(Our story picks up ten years after the happy family reunion in Chapter 8. The teen years start now!)
Jane had seen honesty in a whole new light ever since he and Lisbon had begun being honest with themselves - and by association, being honest with each other. It was why, when Lisbon suggested that they make the memories of Angela and Charlotte a daily part of their lives, starting from when the children had been born, he was able to enthusiastically agree. Now, that the kids were teenagers, he felt he was able to explain even more of the story. he didn't go into so many details that their Malibu vacations would forever be jaded, but still, more of the realities were revealed.
Malibu. The family had been coming here once every year to fill Jane's old house/current AirBnB with love and laughter. The tradition began shortly after they were rescued from Pike, when both parents agreed they needed to get away for a while. Since then, they had always come here at a time that coincided with Charlotte's birthday, so they could symbolically celebrate with her, in her old house. They always brought the family album Jane and Lisbon had made for the kids, so they could have photos of their big sister, and so they could share their own family pics with Charlotte on her birthday too.
Jane had told the children about the old tradition of throwing flowers into the sea (the one he'd learned from the old woman at the San Felix Island tea shop), and they had insisted each year that he help them speak a birthday message to Charlotte, then toss a flower a piece into the waves so the message would get to her. Jane wished he could believe in such things, but the magical twinkle in his beloved's eyes during the annual event was enough to bring him joy at the possibility they saw, anyway.
Jane was intensely proud of both of his children, and remained immensely grateful to have been granted the opportunity to share them with someone as absolutely amazing as his lovely Teresa. Some days it still didn't seem possible that it was real. He loved her so much - more now than ever. His sunshine smile glowed even brighter whenever Lisbon was near, and he was visibly ecstatic every time he noticed how Meghan's eyes had matured to the same shade of green as her mother's, or when he noticed his tenderhearted son's need to do the right thing, just like his mom.
His Dad-heart also had worries, of course, like all fathers everywhere since the dawn of time. With Meghan, he was inwardly critical of every relationship. Not only had Meghan grown into a truly beautiful young woman at age 15, but her father was determined that no one was going to pull anything over on Patrick Jane's girl. He saw clearly that his eldest living child was quite capable of handling herself - having gained his penchant for reading human behavior, and also her mother's self-reliant, street-smart nature. Still, he was always on guard against any influences that might end up causing her undue trouble or pain.
As for Brendan, the boy didn't seem to have a vicious bone in his body. Any pain, suffering or anger seemed to be filtered through his saxophone rather than through his voice or fists. At 13, he had blossomed into a somewhat prodigious musician and producer, having soaked up every note of his mother's treasured music collection. Jane felt especially protective of his son. Brendan had mentioned a couple of bullying incidents during the last school year, but had insisted that he wasn't too bothered by it. And, though Jane had taken time to teach the teen a few techniques to help assess and push back (or run) when needed, Brendan seemed truly unaffected by the verbal sticks and stones he had had to dodge on occasion. Jane wasn't sure if the boy had simply inherited Teresa's calm demeanor under pressure, or if he'd taken his own biofeedback advice to heart, but whatever it was, Patrick was glad to see that Brendan seemed at peace with himself no matter what others thought of him.
Lisbon loved every minute of her life these days. She had worked her way back into leadership at the FBI, since the children had grown more self-sufficient, and was now heading up a task force that partnered with Cho's team in special circumstances. She was satisfied to be back in her element at work, Jane by her side, but was also glad that her new position as a supervisor meant fewer front-line altercations for herself personally. She still had a fire for staring down the evil in the world, but was glad to do so from a slight distance, deferring to her quite capable team of agents, and to her responsibilities as protector to her own family. They were all miracles, she believed wholeheartedly, and she felt commissioned to put their safety and well-being first. She'd given decades to the world at large, and was currently compelled to focus more completely on the world she and Patrick had created… the world that filled the most important sections of her heart. When she had spoken that sentiment out loud to Jane, the smile that followed was indescribably thankful. She had been telling her husband what he meant to her for years and years, but that smile showed her more clearly than ever that he truly, deeply believed it. Her heart swelled at seeing the effect it had on him, and that more than validated her career decisions.
