I don't own Blindspot or any of these amazing characters…
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Jane didn't know how long she was held…time lost all meaning. Days blurred. Then one day she woke up and the door to her cell was open. She climbed unsteadily to her feet and walked toward it cautiously. Nobody was there…in fact the entire facility was empty.
She now faced a choice. She could turn back to her family for help or she could go it alone. She knew there was really no choice left… she would have to go it alone…
Sinking down she took a moment to steady herself as she waited. There was no hurry now, no place she needed to be and nobody was looking for her.
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"Where is she?" Kurt was beyond desperate. It had been months and they were not even one step closer to finding out what happened to Jane when she left their apartment. There were no records of her anywhere. She hadn't been caught on surveillance cameras, no tickets purchased, no sightings…nothing. It was like she had disappeared from the face of the Earth.
"It's Jane," Reade reminded him, "If she doesn't want us to find her, we won't."
"We don't even know if she's the one that's avoiding us. For all we know whoever was in that van…took her." Patterson insisted.
"Do you think she contacted Roman?" Tasha asked quietly.
Everyone's eyes turned to her.
"What?" Kurt demanded incredulously.
"She might have known how to contact him all along," Tasha insisted.
"Absolutely not," Kurt was certain. If he'd had a clear head after the attack at Allie's he would never have thought otherwise.
"Kurt even you thought…" Tasha began.
"I wasn't thinking," Kurt argued, "I'd been up over twenty-four hours. We'd been waiting for confirmation that everything was okay, I was out of line."
"Subconsciously you must have thought it could be true," Tasha argued.
"That's enough," Reade insisted.
"I trust Jane, more than I trust any other person," Kurt said bluntly.
"Even after everything?" Tasha demanded.
"Yes," Kurt insisted, with absolute certainty.
Little did he know it, but those words would drive Tasha right to the CIA.
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Kurt looked at the liquid in his drink. He sat on their couch, in their apartment, his ring on his finger, hers in a chain around his neck and he missed her.
The same day he'd found their things stored away, he'd moved them back up to their apartment. They'd initially given him comfort, but now they seemed to taunt him with everything he'd thrown away.
Tasha left to work with the CIA and Reade and Patterson blamed him. He didn't give a damn. Two days ago they'd received a tip on where Jane was. They'd raided the warehouse and found her holding cell, but not Jane. The evidence that shown beyond doubt that she might have left of her own free will, but she'd been kept prisoner for months after that was sobering. Ironically enough after that he'd been anything but sober.
There was a knock on his door and he turned toward it without getting up. He didn't want to see anyone…that was a lie, he desperately wanted to see one person, but she wasn't standing out there. He didn't even need to get up to look. Taking another drink, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the couch.
When the door opened of its own violation, he looked over at it in surprise.
Patterson and Reade came in, but he didn't say anything to them, just took another drink.
"You can't keep doing this," Patterson implored.
Kurt ignored her.
The door opened again and Kurt looked over with wasted hope. Tasha came in.
"Have you been able to talk any sense into him?" Tasha demanded.
"Does it look like it?" Reade threw out his hand in frustration at how Kurt remained sprawled on the sofa.
Tasha came over and sat down next to him.
"You're not going to find her like this," Tasha insisted.
"What do you care?" Kurt asked bluntly, "You left us to look without you…go back to the CIA, we don't need you."
Tasha realized then that her abandonment of them hadn't helped.
"I'm using CIA resource to search," Tasha insisted.
"Any luck?" Kurt demanded already knowing the answer.
"No," Tasha was forced to admit.
"I contacted someone," Patterson said taking her own seat.
"Who?" Kurt asked looking back down into his glass.
"I called Nas," Patterson admitted.
Kurt looked up at her in surprise.
"Did she…" He was against Omaha, but he was so desperate right now, he didn't care how they found her.
"No," Patterson denied, "She's going to see what she can find, but at least it's something."
The team spent the evening with him. They didn't talk a lot, but they kept watch over him. Never had he need them so much.
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Now they were all gone. Kurt realized looking down at the box that had Jane's name stamped across it.
They'd tried everything…the box wouldn't give up its secrets.
His office door opened and he looked up to see a familiar face.
"Nas," He greeted, not standing.
"Kurt," She looked down at him in concern. He was rough looking, mused and thinner, clearly a man on the edge.
"I heard about the team," She walked over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Have you had a lead on what might have happened to them?" Kurt looked up at her in question.
"No," Nas denied, "But I was able to find something."
"What?" Kurt waited in puzzlement.
Nas placed photo on the desk in front of him. It was a picture someone had taken on vacation. They were climbing up the side of the cliff, but in the background there was another climber. Kurt sat up straight and grabbed the photo. It was Jane. The image was grainy and out of focus, but he'd know her anywhere….
"It's Jane," Kurt whispered in shock, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest.
