Bang.
Jane responds on instinct. She grabs the two women, yanking them behind the safety of the wall, shielding them behind as much of herself as possible.
'Mum?' Cailin's voice sobs softly in to her mother's arms, hands winding in to the fabric of her mother's jacket.
'I'm here,' Hope whispers back, her hands frantically checking her daughter for wounds, 'are you okay?'
'FBI, drop the weapon!' Jane hears Noemi shouting from the far end of the cabin, Russo and Paddy sandwiched between them.
'Runner!' Korsack yells.
Jane jumps in to action swinging around the corner and straight in to the path of a bewildered man. 5'10", blonde hair, blue eyes, early 30's. Gun, right hand, Ruger, 6 rounds. Jane brings her gun up yelling, 'freeze Russo!' The man scurries left heading for the tree line. Behind him, Paddy lies in the entry way of the cabin.
Bang.
Russo is shooting wildly over his shoulder at them. That really pisses Jane off. Jane takes off after him, stomping through the heavy snow. Russo is almost at the tree line when Noemi catches up to Jane. Somewhere behind her she hears Korsack shouting directions at Hope and Cailin.
Bang.
Noemi and Jane hit the tree line just as Russo fires another shot. Jane jumps left, concealing herself behind a tree for a second before leaping forward. 'Do you see him?' Noemi pants somewhere to her right.
'There,' Jane says as his figure hits a patch of moonlight. As one they lunge forward, trying to keep sight of the man in the darkness. Jane stumbles over a bush and Noemi surges past her, moving quickly. Jane pushes herself to her feet, her lungs burning, her knees aching.
Bang.
Jane hears rather than sees Russo crashing forward. 'Two left,' Jane calls out running in Russo's general direction. Jane sees the clearing, Noemi doesn't. She bursts in to the open, a patch of moonlight illuminating her.
Bang.
Jane sees the muzzle flare. She sees Noemi topple over. She doesn't see where the bullet hit her. She doesn't hear Korsack rushing up beside her. 'Noemi!' Jane yells. Noemi groans. Jane sees Russo then, his pale, skinny form darts between patches of moonlight and in to the trees. 'Oh no you don't fucker,' Jane curses.
'I got her,' Korsack gestures toward Noemi, 'go.'
Jane crosses the clearing in a matter of seconds without daring a second glance for the recruit on her back or the man on his knees trying to stem the bleeding. Jane chased with a single minded purpose. Russo had one shot left and Jane really hoped he'd give her an excuse to fire back.
Paddy groans, coming around from the pain of being shot. That he has been shot, Paddy recognises immediately. He's been shot enough times to know. What surprises him is the soft lap his head is in. Brown hair tickles his face as someone presses hard on his stomach. 'Cailin?' Paddy groans as the face swims in to focus, 'what're you… doing? Run.'
Cailin looks at him with wide eyes. Just like Hope when he would surprise her with hot cinnamon rolls before her hospital shift. 'You know my name?' The girl whispers, 'how?'
'You…' Paddy grunts as his midsection tightens, 'look like.. Hope.'
Cailin's eyes grew wet, a tear drop falling softly against Paddy's cheek. He tries to reach up, wipe it off, but strong hands held him down. Then the voice of an angel, his angel spoke, 'don't move.'
Paddy knew what she said but he had to see. He tilted his head up, grateful when Cailin shifted with him, helping. 'Ho-pe.'
There she was, bathed in the firelight of the cabin, pressing hard on his abdomen. Her cheeks were streaked in tears, her hands adorned in gloves and blood. 'I'm here, love,' she whispered with a hoarse voice even as she worked. 'I'm here.' Paddy closed his eyes. She had called him love again. His eyes opened again, drinking in the vision of her.
'Is he going to be alright?' Cailin was close enough Paddy could feel the heat of her breath on his forehead.
'Dy-ing,' Paddy answered for his love. He'd acknowledge the hard truth for her. He'd do anything for her. Especially this.
'Mum?' Cailin whispered. Hope whimpered.
'Its…' Paddy sucked in a breath, 'okay… love.'
'Help!' A man's voice called from a distance, 'someone help me!'
Paddy saw the women above him trade looks. Cailin lifted his head, putting it down gently before dashing beyond his line of sight. Hope was over him now, her beautiful green eyes just above him. She pressed a kiss to his lips and Paddy smiled. His angel. His beautiful angel.
'Paddy, you can't die' Hope's voice was broke, 'I still have so much I need to say. To tell you.'
