Author's note: thank you for all the reviews; I take note of the jealousy thing and will add it somewhere.

Chapter three: How To Introduce A Bunch of Relatives

"Where is she?"

The voice that rose in Maura's back made the honey blonde grin. She turned around and warmly let her cousin Amy take her in her arms. The red head laughed.

"Watch out, Yankee. Don't make me spill my Champagne. You know how Apolline doesn't like it – probably even less for her wedding – when I end up licking the floor for a wasted drink."

"It is nice to see you as well, Amy." Without waiting for a reply, Maura grabbed her cousin's glass and drank it down; not caring much about the protest such gesture stirred up. On the contrary. She pouted. "Oh, please. If there is someone in this room who needs a drink then it has to be me."

Her bitterness betrayed silent feelings. Not eager to add anything, Maura looked down at the floor and tried to smile but it wouldn't come. Thankfully, the room was crowded – people going from a group to another to chat rather loudly – and none paid attention to her that much. It did have its advantages at times to be slightly invisible to the family.

"Something tells me Apolline is taking you up to the challenge." With a discreet motion of the head, Amy pointed out at the woman in question who was going all giggly with a few guests. "So. Where is she? When Anne told us that you were coming with someone, I thought she had had another seizure or that dementia was kicking in."

Nervousness passed under Maura's skin. She knew that this moment would have to happen at some point.

Unfortunately.

It couldn't just go and Jane pass unnoticed.

She looked around – scanned the room – and went on her tiptoes. "Oh... She is... She should be here within a minute, now. She went back to our room to pick up her cell phone." Hopefully not to trade her stilettos for tennis shoes at the same time.

"Mobile. Have you forgotten about your manners, Yankee? This isn't the US, here..." Amy winked and looked into the direction of the main door through which the large stairs leading to the floors – the upper ones – appeared. "Where did you meet?"

Maura ran her tongue over her lips. "At work. I mean... At the cafe just by the BPD. I assumed she was a prostitute."

"How nice."

The scientist smiled. "She was still dressed as one, going as an undercover. Jane is a detective... A homicide detective." And just as Maura finished her sentence, the Italian appeared by the door, still wearing her stilettos. Relief. "Here, she is."

Maura discreetly waved at her friend; not that she was eager to go through such face-to-face. Until now, her relatives had barely stopped by to say hello but she knew that Amy would ask for more. A lot more.

Jane nodded and approached.

"Well... You know I'm all for guys but she's definitely one fine piece of candy. Congrats, cousin... Is she just a pass time?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Maura shook her head. "No. She is the right one." Except she has no idea about that.

Jane finally made it to the medical examiner and politely smiled at the red head standing next to her. The only thing she had got so far concerning Maura's family was that they weren't there for a talk – only a polite nod – before rushing to another group to laugh away their last country club stories.

"Hello, gorgeous. I'm Amy, the Yankee's cool cousin." The woman held out her hand and vigorously shook Jane's.

Taken aback by the sudden effusion of feelings, the detective smiled back – repressed a laugh at the second nickname she learned about Maura – and accepted a glass of Champagne that a waiter held out to her. "Nice to meet you." It wouldn't have killed to add that Maura had talked a lot about her but it wasn't true. Needless to say the scientist had always remained rather quiet about her family.

"Homicide detective, right? If aunt Winnifred starts playing the piano, we might need your skills on a case because I'm not sure I have enough strength to face another endless concert from her."

Someone called Amy a bit further. The red head repressed a sigh of annoyance and made a face at Jane and Maura. "Sorry love birds, looks like I'm needed on the other side of the room. Talk to you soon!"

For long seconds, the Italian remained quiet – taken aback by the woman – and finally frowned; a bit confused. Maura didn't miss it and began to panic.

Love birds. Let it to Amy to make allusions when Jane had no idea who she was supposed to be to the eyes of every single guest present in the room.

"Don't take it bad, Maur', but... Are you sure you're the only one adopted in your family? Because she surely looks like a black sheep, to me."

...

She hadn't meant to lie. Anyway, she couldn't physically do it. The thing was that she hadn't denied what her aunt had alluded to when she had said that she would come with Jane. It might have been stupid – if not just crazy – but Maura didn't want to show up at her cousin's wedding single. Blame the circumstances.

Who wanted to attend a wedding where the groom was the man who had broken your heart to the point you had decided to move on the other side of the ocean?

She had to make a happy comeback to Scotland, if only to prove everyone that she had turned the page. Which she had. It was just a matter of... Of what? Self-esteem, perhaps.

"Maur'?"

Jane's voice took her out of her daydreams. Cuddled on an armchair by one of the windows of their bedroom, the honey blonde turned her head around and looked at her friend.

She wasn't lying, anyway. Jane was the love of her life. If she had had doubts for a while, she was sure of it now. She could recognize the signs to the point she had turned into a ridiculous cliché of the symptoms one could have. Heart beating faster, hands moist. Incapacity to focus on anything – absolutely anything else – when Jane was around. She went to bed thinking about her and woke up wondering where she was; whether she was already up, getting ready for work. Her whole life was defined by Jane.

Secretly enough.

"Yes?"

Still wearing the black dress she had showed up in for the cocktail a couple of hours earlier, Jane – bothered – walked to her friend and turned her back at her. "The bath's ready but I can't get out of this. Would you mind to unzip it? For some reason, it's kind of stuck."

Maura stood up – the woolen shawl sliding down her shoulders – and obliged. The dress slid down, revealing Jane's olive skin; her curves, athletic but nonetheless rather feminine. The honey blonde swallowed hard and – reluctantly – made a step backwards before setting back on the armchair. Her fingertips burning after the light touch with her friend's flesh.

"There you go."

Somewhat prude, Jane held the dress with her hands – above her bra – and giggled away a thanks before trotting to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her; quietly enough.

What if someone confronted them to the lie? What if Jane found out about it? Maura moaned and closed her eyes in an attempt to get rid of such thoughts. Everything is going to be alright. Stick to this as if it were your new mantra.

But still, the idea didn't stop haunting her mind.

For the moment, nothing had happened. The secret was still on in spite of Amy's allusion but oddly enough, Jane didn't seem to have paid attention to it. Love birds. Maura rolled her eyes. The danger would come from the red head. That it was certain. The others were discreet enough to not make an allusion to anything.

Even less about her past; that part she had never told her friend about.

The heavy – deep red – curtains moved just a foot away from her. She gasped and put a hand over her heart as a gray cat appeared from behind and unceremoniously walked to her to settle there on her lap.

"Why hello, Amadeus..."

Laurence's cat. Maura had known it when he was still a kitten. But he was old, now. Old and lonely. A bit like me... You and I are alike.

She was caressing him absentmindedly – observing the night falling over Plockton by the window – when her cell phone vibrated. She grabbed the item and opened the message; smiled at it.

Is there room service in this manor?

Jane

Playfully – amused by the fact the brunette was in the room next door in her bath – Maura typed a reply and sent it.

There is, indeed. But I am afraid that the context doesn't allow it, right now.

Dinner is at 7.30pm

Maura