"We haven't been able to confirm it through facial recognition," Nas warned him, "The image isn't clear enough…"
"It's her," Kurt was certain, "Where is this?"
"Nepal," Nas explained.
Kurt immediately stood up and grabbed his wrinkled jacket.
"You're going?" Nas confirmed.
"Of course," Kurt said immediately.
"I already instructed the plane be made ready," Nas assured him, "You just need your passport."
No, Kurt realized, he needed his passport and some reason to convince her to come back. Reaching for the box that had been left for her, he knew he now had everything he needed. He was going and he wasn't coming back without her…
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Jane looked up at Kurt in shock. The last person she'd ever expect to see again stood in front of her looking back at her with every bit of the shock she felt on his face. She couldn't understand his surprise, when he'd clearly come here knowing where to find her.
No conscious thought carried her to his arms. She closed her eyes when she felt the familiar embrace that she'd missed so much. It was only when he pushed her away that she came back to her senses. He'd come to find her, but it wasn't for the reason she'd been hoping for, that was becoming more than apparent.
"You need to come back," He looked away from her and she shook her head in confusion. She couldn't be around him…it was too hard.
Kurt had never been so close to losing his composure as he was at that moment. He'd needed to look away from her before he burst into relieved tears. She was safe and alive…right in front of him. His emotions were all over the place. He wanted to stare at her, but he needed to look away to regain his composure. He wanted to never let her go, but he forced himself to push her away so he didn't crush her. He wanted to yell at her for leaving him, but he wanted to apologize for making her think she had to go.
"I was scared," He admitted without thought…he still was.
"I'm sorry…I can explain," Jane hastened to assure him. Then she realized she really couldn't. She hadn't meant to simply leave without a trace, but end the end that's exactly what happened.
Jane looked away from Kurt, her eyes filling with tears. Her gaze was caught by his wedding ring and she froze.
"You're still wearing your ring," She said in surprise. She didn't know if she was relieved or heartbroken.
"Yeah," Kurt looked down and twisted it nervously. He'd never signed the divorce paperwork. They were still married, but he wasn't eager to admit it. She'd left for a reason and they needed to address that first.
Taking a deep breath he told her, "You need to come back."
He knew she would never turn her back on the team. He had everything he needed to keep her with him. That would give him the time he needed to win her back.
Jane was already shaking her head no…because nothing had really changed. She was still the same person, with the same problems, insurmountable problems.
"I can't…" She whispered.
"Patterson, Reade, Tasha…they're missing. We think they've been kidnapped." Kurt insisted.
"All of them?" Jane demanded…"Do you think Roman…"
"We don't know," Kurt denied immediately. He wasn't making that mistake again. "Whoever took them…left this."
Jane looked down at the box with her name on it and everything became clear. Kurt hadn't found her because he missed her and wanted her back. He'd had no choice. Any lingering dreams she had died right then.
"Nobody's been able to open it yet," Kurt was looking down at her intently, "Somebody clearly wants your attention. I have a theory…"
Just as he knew she would, Jane nodded and reached for the box. She would never turn her back on the team when they needed her. The second her hand touched the box, a side drawer opened.
Her startled gaze flew up to meet his. At least that hadn't changed, she still looked to him when she was frightened or facing the unknown. He watched her pick up the metal object and looked down at it with her.
"What's this?" She asked in confusion.
Reaching for it he was startled when the mirror image of her bird tattoo appeared once they were both touching it.
"It needs both of us for it to work," Jane whispered.
So did his heart…
Kurt took it and looked at Jane's neck. He'd always been good at puzzles. He lifted the disk up and aligned it with her neck tattoo. When her arms began to glow he looked down in shock. His eyes jerked back up to hers and he met her fearful look with one of concern.
"What's happening?"
What happened to her when she was in captivity became suddenly apparent. He just worried about what else might have happened…
He took the key away from her neck and set it and the box down. Turning back to her he pulled her back into his arms and ran a hand up and down her back to sooth her.
"It's okay," Kurt insisted, "We'll figure this out."
Jane lay stiffly against him. He'd caught her by surprise before, but she knew she couldn't give in to the longing she felt. He'd come here not to get her because he wanted to, but because he had to. She couldn't afford to forget that.
Kurt felt the stiff way she was holding herself, but he couldn't have let go to save his life. He'd been afraid he'd never have this chance again and he wasn't wasting it.
"How long were you held captive?" Kurt worried.
"I…I don't know," Jane admitted. Time had lost all meaning the second she walked out their apartment door.
"How long have I been gone?" Jane asked him.
Kurt became even more concerned. If she didn't know about the tattoos and she didn't know how long she'd been gone…what did that mean?
"Four months," Kurt explained looking down into her face to gauge her reaction.
"It seemed longer," She said absently.
"How long have you been here?" Kurt asked her without commenting on her words. It had been a lifetime ago, or so it felt to him.
