I don't own Blindspot or any of it's wonderful characters. I had marked this story as complete, but found a few lost chapters in my head.
Jane shifted awkwardly in the seat next to Oliver. The show was going to start in a few minutes and she was ready for the distraction. It wasn't that Oliver wasn't being great, he was, it had more to do with her lack of conversational skills. She couldn't talk about work, her personal life, she had no real frame of reference for either movies or music since she couldn't remember any…she was definitely not interesting company.
"Are you sure you don't want any popcorn?" He asked her with a smile.
"No, thanks…I ate late today." She explained with a smile.
"Well," He encouraged, "If you change your mind, help yourself."
Looking at the rather large bag he was holding, Jane felt a genuine smile break out. "I'll keep that in mind."
As she relaxed his smile grew bigger.
"I hope you don't mind horror." Oliver worried.
I have no idea… Jane thought.
"I'm sure it will be fine."
The lights dimmed as she turned her attention to the screen.
"I am sure that this is wrong," Patterson muttered to Weller as they entered the now darkened theater.
"We don't know anything about him," Kurt argued.
"We know everything about him," Patterson denied affronted.
"We have the file," Kurt conceded, "But people hide terrible things all the time."
"This is not my first movie choice." Patterson glared at his retreating back.
"Exactly," Kurt agreed, "Who takes a first date to a horror movie?"
Patterson rolled her eyes. "Every man who hopes for some physical contact," She insisted.
Following him up the steps she wasn't surprised when he chose chairs behind Jane and Oliver. Out of their line of site, but he could watch them easily.
"If I have nightmares," She threatened, "I am calling you to wake you up."
"Shh," He urged her, ignoring her threat.
"Oh, look," Patterson whispered, "They have popcorn."
"Are you hungry?" Kurt really looked at her for the first time since they entered the theater.
"No," She admitted.
When he just looked at her she made a face at him.
Pushing her with his shoulder he turned back to Jane and Oliver.
Jane couldn't remember seeing a horror film before and within twenty minutes of the start of the movie, she knew with certainty that she didn't like them.
When the homicidal maniac entered the house with a knife she shifted uneasily. He made his way through the house stalking the family that lived there. The children were little…the parents unaware of being watched. As the images flashed across the screen in strobe like fashion, she stopped seeing the movie and instead began replaying memories inside her head. She was little, she couldn't remember how old. She climbed out of bed on her own, but couldn't reach the light switch on the wall yet. She was scared, opening the bedroom door she tiptoed out quietly.
The house was dark. She didn't like the dark. When she heard a thud downstairs, she walked over to the rail and looked down. She saw her mom had fallen. Before she could call down, a man appeared that she didn't know. She felt her heart race and hid in the shadows. The man walked over to her mom and she watched as he leaned over her. When the carpet began to stain red, she began to cry. The man looked up at her and she turned to run.
The scream on screen brought her abruptly back to the present. Jane realized that she was shaking. She knew she needed to get out of there. Reaching for her phone she pulled it out and turned the screen on.
"I'm sorry," She whispered to Oliver, "Somethings come up at work…I have to go."
When he went to leave with her she insisted, "No, stay. I'll call you tomorrow."
He watched her go from his chair with a concerned expression.
Jane knew that she practically ran out of the theater, but she was feeling light headed and shaky.
She cleared the door and leaned against the wall for support.
The man from her vision was clear in her head, as was her real mother's face. He was coming for her. She remembered running. She'd gone to Roman's room. He'd been asleep and she had been too little to pick him up. She slid past the safety bumper and tried to pull him with her. He'd woken up and began to crying…she'd been frantic to keep him quiet, to hide them.
The door burst open and the man came in. Crabbing them each by the arm he pulled them after him.
Kurt saw Jane get up and watched her head to the exit. He didn't blame her, this movie was really awful. After what happened to Taylor, he couldn't watch movies that victimized children. Without even considering it, he'd risen to follow her, when Patterson grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?" She whispered.
"Jane left," Kurt explained.
"She might have just gone to the bathroom," She argued, "And I can't leave without knowing what happens."
"It's a horror movie," Kurt whispered back, "Everyone dies."
"I'll see you at work tomorrow," Patterson told him.
"Shhh," Someone whispered.
Kurt rose and followed after Jane. He knew she could be coming back. Oliver was still here, but he felt an urgency he couldn't explain. The way she'd walked out of here bothered him. Something was wrong.
