Title: I'll Be Home for Christmas
Author: tromana
Rating: K +
Summary: Or how Patrick Jane persuaded the three Lisbon brothers to be in the same room as one another for their elder sister.
Characters/Pairings: Jane/Lisbon, Lisbon's brothers
Notes: Written for the PIRvent calendar. Also for the Paint It Red December 2012 Monthly Challenge and Mosie in the Stocking Swap.

I'll Be Home for Christmas
(Or how Patrick Jane persuaded the three Lisbon brothers to be in the same room as one another for their elder sister.)

Before…

"If you could have anything, anything at all, for Christmas this year, what would it be?"

Lisbon quirked an eyebrow at him, a tell-tale sign that she was surprised by his question. He couldn't blame her for that. October was far, far too early to be considering Christmas in some people's opinions. After all, Halloween and Thanksgiving hadn't even passed yet. But then again, the retail sector never believed it was 'too early' to start shoving the holiday spirit down people's throats. As early as July some places had their Christmas displays up and therefore, Jane believed that it wasn't too early for him to be asking Teresa Lisbon such a question.

She pretended to ignore him for a while and instead, busied herself with whatever was showing on her computer screen (knowing Lisbon, and he did, it was probably something inane and boring such as work or e-mails or the like). However, Jane knew that she was using it as a diversion while she seriously considered his question. Briefly, her eyes lingered on her cellphone before she bothered to answer his question.

"How about the day going by with nobody in the state of California killing one another?" she asked, but Jane shook his head.

"You know that'll never happen."

"Of course I know that. The holidays give people even more reason to act with exaggerated behavior, whether that is enforced festivity or violence as a result of the stress."

"Besides, that's more something that any cop would want, especially somebody who dedicates their life to investigating homicide. Be selfish for a change, Lisbon. What do you want personally?"

Again, she fell silent, but this time it didn't stretch out for an unbearable amount of time. Lisbon stared him directly in the eyes as she thought about her response. It wasn't as big a question as ones they had dealt with in the past – or ones they'd inevitably deal with in the future – but it didn't stop her from thinking about it deeply. But that was just Lisbon; she never liked to inadvertently put a step wrong. Especially not with him, she knew that he would spend hours dissecting anything she said, just to look for the hidden meanings. That was something he couldn't help; his abilities were completely ingrained into him.

"I don't want anything," she said plainly.

"Liar," he countered but she shook her head.

"Really, Jane," she assured him and turned to face her computer screen once more. "I have everything I need."

"But you need a cup of coffee now, right?"

Before he'd sat down, Jane had noted that she had drained her CBI-issue mug. He knew she liked her coffee, especially first thing in the morning. It wasn't a caffeine addiction, per se, but it did help her get through the day.

"Sure. Anything to keep you out of trouble."

Jane grinned as he whisked up her mug and strolled towards the kitchenette. He hadn't really needed to ask Lisbon what she wanted for Christmas. In reality, he already knew exactly what he was planning. It wasn't ostentatious or extravagant, but Jane knew it would mean the world to her. The only problem was going to be pulling it off.

James Lisbon.

Tracking down the brothers' contact details was notoriously easy. Borrowing Lisbon's phone for just five minutes (without her even knowing about it) immediately supplied him with cellphone numbers. All he had to do was hope that none of them had changed their numbers. From a little bit of pressing, Jane knew that none of Lisbon's brothers particularly got along with one another, but each of them adored her. However, it had never been enough for her to be able to feel like she could spend the holidays with them. It was understandable: if she spent it with one, then the others would get jealous and believe she was showing preferential treatment to that specific sibling.

Theoretically, Jane knew that he should probably have headed towards Tommy first, after all, he'd already me the man and they had some sort of rapport. However, Jane also knew that Tommy would probably be the easiest one to persuade to go along with his plans; they already liked each other and Jane had a firm fondness for his only daughter, too. As it was, he practically tripped over James Lisbon on a visit to the Emergency Room.

