Running in the Night Part 20
The room was peaceful and quiet, providing an oasis of calm after the last few days of chaos and disruption. Needless to say, it didn't last, the sound of Liv's phone startling everyone. With a real sense of regret Liv disengaged herself from Alex's embrace and stood, walking over to the table.
"Sorry, I have to take this" Picking up the phone her voiced changed, her 'work' voice coming out. "Benson" The conversation proceeded in fits and starts as Liv filled in her colleagues back at the precinct in "…yeah, Alex was apparently doing remarkably well all things considered, same with Maura…yeah…we're taking statements down and we'll get them in asap…no, nothing that could indicate where he is now…nor who he was…yeah, how are the SWAT guys doing…oh damn…yeah thanks Nick…I'll be in sometime soon…ok….bye"
Ending the call Liv looked around.
"That was the guys at the precinct, they heard we got you back and wanted to know how you both were" She shrugged. "You heard what I said" She got a set of nods. "Apparently the docs are afraid two of the SWAT guys might not make it, their injuries are pretty bad" She dropped the phone on the table and stretched, rubbing her eyes. "I'm going to have to go in and pass on your statements" She looked round and smiled at Alex. "I'll run by home for a quick shower and some clean clothes. I'll be back as soon as I can" Jane looked up.
"Liv, if I give you the keys, can you swing by our hotel and pick up our clothes?" Liv looked over at her.
"You planning on staying here?" Jane looked at Maura, than Alex and then back at Liv.
"Yeah, someone needs to be here…" The unspoken words were loud; Liv was quiet for a moment then nodded.
"Sure" Jane looked across at Maura then back.
"Most of our clothes were packed, so if you just grab the suitcases, that'd be great" Maura smiled in relief, she didn't feel at ease, despite Alex's clothes being comfortable, she really would prefer to be properly groomed and dressed, if only for her own sense of self and normality.
"That would be very greatly appreciated Olivia" Liv smiled at Maura and turned to look at Alex.
"Anything you need Al?"
"There is something I need you to do Liv" Olivia smiled down at her best friend.
"Anything, what do you need?" Alex indicated Maura.
"We've discussed it and we want you to find out all you can about the man that we killed. Everything you can" Olivia's smile abruptly died.
"You think that's wise Alex?"
"I do, we both do" Maura nodded grimly, before speaking.
"It is very, very important. Please Olivia, this is something we need to do" Liv stood there for a moment and then quietly sighed.
"Ok, I'll see what I can do" With a look across at Jane and a nod at Alex, Liv grabbed her car keys and departed, leaving the three women sitting there. Maura and Alex noted how tired Jane was and kept their voices low as they chatted, sure enough, the stress and strain of several nights with little or no sleep soon caught up with her and Jane rapidly drifted off to sleep.
Smiling softly Maura took in her friend's position and then looked over at Alex, softly whispering, though the other women heard her perfectly, even from across the room on the other couch.
"Is there somewhere that Jane might sleep? I doubt that particular position will do her back and neck any favors when she wakes up" Alex smiled a little in return, before nodding.
"The guest bedrooms down the hall" Maura stood and turned, carefully bending down and picking Jane up in both arms, her newly acquired strength making it no effort at all. It was a measure of Jane's exhaustion that she didn't wake, instead her head rolled into Maura's shoulder as she followed Alex down the hall and into a well-appointed bedroom.
Laying the detective on the bed, Maura paused, unsure if she should undress her friend and slide her between the sheets. Deciding that was perhaps a step too far right now, she settled for slipping Jane's boots, jacket, belt, badge and gun off and covering her with a blanket, before turning to see Alex leaning in the doorway, smiling gently at Maura's tenderness. Maura smiled in return before they made their way out into the hall, pulling the door shut after her.
Making their way back to the lounge room the two women dropped to the sofa, both turning to sit facing each other. Maura was the first to speak.
"What will you do now?"
"Well I have a job to be done, same as I had last week" Alex looked up at her friend, her lover and her fellow victim. "What about you?"
"Like you I have career awaiting me back in Boston, friends, family, Jane" Alex nodded.
"You care for her don't you?" Maura just looked away for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Maura, after all we've been through, I think we're well past the point of honesty, don't you?" Maura looked up at Alex and nodded, a wry smile playing on her features at the other woman's words.
