"This is it. This is where it all started," she said quietly.
It had been two years since Jane had climbed out of that duffle bag in Times Square - dazed, confused, and with no recollection of anything. And now, here she was, back in Times Square for the first time since that night. Only this time, there was no duffle bag, she wasn't naked, she knew who she was, and she wasn't alone anymore.
"I guess so," Kurt replied, reaching for her hand.
She puffed out her cheeks, taking in the scene. For a Sunday morning, the area was bustling. The colourful billboards contrasted starkly against the dull grey clouds. Tourists of all nationalities wandered around the square, marvelling at the sights. And then there were the locals, who just kept their heads down and continued walking without looking up.
"Do you want to sit down?" Kurt asked, noticing Jane's reaction. She was as still as a statue; her eyes were wide and her lips were zipped tight. He couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through her head at that moment.
"That's a good idea," she replied.
He led her over to an unoccupied bench in the middle of the square. They sat down right next to each other, partially due to the cold weather and partially because he knew she needed to be comforted.
It had been her idea to come here. It had completely taken him aback. He knew that his girlfriend was a strong woman, both physically and emotionally, but coming back here was on another level. When she'd asked him if he would take her here, there had been a sense of urgency in her voice, almost like desperation.
She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. She waited for a few minutes before she broke their silence.
"That night was the beginning of everything, and yet it feels so far away from where I am now," she said. "Oscar, Shepherd, everything… it all started with this place. I'm thankful for it, in a weird way, because it led me to you and to the team, but I also hate being here. It's strange".
"Why did you want to come here?" he asked her softly, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand.
She swallowed before replying, staring off into the distance. "Because I'm finally happy, and I wanted to say goodbye to this chapter of my life. The Times Square chapter, where I didn't know who I was, where I was terrified out of my mind, where I didn't know who I could turn to". She took a deep breath before continuing. "I wanted a sense of closure, and I knew that the only way I could get that was if I came here".
He smiled at her. "You're happy now though?"
She turned her head to look at him, returning his smile. "Yeah, I'm happy now. I'm with you, and that's made me happier than I ever thought I could be".
Giving her one of his big, goofy smiles, he put his free hand around her neck and pulled her lips to his, kissing her softly. She could feel her cheeks blushing because of the crowds around them, but she kissed him back with that same feeling of longing and desperation that she'd felt to come here.
When they finally pulled back for air, she rested her forehead against his. She kept her eyes closed, and she had a sweet smile on her lips.
He slid his hand down from her neck and brought it to her cheek, resting his thumb against her cheekbone.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" he said quietly.
With her eyes still closed, she nodded slightly in response.
He waited for a few moments before he spoke. "Marry me?"
Her eyes flew open wide, but her forehead didn't leave his. "What?"
"Marry me, Jane," he repeated. "Let's make Times Square a place that you will remember because of a happy memory, and not a destructive one. Marry me".
For once, she was speechless. "Wha-… Are you not supposed to do this in a more… uh… traditional setting?"
He chuckled at her flustered response. "Jane, when have we ever been traditional? Our relationship has been back to front since the day I met you, and now all of a sudden you want to be traditional?"
She laughed with him then, half with amusement and half with anxiety. "No, you're right," she replied, "we've never done things normally, and I guess there's no point in trying now".
He narrowed his eyes, a smile still on his lips. "Is… Is that a yes, then?"
She locked her eyes with his, cupping his cheek with her hand.
"Yes".