It had just been a simple slip-trip at work. However, Jane had somehow managed to hit his head on a concrete floor and lose consciousness, albeit very briefly. That was more than enough for Lisbon to be concerned and insist that he visit the hospital for emergency scans and whatever. He thought it was an overreaction to the situation, but Van Pelt had also glanced at him with doleful eyes and it was then that he eventually relented. Despite her insistence that he sought medical attention, she didn't however, spare him any company on the trip, not even of one of her subordinates. During his little accident, they had managed to make an arrest in one of their major cases. As a consequence, the whole unit was tied up with interviews, interrogations, background checks, telephone calls and endless piles of paperwork.

His annoyance with the visit multiplied when he was delayed by the inevitable waiting times to actually see a medic. This was a waste of his precious time; he could have been helping the team crack the suspect during an interrogation instead. However, it dissipated in an instant when the doctor, with the name tag of 'Dr. James Lisbon' greeted him in a small cubical. The resemblance to Lisbon was uncanny; they both had the exact same eyes. This was the man he had been trying to pin down for a meeting for at least two weeks. For a while, he obeyed every instruction, but eventually, he spotted his opening.

"You'll need a MRI scan, Mr. Jane. I'll book you in for…"

"Nope, can't do that," Jane answered and smiled brightly.

"Why not? Do you have metal fragments in your body? A pacemaker? A…" James started, but Jane quickly cut him off.

"No time. Busy with work. You know how it is."

A tell-tale frown appeared between his eyebrows and Jane noticed the familiar tiredness in his eyes. Just like his sister, James had clearly dedicated his life to aiding other people. It was a natural calling, especially given the heartache he had endured as a young boy.

"And what do you do for a living?"

"I work as a consultant. For the CBI's Serious Crimes Unit," he explained and smiled. "My boss is Teresa Lisbon. You'll have to speak to her if you want me to have time off."

"Fine," James answered back, a little more snappish than his professional tone had previously been.

"Or…" Jane started and he held the phone firmly down on the receiver.

"Or?" James echoed.

"You could agree to see Teresa, at work, on Christmas Eve. You know she'll be working throughout Christmas. And you also know just how much it'll mean to her."

Jane watched patiently as James pondered the ultimatum. In theory, it would have been far simpler for him to just call his sister and arrange a time for Jane to have his MRI scan. However, Jane also knew that James didn't really care about how his patients got their treatment, just so long as they did. It was all too easy for him to take a couple of hours out of his busy schedule to see his sister. He also knew that James missed Lisbon just as much as she missed him. This was the ideal excuse for them to reconnect.

"Okay. I'll do it. No wonder she always complains about you whenever we do speak."

"She talks about me to you?" Jane replied, almost too sunnily for somebody who had just received a minor head injury.

"It doesn't matter."

James ended the appointment by handing over a slip telling him where and when the MRI scan was going to be. It surprised him just how soon it was, but Jane didn't care. The eldest Lisbon brother had been all too easy to persuade. And Jane had somehow gotten away with not even mentioning that the other two brothers would be in attendance too.

Joseph Lisbon.

"Lisbon, I need some time off next week."

"Why?" she asked, and she looked dubious.

"I need to go to Atlanta, Georgia," he said by way of explanation.

"Why?" she repeated.

There was a flicker of recognition of the place in her eyes and Jane smiled too himself. Of course the place was familiar; it was the nearest airport to her brother, Joseph's, home. None of the Lisbon siblings had remained in Chicago; each one had taken flight as soon as feasibly possible. While three of them had headed to California, Joseph, the proverbial black sheep of the family, had chosen Georgia as his new home. Of course, Jane knew that he couldn't tell her his real reason for heading out there, but he had a fabricated excuse already up his sleeve.

"My cousin George is getting married next Friday. Short notice, I know, but he wants me to be his best man."

"You told me you don't have any family anymore?"

"My father and his sister were estranged. We've only been in contact since my dad died last year."