When he pushed open the door it almost hit her where she was standing leaning against the wall. She was pale and he reached out to pull her toward him in concern. She flinched when he grabbed her arm. She was obviously unaware of what was going on around her.
"Jane," Kurt whispered urgently, pulling her flush against him and wrapping his arms tightly around her.
She looked up at him blankly and the terror on her face was unlike any expression he'd ever seen from her before.
"Jane," He repeated desperately, shaking her to get her to focus on him.
"Kurt?" She looked up at him in utter confusion before grabbing onto him with shaking hands.
"Are you okay?" He worried.
"No," She admitted burying her face in his chest.
He felt a kick of adrenalin at her whispered confession. She was the strongest person he'd ever met; if she was admitting she wasn't okay… he felt real fear.
"Let's go," He pulled her tightly to him and led her to the nearest exit.
When she followed him without protest he realized that seeing her like this made him far from okay either.
Jane felt the cold night air and breathed in deeply. She didn't question Kurt's sudden appearance and when he supported her to his car she leaned against him gratefully.
She could remember her mother's face. Even though it was a horrific memory she was in a crazy way relieved to remember something from a past that was normal. She hadn't always been a monster. She hadn't always been Remi. At one point she'd just been a lost little girl like Taylor, taken from the world not by choice but by circumstance. The only difference is that Alice had lived to fight and Taylor had died. She didn't know if not dying made her a monster or if everything she'd done to survive had done that. She didn't even know if it really mattered at this point. She couldn't change the past, couldn't go back. She could choose how to go forward though. She could choose to be Jane. She could make a difference now.
Kurt could feel Jane trembling against him. He looked down into her pale face and watched as a single tear fell down her cheek. Jane never allowed herself to cry. Seeing her so vulnerable made a lump form in his throat. Clenching his jaw, he bent down and lifted her up. She didn't seem to notice and no protest was forthcoming. Carrying her allowed him to expedite the trip to the car. Opening the passenger door, he gently placed her inside. He didn't close the door, but turned her to face him and crowding close pulled her once more to rest against his chest. With a reassuring hand on the back of her head he kissed her forehead and began rubbing her back.
"Jane?" He looked down at her in concern.
She blinked up at him blankly.
"Breath Jane," He whispered.
That seemed to bring her back to him.
She looked up at him with tragic eyes.
"Kurt…what are you doing here?" Her confusion was obvious.
"Patterson and I came to the movies," He confessed.
"Patterson?" Jane looked around in surprise,
"She stayed inside." Kurt explained.
"You like horror movies?" Jane whispered.
"No," Kurt denied, I was here because you were. He thought in his head.
"I don't like them either," She admitted looking down.
"What happened back there?" Kurt turned her face back up to his so that he could see her eyes.
"I remembered…" Jane hesitated, "I remembered my mother."
"Sheppard?" Kurt asked in confusion.
"No," Jane denied, "My real mom. I remember the night she was killed. The night Alice died and Remi was born."
"Alice didn't die Jane," Kurt insisted.
"She had to die," Jane argued, "Just like Taylor."
"You are right here," Kurt denied pulling her more tightly against him. The thought of losing her, like he'd lost Taylor, was never something he could even remotely discuss.
"No," Jane denied, "Alice died that night and Remi died in Time Square. I will not and cannot be them ever again. You really were my new starting point."
"So you choose to be Jane?" Kurt smiled down at her softly.
"I will die Jane," She agreed.
"Not for another 60 years at least…" He protested.
She didn't say anything. They both knew the likelihood of that happening was remote. She just smiled up at him sadly.
"So have you eaten?" Kurt asked with a squeeze.
"I ate a donut Zapata gave me before I came over here." She admitted.
Kurt shook his head in mock severity, "An old donut is not diner." He chided. If he wanted to make sure she lasted another 60 years, he was going to have to take her in hand.
"I'm not really hungry." She admitted.
"Well I'm starving," Kurt insisted, "Patterson didn't even let me get any popcorn."
She was surprised when a laugh escaped at the picture his words painted.
"We better get you some food then," Jane looked up at him affectionately.
"We'll go to my apartment and order in," Kurt decided kissing her forehead once more before reluctantly pulling away.
Jane knew she should head home, she felt as wrung out as a wet mop, but Kurt was too tempting to be denied.
"Let's go," She conceded.
The smile he gave her at her acquiescence made it the right decision.
