A BEAUTIFUL MIND

CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY CRSIS

Eric studied her from head to toe; pausing at her arms. He muttered to Pam; it was the same foreign language as last night. Jane frowned at the comment.

"I resent that," She snapped at him. "Don't talk about people like they aren't here."

Pam's brows lifted, Eric stared hard at her again. "You understood us?" He was using English this time.

Jane nodded, "Yeah, of course. Doesn't everyone here?"

Sam shook his head, Eric repeated the motion. When he spoke again it was the same foreign tongue. She still understood him.

"These rednecks don't know Swedish, most of the time they barely know English."

She had noticed that trend herself, "Agreed." She muttered in the same language. She stopped, startled. "How'd I do that?" This was in English.

Eric glanced at Sam, "Guess I'll be staying for a while." He sat on one of the stools in front of Jane. Pam pursed her lips in annoyance but did the same.

Jane pulled in a breath; she looked to Sam. "I had no idea, Sam, honestly."

He nodded silently, "Its fine. I am going to my office; I have paper work." He left the main bar area; in the distance a door shut softly.

Activity resumed in the bar; soon the vampires were ignored. Jane continued to take drink orders and didn't pay any attention to Pam or Eric. They didn't talk much and when they did it was quietly, to one another.

Three hours later most of the people had gone home. Sookie and Tara had left an hour ago. The place was quiet; a few people were still drinking and playing pool. But the place was essentially empty. When a stranger walked into the bar; he stopped at the door.

"Rosealeigh," Relief clear on his face, he rushed to the bar; reaching for her.

Jane looked up and recognition slapped her across the face. She stared at the tall, powerfully built man across from her. His skin was a rich, dark gold. The black of his hair was enhanced as it fell in waves around his face. He wore a black leather coat over a gold button-down shirt and blue jeans. He had incredible, almost impossibly rich blue eyes; they were the color of the Mediterranean Ocean. His face was beautifully sculpted; with full, pouting lips and sharp cheekbones. He was breathtaking.

"Thank the gods that be," He pulled her into a brief hug.

Eric muttered, "This must be Dr. Iben Rahain."

She stood in his arms; her mind spun wildly. He let her go, keeping his hands on her arms. His blue eyes searched her face; he looked perplexed after a moment.

"You really don't remember me, do you?"

She stared at his face; he did seem so familiar; but then so did Eric. She sighed, shutting her eyes as a headache started. She stepped out of his arms; crossing her own. She sucked a few deep breaths. Her mind calmed but still gave her nothing.

"I do feel as though I know you," She admitted gently, "But I have nothing else."

He stood back from her a little, "I am sorry for hugging you. I can tell it upset you. I should have remembered that."

She looked up at him, "Why? Do I not like hugs?"

His brow furrowed for a moment, "You hate being touched, especially by strangers."

Sam had appeared then, he stepped behind the bar, close to Jane/Rosealeigh. "Are you her doctor?"

Iben shook his head, "I don't treat her if that's what you mean. We work together. We've been on the same project for the last three years."

Jane asked the only question she could think of, "How old am I?"

He shook his head, "What?"

"What year was I born? How old am I?"

He thought for a minute, "The company we work for, threw you a party February 14th for your twenty-sixth birthday."

"And we've worked together for three years?" She couldn't remember the party or ever working with him.

"Yes," He stopped then, understanding sinking in. "You honestly don't remember who you are."

"Clearly not," She snapped, annoyed at his staring. "But you do?"

He nodded slowly, "You're Rosealeigh Valentine Thane, and you're famous."

She blinked at that, "I am?"

Sam spoke up, "What did she do to become famous?"

Iben looked to the man, "She…" he stopped again, running a hand through his long hair, "You…" He seemed to be having trouble, "I can't believe this." He sat down on a stool, "I mean, you…I just don't get this."

"That makes five of us." Jane muttered dryly. She looked to Eric. "Any hints here?"

He held up his hands, "I don't know anymore then you do at this point."

She frowned, "You're lying." She wasn't sure how she knew, but she did. "You know something."

He stared at her a moment, "I did recognize you in the club last night. You came in alone and you left alone."

