Author's Notes: Readers, as noted earlier, the time jump is upon us. We are now at the start of Season 5. Jane has published her book and has had relationships with Fabian and Adam, and yes, Xo has been diagnosed with breast cancer. However, Jane and Rafael's relationship is not moving as fast in my brain as it did for the writers.

It's time to get my favorite couple from this show back together.

Chapter Three

Lucy was rapidly approaching four years old when she asked a question of Jane that almost made her slam on the brakes of the car that she was driving at the time.

"Mommy, where's my daddy?"

They had just finished with her first dance recital. And although Lucy had had an impressive cheering section made up of her parents, her Abuela and her. She had been an absolute rock star on stage, clearly taking after Xiomara and not Jane. Lucy had worn the pale pink ballet leotard and tutu with extreme pride and had been one of the best girls on the stage.

Jane was not entirely sure where the question had originated from, but she knew that she had to get to the bottom of it.

"What do you mean, sweet pea?" Jane said and looked in the rearview mirror so that she could catch her daughter's eye.

Lucy had gotten so big. Her hair had maintained a honey brown hue and her complexion was fairer in that she more closely resembled her father while she had the chocolate brown eyes of her mother. But she was a happy child that enjoyed dance class, Barbies, tea parties, and annoying her older brother.

"My friends got flowers from their daddies. I didn't."

"Oh," Jane responded. Her thoughts whirled as she considered how best to explain the situation to her daughter. Truthfully, she thought she would have another year or two before she needed to have this talk.

Determining where she was, Jane made a quick turn and found the nearest ice cream shop. She knew that Mateo would be mad that her sister had gotten ice cream and he hadn't, as she was sure that Lucy would make it very well known.

"Okay, kiddo, let's some ice cream and talk."

Jane found a spot at the curb and got them out of the car to head into the store. Although she did her best to guide her daughter towards getting her to treat in a cup, Lucy adamantly wanted two scoops of pink bubblegum flavored ice cream in a waffle cone with rainbow sprinkles. And truthfully, Jane couldn't deny her.

Jane stuck to one scoop of cookie dough in a cup. They found a small table, and armed with plenty of napkins, the two girls sat down. But before Jane launched into the talk about Lucy's dad, she sent a text to the person she knew could correct the flower debacle in a flash – her father.

Lucy was upset she didn't get flowers after the recital. Can you pick up a bouquet for her?

Jane slid her phone back into her bag before she focused on her daughter. The pink ice cream was already starting to drip down the sides of the cone, but Lucy was clearly enjoying herself too much for Jane to intervene.

"So, Lucy Loo," Jane said using one of her daughter's many nicknames, "You asked me a question before that I want to answer."

Lucy looked at her expectantly.

"The reason that you don't have a daddy like your friends is that he went to be with God before you were even born."

"In Heaven?" Lucy asked, licking the ice cream that had dripped onto her hand.

"Yes. You see, your dad's body stopped working, so he couldn't live with us anymore. So, he went to live with God and Jesus."

Jane wasn't entirely sure that she explained this in the best way possible to her daughter and knew that she would probably have to do some more research later when she and Mateo were asleep. Still, for now, she seemed satisfied with her mother's explanation.

"Baby, you're a mess," Jane lamented and pulled a pack of wipes out of her bag so that she could clean her daughter up now that the pink bubblegum treat was done.

But Jane could tell that the focused talk and the ice cream had done its' job to make Lucy not feel less than her peers because she didn't have her father at her dance recital. And Jane hoped that Rogelio had gotten her text.

After they discarded the dirty napkins and wipes, Jane put Lucy back into her car seat, and they went made their way home. Seeing her father's car parked in front gave Jane hope that there would be flowers inside for her little ballerina.

"Papa came to visit!" Lucy said excitedly, seeing Rogelio step out on the porch and wave excitedly at them.

"Yes, let's get inside and tell him about your ice cream," she told her daughter, and once Lucy was out of her car seat, she ran excitedly to see her grandfather.

Jane wandered into the house and gasped when she saw that her father had not only gotten her text, but he had also taken the appropriate Rogelio level action. There were about twenty bouquets of flowers spread throughout the living room and into the kitchen.

"Mama, look what Papa got me!"

Turning towards her tiny voice, Jane immediately glared at her father, who cringed at her look. On her living room's coffee table was a decadent lilac-hued hamster cage complete with a blonde-haired hamster inside.

"Oh boy!" Jane responded to Lucy with fake enthusiasm. In truth, Jane was trying to figure out where that cage would go as hamsters were nocturnal, and she would not have the rodent keeping her daughter up at night. Not to mention, Faith M. Whiskers III might find the new pet to be a nice snack instead of an addition to the family.

