Hi all!

Welcome to the next chapter! Fair warning, there's a lot of information in this one!

Thanks as always to the amazing JaneyGWF for her betaing services!

Enjoy, and please let me know any thoughts!

Jane was amazed at the sensation of speed that came from being a vampire running through the forest. Her previous mad dashes through the trees hadn't left any time to properly appreciate the experience, since she had been so focused on finding Maura a meal.

Now she could appreciate the plethora of colours and sounds that made up the forest whipping past, her eyes capable of discerning every detail before it fell behind her. Her powerful legs ate up the ground, propelling her across the terrain at what should have been a hair-raising pace. But she felt no fear, as her lightning quick senses allowed her to see every potential obstacle and avoid it with ease.

She glanced over at Maura, and found amused red eyes looking back at her. Maura was carefully keeping close, ensuring that Jane was handling the new experience and not feeling overwhelmed. While Maura had asked how Jane was doing post-transformation, Jane had brushed it off with a joke, which Maura may have interpreted to mean she wasn't ok, hence the caring scrutiny. It was very endearing, and Jane was thankful to see that Maura's protective streak hadn't disappeared after her ordeal, even if that protectiveness was unnecessary now. They were both nearly indestructible, and Jane finally felt like they were on equal footing. If they ever had to tangle with another hostile vampire, Jane intended to give as good as she got, rather than needing Maura to save her.

But since her vigilance obviously gave Maura the impression of control over the situation, Jane was more than willing to go along with whatever Maura needed. Jane couldn't help feeling guilty about what her new powers had done to Maura, even though there had been no alternative. Losing Maura hadn't been an option, and if Maura ever got into that state again, Jane knew she wouldn't hesitate to use her powers. It would take a while to untangle all the feelings and reactions around the events of the last week, but that could all be tackled after they'd heard whatever Betty had to tell them and dealt with whatever they were running towards.

Jane gave Maura a broad grin, which was instantly returned. Jane suspected that, although neither of them had wanted Jane to become a vampire, part of Maura had been desperate to share this side of her new life with someone. The speed, the strength, the clarity of thought, it was all exciting and held a lot of potential. Jane let out a yell of excitement and sped up, wanting to catch up to Betty, and heard Maura laugh as she matched Jane's acceleration.

Betty smirked over her shoulder when the pair caught up to her, and started speaking as soon as they were in earshot. Jane found it odd to start a conversation while they were running at over 300kph, but aside from a bit of distortion in the sound of Betty's voice she quickly realised it was possible. "Alright, let me start at the beginning. As I mentioned to Jane, I'm part of a vampiric organisation. As you've probably deduced, we've been watching both the two of you and the situation for some time. I realise it all sounds a bit creepy, but hopefully you will eventually understand. We have only now been able to step in and help, and I know that sounds like a cop-out. Before I explain why, let me explain who we are, how we came into existence, and why the two of you are important. But first, a bit of underlying science. One of the most important goals of our organisation is understanding the world, including vampire physiology, evolution and abilities, and some of what we've learned will be of vital importance if you are to understand the situation. Now, have you ever wondered how vampire powers work?"

Jane glanced at Maura, noticing her expression sharpen as her natural curiosity took hold. Betty smiled wider as she continued, buoyed by Maura's undivided attention. "As I've explained partially to Jane, they come from a part of the thalamus whose function is as yet undiscovered by humans, which we have named the thalamus vampirus. There are two distinct types of powers that come from the thalamus vampirus, which we refer to as mental and energy. It is a human's genetic makeup that determines which type of thalamus vampirus they have, and therefore what class of power they will develop once they turn. The bloodlines that create these two types of powers originated in different locations on the planet, possibly due to some random gene mutation, and have since been passed down through hundreds of generations. Due to thousands of years of interbreeding between different cultures, both bloodlines can now be found in all races and in all countries, but energy based powers are rarer than mentally based ones, for a variety of reasons."

