A/N: I can't believe I'm saying this but... There's no angst whatsoever in this story. As opposed to "Locker Room Talk" (which would sound so much cooler as a title tbh) this is sweet and a little nostalgic. Enjoy :) x
It was quiet in the Locker Room, something very unusual, when Jane stepped in. Carefully, as to not disrupt this peaceful calm, she stepped over to her locker, looking around in the deserted room.
She would be leaving for Quantico on Monday, so this Friday at work would be her last one for a few months and she had to clear out her cabinet for now. It was a rather bitter sweet task, she thought. It made her sad to be leaving all her friends – her family really – behind her, as well as this whole building she had grown so accustomed to and of course – Kurt.
Jane smiled at her over- protective boyfriend who was already going out of his mind at the prospect of not being able to see her for at least three months – at which point they would have their first real holiday. But she knew he was also incredibly proud of her and had no doubt that she would succeed. Sighing she opened her locker, well that made one of them.
She, on the other hand, was extremely anxious about this new adventure. Not about the tasks she would have to solve or the training or any of that – she was fairly certain that she would excel in the actual schooling part. She was more worried about her fellow trainees. Sure, they probably weren't the worst kind of people – they had to have some kind of qualification for this – but still, she hated the looks she got from people she just met, the talking behind her back,..
At least she wouldn't be completely on her own. She would be meeting Reade again and for that she was glad. He had left about two months prior and she hadn't seen him in all that times, only keeping contact through text messages every once in a while. Having a familiar face there would probably make this whole thing a lot easier. But still not easy.
Distracted from doing what she came here to do – clear out her locker – she let her eyes wander through the room that looked just like it always had, even though she felt it should look differently. It should know that she was about to leave. But maybe the locker room thought it wouldn't change anything at all.
Or, she thought shaking her head at herself, it's just a stupid locker room and it doesn't think at all. Which seemed likely.
Thinking back, this room held so many memories for her.
She still remembered that first time she had set foot in here. On the first day the team had taken her out with them – much to their dismay. There had been so much tension between the three of them and she had just stood there, not really knowing what to do, while they got ready. She hadn't had her own locker back then. She had just walked through the door with them because she hadn't known where else to go.
Her head had been overwhelmed with all the new impressions she was getting – everything had been new to her. She had felt scared and anxious and like she didn't belong anywhere. There had been anger too – at the people who had done this to her, at the FBI because they couldn't do anything about it and at herself for not remembering.
Quickly this place had turned into a comfortable place to be in, though. It had become her shelter, a place where she could retreat to if everything became too much for her to handle. She recalled that feeling she had always gotten when they had been here, gearing up for the next mission or simply getting ready for work in the morning – like she belonged her, like this was the only place she could actually do something.
She had grown comfortable with the people in here. People who had started to become her starting point and team and after a while – a family. Everything had been so good. She remembered the banter she had been included in. How Tasha would always make fun of Reade wearing the most exclusive outfits and mocking him about how getting shot would be so expensive for him because of the ruined clothes.
Weller had usually smiled at that just a little bit – one of his almost-not-even-there-smiles – but had never joined in on the fun, he had seemed to be too serious to joke around right in front of a mission that could cost them their lives.
Now she knew better. She knew just how much fun he could be when he let go of that seriousness and the accompanying frown for just a second. She knew how bright his smile could shine and how loud he could laugh when he let loose. But he still had that serious side to him and she wouldn't change it for the world – it was one of the things that made him such a good leader and also one of the things she, personally, cherished most about him.
Also, she loved that he kept that easygoing carefree side mostly just for her. She grinned to herself, hiding her head in her locker out of reflex, thinking back to that time where he had kissed her here. There second kiss.
She had felt so lost at the prospect of being fired from the only place she actually knew, from the only thing that gave her purpose, and he had tried to cheer her up and then he had stepped closer – smiling this full smile at her, he had looked so young. With a boyish grin he had leaned over to press his mouth against hers, taking her completely by surprise. She had returned the kiss without thinking, she had wanted that for so long, and it had made her smile.
She had stolen three or four quick kisses from him before she had leaned her head against is chest, feeling his lips on her forehead.
For just a small moment he had made her forget everything and everything had been good. She had felt the butterflies flying around in her stomach and had started to hope for something more. She wanted to make everything right, for him – for them to have this chance she had been dreaming of.
Sure, after that everything had come tumbling down around her and that moment had actually been the last time she had seen the locker room in almost four months.
When they had taken her in for questioning, of course they wouldn't drag her through the staff rooms. No, like any regular criminal she had been pushed through the door of the elevator, and led straight to the interrogation room.
