I don't own Blindpsot or any of these amazing characters…
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Ivan fidgeted nervously as the elevator went down. Rubbing his moist hands on his pants he shook his head in disbelief. He'd been in life threatening undercover situations that hadn't worried him this badly.
The elevator stopped and he reluctantly stepped off.
Patterson's lab was right in front of him, but he didn't go in. He was standing at the door when it opened from the inside. He looked up and there she was.
"Hey!" She greeted him in surprise. "Wow…you look incredible."
Some of his tension relaxed.
"So…you like it?" He confirmed.
"Of course," Patterson was still staring up at him, "You have a great face!"
Ivan rubbed his smooth jaw self-consciously.
"I was afraid you wouldn't like it," He confessed.
"Did that matter?" Patterson teased him with a twinkle in her eye.
"You know it did," Ivan chided with a little smile of his own.
"Why didn't you think I'd like it?" Patterson didn't understand.
"Well," Ivan struggled to explain, "Before I looked like Roman…"
He didn't have to say anymore, Patterson got it.
"I did not have anything going with Roman!" She protested, looking around to see who else might have heard her loud protest she lowered her voice, "I told you that."
"I know," Ivan assured her, his hands going to her waist and pulling her against him, "I just never want to wonder if you're looking at me, but seeing him."
Patterson's hand came up to cup his now smooth cheek, "I know who you are," She assured him, "I don't want you to be anyone else."
"Want to go to lunch?" Ivan asked her.
"I'd love to," Patterson admitted, "But I can't leave right now."
"I'll go check on Jane," Ivan offered, "Unless she's busy too?"
"Not that I know of," Patterson assured him, "Kurt's making sure that she rests as much as possible."
"She must love that," Ivan smiled.
"Oh," Patterson agreed, "She thinks it's the best!"
Her sarcasm wasn't lost on Ivan and he laughed.
"Text me when you're ready to go," Ivan told her, leaning down and kissing her softly.
She sighed and rubbed her lips gently against his now smooth cheek.
"This is nice," She told him.
He watched her walk away with a bemused smile.
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"What happened to your face?" Kurt demanded when Ivan walked up where he was standing next to Jane.
"A razor," Ivan explained patiently, "You should try it."
"No he shouldn't," Jane denied.
Kurt looked down at his wife with a little laugh.
"You don't think you'd like me without my beard?" He teased her.
"Oh," Jane denied, "You'd look incredible either way, but your stubble tickles me in all the best ways."
"I didn't need to hear that," Ivan chided her.
"Sorry," Jane clearly wasn't.
Kurt was laughing at Ivan's dismay. He loved when she said sexy things to him, regardless of who was listening. It was such an open display of possessiveness that he relished it. They'd spent so much time trying to deny their feelings, every time she openly admitted them, his heart swelled with love.
"What are you doing over here?" Kurt queried.
"I came to have lunch with Patterson," Ivan admitted.
"Where is she?" Jane looked around for her.
"She was in the middle of something," Ivan explained, "So I came to check on you."
Jane stood up and placed her hand on her growing baby bump.
"We're fine," She assured him.
"So…twins," Ivan teased her, "Sounds like a lot of work."
"You and Roman were a lot of work," Jane insisted, "These two are going to be my reward for putting up with you."
Ivan laughed out loud. "Keep believing that one sis."
Tasha walked over and said, "Why are you over here causing a ruckus?"
Ivan turned to her and protested, "You're just upset that you didn't guess twins," He argued.
"Well you didn't either," Tasha reminded him, "I'm sure your other lame ass guesses will be just as wrong."
"Just as wrong as yours," Ivan agreed.
"Man do you have a death wish?" Reade joined them, "Don't taunt her, she's vicious."
"Is she making you pay for winning the twin pool?" Ivan laughed.
"She is the most competitive person I have ever met," Reade agreed, "Losing is good for her character."
"But horrible for yours," Tasha insisted, "Gloating does not become you."
"She's still working on being a good loser." Reade explained to the others.
