Hey! You didn't expect to here from me so soon. Well surprise! I finally decided to end this story with this chapter. The epilog would just not fit and would probably only prolong the story. Furthermore, I came up with a cute scene to end it and I thought it would be perfect. I want to thank you all again for the love you shared or for even just reading it. I know it's probably a mess :D. This story helped me to improve my writing (at least I hope it did) and will help me to make my next ones even better. Enjoy the last and final chapter.

Martin Gero...I think you know what I mean by now.

Damaged Soul

For Good

The first night was hell. The constant fear she would die drove them both crazy. When she was moved to a normal room, they both visited her immediately. Her right leg was completely plastered and also the cast on her left arm reached up to her elbow. The large laceration on her head was bandaged. At the moment she was on artificial respiration. Surrounded by so many machines she seemed very small.

Three days have passed and there was still no sign that she would wake up. Her cerebral pressure and brain waves seemed normal. The doctors told them that she could wake up any moment or not at all. That was up to her. They explained the delirium. During the time that describes the phase between sleep and waking, patients first notice that they have not been conscious for a while. Many are confused, unable to remember anything before the coma. They also often cannot recognise faces. Relatives can ease the condition by stimulating the patient's senses. They can bring familiar sounds, their favourite music, or scents such as their favourite perfume to remind the person of their former life and take away their fear of the new time.

The words and explanations gave them strength. They had brought her pieces from home. Her bedclothes and the self-knitted blanket she once received as a gift from Patterson. Kurt hoped she would remember.

The next morning he woke up from the uncomfortable chair that had become his bed. He massaged the knots in his neck and his movements woke Roman as well. Both have looked better before. The unshaven faces and the dark circles under their eyes were a glimpse of their terrible past. The sleepless nights and the constant worry left their marks more and more every day. But this event had something good as well. They could get to know each other. Could understand each other better and better. They had one thing in common. They loved Jane, and that bonded them. Roman told him stories from her time before she became Jane and Kurt told him stories from the time after.

That morning, they were both silent, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Kurt was about to get breakfast for both of them when her heart monitor started beeping abnormally. It wasn't much faster than usual, but it was quite different. He rushed to her side and looked into her eyes. Roman took her hand and tried to wake her up with a gentle squeeze.

"Jane? Don't be afraid, we're here Jane." She moved her fingers slowly at first, then she turned her head slightly in one direction. Her eyes opened, but as expected, her gaze remained unfocused. Kurt immediately fetched a nurse and she began to examine Jane. The doctor explained that she was in a vegetative state and that was a good sign. They removed the breathing tube and then left her alone again. Kurt and Roman told her in a gentle voice what had happened in the last few days and how happy they were to see her beautiful eyes.

It took another two days until she finally gave a sign of a conscious reaction. Kurt sat next to her bed and read her a story from one of his favorite books when he thought she had moved. He put the book aside and took her hand in his.

"Jane, can you hear me?" It took a moment, but suddenly she squeezed his hand very lightly. A smile formed on his face and he looked into her eyes. They were open. She was looking in his direction. Her eyes didn't seem focused yet, but he could tell she was trying. He gently stroked her cheek up to her temple and massaged her head. She leaned into his touch. His heart was racing with happiness and he told her about Roman and how happy he would be to see her like this.

From day to day she showed more reaction and one evening it happened.

"Kurt?" He jumped up slightly. He didn't expect to hear her voice. He saw her eyes looking for him, and he leaned forward to her.

"Yes Jane, I'm here Jane." For the first time in a long while, she finally managed to see his face. He looked exhausted and he had tears in his eyes.

"Are you all right?" He had to laugh.

"You just woke up and you' re already worried about somebody else."

It took several more weeks before she was herself again. There were times when she was completely herself and had a clear mind and then there were times when it seemed as if she was dreaming awake. She had once thought that one of the doctors was trying to poison her and had stopped eating, but it passed quickly. The doctors said it was completely normal. The cast on her arm was removed, as were the screws in her leg. She was sitting on her bed wrapped in a blanket and eating a pudding.

"Are you looking forward to tomorrow when you can go home?" Roman's question got her thinking. Was she looking forward to it? She had enjoyed being cared for by both of them over the weeks. They visited her, talked to her, sneaked delicious food in and took her for walks. All that would stop then. She would be back in her empty and lifeless safe house and everyone would return to their old lives and habits. Except Roman, of course. He had no apartment of his own and had moved into her house a few weeks ago. He would continue to help her. She would be grateful for that for the rest of her life, but he was not Kurt. She had fallen more and more in love with him during the last time. Her old memories are slowly coming back and the puzzle, her life, is slowly becoming a picture again.

Her heart was beating faster every time he entered the room. She loved the way he looked at her when he told her about Bethany or how he would always stroke her hair gently after a nightmare or an illusion. His presence alone made her incredibly happy. Was she looking forward to leaving the hospital? Maybe a little, but if she was completely honest, she wasn't.

"Sure." Her answer was terse, and Roman could read on her face that it wasn't entirely true, but he wouldn't speak to her about it. Maybe she was just tired.

The rest of the day she remained silent and seemed very lost in thought. It improved when Kurt came to visit her, but even in his presence she was not the same as always. Kurt noticed this too and spoke to her. In response she just smiled at him and said that she was just tired. He gave Roman a worried look but he just shrugged his shoulders unknowingly. Jane was not comfortable with the silence and tension in the room. She lay under her blanket and closed her eyes.