"Oh."

Her voice sounded small and guilty; he hadn't shared that tidbit of information. The fact that Alex Jane had, indeed, passed away wasn't a lie. Him having siblings was. However, Lisbon already knew that Jane's family history was complicated and thus, it was an ideal ruse to play on in order for him to escape to her brother's home.

"I didn't tell you; it's okay. So…"

"Yes, you can have next week off. You don't ever take a vacation, so now is as good a time as any. Have a nice time."

xxx

He had been speaking to Joseph over the phone for a good three weeks. More lies, this time, about how he and Lisbon had fallen in love and he wanted to propose to her, had been fabricated. Jane had said he was approaching the brothers out of common courtesy, in lieu of approaching her father. Joseph had eaten up the traditional values, the promise of an engagement for his unlucky-in-love sister, and invited him over for a week.

Joseph picked him up from the airport, just as they had organized. The man's shock of brown hair was covered by a cowboy hat, sparkling green eyes were framed by thin glasses and he wore cowboy boots with pride. Despite the wholly different attire, it was clear just how much the family took after one another. Clearly, the Lisbon genes were very strong.

"So, you're the man my sister has settled down with, eh?"

The southern drawl was unmistakable. Joseph had made every effort to fit in with the locals, despite not being born and raised as a southerner. As they walked side by side to his truck, Jane nodded and confirmed that he and Teresa Lisbon were very much in love. It was a slight exaggeration, but Jane did know that he cared about Lisbon more than anybody else since his wife and daughter. Jane eyed the truck warily; it was a mess, but he knew Joseph was a horse breeder and showman. He couldn't have expected much less; when it came to his life, which mostly consisted of caring for his horses, cleaning his vehicle probably bordered on utter pointlessness.

Jane spent the drive to the barn attempting to charm Joseph. Much of what he said seemed to go straight over his head, but the moment they parked up and headed into the stables, he brightened immediately. Slowly, he introduced Jane to the mares, Color of Authority, the retired thoroughbred and then the appaloosa, Sheza Fancy Impulse. As he listed each of his horse's achievements, pride shone through his eyes. It was obvious just how much horses ran in his blood. Briefly, Jane wondered when – and how – Joseph had managed to get into such an expensive business. But then, he probably had a natural aptitude and the family's desire to fight for whatever they believed in, he'd simply just made it possible.

Standing next to the appaloosa mare, he patted her several times. "Cassie, that's what we call her, needs to go out for a ride. Wanna go?"

"Er, thanks but no thanks. I'll watch from the sidelines."

He watched as Joseph exercised Cassie, planning exactly what to say to this man. He was a country boy now, with strong family values. While they had been sorting out the horse for her ride, he had introduced Jane to his wife, Fiona and daughters, Stephanie and Morgan. During the two hour ride, he recited his plans and only hoped that Joseph wouldn't see through the lies. Eventually, he slid off of Cassie, tethered her up nearby, stuck his hands back in his pockets and sidled up to Jane.

"So, Mr. Jane. Apart from to ask for my sister's hand in marriage, why exactly have you come here?"

"I want to propose to her. On Christmas Eve, at work," Jane answered back and the man frowned. "She insisted upon working throughout Christmas; I just want to brighten the holidays for her. And she hasn't seen you in so long…"

"You want me to come over?"

"If you can."

"And what about my horses?" he asked.

"Your wife and two daughters help you out around the barn, don't they? It'll just be for three days and you'll only be a phone call away. I'll pay for your flight there and back. Teresa always talks about just how much she misses you. It'd mean everything to her to see you over Christmas…"

"You're a good man, Patrick. I can see why she likes you. Sure, I'll be there and I'll make sure y'all have a great holiday."

Thomas Lisbon.

"Tommy! It's been a while."