"Well it happens so rarely," Tasha reminded him, "I don't have much practice."
Reade just shook his head and changed the subject, "Do we have a case?"
"No," Ivan denied, "I just came to get Patterson for lunch."
"Actually," Patterson walked in carrying a file, "We do have something."
The others joined her and Ivan realized that lunch was becoming less and less likely.
"We could make it dinner?" He offered.
"Actually," Patterson told him, "We might need your input for this."
They all moved over to Patterson's lab silently.
"What'd you find?" Reade asked her.
"Corruption," Patterson answered.
"That's hardly news," Jane said.
"In the NSA," Patterson said seriously.
Everyone turned to look at Ivan.
"It's not me," He insisted, "I've been a little out of pocket for the last couple of years."
"No," Patterson agreed, "Not you. It looks like it happened while you were gone."
"What happened?" Kurt demanded.
"Secrets started going to the highest bidder." Patterson pulled up pictures of dead people and buildings in ruin.
"How do you know it's coming from the NSA and not some other branch?" Reade demanded.
"Because all of these have a direct connection to the NSA." Patterson explained patiently, "And each of these attacks seriously undermined US interests around the world. We've had a Consulate attack, military bases and campaigns leaked, assets killed and high ranking officials forced out of office because of false smear campaigns, all with enough credible fact to be believable."
"Any idea who is doing the leaking?" Ivan said his jaw clenched.
"No," Patterson denied, "Either Roman didn't know or he wasn't telling."
"What do we know?" Kurt asked her.
"We know that whoever did it was working out of New York," Rich walked up to the group, "All of the intel came from this location."
"Where exactly?" Tasha demanded.
"We don't know," Rich denied, "It was routed through various channels and countries before disappearing in accounts that have since been closed."
"It they're that good," Tasha argued, "Why leave any trail at all? Who's to say that it even began here in the first place, maybe that's what they wanted us to think."
"It didn't start here," Patterson denied.
"You just said…" Reade argued.
"It didn't digitally start here," Rich clarified, "But when we analyzed the information, it showed that all of the Intel leaked was sent around the same time, our time zone."
"Maybe just our hemisphere," Tasha insisted.
"No," Patterson denied, "I checked the other data leaving the New York office and it all goes out at the same time each day. It's a data drop. Whoever is sending out this information has programed it to go out with the other Intel. They're hiding it in the coding."
"Who has access to that information?" Reade looked over to Ivan.
"It comes from a lot of different sources." Ivan said wearily. "Each department is tracking their own sources and feeding it all into the data drop."
"So there's no way of knowing who's doing this?" Kurt demanded.
"There is," Patterson insisted, "Whoever is doing this has access to not only their department's information, but all the other departments' information too."
"That does narrow it down," Ivan admitted, "There are probably less than twenty people with that kind of access."
"That's good!" Patterson smiled, "We can drill down into each of them and see if they have any financial abnormalities."
"Payouts," Rich told the others with a little smile.
"They know what I mean," Patterson frowned at him.
The others looked at Patterson fondly.
"Payouts," She huffed.
"Can you get us a list of candidates?" Kurt asked Ivan.
"I can't get them out," Ivan denied, "But I can get Patterson in."
"What?" Tasha demanded.
"No," Reade denied.
"It's the NSA," Patterson reminded them at their protest.
"With a mole," Kurt reminded her. "If they find out what you're up to, you won't be safe."
"Jane you're awfully quiet," Patterson looked over at her.
Jane had seen Ivan in action and she knew he could keep Patterson safe, but she suddenly didn't want either of them to go.
"I know you can do it," Jane admitted, "But I don't want you to go."
"What?" Patterson didn't understand.
"You're both going into a dangerous situation, without backup, in a secure environment. If something goes wrong, we can't even come in to help you." Jane explained.
"I'll get her out," Ivan promised them.
"I'm not helpless," Patterson reminded them in exasperation.
"You are the best of us," Tasha said softly, "We count on you for so many things. It takes strength to send people that you care about into dangerous situations. Not all of us have that strength."
