As usual, a great thanks to my wonderful beta-reader, Reader-only76 for the proofreading.

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Disclaimer : I don't own Blindspot. The story and characters are the property of Martin Gero

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Chapter 19 – Going Crazy

Jane's safehouse

- "I'm guessing it won't exactly be pleasant for me" Jane sighed as she watched her brother sit down in front of her.

- "Not exactly... However, Cade's theft of the chip bought us some time. Because of him, Shepherd chose to postpone Phase Two. This will give you some time to get back on your feet."

- "I'm going to assume that you're not going to tell me what Phase Two is," Jane guessed, making an attempt all the same.

- "Even if I knew exactly what it was, which I don't as Shepherd only told me parts of it... I wouldn't say anything. As I've said, I have as many reasons as you do to dislike this government. At least that was the case before your memory was wiped… "

- "Cade told me the same thing," Jane mumbled in an almost sullen tone, leaning back into her couch. Surprised by her sudden shift in attitude, Roman stared at her curiously, causing her to fidget uncomfortably before she explained. "Sorry. The doctor said that because of what I went through, mood swings and unexpected behaviors are to be expected for a while. It seems to be a defense mechanism, my brain tries to adapt by distracting me... from anything that could remind it of the trauma."

- "I understand, don't worry," Roman forced out angrily. He was angry at the ones who did this to his sister. Angry at Remi for abandoning him to follow the stupid plan. Angry at their mother for not having planned the details of her plan better... Unless she had simply used Remi... A possibility he didn't want to consider at the time. He had other matters to deal with first. And finally, he was angry at himself for failing to protect her.

- "Are you okay?" Jane asked him as she watched him frown.

- "Of course," Roman lied easily, his sister didn't need any more problems right now, she had to focus on healing. She looked at him for a moment, feeling that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, but decided not to push the subject.

- "And so, what is to be my mission this time?" She asked apprehensively, suspecting that Shepherd's plans would require her to cross a number of her moral boundaries.

- "You're not going to like it... The initial plan was for you to get close to Weller..."

- "I know, Oscar wanted me to make him and Allie break up... Which I didn't do, by the way," mumbled the wounded woman thoughtfully.

- "Allie? Are you talking about the Marshal? Allison Knight?" Roman asked, surprised that she was close enough to the federal agent to be using a nickname. It wasn't good, not good at all. Of course, it would make her mission easier, but if their mother found out how much she had bonded with her target... She might decide to use that proximity to make his sister perform even worse deeds.

-" Yes, why?" Jane asked, eyes narrowed

- "Because the initial plan had to be changed... I'm guessing you've gotten closer to Weller now that he knows what you went through." The dark-haired woman nodded reluctantly, wondering where he was going with this.

- "But Weller also remained close to Knight, evidenced by the fact that he's willing to have a baby with her," continued her brother. The gleam of pain that flashed in his sister's eyes surprised him. Apparently, Remi had become too involved emotionally in this whole charade, and the closeness between the two federal agents didn't seem to please her. On the other hand, he could understand that, if his calculations were correct, the baby was conceived around the time of her arrest by Weller and her arrival at the CIA black site. So, while she was being tortured day and night by Keaton, Weller was doing it with his ex, and without protection. The fact made him really want to introduce his fist to the FBI deputy director's face...

- "I know," Jane finally answered. "I'm invited to the baby shower." Strangely, she seemed almost pleased with the idea, and Roman blinked several times, puzzled at this change of mood. Was it related to her trauma? Or was she truly happy to rejoin her team? After all, even as a soldier for Orion, she had always tended to attach much importance to her brothers-in-arms, probably an aftereffect of their horrible childhood at the orphanage, when they were without friends and were forced to constantly fight with other children. It was for that reason that their death had hit her so hard and her anger had pushed her to take up arms against the government.

- "Well... it'll make your job easier I guess," he finally said, causing her to frown.

- "What are you talking about?" She questioned again.

- "Shepherd wants you to… get close to the Marshal."

