Memento Mori
A Selection of shorts and unrelated one-shots. Mostly stuff that comes to my head while watching the show or things I think should have happened. Things I would like to see. Jane Centric, but there will be shorts about the other characters as well.
Wow, thanks for all the insanely lovely reviews for the last chapter. Put a smile on my face!
So the next chapter is up. Hope you all enjoy. Had a bit of trouble writing the ending but it turned out well I think. There were a few great suggestions in the reviews so I have a few more shorts coming plus some I came up with whilst watching the new episode!
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!
Tell me what you think. :)
PS: The time frame of this fic is up to date with the most recent episodes, but I have chosen to ignore that they have found out who the mole was simply because I made a mistake in the first part.
A Tale of Bad Parenting (PT2)
Patterson groaned as she pushed her plate as far away from her as possible, her hand moving to her stomach as she fell back into her chair. She shouldn't have ordered the pancakes.
"I cannot believe you ate all of those." Doctor Robert Bordon said as he sipped the Turkish coffee he ordered a few minutes before. He slung his arm around the back of Paterson's chair, leaning back in his own chair with a cheeky smile. The blond half-halfheartedly glared at her boyfriend, blue eyes staring up at him through dark painted lashes.
"I'd like to see you resist buttermilk pancakes with a blueberry compote!" She said, Roberts smile only widened.
"I did resist them. I went for coffee instead. Which is why I will not be falling into a food coma the moment I get home."
Patterson groaned once more.
"Going home requires moving and I do not want to think about moving right now."
The table broke out into a string of giggles and Patterson looked around, a smile on her face as she glanced at each of the occupants that surrounded her. Tasha and Reade sat on to the left of her, their plates wiped clean, Reade had ordered the chicken burger and Tasha had ordered some Spanish dish with a strange name. They both shared a plate of Churros for desert. Kurt sat at the head of the table, his own plate clean... apart from the 'green stuff' that was 'where more meat should have been.' He also had a coffee for desert, black, no sugar. Naz sat next to him, a small amount of food still lying uneaten on her plate. She too just had coffee. Patterson's smile fell slightly, a feeling of sadness washing over her. There was one person missing. The person they hadn't even thought of inviting. The same person she saw watching them as the all piled into the elevator, her face dropping noticeably as Tasha mentioned something about dinner and drinks.
Patterson sighed. She really had to start making an effort to include Jane. No one else would.
'What would she be doing right now?' Patterson thought. 'Everyday she goes back to her small empty apartment. Completely alone.' Knowing Jane, she wouldn't be sleeping. Jane actively avoided sleep if she could. Whenever she mentioned it to Jane, the other woman would expertly change the subject.
She was so lost in her thoughts; she hadn't realised their plates had already been cleared. An outburst of laughter erupting from the table as her phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Sighing she slowly moved to grab it, her stomach protesting against any form of movement.
She really shouldn't have had those pancakes.
Looking down at her phone she frowned at the number, a feeling a dread washing over her. Why would the hospital be calling her?
Shakily she swiped the green button and put the phone to her ear.
"Hello…. Yes this her….What…is she...okay, I will be right there." The table fell silent.
"What is it Patterson?" Tahsa asked her, a frown forming on face. Wordlessly, the young doctor placed her phone in her coat pocket.
"Patterson." Kurt's gruff voice called to her. "What's wrong?" Patterson was silent for a moment longer.
"It's Jane. She was attacked at her safe house. She's in the hospital."
Xxxx
It was just passed eleven when the team arrived at the hospital. The night had turned icy as the rain began to drench the streets, seeming to fall in dull grey sheets. Patterson didn't even wait for Naz to stop the car before jumping out of the back seat, followed closely by the Kurt, Reade, Borden and Tasha.
Tasha ignored the pain in her side as she struggled to catch up with her team, taking a deep breath as they finally came to a stop in the lobby. Kurt and Patterson were the first ones to the front desk.
"Jane Doe" Patterson said hurriedly. The young woman behind the counter looked up at the blond with a flustered expression.
"Ah…I don't think we've gotten any Jane Doe's in tonight-"
"No her name is Jane Doe!" Patterson interrupted running a hand through her hair. "She's about 5'6, black short hair covered in tattoos."
"Oh her, yes, they brought her in an hour ago."
"What room is she in?" Kurt asked gruffly, the flustered woman stared wide-eyed towards him, fumbling for some paper on her desk.
"Um…" She started, clearing her throat.
"Are you her family?"
"She doesn't have any family." Kurt responded. The young woman swallowed hard, stuttering her response.
"I'm afraid I can only give out her information to her family-"
Patterson hands slammed hard on the table. The young woman behind the desk jumped violently. Tasha was surprised the woman didn't jump out of her seat and through the roof.