"Awww," Patterson's scowl disappeared, "You guys! We'll be fine. I love you too."
Seeing her determination, they knew she was going to go regardless of their concerns.
Watching her leave to gather what she'd need they turned to Ivan.
"I know you think it's a bad idea," He told them, "But I'm not going to let anything happen to her."
"We trust you," Jane assured him.
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Ivan and Patterson went through the security checkpoint and into the secure building.
"You know," Patterson said, her voice excited, "I've had access to their data bases, but I've never actually been here before."
"You had access to their data bases? When was this?" To say Ivan was surprised was an understatement.
"Nas gave me access to take down Sandstorm," Patterson whispered.
Ivan looked concerned at that disclosure.
"I didn't abuse it," Patterson insisted, "Weller was in charge back then and he and Reade are both sticklers for the rules."
"I wasn't worried about you," Ivan assured her, "By creating a back door into the system, you provided us with one too."
"You think that the Card Nas provided compromised my system?" Patterson was not amused.
"Not compromised necessarily," Ivan denied, "But it created opportunity. Whether or not it was exploited we don't know yet."
Patterson stopped dead, "Do you think it was Nas?"
"I doubt it," Ivan denied, "She was ousted at the same time I was undercover with Roman. Those things happening together allowed the situation we have now. When power has a vacuum…"
"It gets filled," Patterson realized.
"So were looking for someone that came into power recently." Patterson speculated.
"Or someone that already had access, but lost oversight." Ivan explained.
Ivan took Patterson to his office and they started going through the system looking for possibilities. Three hours later they had compiled a short list.
"It's almost time for the data drop," Patterson worried.
"If we stop the drop," Ivan told her, "Then they'll know we're onto them."
"We can't let it go," Patterson argued.
"What do you propose?" Ivan asked her.
"We need to corrupt the drop," Patterson insisted,
"Then we lose valuable Intel," Ivan protested.
"Okay…okay," Patterson started pacing, "What if we don't corrupt it, but send false Intel."
"Something they'll want to act on immediately," Ivan saw where she was going.
"Then we wait for them to show and that will at least give us someone to question," Patterson liked this plan.
"Do you have time to fabricate it?" Ivan didn't even pretend she wouldn't have to be the one that did it.
"Thanks," Patterson smiled up at him approvingly, "I've got this."
Ivan stepped aside and watched Patterson's fingers flying over the keyboard. Within ten minutes she had the required files ready and had replaced the planted document.
"Impressive," Ivan told her with a little smile.
"My fingers are gifted," She teased.
"Really?" Ivan looked down at her in a way that made her blush.
"You want to do this now?" She demanded even as she lifted her face for his kiss.
"I want to do this all the time," He explained as he reluctantly let her pull back.
"Now I understand why Jane and Weller are always forgetting about the coms," Patterson laughed self-consciously.
"Speaking of which," Ivan took her hand and headed toward the door, "They're probably beyond worried, we should go."
"We're good," Rich's voice came over Patterson's phone.
Patterson reached down to find Rich and the rest of the team looking back up at her.
"How long have you been listening?" Patterson demanded with her face red.
"Too long," Rich admitted, "Stop playing footsies and come back."
"We weren't…" Patterson protested.
"Save it," Rich told her, "Don't make me play the video."
"You're the worst," Patterson told him, shoving her phone back into her pocket.
Ivan was openly laughing at her, "Does he do that often?"
"Yes," Rich's voice was muffled by the fabric of her pants.
"I don't want to think about it," Patterson admitted.
"Fair enough," Ivan accepted, "Let's go."
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The sting operation was set up and Ivan joined the team as they prepared to go.
"Isn't this a conflict of interest?" Rich asked as Patterson finished the final briefing.
"What do you mean?" Reade didn't see what he was talking about.
"Ivan going with us," Rich explained, "He's NSA, we're trying to take corruption down in the NSA…"
"I'm not corrupt," Ivan was not amused.