"Did I come in the first time wearing the t-shirt and shorts?" She asked simply.

"No, you were in a dark pants suit." Eric glanced at Pam, "Right?"

Pam nodded, "Tailor made suit, Italian designer. Very high end and very expensive."

Jane put her hands on the bar; suddenly weary. She struggled to remember but couldn't. She just didn't remember anything.

Iben looked up, "You went to the club alone?"

"So it seems, but why was I even there?" She looked at Iben, "Did I have a meeting or something?"

"Not officially, no." He said, "You were in talks with someone though; they'd call your office and you'd shut the door. Two days ago you left work and that's the last I saw or heard from you. You never talk about your work with anyone."

"What project were we doing?" She asked carefully.

He looked at the faces around them, "I can't talk about-"

"Iben!" She slammed a fist into the bar. She stared at her hand, startled at her reaction. Anger coursed through her and there was something familiar to it. She forced her hand to unclench and crossed her arms. "Please, for love of god, I need to know."

He sighed, lowering his voice, "You and I were part of a team working on making the healing properties of vampire blood a workable synthetic."

She frowned, "What?"

Eric translated for her, "Humans want to use the healing powers of our blood to cure illnesses."

She sighed, "And I was part of this team?"

"You were the one who cracked the code, sort to speak. Your work with DNA-cross-strain-breeding produced the first usable synthetic."

"None of this makes any sense." She leaned on the bar. "Shouldn't I understand this shit if I was working with it?"

"Not really," Eric commented, "Whatever trauma caused you to loose your memory, could be effecting your knowledge of other things. It could be linked to the event."

"I spoke Swedish!" She snapped at him, "I know who you are. And I can talk about black holes like it's raining outside. And yet I can't remember this shit!"

Iben glanced at Eric, "You know him?"

"Yes!" Jane stood up straight, "I swear I know him." She looked to Eric, "You know me too."

Eric shook his head, "I said I recognized you. That's as far as it goes."

Jane sighed again, "Great, just perfect." She crossed her arms again, "Damn it all."

"This could be a clue, Rosealeigh." He looked at her, "Perhaps if we did a hypnotic session; you could recall more information."

Sam frowned, "Like put her in a trance, and make her remember stuff?"

"Yes, exactly. It might circumvent the trauma."

"No way," Sam shook his head, "Whatever happened to her; her mind is still not ready to give it up yet. As Eric said, it could be linked to the event. Making her remember before her mind is ready, might hurt her further."

Jane smiled at him; she touched her arm lightly. "Thank you, Sam."

He nodded, "Welcome."

"Look, I know I can speak two languages. Let's start there."

Iben didn't want to let go of the hypnosis idea. "Rose, we're wasting time. We have to get you back on track and return to Atlanta to finish our work."

She shot him a dark look, "You go back, and you do the work. I still don't know who I am."

"But I told you," He said simply, "You're re-"

"You told me nothing! She yelled at him, "You've given me nothing! I have a name, which doesn't mean anything to me. You say I am famous and that I work on some project. I can't even understand half of what you said about it. I have nothing!"

Sam put a hand on her shoulders; soothing her. She realized she was shaking with anger. She was so furious and it startled her; she had no idea where it was coming from and that hurt. She was so lost and the worst part was, she was lost in her own mind. She didn't even know herself.

Jane stepped around Sam, storming across the room to the doors. She rushed outside. Iben stood up, Sam put a hand on his arm; the man couldn't move. He looked at the smaller man; surprise and curiosity showed on his face.

"She said no." Sam told him very carefully, "I suggest you do as she says, go back to Atlanta or where ever, and leave her be."

"She's too important!" Iben told him, "Without her, there is no project. We'll be set back by at least fifty years."

"So be it then," Sam squeezed the man's arm, "Leave her alone."

Iben rubbed his arm when Sam took his hand back. He sighed, "I don't have much choice, now do I?"

"No," Sam nodded to the door, "Get out of here."

Once Iben was gone, Sam looked to Eric and Pam. "Tell me you didn't set her up."

Eric arched a blonde brow, "Excuse me?"

"Did you set up Jane or Rosealeigh, whoever, at the club? Was it a trap?"

