The night after the Wylies' marriage announcement and party, the whole Jane family, including Trey, whom they'd happily claimed after the engagement, were waiting to catch the Austin debut of Briar Rose, featuring Brendan Jane, and his local friends, who were playing in the band tonight. As the musicians were setting up, and the crowd was filling in, Patrick and Teresa were catching up a little with their favorite son.
"So, when do we get to meet this amazing girl?" Jane asked, eyes twinkling at the thought of his sweet boy being in love.
"Actually, she recognized you, Dad, when I showed her pictures of my family."
"What?!" Lisbon said with surprise, right as the girl in question walked up to put an arm around Brendan's waist.
"Yes!" Brendan paused for a quick kiss and a smile at his hazel-eyed, raven-haired love. "You'll never believe this, but apparently her mom met you guys - well… via a video link anyways - back in California! Mrs. Sullivan said that her mom - Briar's grandma - had called her to say she'd been intentionally infected with some deadly disease she was studying. Apparently, Briar's grandma died, while her mom was still video-chatting with her. Her mom said that Dad spoke with her from Dr Seberg's video screen just after, and helped her to center her mind a bit in the aftermath. She'd been recording the call, as she always did when the two spoke, and had saved a screenshot of you. Briar always asked to see that pic when she heard her grandma's story. Mrs. Sullivan told me that your advice and encouragement saved her life, Dad. And she was completely serious about that. So, thank you! Without your empathy and care, this amazingly talented, beautiful woman would have never existed." He looked into Briar's green-brown eyes with great affection.
"Briar, your grandmother was Alicia Seberg?!" Jane was amazed at the possibility - and at the fact that his son had just complimented him on his empathy and care. Usually, those terms were used to describe his lovely Lisbon. He rather liked being accused of exhibiting such traits, himself.
"Wait, the researcher who was murdered?!" Lisbon's jaw dropped.
"The very same!" The spunky, tattooed, leather-wrapped singer confirmed, with a slight Boston accent. "My mother is Isabel Sebring Sullivan. I owe you quite a lot, Mr. and Mrs. Jane. Without you both, I wouldn't have been born. AND I'm also way grateful that you two got honest with each other about your feelings - cause otherwise I would never have had the honor of knowing your incredibly amazing son." She kissed Brendan on the cheek, and leaned into him, resuming the gum chewing she'd stopped for the kiss.
"Aw…" Brendan mumbled, "shucks."
Patrick and Teresa shared a quick glance that said many things all at once: Wow, really?! Alicia Seberg?!; Briar Rose is not what I expected - tattoos and leather? - but I really like her!; It's so sweet the way she and Brendan look at each other, isn't it?; and last but not least: Briar Rose, huh? Interesting shade of color…
Jane recovered first. "Welcome to Austin, Briar! We've heard so much about you!"
"Thanks Mr. Jane!" She reached to firmly shake his hand.
"And we are more than happy to have had the opportunity to support your mom after such a tragic loss." Lisbon reached out for her own handshake.
"Firm grip, Teresa!" The young woman said, in a tone of voice that reminded Lisbon of her brothers during a football game. "B always talks about your strength - both physically and of character. Says you're sort of a bad ass!" Briar beamed with respect.
Slightly taken aback by the woman's brashness, Teresa smiled and stuttered a thank you.
With the introductions out of the way, Briar went to do soundcheck, and Brendan slid over beside his mom. "Sorry Mom. I know she can come off as a bit much, but believe me when I tell you she's all heart underneath the tough shell."
"All heart, under a tough shell... I think I've met a woman like that!" Jane glimmered, leaning in to join the conversation.
"Stop!" Lisbon rolled her eyes and swatted at her husband, before turning back to Brendan.
"So, Brendan, what is it about this particular tough girl that grabbed your heart?" Teresa's eyes sparkled, happily curious to know what had her tender-hearted son so hyped up for this leather-bound songstress.
A soft smile immediately overtook Brendan's face. "Briar is… she's just so amazing! Her hypnotic singing voice, powerful and ethereal at the same time… her hazel eyes, flecked with green, gold and brown - 'because just one eye color would be boring,' she says." He paused to chuckle. "But also… maybe mostly… she doesn't let most people see inside, but for whatever reason I've always been able to see the vulnerable heart that hides behind her tough girl edges. It's like I've always been drawn to that part of her. And I'm compelled to protect her - from herself and from others who don't quite 'get' her, you know? She's sort of like a geode; rocky outsides, but uniquely beautiful at the core."