"I'm going to name him Pancake," Lucy said excitedly as she watched the hamster with great glee.

"Sounds great baby, just leave the hamster in the cage. You don't want Faith to hurt him."

Jane directed her father to the kitchen, and when they were alone, Jane rubbed her temples.

"You got her a hamster?"

"Well, the florist was down the block from a pet store, and I just thought that maybe a hamster would also be a good way to show Lucy that she did a great job today."

"She's not even four! And we have a cat! And Mateo is going to be upset that she has one and he doesn't." She could see that all the issues were resonating with her father. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a buzzkill, but the flowers were enough."

"No, you're right. Tell you what – I will get another hamster for Matelio, and they can live at our house in the playroom."

With her father providing an alternate plan that wouldn't result in toddler tears, Jane threw her arms around him and gave him a fierce hug which he quickly returned. She honestly did not know how she would have gotten through the last four years without him and the rest of her support system.


A few days later, her support system gathered to celebrate her abuela's certification as a citizen of the United States of America. But as Jane admired the fireworks that her father had arranged for her abuela's citizenship celebration, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly grateful despite all the changes that had occurred through the last few years.

Grateful that her mom was responding to treatment for her breast cancer.

Indebted that her grandmother was finally granted citizenship and no longer at risk for deportation.

Blessed that she had two healthy, beautiful children and that things with Rafael were steady. They had plans for their future. And everything that had happened romantically for her over the past few years – the fling with Fabian, rekindling things with Adam, and finding peace over Michael's passing – had all made her who she was at that present moment.

A published author working on her second novel, in love with a good guy and raising children to be decent, kind people in a tumultuous world.

She heard the giggles of her son and daughter as they ran through the crowd that had assembled to celebrate Alba before she felt them both grab onto her legs. Looking down at them, she couldn't help but feel their infectious happiness as they wave mini-American flags in celebration of their bisa's citizenship.

"What are you little terrors doing?"

Although she heard Rafael's voice before she saw him, Jane soon felt his arms encircle her waist from behind, and she immediately leaned back into his embrace.

"Hey, you," he said and kissed her cheek.

"Welcome home," she responded, "I'm sorry, you missed most of the party, but there's still food inside. How was the trip?"

Rafael had been away the past two days, being asked to attend a course on real estate basics last minute. But being the new guy coming into the company in a week, he couldn't say no, and Jane completely understood. He wanted to start a stable career that would be part of their future foundation.

Rafael grimaced, "Let's just say I'm happy to be back."

Pulling on his hand, Jane led him into the house so that he could grab some food. He took a plate and started to select from the buffet that was on the dining room table.

"Tell me about the class - did it make you excited to start your new job?"

He looked up at Jane as he took an arepa from a platter. "It was good. The material was a little hard to get through at times, but I persevered it."

His phone pinged, and he took it out to glance at whatever message he had received. But the look on his face as he read it made Jane's stomach flip flop. She couldn't clearly identify what she was feeling, but since Rose had reemerged and demanded to see Rafael at the prison, something between them had been off.

Jane tried to ask him what Rose wanted out of the visit, but Rafael had withdrawn from her before he tried his best to distract her with sex. While that part of their relationship wasn't broken, part of her worried that he was hiding something from her.

It might be worth it to try to have a private conversation with him about this so that she would be comfortable with suggesting that he move into the house with her and the kids and starting the journey towards marriage.

"Grab your food. Let's go see the end of the fireworks."

They went back outside and watched the show's finale as the sky was illuminated with red, white, and blue fireworks.

"Your dad did a great job with this," Rafael commented, "I'm so happy for your grandma."

Looking up at him, Jane knew that she wanted to work on what they had and secure their future.

"Raf, do you mind if I come over after we clean up? I really want to spend some time together, figure out where you and I, and the kids, are headed."

She didn't like how the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as he processed her words before answering her.

"Yes, definitely come over. We should talk."

Hours later, an impromptu wedding for Abuela and Jorge, two exhausted children, and a house that still needed some severe tidying later, Jane looked at her phone and saw that it was getting late. She approached her parents about them taking Mateo and Lucy home so that she could make it over to Rafael's apartment. She explained that she needed to reassure him of their relationship and tell him that him moving in.

"Of course, hon, we can hang out until you come home," Xo told her. "Taking the next step with Rafael is all that we could want for you."

"You deserve to be happy, above everything else," Rogelio added, his eyes shining with tears.

