Chapter 4
Jane woke up from a surprisingly good nap. She was still tired, but she felt a million times better. She heard Maura working in the kitchen. When she walked over, she saw the doctor preparing the deer, slicing the meat carefully with her knife.
Jane watched her girlfriend work from the doorway, Maura not noticing she was being watched. She admired the beauty, working at the countertop. There wasn't much left of the well-dressed, classy medical examiner. She was wearing washed out jeans, a black t-shirt and her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail. Yet she still managed to look absolutely gorgeous.
Jane walked over to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist, hugging her from behind. "Hello sleepyhead" Maura said smiling, turning around to give Jane a quick kiss. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, very well actually. I guess your little speech worked." Jane said, tickling Maura's side.
"Stop that Jane", she giggled, "Can you go get some water? We don't have much left."
"No problem doctor" Jane said as she kissed her girlfriend, grabbing two buckets to go pump water.
She started pumping, quickly starting to sweat and breath heavily. It was a warm day and the sun burned down at her skin. She took off her shirt, leaving her in a black cotton sports bra. She filled one bucket with water, but when she reached to get the other one, she heard footsteps. Not from a human being. No, she heard the lingering, unsteady footsteps of a walker. She got up quickly and grabbed the knife in het belt loop.
Jane quietly walked towards the sound, ready to kill the monsters. When she reached the edge of the backyard, she saw it. It wasn't just one walker. There were almost a dozen walkers creeping towards her, making those awful, snarling sounds. She saw rotten hands reaching out for her, ready to attack and eat her alive.
Her eyes widened and her breath came in short gasps. She could take them; she had taken down multiple monsters before. She had to take them down. If she didn't, they would walk into the backyard, soon enough finding their way into the house, to her Maura.
Jane didn't hesitate; she ran towards the closest walker and stabbed it in the head, falling down on top of it. Pulling her knife out of the brain, she quickly stood up to face the others, but she wasn't quick enough. Another walker was creeping up to her and she felt the impact of a dead body falling on top of her, grabbing her neck.
She fought with all she had, kicking, beating, she stabbed her knife in its stomach but it didn't help. You can only kill a walker by destroying the brain. Jane screamed, screamed for her life, and screamed for her girlfriend.
Jane managed to push the walker off her, but with that she lost her knife. She took a quick look around and saw the other monsters approaching quickly. She pushed the walker to the ground and stomped on its head, hoping to break the skull and kill the brain. She stomped and stomped, but she didn't have enough time. There were too many monsters.
"This is it", she thought. "They will kill me and Maura will have to live in this hell alone."
A loud scream interrupted her thoughts. "JANE!" Maura came running, gun pointing towards the walkers, shooting the ones that were closest to Jane. Jane quickly grabbed her knife off the ground and started stabbing the other walkers, killing their brains with great force.
The gunshots stopped. Jane was still frantically looking around, trying to find more monsters.
"Jane, they're dead. It's okay, look." Maura said, trying to get through to her panicked girlfriend.
Jane looked around, seeing nothing but dead, rotten bodies and blood. She fell down on her knees, trying to regain a normal breathing pattern.
"Come on Jane, let's get inside. The gunshots probably drew out more of them. We have to get safe." Maura helped Jane get up, helping her inside, setting her down on the couch.
Maura grabbed a cup of water, offering it to Jane. Jane looked up at Maura, covered in sweat and blood.
She realized she had been stupid. Maura could take care of herself. Maura was a strong and intelligent woman. It would take a lot to take down the amazing doctor Isles.
"I'm sorry Maura." Jane said softly.
Maura sat down next to Jane. "Why?" She asked.
"I thought I had to protect you, but I guess sometimes I need some protection myself." Jane grabbed Maura's hand, holding it tight. "You're so strong Maura. You don't need me, you can take care of yourself." She looked at the ground, too embarrassed to look the doctor in the eye.
Maura studied Jane's face, looking at her with eyes full of love. "You're wrong Jane."
"What?"
"You're wrong." Maura said with determination. "I do need you Jane. I love you, with all my heart. I love how you're always protecting; I love how much you care. I can't live without you Jane. And even if I could, I don't want to. Ever. I don't ever want to live without you. I thought I was going to lose you today. A life without you is not a good life, Jane."
Jane finally looked at her girlfriend, trying not to cry but failing. A single tear slowly trickled down her cheek. "That's so sappy." Jane said. Maura laughed and wiped the tear with her thumb.
"I love you too Maura, you know that right?"
"Yes. But I still like it when you tell me now and then." Maura smiled at Jane, pulling her in for a kiss.
After a few minutes of heated kisses, gentle touches and 'I love you's', Jane broke the kiss, pulled Maura into her lap and said: "I know the world ended and we're living in a fucking hell right now, but I'm so happy I'm in this hell with you."
Maura smiled sweetly at her girlfriend. "I don't appreciate the language you are using, but I feel exactly the same. I wouldn't want it any other way, Jane."
"Well I could live without those monsters everywhere, I'd like that another way", Jane laughed.
"You know what I mean Jane. If I have to go through this, I wouldn't want to go through it with anyone else but you."
"I know what you meant," Jane smirked. "I love you."
"I love you too Jane." Maura answered, capturing the detective's lips with her own. "We have to clean ourselves up." Maura said, trying to get up from the couch.
Jane growled, not wanting to break their embrace. But Maura was right. The blood on their clothes could cause an infection. "I'll go finish pumping the water so we can wash ourselves."
"I'll go with you, in case you try to conquer a herd of walkers again," Maura said winking.
Jane pulled Maura in for one last kiss. "I'll try not to do that again."
"Good", Maura said, "Because I love you Jane Rizzoli and I don't want to lose you."
"Don't worry", Jane answered, kissing her girlfriend, "I'm not going anywhere".