Betty paused her explanation for a moment as they crossed a highway, their bodies flashing between the traffic effortlessly. She quickly checked her audience was following, both literally and figuratively, before gesturing to Maura as they continued running. "Your lineage is of the mental power variety. As you've experienced, you have the ability to copy other people's knowledge and any mental vampiric powers they might have. This ability was passed to you from your mother's side of the family, which has a long history of intelligent and curious individuals."

Jane frowned before putting on a burst of speed and zipping in front of Betty, forcing her to stop. She glanced back at Maura worriedly before barking out an interrogative question. "Wait, how do you know this stuff about Maura?"

Betty rolled her eyes at Jane's suspicious tone. "Look, I promise I'll explain that bit next. As I said, I realise we sound like a group of stalkers that just know all this stuff about the two of you, but there are good reasons. Just let me get through the mechanics first, okay? Then I'll explain how I know all of this."

Jane considered the request for a few long moments. Betty had shown herself to be trustworthy so far, between helping her save Maura and then staying to explain herself as promised. She glanced at Maura, who was carefully considering everything Betty had said. Maura nodded in wary agreement, and Jane reluctantly sighed and gestured for Betty to continue running, the pair falling in behind her seamlessly as they powered through the forest.

Maura had been pondering Betty's words while Jane deliberated, and was now frowning in concern. "So are you saying, if Hope was ever changed into a vampire, she would have the same powers as I do?"

Betty shook her head emphatically. "No, no, not at all. The genetic background only opens the door to a type of ability. The actual power someone gets is determined by their personality, their experiences, their beliefs, even their fears. Similar powers do tend to run in families, but whether that's through nature or nurture is still a bit unclear."

Betty gestured at Maura again, trying enthusiastically to make her point understood. "Because you have led a life of open curiosity, but also one of benevolence and pacifism, your power has formed to facilitate your need to know and discover things, while not harming your 'donor'. Hope has led a much more fearful life, often encountering the need to defend herself and her loved ones, so her powers would be much more aggressive."

Betty glanced back searchingly and sighed, seeing that Jane was lost and Maura was missing the point. "Okay. I believe you are aware of Hope's encounter with a vampire many years ago?"

Maura nodded with an unsettled frown. "She still has some sort of vampiric version of me haunting her every time she thinks about mentioning vampires."

Betty smiled and continued. "Good. Well, not good that she's in that situation, but, you know, good that you're following. Anyway. That vampire's power was to show people images from their own minds, as if they were real. Because she was a nasty bitch, she chose to use it to terrorise people, showing them some of their deepest fears."

Betty shook her head and huffed, as if the concept of a vampire causing humans to go insane was an annoyance rather than a horrifying fact. "With most people, it was all over as soon as she left them alone. They'd recover after a day or so, aside from some nasty nightmares, unless they had a pre-existing heart condition or mental disorder. However, in Hope's case, a rudimentary version of her vampiric potential kicked in and disrupted the process. Her abilities are reactive in nature, allowing her to subconsciously detect and respond to an incoming attack on her mind. If she'd been a vampire, we're fairly sure this would result in the power being reflected back at the attacker, possibly with Hope retaining some form of their power for her own use, as you do. As a human, with an immature power, it resulted in the attack being twisted and magnified, which left a lasting impression on her psyche. Unfortunately this will probably happen each time a mental power is used on her, and this will only worsen her condition over time."

Maura looked horrified, and Jane's heart pinged with guilt once again over her past treatment of Hope. They both remembered Hope's reaction to Jasper's power, how much it had destabilised her already fragile mental state, and although it was a relief to know finally what had caused Hope's mental state, it was devastating to hear that it couldn't be cured.

Betty glanced back to understand the silence behind her and noticed Maura's dismayed expression, gasping before quickly continuing contritely. "Sorry, that was bleaker than I intended. There is hope, don't worry! Jane can help her!"