"No," Eric shook his head, "Her work is still in the experimental stages; it will be years before anything comes of it. She's of no threat to us."

"Still, humans finding a cure for cancer or AIDS, would be a kick to your balls." Sam regarded the vampire, "People wouldn't care about vampires that much anymore."

Eric stood up, smoothing his hands over his jacket. "No one in my territory hurt that girl, Shifter. No one. A human could have done this."

"No one around here knows her," Sam countered.

"Perhaps they left already." Pam ventured, "After cleaning out the wallet, they could have left town."

It was a logical idea, Sam had to admit that much. "Well, you two can leave now." He grabbed Jane's shirts from under the bar. The vampires headed out; he followed them.

All three of them stepped outside; Sam locked up, Eric glanced at the trailer. "She is staying with you?"

"I'm the only person she knows," He said flatly, "At least until she gets enough money to find her own place."

"You're paying her under the table," Eric muttered absently, "If you ever decide to try the hypnosis idea, let us know. We can help with that."

"Why do you want to help?"

Eric stared at Sam for a very long time, "It's hard not knowing who you are. It can wear a person down." With that the two of them headed to Eric's car and drove out of the lot.

Sam shook his head, heading toward the trailer. He opened the door; Jane was sitting on the floor. His laptop in front of her; she was reading something very intently.

"Catching up on the days sports?" He asked, it took him a minute, "Wait, my computer is password protected." He came to stand over her, "How'd you crack it?"

She shrugged, "I have no idea."

He sat beside her; looking at the screen. It wasn't anything he could read. "More Swedish?"

She nodded, "I can read this stuff, perhaps I was grew up there. Perhaps I came to America later on. That would explain how I know the language and I can read it. And it would explain my immunity to the cold around here. I looked at the last three years of weather reports for Sweden, it gets pretty cold there. Much colder then here; that might explain things."

"How'd you know to go back that far?"

She blinked at him, "Sam…."

"I know, you don't know."

She sighed, "I am sorry, I really am. I am trying to remember."

He nodded to the page, "What does it say?"

She looked back to the computer; "It's just basic information; tourist stuff. I thought perhaps I might remember something easy; like a place name or perhaps a picture would help."

"And?"

She shook her head, "Nothing yet."

He was quiet a moment, "Iben said you don't like being touched; but I touched you. You didn't seem to mind."

She sighed, "I know, I've been thinking of that too." She moved her finger on the mouse pad, scrolling down the screen. "I can't figure it out either."

"Well," Sam stood up, "I am going to bed."

"Take the bed tonight, I might be at this a while."

"You should sleep," Sam reminded her.

She looked up at him, "Perhaps I am a workaholic?"

He smiled, "Yeah, maybe. See you in the morning."

Jane sat on the floor of Sam's trailer, reading for several hours. Nothing came to her. She decided to change search topics. She stared at the homepage for Google; and wondered what to search for. She finally typed in a name: Rosealeigh Valentine Thane.

The page went blank for a moment before populating; and what she saw, shocked her.

**
Sam woke and rolled over; he blinked at the empty couch. He sat up; she was gone. She wasn't anywhere in the trailer. He pulled on his jeans and stepped outside. Jane sat on his steps, arms around her self.

"Morning," he sat down beside her; looking at her face. She'd been crying. He reached out and touched her shoulder; she tensed. He took his hand back. "Did you remember everything?"

She shook her head; absently wiping a hand across her cheeks. "I did a search on the name Iben called me." She looked at him, "She has my face; but I don't recognize her."

He sighed, "Anything else?"

She shook her head, "This girl, this Rosealeigh, she's brilliant, Sam. Really, really brilliant. At the age of twelve she won the Millennium Scholar Award, do you know what that is?"

He nodded, "I've read about it."

"Do you know how smart you have to be to even get nominated? Let alone win?" Jane started to cry again. "She's this incredibly talented, brilliant woman. And that's supposed to be me! I can't…" She wiped her face again, "I can't remember her!"

Sam put his arm across her shoulders, she tensed for a moment before relaxing. "Jane…I mean…Rosealeigh."

"No, call me Jane. That other name means nothing to me."

"Jane," He tried again, "Just because you can't remember something doesn't mean it's not true."

