that has obviously upheaved your life because I didn't call enough?"
"No, Jack, not because you didn't call me enough. But because you haven't given a shit in too long. Because you've been a stranger," she confessed, tears welling up in her eyes, revealing the pain she had kept hidden for too long.
"Brie, come on! I love you!" Jack's heart clenched with anguish, desperate to bridge the growing divide between them.
"I love you, too, Jack. I just don't know how to be around you anymore. I don't know how to talk to you or what… what to expect from you! You haven't cared about what's been going on in my life for too long. Why should I believe you care now?"
With those heart-wrenching words, she turned away, storming off, leaving Jack standing there with a lost look on his face.
With a sour expression etched across her face, Brie stood atop the hill, gazing at the breathtaking landscape stretching out before her. The majestic mountains painted a scene of serene beauty, yet her mind was restless. Just then, she heard his voice calling out to her.
"Hey! What are you doing alone up here? Hiding?"
Her smile blossomed at the mere sound of his voice as she turned to watch him approach, looking handsome as ever.
"I just had a thing with Jack and needed the space," she replied as he strolled next to her, taking a seat on the wooden bench beside her.
"Oh. You want me to leave you alone?" Brady asked, his face and tone conveying that he wouldn't be offended if she did.
A soft smile formed on her lips as she shook her head and playfully bumped her shoulder against his. "No!"
"You okay?" Brady inquired, his eyes searching hers.
"Yeah, just… Siblings stuff," she waved it off, not wanting to burden him with the details.
Eyebrows arching, he simply nodded. "So, I was thinking about taking the bike out. Wanna go for a ride?"
Brie's interest was piqued, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Where?
"Well, there's this cool little Italian joint in Grace Valley."
"Oh, Grace Valley… Yeah… Isn't that like two hours away?" Brie asked with a smirk.
"Mhm. Why? Got somewhere to be?" Brady inquired, his brow creasing between his eyebrows as his eyes squinted and his lips twitched in a half-smirk that made her heart skip a beat.
Brie pondered for a moment. Yes, she had somewhere to be. She had a conversation to finish with Jack. She knew he wouldn't let this go until they figured out a way to move forward. But right now, she didn't particularly care about what Jack wanted. It felt like he hadn't cared about her wants or needs for so long. Why should she?
"Not that I can think of," she finally answered.
"Good," his smile widened, his signature dimples forming. Brie stood and followed after him, a sense of wild freedom sparking inside her. Not knowing what tomorrow would bring and, frankly, not caring, she jogged behind Brady and took the helmet he offered her. Putting it on, she mounted the bike, her heart racing in her chest as the engine roared beneath them. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she closed her eyes as the cold wind kissed the exposed parts of her face. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so free.
The end