"Stop, Dad," Jane said, her own tears gathering in her eyes, "I can't start crying before I go over there." She gently pressed her fingers under her eyes to ensure that no tears fell.

Having her parents' encouragement to take the next step and create this family with Rafael was more than she could have hoped for. She gave both Xo and Rogelio a quick hug and kiss before she checked on her children. Both Mateo and Lucy were fast asleep on the couch, unaware of the enormous step that their mother was about to take that would change their little lives. She lightly kissed their foreheads before taking the car across town to Rafael's apartment.

On the way over and as she made her way to Rafael's door, she rehearsed the main points of what she wanted to say repeatedly. Jane loves him; they can be a family for real, and although she's not quite ready for an engagement, she wants them to live together and raise the kids as a cohesive unit.

Just before she knocked on the door, she smoothed her hair and adjusted her dress, ready to talk to him seriously. With a quick rap on the door, Jane waited with a smile, prepared to greet him happily. But as Rafael opened the door to his studio apartment, the look on his face immediately gave Jane pause.

"I'm sorry, Jane. I lied before." Despite leading with the apology, Rafael's second sentence immediately made her stomach flip. "Rose didn't tell me about my parents."

"Okay," Jane stammered, "What did she tell you?

He didn't verbally respond to her question and simply opened the door further as a physical answer. However, Rafael's silence only made her uneasiness grow by the second. She almost doesn't want to enter the apartment, scared of whatever he is not telling her. But at the exact same time, she knows in her bones that Rafael wouldn't put her in danger. She knows that he loves her.

Clinging to that thought, she steps further into the apartment and sees him.

Michael. Flesh. Blood. Breathing.

Jane blinked slowly, utterly sure that she looked like a crazy person with her mouth agape, but she almost hoped what she is seeing is a hallucination.

Without warning, her legs can no longer support her body, and her breath comes too fast for her to slow it, and she crumples to the floor, losing consciousness.

She doesn't know how long she is out but is super aware of how much her head hurts from where it connected with the floor and that a dog licked her into an awake state.

Despite the pain she felt where she hit her head, Jane was acutely aware that it indeed was not a hallucination and that Michael was very much still standing in Rafael's apartment. She pushed herself into a sitting position and stared up at him.

"Michael?" she asked aloud.

"Actually, I go by Jason now, ma'am."

"Ma'am?"

"Jane. Right?" he corrected before looking at Rafael.

Jane similarly looks to Rafael for answers, and with a tender hand on her shoulder, he tells her that Michael has amnesia, which she immediately questions.

"Amnesia," Jason responds.

"What?" she asks again, not because she didn't hear him but because it seems so unfathomable.

Jason barely glances up from the floor to clarify. "Like no memory."

"You don't remember me?"

Saying those words out loud was painful than she expected. And Lucy's sweet face is at the forefront of her brain as she waits for him to respond. How cruel a miracle it was to have her father back and not have him be the person he once was.

"No, ma'am. Jane," he amended again.

He can't look at her, and it absolutely breaks her heart.

The name change was one thing, but it is also evident that he is not the same person. The light that used to dance in his blue eyes when he told a joke was gone. His hair is darker and longer, not cropped in the way that she had always known Michael to wear it.

"Jane, breathe," Rafael instructs, and the voice of her father's character from the Passions of Santos is ringing in her ears. Inhala, exhala.

"I don't understand…you were dead…he was dead. We buried him!"

She knows the sentence is harsh but seeing as how she was not receiving any answers about how this was all happening, her mouth and brain weren't exactly seeing eye to eye.

"Rose orchestrated everything. It's a long story that I will tell you when you've had a minute to process everything. But you should know, I got a DNA test. It's him, Jane."

Jane took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from diving off the deep end into a straight-up panic.

"Go on...why don't you tell her your story."

"Actually, can you? Sorry, I'm just not much of a talker, you know."

"You should really tell her," Rafael replied

"Well… four years ago, I woke up in a field in Montana with no memories…um, some lady was there and said I should start over, so that's what I did."

It's a bare-bones description, and Jane craved more information. She knew that Rafael could fill in some of the gaps, but this man, this not Michael, had been living in Montana for four years. Why hadn't he done something about it? Particularly since she had been raising their daughter by herself and only days prior, she had explained to Lucy why she didn't have a dad in her life. She felt nauseous.

"Didn't you try to find out who you were?"

"The lady said I was in a whole lotta trouble, so I didn't know if I was a good guy or bad guy."

She could barely see through the tears in her eyes as she verified things for him. "You were a really good guy."

The tears were no longer controllable as they slipped down her cheeks.

"Anyway, I should take Bo out to do his thing."