With a couple of days left at the beach, Jane and Lisbon were in the kitchen cooking, chatting, and flirting. With an eyeroll and a grin, Meghan and Brendan moved outside to the oceanside deck - photo album in hand. Glad to be away from their parents as they got 'mushy,' the Jane siblings paged through the album with great familiarity. Most of the photos had been there when they were still babies, hearing stories about all of the faces inside during their nightly tuck-ins. As they'd grown, so had the album, with new cousins being born in Chicago, and new carnival family stopping by to get reacquainted with Jane. But one page puzzled them tonight. They risked the embarrassment of catching their parents kissing, to go back into the house and ask about the new face that they just couldn't place.
Teresa looked at Patrick with loving concern, as he continued his dinner preparations, filtering his thoughts at the question from their children.
"What's wrong with Dad?" Meghan asked, reading the tightness in her father's jaw, and recognizing his familiar 'thinking face.'
"He's fine, love. It's just that… well… it's complicated." Teresa gently defended her husband. She loved Meghan's curious nature - and so did Jane, for that matter - but she also knew that the kids had caught him off-guard tonight. She and Patrick had made the decision together to put that photo in the album this year. They had known the kids would most likely discover it on their vacation this year. But since there were only a few days left, and it hadn't yet been brought up, both parents had nearly forgotten about the addition.
Brendan stood quietly during the whole conversation, but his eyes showed the same empathy and concern that shone in his mother's eyes. He wasn't sure why the question they'd asked was complicated, but he didn't want to do or say anything that might be inadvertently hurtful. Ever the even-tempered mediator, he waved Meghan back toward the doorway. "Hey Meg, let's give them time. They'll explain things once they figure out what they want to say, ya know?"
"Yeah… I guess you're right. But it's a little weird, isn't it? What's with the secrecy?" Meghan was not only a Jane, but a teenage girl, so it came as a surprise to no one that her reply was ever so slightly irritable, with a healthy smidge of sarcasm.
It was that sarcasm and irritability, though, that broke through Jane's tangled thoughts. He stopped and turned around, calling out, "Meghan, that outburst was so intense - you sounded exactly like your mother just then, I absolutely love it!" He broke into laughter at seeing Teresa's raised eyebrows after hearing his comments, and soon both Jane kids were rolling with laughter, watching their dad being tickle-tortured by their mom.
"How do ya like that, Jane?" She crowed as she pinned him to the kitchen cabinets, doubling down on the tickles. "Who's intense now?"
"I'm sorry! I give up! I take it back! UNCLE!" Jane shouted through uncontrolled chortles and guffaws.
Satisfied, Lisbon put her hands up in victory, and laughed along with her husband, allowing him to fully recover and catch his breath.
After a few minutes, he had come to a decision. Meghan and Brendan deserved the truth, and they deserved it sooner rather than later. "Okay kids, bring the album back over to the table and have a seat with Mom and me."
Sharing a surprised look, the two followed his instructions.
Lisbon reached out and held onto one of Jane's hands, offering support as he began what she imagined would be a long, difficult explanation.
"Okay kids, you've heard me say that my childhood was quite difficult. That I was led astray and basically abandoned by certain people who should have cared for me?"
Meg and Brendan nodded, eyebrows pressing together, in rapt attention at the weighty nature of their beloved father's words.
"Well, the short story is, the new photo in the album is... Alex Jane."
"Alex Jane?!" Meghan blurted eyes wide at the familiar surname.
"Yes, sweet Meghan. Alex Jane. My father. Your grandfather."
Brendan chimed in, incensed at this injustice. "But that's not fair! Why should he get to be included in our family after the way he bullied you? The way he taught you to take advantage of people? The way he taught you that you weren't worthy of being loved? It's not right!"
"Thank you for your loving heart, Brendan. It warms me that you want to look out for me. That you care so deeply." He reached out to squeeze the boy's hand in thanks and support. "That's a part of your mother that I see in you. It's a real strength, son. Never lose that sense of empathy."
Brendan nodded, feeling proud at Jane's words.
"But you should both know something else about Alex Jane," Lisbon started, prompting both children to listen even harder, leaning in as she spoke. "He was a pivotal part of the FBI's rescue plan that saved us from Mr. Marcus all those years ago."
"What?!" Meghan was incredulous.
"I thought it was Dad and Uncle Danny who saved us?!" Brendan argued.
Alright Boy Wonder, you chose honesty, so out with it… Jane sighed to himself, sporting a resigned smile. "Well, you two… it's a long story. I suppose I should start at the beginning…"