Jane cried softly, "You know, I was reading this stuff about her and I thought, hey why not dig deeper, you know? Why not find out more? And I found myself hacking into medical records, the DMV, the fucking FBI!"

Sam frowned, "They can trace that stuff."

She shook her head, "No, I used a ghost IP address, they'll be searching for some hacker in El Salvador."

"And you don't know how you did all this?" Sam asked.

Jane sighed, "Honestly I don't, it just sort came to me. All the code I saw, all the words, just made sense. I knew what they meant; I knew how to get around the firewalls. Sam, I just knew stuff."

"Well, let's work with that. This Thane woman, you could be her, okay?"

Jane nodded slowly.

"Was she a computer hacker?"

"She was everything." Jane whispered, "She's a Ph.D four times over; she's a respected academic writer. A scientist who's won countless awards, her work on that vampire synthetic stuff, got her nominated for a Nobel award. She's a decorated athlete, a philanthropist. There's nothing she hasn't done or mastered or been recognized for." Jane put her head in her hands, "How can all that just vanish? How can I forget all those things?"

Sam felt for her; he really did. "When you were in the DMV, reading up on Thane, did you happen to notice if she drove?"

"Yes," Jane laughed harshly, "She drove a Maserati, I don't know what kind."

Sam whistled softly, "You are expensive." He had meant it as a joke; but she didn't take it like that.

"She is expensive, not me. I can't even think of driving something like that."

Sam patted her shoulder; he came to his feet. "Let's go for breakfast this morning."

She looked up at him, "What?"

"I am talking to a woman who may have driven a super luxury car; I think she should go out for breakfast."

Jane smiled, "Okay."

Sam drove them into town; parking at the local diner. Jane and he found a seat inside next to the window. The waitress looked up and smiled as she came over.

"Morning Sam," She greeted warmly, she looked to Jane. "I heard you're the new bartender. People have been talking about your awesome tricks all day."

Jane nodded, "Thanks."

"I'll get you two a couple of menus. Do you want coffee to start?"

"Sure," Sam said.

Jane stared at the cup of black coffee in front of her. Did she like cream? Did she take sugar? How much? Did she ever drink coffee?

"Sam, do you think a person like Rosealeigh would ever drink coffee?"

Sam looked up as he stirred his coffee, "Sure, she would. Probably lives off the stuff."

Jane nodded, "Then why can't I remember that?"

He sighed, "Try not to force it; maybe that's the problem. You're pushing yourself to remember things. Just relax and let it come naturally. Like you did at the bar last night."

Jane sat back in her seat; closing her eyes. She had to force her self to relax. Ironic a way, considering she had no memories to distract her. After a few minutes she reached out with her hand, opening her eyes. Sugar, she thought, I take sugar and cream.

The waitress returned with their menus. Jane looked up. "Do you have flavored creamers?"

The waitress looked down at her, "Sorry, just the normal stuff."

"Oh," Jane nodded, "Thanks."

Sam smiled as he studied his menu, "See what happens when you just let go? It all comes back."

"I think I like Irish Cream in my coffee," Jane paused, "I like Bailey's in my coffee, especially at breakfast."

Sam arched a brow, "Bailey's at breakfast?"

"Yes," Jane studied her menu, "They don't have goat cheese."

Sam stared at her, "Goat cheese?"

"Yeah, I like goat cheese."

He shook his head, "Looks like it's coming back."

"Not really, I just know what I like."

The waitress returned for their orders; Sam handed over his menu as he asked for a breakfast special.

"What kind of eggs do you use?" Jane asked, "Free range?"

"Ah, no, just what we got in the kitchen."

"And how fresh is your spinach…"Jane stopped herself. Was she really this pretentious? What the hell was wrong with her? "Never mind, I'll have the breakfast special."

The waitress wrote it down, "All we got is white bread is that okay?"

"Sure," Jane handed over her menu. She stared into her coffee cup. Sam sipped at his coffee, she looked at him. "I don't think I like this person."

"Who?"

"Me," She muttered coolly, "I mean, who asks about free range eggs or the freshness of spinach?" Jane stared out the window. The main road they had driven in on was two lanes wide. Mostly trucks drove it, the people here wore jeans and work boots. They were country folk. She liked them; she liked it here.

