Hi all!

Apologies for the delay in this chapter, I don't really have a good excuse, I basically just had a holiday from everything for my birthday.

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for her betaing skills.

Enjoy!

Jane had been determined to pretend she was enjoying the night, for Maura's sake. What she hadn't anticipated was actually enjoying herself, surprisingly from the moment they started to get ready.

She had walked out to meet Hope and Constance mostly under her own steam, with Maura only prodding lightly to get her to move. They had eagerly embraced Maura, having only exchanged a quick greeting when she first arrived, and then settled in to catch up. Constance had planned the day to give them a few hours before the ball, since she knew they would all be grateful for the time together.

The group had spent a fantastic few hours simply enjoying each other's company, exchanging stories about the past month and getting excited about the coming evening. Hope, Constance and Jane had grown very comfortable with each other over the last month, despite the awkward trip to get here, having spent a lot of evenings together working through Maura's information. Hope and Constance had also been taking Jane to her physical therapy sessions, since Frankie hadn't been able to as originally planned. Maura seemed delighted with the comradery that had developed, and fitted into the dynamic seamlessly.

Jane dreaded the conversation finishing, but all too soon Constance stood and declared that it was time to get dressed for the ball. Jane groaned loudly in protest, but soon found an iron grip on her arm propelling her to her room.

Maura had enquired as to the location of her dress, and Jane had begrudgingly pointed to the closet. Maura zipped over to the waiting garment, opening the doors and pulling the dress out at super speed in her excitement. Jane couldn't help grinning when Maura had gasped in appreciation, the child-like wonder on the super-powered woman extremely endearing.

Jane hadn't really stopped smiling since. Maura's exuberance was contagious, and hadn't dimmed even minutely. Jane had allowed Maura to do her hair and makeup, sitting placidly in a chair while an excitedly chattering blur surrounded her, poking and prodding gently until a masterful and amazingly sophisticated hairdo took shape. When her appearance was considered satisfactory, Maura zipped out of the room, allowing Jane the privacy to put on her dress and shoes.

When Jane walked into the main room, she found three gorgeously dressed companions waiting for her. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought she'd found three goddesses.

They all wore dresses inspired by ancient Greece, all specially tailored to fit its wearer. They started at single gathered points at the shoulders, draping down tastefully while leaving their shoulders and upper back bare. The details on each dress were different, styled to match the characters they were all playing.

Each costume was modelled after one of the Muses, and included a full face mask to symbolise the Muse's character and area of expertise. Constance had explained them all to Jane earlier, going into great detail about the various attributes assigned to each muse and the difficulties associated with historical discontinuities between those attributes. Although her eyes had glazed over about ten minutes into the explanation, Jane had roughly understood what they all meant, at least in the context that was reflected in the actual costumes. Jane could see that Maura immediately understood the meanings without assistance.

Constance's mask was modelled after Calliope, the muse known for accompanying kings and princes, also the protector of heroic poems and art. Her mask was adorned with laurels, which were also woven into the ornamentation on her white dress. Her hair was very straight and business-like which, along with the regal look of her costume, gave the impression that Constance was the leader of their group.

Hope was dressed as Euterpe, discoverer of several musical instruments. Her mask had a flute at the top, acting as part of the structure supporting her straightened hair, and there were several other instruments scattered around her cream coloured dress in the form of brooches. Jane had been confused by Hope's choice, since she wasn't a musical person, but Hope had explained that since they were supposed to be in costumes, she had wanted to be the muse who probably had the least to do with her own life and personality.

Jane had decided to go as Thalia, the protector of comedy. Her mask was styled as the typical laughing dramatic mask, with whimsical adornments all around her azure dress. She had wanted to have a crook as part of her outfit so she could use it to yank boring people out of the ball, similar to how poor performers used to be yanked off stage, but Constance had vetoed the idea immediately.

Constance had chosen the muse Terpsichore for Maura's costume, the inventor of dance, harps and education. Jane had understood that the educational aspect was what had led Constance to choose her, but the costume designer had clearly embraced the more artistic side of the muse when creating the outfit. Maura had a small harp hanging around her waist, with colourful ribbons and bows woven through her jade dress. Maura had her hair curled into a majestic style, swept back stylishly to show off her neck and shoulders. Jane's hair was in a similar style, although hers appeared more dramatic due to the sheer volume of her hair. Jane's costume also included a shawl, so she could cover the scars from all her arm surgeries, which she was still uncomfortable about showing in public.

