TITLE: A Gift for Jane
AUTHOR: LOTSlover
CHARACTERS: Kurt Weller / Jane Doe
RATING: T
WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings
DISCLAIMER: I love Blindspot, but I don't own the show or the characters. Wish I did, though, because then I'd be super rich.
SUMMARY: Kurt brings Jane something that he hopes will cheer her up, but will she be able to keep it? Set a few days after 1x8. One-Shot.
A/N: My first Blindspot fanfic. Been loving all the Jeller fanfic I've been reading on this site and wanted to write one. This one came to me out of nowhere. Hope you all enjoy it. Might do some more if you like it. :)
A Gift for Jane
Jane released a weary sigh as she lifted the stopper, watching as the soapy water slowly swirled down the drain. She stared at the empty kitchen sink for a long moment, her thoughts a million miles from the safe house that was her home for now and, at the same time, not that far at all.
None of it was hers—not the plates or forks, the pots and pans, not the furniture or the bed. The only things that she could call hers were the few clothes that she had in her closet. Nothing was hers, not even the tattoos that covered her entire body. They definitely weren't ones that she would have chosen except for maybe the bird, but she wouldn't have chosen to have it fully displayed on her neck.
Everyone looked at her as if she was a freak of nature, parading around like a walking billboard advertising clues that only led them all into more danger…more trouble. They had uncovered corruption and thwarted plots, saving countless lives along the way. It had given her a sense of purpose and a much needed focus, a distraction from all the limitless questions that constantly besieged her amnesiac brain.
The only trouble was that the clues helped to keep her distracted during the day, but at night it was a completely different story. At night, she was all alone in the safe house, locked away in the silence that nearly drove her insane.
It made it next to impossible to keep her sanity when she was all alone in the quiet solitude of the house. No one to talk to, no friends to make, no one to go to the bars or explore the sites of New York City with.
It was next to unbearable at times like now when she did mundane chores such as drying the dishes. She glanced down at the dishwasher. She didn't like to use it, preferring the task of doing the dishes herself in an effort to keep herself busy, but it did little to stop the thoughts and questions that continually bombarded her.
And her thoughts always led her to Kurt Weller.
She could feel her heart lighten with just the mere thought of him alone. He truly was her starting point, her anchor that kept her grounded in the stormy sea that had become her life. When he wasn't with her, she found it next to impossible to truly breathe, to keep the whirling tempest inside of her mind at bay.
An unexpected knock at her front door had her transitioning from thoughtful reflection to full attention in less than a heartbeat. She laid the dishtowel on the countertop, peeking around the corner of the kitchen with an inquisitive look. Ever since the first break-in at her safe house, she'd been hyper-aware of every single sound, every knock putting her on edge.
She knew, though, that it had to be a member of the team if her detail had allowed someone to actually approach the front door. It definitely wouldn't be a Girl Scout selling cookies or some other man from her past attempting to get inside.
Kurt had pretty much reamed out her detail the night of the attack to the point they were afraid of even letting the delivery guy drop off her pizza at her front door.
Approaching the door, Jane spotted Kurt's face through the small glass window, causing her heart to flutter in response to his presence. She quickly unfastened the locks, opening the door to find Kurt standing there with a box in one hand and a large bag in the other.
"Hey, Jane," he greeted her, a sheepish smile on his face. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Yah, right," she replied with an amused chuckle that held a hint of bitterness that only Kurt would have picked up on. "I'm having a wild party at my house. Come on in and join the fun."
She stepped back, allowing him entrance, his arm brushing against hers as he passed and sending tingles through her. She silently berated herself for being so excited over such a simple occurrence and yet she couldn't help wondering how much more exhilarating it would be to actually feel the warm press of his body, his lips on hers.
Jane closed and locked the door again, fighting the lustful thought back before her cheeks betrayed her. "So what brings you to this side of town?" she casually asked him, following him to the couch.
"We live on the same side of town," he pointed out with a crooked grin that had her insides fluttering wildly again. "I brought you something."
"You didn't have to do that," she said despite the curiosity that lit here bright green eyes as she looked at the box and bag he set down on the floor in front of him.
"I know, but I wanted to," he replied. "I know how hard it is for you being all alone here with no one to keep you company."
"It's not that bad," she tried to reassure him, but he was obviously unconvinced by her response if his expression was any indication.
"Right," he said with a frown. "You're a horrible liar, Jane."
"I'm not that bad," she insisted, leaning in a closer towards him. "So what is it?"
Kurt couldn't help the way his breath hitched as she drew a little closer, his intent gaze taking in every aspect of her from the way the light in the room caused her green eyes to sparkle or the delicate curve of her cheek. He already knew he was in deep, but he couldn't help it and he was pretty sure he didn't care about the consequences.
He leaned forward, lifting the lid of the box and pulling out a small gray and white kitten. "I thought you might like someone to come home to."