Jane took Lisbon's hand, as his son spoke.
"It took me months to convince her that she was a good person who deserved happiness. I just refused to let her talk me out of loving her."
"Relatable" Lisbon smiled, looking over at Jane.
"She's got quite the unique name, son." Patrick volleyed.
"I know - it's an amazing stage name though!"
"Is there a story behind it?" Lisbon was curious.
"Not a story per se, but her parents were apparently huge Disney fans. Met at some Comic-Con dressed as Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip. They named her Briar Rose, after the pseudonym Princess Aurora had in the Sleeping Beauty fairytale."
"What a great story!" Teresa's eyes showed her amazement. She had simply been named after her great aunt. Not nearly as romantic.
"You said her parents were huge Disney fans? Have they since ditched The Mouse?" Jane joked.
"No… well, her mom Isabel is still a big fan. Though she hasn't had the heart to really get into the fandom since Briar's Dad was killed."
Patrick's teasing smile immediately dropped, into a look of concern. "I'm so sorry to hear that. What happened?"
Brendan glanced at his mom, then looked down and took a deep breath. He worried that his answer may stir up old heartbreak for her. "Car accident. Drunk driver. Briar was just starting middle school."
"Oh. Poor girl! And poor Isabel." Lisbon's knowing empathy emanated from her every pore. She could more than relate to the losses the two women felt. Her mind careened backward in time, remembering how lost and hollow she'd felt in the aftermath of her mother's deadly accident. And at how absent her father had been, as he'd slipped into addiction and his own grief. She wondered if Isabel had been absent from Briar's life for a time due to her loss?
Jane stepped closer to his love, wrapping his left arm around her for emotional support. "That would make anyone a bit of a tough cookie." He murmured, kissing Lisbon on the top of her head.
"Yeah. Her mom was apparently a workaholic. A tireless researcher who had spent most of her early adult life trying to live up to her mother, Alicia's memory. Once she married, and had Briar, she spent the majority of her time doing mom stuff. But when Briar's father died so suddenly, her mom coped by jumping back into research." Brendan went on for a while, filling in more details: Briar's dad had adored her mother and he had adored her. His untimely death left a cavern in both of their hearts. Briar was so used to having the present support of two loving parents, but after the accident she had felt almost abandoned. Her mom eventually found her way back to a normal life-balance, but along the way, Briar had had to sort of raise herself.
Lisbon could relate. "I am so sorry she had to go through that, love. Please let her know that I'd be happy to listen if she ever needs to talk. Our stories are so similar, in that way, and if I could be of any help, please let me know."
Relieved to be past the painful subject, and comforted to hear his mother's caring response toward his usually-misunderstood girlfriend, Brendan's face lifted into a trademark Jane-grin. "Thank you so much, Mom. I'll pass that on to her!"
As their young musician ran off to do his final preparations for the show, Teresa turned toward her beautiful husband and momentarily buried her face in his chest. Jane rested his chin on her head and just held her for as long as she needed.
"I love you, Teresa." He murmured, once she loosened her grip on him.
"I know you do, gorgeous. I love you, too. More than words." She sparkled, eyes glistening with suspended tears.
Patrick beamed. "I see what you did there, clever Lisbon!"
"Nothing gets past you, Jane!" She grinned wide, nudging him as she quickly dabbed her eyes.
Briar's story had indeed hit close to home, but Teresa was shielded from the full pain of her past loss by the reality of what she and Jane had, now. She was so thankful that they had turned toward each other, finally, all those years ago. She made a mental note - for in case Briar ever did want to talk - to emphasize the reasons to be optimistic about the young woman's future; How she herself had found it possible to still build a fulfilling life, and how she'd managed to find love, despite the hurdles she'd been forced to overcome; To emphasize which parts of her happy ending had required the toughness she'd built up, and also which parts required her to set aside that same tough shell.
