The wedding planning didn't exactly go off without a hitch, but they were married two weeks later.

And those two weeks were a whirlwind of activity. As Kurt had promised, Patterson had been ecstatic to help Jane pick out a dress, squealing so loudly Jane wished she'd covered her ears and promising to start searching for it that very night. She had dragged Jane to no less than five dress shops over the next few days before conceding that the one Jane had picked out at the very first store was right for her.

Patterson was also the one to point out the flaw in their logic the moment they told her their plans. "You guys can't get married. Jane would have to have a birth certificate for that, and besides, Kurt, you don't officially know her name."

Kurt appeared flummoxed, but Jane laid a hand on his arm reassuringly. "Something tells me Shepherd's already thought of that. I'm meeting with her in a couple days to let her know we're engaged, so I'll see what she has to say about it then."

All Shepherd would say was that she did indeed have a plan, but that the less Jane knew about it, the better. She cautioned her once again not to develop feelings for Weller that would complicate her mission and then ordered Roman to drive Jane back to the city. Once again, she had to ride in the trunk.

"I'm getting really tired of being treated like a second-class member of this operation," she fumed to Roman when he finally let her out. At least someone—him, no doubt—had placed a blanket in the trunk for her this time. "Tell Shepherd the next time she wants to see me, I'm riding in the passenger seat with a seatbelt on. If we get into an accident and I lose this baby, I lose my best leverage over Weller. I think I've proven my loyalty, but if she still has doubts, she should just cut me loose."

Roman refrained from mentioning that retirement was a bit more permanent in their organization. His sister was nobody's fool, and threatening her would serve no useful purpose at this stage of the game. "Goodbye, Remi. I'll see you soon." He got back in the car and drove away before she could question him further.

He walked into the FBI five days later.

Kurt was sitting at his desk engrossed in paperwork when his phone rang, and he answered it absently. "Yeah. Wait, what?" He sat up straight and lowered his voice as he glanced over at Jane, who had just fallen asleep. "No. No, don't do that. I'll be right down."

He walked quietly out of his office and motioned for Reade and Zapata to join him. "The guard in the lobby just called to tell me there's an Ian Kruger downstairs claiming Jane is his sister Alice and demanding to see her."

Zapata stared at him like he'd grown two heads. "Roman's here?" She placed a hand on her gun.

Kurt frowned as his eyes tracked the movement. "Stand down, Zapata. Roman—Ian," he stressed, realizing they all needed the reminder to call him by his birth name, "is probably here to provide Jane's birth certificate like Shepherd promised so we can get married. But no matter what, we can't risk tipping him off that we know who he is."

Zapata glared at him. "You expect me to smile at that cop-killing son of a bitch, and—"

"I expect you to do your job," Kurt cut in icily. "One wrong move today could jeopardize Jane's cover and cost us our shot at bringing down Sandstorm. And need I remind you, a hell of a lot more lives will be lost if they succeed."

Zapata's scowl deepened, but she nodded. "Fine. But don't expect me to be all warm and fuzzy toward him."

"I don't want you to be," Kurt told her. "Shepherd had to know that we'd be suspicious of Ro—Ian's appearance after all this time, so play up that angle. That way, any hostility he feels from you, he should chalk up to your doubts about him and concern for Jane."

"Does Jane know he's here?" Reade asked.

"No," Kurt said. "She's asleep in my office, and frankly, I think it would be more believable if we met with him without her until we hear what he has to say." He would also like to get his own sense of the man without Jane present. Roman had been the only real point of conflict in their relationship thus far. "I'm going to go down to the lobby and escort him up here to the conference room. Reade, I need you to go to the Annex and get Nas, and Zapata, I want you to inform Patterson. Have her bring a swab so we can take a sample of Ian's DNA to run against Jane's, but have her hand it off to one of her assistants to run the test. I want her to stay with Jane. And if Jane wakes before I send for her, have her keep her there."