Jason's ability to pivot out of the conversation threw Jane for a loop. But she supposed she really didn't know this man.

Her cell phone began to ring inside her bag, and with trembling hands, she moved to answer it when she saw her mom's cell as the caller. Jane was not expecting to hear Lucy's little voice on the other end of the line, and she had to bite her lip to stop a sob from surfacing from deep within her.

"Mommy! Will you be home soon to read to us?"

Reading bedtime stories was one of Jane's most favorite things to experience with her children. Seeing them become immersed into characters and storylines made her hope that they would love literature throughout their lives.

However, tonight was not a night that she could promise to participate in their nightly ritual.

"Not sure, baby girl. Is abuela there?"

"Yes," Lucy responded simply, and Jane knew that she would have to be a bit more direct with her daughter.

"Can you put her on?"

Jane could hear the transfer of the phone as her bossy daughter told Xiomara that she needed to take the phone.

"Hon, is everything okay?"

Hearing her mother's concerned tone on the other end doesn't allow her to say the words, to explain what exactly just transpired in the last half hour of her life.

"Um..um…can you…?" Jane stammered out to Rafael, and without question, he took the cell phone from her before she dropped it.

"Yeah, of course," he replied and takes the phone.

Jane half-heard Rafael as he explained to Xo what had happened. She replayed the conversation that she had had with Jason before he had taken the dog out.

Had she been insensitive? She's not entirely sure that she could have gone about the situation any differently, considering how unexpected it all was. Rafael approached where she was still rooted in place and ran a comforting between her shoulder blades.

"What are you thinking?"

The first question that came into her brain was not the most appropriate, but it troubled her.

"Who did we bury?"

"Rose said that the person in the casket wasn't Michael. She had had one of her special latex masks made up to disguise the body. The mortician was in on everything."

She had been mourning a stranger.

Jane couldn't keep nausea at bay any longer and barely made it to the kitchen sink before she emptied the contents of her stomach. Rafael is by her side in a minute, offering her a towel and a cold glass of water.

"Come on, come sit. We can wait for Jason and figure out our next move."

Rafael led her to the couch, and despite his mention of them figuring out what their next move was, the two of them sat in shocked silence. Neither knew what to say or what to ask without further igniting the powder keg.

"Where is he? It's been over 30 minutes … do you think he got lost? Should we go look for him?"

Jane was frightened that Jason had run off already - that their first meeting had been entirely too much for him to handle and any thought of trying to regain his former life was not worth the effort.

"I'm sure that Jason is fine. He's just getting air."

Jane wasn't sure if Rafael believed his own words if he had just said them for Jane's sake, but before she could question it, his cell phone rang and cut off her thoughts. He answered and spoke with Petra, and Jane could hear that whatever the situation, it was urgent.

When Rafael hung up, he looked regretful.

"I have to go get the girls."

"Huh?"

"Milos is back. Don't worry, everything's okay."

"Oh my god, okay, of course, go. I should…wait here for him."

Rafael's wane smile at her words told Jane that he didn't like the idea of leaving her alone but that he had no other choice than to go ensure Ellie and Ana were out of harm's way.

Rafael gave her one last look before leaving the apartment, and Jane did her best to put on a brave face.

The apartment's silence, except for the low hum of the refrigerator, was deafening. Jane couldn't help but drift into memories that she and Michael had shared, wondering how she would be able to aid him in getting them back. And she also questioned what him getting them back would mean for everyone in his life, including herself.

Not able to sit any longer, she stood up from the couch and began to pace. She decided if Jason wasn't back in another two minutes that she would go out and look for him. After all, this wasn't Michael who took his dog on a walk – this was Jason, and she wasn't sure that he knew the area all that well.

When she finally decided to open the door, it was a bit of a shock that Jason almost stumbled in at the same time.

For a moment, he finally looked her in the eyes, and Jane willed him to remember. That her eyes could communicate everything that they had shared.

But her will evidently did not have the power that she wished it did. But she was impressed – the time outside allowed him to now keep eye contact with her as they spoke. It allowed Jane a few precious minutes to memorize his face.

"I'm about ready to hit the hay. Point me toward a motel?"

Jane didn't want to put him out and wanted to ensure that she knew where to find him. "No, you should stay here. I'll make sure that Rafael has a place to stay."

"Okay, just for tonight."

Before she can deliberate it, she gathered him into a hug to say good night. She could immediately tell that he is shocked by her actions, but she is grateful that he doesn't recoil at her touch.

Jane released him quickly, knowing that she probably threw him off with the embrace, and with one more glance, she left Jason and Bo in Rafael's apartment.

