Once the Janes returned to Austin, the rest of the summer seemed to fly. Before they knew it, Jane and Lisbon were the parents of not one, but two high school students.
Despite being amongst the youngest in her class - just having turned 16 over the summer - Meghan couldn't wait to start uncovering hidden truths as a member of the school newspaper and was excited to try out the afterschool forensics club, which was reserved for juniors and seniors only.
Jane was secretly perturbed at seeing his beautiful daughter inching towards anything to do with the dangers of law enforcement, and didn't even want to think about the fact that she would be learning to drive a car soon, but was nonetheless beaming with pride at her pursuits. He couldn't help but smile at seeing her lean into so many of the same traits that had allowed Lisbon to capture his heart.
So many times, lately, he found himself noticing bits of Teresa blossoming in Meghan. Then he would look around to find his love, winking at her as their eyes met, both reveling in what had become a regular 'check-in,' reminding one another of the love they shared. And of how that love had outgrown the two of them, and taken root in their wonderful children. Even after their many years together, and even after parenting both kids to near-adulthood, he was still breathless in Teresa's presence. On so many of their FBI cases, they encountered couples who had grown apart from each other over time, but his love for Teresa had only grown with each passing day.
As a freshman, Brendan had found a solid, core group of friends, and exhibited exponentially more self-confidence than he'd had in middle school - thanks, in part, to his successes at music camp over the summer. In fact, the recently-turned 14-year-old had grown so much - both physically and emotionally - that many of the kids in his class didn't even recognize him as the shy, awkward kid who'd gotten picked on a bit in eighth grade.
He decided to try his hand at marching band, and had also auditioned for the jazz ensemble. His friends were fellow musicians, poets, filmmakers and all-around 'creative types.' They had already met up a couple of times in the Janes' garage to jam and improvise random 'movie scenes,' and were planning to form an unofficial school music and media club.
Lisbon had mentioned on several occasions how much she loved seeing Brendan perform. The combination of his original music, inspired by her own catalog, and the sparkle in his blue eyes as he worked audiences from the stage, just like his father, was nearly more than her heart could bear. She would often look over at Jane - when they attended school band events, or Brendan's informal gigs - and catch him projecting such pride, and love, and gratitude, that it brought tears to her eyes. In her heart and mind, no amount of good was too much for her dear husband. He had been through so much, yet a kernel of goodness had survived at the core of his heart. He deserved all of this and more. She loved him so very much.
Thank you, God, for showing him the goodness in himself through our beautiful children. Thank you for rewarding him with so much joy and love. Thank you for the many gifts that our love and partnership have brought to me… to both of us…
One day, as Lisbon and Jane arrived home from work, Lisbon noticed an envelope in the mail addressed to Meghan. The house number and such were written by hand, in a very ornate way that bordered on calligraphy. As she plopped the mail piece on Meghan's placemat, she noticed the return address, recognizing the name 'Trey' at the top. Interesting! Isn't that the quiet composer kid from that camp show? Her mom heart squeezed at the thought of her little Meghan having a handsome male pen pal.
At dinner that night, Brendan was all too happy to tell the whole story, much to Meghan's chagrin and embarrassment. Brendan had matured quite a lot over the summer, but he was still her little brother, and he was also Patrick Jane's son - Both of which combined to cause his unending delight at teasing his big sister from time to time.
"So, Trey is a friend of mine from USC's music camp. He and Meghan hit it off during the showcase at Hotel Cafe, and then at the social, they —"
"Okay, okay!" Meghan interrupted, "I think I can take it from here, little brother."
Brendan smiled, then gave a wink to his sister, razzing her just a bit. He was harnessing a bit of his father's penchant for orneriness, and was enjoying the way he'd outed this story from his sister's social life. Besides, he and she had talked a lot about Trey and the other friends they had met in LA, and he knew she had wanted to tell Mom and Dad about the social, but there had never seemed to be a good time, what with the rush to get ready for a new school year and all.
"So, Brendan introduced so many of his friends to me during the social. Trey and I remembered each other from the showcase, so it was easy to just continue our conversation at the dance. Then, they started playing a slow song, which sort of made everything get suddenly awkward."
Jane and Lisbon chuckled at that. "We've all been there!" Jane related, looking at his wife with a knowing smile.
"Well anyway, Trey laughed about the awkwardness, and said 'Why don't we just dance? Then we'll have something to do besides just feel like dorks?'" She stopped to giggle. "It was so funny, but somehow made sense, so I agreed!"
"I think that's sweet." Teresa glimmered.
"Mmmmm…" Jane grumbled with discomfort, triggering eyerolls and laughs from his wife and daughter.
"Tell them what happened next!" Brendan chimed.