"If you don't tell us where she is right now, I swear to god and I will come behind there and find out for myself!"
If the young receptionist's eyes could go any wider, they would have popped out of her head.
"What's all the commotion here?" A heavily accented voice spoke from the doorway. Kurt, Patterson, Reade and Tasha all turned in unison, their gazes stopping on an elderly doctor with greying hair. She was tall with dark skin, evidence of her years showing in the wrinkles on her forehead. She had an air of authority to her as she confidently made her way towards the team. A blue folder in one hand while her other rested in her right pocket. Kurt took a step towards her.
"I am Deputy Director Kurt Weller of the FBI. There was a woman brought in here not too long ago. Dark short hair, tattoos."
The doctor nodded slowly, her tired eyes narrowing.
"Ah the painted lady. Yes, I know who you are talking about."
"Can we see her?" Tasha asked, she flinched as she took a few steps towards Kurt and Patterson. Her hand subconsciously went to the fresh stitches in her side.
"I'm afraid not. She's still in surgery."
"What are her injures?" Patterson asked. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying.
"Two broken ribs, lacerations to the hands face and arms and a concussion. She lost a lot of blood due to a severe stab wound to her abdomen, to be honest I am surprised she was still alive when the ambulance arrived on the scene. Someone almost beat this poor woman within an inch of her life, put a knife in her gut then left her for dead." The doctor shook her head. "The EMT's said when they arrived at the scene, she was still conscious. I'll tell you something, you got yourself one tough agent Director Weller."
Kurt nodded wordlessly, clenching his jaw.
"Did she say anything…before she passed out." Bordon suddenly spoke. His brow creasing slightly.
The doctor glanced down towards her beeping pager. Distracted.
"Nothing the EMT's thought worth mentioning" Looking up, the doctor sighed tiredly, brushing some stray bits of greying hair away from her face.
"I am very busy; I will make sure you are the first to know when your friend is out of surgery. In the meantime, feel free to wait in the waiting room. There is a cafeteria down the hall and a few vending machines by the entrance." She turned to walk away, turning her head towards them again. "And please refrain from threatening any more of my staff."
The team mumbled their thanks and watched the doctor hurry away. wordlessly making their way to the waiting area where uncomfortable grey chairs stood around a stark pine table. The tables surface was littered with outdated magazines and pamphlets, countless amounts of coffee rings and stains marking the once pristine beige wood.
They each took a seat, no words spoken between them as they waited anxiously for news on their friend. They used that term loosely. 'Friend.' The friend they didn't invite to dinner. The Friend they weren't there for when she needed them the most. The friend each and every one of them didn't deserve.
Kurt rubbed his tired eyes as he leaned back in his chair, glancing around the waiting room as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest. He could see Naz staring at him from the corner of his eye, a worried expression crossing her features as she shifted closer to him.
He tapped his fingers impatiently on his bicep, glancing at the nurses that hurried down the corridors. Eyeing the two doctors that were sitting having a coffee and glaring at the receptionist behind the desk who seemed to be filing her nails. He shifted in his seat, moving his hands to rub his face. It had only been two minutes since they had sat down. But it felt like an eternity.
"Does anyone want a coffee" Bordon's voice broke the silence. He was the only one of them that had remained standing. They each mumbled their answer as he moved away from Patterson, who's eyes were glued to the screen of her phone. The wires of her earphones poking out from behind her hair.
"I am going to send a team to Jane's safehouse. See if we can get any evidence on whoever attacked her." Kurt nodded wordlessly. Naz stared at him a moment longer before moving to stand.
"She's going to be fine Kurt." She left without another word.
Twenty minutes later, there had still been no word from the doctors and Kurt could have sworn the song that was playing on the radio had already been played twice before. He felt his eyes become heavy.
Jane would be fine. He thought to himself. She's invincible. Nothing could keep her down. She survived getting blown up all those years ago, picked herself back up after the black site, and brushed off a gunshot wound like it was a paper cut. She would survive this. There was no way a blade to the gut would stop her. She will come out of this and she would probably do it without expecting any help from her so called 'friends.' Because why would she expect them to help her now?
"Oh my god." Patterson hushed voice made him frown turning in her direction.
"What is it?" He heard Tahsa ask, saw her move to Patterson's side as the blond took the earphones from her ear.
"I was looking into the 911 calls around the time Jane would have been attacked. To see if I could get a clue of who was responsible…" Patterson stared open-mouthed at her phone, one earphone still hanging from her ear.
"And…" Tasha asked. Removing the jack of her headphones, the young blond played the file that lay open on her phone. The voice they heard, chilled the blood of everyone that sat in the room.
"911, what is you emergency."
"Yes, I need an ambulance right away, there has been a terrible accident."
