Jane had seen everything since her death from her pedestal in the Afterlife. However, she had seen it all without emotion. Now all of that stored up emotion came pouring into her and connected those feelings to the facts and it was overwhelming. Like drowning in a storm at sea. She could feel Dru’s hand on her naked back and instead of the emotions just flooding out like a broken dam, Dru was holding some of them back for her, so it was more like her heart was a boat passing through emotional locks back down to normal levels.
Jane knew that Jei wanted forgiveness. She had seen him and heard him pray, explain himself and torture himself over what had happened, night after night. However, as the goddess of humanity it had meant nothing to her. But now it meant everything, and these strong emotions, even with Dru’s help were threatening to engulf her, being held in his strong arms now made her speechless.
Jane heard Dru’s gentle voice in her head, There’s no correct starting point. Just begin when you are ready.
Still holding Jei tightly against her, asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
Jei smiled through his tears, but she couldn’t see it as he was still holding her against him, “Always my human asking questions. Obviously, it’s highly illegal to kill someone in a trial only to bring them back after punishment was delivered. The less people that knew the better.”
“But now?”
“We are all criminals,” Doctor Rea stated.
“But we will walk free,” said Jesse confidently having just messaged Kol from Dru’s communications in the room. “There’s an ancient myth about lovers being reunited after death.”
“As long as the oath is fulfilled,” Mir reminded them all.
“What oath?” Jane asked.
Jei still didn’t face her but whispered in her ear, “We must marry before you walk out of this room.”
Jane went still. She didn’t know what to say for a second, then she said, “Over my dead body.”
“That happened once already,” Mir pointed out.
“Shut up, Mir,” Jei shouted to Mir. Then looked into Jane’s blue eyes, he gently put his hands on either side of her face and wiped some of her tears away with his thumbs. “It’s only that you need to say the words and exchange the bracelets, nothing more. They will be our witnesses.”
“Why should I?” Jane asked, her voice gaining strength the more she was awake and used it. “You killed me, Jei.”
“It was an accident that we couldn’t bring you back,” Jei defended himself.
“It’s true,” Doctor Rea interjected, “We’ve played this trick a thousand times. It’s as if the gods knew what we were planning and refused to let you go even before you were made a goddess.”
Mir was silent.
Jane looked at Mir then and everyone noticed that something passed between them.
Jesse spoke, “There’s more going on with the gods than what is revealed to us. As an outsider I don’t understand but Jane was, or rather is, a pawn in their current game.”
Mir interrupted Jesse, “Yes, it’s best not to speak about what you don’t understand.”
Jesse laughed, “I think you’ll find yourself on the wrong side of this no matter what you were promised, Mir. You took advantage of me twice, but that doesn’t mean I learned nothing.”
Mir shrugged his shoulders, revealing nothing, “Soon you’ll leave the Empire, so these things won’t concern you anymore.”
Jane looked at Jesse and then Dru. She knew Jesse from her time in the Afterlife but was surprised how different Jesse looked in her mortal form. She motioned for Jesse to stand before her and then she put both of her hands on either side of the young woman’s face, “Jesse, thank you for your help. I release you from your sister’s control. You are free of the Empire as you know it. Go with the gods and start your new life on Hogo with my blessings. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Wait, she needs to be a witness,” Dru interjected and annoyed Jane was letting her sister go without her permission.
“No, two is enough,” Jei said. “Mir, you go too. The less witchcraft and reincarnate gods we have here the better.”
Jesse looked at Jane, and put her hands over the older woman’s, “Jane, goddess of humanity, thank you for releasing me and giving me your blessing. I understand your wishes completely and it is my privilege that you would trust me with this task.” Jesse had felt the prisoner’s bracelet release as soon as Jane had given her absolution. She also felt Jane holding Dru back, which was odd because Jane had no control over her own emotions, but who was she to question whatever Jane was now. “I will always honor you. May you continue to walk in the gods’ light. Goodbye.”
Mir bowed, but again said nothing to Jane.
Jane waved him away absently as if they had already said everything they needed to say to one another and then Mir and Jesse wasted no time in leaving.
The guards stationed outside both the room and the hospital looked at them for some news but neither gave the slightest hint as to what had transpired in Doctor James’s rooms, and both swiftly left the hospital without even a second look to one another.
After Mir and Jesse were gone, Jei looked at Jane, “Jane, I will ask you again, my true other half, back from the dead, will you be my wife now?”
“I don’t know,” Jane admitted and she ignored the gasps around her. “All I know is that you killed me and then brought me back. How can I trust you?”
“Jane,” Rea interjected, “may I share with you my memories surrounding this event. To prove to you without a doubt that Jei is not lying. He never meant for you to be truly dead.”
Jane nodded. Rea moved to stand closer to her medial bed and took both her hands in his, “Close your eyes.”
Rea brought up his memories beginning with him being in sickbay on the Kzi and finding out Jane had left for her daughter. Jei coming in and suspecting she would be put to death. From that moment on them deciding to what and how to do it. Afterwards the trauma of not being able to bring her back. Jei crumpled on the floor, saying, “Save the child, Save someone today.” Rea desperately trying to do something he had never done before. Barely making the transfer of Magnolia from her body to a Dulu holding vessel. Then Rea transferring her lifeless body here to Doctor James. Doctor James’s tears when she received it. Their discussion and her vowing to bring Jane back at any cost.
Jane opened her eyes and looked at her friend Rea, “Thank you. That’s enough. I can’t explain how this feels to be so missed. When I was in the Afterlife, I saw everything but felt nothing. Now I feel everything so intensely. I forgot so easily what it was to be human. It’s a hurricane of emotions.”
Inside the room, Jei motioned to Rea to give him a small bag. Inside was one of Jane’s formal dresses, stockings, shoes, and the marriage bracelets. He opened the bag and showed Jane the bracelets and the Alliance dress.
Jane pulled out the formal Alliance dress, “Is this one of mine? I don’t remember this.”
“I bought it for you,” Jei admitted. “I mixed it in with Ellie’s purchases so no one would suspect. I even brought you a bra and underwear.” Then on seeing her face expression, quickly added, “New for you, not your daughter’s undergarments.”