Once the music started, Jane and Lisbon understood immediately what their son had meant about Briar's singing voice. She had the crowd in the palm of her hand from the first time she opened her mouth it seemed. Her personality and swagger added a fun element, but it was the beautifully compelling vocal melodies spinning through her lips that really grabbed the hearts of everyone in attendance. Lisbon noticed at one point that she had been holding her breath while listening, she was so entranced.
What was also clear, was that Brendan and this siren-songstress worked seamlessly together onstage. Jane smiled, sparkling at the mutual affection and deep connection he saw between his big-hearted son and this woman who was a bit on the fringe. It was a familiar coupling, he thought. His carny self had been loved against all odds by Saint Teresa, and he loved that Brendan had inherited her loving heart, and caring spirit.
After the show, the crowd applauded for what seemed like forever. No one wanted the night to end, but Brendan stepped to the mic to voice a final thank you: "We love you, Austin! We will definitely be back! But for now, we need to say goodnight - drive safely and don't forget to tip your bartender as you settle up. Thank you!"
Brendan's bandmates and friends offered to do the tear down so that he and Briar could spend more time visiting with the Janes.
"I see what Brendan was talking about now, Briar. You are an amazing singer!"
"Aw thanks Mrs. Jane!"
"What happened to 'Teresa?'" Lisbon wondered why the sudden formality, tilting her head a bit and lowering her eyebrows in curiosity.
"I wasn't thinking clearly before - sorry for the disrespect."
"Honestly, don't worry about it. I admit your forwardness surprised me a bit, but I really would prefer it if you called me Teresa." She smiled.
"You got it, Teresa!" The woman beamed.
"You've got a good thing going here, you two." Jane chimed in. "It's obvious how great you are together. You can see it from the stage! I'm so glad you've found each other."
"Thanks Dad!" Brendan gave him a quick one-armed hug. It was such a relief that his parents were so accepting of the relationship. He knew they would be happy that he was happy, but had still been the slightest bit worried that they might get the wrong impression of his tenacious girlfriend. People usually did.
Just as the conversation was winding up, Kimball Cho walked up to the family.
"Hey Uncle Cho! Did you catch any of the set?" Brendan asked with excitement.
"Sorry, Brendan - Jane, Lisbon. I'm here on business."
"Oh?" Jane asked, a foreboding look on his face.
"Yes. Again, I'm sorry about this, but, Briar Rose Sullivan?"
The woman felt the heat of all eyes in the room suddenly turning to stare at her in curious shock. She froze, eyes looking around nervously, wondering what this was all about. Brendan took her hand in his.
"Yeah. That's me. Why?" She was afraid to know.
"Yeah, why?" Brendan echoed with concern.
"You're here to arrest her, aren't you, Cho." Jane stated with puzzled certainty.
"I'm afraid so. Ma'am, I'm sorry but you'll need to come with me."
"What?! Why?!" Brendan stood taller, wrapping a protective arm around his frightened love, flabbergasted at what he was seeing and hearing.
"Wait one minute please, Cho." Jane said. "Briar, do you know what this is about?" He looked at her intently, scanning her face and eyes for any signs of deception.
The intensity of his gaze was more than she could bear, it had already been an exhausting day, meeting Brendan's family, singing for a couple of hours and now this. "No! I have no idea!" She began sobbing and sniffling, completely petrified.
"Mom?! Dad?! Uncle Cho! You can't do this!" Brendan defended.
"I know, son." Jane spoke calmly. "We will get to the bottom of it." He put a hand on Brendan's shoulder firmly, and looked into him as he spoke.
After a deep breath, the young man nodded, and calmed a bit.
Then Lisbon stood beside Jane and spoke to Briar. "Try to stay calm, Briar. We believe you. We will come with you and Cho and work to figure this out, okay?"
Still sniffling, and showing a level of fragility that was breaking Brendan's heart a little, the young woman nodded and went out with Cho.
"Okay kids, Dad and I are going to the FBI to see what we can find out. Meghan, can you and Trey do the cooking tonight?"
"Sure Mom." Meg answered, in a daze at the goings on, and sad for how her brother was hurting.
"Brendan, we will be in touch as soon as we know anything. Go home with Meg and Trey. Say some prayers that this all gets ironed out and that Briar doesn't make herself sick from anxiety. The poor girl doesn't deserve this." Teresa spat the last part bitterly, which actually made Brendan feel a little better. He was glad to hear his mom seeming to defend his embattled love.