She drove home on autopilot and was very nearly amazed that she did it without getting into a car accident. She hadn't cried anymore since she left Jason at Rafael's apartment, but Jane was sure that the tears were simply simmering under the surface as she moved through this situation.

She walked into her house and found her parents and Rafael were sitting at the dining room table, clearly waiting on her arrival. All three looked concerned, and rightfully so. Everything felt upside down.

"The girls are okay?" she asked Rafael, dropping her small tan purse onto the dining room table.

"Yes, they're sleeping in Mateo's room on the top bunk. Mateo and Lucy are asleep as well. How are you?"

She rubbed her eyes in weariness. "I'm not sure there's a single word for how I am."

"Take a seat," her father directed. "Do you want tea?"

Jane ignored his directive and walked over to her stove to access the cabinet that was situated above. Standing on her tiptoes, she hauled a bottle of vodka out.

"I'm going to need something a bit stronger than tea. Anyone else?"

Her parents passed, but Rafael accepted, so she poured vodka into two rocks glasses that she pulled out of the cabinet and dropped a few ice cubes in both. Typically, she would have chilled the vodka in a shaker, but she didn't have the energy and the patience at that moment.

She handed Rafael a glass and took her own so that she could sit down at the table. Jane took a sip from the glass, feeling the burn of the vodka as it slid down her throat. She wasn't a frequent drinker except for the occasional glass of wine, but something seeing Michael in front of her and him having no idea who she was to him that was making her want to feel less than she currently was.

"Okay, I'm just going to ask it … how did all this happen?" Xo questioned.

That was a question that Jane wanted an answer to as well. And there was only one person in the room who could fill in the gaps.

"Rafael, what did Rose tell you, and how did you find him?" Jane demanded. She couldn't say the name Jason out loud yet. It was too difficult to admit that his memories were gone.

With a sigh, Rafael began to tell Jane and her parents what had transpired after he arrived at the prison to see Rose.

Rafael knew that his ex-stepmother was crazy. She had done enough over the last few years to prove that fact. But he also didn't anticipate the following words that came out of her mouth.

"Michael is alive," Rose says into the prison phone with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

That sentence sent a chill down Rafael's spine.

"What?"

"I faked his death," she said with a contented smile and a nod. And because she couldn't help herself, she told Rafael exactly how she had accomplished it. "Tetrodotoxin to slow his heart rate, and then my EMT drivers took him away. You wouldn't believe how easy it was to incentivize a morgue pathologist with a gambling problem to sign a death certificate. So, yes. He lives. He lives," she adds with flourish followed by a deranged giggle.

Before Rafael can get in another word, she drops the next bit of information.

"Unfortunately, he does have amnesia, though. Goes by Jason now. After Jason Bourne. I always did love a good play on words."

His grip on the phone is tight; he felt like he almost may break it in half as he tries to converse with her and get any additional information out of her.

"H-How did you...?"

"Electroshock therapy focused on the hippocampus and temporal lobe. Until it worked."

Rafael would never claim to have enjoyed the company of the guy but to hear that Michael had been physically tortured into his current memory-less state made him want to be physically ill.

"Where... is he?"

The smile on her face sickened him.

"Mm. I'll tell you where Michael is when you tell me where Luisa is."

All that Rafael could consider at that moment was Jane and Lucy. He could never forgive himself if he didn't find out if the information that the red-headed sociopath that sat just beyond the visitation glass in front of him was spewing was accurate.

He would apologize to Luisa and explain what he did. Rafael could only hope that she would understand and eventually forgive him.

"She's in Longbourne, Florida. Managing an inn."

"You're going to have to do better than that. The name of the inn?"

Without hesitation, he told her that it was the Long Bridge Inn.

"Good boy," Rose said patronizingly. "Michael… or Jason rather is about an hour outside Billings, Montana. Hidden Cove Ranch."

Rafael frowned.

"That's all you get from me. Goodbye, Rafael."

And with that, she called the guard to return to her cell.

Rafael felt like his heart would beat out of his chest. He couldn't tell Jane until he had more information. And he couldn't involve many people in this mess.

But Rafael called the first person to offer him help as long as he didn't burden them with the knowledge he just learned.

"Petra, I need help. Can I meet you?"

"I'm in my office.

"Not at the Marbella. Somewhere else."

Petra paused before responding, and Rafael knew that she was appraising his words. He was sure that she had stood up from her desk and was starting to pace the floor of her office.

"You sound weird. What's wrong?"

"I'll explain as much as I can when I see you. Where can I meet you?"