"How is she supposed to do that?" Zapata called, but Kurt was already striding to the elevator, and the doors closed before he could respond.

Despite his outward calm, he was more than a little nervous as the elevator descended to the ground floor. He spotted Ian as soon as the doors slid open, but he gave no sign that he recognized him, asking the guard at the desk to point him out before he approached with hand outstretched. "Mr. Kruger? I'm Assistant Director Kurt Weller. I understand you think our Jane Doe may be your sister."

"Not think," Roman corrected as he reluctantly shook Weller's hand. "Know. Here—" he withdrew a picture of the two of them from his coat pocket and held it out, "—this was one of the last pictures of us taken before . . ." He swallowed hard. "As you can see, she's clearly the same woman as in the photo you released to the media last year."

Kurt studied the picture in silence. It was a candid snapshot, clearly taken when they were unawares, the two of them playfully roughhousing with one another. Jane was laughing up at her brother, but what really struck him was the answering light in Roman's eyes as he looked down at her. It was clear he loved her very much. Perhaps . . .

He handed the photo back. "Why don't you come upstairs with me, and we'll talk?"

It wasn't really a request, but Roman protested anyway. "No! I don't want to talk. I want . . . I need to see my sister. The article I read said she was found . . . naked in Times Square, and that she had amnesia. Was she . . .? Is she . . .?"

Roman was certainly playing his part to perfection, Kurt thought ironically. He was asking all the questions law enforcement would expect a concerned, uninformed brother to voice. "She wasn't . . . sexually assaulted, if that's what you're asking," Kurt told him, playing out his own part in this little charade. "Come upstairs with me. We'll talk about what's happened to her, and obviously I have a few questions for you, but then I'll let you see her. I promise."

"Fine," Roman conceded grudgingly as he followed Weller to the elevator. "I have to say, I wasn't expecting an assistant director of the FBI to greet me personally. I thought one of the agents on Alice's case would come talk to me."

Roman was clearly baiting him, but Kurt refused to rise to the occasion. The time for the revelation of his relationship with Jane was not yet. "I was the lead agent on your sister's case before I became Assistant Director," he told him as the elevator ascended to their floor. "She and I became close, and because of that and . . . other factors, I decided to continue handling her case personally. But we can discuss that in more detail later."

The elevator doors slid open, and he led the way to the conference room. Roman looked around as he followed, but he didn't see any sign of Remi anywhere.

Nas was in a heated discussion with the team as they approached, but all conversation ceased as they entered the room. Kurt did his best to smooth over the awkwardness by making introductions. "Mr. Kruger, these are Agents Reade, Zapata, and Patterson, and Nas Kamal."

"Ian, please," Roman said as he shook hands with the people who were eyeing him with varying degrees of suspicion, but no overt hostility. Weller sat down, and he noted with amusement that Zapata and Reade instantly took the seats on either side of him, flanking their boss protectively. "Tell me about Alice. How is she?"

"First things first." Kurt motioned to Patterson, and she hesitantly approached Roman. "We're going to need a DNA sample from you to confirm that you are Jane's brother."

Roman reluctantly opened his mouth to allow Patterson to swab his cheek, and she quickly got the sample she needed and exited the room. Kurt waited until he saw her hand the swab off to an assistant and head toward his office before getting down to business. He detailed how they had found Jane, watching Roman closely as he did so, and was interested to note that his jaw was clenched tightly the entire time, the pain in his eyes far too real to be feigned.

"Jane's doing well now," Kurt hastened to assure him. "She still hasn't regained many of her memories, unfortunately, but she's found a place here, and she's happy."

Roman stiffened. "I appreciate the care you've taken of my sister, Director Weller, but her place is with me."

Kurt tensed as well. "With all due respect, Ian, Jane's a grown woman, and that's for her to decide. Assuming the DNA test backs up your claim, of course. And please, call me Kurt." They were going to be brothers-in-law, after all, albeit reluctant ones.