"Sam, what if I remember everything and I don't like it?"

"Then you can change."

She sighed, "I might just be better off not knowing."

"You think so?" He asked.

She nodded, "I like Jane, I like that I can tell a joke and that I work at a bar. Something tells me that Rosealeigh Thane wouldn't."

He continued to sip his coffee, "So you want to be Jane Doe for the rest of your life?"

"Why not?" She asked quietly, "People seem to like her; you like her." She looked at him, "You know what I mean by that right?"

He smiled as he nodded, "I know what you mean."

Their waitress came back with their order; they ate in silence. Once finished, Sam stood up and tossed down money.

"Come on."

They left the diner; once in his truck, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"Shopping," Sam smiled at her, "You can't do much with one pair of pants and a couple of shirts."

"But I don't have money, Sam."

He waved her off, "I'm taking it out of your pay anyway."

She laughed, real happiness came over her. "Thanks, Sam."

**

It was late afternoon when Sam and Jane returned to the bar. She carried her bags from Wal-Mart into the trailer; he went to the bar. He'd told her to take the night off. After everything that had happened lately, she was grateful.

Jane took her time in the trailer; had a shower, changed into new clothes. She sat on the couch, a towel around her shoulders, and brushed her hair. Sam had told her to try different things; listen to music, watch different shows on his television; in the hopes of jogging her memory at least a little. She looked at the computer on the desk; where she'd left it this morning. That had been the greatest success to finding clues about her self. Granted, she didn't really like what she'd found. But still…it was something. Crossing to it, she sat down at the desk and waited while it booted up. She set the comb aside as it asked for her password. Oddly enough, he hadn't been mad at her for cracking his password. She'd expected him to yell at or something. Which was odd? Why would her first instinct be to have someone yell at her? Had her parents yelled at her? Did she have parents? Other then Iben, did anyone, care she was missing?

"Okay Jane," She muttered to herself, "Let's see how smart you really are." She began typing.

**

Sam stood behind the bar; he was talking with Andy Bellefleur. "Are you going to the football game tomorrow night?" Sam asked.

"Yep, have to, Portia is going; you know how she is."

Sam nodded, "How are the renovations on the house coming?"

"Good," Andy finished his food, Sam cleared his plate. "The new floor was installed on the weekend, some kind of exotic hardwood. Portia picked it out. I think it's too dark."

Sam enjoyed listening to Andy's opinions about the renovation. Casting an casual eye around the bar he saw Sookie sitting with Bill; she was on break, so it was okay. He still didn't much like the vampire, but let it go. He was looking over at the pool table area when Jane walked in. She was wearing the jeans and t-shirt they'd picked up earlier. Her hair shone under the lights. She smiled and waved; he nodded.

Andy looked over, "That you're new girlfriend?"

"Nope, new bartender."

Jane stepped up to the pool table area; she had no idea if she had ever learned. But the game seemed easy. She'd just spent an hour reading about it online. She was anxious to test her knowledge. There were two men standing around one table; she walked over.

"Mind if I join?" She asked

One of the men was blonde; he was muscled and tanned. He looked her over, he liked what he saw, she could tell. "Sure, it's a betting game though."

"Not a problem," Jane took out one of the ten dollar bills Sam had given her. It was from the pay she'd earned last night. "I'm Jane, by the way."

"I'm Jason," He nodded to the man next to him, "This is Hoyt."

Jane walked over to the cue rack; looking them over. "Need help?" Jason asked.

Jane smiled, she picked one, "I got it."

"Ladies first," Hoyt offered.

"Thanks," Jane stepped up to the table. She remembered what the information said about body position and aim technique. Setting her cue to rest on her left hand; she studied the table for a moment. With a quick motion she pushed the cue stick forward. There was a wonderful smacking sound, as the cue ball connected with the others. An orange striped one sank.

"Guess that makes me stripes?" She asked.

The men nodded, watching her. "You play before?" Jason asked as she lined up her next shot.

"Nope," Jane aimed and fired; another striped ball sank into the pocket. "First time."

