I do not own Blindspot or its characters.
A/N: As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! And they help me write faster! I know updates have been slow in coming lately, but I have several in the works, I promise. :P
Two weeks later
It was good to be home.
Jane smiled as the now-familiar thought crossed her mind as she approached her destination. New York was home, and not because it was listed as her birthplace on the piece of paper the government had handed her, but because it was where she'd been reborn. She'd become Jane Shaw here, and she was eager to continue the transformation that had been stalemated with her abrupt departure. Eager to discover who she was, and what she wanted to do with her life. To finally have the freedom to do so.
To reach for that light Mac had talked about.
And she had made significant progress on that in the two weeks she had been back. She and the team had talked—really talked—the very first night she returned, and things had been steadily improving between them ever since. In fact, she would venture to say that her relationship with them was better than it had ever been.
And her relationship with Kurt . . . Jane smiled as she glanced over at him. To say things between them were better than they had ever been would be an understatement. A major understatement. Her cheeks flooded with color as she thought back on all that had transpired between them since she had come back.
She had intended to take Patterson up on her offer to crash on her couch until she found a place of her own to stay, but Kurt had asked—practically insisted, really—that she stay on his, and her intended refusal had died on her lips with the pleading in his eyes. She had never been able to refuse him anything when he looked at her like that.
And she was really glad she hadn't.
The ensuing days had been the happiest of her life. Kurt had laid all his cards on the table that first night when they got home—it was amazing how quickly she'd begun to think of his apartment that way, Jane thought now—and to say she was stunned would be yet another vast understatement. He loved her, he'd told her, and wanted her in his life on a permanent basis. In fact, he had wanted to ask her out for months before Roman's death, but between Sandstorm and Allie's pregnancy, the timing had never felt right.
He'd apologized for that, for not being there for her in the way she needed that night, told her again how sorry he was for her loss, and vowed to do better in the future if she would give them a chance. He'd seen what a shock all that was to her, and told her to take as long as she needed to make a decision. He wasn't going anywhere.
It had been his turn to be shell-shocked when he learned how much she was worth—she had shocked the entire team by purchasing the new Lexus she was currently driving in cash several days after her return—and he had laughingly confessed that if he had known that beforehand, he might not have had the nerve to tell her how he felt. She had chided him for thinking that any amount of money would change her opinion of him. In fact, it was the opposite. The last thing she wanted was a guy who was interested only in her money, and if there was one thing Kurt Weller most definitely was not, it was a gold-digger.
Still, despite her newfound closeness with the team in general and Kurt in particular, she was growing more and more certain that working for the FBI was not in her future. She didn't know what it was she did want to do as yet, but she was tired of the fighting and killing, the endless uncertainty of what she would be facing each day when she went to work. Whether she would make it home that night or not.
She'd shared those feelings with Kurt, and he'd been incredibly supportive. "That's your choice, Jane," he'd told her. "I won't love you any less whether you choose to pursue another career, or just sit around on the couch and knit."
"I don't know how to knit," Jane had pointed out, and Kurt had grinned at her as he told her she could always learn. If that was what she wanted to do. That she could do anything she set her mind to.
"And on a more personal note," he'd added, "I've already told you that I want you in my life. Whatever you see the future holding, whether you want kids or not, we'll work all that out. That's just details, Jane." He could live without that big family he'd once dreamed of, but he'd been miserable without her. "You're the most important person in the world to me."
He was the most important person in the world to her as well. She'd held off on giving him an answer because everything else in her life felt so unsettled at that moment, because she didn't yet know what she wanted, but she had no doubts about that. Whatever her future held, he would be a big part of it.
And it was time to let him know that.
Jane took a deep breath as she turned onto the street she had been looking for and parked the SUV in front of the correct address, suddenly incredibly nervous. The next few minutes would determine the course of their future. She hoped he liked where she saw it going. She hoped he was willing to take the leap of faith she wanted to make with her.
"Jane?" Kurt asked as she opened her car door, placing a gentle hand on her arm to stop her from getting out as he glanced from the house she had parked in front of to her. "What are we doing here?" There was a For Sale sign in the yard, but surely she wasn't intending to . . .
"I want to buy this place. If you like it," Jane amended hastily and rushed on at his raised eyebrow. "As you can see, it has plenty of room, and there's a nice big yard, and . . . I want you to move in here with me," she blurted out. "Or somewhere. This house was my favorite, but if you don't like it, there are several other nice ones that we can look at, and . . ."