They learned nothing that night, but Jane and Lisbon convinced Cho to release Briar into their custody for the time being. Jane hadn't read any deception in the girl when he'd questioned her at the club. And Lisbon thought there was no good reason to make her stay in prison overnight when she and Jane were both officers of the law.
The next morning, Cho joined them at home for breakfast.
"So, I talked with Boston PD about the arrest warrant. Briar is suspected of selling narcotics and having ties to a New England drug ring. The reason they rushed the warrant is that a man was killed during the sale in question."
Jane wore a look of concentration. "That doesn't make sense to me at all. Brendan's right about this girl. She reads tough, but inside she is much too fragile and uncertain to be capable of dealing with the likes of drug dealers. She's not an addict, either."
"I agree." Lisbon added. "Either there's been a huge mistake, or someone is out to get this girl. Do we have access to the case files?"
"They're sending them from Boston today via express courier. They're allowing us to weigh in, both as a professional courtesy since Briar is a friend to our agents, and because they've been struggling to handle this drug ring and are happy to have FBI assistance."
"Wonderful, Cho. Thank you." Patrick was painfully sincere. He hated seeing what this was doing to his son, and was desperate to have some kind of control over the situation. Once again, he felt deep gratitude for the family he had stumbled into at the CBI. Kimball was such a loyal friend. "Teresa and I will be over, later this morning, to have a look."
"Sounds good, Jane. See you then." Cho cleared his breakfast dishes from the table, grabbed his keys, and left for the office.
"Dad?" Brendan called from the kitchen hallway.
"Hey Brendan! Good morning, son. Come on in!" Jane smiled and pulled out a chair for the young man.
"So, me and Trey have been talking. He's supposed to start his forensic audio study with Jason Wylie tomorrow. And I was hoping to tag along for that. Any chance we could bump that start date to today?"
Jane looked to Lisbon for an opinion, and read her answer instantly. "We think that could be worked out, Brendan. Let me confirm with Wylie, but in the meantime why don't the two of you get some breakfast from the table and prep for a day of work."
Brendan exhaled his relief and grinned in victory, as he ran to share the news with Trey.
Not long after, Meghan peeked around the corner of the room. "Hey Dad?"
"And here's the other one." Patrick smiled at Teresa, who playfully rolled her eyes at this morning's not-unexpected barrage of favors. "Good morning, sweet Meghan. What can we do for you, my dear?"
"So, we were all talking, and since the boys are both going to the FBI with you guys, I'll be here alone and Briar will most likely be bored in some cold FBI room. What if I came along with you and Briar? I could interview her a bit - would be great practice for me, and maybe could help clear things up faster, too? Plus, I think she might feel more comfortable opening up to 'Brendan's sister' than to some old dude in a suit - no offense to you or Uncle Cho, Dad."
Jane chuckled with delight at the clever spin he'd just been served. "Well-played, my dear Meghan Elizabeth! What do you think, Mom?" He looked over to Lisbon, grinning madly with eyebrows high, wearing his most irresistible 'please' face.
"So, it's 'gang-up on Mom' day, is it?" Teresa joked, arms out wide in a shrug of defeat. "Why not?" She snorted. "Suit up, Meghan! We're putting you in the game!"
Meghan's hands came together with a clap as she smiled and quickly ran to get ready.
Alone for the moment in their kitchen, Lisbon and Jane snuggled together in a relaxed embrace.
"I love how they stand up for each other, Teresa. That's your beauty shining through in them, my dear."
"And I love their clever negotiating tactics. Don't think I didn't notice the way you were glowing at Meghan's carefully worded manipulation of her father, just now. Her heart was sincere, but her eyes were full of Patrick Jane-level orneriness." She nudged him as they both laughed lightly. "But seriously, Patrick, I was beaming with pride at that, too. I love you so much, and it's endearing to see you glow at the reflection of yourself, when you look at Meghan."
Jane's face warmed to a full sunshiny smile, as he squeezed his love a little tighter. "I love you more than I can say, lovely Lisbon. You are the gift that saved me, my dear." He pressed a kiss into her hair right as the trio of twenty-something's entered the space, ready to defend Briar Rose's case.