"I know," Rich dismissed his protest, "But a good lawyer could make a case that your presence compromised the mission. You're invested in the outcome and so you said or did something to control the result."
"What are you a lawyer now?" Tasha demanded.
"When you've been arrested as much as I have," Rich explained, "You pick up a few things."
"As much as I hate to admit it," Reade said, "He's right."
"You're pulling me?" Ivan demanded, unamused.
"I'm pulling you," Reade agreed.
"But I'm already involved," Ivan pointed out, "Patterson and I set up the sting."
"Look," Kurt walked over to Ivan, "This isn't personal. It's about getting a conviction. Is being there important enough to risk letting them get off?"
"No," Ivan was forced to admit, "Of course not."
"So you'll wait with Jane and Patterson?" Reade verified.
"I'll wait," Ivan agreed, "But I want to be in on questioning the suspect."
"I'll see what we can do," Reade promised.
Jane walked over to Kurt as he was threading his Com ear piece into place.
"I'm going to be fine," He assured her when he saw her worried expression.
"I know," Jane agreed, her arms reaching up to enfold him, "It's just hard sitting this out."
"We've got his back," Tasha assured Jane.
Reaching out a hand she squeezed Tasha's tightly. She knew they'd protect each other and she trusted them all with not only her life, but Kurt's.
"If you need anything," Jane began.
"We'll let you know," Reade assured her, "But you do not leave this lab."
"You really think I'm going to run out there?" Jane asked in disbelief.
"If they had a maternity bullet proof vest…probably," Reade said with a little smile.
Now it was Kurt's turn to look concerned.
"Stop it," Jane chided, "I'll be right here."
Kurt looked over Jane's head to Ivan.
Ivan gave him a little nod and Kurt relaxed.
"I saw that," Jane gave him the look.
Kurt was unashamed, "I know."
He leaned down to give her a quick kiss. Her arms tightened when he tried to pull back and it lingered.
"I can see you," Rich said in exasperation coming into the room.
Pulling back Jane glared at him, "Then close your eyes."
Seeing the look on her face Rich shook his head. He didn't close his eyes, but he did close his mouth.
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The take down didn't exactly go smoothly, but it was successful.
Kurt was escorting the two men apprehended into the interrogation room when he saw Jane headed straight for him.
The last thing he wanted was these two men anywhere near his pregnant wife.
"We've got it," Reade and Tasha walked up behind him before he could form his protest.
Kurt let them take the prisoners, but his eyes remained locked on Jane's.
"What the hell was that?" Jane demanded, her hand coming up to check the bump that was evident on his forehead.
"Its fine," Kurt assured her.
"You were unconscious!" Jane's stomach was churning.
"No!" Kurt's arms came around her in reassurance, "It just stunned me."
Jane felt like she was going to cry.
"You need to sit down," She insisted.
Kurt could tell that she was beyond being calm about what happened.
"Jane," Ivan joined them, "You need to sit down."
"What?" Kurt worried, "Why?"
"She threw up after she thought you'd been hurt." Ivan explained.
"She threw up?" Kurt's arms came back around her protectively.
"I'm fine," Jane insisted.
"You need to see the doctor," Kurt argued.
"Why don't you both go?" Patterson joined them.
"I'll go if you do," Kurt bargained.
"Fine," Jane conceded.
Watching them move away Patterson shared a look with Ivan.
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By the time Kurt and Jane returned, Ivan, Reade and Tasha had already been able to get the name of the informant.
"Have you both been cleared?" Reade worried coming over to them.
"Yeah," Kurt confirmed with his arm securely around Jane.
"We got them," Patterson assured him.
"We have the proof?" Kurt confirmed.
"Yeah," Ivan was looking grim.
"In that case, I'm taking my wife home." Kurt suited action to words.
Watching them walk away Rich looked over at Ivan. "Did you tell him she almost fainted?"
"Just that she threw up." Ivan denied.
"I've heard of husband having sympathy pain when the wife is pregnant, but never vice versa."