"I…"Jane didn't know how long she'd been here either, "I've climbed the mountain over thirty times…so just over a month?"
"You've…climbed the mountain?" Kurt remembered the imposing sheer face from his trek in.
"Yeah," Jane pulled away slightly.
He didn't release her, but did give her some space. He wanted to see her face while they spoke.
"Who's your climbing partner, where do you keep your gear?" Kurt asked in concern.
"I don't have a partner or any gear." Jane denied.
"You free climbed?" Kurt felt sick.
"Yes," Jane agreed.
He closed his eyes, grateful that he hadn't been aware of what she was doing.
"I can see you didn't know about the new tattoos," Kurt worried, "Do you remember anything from you captivity?"
"I remember getting out." Jane admitted, "Otherwise…no."
"So you were held for months," Kurt worried, "And you don't remember anything?"
"I remember being restrained…" Jane said with a blank look, "pain…"
Kurt pulled her back against him at that admission.
"We need to head back," Kurt worried, determined to get her to a doctor as soon as possible.
"It's getting dark," Jane worried, "Maybe we should leave in the morning, it's a long way out."
Kurt knew she was right…but he wanted her back in New York with him…now.
"I didn't bring a tent." Kurt told her.
"There's plenty of room in here," Jane assured him, "You can stay with me."
Kurt's arms tightened around her and his eyes flew to the single cot. He knew it wasn't what she meant, but his body reacted all the same. He'd been without her too long. He let her go and stepped back so she wouldn't become uncomfortable about his inappropriate response.
"Thanks," He told her looking away again. She knew him too well and could probably read his struggle.
That might have been true if Jane had trusted herself to look directly at Kurt, but she didn't.
"How's your daughter?" Jane worried finally.
"She's fine," Kurt assured her, "It wasn't Roman."
"What?" Jane's eyes flew back to his.
"It was someone trying to get revenge on Allie for arresting their Father." Kurt admitted, watching her closely.
Jane's eyes closed and she turned away. So Roman hadn't sabotaged her relationship with Kurt…they had done that themselves.
"They caught them?" Jane tried to keep her voice level.
"Yeah," Kurt confirmed, "Jane…"
"Don't," Jane whispered. She couldn't take his regret now, just like she couldn't take his accusations before. Nothing had really changed.
"I'm sorry," Kurt had to say it. He'd never regretted anything more…accept when he had arrested her…and let the CIA take her. Not to mention getting Allie pregnant and falling into bed with Nas. When it came to Jane, his common sense seemed to take a hike. He'd never handled anything worse and never had anything mattered more. He couldn't image why she'd once loved him…and he couldn't imagine ever not being completely in love with her.
"I understand," Jane assured him. "I'll go get us some food."
He watched her leave with a pained expression. Briefly he worried that she might leave him again, but he knew as long as they needed her, she'd be there for them. Looking around the…tent?...he walked over to the cot and sat down wearily. Next to him sat her journal and he looked at it silently. She'd let him look before…he justified even as he reached for it now.
He started at the beginning and the images were dark and confused. He could see her panic reaching out from the pages and his heart sped up as he continued to leaf through them.
After the darkness he started to see that she was trying to conquer her fear and she'd begun to draw sights from the village. Little girls playing, the monks that he'd encountered along the way.
He turned the page over halfway from the beginning and he was confronted with his own face. Not a single likeness, but hundreds of them. Every expression was represented. Laughter, sorrow, anger, joy, love, loss, distrust…everything. She'd drawn picture after picture of him. He knew he was out of line, but he continued to flip through the pages. She'd drawn his daughter next. She'd captured her sweet little expression perfectly. She'd grown some since Jane had seen her and that only made him feel worse. She should have been there to see it, instead of locked in the past.
He turned back to the page she'd been working on and laid it back down. He rested his head against the canopy and closed his eyes. He hadn't slept well since Jane disappeared. The shirt she slept in was lying underneath her pillow and he pulled it out and lifted it to his face. Breathing her in, he felt contentment fill him. He knew he had a long way to go to win her back, but she was alive and he could hold her and touch her…it was enough…for now.
Jane came back into the tent with some bread and water to find Kurt sleeping on her cot. His head hanging limply as he sat on the blanket. The food was immediately forgotten. She hadn't been able to study him when he came in, but now she had all the time in the world and she took her time. He was clearly exhausted, but worry over the team and the long trek to get her had taken their toll.
She didn't wake him but instead guided him down to the pillow and covered him with her blanket.
He caught her hand with his and Jane glanced up expecting him to be awake, but he wasn't. His grip was firm and she didn't try to extract herself and wake him in the process. She simply sank down next to the cot and rested her head against the side. His warmth was soothing her while his scent was lulling her to sleep. Exactly when she succumbed she could have said, but the nightmares that plagued her were finally held at bay.