Tommy Lisbon spun on his heels and turned to see Patrick Jane striding towards him. Jane, meanwhile, had been planning to make the call to ask Tommy to join them on Christmas Eve for a week since he got back from Georgia, but he just hadn't gotten around to it. As soon as he had climbed off the plane, Lisbon was calling him about a major case, where a major politician had been implicated for murder. Soon enough, he had managed to find the real perpetrator – an activist who had smeared the man's (not so) good name – as Lisbon smoothed down the ruffled feathers.

It was serendipitous that they had both chosen to do their Christmas shopping on the same day. Jane smiled when he noticed the moment that Tommy had managed to put his voice, looks and name together. Immediately, he shook Jane's hand warmly and insisted that they took a break from the shopping in order to have some eggnog and a mince pie. Tommy concluded that they deserved it; after all, shopping was hard work. It was especially hard work for him when it came to considering precisely what to get his only daughter for the holidays.

"I mean, she's sixteen! Anything I get her, she'll just be unimpressed with. Nothing is good enough for Annie these days."

"Gift cards could always work?" Jane suggested and Tommy pulled a face.

"Nah. She'd call that, or money, soulless. She'd say it 'lacked thought and imagination'. I think cleverness skipped a generation in my case," Tommy grumbled before taking a bite of his mince pie.

Jane considered Tommy's dilemma for a second and tried to imagine what he'd have been buying Charlotte this year, had she made it to the grand old age of sixteen. It was a dilemma that, naturally, he wished he'd have had to make, however it wasn't meant to be. Slowly, Jane's eyes lingered on each of the shops that surrounded them as he tried to figure out something that would impress and inspire a sixteen year old Annabeth Lisbon.

Over the past two years, he had seen Annie sporadically. Jane knew that she was developing into a beautiful young woman. It was also obvious just how much she loved her aunt. Then again, Teresa Lisbon was probably the strongest female role model that Annie had in her life. Jane knew from both Lisbon and her younger brother that Annie's mother wasn't really there for her. She had practically cut off all contact a year and a half ago, much to the despair of everyone involved. But, Annie had gotten on with life, much to the pride of her family. She had also confided in Jane once that she really liked the idea of becoming a cop still; she would love to follow in her aunt's footsteps. Anything related to fighting crime and/or parlor tricks would probably be something that Annie would adore.

"Get her a forensics analysis kit and a book to go with it. Oh, and a kit of magic tricks."

"Isn't she a bit young for that?" Tommy asked dubiously.

"She still loves anything I teach her when she comes to stay with her Aunt Reese. And she really wants to follow in her footsteps and become a cop. They'll keep her busy for hours," Jane answered with a noncommittal shrug. "Besides, I'm sure you can get one designed for adults anyway."

Tommy's eyes lit up at the concept and he shook Jane's hand enthusiastically. It was a simple thought, but it seemed like he believed Jane had just made his day. Besides, with a girl like Annie, they both seemed to know that she wouldn't have been particularly impressed by jewelry or makeup.

"Thank you, Patrick. Now what do I get Teresa?"

He almost choked on his eggnog, but Jane couldn't believe his luck. Tommy had provided him with the ideal opening, with little to no effort on his part whatsoever.

"I know she'd love to see you on Christmas Eve. It's been a long while."

"Really? That all you can think of?" Tommy teased.

"Throw in a bottle of red wine and I'm sure that she'll be thrilled."

His shoulders sagged in defeat. "Isn't she working all of Christmas though?"

"There's a little office get together on Christmas Eve."

"Thanks again, Patrick," Tommy said and stood to leave. He paused for a second. "Hang on, will my brothers be there?"

"What?"

"My brothers," Tommy repeated and stared Jane down with a trademark Lisbon family glare. "I know you, Patrick. Is this one of your tricks?"

"I don't even know your brothers. Seriously, Tommy, I was going to ask you to join us anyway!"

Tommy seemed placated by the lie, nodded, picked up his bags, said farewell and then left. Jane let go of the breath he'd been holding. He had thought for a second that Tommy had seen right through him and his whole plan for Lisbon's Christmas had come falling down around his ears.