"I was getting to that!" Meghan laughed. "So, as we were dancing, Trey was being a little shy. When I asked him about it, he said he had a question he was afraid to ask. After I encouraged him to just say it, he asked if he could have my address, so we could be pen pals. I was so thrown off by the concept, because texting is so much faster! But Trey said there was something special about getting a handwritten letter in the mail. Then he said that he thought I was special, too, so it would match better if we were pen pals." She smiled and Jane thought he discerned a slight blush on her cheeks. "So, I agreed - how could I not, really? I was completely charmed by his reasoning. Plus, he is very fun to talk to, and we have so many of the same interests, I was glad to stay in touch!"
"How nice! I'm glad you two are able to stay connected." Lisbon smiled.
"And I for one appreciate that this is a long-distance relationship. Makes things much easier on the dads involved." Jane winked as Meghan cackled.
"Dad! It's not like that! Trey and I are only friends!"
"But you slow-danced with him." Jane countered.
"Yes, but it's not like we kissed or anything!"
"Very well then, friends it is." Jane conceded, with a playful grin.
"Besides," Meghan continued, "I have a date this weekend!"
Jane and Lisbon snapped an off-guard look at each other, having only recently come to terms with the whole 'pen pal' situation.
Meghan beamed a huge smile, looking starry-eyed out the kitchen window. "His name is… Blake." She caressed the name, as it passed through her lips, in such a way that Teresa thought this kid must be quite dreamy indeed.
The undercurrent of alarm in her parents' faces was neither unexpected, nor was it lost on Meg. "Yes, Blake." She repeated, with a raised eyebrow and a side-smirked mouth. "Named after the singer not the poet, so don't worry!"
Looks of surprise, from both parents, made it clear that they hadn't realized she had seen their shocked looks for what they were, and also that they had no idea how she could have known that making that "singer/poet" distinction would be important to them.
"Why so surprised?" Their daughter marveled. "You don't think Brendan and I were listening every time you guys talked to Uncle Cho or Mr. Abbott about the Blake Association? And all that happened when you were still in California?"
Jane's expression morphed to one of love and pride, as he relaxed back into his dining chair. "Indeed, sweet Meghan. You amaze me every day with your sharpness, observational skills, and mental acuity, my dear!"
While still basking in her father's praise and pride, Meghan's attention went to Lisbon. "What do you think, Mom?"
Lisbon was glimmering at her daughter, who had always taken after Jane, full of emotion. These amazing children… she prayed thanks for them both - for her whole amazing dream-come-true of a family.
"What I think, is that I cannot wait to meet this young man. He must be very noteworthy to have captured the eye of a beautiful and intelligent young woman like you, Meghan!"
Meghan Elizabeth grinned from ear to ear with that endorsement, then cleared her dishes from the table and skipped happily up the stairs.
After his girl had giddily disappeared from sight, Jane checked in with his youngest. "Hey there Brendan?" Jane spoke with tender concern. "You okay, son?"
Brendan had gotten quiet, and looked quite sullen, in the wake of all the talk about dates.
"Do you think she'll get married to Blake? And move out?" One of Brendan's new friends from school had an older sister who was getting married soon. He had begun secretly dreading the idea of losing Meghan ever since.
Lisbon quickly moved to the chair beside their sweet son, who was nearly in tears at the thought of his sister living anywhere other than under his same roof.
"No way, Brendan. There are years and years between a first date and a wedding. And it's incredibly rare for a person's overall 'first date' to end in matrimony."
Her son immediately lightened with relief. "Oh good! I would really miss her!"
"As would we all, son. Love you!" Jane called as his enlivened boy tore up the stairs.
The arrival of the weekend was announced by a ring of the Jane family doorbell. Patrick answered, so was the first to lay eyes on the famous 'Blake,' who had so captured his beloved daughter's attention. "Blake, I presume?"
"Yeah. Hi. Is Meghan here?" The boy blurted awkwardly, obviously without any training in the etiquette of approaching a girl's father for the first time. Jane briefly flashed back to the terrifying moment when he'd first met Angela's dad. Of course, that was a little different. Mr. Ruskin was a blades man, and it stood to reason that a boy wouldn't want to anger a man who threw knives for a living.
"She's almost ready, Blake. Please, come in!" Jane moved out of the doorway, gesturing the teen inside with his free arm. After a few attempts at starting a conversation with the boy, it became clear to Jane that Blake wasn't a talker. At least the guy had no interest in talking with him. So, the two men stood in the entryway, locked in a power struggle, masked as a staring contest. Lisbon watched from the kitchen, rolling her eyes at the testosterone flying in her front hall. Meghan would probably beat both of them for the win, she thought with a chuckle.
Jane had dealt with young ruffians like this plenty of times in his life. Heck, he'd BEEN young ruffians like this plenty of times. He stared into the cocky glare he was getting from Meghan's date, and began to speak in a low, calm voice that belied the simmering fires of warning that burned in his eyes. "Blake, I know what you're planning, and… Just DON'T."
Meghan rounded the corner, right as Jane clapped him on the shoulder. His daughter snapped her head around and gave him a knowing glare of her own. Damn… Not quick enough, he thought to himself. But at least he could rest easy knowing that Meghan would be safe tonight. Sure, she knew he'd hypnotized her date, but it was worth it to know she was safe.