- "I will not hurt the baby!" His sister said fiercely, a warning in her voice, surprising him once again. But then again, it shouldn't be so surprising. Even before losing her memories, Remi had always been fascinated by children, especially babies, even if she never showed it to anyone but him. She had done many bad things during her time in Orion, and under their mother orders, but she had never done any of those things to a child directly. Somehow, he was glad that this aspect of her personality hadn't changed. After all, there were limits that even he wouldn't cross to carry out Shepherd's orders. For a while, he had feared she would take the plunge after her engagement with Oscar, but their mother had made sure that she knew better than to get pregnant. Probably more because it would have disturbed her plan than in any real interest in Remi's life. For his part, he wasn't sure that he would have supported Oscar being the father of his nephew or niece... In fact, he was certain of the exact opposite. Rethinking the topic of his sister's former fiancé, and what he had tried to do to her, it rekindled the fire of his anger once again.

Jane waited nervously to hear what she would have to do. She wondered how she would explain to Allie that her unborn child might be in danger even before he was born, because of her and Shepherd... The woman had been surprisingly supportive since she had learned what she had gone through, and they had begun to get much closer. And if she was honest with herself, Jane didn't want to lose the opportunity to make another ally. Allie was funny, compassionate, courageous and determined, and the more time she spent with her, the more she enjoyed her company. And Kurt... her relationship with him was just getting better, how could she tell him that his baby was being threatened before he was even born?

- "That's not it, Shepherd wants you to get close to Knight, to prevent her from doing it with Weller again," Roman replied, worried at seeing her so suddenly withdrawn. From what he understood at the hospital, she had issues with her self-confidence and he didn't want her to overthink the issue and blame herself for things for which she had no control over. Because one thing was sure, Shepherd would not take "no" for an answer.

- "Oh," Jane said, relieved. It was far less serious than she thought, even if it confirmed that Shepherd definitely had plans for Kurt. And that it also put Allie in the line of fire... She would have to warn them to be vigilant. Fortunately, Allison was no longer allowed in the field while pregnant. "Allie has a boyfriend you know... "

- "We are aware... But he isn't the baby's father. Shepherd doesn't want to take the risk. Even if in my opinion, it isn't worth it."

Jane thought for a moment. She hadn't met Allie's boyfriend before, but from what she knew, Allie seemed to care a lot about him. And moreover, she had guaranteed her that she no longer held any romantic feelings for Kurt... For just a moment, she wondered if Allie was playing with her and still intended to be with Kurt, before shaking herself mentally. No, Allie didn't seem to be that kind of person, she was far too frank and straightforward for that. Besides, Kurt had almost confessed to his feelings, and had spent more time with her than with the US Marshal lately...

-"This doesn't seem to bother you," said her brother, who was expecting a livelier reaction.

-"That's something I can do," the ravenette replied, shrugging her shoulders, causing him to frown, perplexed. It was strange to see her so relaxed when she had so clearly stated that she was choosing her team over her mission in the FBI. And now, she accepted without protest the task of ensuring that Weller didn't to do it again with his ex... Why would she agree to do something like that when she still had to fight to regain the trust of the FBI agents? It wasn't logical, unless…

-"Hold on... you accepted that way too easily," Roman mumbled, looking at her suspiciously, causing her to shift nervously. "Don't tell me... you love Weller!" He shouted, verbalizing the only logical conclusion that his mind could come up with. His sister's blush informed him immediately that he was right, the absurdness of the situation tempered his anger. Never since the age they were old enough to take interest in the opposite sex had he seen Remi react like this at the mention of a man. It was surprising, but also, in a way, touching. With a hint of jealousy, he wondered if it was the memory wipe that allowed her to react so… normal... free of the horrible memories of their childhood that still poisoned his own nights. As quickly as it came, the jealousy vanished. Remi had woken up alone and lost in a bag, unable to remember who she was, what she loved, and the people she knew... She had been tortured for months for information that her wiped mind wouldn't allow her to give. No… thinking about it, there was nothing to be jealous of. His sister had paid dearly for this second chance at a life free of her worst memories, including the loss of the few good ones she had.