"You are right, I have come to care for you Alex, very much. I cannot lie to you, I love Jane, she is the most important person in the world to me and she has been for years"
"Did she not know how you felt?" Maura shook her head.
"I have long known that Jane was not interested in a relationship with a woman, so I always believed she was not interested in me that way, I had accepted that we would never be more than friends"
"Until now?"
"Until now" Maura smiled softly. "The knowledge that Jane truly loves me is one small positive to come out of this debacle, one that almost makes up for everything that has happened" Maura looked up at Alex and smiled. "Tell me about your Olivia" She didn't miss the smile that blossomed on the other woman's face at the mention of her name.
"God, where do I start, she's my friend, I've always been attracted to her, same thing as you though, I thought she was straight, so I've never pursued anything with her, I wasn't prepared to risk it" Alex shook her head in wonder. "Now I find she loves me, all I can think of is she loves me and why did we waste so much time?"
"An emotion I too am feeling, to know that Jane loves me, I can hardly find the words which can adequately describe how that make me feel"
"Same here, I just want to kiss her and hold her and tell her how much I love her"
"Well, we now can, whenever we wish. If there truly is a silver lining to our situation that must surely be it" Alex smiled happily at the thought, before her smile dropped.
"I hope that they'll be able to adjust to all the changes, we aren't who we used to be" Maura nodded once.
I understand what you are saying; our lives will require significant changes, but we are who we have always been" Alex shook her head.
"No, we're not, we wouldn't have done what we did before, we've changed, I hope they can adjust to who we are"
"Both Jane and Olivia have indicated that it is of no consequence to them" Alex acknowledged the point with a small nod.
"I know they did, but the changes are pretty far reaching, I mean you lifted Jane like she was nothing, I can see and hear far better than I ever could, we heal from injury that could have killed us before, we'll spend the rest of our lives hiding from the sun and that's before we even get to the drinking blood part" Maura sighed sadly.
"I understand what you are saying Alex, however I believe that we can work our way though this. Heaven knows Jane and I have overcome other setbacks and yet she still loves me and I her. This is simply another of the challenges our lives seem to enjoy throwing at us" Alex paused for a moment, her expression thoughtful as she sat considering the other woman's viewpoint.
"Do you really think we can make it work, given what's happened?"
"I for one intend to do everything in my power to ensure it does. Jane is everything to me, to learn she loves me as I love her is a revelation, one I truly welcome. I refuse to let anything stand between us" Alex's voice still carried the traces of her doubt.
"They both love us, let's hope they still love us when they truly realise how much we've changed" Maura smiled.
"Honestly, I believe that if Olivia's love for you is as strong as Jane's for me, then we will make it succeed" Maura paused for a moment. "There is one dreadful complication though, even if we can overcome the differences between our two lifestyles, the fact that we are effectively immortal" Alex nodded.
"Don't think I hadn't thought of that, I've just found out the person I love more than anything loves me back, to realize that they'll age and die while we live on, that's a nightmare, a curse" Maura pursed her lips in thought.
"Having just learned of her love, to contemplate losing Jane is unacceptable. There must be something..." Alex nodded slowly, before suddenly stilling, her face closing over. Finally she spoke, slow and halting.
"There is one way..." He sentence trailed off, as Maura's eyes widened in shock.
"Alexandra, you are not possibly suggesting...You are!"
"They would be with us, together, we'd never see them age and die" Seeing the look on the other woman's face she hurried on. "Believe me Maura, I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but can you honestly sit there and tell me you can see them dying of old age while we live on, unchanged?" Maura shook her head, as if seeking to dispel the thoughts that Alex had placed from her mind.
"I think that we have many years before we need to consider that course of action, rather than concentrate on what might be, let us instead concentrate on the here and now. Our partners love us and we love them, all else will be overcome in due course, together"
"There is that. God knows Liv and I have had our share of obstacles to overcome, perhaps this is just yet another, simply bigger than most"
Maura went to say more when she stopped, eyes closing as her focus turned inwards for a moment, before her eyes snapped open, shimmering hazel locking with glittering blue, seeing the awareness there.
"It's Vanchev, I can feel him, he just got stronger, a lot stronger" Alex nodded.
"Same here" Alex chewed her lip for a moment, worry bleeding into her voice. "He must have just killed someone, maybe more than one"
"That means he will be coming for us, soon"