"Jane. Stop," Kurt said gently. "Breathe." He took a moment to collect his thoughts, and her face fell, clearly certain that he was about to reject her proposal. And it certainly wasn't what he'd expected when she asked him to go for a drive with her this morning. He knew she'd been looking at apartments, and he'd been steeling himself for her to have found one she liked that she wanted to show him. "You're sure about this?"
Jane nodded, feeling the tightness in her chest loosen just a bit. "Yes. I am. I, umm . . . I've been giving a lot of thought to my—our—future these last couple weeks. I still don't have everything figured out, but I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I want us to have at least one kid of our own." She'd always known he would be a great dad, and seeing him with his son recently had cemented her desire for a child of her own to call him that. "I know it's a big step, and we're not even officially a couple yet, but—"
"I'm in," Kurt interrupted, and leaned over to kiss her lingeringly when she blinked. "And we absolutely are a couple," he told her when he finally pulled back. "By my count, we've been on five dates already." He gestured to the house where a woman he assumed was the realtor was waiting. "Shall we?"
Jane reached for his hand as they walked up the driveway. God, she hoped he liked this place. She had initially spotted it when she was online looking at apartments, and it had been love at first sight. Mac had told her to reach for the light, and this house was situated so perfectly that natural light flowed through nearly every inch of it. She'd been hesitant to come see it in person, afraid she would grow to love it more only to have Kurt balk at living in a house a civil servant could never hope to afford, but in the end she hadn't been able to resist.
Now she could only hope he would love it as much as she did.
The realtor let them into the brightly lit foyer, but allowed them to tour the home alone, clearly sensing their desire for privacy, and Jane led Kurt from room to room, detailing her vision for the place. There was a spacious basement that would be a great place for the kids to play, and the ground floor contained a den that would be a perfect office for him, and an adjoining room that she hoped to make into an art studio for her. She was thinking about taking a few art classes in her spare time.
Kurt's eyes lit up when they walked into the state-of-the-art kitchen at the rear of the house overlooking the backyard. He could cook meals here while watching Jane and the kids play outside or swim in the pool, and then they could all eat together out on the patio. He was growing to like this place more and more with every passing minute.
The second floor contained four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, and Jane showed off each of them, designating them as a guest room, his son's room, and their future nursery and telling him how she planned to decorate each before pausing at the end of the hall. "And this would be our room," she said softly as she led the way into the master suite.
"Our room," Kurt commented, his eyes heating as he glanced over at Jane. "I like the sound of that."
"Me too," she admitted shyly, never taking her eyes off his as he advanced toward her, resting her head on his chest as he pulled her into a hug and relishing the solid feel of him against her. She didn't think she would ever get tired of the security she felt in his embrace. "We should probably check out the rest of the house," she mentioned eventually. The attic contained two more bedrooms, and they had barely looked at this room.
"Mmm," Kurt agreed, but made no move to step back. "In a minute. At the moment, I'm celebrating the fact that I'm moving in with my future wife. I love this house, by the way." In part due to the amenities it offered, but mostly because of the way Jane came alive when she talked about her plans for the place. He didn't think he'd ever seen her so animated, and he was thrilled she had chosen to share this with him. Chosen him.
"I'm glad," Jane said, letting out a relieved breath before the rest of his statement registered. "Wait, what? Future wife?" What had happened to him being too choosy?
Kurt chuckled, and she belatedly realized she'd uttered that last part aloud. "I met a woman I couldn't get out of my head even when she disappeared on me for a year," he teased before turning serious. He brought his hands up to frame her jaw as he spoke again. "She took my heart with her, and I vowed if I ever found her again, I was going to do everything in my power to keep her forever.
"I love you, Jane," he added as her eyes filled with tears. "I think I started falling for you the first night I laid eyes on you in that interrogation room. You were so scared, but so brave." And by the end of their first case together, he'd been completely hooked. It was as if when she touched his face, an unbreakable connection had been forged between them, and despite all the pain they'd inflicted on one another, that bond had carried them through. "And I'm hoping you'll make me the happiest man alive, and agree to officially be mine."
"Yes," Jane said without hesitation, leaning up to kiss him even as she answered his proposal. He was hesitant at first, careful, as he had been every time they kissed since she returned, but this time she was having none of it. Her tongue traced his lips, demanding entrance, and he was more than happy to comply, groaning as she deepened the kiss and pulling her closer as he reciprocated. "I do have one condition, though," she said when she'd finally caught her breath after they broke apart for air.