- "What? No... I... " stammered the dark-haired woman trying to contain the red she felt rising in her cheeks, unable to form a coherent thought. Truly, it was becoming more and more frequent when she was in the Kurt's presence, but if it was at the point where it enough to mention his name to make her lose all her thoughts... She really needed a girl talk with Patterson to talk things out… Maybe Tasha and Allie too? Even if talking to the latter two people would be a little embarrassing. Zapata had been good with her since she left the hospital, but because of their past issues and even though they had agreed to start from scratch, she sometimes feared the Latina's volcanic reactions. Besides, if she openly confessed her feelings for Kurt... Well, who knew how long she could tease her for. Allie's case was even more difficult. On the one hand, the woman was always friendly with her, but on the other, going to her for advice on how to increase her chances with her ex would be very embarrassing...

- "This will be fun, you look like a love-sick high school girl," Roman suddenly said mockingly, watching her go through several shades of red.

- "Hey!" She protested, glaring at him, going from one extreme to the other in a few moments.

- "This is the first time I've seen you react like this," He added thoughtfully

- "It's something I can't control," she admitted a little embarrassed. Roman paused for a moment in his thoughts. Given the trauma, or several traumas, that she had recently experienced, it wasn't illogical that she would attach herself to the people who showed interest in her. Which suggested that her relationship with Weller was much better than he had first suspected... unless the man was just using her to get information on Shepherd?

- "He better not be using you," Roman snarled.

- "No! Kurt is... very sincere with me," Jane replied quickly.

- "How can you trust him, after he let the CIA take you?" Roman asked in a low growl, shaking his head in exasperated confusion.

- "He didn't want it," Jane reacted defensively, upset that he was questioning Kurt's integrity. Of course, she had been mad at him for a while for that, but the talk between them had cleared a lot of that up. And Kurt had sworn to her that he would have done everything to find her if he knew what was happening to her... "Are you sure?" whispered a voice in her head. "You really think he didn't suspect what they were doing to you? As if the CIA would kindly invite you to a cup of tea while trying to convince you to spill your secrets." After a moment of doubt, Jane strengthened her resolve. No, Kurt would never lie about something so serious, that wasn't him.

Seeing her suddenly introspective, Roman tensed, wondering if he hadn't unwittingly pushed his sister too far. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, she seemed to come back to reality.

- "No... I trust him... He rescued me out of that basement. I trust him as much as I trust you," she said resolutely.

- "I don't care, if he uses you or even puts his dirty hands on you, he will receive a swift introduction of my fist to his face," grumbled her brother fiercely.

- "Hey, I'm big enough to defend myself!" Protested his sister, frowning at him, crossing her arms defensively. "And I will not allow you to hurt Kurt, what I do with my body is none of your concern!" She added before blushing, realizing that if he still had any doubts, her words had removed all traces of them...

- "What?! Don't tell me you've... with him," Roman gasped in shock, looking at her incredulously, horrified.

-" No!" Replied his sister, blushing. "We... we're not there yet."

- "Then... what are you talking about?" Roman asked reflexively.

- "We cuddle sometimes..." began Jane, the red in her cheeks deepening.

- "No, forget it, I don't want any details!" He hastily interrupted, shaking his head to drive that thoughts out of his mind. He couldn't think of his precious sister being... intimate with someone. If he had his way, he would lock her up in a safe place where no Oscar, Kurt, or whatever name they might have, could take advantage of her.

- "There are no details to share," Jane reassured him, smiling slightly at seeing him so flustered "Not now at least..." she added, feeling herself in a teasing mood. But Roman didn't take the bait.

- "You really have feelings for him," he said seriously, making her squirm again on the couch, uncomfortable with the line of questioning.

- "It's ... complicated," she mumbled in response.

- "Nevermind... just if he breaks your heart, I'll destroy his pretty FBI face," answered Roman with a determined look. He didn't approve of this attraction at all, but knowing his sister, trying to dissuade her would only encourage her in the opposite direction. He had made that mistake with Oscar, and he didn't want to repeat that mishap. However, he had to warn his sister of the risks.
"You know that Shepherd has plans for him... for both of you. If she sees you're close to him again, she might try to use your relationship. It may even be what she's been planning on doing since the episode in... the basement."