The first time back had her feeling out of place just like when she had been here for the very first time, only worse. Because now the looks she got weren't full of apprehension but rather hatred and she couldn't bare it. Whenever she could manage it, she would get ready before the team went in to gear up because she hadn't been strong enough to return their hatred, she had been too broken to fight.
The first human interaction with one of the team members had actually been when Zapata had given her pain meds and antibiotics after she had shot her. It had made her hope just a little bit, of course that had been a tiny step on a long road towards redemption. But it had gotten better.
After a while Tasha even managed to smile at her, looking for agreement, when she was mocking Reade again about something. She would've nodded at anything in that moment, so desperate to be included in something resembling comradeship again. It had gotten better.
She hadn't even hoped for that much improvement, but somehow they had managed to get past their mutual betrayal and distrust and when they had been gearing up for the last Sandstorm mission it had felt like home once more.
"Hey Jane" Tasha grinned at her putting her gun in her holster "You think they'll give us a day off after all this is over?"
Jane laughed "Of course they will not" she gave back, tightening her vest around her slim figure "There will be so much paper work and we will probably not get home for at least a week."
Sighing the Latina turned around to take her earpiece out of her locker "I think you might be right with that. You would think after saving the world we'd get a reward of some kind, but I guess when nobody knows the threat they've been saved from, the gratitude is rather modest."
"Awh" Reade had popped up beside them "You're not feeling appreciated enough" he smiled at his friend "For my part, I would feel appreciated enough if they would just put their guns down when they see us. No respect for authority the kids these days."
"I sure hope that this is not an accurate representation of kids nowadays" Jane joked but felt her stomach flutter with some kind of foreboding. "I hope it will be okay" she said quietly, catching Tasha's gaze which had grown somber as well.
"It will be okay, Jane. You'll see. We're the good guys, the bad guys don't stand a chance."
"They think they're the good guys as well" she pointed out "And they think we're the bad guys. And they have a huge amount of radioactive explosives and literally no qualms about setting them off. I just feel we're kind of at a disadvantage here."
"You want explosives, Jane?" she heard Weller's voice behind her and whirled around. She could feel her cheeks heat up at his amused expression and her mind wandered back to those few minutes they had to themselves in Zero Division, before National Security had come to interrupt them.
"I don't think that's what she wanted to say" Reade threw in "If she wanted explosive she would've changed sides a few months ago."
Kurt glared at him but he simply shrugged "I'm just glad she's still with us. I really don't want to fight against her when she thinks you're in the wrong."
"Ahh. Is poor Reade scared of a girl?" Tasha teased him slamming her locker shut.
Reade shook his head "I'm not scared, I'm realistic and this is not some girl this is Jane freaking Doe."
"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult" Jane grinned at him with furrowed brows.
"That's his way of saying how much he appreciates your man – sorry – woman-power" Zapata answered before Reade could think of a reply. "You ready to end this bitch?"
"Ready as we'll ever be" they replied in unison.
They had acted more optimistically than they had felt and all of them had known it. But it had helped to joke around a little, to put their fear of failure on the backburner for a little and to ignore the high stakes that were on. And after so much trepidation they had actually managed to bring them down.
And there had been paperwork. So much paperwork.
Her most treasured memories in his room, though, were far more recent. Like the first time she and Kurt had gotten into work together. They had been holding hands and he wouldn't even let her go when she opened her locker to put her jacket in.
Laughing quietly she remembered how he had stolen his share of kisses on their first day back because he was of the opinion that otherwise he would starve over the rest of the day. Turned out the kisses had only lasted till about 11am when he had insisted they should get an early lunch in but had practically insisted they would spend their break making out in this exact room.
It had been such an uncharacteristical move for him that she had been completely taken aback. It had gotten easier, though, the acting professional part.
Jane took a last look at her now empty locker and the bag she had put all her belongings into. She had actually collected a few items over the span of a few months, including two picture taped to the door, smiling at her whenever she opened it. She took those off in the end, smiling down on the faces of her dearest friends.
She heard the door to the locker room open and looked up to find Kurt gazing at her lovingly.
"All done?" he asked stepping closer to her and taking the bag with her stuff from her, taking a look into her now empty locker.
"Yep" she replied leaning into him, following his gaze "It just feels kind of bitter sweet to pack my things and leave all of this behind."
His arm came around her waist pulling her closer pressing a kiss to her temple "You're not leaving anything behind. You'll come back here and you'll get a new locker. Maybe I can manage to get you one next to mine."
She grinned up at him "Somehow I don't doubt that" she sighed "But I'll miss this."
"We'll miss you too" he whispered "Me, especially" he smiled "And that's why I want you to stop staring at an empty piece of furniture and come home with me so we can spend another unforgettable weekend together before you're leaving."
"I love you" she smiled and turned around, taking his hand, "Let's go home."