I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

The silence that descended on the room was almost deafening. "You're . . . married," Tasha repeated in a tone Jane imagined she would use if a dog had just wet on her favorite pair of shoes. So much for the progress she thought she had been making with the team. She started to take a step back, but Kurt held her fast.

"And it's . . . legal?" Tasha asked. "You're sure?"

Kurt nodded. "Rich Dotcom made certain of that."

Tasha made the mistake of glancing over at Reade and snorted at the stunned expression on his face, bursting into laughter when his eyes widened at her reaction, he and Patterson joining in after a moment as well. "S-s-sorry," Tasha apologized, making a valiant effort to get herself under control before losing the battle and laughing harder. She'd been far too serious for far too long, and the news that her boss had been hoodwinked into marriage, of all things, and by none other than Rich Dotcom, was proving to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Well, that certainly wasn't the reaction she had been expecting, Jane thought as she glanced up at Kurt, relaxing somewhat when she saw a slight smile on his face as well as he observed the team, her own lips curving upwards as they all continued to chuckle. But maybe it was what they had all needed. The past months hadn't been easy for any of them.

"I'm glad you all find this so humorous," Nas said icily, recalling them to a sense of reality. "Personally, I don't think that it's at all amusing that the head of the New York office of the FBI was so easily hoodwinked by a common criminal." Though she was already assessing how that mistake could work in her favor.

"Oh, there's nothing common about Rich Dotcom," Patterson spoke up. "He's like a force of nature. Trust me, when he wants something to happen . . . it happens." With the notable exception of her outwitting him this last time and putting him behind bars where he belonged. Though that clearly hadn't put an end to his scheming. "Did he say why he did it?"

"Why who did what?" Pellington asked as he stepped off the elevator behind them, glancing from one to the other as they all looked startled and then uneasy at his arrival. His eyes narrowed as he noticed Weller's arm around Jane's waist. "What's going on?"

"Director Pellington," Nas greeted. "Assistant Director Weller was just informing us that Rich Dotcom conned him, and his fake marriage to Jane in that sting operation last week is in fact legal."

Pellington's eyebrows rose as he glanced at Weller. "Is that true, son?"

"Yes, sir," Kurt admitted, meeting Pellington's gaze unflinchingly, wishing he could tell what the man was thinking. His boss's face was inscrutable as he nodded.

"Why don't we take this into the conference room?" Pellington suggested, mindful of the curious stares being leveled in their direction, his thoughts racing a mile a minute as he walked.

Kurt took a seat beside Jane, scooting his chair as close to hers as he dared and keeping a firm grip on her hand under the table. "Sir . . ."

"Relax, Weller," Pellington advised him. "I already knew we'd been played somehow; it's the reason I'm here." Everyone at the table sat up a little straighter at that news, waiting expectantly for him to continue. "As you know, Hines has refused to talk since being extradited back to California, but he finally opened up yesterday and admitted that he had no idea who Rich Dotcom was. He has end-stage cancer and had blown through all the money he stole in his bank robberies while he was on the run, so when he was contacted by a man who promised his daughter a large payout if he would turn himself in, it seemed like a godsend. All he had to do was show up at the end of your reception and surrender, then keep his mouth shut about it for a week."

Kurt nodded slowly. He'd been wondering about the connection between Rich and Hines, but he'd been so angry at the prison that it had slipped his mind to ask. "That makes sense. And of course, it was child's play for Rich to arrange for the fake minister to get food poisoning and replace him with a real one to make the marriage legal."

"Which he still wouldn't have been able to do if you hadn't signed the marriage license," Nas pointed out coolly. "Care to explain that?"

He really couldn't. He had simply gotten so caught up in the moment, in the stunning vision of Jane in that wedding gown and the feel of her hand in his, that he had signed the paper without even thinking. Not that he owed her an explanation.

"I think that's irrelevant at this point," Pellington intervened before Kurt could come up with an appropriate response. "What's done is done. What we have to do now is decide how to proceed from here."

Nas frowned. "What's to decide? Obviously, Weller needs to put an end to this marriage as soon as possible. The last thing the NYO needs after losing so many agents in a terrorist attack is to have its assistant director tied to the family behind it." She knew she'd made a mistake as soon as she spoke. There was a chorus of sharply indrawn breaths from all around the table and everyone sat up straighter as their eyes shot daggers at her.

"Jane is not a terrorist!" Patterson said heatedly in defense of her friend. Sure, she'd had her reservations as the attack was unfolding, but she had come to bitterly regret how unfair that had been. Jane had been unfailingly supportive of her ever since, leaving her brother's side as soon as she heard Borden had shot her and heading straight to the hospital to visit her. She was the one person in the world who could understand what Patterson was going through right now, and she had never failed to lend a sympathetic ear when she needed to talk or to sit with her quietly when she sensed she needed the company.