- "I know... we've already thought of that." Once again, Roman noticed the "we", but decided for his own sanity to ignore it. Right now, he had to focus on how to keep his sister safe, not on her romantic life.

- "I see... but Shepherd isn't your only problem." Pulling a phone from his pocket, Roman showed her images of several men. "Memorize these faces," he advised, allowing the dark-haired woman to scroll through them.

- "Who are these men?" Jane asked, frowning. She had hoped for a moment that she might recognize a few, just as she had recognized Markos, Cade, and Roman, but nothing came to mind.

- "A number of our mother's lieutenants... those from whom your absence have benefited the most in any case. Shepherd trusts them because they hold some use to her, but they will not hesitate to target you at the first available opportunity," announced her brother darkly.

-" Why?" Jane asked, puzzled. The idea that other people coming after her didn't really scare her, which was odd enough... She feared Keaton for what he had done to her, her mother for what she could do to her friends. Sometimes, like when she first came to the FBI, she even feared strangers or the people she had met at the FBI, those she had never even spoken to before. However now, despite the fact that Roman made clear that these men would be targeting her, she felt no fear... It strange... Maybe she should discuss it with Borden during her next session, and ask him if it was normal.

- "To better their position. To avoid copycats, Shepherd didn't tell anyone about your shift in loyalty. But these men have no interest in you coming back, you represent a threat to their place in the organization... "

- "You do know I'm going to make sketches and give them to the FBI," Jane said after a moment, looking up at him. He had expected her to be wary of these men, on the contrary, the threat seemed to have boosted her desire to fight, and she felt more… emboldened.

- "I know, and honestly... I don't really care if it compromises the plan. All that matters to me is you... In fact, use this to convince the FBI of your value… I've already killed one of those bastards who wanted to abandon you to set an example and I'll get rid of the others at the first opportunity if necessary. Just… watch your back," Roman replied, looking her directly in the eyes.

Jane twitched slightly at hearing him confess to murder with such ease, but she didn't comment on it. After all, those men were criminals and a threat... it wasn't like he had killed innocent people.

-"I will do anything to protect you," Roman told her calmly, interpreting her thoughtful and slightly disapproving gaze.

-"I know," she replied, a little uneasily. She was grateful to him for killing the CIA man who had tortured her, and more generally for the risks he had taken for her. And the ones that he continued to take, knowing that she was no longer loyal to Shepherd, but still protecting her anyway. But at the same time, she couldn't help remembering Kantor and the fact that Nas had initially refused to turn him because of his lethalness. On the other hand, it seemed that she herself had also done a number of terrible things before... and besides, she was indirectly responsible for Mayfair's death. Yet, thanks to the team, she struggled to become someone better. Maybe with her influence, Roman could follow the same path? Yes, she owed it to her brother... that would be her new personal mission.

Sensing the sudden determined air from his Jane, Roman wondered what could be going on in her head. He knew how stubborn she was, and the last thing he wanted was for she to get into something risky while in her condition.

- "I brought a gift for you," he said to distract her, moving over towards the kitchen counter for a package wrapped in craft paper.

- "What is it?" Jane asked curiously.

- "Hertzog Koekie". The dark-haired woman stared at her brother for a moment, understanding the meaning of the words but not knowing what they were referring to. Finally opening the package, she found cupcakes topped with what appeared to be a swirl of coconut by the smell. Under Roman's amused eyes, she carefully picked one up and, sniffing it curiously, bit into it. The explosion of apricot jam and coconut in her mouth drew a small moan of pleasure from her.

- "It's... delicious," she said, immediately grabbing a second. Roman gave a small laugh and reached for a pastry.

-"You've always loved it... it was the first thing Shepherd bought us when she got us out of the orphanage," he added, his eyes lost in memory as he chewed his own thoughtfully. Having trouble reconciling this idea with what she knew about the woman, Jane hesitated a moment before asking the question.

- "Has she always been so... harsh?"

- "Yes... She trained us to be able to survive anything, and she wasn't often gentle with us... But she did shower us with sweets whenever she felt like it too, often when she was pleased with our work."