The brothers, reunited.

"Christmas presents from Steph and Morgan," Joseph said as he placed two bags laden with gifts into Jane's arms. "They miss their Aunt Teresa badly. After the holidays, y'all have to make sure you take some vacation time and visit us. I know Teresa works too hard."

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

Jane led Joseph to one of the empty interrogation rooms. Thankfully, Lisbon was out in a meeting for at least another two hours with Bertram. He couldn't comprehend the concept of meetings on Christmas Eve, of all days, but Jane was almost relieved by it. After all, it made his plan much easier to put into practice. Even so, he knew he still had the difficult job of persuaded Tommy, James and Joseph all to stay once they had arrived. He still didn't know what had happened to cause the family to fracture, with Lisbon standing in the middle, but he hoped they could put their differences beside them, if only for a couple of hours.

"If you just wait in here, I'll come and get you when Teresa arrives."

"Got your ring ready?" Joseph asked and it took Jane a second to figure out what he was going on about. He nodded and patted his jacket pocket with a small smile. Joseph nodded in response and Jane left him to it.

Tommy was the next to arrive, with Annie in tow. Jane wasn't surprised that Annie had wanted to come along too, and he accepted her exuberant hug without question. Slowly, Tommy looked around the office and nodded in appreciation at the decorations which had been hung by Grace Van Pelt, with a little help from Rigsby. As suggested, Tommy revealed a decent bottle of red wine which he had bought his sister.

"What time is the party starting?" Tommy asked.

"Oh, not for an hour yet," Jane replied. "Where's Annie?"

They both glanced over at Kimball Cho, who was looking rather bemused at Annabeth. Jane wasn't sure if the girl was relentlessly questioning Cho about his job, playing some kind of trick on him, or both, but it wasn't too surprising. Despite trying to act like the 'cool' teenager, Annie was still a big kid at heart. Being within the confines of the CBI headquarters excited her. Jane took another glance at her before he led Tommy away. She was definitely hiding something. The question was what.

"If you wait in Teresa's office, I'm sure she'll be back soon."

"Patrick, you didn't say where-"

Jane scurried out of the room without bothering to answer the question. A text message indicated that James was on his way, but had been held up in the office after his last patient for the day took a turn for the worse. The message had been sent two hours ago, but he hadn't heard anything since. Jane found himself watching the clock; even Annabeth couldn't distract him when she tried. He needed James to get here soon; he'd kept his end of the bargain and had his MRI done without complaint, even if it had shown there was absolutely nothing wrong with his brain. If James didn't arrive, then it defied the whole objective of what Jane had planned. All three of them had to be there; that was the whole point of this.

It was ten minutes before Lisbon's meeting was due to end when an exhausted James Lisbon shambled into the bullpen. He apologized profusely and explained once again. The patient was stable, and would survive and that was the main thing. Eventually, Jane grinned and asked him to head straight to Lisbon's office, where he knew Tommy would be waiting for him. Then, he went to the interrogation room, fetched Joseph out of it and went to reacquaint the three brothers (and one daughter/niece) with one another.

"What are you doing here?" James seethed.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Tommy retorted angrily.

"I don't know what the hell y'all on about, but why are you two here?"

Tommy turned to face Jane with a murderous expression on his features. Jane watched as he balled his hand into a fist, but resisted the temptation to actually throw a punch at him or his brothers. The other two didn't look much happier either, and James was the first one to try and leave.

"Wait- Wait!" Jane shouted and James stopped. "Just remember why I brought you all here."

"Teresa," they answered in unison.

"Yes. There's nothing more important than family, especially at this time of year. Take it from someone who knows."

"Liar," Tommy seethed. "You said it would only be me here."

"For good reason!"

"Are you even going to propose to my sister?" Joseph asked. "Or have I just wasted the precious time I could have spent with my family and my horses?"