"What?" Kurt couldn't think straight after that mind-blowing kiss. "A condition?"
Jane grinned at his befuddlement and pressed another quick kiss to his lips. "Yeah. I think now that I'm officially your fiancée, I should move off the couch and into your room with you. What do you say?"
His door had always been open to her. He just hadn't wanted to pressure her into making a decision that she regretted later. Kurt kissed her lingeringly, choosing to let his actions speak for him. "Does that answer your question?"
Jane grinned up at him, and he felt his own heart skip a beat with happiness. "I do have a couple conditions of my own, though."
"Name them," Jane said without hesitation.
"First . . . obviously, I could never afford to pay for half of this house, but I do want to share in the cost of furnishing it." They didn't have to do it all at once, after all, and he could bring many of the belongings from his apartment.
"Fair enough," Jane agreed. "And second?"
"We stop by a jewelry store on the way home, and pick out a ring," Kurt told her. "I want all those other guys to know you're off the market."
"What other guys?" Jane murmured as she leaned up to kiss him again, practically bursting with happiness. She'd only had eyes for him for nearly as long as she could remember. Which in her case wasn't saying all that much. The memories she had regained were only fragments of the life she had lived. Most days, she considered that a blessing.
Kurt took her hand as they finished exploring the house and then headed back downstairs to let the realtor know they'd take it. Jane was able to get a much better price than he'd expected on it, since she was buying it outright, and after they'd set up a time to close on it, they headed to the first of three jewelry stores. Jane professed herself to be more than happy with all the rings they looked at, but he wanted one as special as she was. He finally settled on a beautiful emerald surrounded by a halo of diamonds, and fortunately, it fit perfectly, so Jane was able to leave the store wearing it.
Tasha was the first to spot it on Monday morning, and she squealed so loudly everyone in the vicinity started to cover their ears as she hugged the two of them. "Congratulations, you guys. I'm so happy for you. When's the wedding?"
"We haven't set a date yet," Jane told her as Reade and Patterson came over to offer their congratulations as well and admire the ring.
"But soon," Kurt added, and everyone laughed. "Actually, Jane bought us a house over the weekend, so we agreed to set a date once we're settled into the new place."
"Great," Tasha said instantly as the others offered congratulations once more. "You can announce the wedding date at your housewarming party. You are having a housewarming party, right?" she asked as Kurt and Jane exchanged glances.
"Uh . . . sure," Jane said hesitantly. She'd been enjoying the team get-togethers of late, and it would be nice to host one in her very own place. And she supposed they ought to invite Allie, let her see the place her son would be staying from now on. Perhaps Mac and Nas would be able to come, as well.
It took them six weeks to get settled in, and by that time she had one more announcement to make. She'd been puzzling over what to do with her future career-wise, but one of their cases last week had finally made her purpose clear to her. "I'm, uh . . . I'm going to be leaving the FBI," she told them once the excitement over their wedding had died down. She'd asked Patterson to be her maid of honor, and Zapata a bridesmaid, and they'd eagerly accepted. She waited until the chorus of protests died down before continuing. "I've decided to go to college and get a degree in social work, try to help other kids who were abused like I was." Kids who were in impossible situations with nowhere to turn, who had no one else to speak for them.
Patterson was the first to speak. "That's wonderful, Jane," she said sincerely as she embraced her. As much as they would miss her, that job would be absolutely perfect for her. "I know you'll be great at that. Just don't be a stranger, okay?"
"I won't," Jane assured her. Assured all of them. She'd finally stepped into the light Mac had urged her to find, and her friends were a big part of that. She wasn't about to lose them again. "I'm marrying your boss, so you're stuck with me now." The big day was three months away, and even though that felt like forever at the moment, she knew the time would fly by.
And it did.
Before she knew it, she was standing at the altar with Kurt, having walked down the aisle together, as they did everything these days, and the two of them were vowing their lives to one another. She kept her eyes locked on Kurt's the whole time, even when they swam with tears of pure joy, tears he took joy in wiping away when he leaned in to kiss her at the end of the ceremony.
The reception was a blur, and soon they were off on their honeymoon to a destination Kurt had good-naturedly refused to disclose to her. He took her to the island of Santorini in Greece, and while they took the time to explore all the island had to offer, they spent equally as much time exploring one another in their hotel suite.
And unbeknownst to either of them, they didn't come home alone.
Their daughter was born nine months later, and from the moment they laid eyes on her, she became the light of both their lives.