"I'll meet you at the parking lot of Trivoio's."

If things weren't nerve-wracking, he would have smiled at her selection of their special place. That was the thing about Petra – she was like a lioness for everyone that she loved. She was willing to drop what she was in the midst of and meet him without very much explanation.

As promised, she met him in the restaurant parking lot 40 minutes later. Petra got out of her black Mercedes sedan with her sunglasses on but immediately pushed took them off so that she could look him in the eye.

"Rafael, what is going on? All this cloak and dagger bullshit is usually my M.O.."

He knew that he couldn't tell her exactly what was going on, or else she would feel obligated to tell Jane. And he didn't want to jeopardize the relationship that the two of them had worked so hard to build.

"I had a visit with Rose at the prison." At this admission, Petra's eyes widened in shock. "She told me some information that I have to follow up on. I need a plane, and before you tell me some sarcastic response, it's time-sensitive."

Rafael couldn't risk Rose calling on any of her henchmen and moving Michael somewhere else.

"Come on, Petra. If it wasn't important, I wouldn't be pressing so hard. I'll figure out a way to pay you back eventually."

"Fine. Call Jared and book a plane. Charge it to the hotel. We'll figure it out."

Rafael kissed her cheek and got back in his car. He needed to make plans, and he needed a drink, not necessarily in that order.

When Jane came over that night, and he had tried to put some distance between them, he immediately felt terrible. Creating tension between them was not what he wanted, but he knew that Michael being back would change their relationship no matter how much the two of them would cling to what they currently had.

If Michael was really alive and could get his memory back, there was no way that Jane wouldn't want him to be part of Lucy's life. And that scared him.

Telling Jane that he had seen Rose already felt like he was headed down a slippery slope. But then she had immediately assumed that it was about his birth parents, and he didn't correct her. He was willing to take the comfort that she offered at that moment and lose himself, physically, in her.

The following day, he broke the news that he couldn't be the setup guy for the party because he needed to travel to Atlanta for a real estate class. He could see that she was instantly disappointed.

"I'll do my best to make it for part of the celebration because I do want to be there," he told her sincerely and kissed her soundly. He hoped his words and his actions told her how much he cared for her. How much he wanted a future with her.

"I know you do. But we should talk seriously about where we are headed when you're back, okay?"

He nodded, all the while knowing that once he was back, things wouldn't be in the same realm.

Once Jane headed to work, he went to the small airfield where the charter company that was contracted with the Marbella flew from. He brought a small bag, steeling himself to stay overnight. He didn't know if they would find Michael right away or even after talking to him that he would be willing to come to Miami.

He approached the other person who would be taking the trip with him - Dennis Chambers. To Rafael, he was the only person he could fully tell what was going on and the only one who could assist him in scientifically proving that the man they were on the search for was Michael.

However, Rafael knew that Dennis was not his biggest fan, out of loyalty to his former partner and friend. But Rafael didn't need a best friend on this trip - he needed someone practical.

Rafael nodded at Dennis, and upon meeting with the captains and two flight crew members, they boarded the small private plane.

It was a seven-hour flight to Billings with a short stop in Missouri to refuel. When they got to the rural airfield in Montana, Rafael confirmed with the flight crew the plans for their flight back to Florida early the next day before they went to their lodging - another cost that Rafael would have to deal with after all was said and done.

"Let's figure out a rental car and start heading toward the ranch that Rose told you about," Dennis said.

As the recently appointed captain of the Sin Rostro taskforce and Michael's friend, Rafael knew that Dennis took this trip personally.

The ranch was another hour outside Billings, and their drive was primarily silent, except for the radio that played lowly. However, it had to be tuned every so often when the current station's signal had too much feedback. As they got closer to Hidden Cove, Rafael noticed that it was tranquil with only one or two other cars on the road. Eventually, Dennis turned as per the GPS's directions, and they headed up a long dirt drive. It felt like they drove another mile before they encountered another human being, but of course, this person was on horseback.

They slowed to a stop and rolled down the driver's window. The auburn-haired gentleman slid off his horse and, holding the reins to have the horse follow him, walked over to the car.

"You townies lost?" he inquired, leaning into the car.

"I'm…no, we are actually looking for someone. Jason?

The guy seemed a bit surprised at the mention of Jason's name. He stepped back from the car and looked into the distance before he took off his deerskin gloves to give an ear-splitting whistle. It was so loud that his horse was startled a bit. But before Rafael could give it more thought, another horse and rider started to canter towards them.

The rider that had slid off his horse got back into his saddle and met the other no more than 20 feet from where their car was.