- "She used us," accused the raven head, a hint of anger in her voice. For the first time during the conversation, her brother seemed to hesitate.

- "I... I don't know... I think it's rather that she's surrounded herself badly... All those suckups that are around her... they're our real enemies," replied Roman. Seeing a glimmer of doubt in his eyes, Jane didn't push the point, wanting to avoid angering him. Apparently, because of her latest choices, he was beginning to question who their mother actually was. Even if for the moment he blamed others for her behavior, sooner or later he would have to admit that Shepherd had been using both of them since childhood. A knock on the door interrupted their respective introspections, and Patterson's voice echoed from behind the wooden panel.

- "Jane, it's us. Hurry up, the pizzas are getting cold!"

-"One second," she shouted to the door before casting a frightened glance at her brother. He surprised her by approaching quietly to embrace her, slipping a burner phone into her hand.

- "My number is programmed in. No one else knows about this phone," he said before heading discreetly to the back of the house. Guessing that the team would be getting impatient, Jane pocketed the device and hurried to open the door. Everyone entered, and while Patterson and Zapata were placing the pizza boxes on the counter, Kurt came over to observe her carefully. After their little head-to-head earlier, he wanted to be sure that she was okay.

- "Is everything alright?" He asked with concern, taking in her nervous look.

- "Yes... Roman was here," confessed the wounded woman, biting her lips, wanting to be true to her promise of not hiding anything from them. It was weird through, a few minutes ago she was full of energy and ready for a fight, and now a look from Kurt made her feel like a shy schoolgirl. Her declaration drew silence from the other agents, before Reade asked the question that was burning at all of them.

- "He wanted news or... something specific?"

-"Both," Jane mumbled, avoiding his eyes. "He wanted to make sure I was… getting better and... he brought me some pastries," she added quickly in a much lighter tone, pointing to the box of pastries on the couch. The agents exchanged a cautious glance at her abrupt change of mood. Borden had warned them that it could happen, and they didn't want to ask her too many questions at once so as not to rush her.

- "Sounds good," Patterson said calmly as she approached. Out of them all, she was the one who feared Roman the least, which was strange considering that he had attacked her. But in the hospital, she had seen how much he cared about Jane... so she wasn't too worried about his plans for their friend.

- "They're Hertzog Koekie, with apricot jam and coconut. It's a South African specialty... Roman says I've always loved them," Jane said, handing her the package for her to try. The fact that Roman went through the trouble of finding his sister's favorite sweets seemed to appease the fears of the federal agents. Despite all the things they could blame him for, he seemed fiercely devoted to Jane, and at the moment it was exactly what she needed.

- "They're excellent," Zapata commented after trying one as well.

- "And so... did Roman want anything else?" Kurt asked, still a little tense.

- "He... told me about my new orders from Shepherd," Jane hesitated.

- "What is it?" Patterson asked as she approached, now tense at the thought that her friend was in danger again.

- "Not what I expected... she wants me to get closer to Allie to... prevent her from getting back with Kurt," Jane finally confessed, embarrassed, blushing slightly. The team looked at her for a moment, before Zapata let out a little laugh:

- "It must be the first time that your goals and hers matched." Kurt blushed slightly as Reade gave a small smile. Patterson patted her friend's shoulder gently for teasing Jane.

- "I'll talk about it with Allie... she has the right to know... Moreover, it might be better for her and the baby if... we kept our distance," said the dark-haired woman with difficulty, glancing nervously at Kurt.

- "Jane, stop worrying," he sighed, approaching to gently hold her face with both hands. "I've already considered the fact that Shepherd could use them to get to me. You don't have to distance yourself because of this... on the contrary, continuing as you have now will make Shepherd believe that you'll follow her orders and will also keep everybody safe: you, Allie, and the baby. Besides... even if you explained your reasons, Allie won't allow you to distance yourself. Apparently, she's decided that she wants to be your friend and she's almost as stubborn as you are," Kurt said with a smile.

- "You really think so?" Jane asked with a voice full of hope. Even if she had offered to stay away... she was starting to become much too attached to the idea of befriending the Marshall.