Constance had chosen their costumes and masks to match, creating a theme for them and for all of her personal guests. There would be five of her rich friends dressed in similar outfits, which Constance had suggested as a way to indicate that they were the right people to talk to if you wanted to secure a donation. In reality, suggesting that all similarly dressed women were potential patrons was also a way to further obscure Maura's identity if there happened to be someone in attendance that knew her.

Maura hadn't yet put on her mask, so Jane could see the beaming smile as she took in Jane's appearance. "Jane! You look stunning! You all do!"

Constance smiled as well, cupping Maura's cheek fondly. "Don't sell yourself short, my darling. You have outshone us all tonight. The Greek gods themselves could not create a more stunning paragon."

Maura looked down in embarrassment, and Constance continued in a less familiar tone. "Or should I say, Charlotte, since that will be your name tonight. I had an alias set up for you that should withstand at least a basic background search, so hopefully nobody will learn your true identity. You are Charlotte Mansfield, who I hired a month ago to be my advisor for this event. 'Charlotte' has already spoken to a lot of the organisations attending tonight, and they all know to talk to you if they want access to my connections and support. This should ensure that plenty of people will meet with you tonight without arousing suspicion, and you can just enjoy the night in peace."

Maura looked like she was trying to find a way to smile harder, but settled for hugging her mother carefully. "Thank you so much, for everything you've done. I'm so glad I still have you in my life."

Hope quietly moved over to Jane, watching the tender moment with a happy yet regretful look. "Thank you for this, Jane. I'm so grateful that you found a way to put a smile back on her face."

Jane realised Hope was still hesitant about her role, and felt the need to reassure her. "We all did this, not just me. She needs you too, you know."

Hope smiled cautiously in reply, so Jane stuck out her arm in a gentlemanly manner. "To the chariots!"

Maura and Constance laughed at the declaration, and happily followed Jane out, with everyone donning their masks before leaving. They made their way to the waiting limousine, with Jane only tripping on her dress twice.

When they arrived at the ball, Jane froze, gaping at the magnitude of the event. She had imagined a small room with less than a hundred guests, but they were standing in front of a massive building adorned with lights and banners, all promoting their event. Cars were pulling up and discharging finely dressed guests all along the street, with a line already forming at the door between velvet ropes. A security guard dressed as a Musketeer was checking names off a long list, with two more Musketeers checking people's purses and bags before letting them inside.

Constance stopped next to Jane, her expression unreadable behind the mask but pride evident in her voice. "Surely you don't think I'd do this halfway? If I organise a ball, I ensure that it will be talked about for years!"

Jane gaped at the woman as she strode towards the door, her arm linked with Hope's. Maura stepped up next to Jane, her cool arm providing an anchor for Jane. "Come on, it won't seem as intimidating inside."

Jane remembered to breathe, and allowed Maura to pull her forwards. "I knew you guys were loaded, but…"

Maura chuckled. "I know. When my mother puts on a benefit, she goes all out."

The four were instantly waved through by the Musketeers, which made the other guests peer after them curiously. Jane realised they had just announced themselves despite the masks, since only Constance would be allowed past without question. Sure enough, as soon as they reached the ballroom, Constance was immediately swamped by guests, all introducing themselves and heaping praise on the distinguished woman.

Maura somehow managed to steer Jane away from the throng, finding a secluded corner to get their bearings. Jane gaped again as she looked around the room, which was decorated like a real ballroom from the 19th century, complete with two gigantic chandeliers. The walls were lined with tables filled with a ridiculous amount of food and drink. Servers dressed in period costumes were circulating through the floor, offering canapes and champagne. A chamber orchestra was playing unobtrusively, the mellow tones echoing through the room and adding to the high class feel. The far side of the room had been set aside for the business side of the night, with small tables arranged carefully to facilitate conversation and the exchange of contact details.

Jane squeezed Maura's hand in excitement. "This is so cool! I finally understand wanting to dress up!"

Maura laughed in reply, her whole being practically vibrating with delight. "Finally! See, it can be enjoyable! Now, what should we do first?"

Jane's eyes zeroed in on the servers offering champagne. "Do you think they have that fancy champagne that costs more than I spend on beer in a year?"