"Thank you for coming, but I'm really tired and would like to sleep now." She had never sent either of them away before. Kurt didn't like that at all and he had a bad feeling in his stomach, but he wanted to respect her wish. He stood up and stroked her back for a moment.

"Okay, we're going to go and get some rest." He looked at her sadly and left the room with a soft sigh. Roman followed him.

"What's wrong with her. Did something happen in the morning?"

"No, not that I know of. We talked normally and when I asked her if she was looking forward to her release tomorrow, she suddenly seemed lost in thought. I thought she would be happy." Kurt grabbed his shoulder.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow." The rest of the night he wondered what Jane was so upset about. Any normal person would be happy to be released, especially after such a long time.

"Maybe she's afraid everything will go back to the way it was. She, alone in that dark safe house, and you, back at the FBI. She probably thinks you won't see each other now that she's no longer working for the FBI." The voice in his head tried to explain it to him. Of course, why didn't he think of it sooner. Luckily, she'd expect a surprise tomorrow and then he'd kill her worries once and for all.

Roman came into the room with a wheelchair. Like yesterday, she sat on the bed with hanging shoulders. Her fingers were playing with a run in the blanket. He smiled encouragingly at her. If she only knew

"Ready." She looked up at him and nodded. He helped her into the wheelchair and pushed her to the exit. A couple of her nurses wished her good luck and Jane put on a fake smile that disappeared as soon as they left the hospital. Roman lifted her into the car and drove her home. Neither of them said a word the entire ride.

When they arrived in their street, their mouths fell open in amazement. The house was unrecognizable. It still looked a little decrepit, but it was repainted, in a bright green. Her favorite color. In her front garden suddenly grew many colorful flowers. Roses, lilies, daisies. It looked like something out of a storybook. She was laughing with joy. Roman got out of the car with a smile and put her back in the wheelchair. The best was yet to come. He pushed her to the front door and looked for his key.

"Did you do this?" Joy and wonder were written all over her face.

"Well, I had a little help?" He pushed the door open and wheeled her into the house.

"Surprise!" Jane burst out laughing again. In front of her stood Reade, Zapata, Patterson and Kurt under a welcome home sign. Patterson ran towards her with open arms and wrapped her into a tight hug.

"We're so glad you're finally out of the hospital."

"Yeah, we thought you moved in there." Zapata took a sip from her beer with a smile.

"Now let her go Patterson, she needs to breathe." Reade gently pulled her away from Jane by the shoulders. Patterson had tears in his eyes.

"Sorry, I'm just so happy." Kurt came over to Jane's side and pushed her into the living room. He leaned down slowly and whispered in her ear.

"Do you like it?" The house looked beautiful on the outside, but inside it was even better. Everything was much cozier and homier than before, with the new furniture and pictures on the walls.

"Kurt, it's...just fantastic. I love it." I love you. He didn't say it out loud, but he hoped she could read it in his eyes.

For the rest of the evening, Jane was happy. Everyone ate together, played some of Patterson's board games and told funny stories. She wished the day would never end, but everything eventually came to an end. Reade and Zapata left first. After an hour, Roman had to take Patterson home, because in her condition she was definitely not supposed to drive. He also wanted to give Kurt and Jane some more time alone.

Now that they were alone, Jane fell back into her old mood. After a day like this, saying goodbye would be even worse. Her heart screamed at her, told her to confess her feelings but she thought it would be unfair to him. She could not see what he was trying to make her understand. How could a human be so blind.

"Well, it's getting late, and I should probably get going."

"Yes, you're right." She skillfully avoided his eye contact. She feared he could read her feelings clearly in her eyes and she didn't want him to. Besides, she'd probably cry and that would have made saying goodbye even worse. She walked him to the door. He found it somehow amusing how much she avoided him and that so obviously. How could she believe that he never wanted to see her again after what he had done at the hospital. She was so stubborn. He was almost out the door when he turned around again.

"Oh Jane, I had one more question." She looked at him briefly, then quickly down again. He shook his head, laughing softly.

"Would you please look at me." He could see she was confused, but after a few seconds in which she seemed to think, she did what he asked for. He leaned down to her and put his hands on the armrests of her wheelchair.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" That was a question she hadn't expected and he could see it in her eyes. Her mouth was wide open in shock and he could see she was trying to speak. He wanted to give her all the time she needed and just kept smiling at her. She loved that crooked smile.

"You mean like a date?" He wanted to start laughing, but he was afraid she'd get it the wrong way.

"Yes, Jane, a real date?" She didn't know what to say. Did he really feel that way about her, or was he doing it out of pity? She looked deep into his eyes, and for the first time, she could see it. His feelings mirrored hers. Her heart started beating faster and she could feel her cheeks turning red. It did not bother her. He saw a broad smile spreading across her face.

"Yes." Finally. He got up slowly, but before he left he bent over to her. She could see his lips moving closer and closer to hers. He looked deep into her eyes, wanted to make sure she was okay with that. She found his hesitation sweet, but enough was enough. She laid her hands on his cheeks, closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his. The tender kiss turned into a passionate one. All the terrible events, the doubts, the constant fear, but also the love flowed into it. When they parted again she leaned her forehead against his.

"I've wanted to do that for a very long time." How could he always find the right words. She could only laugh. He got up slowly and walked to his car.

"Then we have a date, I'll write to tell you where and when I'II pick you up."

"It's a deal." He smiled and got into his car. She closed the door behind her. They both had the same thought.

Maybe things would finally work out for good.

The End