"Please. He doesn't even love her," James answered for him with a derisive snort. "And she hates the shenanigans he pulls in the office. She always tells me-"

"And me," Joseph said hotly.

"I've seen it with my own two eyes!" Tommy added.

The fact they had united against a single enemy was a relief; at least they had found a common ground to work on. However, Jane would have preferred it if they didn't all suddenly decide they hated him and worked through their issues instead of taking the easy way out. They were grown men; whatever had happened was surely something that should stay in the past, something they could move past. And if they couldn't do it for their sakes, then they should do it for their sister's.

"This is for good reason," Jane said defensively. "You're all she has now. It would mean everything to her if you could be a proper family once more. Really, I know her, and that's why I've done this."

They glanced at each other warily and then, one by one, they nodded. Jane slipped out of the office and headed back to his couch. He needed to give them a little bit of time and space to sort things out. And he genuinely hoped that Lisbon's meeting with Bertram would overrun. He had a feeling that the three Lisbon brothers would need quite a bit of time to sort out their issues.

The big reveal.

"What's going on, Jane?"

"Damn it, woman," Jane replied with affection. "Stop being so suspicious."

"When it comes to you, I'll never stop being suspicious," she countered.

Still, they walked side by side from her car to the elevator. She looked a little tired after her meeting with Bertram, but he couldn't blame her for that. The man even tired him out on occasion. Jane knew that she was watching his every move; she had literally just said she never stopped being suspicious of him. Clearly, she knew he had something planned and she was trying desperately to work out what. However, he wasn't going to give away what he had pulled off; he couldn't wait to see her expression. He knew that none of the brothers had left. Van Pelt had assured him that she would stop them if they tried, and failing that, let him know by text message and his phone had remained stubbornly silent.

The ride up to the third floor felt like it took an eternity. Not that Jane would have minded spending an eternity in Teresa Lisbon's company of course, but not when he had something very important for her planned. Eventually, the doors pinged open and they sauntered towards her office. Indistinct voices could be heard from outside and Lisbon shot him yet another suspicious look before she opened the doors.

Her three younger brothers all chorused 'happy holidays' to her at once, Teresa Lisbon was completely and utterly lost for words. And if Jane wasn't completely mistaken, it seemed like there might just have been a tear creeping to the corner of her eyes.

xxx

"What you expected?" he asked at the first moment he had a chance to speak to her, alone.

There was a festive mood in the bullpen, more so than usual. Other family members of other agents had arrived for the annual Christmas party at the CBI headquarters. Santa Claus would be on his way to treat the kids of employees and their families soon, but not for another hour or so. Cho was currently entertaining a dozy Benjamin Rigsby with a story, while Rigsby raided the food. Van Pelt was engrossed in a heated discussion – probably about horses, if he knew Van Pelt – with Joseph Lisbon. Everyone was in good spirits, and as a consequence, it made Jane feel better too. Not quite as much as Lisbon, of course, who still seemed a little shell-shocked that all of her brothers were present.

"Never," she replied. "How did you do it?"

Jane paused before he answered, but Lisbon stopped him before he had the chance.

"No, actually, I don't want to know. Thank you, Jane."

"Kiss her!" exclaimed the voice of Annabeth Lisbon from somewhere above them.

They both looked upwards. Annie was standing on a chair beside them, with a sprig of mistletoe clasped between her fingers. A beatific grin was written on the sixteen year old's features as she waited impatiently for them to obey instructions. That explained exactly what Annie had had up her sleeve earlier, and Jane knew that he shouldn't have been surprised. The girl had just played him at his own game.

"This doesn't mean anything, right?" Lisbon answered but Jane didn't reply.

Instead, he placed a hand on her cheek and leant forwards until his lips met hers. He embraced her sweetly and gently. If he had his own way, then yes, this was going to mean much more than Teresa Lisbon anticipated.

After all, he had orchestrated the best Christmas present that she could possibly have received this year. Now, he wanted to ensure that he got just what he wanted as well.

And that, naturally, was her.