- "I'm sure," Weller said quietly, releasing her from his embrace as he saw her relax.

- "Roman also wanted to warn me," Jane added after a few moments of silence.

- "Of what?"

- "He showed me pictures of some of Shepherd's lieutenants... Apparently they don't want me to return, they're afraid of losing their place..."

- "Are they a threat to you?" Zapata asked with concern.

- "Maybe... well... Roman's already killed one to dissuade them from attacking me," Jane mumbled, looking at them hesitantly, expecting them to tell her again that her brother was too dangerous to be left free.

- "For once, I can understand why he did it... I mean ...not that I'm endorsing murder but... these guys are a threat and, in addition, they're criminals," said Reade shaking his head. Zapata and Patterson nodded to show their agreement. If Roman was protecting Jane and at the same time was reducing Sandstorm's numbers... it was... tolerable. Kurt didn't answer and just squeezed Jane's hand, a small gesture that seemed to cheer her up.

- "The good thing is that now I will be able to make sketches of each of them... even if I don't know their names," she added, frowning, and falling silent for a moment.

- "Well, that's something at least, don't overthink it," Patterson advised, smiling gently.

- "And what about the mole? The one who burned your cover?" Asked Reade worriedly.

-"I don't think that Roman knows who he or she is. If he could identify who it was, I'm sure he'd have told me so that I wouldn't make the same mistakes as... before," the dark-haired woman replied, biting her lips again. The argument seemed logical. Even though Roman wasn't actively interfering with their mother's plans, he was covering for Jane and protecting her fiercely. He wouldn't have left such a threat to her safety active... unless he planned on taking care of it himself…

- "Probably," Kurt agreed. "In the meantime, we will continue as we have now. We still have some time before you can come back to the office, and considering... what you went through, no one will be surprised if you act a little off."

-"Well, now that you've mentioned it... I'd like to come back to work," Jane said softly, looking up at him.

- "Not yet, it's too soon," the Deputy Director replied without hesitation.

- "But I'm bored here doing nothing!" Protested the tattooed woman in an almost pleading tone.

- "It's not negotiable." Instead of protesting as she would have normally done, Jane remembered Zapata's advice, and decided to change her approach.

- "Please..." she asked softly, giving him her most pleading look under the amused eyes of the rest of the team who followed the interaction with interest. Surprised to see her do so, Kurt felt himself becoming lost in her deep green eyes, the urge to say yes to everything she asked for ever increasing as he stared at those captivating orbs. Opening his mouth, he reminded himself that she wasn't in condition to do so. Shaking his head vigorously to clear his head, he finally answered:

- "Nice try, but it's still a no." The dark-haired woman bit her lips for a moment, annoyed. Deciding to think of a different approach, she let Patterson lead her to the kitchen to warm the pizzas. The evening was lively and quite enjoyable, and she relaxed in her friends' camaraderie. As she talked to Reade, Patterson pulled Tasha away.

- "In your opinion, how long before the boss gives up and allows her to come back"? Watching Jane shift, probably unconsciously at being so close to Weller on the couch, Zapata chuckled.

- "Stubborn as she is? He won't last three days," predicts the Latina.

- "But she really isn't ready, and he'll still want to protect her... I'd say at least a week".

- "It doesn't matter, even if she comes back to the office, she won't be allowed in the field anytime soon."

- "Certainly not, not as long as Robert has any say in it anyway!" The blonde answered finely, making Zapata laugh softly. Jane might be stubborn, but with two overprotective friends like Weller and Patterson on her back, she hardly stood a chance...

…..

NYO, a week later

Kurt Weller had held up for five days. Five long days during which Jane had threatened, begged and even hugged him to try to get what she wanted. Her perseverance, and her big green eyes, had been the right match for the deputy director's iron will, which despite his desire to protect her, had finally accepted that she could come back to the office, much to the amusement of the whole team. However, in doing so, he had started something even worse. Having managed to make him allow her back to the office, and wanting to prove, perhaps first and foremost to herself, that she was still effective with her skills, Jane was now harassing him to allow her in the field. He had explained to her that her ribs and arm weren't sufficiently healed, and that she still needed time to cope with the anxiety and nightmares that still arose regularly, but she still wouldn't let it go.