Jane's face lit up, making his heart skip a beat as she reached over and carefully took the kitten from him. She held it up to get a good look at its face before closing her eyes as she rubbed her cheek against the soft fur of the new addition to her makeshift home.
"He's so cute," she murmured as she set the kitten on her lap, gently stroking its back.
"It's actually a she and I even brought you cat food and supplies," he corrected her.
"I love her," she softly admitted as she looked up at him, surprised by the thoughtfulness of his gift. "Where did you find her?"
"There was a litter of kittens for sale at the corner of my block and I thought you might like something of your own, a pet to come home to," he explained, feeling a little nervous. It felt like it had suddenly gotten quite a bit warmer in the safe house. "I know how lonely it can get here by yourself."
Jane looked back at him with more happiness in her face than he had seen in a long time, her radiant smile warming him clear to his toes. He decided right then and there that he would do everything he could to put that smile on her face as often as he could.
"So do I get to name her?"
"Whatever you want," he told her, reaching over to scratch behind the kitten's ears.
"Hmmm…" she thoughtfully hummed as she held up the kitten again before pausing to glance over at Kurt who was intently watching her. "Did I have a kitten when I was little?"
The corner of Kurt's mouth curled with the memory. "Yah…you did," he replied. "It was a stray tabby cat. It always came around our houses so you and I kind of adopted it as ours much to both of our mothers' annoyance."
"What was its name?"
He smiled, his blue eyes bright with fond remembrance. "We argued for a week about names, but—"
"Wait—we argued?" she teased. "I have a very hard time believing that."
Kurt couldn't help but chuckle with her teasing or ignore the sense of peace that she always managed to create in him. "We're both very stubborn, but we finally agreed on Oliver."
"Why Oliver?"
"The movie Oliver and Company had come out back then and it was your favorite movie," he told her.
Jane looked down at the kitten that had fallen asleep in her lap, fighting to recall a memory that refused to resurface. "Oliver," she thoughtfully murmured. "That just might work."
"Jane, the kitten is a she," he reminded her with a laugh.
"So?" she said with a shrug. "I'll name her Olivia and call her Ollie for short."
"I think I like it," he agreed with a nod, reaching out to stroke the kittens back.
His fingers brushed along Jane's hand sending little electric shocks up her arm. Her eyes lifted to meet his as she shifted her hand to interlace their fingers. "Thank you, Kurt," she softly said. "It was very thoughtful of you. I…I really appreciate…everything you've done for me."
"You don't have to thank me, Jane," he told her, squeezing her hand as he gazed into her eyes. "I meant what I said before. We're in this together. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."
"You've been put into horrible situations and danger…all because of me," she countered, shaking her head.
"There isn't any other place I'd rather be than here with you," he reassured her.
She stared at him for a moment, fighting the overwhelming urge to kiss him breathless. There was so much that she wanted to say to him, things that were growing with every beat of her heart and yet she didn't know for sure how to begin to tell him. She couldn't bear it if he didn't feel the same way as she did, if what he felt for her never went beyond the bonds of friendship. But the way that he looked at her sometimes had her wondering…
"Kurt, I—" she began only to pause, covering her mouth to contain an unexpected sneeze.
Kurt's expression morphed from happiness to concern in a fraction of a second. "Oh, Jane," he muttered, growing apprehensive. "I hope you aren't allergic to cats."
"I wasn't as a kid, was I?" she asked.
Kurt stomach clenched, remembering the results of the isotope test. Was she really not Taylor Shaw? "No, I don't think so."
"I'm sure it's nothing," she insisted only to sneeze once again.
Kurt quickly took the kitten from her lap, annoyed with himself for not even considering the possibility she might be allergic to cats "I'm so sorry. I never thought—"
"No!" she cried, taking her kitten back. "It's just a sneeze. I'm sure it's not because of Ollie."
"Jane…" he began, his gaze narrowing as he studied her, suddenly noticing the slight flush of her cheeks. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine…maybe a little hot," she admitted.
Kurt reached out, his hand coming to rest on her forehead before moving to cup her cheek. "You feel really warm," he told her with a worried frown. "I think you're getting a cold."
"Good, then it's not Ollie," she decided, watching in disappointment as Kurt stood to his feet and grabbed his jacket. "You're not leaving already are you?"
"Just going to the drug store down the street to get you some cold medicine," he reassured her.
"You don't have to do that," she told him with a frown. "I don't feel that sick."
"I want to and you'll definitely be feeling it by tomorrow morning," he replied as he made his way to the front door. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Fine," she relented, standing to her feet. "I'll make up a bed for Ollie while you're gone."
Standing by the door, Kurt watched her for a moment as she talked to the kitten, his heart swelling with how much she loved his gift. Making her happy brought him far more joy and contentment than he had felt in a very long time.
Whether or not she was Taylor, it mattered not to his heart. Jane had managed to capture it and he never wanted it back.
THE END