"I guess most couples aren't as close as those two," Patterson pointed out.
"I guess not," Rich smiled.
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Kurt and Jane arrived home and he wasted no time in doing is own inspection.
Standing under the spray of the shower Jane leaned against Kurt wearily. She'd put her hair up to keep it from getting wet and it was Kurt that soaped her up before helping her rinse off.
When she reached for the sponge to return the favor, he insisted, "I'm fine, dry off, I'll be right out."
Jane didn't protest, the truth was she was exhausted.
True to his word he joined her shortly.
They climbed under the covers and with her naked body resting against him he was finally able to relax.
So the night went, she woke up regularly to check on him. She was quiet, but he knew what she was doing and his arms tightened around her gently each time.
"You're going to be exhausted if you keep this up," He warned her.
"Well," Jane whispered back, "You're worth a little lost sleep."
"I'm sorry you were worried," He told her.
"The thought of losing you," Jane shivered.
Kurt's eyes opened.
"I'm not going to risk that happening." He assured her.
"What we do isn't safe," Jane reminded him.
"We take precautions and we have each other's backs," Kurt reminded her.
"But I don't have your back right now," Jane said in frustration.
"The team does," Kurt assured her.
"It only takes a moment," Jane worried.
"Do you want me out of the field?" Kurt asked her seriously.
Jane was tempted to tell him yes. Until she could be there to have his back, she wanted him in the lab with her, but she knew that wasn't fair. She didn't want to change who he was, just like she couldn't change who she was.
"No," She admitted, "Just know that all because I'm not next to you that doesn't mean that I'm not with you."
"You're always with me," Kurt smiled, "My mind, heart and soul are filled with you."
"You're my other half," Jane reminded him.
"You're my best half," Kurt insisted.
Kissing his chest, Jane fell back asleep with a little smile.
Kurt kissed her forehead and joined her.
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Patterson walked beside Ivan looking up at the buildings surrounding them.
"Were you surprised?" She asked him.
"Not surprised," Ivan denied, "Disappointed."
"People make mistakes," Patterson reminded him.
"Yeah," Ivan looked down at her, "When those mistakes get other people killed so that you can make a profit, that's when you get to go to prison."
"You couldn't know when you recruited him," Patterson tried to reassure him.
"It wasn't a problem then," Ivan agreed, "But leaving for years to go undercover to save my family, that's what opened the door for this situation to happen."
"You couldn't have known that," Patterson was determined to defend him.
"I didn't care if it did or not," Ivan admitted, "All I could focus on was my family. My job and everything else took a backseat."
"That doesn't make you a monster," Patterson insisted.
"It does make it my fault though," Ivan argued.
"You aren't single handedly in charge of the NSA," Patterson scoffed, "They gather Intel for a living. They should have seen this."
Ivan knew she was right, but the guilt was still eating at him.
"Roman knew, but instead of telling me, he made it a puzzle to be solved, all the while people were dying." Ivan raged.
"He couldn't risk losing you by telling you." Patterson explained.
"So he just let all those people die?" Ivan demanded.
"He let them die so that he could save his sister," Patterson reminded him.
"I know you're right," Ivan conceded, but it's still hard to accept.
"You know we made a pretty good team today," Patterson told him.
Ivan looked down at her face in the darkness and smiled his first genuine smile in hours, "We sure did."
"I wanted you to know how much you trusting me meant to me." Patterson rushed on.
"Of course I trust you," Ivan looked down at her in surprise.
"I trust you too," Patterson told him.
Seeing her open expression, Ivan let his anger over what happened go. What he wanted and needed was right in front of him, he wasn't wasting another second on second guesses or feelings of guilt.
Leaning down the kiss started softly, but before long, his hand was buried in her hair and he was angling in for a deeper kiss.
"Wow," Patterson said when he finally pulled back to look down at her.
He smiled.
"Want to head back to my place?" Ivan asked her.
Patterson didn't even hesitate, "I thought you'd never ask…"
