Returning Storms

Chapter 1

Summary: An attempt on an FBI agent's life reveals a devious plot that puts even more agents' lives in danger, including one of the of them. Will the team be able to solve this case in time to stop whoever is behind it and save one of their own? Or is it already too late?

A/N: I know I shouldn't be starting another WIP when I have one that I have been ignoring for months, but this just came to me and wouldn't leave me alone. It's going to be a short one though. Just a few chapters. Focuses on the whole team with Jeller obviously being the main ship.

There were agents all around her. There were medical staff all around her, too. And everyone was saying one thing or another, talking over each other, and barking out orders. But Jane could barely register any of it.

Jane could barely register what they was saying— even when speaking directly to her. Just as she could barely register Reade a few steps away warding off the journalist and his cameraman who' somehow managed to get onto their floor. "What do you say about the news coming out saying that—"

"No comment," Reade said, trying his best to remain as calm as possible as he led the journalist back towards the exit. At that moment, he wished more than anything that he was not the assistant director of the FBI and just a guy who can break that journalist's arm and shove that microphone down his throat.

Jane could barely even register the way Allie had wrapped an arm around her and turned her away f rom the camera that was dying to capture a shot of the devastated and shellshocked wife of the FBI special agent who'd just been shot three times in the chest in what was being reported to be a targeted assassination attempt.

Jane closed her eyes, no longer trying to stop the tears from flowing, and the only thing she could think about— that her mind had been able to register in the past thirty minutes— was that Kurt had been taken into his third surgery in six hours and all that the doctors could offer was that "they were doing the best that they could".

The only other thing she could think of was the last conversation that they'd had— some eight hours ago—and the things that they'd said. They never fought usually, not the kind of marital fights people often had, but that morning they did. She'd been irritable for a few days and he'd been acting strange since he'd gotten a phonemail earlier that morning that he'd avoided telling her about.

Eight Hours Earlier

"Seriously, Kurt," she'd sighed as she pulled out the items from the grocery bags he'd placed on the kitchen counter upon returning, "I said I needed shampoo not conditioner. Is it too hard to tell the difference? It says it right there on the label."

"It was an honest mistake, Jane," Kurt replied in annoyance, "it's not the end of the world."

"And you forgot the potatoes," Jane huffed in frustration, "Allie, Connor and Bethany ate going to be here in a few hours and we're not even—"

"Fine, fine," Kurt threw his arms up and walked over, showing the conditioner back into the bag, "I'll go back and get the potatoes and exchange this for your precious shampoo!"

He slammed the door behind him and left.

And that was the last she'd seen of him or said to him until two hours later.

Present

"Of course," Allie spoke into the phone, "we'll let you know the minute we hear anything. Have a safe flight."

Allie put the phone back into her pocket and returned to her spot next to Jane in the hospital waiting area. "Sarah's boarding now," she told Jane, who in return just nodded absently, her eyes glued to the door from which she was praying a doctor would step out soon with new— any news at this point.

"Weitz! What the hell!" Reade called out as the NYO director exited the elevators onto the floor, "I thought we agreed no press. Why am I having to deal with them shoving mics and cameras in my face?"

Weitz put his hands up in defense. "We're doing everything we can downstairs. But some hospital staff are helping them sneak through."

"We need this floor in lock down," Reade ordered one the agents on the floor, "no one in or out except the medical staff we've vetted and approved. This isn't a joke!"

"Any news on Weller?" Weitz asked, shooting a look towards Jane.

Reade shook his head. "Nothing yet," he said, "he's still in surgery. Third one."

"What about the shooter?" Weitz asked.

And again Reade shook his head. "Nothing from the scene to help us with anything yet. All we can tell so far is that it's a professional job," Reade said, "someone clearly hired an assassin to take down Kurt. We just don't know who or why or where they are. And that's why we can't have just anyone walking onto this floor."

Reade dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "Rich and Patterson are back at the office trying to find out something… anything… and Tasha is still at the site. We should have something soon."

"I hope," he added as he glared over towards Jane.

Seven Hours Earlier

"Mama! Mama! Look!" Bethany bounced on Jane's lap and turned the phone around to show her mother the screen, "look at this funny picture me and Mama Jane took!"

Allie looked at the screen and smiled at the faces they'd made in that picture— the fiftieth selfie they'd take since the three of them had arrived at Kurt and Jane's.

"That's hilarious, B!" Allie said.

"Let's take another one, Mama Jane," Bethany announced as she turned the phone back around and pulled another silly face. Jane smiled, and then matched Bethany's look, sticking her tongue out and blowing her cheeks.

"Ok, B, you gotta stop now and go clean up," Allie said, "Daddy's gonna be home soon and we'll have lunch."

"Ok, Mama," Bethany said, and then handed Jane the phone and hopped off her lap.

Jane watched her leave and then looked at her phone. Kurt should have been back by now. The store was literally two blocks away. She tried to suppress her anger, trying to find excuses for him other than him just doing this to piss her off because she made him go back. She knew it wasn't like him, but he hadn't been acting like himself all morning. She put the phone and got up, heading towards the kitchen to check on lunch— which was still waiting for the potatoes to be complete.

Present

"That was Tasha," Patterson said as she hung up the phone, "she's gonna stop by the hospital on her way back here."

"Please tell me she has some good news," Rich sighed.

Patterson shook her head. "Nothing new," she said, her tone almost defeated.

"Then it's up to us to find out something helpful," Rich replied, trying to add an upbeat tone to his voice.