"What do you think the issue is?" Dennis inquired aloud

"No clue," Rafael murmured.

They watched at the first person they had spoken with trotted away, and a dark-haired gentleman dismounted and came to talk with them.

"I hear y'all are looking for Jason. I'm Keith."

"Yes, we are," Dennis replied.

"Well, pardon me if I seem a bit cautious, but Jason is a bit of an independent soul, so who exactly is asking for him?"

Clearly, their word was not going to be taken as well as physical evidence. Rafael knew that Dennis had brought a few things for when they met with Jason, but which was not accessible when they needed to convince Keith that they needed to be on the ranch.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and found a picture from Mateo's baptism. Michael was clear as day in the photo as he was his son's godfather. He passed the phone to Dennis, who showed their new acquaintance the image. The man's dark eyebrows shot up when he examined the photo.

"Let's just say we know where he comes from," Rafael said quietly.

With a nod, Keith gave them directions. "Keep heading down the main drag here, and you'll come to the main house on the ranch. I'll go find Jason and bring him to you."

Dennis and Rafael watched as Keith returned to his horse before they put the car in drive and followed the directions that had just been given.

The immensity of what was about to happen wasn't lost on Rafael. Here knew a metaphorical hurricane was going to follow once they met with Jason in the main house.

The main house of the ranch was made of wood and stone. If the next 30 minutes of his life weren't sure to be full of chaos, Rafael might admire the construction more with his real estate eye. The two men went inside to wait on Keith and Jason's arrival.

The number of animal mounts on the walls of the main house was not lost on him. It was definitely not his décor choice.

He was lost in thought when he heard Dennis suck in a surprised breath.

"Holy shit," Dennis rasped.

Rafael whipped around towards the door and saw that the Jason they were waiting on was Michael by looks alone. His hair was a bit longer and darker, and he sported some facial hair, but Rafael's eyes didn't deceive him.

Deep down, he knew that Rose could have been telling the truth and not sent him on some wild chase. But he'd be lying if the tiniest part of him hadn't wanted her to pull a fast one.

Keith walked in behind him.

"These are them?" Jason asked his coworker. Rafael immediately noted that he did not sound like Michael in the slightest.

"Yup, these are the rich guys that drove up asking for you."

Rafael supposed both his and Dennis's appearance were more formal than the jeans, flannel, and boots that the two ranch hands were sporting.

Dennis took a small step forward, regarding Jason almost like a skittish deer.

"I know you don't know us, but we know you. My name is Dennis Chambers, and that is Rafael Solano. We are sorry for just dropping in like this, but we just received information that directed us to you. Your name isn't Jason. Your name is Michael Cordero Jr., and you were a detective in Miami."

Jason regarded the two of them suspiciously. Rafael didn't blame him. At this point, all that they had given him were pretty words.

"What took you so long to find me?"

"Truthfully? We thought you were dead. And that is a long story for later, probably over a beer or two, but what we would like to do is bring you back to Miami and see if we can aid in you getting your memories back."

Rafael couldn't find his voice. He was glad that Dennis was taking the lead.

"How am I supposed to believe that what you are saying is true?"

Dennis went into his computer bag, pulled out a file folder, and handed it over to Jason for his review. In it, Rafael knew that they had brought several pictures of Michael - his police academy graduation, pictures of him with his parents, his wedding to Jane, as well as a copy of his obituary that had a photo included.

Jason flipped open the folder and looked through the photos. Keith looked over his shoulder and gave a low whistle at the wedding photo.

"Damn, who is that sexy thing on that church altar with you, boy?"

"That's Jane," Rafael heard himself say to Keith. Although he was impressed with his composure, apparently, his tone was tense as Dennis gave him a simmer-down hand gesture.

"Not sure how the law will interpret things considering you were declared legally dead, but Jane is your wife. She lives in Miami; she's a writer."

Dennis and Rafael had agreed on the flight that they would make no mention of Mateo or Lucy as that was not their information to share with Jason. That would be for Jane to decide.

"These are just photographs. Those things can be doctored."

Dennis smiled. "That sounds more like you than you know. You'll see in that file folder that there is a DNA report. Much like you, we'd like to make sure that you're Michael. We'd like to go into Billings and have a DNA test done."

Before them departing Miami, Dennis had used his police connections to ensure that there would be a location where they could get a DNA test performed swiftly if Rose's intel panned out. And now, those preparations were necessary.

Jason grimaced, and Dennis noticed.

"Listen, this is the quickest way to determine that you are the guy in those photos or the quickest way to get rid of us. I don't care how you look at it."

It took Jason a minute, but eventually, he nodded his consent.