The buzzing of his phone drawing his attention to the screen, he briefly looked at the incoming message before sighing deeply. Looking up, he saw Zapata and Borden chatting near the Latina's desk. He exited his office and hurried over to them.

- "Ah, Agent Weller, I was just talking with Agent Zapata about..."

- "Later Doc, I need your help." He interrupted.

- "Uh... of course," agreed the surprised doctor. "With what?"

- "With a bull-headed injured agent," Weller said, rubbing his temples tiredly, while Zapata laughed.

- "What's wrong with Jane?" Borden asked, trying to hide his amusement.

- "She's going to drive me crazy, no… she's driving me crazy," Weller growled in a low voice so as not to catch the attention of nearby agents, causing Zapata's laugh to redouble.

- "What do you mean?"

- "Ever since I allowed her back to the office, she's been harassing me to allow her to return to the field. She sends me dozens of messages a day asking in any way possible. Everytime I tell her no, she does these little annoying pranks like putting salt in my coffee and other things. And yesterday she even went through my pockets and hid my car keys under the guise of a hug."

- "Really, did you see her do it?" Zapata asked with amusement, wondering where the tattooed woman had come up with all those ideas... before realizing that it was probably from the mass of teen movies that she and Patterson had made her watch recently to help keep her busy.

- "No, that's why I know it was her," Kurt retorted irritably.

- "I see... actually it's part of what I was talking about with Agent Zapata just now." Without saying a word, Tasha handed him her coffee and motioned for him to taste it. The salty taste drew a grimace from him and he looked at her confused.

- "Why did Jane do this to you? Aren't you two good right now?"

- "Because I refused to help her convince you to allow her back in the field," the Latina replied with a shrug. She seemed to be taking things much less seriously than him.

-" Why? Why is Jane acting like this?" He asked the therapist.

- "I think her actions are only a symptom of what she is going through mentally. Right now, Jane is acting... well, I think we can all agree, like a frustrated child. She is constantly pushing at limits to test your reactions... "

- "But why?"

- "Because of the tensions that have existed between you and your team... Agent Zapata was just telling me that she had been cold with Jane a few weeks ago, because of a dispute between them. And similarly, learning that she wasn't Taylor Shaw led you to treat her rather... harshly from what I understand."

- "But we've gone through all of that, and we've agreed that everything was dealt with and we could start over again," Tasha objected.

- "Certainly, but because of the recent trauma she has experienced, Jane seems to need more than words." He explained patiently.

- "What do you mean?" Kurt asked worried.

- "You must have noticed that she's been much more… affectionate with you lately," Borden continued calmly.

- "She's trying to reassure herself," Tasha understood.

-" Indeed. It's probably subconscious, but a small part of her still distrusts her surroundings. This isn't unusual for torture victims. Some fall back on themselves, and others adopt a more defiant behavior, as if to prove that they have overcome the trauma and to show it to the rest of the world. Even if it isn't the case."

- "So Jane is testing us for... for what exactly?" Kurt asked.

- "As I said, like a child, she is searching for limits."

- "But what limits?"

- "Those of your patience, your determination, your affection... make your choice."

- "So... since we refuse to give her what she wants, Jane think we don't care for her and wants to provoke some kind of reaction?" Kurt asked puzzled.

- "It's a little oversimplified, but the idea is there. I believe she perceives your refusal to allow her to return to the field both as a lack of confidence in her abilities and as a rejection. Since you don't seem to want her help, she rebels in her own way... If you think carefully, despite all the tricks she's played on you, you've never managed to catch her in the act. It's a roundabout way of showing you that her skills are still quite effective." The two agents exchanged troubled glances, realizing that behind her innocent little jokes, Jane might have found a way to see how far she could push them before they would get mad at her.

- "And what are we supposed to do? She can't return to the field right now, she is absolutely not ready, physically or mentally. She's just too stubborn to admit it," protested Weller, frustrated.