That kind of goodness couldn't be faked.

Nas frowned. "I wasn't suggesting that Jane intentionally led us into that trap—"

"You've been all but saying it since the night the raid on Sandstorm failed," Zapata said acidly. And it was unfair. She still hadn't entirely forgiven Jane, but her innate sense of justice wouldn't allow her to be judged for something she was completely innocent of. "Jane's done everything we've asked of her since we brought her back, and—"

"Actually, she hasn't," Nas interrupted. "Our deal was that she would help us bring down Sandstorm in exchange for my protection from the CIA, and she failed to uphold her end of that bargain. However unwitting her actions, a lot of good people lost their lives because of it. Thousands more still might, since we now have no idea where Sandstorm is, or what they're up to."

"She failed because we let her down," Patterson shot back before Kurt could utter the scathing response on the tip of his tongue. "We employed the mole that blew her cover and caused all those deaths. That's on us. Jane did everything in her power to stop that attack, and she nearly lost her life in the process. And if we're going to start judging people as guilty by association, then I suppose I should tender my resignation here and now." She drew in a quavering breath. "I'm the one who was dating the man responsible for exposing Jane and getting all those agents killed. Borden found out about Jane's true allegiances because of me. So if anyone is to blame here, I am."

"No one is to blame, Patterson," Jane assured her again, as she had so many times since that night. "Sandstorm had their doubts about me before I ever went back to them the first time. One way or another, Borden would have ferreted out where my allegiances lay. It was only a matter of time."

"I think we're getting a little off-topic here," Nas intervened, desperate to get the conversation back on track. Wishing every time she opened her mouth she didn't seem to insert her foot these days. They still shared a common goal, after all. They were going to have to find a way to put aside their ideological differences and find a way to work together to take down Sandstorm. "Can we get back to talking about Weller and Jane, please?"

"I think that's an excellent idea," Pellington agreed as Kurt stiffened, tightening his grip on Jane's hand. "Ms. Kamal, you just said that Jane failed to uphold her end of your bargain, so I'm assuming that deal is now null and void. That being the case, as far as I'm concerned, Jane is now an FBI asset again. We'll continue to follow her tattoos and investigate what happened to her, and you can use your NSA resources to chase any leads on Sandstorm. We'll be more than happy to share any information we unearth with you, provided that's a two-way street."

Nas kept her composure with an effort. "Director Pellington—" He met her eyes with a steely-eyed gaze of his own that told her she wouldn't be swaying him on this issue. "Sandstorm is the gravest threat to our national security we've ever faced, and Weller and Jane and Roman are now the only links we have to them. I agree to your terms, but I'd like to continue working closely with the team in the meantime."

"Fine," Pellington agreed. He didn't trust the woman as far as he could throw her, but in this case, it seemed wise to follow the adage, Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Whether she was friend or foe had yet to be determined, but he trusted Weller to keep an eye on her. It was clear he didn't trust her one bit either. "Now if you'll excuse us, Ms. Kamal, agents, I'd like to speak to Weller and Jane alone."

Nas bit back a protest at being cut out of the discussion as Pellington continued to regard her with cool eyes. He was making it understood that there was going to be a very clear separation of power between the FBI and NSA moving forward, and if she didn't want to endanger their cooperation, she would need to abide by that. For now, at least.

"Well," Pellington said once everyone had finally exited, "this is quite a mess you've gotten the two of yourselves into." If he didn't have such a soft spot for Kurt, he would be tempted to fire him—or demote him down to a field agent in their most remote satellite office in Alaska. "Fortunately, I think we can make it work in our favor."

Kurt had been grateful for Pellington's support in the meeting, but he felt his heart sink at his boss's words. Something told him that he wouldn't like what was coming next. That they wouldn't like it. "What do you mean by that, sir?"

Pellington leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he studied the couple across from him. It hadn't escaped his attention how those two always seemed to gravitate toward one another when their backs were against the wall, to fight back harder when the other was threatened. Just like a real married couple would do. "This office took quite a hit, losing so many agents in Sandstorm's attack and not being able to apprehend the people responsible. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what that's done to morale here, especially with the continued negative publicity." The public understandably wanted answers and the FBI unfortunately had none to give. "We could really use a feel-good story to counteract that, and what better than the romance between the NYO's assistant director and the tattooed amnesiac that he helped to get justice for? It's practically a modern-day Cinderella story."

"Except it isn't," Kurt pointed out stiffly. "Jane and I aren't married for real. In fact, we already agreed that we're going to get a divorce as quickly as possible, and in order to do that, we have to be separated for six months." And if they agreed to play a lovey-dovey couple, it would be at least six months before they could separate, and very likely longer.

