Saving Jane

Chapter Nine: "Home."

A/N: I am so sorry for ignoring this story for so long. This is a short chapter but here it is anyway.

XOXO

~ Jane

Dom-T

It was several days later before the doctor released her. She had visitors all the time; even Letty came to visit, but was supervised by Dom as he no longer trusted her alone with Janie. He still couldn't believe that she'd said those horrible things to her. Dom had made it quite clear that if anything like that ever happened again he'd dump her Latino ass and never speak to her again. She'd been furious and accusatory at first but she'd finally given in when she'd seen how serious he was. He was still furious with her though. She had had no right to treat Janie that way, especially after everything she'd gone through already. And to accuse her of trying to steal him away from her? That was just the rotten cherry on top.

Dom was by her side all while she was in the hospital; he never left. He ate, slept and showered at the hospital in her room and bathroom. He picked up books to read to her, whatever was popular for girls her age that the bookseller recommended. She enjoyed them, and eventually got her to make a request for some of Shakespeare's sonnets. He didn't usually go in for that kind of stuff but she loved it, and therefore, so did he. She often had to explain what they meant to him though; it wasn't that he was stupid and she never made him feel that way, only Shakespeare was a little over his head on occasion.

When she was discharged from the hospital, Dom drove her home alone, Mia and the boys following in a separate car, Letty watching the garage at the time.

"I suppose you want to know everything now," Janie said neutrally, eyeing Dom out of the corner of her eye. He noticed but didn't say anything about it.

"About what?" he said, trying to avoid an argument. She was so tired, and no matter how badly he wanted to know, she didn't need to be upset right now.

"Don't play dumb, Dom," she said. "You know what I mean."

"Ya don't have to talk about it right now, Janie," he said, trying to be as comforting as possible.

"And you don't have to coddle me," she replied, softening her words with a sad smile. "I'm a big girl, Dom. And, if you can keep it to yourself, I don't really mind telling you so much."

"Really?" Dom asked with surprise. She was always so close to the vest that it seemed strange for her to confide in him now, even after having gotten closer over the past few days.

"I mean… I don't think I do," she said tiredly. "Everything is so difficult. I don't have any idea how I should feel, ya know? There isn't exactly a manual to go with all this shit."

It was the first time he'd heard her cuss, and he knew she was getting more at ease, but the joy he felt at that was lessened by the turmoil she was in. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms and just hold her until everything was better, the way he had with Mia when she was a little girl and needed comforting. But this was so different that he couldn't be sure that it wouldn't make things worse.

"I wish I knew what to do to help you," he said, tormented by his helplessness.

"You already have helped me," she said with a soft smile.

Jane-G

Didn't he see how much he'd helped her, how much he and his family had done for her? Couldn't he see how she was learning to trust again? Could he really not see how huge that was?

"You don't know how much you've helped me," she said, rare tears filling her eyes. In a moment of boldness, Jane reached out and took his hand in hers, laying it on her lap. She was slightly surprised that he didn't pull it back or reject her in some way; but he didn't, and she held his hand all the way home. Home. What a novel idea that was…