"If her place is with you, how come she's been with us for over a year, and you never reported her missing?" Zapata asked pointedly.

The moment of truth. Kurt waited with bated breath for Roman's answer. His shoulders slumped, but this time it was clearly an act: there was no mistaking that brief, glittering flash of hatred in his eyes or the way the smile on his face froze for an instant before turning a shade colder. Whether that hatred was directed at the FBI in general or them—him—in particular remained to be seen.

"I've been in Africa," Roman said without missing a beat. "That's where Alice and I were born, actually, and I've always wanted to go back, so I volunteered on a humanitarian mission to provide clean drinking water to villages there. That was apparently shortly before . . ."

He paused and took a deep breath. "Those villages were too remote to have cell service, but I did phone Alice any time I got to a bigger town. I just assumed she couldn't take my calls at the time, or . . ." He hesitated. "Alice and I got into a big fight right before I left. She's not normally the type to hold a grudge, but I thought maybe this time . . ." He spread his hands helplessly. "If I'd had any idea she was in trouble, I would have been on the first plane back to the States."

"What was the fight about?" Kurt asked quickly.

"Her fiancé," Roman said. "A man named Oscar Bougon. She'd been dating him for about a year, and she got engaged to him shortly before I left. I never thought he was good enough for her, couldn't understand what she saw in him, but she accused me of being overprotective and laughed it off. Maybe I was, but our parents were killed when we were young, and we spent several years in an orphanage before a relative was located here in the US who took us in, so it's always been just the two of us against the world."

So far, the story was matching up fairly closely with what Roman had already told Jane. "What was this relative's name?" Kurt asked.

"Trina Schafer," Roman told him. "She was a distant cousin I don't know how many times removed of our mother's. She died a few years ago. She was kind enough to us, but she wasn't exactly . . . the motherly type. Not that we were the easiest kids to parent. Sometimes I think that's why Alice decided to marry Oscar. She wanted a family of her own to shower her kids with the love we never had."

It was entirely plausible, and it made his heart ache. At least Jane would never have to worry about that again. "Tell me about Oscar," Kurt requested. "Was he the type of guy to get involved with people who would do something like this to your sister?"

Roman shifted uncomfortably. "You'd have to ask him about that. Look, I don't like the guy, but I don't want to point fingers. The truth is, I don't have any idea what he might have been into. I tried to steer clear of him as much as possible, but I never saw any indications that he was into anything illegal. If I had, I never would have left." He frowned. "I don't understand why he didn't report her missing, though, or at least come forward to identify her. Do you think something might have happened to him?"

"We'll look into that," Kurt assured him, tongue-in-cheek. They both knew perfectly well exactly what had happened to Oscar, and it seemed their feelings toward him might be more similar than he had had imagined, as well. "Is there anyone else you know of who might have had reason to be . . . upset with your sister? Colleagues or friends or . . ." Superspies who were trying to take over the free world?

"Not that I know of," Roman admitted. "Alice was . . . between jobs at the time she was taken. Her previous one was so classified I don't even know who she worked for, honestly, but they didn't leave her much time for making friends. I've always thought it was a pity they didn't keep her too busy to fall in love with Oscar."

Kurt glanced down at the paper he'd been making notes on. Something told him Roman felt similarly about him, that there would never be anyone good enough in his eyes for his precious sister. "Okay. I think we have all we need for now. I—"

"But I don't," Roman interrupted. "I want to know what's being done to find the people who did this to my sister. And frankly, Director Weller, given the fact that your name was tattooed on Alice's back, your proximity to her concerns me. She may have been chosen to be the messenger for some unknown reason, but how do you know you're not a target as well?"

Kurt stiffened. "Rest assured, Ian, I am chasing even the thinnest of leads to find the people responsible for this, and none of us will give up until they're all behind bars. As for Jane being in danger by assisting in this investigation, she knows the risks, and she's made the choice to stay. She's free to walk away at any time, but as I'm sure you know, your sister is incredibly stubborn. And more than capable of defending herself."