Pellington sighed. "I can't tell you what to do here, Weller, Jane, but I'm asking you to at least consider it. The Bureau really needs this." Fortunately, it looked as if Jane, at least, wasn't completely opposed to the idea. Which was a better thing than she knew. "And there's no reason it can't be . . . beneficial to both of you as well. Quite frankly, your job is on the line at the moment, and the CIA is still very interested in Jane." He noted with satisfaction the hardening of Weller's jaw at Jane's sharply indrawn breath. "The publicity surrounding your marriage would certainly be an effective deterrent to that."

He glanced from one to the other when neither of them spoke. "Well, I'll leave you two to talk it over. But don't take too long. I'm sure that reporter isn't going to wait all day."

Jane could feel Kurt's concerned gaze on her as Pellington exited the room, and she attempted to smile to set his mind at ease. "It's okay, Kurt. I'm sure it's nothing we need to be concerned about. The CIA already knows they're not going to get any answers out of me."

It might not be answers they wanted any longer, Kurt thought grimly as he studied Jane. Given what they knew now, she was a loose end—and that had to be making someone very nervous. "I don't think Pellington would have brought it up if he wasn't under serious pressure to hand you over," he said slowly and saw her shoulders slump, her arms crossing over her middle defensively. "It's okay, Jane. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"And I'm not going to let you throw your career away to protect me," Jane shot back. "Nas was right when she said that it would be detrimental for you to be allied with me. Sooner or later, the truth about me will come out. You have people that love you, and a baby on the way to think about now, Kurt. I'm not your problem."

"You're my wife," he pointed out simply, and she nearly felt her heart stop at the tenderness in his gaze, at the memory those words evoked. "What affects you, affects me now. I never wanted for you to be tortured, Jane, and I'm not about to stand back and let that happen again." Or worse. The cost be damned. "Besides, you heard Pellington: my career's on the line if I don't do this. I know it's a lot to ask . . ."

"I'm in," Jane said simply. "If you're sure that's what you want to do. But I don't think you've really thought this through, Kurt." He hadn't really had time to think it through. "There are a lot of things to consider before you make a decision like this."

"Such as?" Kurt asked, watching her closely. He could think of a few off the top of his head, but he was curious to hear what she had to say.

"Such as . . . If we're going public with our marriage, are we going to be staying under the same roof, or keeping our own space? Are we going to decide on a time frame to end the marriage, or just wing it? And are we . . ." Jane hesitated to voice her last question, but it had to be said. "Once the publicity dies down, are we going to be seeing other people, or . . ."

Kurt bit back the automatic no that sprang to his lips. Jane might be his legally, but she wasn't his wife in truth. He had no right to be jealous, no right to impose his will on her. Besides, it was a two-way street. Not that he wanted to see anyone else. "All good questions. I don't think we have the time to hammer out all the details right now, since like Pellington said, that reporter won't wait forever, but I do think we're going to have to live together. The team are the only ones who will know the marriage is fake, so your staying in a Bureau safe house would raise more than a few eyebrows around here." Not to mention what would happen if the media got wind of it. He hesitated. "Is that . . . will that be . . . a problem?"

Jane shook her head. "I'm not . . . seeing anyone romantically. You?" She wasn't blind. There had been something going on between him and Nas before Sandstorm's attack, but the tension between them lately suggested it had met an abrupt end for some reason. But that didn't mean there wasn't someone else.

Not since his ill-advised brief fling with Nas. "No," Kurt told her, biting back a smile at the relief on her face before she could hide it. He was glad that he wasn't the only one who felt that way. The two of them spent a few more minutes going over the particulars of their supposed courtship before he stood and held out his hand. "Shall we?"

Jane took a deep breath as she rose and threaded her fingers through his, and they walked out of the conference room hand-in-hand. He nodded to Pellington as they approached the team, relieved Nas had made herself scarce. The two of them had come to an uneasy truce since he'd had his eyes opened to her true character, but this situation was going to strain that tenuous détente. "So . . . where's this reporter?"

Pellington made no effort to hide his relief as he motioned toward Weller's office, where a dark-haired woman was seated at the round table near the door typing away on a laptop. "Her name is Anna Sadler," he mentioned as she glanced up, smiling tentatively as she caught sight of them looking at her. "She writes mostly puff pieces for the Times rather than investigative journalism, so you shouldn't have any trouble with this interview." He held out his hand, shaking both of theirs in turn. "Good luck. And . . . congratulations." He had a feeling that he would be buying them a wedding present for real in the not-so-distant future.

"Thanks," both Kurt and Jane murmured before starting toward his office. Kurt wrapped his arm around Jane's waist as he opened the door, pasting a smile on his face as he met the reporter's expectant gaze. "Ms. Sadler? I'm Kurt Weller, and this is my lovely bride Jane . . ."