"From what?" Patterson said.

"Come on, now, Patsy Pat," Rich said, "it's not like you to act so defeated! You're the MVP, you always have a trick up your sleeve!"

"I'm all out of tricks, Rich," Patterson said, "I honestly—"

"Don't you dare say it!" He reprimanded her, "not now, not about this!"

He walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "This is Kurt we're talking about," he said firmly, "we're not giving up on him. Not now and not ever. You hear me?"

Patterson nodded. "Good," Rich said, "now go back to your computer and figure something out because we will get to the bottom of this. They might not let us into the OR but I'll be damned if we just sit here and let that bastard get away with trying to kill one of us!"

Patterson gave him a weak smile and walked back towards her computer. With a new found determination, she started working again.

A few minutes later, she looked up. "This is weird," she said.

"What? What is it?" Rich asked.

"Kurt got a call this morning from Catherine Locke," Patterson said.

"Who's Catherine Locke?" Rich asked.

"She's Thomas Locke's wife," Patterson explained, "he was an agent here when I first started. He left the bureau eight years ago, I think."

"Is Weller still in contact with him?" Rich asked.

Patterson shrugged. "I'm not sure," she admitted, "I've not heard him mention him for years. Why would his wife call Kurt?"

She went back to her computer and it only took her a minute to look back towards Rich with wide eyes. "Thomas Locke suffered a stroke last night," she said.

"Ok… where are you going with this?" Rich asked, his interest peaked as he walked over to her.

Patterson started typing quickly again, trying to catch up her typing and search with her thoughts. "The main thing that connected Weller to Locke was that they were both part of this elite task force," Patterson explained, "it was almost a covert op that lasted eighteen months."

She turned and looked at Rich. "They were the ones who took down the Williams crime family."

"You mean… that huge story from like ten years ago? Fifty two people indicted?" Rich asked.

"Exactly," Patterson said, "Mayfair headed the task force. They were seven agents and two informants. Locke and Kurt were two of them… Oh my god."

"What is it?" Rich asked, taking in the way Patterson's face had suddenly turned white.

"Lisa James… she was one of the agents," Patterson whispered, "she was in a car accident yesterday morning."

"This cannot be a coincidence," Rich replied.

"No," Patterson said, "no, it can't be."

"Who else was in the task force?" Rich asked nervously.

"Besides Kurt, Locke and James… there was Don Shipley, Colton Barry, Doug Jones, and Allison Knight."

Seven Hours Ago

"Where the hell is Kurt?" Jane muttered to herself as she pulled the roast out of the oven. She'd been calling him nonstop in the past hour but his phone was sending her straight to voice mail.

"When's daddy coming home, Mama Jane?" Bethany popped up from behind the counter with an innocent smile.

"Soon, Little Bee," Jane replied, "I'm sure he's going to opening this door any minute now—"

Just then, the door bell rang. He forgot his keys too, she bought to herself as she placed the food on the table and started to walk over.

"It's ok," Allie called out as she was closer to the door, "I got it."

Allie opened the door, just like Jane expecting to see Kurt, but instead, she came face to face with two uniformed police officers.

"Mrs. Weller?" The older officer said.

Allie frowned and shook her head, looking over her shoulder to where Jane was approaching.

"I'm Mrs. Weller," Jane replied anxiously, "what do you need, officers?"

"We're here about your husband."

Present

"I don't understand," Jane looked up at Reade, "someone is coming after Kurt and these agents for a case from ten years ago?"

"That's Patterson's theory," Reade replied, "yes."

"Who is it?" Jane asked.

"We don't know yet," Reade admitted, "but for now, we're reaching out to all of them to get them to safety," he said and then turned to Allie, "that includes you too, Allie."

"No," Allie shook her head, "I'm not leaving."

"If Patterson's right, then you're a target, too," Reade argued, "you need to—"

"I need to stay here," she said stubbornly, "make sure Bethany is safe. She's at my mom's. Send a detail there. But I'm not leaving."

"Allie, you have to—" Jane turned to her to say.

"I'm staying with you, Jane," Allie said, "he might not be my husband, but he's Bethany's father. I can't—"

"Ok," Reade said, "we'll inform Connor of what's going on and I'll send agents to watch the house. This floor is secure now," he added, "we're only allowing hospital staff we've vetted and there are more agents here than in SIOC."

Jane and Allie both nodded. "Sarah's—"

"I know," Reade said, "I am sending agents to pick her up from the airport and bring her straight here."

"Thank you," Jane whispered.

"I'm gonna go back to the office now," Reade said, "now that we have something to work with… I'm more useful there than I am here."

Half an hour later, almost nine hours since Kurt was shot a few steps away from their home, Jane and Allie still sat in the waiting room, with nothing new from Kurt's doctors. Jane had said nothing since Reade had left. And Allie was sure she had not eaten or had anything to drink all day— the lunch she'd prepared was still sitting on the kitchen counter, completely forgotten.

Allie grabbed the water bottle she'd bought hours ago for Jane and once again tried to hand it to her. "Jane—"

But Jane just shook her head and looked at Allie. Her eyes were red, cheeks streaked with tears and skin terrifyingly pale.

"I can't lose him, Allie," Jane cried, "I can't… I don't know what I'd do without him… he's… he's my whole world."

So what do you guys think? Worth giving this a shot? It'll probably be four or five chapters max and even though Kurt and Jane had little to do in this chapter, they will play a bigger role later... you know when Jane isn't in shock and Kurt isn't in surgery.