The air in the room became emotionally charged as the two of them glared at one another. "How did you figure out something had happened to your sister?" Nas broke in to defuse the tense situation. "If the two of you haven't been on speaking terms all this time . . ."

"I gave her a call when I got in late last night, but there was no answer, so I went straight to her apartment this morning," Roman said. "She'd given me a spare key, and I let myself in, and . . . that was when I knew. The place was covered in dust, and Alice's wallet, cell phone, and car keys were all still there."

"Her picture was all over the news," Zapata pointed out skeptically. "Why didn't one of the other tenants come forward to identify her?"

Roman shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "I, uh . . . I'm not sure they even knew she was living there, much less who she was. The apartment was Oscar's," he said reluctantly. "He signed a two-year lease on a bigger place once they got engaged, and Alice decided to move in with him. That's why I had a key. I moved some of her things for her right before I left, and then we got into that fight, and I forgot to give it back to her."

Bravo, Kurt thought cynically. Shepherd had concocted a story that was entirely plausible and at the same time, a complete dead end. He ripped the top sheet of paper off the tablet he had been making notes on and slid the notepad and pen across the table to Roman. "We'll need to confirm your story. Please write down the names of the people on this humanitarian mission with you, as well as your departure and arrival dates and any flight information you can remember."

Roman picked up the pen, but hesitated. "I'm happy to provide you with their names, but you won't be able to speak to any of them. They're all still in Africa. I came back early because I couldn't bear to go any longer without speaking to Alice and making things right between us."

And just like that, the last loophole in the story slammed shut. Kurt couldn't help but wonder how long Shepherd had had this backup plan in place in case she needed to overtly contact Jane. "Write down their names anyway. While you're doing that, I'll go get your sister."

He stood and started toward the door, but before he had taken three steps, Jane burst into the room, followed closely by Patterson. "I'm sorry, Weller," she apologized. "I tried to keep her in your office like you asked, but I . . ." She trailed off as she realized no one was paying attention to her.

Kurt couldn't take his eyes off the reunion playing out before him. Roman had sprung up with a choked cry of "Alice" as he caught sight of his sister, and her eyes were alight with wonder as they landed on him. He instantly pulled her into a hug, and she awkwardly returned the embrace, patting his back as he cupped her head to his shoulder and murmured something into her ear too low for the rest of them to hear.

Jane's eyes were damp as she drew back enough to study Roman. "You're . . . my brother?"

"Yeah," Roman told her. "I am. I know you don't remember me, but . . . I'm Ian. And you're Alice."

"Alice." Jane said the name slowly. "I'm so used to Jane that it sounds strange."

"I'll call you whatever you want," Roman offered as he wiped tear tracks from her cheeks. "I'm just so relieved that you're safe, and I've found you again."

The two of them smiled at one another until Zapata cleared her throat, and the moment was broken. Jane stepped back and Kurt moved to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist. Roman raised an eyebrow at the action. "When you said you and my sister were close, I didn't realize you meant you were sleeping together."

Kurt stiffened, and Jane put a hand on his arm. "It's okay. I've got this. Ian . . . Kurt and I aren't just sleeping together. We're in love and engaged to be married. And . . ." She placed her hands over her stomach just as she had done the first time she shared this news. "We're expecting our first child."

Roman clenched his fist, and Jane moved between the two men, hoping to avert a fistfight. The last thing she needed was for her brother to get arrested, and her fiancé to show up at their wedding with a black eye. "I know this must come as a shock to you, but I'm really happy, Ian. And I think once you get to know Kurt, you'll be happy for me as well."

"Why don't the three of us go to my office and discuss this?" Kurt suggested. This wasn't really a subject he cared to discuss in front of the team. They were already privy to far too many details of his personal life.