Maura chuckled at Jane's enthusiasm. "I suspect they might. Let's go find out."

They waded into the crowd, with Jane carefully gripping Maura's hand to avoid getting lost. Maura managed to find a waiter remarkably quickly, and turned back to Jane with two glasses.

Jane took the offered glass, sniffing the bubbling liquid appreciatively before lifting the glass. "Here's to a good night!"

Maura clinked her glass, but didn't sip hers. Jane carefully pulled her mask up, sipping the champagne politely before quickly gulping the rest down. "Wow, yep, that's the good stuff."

Maura wordlessly exchanged their glasses and started looking around at the crowd. Jane sipped the second glass at a more mature pace, following Maura's gaze over the other guests.

Nobody had come without some sort of costume. The clothes ranged from standard tuxedos with a black mask to full ball gowns with peacock headpieces, and included everything in between, from many different time periods. Jane was blown away by the amount of money people were flaunting, and she only hoped the night managed to achieve what it was supposed to.

With that in mind, she moved over to nudge Maura towards the meeting tables. "Why don't you go and set up at one of the meet-and-greets? The sooner you start, the more likely you'll get to everyone worth talking to."

Maura looked nervous, but she nodded gracefully. "Are you coming?"

Jane shrugged. "I can if you like, but you know I won't understand anything they talk about."

Maura huffed out a deep breath, apparently gathering her courage. "Okay, I can do this. Why don't you go and eat. Just stay close, and come and rescue me if I get into trouble."

Jane grinned reassuringly. "Always. Okay, have fun!"

Before Maura could procrastinate, Jane replaced her mask, turned and walked away. She glanced back and was happy to see Maura square her shoulders and walk to the tables. She sat down and was joined by another guest before she had finished adjusting her dress. Jane smiled to herself when she saw Maura reach out and shake the man's hand, before starting up an animated conversation.

Jane spent the next hour browsing the various dishes on offer, trying anything that looked edible. Without Maura to explain what everything was, she wasn't game to try anything too exotic looking, but she had discovered that everything she tried was delicious. A few other guests had tried talking to her, but they quickly figured out she couldn't get them any grant money and excused themselves, which was fine with Jane. It allowed her to keep a close eye on Maura, who had talked to five different people so far with no sign of distress.

Constance suddenly appeared at Jane's side, her eyes following Jane's to watch Maura interacting enthusiastically with the woman seated at her table. "How is she doing?"

Jane smiled widely, her expression visible since she hadn't put her mask back on after eating. "I think she's doing great. Nobody has run away screaming, and she's hardly been left alone for more than ten seconds."

Constance squeezed Jane's arm in appreciation. "Good. I thought your idea was going to be successful, and I'm thrilled to be proven correct. You've done a marvellous job of looking after her Jane."

Jane shuffled, not quite knowing how to accept the compliment. "I feel like I could have done more, somehow. I don't know what, but, I dunno, something to make this all easier."

Constance turned Jane to face her more fully. "None of us are perfect. But you, however, have done everything humanly possible to protect everyone you care about. What can be hard to accept in life, is that it is entirely possible to do everything right, with the best of intentions, and still lose. That is not weakness; that is life. The important thing is that you have never let your setbacks defeat you. You keep going, you try again, and you continually attempt to make things better for those you love. I couldn't wish for a better friend for my daughter. Thank you, Jane."

Jane was speechless as the dignified woman pulled her into a firm hug. She returned the embrace numbly, amazed that Constance thought enough of her to bother trying to make her feel better. Constance smiled at her knowingly as she lifted off her mask, moving towards the buffet and her next target for conversation.

Jane felt like she was in a daze as she wandered through the ballroom. She found herself standing next to the orchestra, watching the bows dance gracefully across strings as her mind tried to comprehend what Constance had said, and the inherent meanings behind it. She felt a sense of peace trying to creep into her heart, a sense that maybe she had tried as hard as she could, and maybe there was really nothing she could have done differently. It was a hard concept for her to accept, since she always second guessed every action in an attempt to do better next time, but something about the way Constance had spoken made her almost believe it.

Jane's eyes drifted back to Maura, and found her slouching slightly in her chair, her hands grasping the side of her head. Jane instantaneously tensed, realising something looked off. She quickly pushed through the crowd, making her way to Maura's side in seconds.

Maura hadn't moved, and Jane now realised her eyes were closed. "Maura? Do you need to get out of here? Are you okay?"