Maura glanced at Jane in surprise, and Jane could only shrug and turn back to Betty doubtfully. "Jane, have some faith in yourself. Your power isn't mental, it's energy based. Think of it like being on a different frequency. It uses a different mechanism to influence the world, so Hope's natural defences won't react to an intrusion from you like they would from Maura or the Cullens. You can use your power to shut off her thalamus vampirus, basically the opposite of what you did with Maura, and that will stop the visions. She won't react badly to mental vampire powers anymore, and she'll be able to live a more normal life."

Maura frowned in worried confusion. "But, wouldn't shutting off part of her brain be detrimental?"

Betty shook her head decisively. "Humans don't need that part of their brain for anything. In fact vampires don't either, it's just a nice thing to have. She might become slightly less intuitive, but realistically she won't notice a huge difference, aside from being cured of the side effects of the previous attack. Trust me, she'll thank you for it."

They abruptly reached another road, causing a natural break in the conversation as they carefully navigated the obstacle without being seen. Jane took the opportunity to glance around for landmarks, and realised they were heading towards New York. She mentally mapped the path they'd taken, and estimated that if she was right about their destination, they were almost a third of the way there. Jane took a second to marvel at vampiric speed for a moment, smiling faintly, before returning her attention to the conversation.

Betty huffed again as they reached the next band of wilderness, her frustration showing in her flustered tone. "Okay, I've gotten off topic. My point is, a vampire's abilities are created through a mixture of nature and nurture. The limits of those abilities are also created by our experiences. Everyone has hang-ups, the little things we've picked up over the course of a lifetime that make us shy away from things, dislike other things, even outright hate things. They dictate how we trust, how we love, how we argue, how we fight, everything we do. Those little details are what shape our behaviour, and they leave a lasting impression in our minds. When someone becomes a vampire, those hang-ups become set in concrete, and without a particularly strong emotional reason, we can never overcome them. They become limits on our minds, which directly affect any powers we have."

Betty threw Maura a pointed glance over her shoulder. "Maura, your limits are a result of your tendency to underplay your skills, to hide in the background, to stay out of the way. You have always been brilliant, but you never go out of your way to be noticed unless it is expected, like through your academic achievements. Your experiences throughout your life have told you that you're exceptional, and that you are capable of knowing and understanding everything, but that other people won't appreciate you for it. You instinctively hold yourself back from ever truly being as overwhelmingly superior as you could be, out of a desire for acceptance and love."

Jane felt uneasy again at the accuracy of Betty's information. It was a more accurate personality profile of Maura than anything available in public records. She felt an urgent need to understand this organisation Betty was associated with, and how they somehow knew everything about Maura.

Betty continued on, her tone serious and factual as she tried to get Maura to understand. "Those basic character traits turned into a partial block around your abilities. You could copy anyone's powers, but you would lose access to the ones you had previously gained. This both limited your power, so you wouldn't lose sight of yourself, and also protected you from the dangers of overextending your mind. Your own personality wouldn't allow your power to be realised to its full potential."

Betty glanced at Jane with a small smile. "However, when you were facing Alec, without any offensive abilities, the fact that Jane was in imminent danger of dying gave you the motivation and the emotional ammunition to break past your own mental barriers. You harnessed everything you were feeling and shattered your own mind in an attempt to save Jane. And although it worked, and you regained the power you needed to disable him and shield Jane from the effects of her transformation, it had severe consequences."

Maura's brow furrowed in thought, comprehension blossoming through her mind abruptly. "So it wasn't the prolonged use of my powers that damaged my mind. It was using my emotions to batter through my own mental barriers in order to access my lost powers in the first place. It would have made no difference whether I helped Jane during her transition or not, I was already dying from the moment I stopped Alec."

Betty nodded sadly, giving the pair a sympathetic look. "We've seen it happen before, many times. Whenever a vampire forcibly changes their powers by pushing past their mental limits, they inevitably end up mindless. It's only a matter of time before their body gives up. Nobody has ever survived before."