"Can you please tell me your location and the nature of the accident Ma'am."
The team listened, suppressing a shiver as Shepard told the dispatcher Jane's address.
"I would hurry; it looks like she doesn't have much time."
There was a click on the other end of the line, then nothing. The room was deathly silent.
Another hour passed without a word being spoken. The doctor approached them as the clock struck 01:45.
xxx
The moment the team slowly filed one by one into Jane's room. There was still an uneasy silence between them, a deafening quietness interrupted only by the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the hushed sound of Jane's breathing. The door clicked loudly as it shut behind them.
It was a strange sight to see. Jane, so pale and still. The intricate artwork that covered her body a stark contrast against the pristine white sheets that seemed to cocoon her. There were angry red cuts that covered both her hands, a large gash across her lip and a purple bruise that covered her left eye, white bandages covered her left cheek, concealing whatever it was that hid beneath.
Patterson was the first to her side. Followed by Tasha, then Reade. They left Kurt standing by the door. Un-moving as his eyes took in the frail appearance of the woman that had changed his life. The room was silent, the beeping of the heart machines, the ringing of a telephone outside and Jane's shallow breathing the only sounds to greet the ears of the conscious occupants of the room.
"How could she do this…" Patterson whispered to no one particular. "Her own daughter…" she let the sentence linger.
"It's Shepard Paterson…you know from experience that she is crazy…" She heard Zapata say.
"Her own mother attacked her in her home…" She thought about the wording for a moment. "If you can call the room she lives in a home…the only personal item she owns is a giant blue shark on her bed…"
There was a moment of silence. Then Patterson spoke again, quieter this time as she took Jane's hand in her own.
"We should have invited her. If we had just invited her to dinner, this never would have happened.
"Patterson…" Reade began, but the blond raised her hand to silence him.
"No." She said. "You don't get to make excuses. We can't keep hating her for what she did. She did it to protect us…everything she did was to protect us!" She was yelling now, turning fast on her heel to face her two friends. Kurt still stood by the door, his eyes never leaving Jane.
"Everything she has ever done was to protect us…even after we sent her to that dark hole at the CIA…even after everything, her first instinct was to make sure we were safe without a single thought for herself…" Patterson's eyes blurred with tears. She stopped yelling, taking a shuddering breath as she fell into the chair next to the bed. She took Jane's hand once more. The next thing she said was barely a whisper. "We didn't even help her when she got back…She had to deal with everything…alone."
Tasha and Reade looked down the floor and silence once again consumed the room. Patterson sniffed before speaking again.
"Someone needs to tell Roman that she's here…she brings him breakfast every day. He'll worry if she doesn't show up in the morning." Patterson said. "Oliver too."
Reade nodded, unable to speak. Pulling his phone from his breast pocket he slowly made his way towards the door, placing his free hand comfortingly on his boss's shoulder. The door clicked closed behind him.
Tasha rubbed the throbbing skin of her stomach. The stitches in her side beginning to itch. If it hasn't had been for Jane today, she would be standing in this very room right now. In-fact, she would probably be in one of the freezers downstairs, covered by a white sheet.
She moved closer to Paterson, her eyes failing to the small lump visible in the sheets that covered her body. A lump clearly made by the bulky bandages that wrapped around her torso. Covering the wound the knife had made. The knife that her own mother had driven into her stomach before leaving her to die.
It took her a while before she realised Kurt had slowly begun to move to Janes side. His face frozen in an expression of pure heartbreak and guilt. He reached for her hand, taking it gently in his own and leaning down, he brushed the few bits of stray hair from her face.
They watched him, watching her and once again, their hearts broke.
"We are going to stop Sandstorm Jane." He said quietly. So quiet, it was almost a whisper. "The you can finally have a life. The life you deserve. Free from Shepard, Free from all this death and pain."
It was another hour before the door opened again. A flurry of movement behind Kurt as Oliver Kind rushed through the door and straight to Jane's side. He didn't even look at anyone else in the room before he moved to caress Jane's injured cheek. Patterson stood and offered the man her seat.. He immediately took it, gently moving Jane's hand upward towards his lips.
Kurt knew it was going to be hard. Hell, he didn't even know if it would be possible, Sandstorm seemed to be everywhere, but as god was his witness, he would try. Try and give Jane everything she deserved. Try and give her any resemblance of a normal life. Looking up at Oliver, he could clearly see the concern etched on the man's face.
He just wanted Jane to be happy for once…even if it wasn't with him.
I am a sucker for Mr Kind.I really hope he is a good guy, but who knows with this show!
I hope you enjoyed the fic. Tell me if there are any mistakes cause I am a terrible without spell-check. Next chapter up soon. Might be a sweet one, might be an angsty one...haven't decided yet. :P