Maura immediately reacted, looking up at Jane with an unreadable look in her eyes. Jane decided to act, grabbing Maura's arm and attempting to pull her up. Maura allowed the movement, following behind Jane as she dragged her to a nearby cloakroom.

Jane locked the door and checked for any other entrances, satisfying herself that nobody could overhear them before returning to Maura and pulling both of their masks off. "Maura? What's going on? You look stunned, are you hurt? Was it too much?"

Maura stayed frozen for a few long moments, before her eyes finally focussed on Jane's and a smile spread across her face. "No, it wasn't too much. It was wonderful!"

Jane watched in astonishment as Maura actually jumped for joy, her face the happiest Jane had ever seen it. "Jane! It was amazing! I could feel all their knowledge flowing into me! And then when I talked with them, it bubbled up into my conscious mind, and I could understand everything they talked about instantly!"

Maura started to pace, her hands gesticulating wildly as she grew more excited. "Then after I touched a few people, the information started to link together! I can still feel it happening, my brain is forming logical connections between fields that usually aren't thought to be compatible, but they are!"

Jane wasn't sure exactly what was happening inside her friend, but in the face of Maura's overwhelming exuberance Jane started to feel hopeful that it was a good thing. Maura turned back to Jane, grabbing her hands as she continued to try and explain. "The first man I talked to was a mechatronic engineer. His research is concerned with using visual recognition to enable drones to identify human faces among debris, to be used for search and rescue in dangerous locations. The next man was the lead on a team trying to create bionic replacements for lost limbs. They are mostly focussed on integrating new limbs with the patient's bodies, to transmit sensory data through the patient's own nervous system to the brain, allowing them to move and feel the new limb."

Maura's hands moved to Jane's arms as she grew more excited. "Their research could be combined, in order to create bionic eyes which can actually see and send understandable signals directly to the visual cortex. Those two working together could create working replacement eyes! They could restore people's sight, Jane! And they are both in my head! I know how to do it!"

Jane's mouth fell open in astonishment, but she didn't interrupt Maura. "Jane, if I talk to enough experts, gather enough knowledge, there's no limit to what we could unlock! I could help so many people!"

Jane started to smile, then was promptly squashed against Maura's neck as she was pulled into a crushing hug. "Jane, thank you so much! I would never have thought to do anything like this! I would never have realised that my powers had this potential!"

Jane stumbled slightly as Maura released her, grinning madly. Jane grinned back, pulling Maura in for a more sedate hug. "You're welcome. It sounds amazing. It sounds like you're going to be amazing. And it sounds like you have a lot to do."

Maura nodded and pulled back, her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "You're right. I need to meet everyone I can tonight, then I need to organise for some of these research centres to interact and start these projects off. Then I need to set up an alias, so I can contribute to their research without revealing who I am."

Jane smiled encouragingly, although she felt a slight pang as she realised Maura had just found a new purpose in life that might not include her. "You'd better go get started then."

Maura looked at Jane, smiling thankfully for another moment, before turning and walking to the door. Jane felt her heart lurch as she watched her go, feeling like a new distance was growing between them that she shouldn't even try to close. She wanted Maura to have a reason to live, that had been the point of the evening, but she hadn't been prepared for the possibility that a meaningful vampire life might not include a human best friend. Her posture slumped as she considered the opportunities in front of Maura, wondrous and limitless, and she knew she couldn't hold her back, no matter how much she might miss her.

Before Maura opened the door, she looked back at Jane knowingly. "You know I couldn't do this without you, right? It wouldn't matter if I knew everything in the world, I'd still need you."

Jane rolled her eyes out of reflex, although the sensation of a weight lifting off her heart told her she had really needed to hear that. "Yeah, yeah, I'm irreplaceable."

Maura tilted her head, and simply looked at Jane, her smile encouraging Jane to believe her. Jane returned the look with a thankful smile, both acknowledging the tender moment but not wanting to spoil it with words.

After a minute though, Jane realised they were wasting time that Maura could be using to talk with other geniuses. "Okay, and we're walking, and we're meeting, and we're wearing our masks…"

Maura chuckled, giving Jane an indulgent smile before pulling her mask back into place and finally leaving the room. Jane laughed as well, following Maura into the ballroom happily, ready to continue the wonderful night which suddenly seemed full of endless possibilities.