"I think that would be best," Roman agreed. He led the way out of the conference room and followed Weller and Remi to his office. Weller kept his arm firmly around his sister as they walked and pulled out a chair for her at the table before taking the seat next to her. "So, Director Weller," he said, taking the offensive, "do you make a habit of sleeping with victims that are trusting you to get justice for them, or is Alice the first?"

"Ian!" Jane expostulated, half-rising from her seat, her eyes blazing, but Kurt laid a hand on her arm to keep her in place.

"No, it's okay, sweetheart. It's a fair question." He met Roman's eyes squarely. "One I'll answer once and only once, so listen closely. Your sister is the first and last person I've come into contact with through my work that I've gotten into a relationship with, and she's the only woman I intend to ever sleep with again. And I don't see her as a victim. She's strong and capable and resilient, and my equal in every way. She's my partner, and my best friend, and the love of my life, and I intend to devote the rest of mine to making her happy. Is that clear enough for you?"

Roman held his gaze for a long moment, and whatever he saw there must have satisfied him, because he gave a slow nod. "Good," Kurt said. "Because Jane and I have been hoping to get married as soon as possible, and I'm sure she'd love to have you walk her down the aisle. We need her birth certificate to apply for a marriage license. Would you happen to know where it is?"

Roman nodded again. "Alice always kept her important papers in a lockbox in her closet. It was one of the first things she made sure to take when she moved in with Oscar—your former fiancé," he explained as Remi looked at him curiously. "I know you don't remember him . . ."

"Actually, I think I do," Jane said. "Unless I was engaged more than once. Kurt and I were on an undercover mission as husband and wife last year, and wearing the wedding band triggered memories of my engagement ring. And I remember . . ." She hesitated. "I remember giving it back to him. Do you know why I called off the engagement?"

"No," Roman told her. "I don't." He gave her an abbreviated version of the story he had already shared with Weller, adding, "But given the timeline Kurt has shared with me, I think it's safe to say that was the only other time you were engaged."

"Well, this time I'm definitely making it down the aisle," Jane said, sharing a tender smile with Kurt.

"Yes, you are," he assured her. "As soon as we can find that birth certificate. Actually, I should probably send a forensics team to check out that apartment. I'll need that address and the key to the place."

Roman quickly provided him with both. "I'm sure you'll find it there. Alice—Jane," he amended, noticing how she flinched every time he called her by her given name, "is a creature of habit. And here . . ." He rattled off his cell phone number as well. "I know you'll need time to verify the DNA and check my story, so give me a call when that's done. And since I'm sure you'll have agents tailing me until then, would you mind having them give me a lift back to my hotel? It will save me cab fare."

Cheeky bastard, Kurt thought in amusement as he acquiesced. It wasn't as if Roman would lead them back to Sandstorm anyway. He was far too skilled an operative not to evade a simple tail. "Reade and Zapata will be happy to drive you anywhere you want to go."

We will? said the look Zapata shot him when he gave her the news, but she followed Roman and Reade to the elevator without comment. Kurt quickly assigned several other agents to follow them, but he noticed his fiancée frowning at him as they returned to his office.

"Why didn't you wake me to tell me Roman was here?" Jane demanded.

"I considered it," Kurt told her. "But I thought it would be more believable to Sandstorm if I waited to bring you in until I heard what Ian had to say. You're not only a valuable FBI asset, you're my soon-to-be wife and the mother of my unborn child, remember? So I need to be triply protective." Not just with Sandstorm, but with anyone—or anything—that threatened her. "Besides, this gave me a chance to get a sense of your brother without you there to influence the results."

That stung. "I would never do that," Jane retorted. "I'm completely loyal to you—"

"I know," Kurt cut her off. "And I wasn't suggesting otherwise. But like it or not, Ian did behave differently when you were in the room than when he was alone with us. It's clear that he loves you very much—"

"Which is why I can turn him into an asset," Jane cut in.