"Huh," Jason shook his head, "Beginner's luck."

Jane smiled at him, "Must be."

A crowd had gathered around one of the tables. Sam walked over, curious; Andy joined him.

"How many games has she won?" One of the men asked.

"I lost count," Another answered, "She never misses a single shot."

Sam made his way to the front of the crowd. Jane was bent over the table; aiming down the table. He knew enough about the game to know it was a complex shot. She fired, the cue ball bounced off the side bar, slamming into a green striped ball; the green one slammed into a purple one. They both sank into a side-rail pocket.

"Damn," Jason ran his hand through his hair.

Jane stood up, "How much is that now?"

Hoyt shook his head, "Too much for me." He tossed money down on the table, holding up his hands. "I'm going to drink, that I know I can do well."

Jason looked between the table and Jane, "How'd you do all that if you never played before?"

"The application of physics." Jane told him simply.

"The what?" Jason frowned, "Aint that a hotline advertised on television?"

Jane gave him a puzzled expression, "I don't think so."

Sam was smiling as he shook his head, "Jane, how about helping out?"

She looked over; "Sure," She set her cue back in the rack, collected the cash off the table. "Thanks for the game, Jason. Maybe we can play again?"

"Not unless you teach me how you did that." Jason set his cue on the table; following her to the bar.

Jane stepped behind it; a crowd gathered. She smiled at all of them. "Okay, folks, who's first."

"Me," One of the men said

"No, me."

Jane held up her hands as they started to argue, "How about both of you?"

Sam stood back and watched as she entertained the customers with displays of bottle-flipping, glass twirling and still managed to make their orders. Eventually the crowd filtered to different tables, ordering food. He sat down at the bar as Jane wiped it town.

"How much did you take Jason and Hoyt, for exactly?"

She shrugged, "Couple hundred, why?"

Sam chuckled to himself, "That's hardly fair."

"Sam come on," Jane tossed the towel over her shoulder; "I have never played before."

"Obviously you have. Perhaps it's muscle memory; you could be a professional pool player."

She paused, staring at him. "I think we both know I'm not."

"So now you remember?" He asked lightly.

She shook her head, "No, I just read about it on line. The game sounded interesting, I wanted to try it out. Who knew that applying physics to a game like that would work?"

"You did," Sam stated, "At least on some level. Some part of you knew you could do that."

Jane frowned at him. She stared at him for several seconds, "You're saying I should give it back."

He shrugged, "What would Jane do?"

She cursed softly, tossing the towel down on the bar. "I didn't cheat, Sam."

"No, you just outsmarted to red neck hillbillies."

Jane stepped out from behind the bar; crossing to where Jason and Hoyt sat. They both looked up from their food. Jason licked his fingers as he studied her.

"What'ch you want now?" He asked.

She held out the money, "Although, it was my first time playing, I should not have played the way I did. It was…not considerate."

Jason made a face at her, "Say what?"

"She's apologizing," Hoyt muttered, he shook his head, "No way, you played fair and square."

It wasn't exactly fair or square, Jane thought to her self, "Please?"

Hoyt shook his head, "I'll win it back from you another day."

She smiled at him. Separating the bills, she handed Jason his half. He took it, stuffing the money back into his pocket.

Hoyt glared at his friend, "Don't be sore, Jason."

"I ain't," He countered, "She's giving it back. There's a difference."

Jane nodded to Hoyt and stepped back behind the bar. Sam gave her a smile; she sighed.

"What?" He asked, "You don't seem happy."

"I didn't cheat," She reminded him again. She picked up the towel she'd put down and twisted it in her hands. "Certain things I know; I just know them."

"Like how to apply advanced science to a bar-room game?" Sam muttered.

"Come on, Sam. Give me a break." Jane felt bad enough. It would have been easier if she had just stayed inside and read a damn book.

"Yeah, well," Sam stood up, "As long as you don't build a nuclear reactor in my lot, it's all good."

"You just made me give back the money I won. That's hardly a nuclear reactor."

Sam leaned down across the bar, "And you made a friend. Hoyt's nice, real nice. Just don't piss off his girlfriend."

"Why not?"

"She's a vampire." Sam headed toward his office.