-" Indeed. But you might want to consider limited outings on risk-free cases, just to show her that she can be useful. Jane needs to be doing something, and we all know that given her... unique skills, paperwork will only frustrate her."

- "No..." Kurt let out after a few seconds of silent thought. "As long as she can't defend herself, it's too dangerous to allow her in the field. The people who did this to her… they could take her again."

- "I advise you to avoid thinking things like that. If you challenge her capabilities, her self-esteem could suffer." The doctor warned.

- "And so, what are we supposed to do?" Zapata asked.

- "As with a turbulent child, give rewards to her if she behaves well to motivate her," Borden said, shrugging his shoulders amused.

- "Or we can just have Patty the Pooh deal with her," Zapata interrupted, drawing their attention to the scene in front of her. Jane, who was near the conference room, had stopped by Agent Moore to look at pictures of Lucas on the young mother's phone, who was more than happy to show them. But at the same time an obviously unhappy Patterson had just exited the elevator.

- "Jane Doe, get your tattooed buttocks in that chair! Right now!" The analyst demanded, pointing to Jane's desk. Under the surprised and amused looks of the agents present, Jane instinctively hunched her shoulders, before complying without flinching. The blonde stopped in front of her brandishing a bag in front of her.

- "Can you tell me what this is?" She asked sternly.

- "A paper bag," Jane replied after glancing at the offending object. She did it with so much innocence in her voice that Patterson was momentarily surprised.

- "Very funny little smartass. It's a bakery bag, and you know what's so special about it?"

- "No," the tattooed woman answered in a tone that sounded wildly mismatched with the scene to all those who, discreetly or not, were watching.

- "I found it at your place... And the strangest thing is that it still contains the brioche that you were supposed to eat for breakfast," Patterson accused her with a serious look, Jane shrank in her chair at the look. Since she had realized how poor Jane's eating habits were, she had made it her mission to feed her every day to help her get back on her feet. And obviously, after trying gentler methods, she decided to up her methods.

- "I wasn't hungry this morning," Jane mumbled, looking down.

- "Jane..." said the blonde dangerously. "Remember the agreement we had when Weller allowed you back to the office?" Weller, Tasha and Borden exchanged curious glances, ignorant as to the details of the deal.

- "Three meals a day even in small quantities to get back into shape..." Jane replied meekly.

- "And breakfast is...?" The blonde prompted.

- "The most important meal of the day," the tattooed woman finished with a small grimace.

- "Right, so you will not leave this chair before you've finished eating!" Patterson said sternly, making the dark-haired woman blush as some of the agents around her snickered softly. Everyone knew that even though the analyst was the sweetest person in the world, crossing her would expose you to some serious retaliation. Jane grabbed the bag, then glanced inside, then looked up at Patterson, confusion shining on her face.

- "There are two brioches..."

-" Really? You should eat them before a third appears then," retorted the blonde with a smooth smile, almost teasingly. Understanding that she had been trapped, Jane complied obediently, under the watchful eye of the blonde.

- "How cute, mommy bear and her cub," Zapata teased as she approached.

- "Stubborn cub," the blonde mumbled, looking at Jane, who looked awkwardly at her. In response, her face adopted a softer look and she laid a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that she wasn't really angry. Jane realized that she had to take better care of herself, but sometimes she just forgot. And in those cases, Patterson intervened to get her to do the right thing, however forcefully she needed to. After some teasing aimed at both Patterson and herself, the tattooed woman watched Borden lead her friends away, probably to talk about her. Trying to hear what they were saying, she was interrupted by Nas who appeared suddenly near her, causing her to jump. Grimacing at the flash of pain across her ribs, she turned her attention to the NSA agent.

- "I found something interesting on the flash drive," announced Nas, immediately catching her interest.

- "I thought Kurt wasn't allowing me to see anything until he felt I was ready," the wounded woman wondered, glancing discreetly at the Deputy Director, who was still talking.

- "He wants to protect you... from what I understand. But staying locked up will not help you get better. I found something that might interest you... want a ride out to the field?" The woman proposed. Jane hesitated for a second, looking towards her friends, before getting up to follow her discreetly.