'Mm here,' Paddy groaned, each word taking monumental effort. 'Tell… me.'
'I can't…' Hope sputtered out, 'I can't thank you enough. My life. My love. Everything.' Her words were punctuated by giant sobs. Paddy managed to find her hand, holding it with all his might. 'I didn't thank you enough. I didn't love you enough.'
'Yes… you… did.' Paddy insisted. She needed to know this. 'Love… you… my… Hope.'
'Paddy,' Hope ran her fingers over his cheek, 'you saved her. You saved our daughter.'
Paddy nodded, she understood, finally. Maybe she couldn't forgive him but she understood, 'had… to… save… Maura.'
Hope shook her head, sniffling, 'no, not Maura, love. Cailin. You saved our girl.'
Understanding dawned on him slowly. His chest thumping louder, filling with surprise and wonder. 'Cailin?'
Hope whimpered burying her face in his chest, 'yes. Cailin's yours.'
'Two' Paddy asked, 'Daughters?' His head turned automatically towards the approaching sound of his youngest daughters voice. His daughters voice. His daughter.
'Yes,' Hope whispered, pressing her lips to his cheeks, 'you gave me two of the most beautiful wonderful daughters in the world.'
'My… girl…' Paddy whispered as Caitlin came back in to view. She was beautiful.
'Mum?' Cailin spoke, Paddy grinned. His girl. 'One of the officers was shot. They need you.'
Hope looked at Paddy, desperation in her eyes. 'Go,' Paddy grunted, 'love… you… forever.'
Hope sniffled, 'I love you too.' She pressed a kiss to his lips. She spoke once more, their lips brushing, 'goodbye my heart.' Then she was standing. Paddy sighed, watching her go.
Cailin shifted, taking her mother's place. She slipped a tentative hand in his. He opened an eye to see a brave look on her face. It reminded him of Collin that first night he'd shown up at Paddy's door. She might be afraid but that wouldn't stop her. 'I wanted to thank you,' Cailin whispered, 'for saving me.' Paddy smiled up at his girl, squeezing her hand. 'Do you need anything?'
'St-ay?' Paddy asked. Cailin nodded, squeezing his hand back.
Paddy closed his eyes. This was a better death then he could have dared dream of. He wasn't waiting for it to find hm. He'd greeted it on his own terms, in his own way. He'd saved his daughter. There was pain, sure, but mostly Paddy felt peace. He took a breath, breathing in the smell of Boston's snow, of evergreens and fire. He let it out. He took another breath, traces of his Hope filled his lungs. He could see her in his minds eye, see her smile, the way she looked when she laughed. The way she smelled of wild flowers, latex and and antiseptic. Maura smelled so much like her and one day, Paddy realised, Cailin would too. His beautiful, wonderful, girls… he could hold on to that smell forever. Little by little, Paddy's hold slackened, his hand falling limp in his daughter's.
A/N: For those of you who are confused RE:Cailin's parentage... I did research! Cailin's father is mentioned only twice that I could find. The first is at the initial dinner between Hope/Maura and family when Hope mentions her ex having financial struggles. The second is to say only that her ex isn't a match for the kidney. So it is possible that Hope's ex is Cailin's biological father BUT...
Paddy and Hope have documented contact in early 1993 after the Cavanaugh incident. Cailin is entering her Sophmore year in 2013 'Cold as Ice' after taking a semester off earlier in the show. Which puts her birthdate somewhere between fall '93 and summer of '94. Which means its possible that Paddy/Hope are the birth parents of Cailin.
This is further supported by the idea that Maura is a kidney match. Parents typically are a partial match for a kidney but age discrepancy restricts their donation benefit. That could be what eliminates Cailin's parents. However if Maura and Cailin actually have the same genetic parents. If Maura is only a half-sibling her kidney match chances are a very low probability and a parental kidney is a better choice, regardless of age. If Maura is a full genetic sibling there is a 50% chance that Maura is a perfect match and a 25% chance she is an 'ideal' match. The show doesn't elaborate on how Maura matches up but it is implied that Maura is the best option.
So how does that work? Hope has a tryst, which she regrets, with Paddy getting pregnant. Knowing his history, his family, etic. she chooses to hide the fact that Cailin is Paddy's and opts to marry someone she isn't in love with. He adopts or is clueless of Cailin's heritage but is protected and sheltered from Paddy's world by virtue of no one but Hope knowing Cailin is Paddy's.
Any who... that is my take on things. It is technically 'canon non-compliant' though.