As the teens left for their night out, Jane walked back to the kitchen to confess to Lisbon. She'd know what to do. He so wanted to protect his sweet, beautiful, smart-as-a-whip Meghan Elizabeth, but his heart was a little heavy. He suspected he may have gone too far tonight. He worried that he may have just ruined his relationship with his daughter.
"Meghan's smart and can take care of herself Jane."
"He's not right for her."
"I agree. But she needs time and space to figure that out for herself. If you keep interfering, she won't have the opportunity to do that."
Patrick's head dropped. "You're right, of course. So, what do I do now?"
"Let me talk to her."
Jane nodded gratefully, and went to make some tea to calm himself. "Want some chamomile, love?" He offered to his wife and counselor, as she moved to the livingroom.
"Sure!" She glimmered, settling in for a long chat on the couch, with her heartbroken husband.
Later, Lisbon was alone at the table, sipping some decaf, when she heard the front door slam shut. Uh oh… she thought. Sounds like she's amped up.
Teresa waited patiently for Meghan to arrive at the table. They had established this tradition when Meghan had first begun going out with her girlfriends. No matter how late her curfew was, Lisbon was always sitting at the kitchen table, mug in hand, ready to hear all the news her bubbly and verbose daughter wanted to spill.
Tonight, it was clear by the way the girl plopped heavily into her chair that she needed to vent about something. Lisbon had an idea what that was about. Still, the two sat in silence for a long while.
"Hot cocoa, love?" Lisbon offered.
With an exhale of relief at the broken ice in the room, her daughter gladly accepted.
"Please - Thanks, Mom!" She smiled gratefully at Teresa, as her trained-negotiator-mom continued to diffuse the situation with an extra swirl of whipped cream on the surface of the steaming chocolate beverage.
"Here ya go, Meghan!" Lisbon smiled to her eyes, trying with all her heart to convey understanding and safety. She knew her girl was upset, and she hoped that she could make her comfortable enough so Meghan would share her gripes right there at the table with her, rather than bypassing Mom, in favor of a secret gripe session with her peers. The latter would make it much harder for Teresa to help mend any fences between her two loves.
"You seem unsettled, Meg? Care to share?" Lisbon asked gently.
"Mom, do you have any idea what it's like as a teenage girl to have a dad who is a human lie detector?"
There it was. Teresa had secretly hoped that something else might have been the primary cause of her daughter's consternation, but was nonetheless glad that her girl had gotten right to the point. Now she could try to massage things a bit between her and Jane.
"I can empathize, Meghan, but do you realize how lucky you are that Patrick Jane is your father? At least he's not an abusive alcoholic who beats you? At least he's not a conniving crook who's training you to con people? And when was the last time that you asked your dad a question and found him zoning out, or not really paying attention to what you were saying? Have you ever felt 'not heard' by your father?"
Megan looked down, suddenly ashamed, and shook her head.
"See? I know it's hard sometimes, and I agree that his ways are often non-traditional at best, but you have such an amazing father and I don't want you to ever lose sight of that. He loves you so dearly, and will always want to save you whether you like it or not." Lisbon smiled at the echo of Jane's promise to her so many years ago
"Okay fine." Meg began, with the unimpressed look of all teenage girls everywhere. "But did he honestly think I couldn't see Blake's intentions myself? You guys always go on about how I'm such a great judge of character… how I discern people's behavior and tells so very well. But that all goes away when the subject is a cute boy?! Please. I'm no flower in need of defense. I saw exactly what he wanted tonight, and I would have punched him in the nose if he'd tried it. And then he would have seen that he'd crossed a line. And then we could have honestly seen if we worked together as a couple or not. But now, since Dad subverted his will, that moment of clarity has been either erased entirely or at the very least been postponed." The girl crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, to punctuate her point.
Lisbon paused momentarily, in stunned silence at her young daughter's deep wisdom - A dumb grin on her face as she looked at the girl with both amazement and empathy.
"You're right about that, Meghan, I'm proud of your insights. You honestly do exhibit a maturity that is beyond your years when it comes to interpersonal relationships and human behavior." Lisbon held her daughter's gaze with a beaming proud smile. "And, speaking of crossing lines, Dad knows for sure that he went too far by doing what he did. I think if you give him the chance, he'd love to tell you so himself. It's been decades since I've seen such a look of regret and fear in your father's eyes. He feels terrible, and I think he's petrified that he's alienated you forever."
At that, Meghan softened a little. "As if I could manage to be mad at him for that long," she snorted.
Lisbon's face lit up with a knowing smile, "Relatable."
Mother and daughter shared a laugh of mutual understanding, and sealed that sentiment with a hug.
Watching from between the railings, just behind the top of the staircase, Jane grinned wide at the scene, grateful tears escaping his eyes. He had so chosen the right woman to mother his children. Teresa was so amazing. His heart was full of love for her, and hope for his future confession and apology to their daughter. "Thank you…" he whispered to no one in particular, through a sigh of relief.