"Okay, give Keith here the address. We'll meet you in Billings."

Hours later, after the DNA test confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that Jason was Michael Cordero Jr., albeit without his memories, the four of them sat in a bar not far from where Rafael and Dennis had lodging. Each of the men around the table was drinking for their own reasons.

Dennis drank because, beyond the positive of his friend returning, this new development blew the Sin Rostro case wide open.

Keith knew deep down that he was clearly going to lose the closest friend that he made on the ranch.

Jason was on his second beer because he literally had no idea what was to come now that people from his past had located him.

And Rafael drank because he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he had set a great deal of change into motion. Change that may impact his life in unfortunate ways.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Flight leaves tomorrow morning at 8," Rafael responded gruffly. "We'll meet you at the private airfield near the airport. I'll see how Jane is doing when I get home and then figure out when the two of you should see each other."

Without another word, Jason put his cowboy hat on and tipped his bill at Rafael's marching orders.

"Good to meet you guys," Keith said as he followed his friend out of the bar.

Dennis played with the coaster under his beer glass. "Rafael, I have to ask. You're not going to call Jane tonight and tell her what's going on? Don't you think it would be better for her to hear the news and have time to process before she sees him…in the flesh?"

Rafael pushed away from the table. He was ready to turn in. And extremely eager to not be lectured on actions that he needed to take in his relationship with Jane.

"Listen, man, I appreciate you coming with me and handling a lot of today's logistics, but the last thing that I need is to be questioned on is my judgment when it comes to Jane."

The Sin Rostro taskforce captain held his hands up in surrender. "Have a good night. I'm going to hang out here for a while longer. I'll find my way back to the motel."

Rafael nodded and left the bar, and headed in the direction of the motel.

"After that, we flew home, and Jason hung out at my apartment until you came over. The dog was a last-minute addition to the flight manifest," Rafael concluded.

"Wow," Xo said when Rafael was finished.

But Rafael was looking at Jane, waiting on some sort of reaction from her.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

Her words were honest because it was indeed how she felt. She was heartbroken to know that the things that made Michael who he was – his memories and personality - had been taken from him by the red-headed sociopath that had infected their lives for years. She felt discouraged that Rafael had carried this burden upon himself and not been upfront with her. She hated to even think it, but maybe their foundation was not as strong as she thought it was.

Jane was perplexed about how Jason's appearance would impact the kids. She knew that Mateo had very few memories of Michael, other than the stories that he had been told. And Lucy - just the other day, she had come to the realization that she didn't have the typical family unit of her peers, and now? Her father was alive but not a person that Jane currently felt comfortable entering her life.

"I think everyone needs to get some sleep," Rogelio said. "What is the plan for tomorrow?"

"I have the nanny coming here to watch the kids," Rafael informed the group, "I kind of figured decisions about the kids meeting Jason could wait a day or two."

Jane gave him a small, grateful smile.

"Good, then Jason can meet us at abuela's. Oh, damn it," she uttered, and everyone looked at her expectantly. "How the hell am I going to tell Patricia what is going on?"

Rafael stood up from his chair and leaned heavily on the table.

"Rafael?" Xo questioned

"I already spoke with Patricia. She's coming tomorrow."

Rafael's latest confession left Jane without words, except to ask her parents to head home. She needed to have a conversation with Rafael one on one. She gave both her mother and father a hug and kiss before they left her house and promised to see them the following day at abuela's.

When the front door to her home was closed, Jane moved back to the kitchen when Rafael waited. He looked regretful with his hands shoved in his pockets and his gaze on the floor.

"I know that you're upset," Rafael started before Jane jumped in and cut him off.

"You're damn right I am," Jane countered and scrubbed at her face with her hands. "Rafael, you made decisions that have a serious impact on not only me but Lucy as well. Don't you think that you should have involved me? At some point before tonight?"

"Yes."

"So then why didn't you?"

Rafael moved towards her and gently cupped her face in his hands. Jane didn't pull away – she wanted to understand why he had made the decisions that he had.

"Because I am so terrified that I am going to lose you," he murmured, "The thought of it makes me choose wrong. I'm so sorry, Jane."

He leaned down to kiss her, but before he could, Jane took a step away from him. Rafael looked at her perplexed.

"This isn't going to be simply fixed with a kiss," she told him, "And I'm too tired to dig further into this tonight. Feel free to sleep on the couch."


Would love any feedback that you have!

Putting aside who the writers and show runners thought were endgame on the show, I think they really bungled Michael's return. It was too neat and tidy. So that just means I have to make it a bit more messy.