He ordered Chinese while she took off her jacket and moved over to the couch. Sinking down she rested her head against the back and closed her eyes.
"Hey," He chided joining her and offering her one of the beer bottles he was carrying. "No sleeping until you've eaten."
She accepted the drink and looked over at him with tired eyes. "If you don't like horror movies, why were you at the theater? You cannot tell me Patterson wanted to see that movie."
"We followed you," Kurt admitted readily.
"What?" Jane hadn't been expecting that.
"I don't trust this Oliver guy," Kurt admitted.
"Did Patterson find out something?" Jane worried.
"No," Kurt denied, "He checked out."
"I don't understand," Jane looked at him and shook her head.
No, Kurt agreed, she didn't get it, but he was beginning to.
"I don't trust very easily," Kurt tried to brush it off.
Jane looked at him with wounded eyes.
"Jane," He took her beer and placed them both on the coffee table. "I trust you… I just don't trust people with you."
"What?" She asked him in confusion.
"I can't, I WON'T, lose you again," Kurt finally explained.
"I'm not Taylor, Kurt," Jane looked at him sadly.
"No," Kurt agreed, "You aren't Taylor. You are Jane and Alice, Remi and Taylor might be gone, but I refuse to lose Jane. I know what losing you is like, I won't do it again."
"I'm not going anywhere," Jane assured him.
"No," He agreed, "You're not."
When the food arrived they ate in a relaxed silence that was so different from what she felt with Oliver, Jane almost felt guilty.
"See," Kurt teased her, "You were hungry."
Looking down she realized in surprise that she'd eaten most of the food.
"I guess I was," She admitted with a flush.
Looking at her Kurt smiled at her blush.
"It getting pretty late," She told him reluctantly. She'd been given a new safe house and it was just around the corner from Kurt's.
"You look beat," Kurt admitted in concern.
Rising Jane bent down to grab her trash. Kurt followed after her.
Once everything was disposed of, she reached for her jacket.
"Why don't you stay here again?" Kurt suggested stopping her from putting on her coat.
"I don't have any of my things," Jane protested, with a tired smile.
"You can sleep in one of my shirts," Kurt suggested, "I have a spare toothbrush."
Jane was tempted. She really didn't want to be alone…
"Okay," She agreed looking away.
He didn't analyze the relief he felt.
"I'll grab the shirt," He told her with a grin.
Smiling up at him, Jane watched him go.
The phone rang and Jane expected Kurt to get it from the bedroom. When the answering machine kicked on she listened in surprise.
"Kurt Weller," Patterson yelled at him over the phone, "I am never going to be able to sleep ever again. You owe me lunch every day for like the next two weeks…"
When she hung up Jane couldn't help the smile that transformed her face. She loved Patterson.
Kurt returned with the shirt and toothbrush. "Who was on the phone?"
"Patterson left you a message," Jane smiled up at him, "I think you might owe her lunch for…awhile."
"You didn't answer it?" He shook his head at her with a smile.
"No," Jane admitted. She would never have answered Kurt's phone. That seemed…intimate, like she had a right to be here.
Reading her face easily, Kurt sat next to her on the couch. "Jane, I want you here, next time answer the phone. I'm happy that you're here with me."
"Okay," She agreed looking down at her hands.
"Here," Kurt passed her the items he still held. "Go get ready for bed and I'll make up the couch."
She took them and headed toward the spare bathroom. It didn't take her long to change and brush her teeth. The shirt was long enough, but she felt exposed in a way that had her tugging down the end. It reached to mid-thigh, but it was Kurt's shirt and pretty thin.
Well, hiding in here would only result in embarrassing questions…so she pulled open the door self-consciously and headed back toward the living room.
Kurt looked up from folding down the blanket and watched her walk over to him. Her head was down, which was just as well because he knew he was staring. He'd thought she was beautiful on numerous occasions, but seeing her like this…took his breath away.
"Thanks," Jane looked up at him briefly with a smile.
He smiled back. Reaching over he pulled her against him and gave her a hug. "If you need me, just yell."
"I will," She hugged him back tightly.
"Jane," Kurt looked down at her, "If you want…you could share the bed, I don't want you to be worried."
She looked down and felt her face heat.
"Better not," She denied, seeing Nas' face in her head.
"Okay," He let her go reluctantly.
Watching her climb underneath the covers, Kurt went around turning off the lights. He left the lamp on by the front door.
She watched him walk away before turning on her side and falling into uneasy sleep.