"But he hates all of us in equal measure," Kurt finished as though she hadn't spoken. "I'm not sure if it's a generalized hatred against the FBI, or if it's more personal—" though in his case, he definitely suspected the latter, "—but it makes trying to turn him into an asset a risk I can't support. I'm sorry, Jane. I wish more than anything that I could, but even if the decision was up to me rather than Nas, there's just too much at stake here to risk it. Not just you and our child, but hundreds, perhaps thousands, of innocent lives."

Jane's shoulders slumped as she looked away, her eyes flooding with tears. She'd been so hoping . . . "I know," she admitted. "I know there's a lot riding on this, Kurt. But—"

"Hey." Kurt's own eyes were damped as he placed a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. "It's not that I don't want to help, Jane. It's just . . . I don't know how. But I'll keep thinking on it. I promise." She moved into his arms, and he hugged her fiercely. "Now . . . what do you say we go get Patterson to round up a forensic team, and you and me will go with them to check the place out?"

"That sounds good," Jane said with a watery smile. "I am so ready to call you husband."

"And I can't wait to make you my wife," Kurt returned, relieved that they continued to be able to navigate this obstacle in their relationship so well. He knew it would have been a deal breaker for most couples, and he was in awe of the strength Jane was showing and the trust she was placing in him.

They found the birth certificate exactly where Roman said it would be, though there was nothing else of any forensic value in the apartment. The place definitely had a lived-in feel to it, but it appeared eerily frozen in time, as if the owners had just gone out one day and never returned. Which, Kurt supposed, was exactly what had happened. Or at least what Shepherd wanted them to believe had happened. He couldn't help but wonder how long she'd had this backup plan in place.

They applied for their marriage license the day after Roman's visit, and were married six days later. The "aisle" Roman walked her down was really just a makeshift path between their guests at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau, but to Jane it felt like the fanciest of cathedrals. She was on cloud nine, and she knew she'd remember the look on Kurt's face as he caught sight of her in her long sleeve lace wedding gown for the rest of her life. Her own gaze raked appreciatively over him at her first glimpse of him in his tux as well.

There was no hesitation in either her or Kurt's voice as they recited their vows. His lips were on hers almost as soon as the officiant said, "You may kiss the bride," and they shared a tender, lingering kiss that brought rosy color to Jane's cheeks as they turned to face their cheering well-wishers.

Sarah was the first to greet them, and she hugged Jane fiercely. "I'm so glad I finally have a sister. Welcome to the family, Mrs. Weller."

Jane managed to choke out a thank you that didn't even begin to cover the depths of gratitude for all Sarah was coming to mean to her, and then the team swarmed around them, offering their congratulations as well. Even Zapata seemed willing to put aside their differences today to celebrate the occasion, and if the hug she gave Jane was a bit awkward, everyone was too caught up in the joy of the moment to notice.

Unbeknownst to Jane or Kurt, the team had rented a limo for the occasion, and they all piled in and rode to the restaurant that was hosting their reception. A number of off-duty FBI agents and friends of Kurt's joined them there, and Jane was inundated with an equal number of well-wishes and teasing queries as to what made her settle for this guy.

They opened presents, and fed each other cake, and laughed and talked with their guests until Kurt invited teasing jeers by announcing it was time to take his bride home. They climbed back into the limo, and were promptly so engrossed in one another that the driver had to clear his throat three times before they realized they were home.

Kurt held her hand as they rode the elevator up to their floor, but he stopped her when she would have opened the door and entered their apartment, sweeping her up in his arms instead. "It's tradition for a man to carry his new bride across the threshold," he told her when she looked at him questioningly.

He turned her so that she could shut the door behind them, but he didn't let her down, carrying her down the hall and over the threshold of their bedroom as well, so that they could share another important milestone together.

It was an idyllic end to a wonderful day, the perfect start to their married life.

But the storm was fast approaching.