Jane cleared her throat at the unwelcome reminder of how close they had come to disaster. "So why is my power so unusual? You said there are other vampires with energy powers out there, so why hasn't anyone tried to do what I did before?"

Betty smiled genuinely at Jane over her shoulder. "Because of the life you've lived, you are unique. You are completely devoted to helping others at all costs, protective to a fault with no sense of self preservation. You have never held yourself back for fear of what others might think, you have never limited your own potential or stopped yourself from going after what you think you need to do. You have always put your own safety last, so you have no mental blocks around your powers. You are able to access them and use them to their fullest potential. Most energy users have some hang-ups when they are changed, so they unknowingly restricted themselves to control over specific types of energy, for example manipulating the elements or transforming materials. We tend to call them pyromancers, alchemists, magicians, that sort of thing. You are something different. You are capable of interacting with energy directly, without restriction, without moderation. As long as you don't blow yourself up or try to channel too much energy at once, there is no limit to what you could achieve."

Jane's jaw dropped as she looked to Maura for confirmation, and was met with an equally stunned expression. Jane abruptly stopped running, staring at her hands in awe and fear at the realisation of what she could conceivably do. Maura stopped as well, reaching out for Jane's arm in an attempt to comfort and ground her. Jane immediately pulled away fearfully, still staring at her hands in awe and trepidation. She could only think about the cactus exploding, and was overtaken with an irrational fear that she would blow up anything that touched her.

Betty quickly realised the impact her words had made and once again scrambled to backpedal, immediately stopping and returning to the awestruck pair. "Don't panic! Jane, you know how to activate your powers, and you know how to control them. You proved that when you managed to bring Maura back from the brink of death. I'm not saying there won't be a process of learning, there is for everyone when it's all new. But you're not going to accidentally blow things up or anything like that. You know you can do it if you try though, so just be careful when you start experimenting."

Jane scoffed in disbelief. "When I start? I'm not experimenting with anything! As far as I'm concerned I've accomplished what I needed to with these powers, and they can stay buried in my head where they belong!"

Betty sighed in frustration. "You may think that now, but trust me, you'll want to know your capabilities. The reason I'm telling you both all of this is simple. Neither of you can afford to be afraid of your powers. You'll both need to utilise them. Soon."

Maura flinched at the mention of her powers, clearly gun-shy after her ordeal. Betty nodded sadly at the motion, knowing this was going to be a sore spot. "I realise how much I'm asking right now. I can't imagine how terrifying that experience must have been for you. Given everything I know about you, and how you perceive the world, I believe it would have been even worse for you than for most people, losing access to your ability to think. But I really need you to apply your logic to everything you've seen and experienced, and decide if you understand what I've told you. Decide whether you believe your mind is safe from your powers."

Jane watched as a flurry of emotion flickered across Maura's face. She was clearly thinking through everything that had happened since she jumped into the boiler to save Jane. Recalling those same events, Jane remembered seeing Maura's energy gradually draining with her second sight as the poor woman was pinned to the wall over the course of three days, but she had to admit that she hadn't seen what had initially started it. It could have been Maura using her powers to help Jane, as she had assumed, or it could have been the trauma of Maura retrieving her overwritten offensive power.

After much deliberation, Maura's face cleared, and she nodded uncertainly. "I think you're right. I remember feeling like something was wrong immediately after Alec died. It got worse over the next few days, but that was when it started."

Betty nodded seriously. "Now, do you both believe me when I assure you that your powers are perfectly safe to use again?"

Maura frowned at Betty with a torn expression, her hands restlessly twisting together as she considered everything Betty had told them. When her eyes flicked over to Jane, they were filled with uncertainty and fear.

Jane could only shrug, feeling entirely out of her depth and still scared of her own abilities. "I don't know. I don't feel like any of this is safe, but that's been true for months. What do you think, Maura?"

Jane watched as Maura closed her eyes and turned away from her, her arms crossed and her shoulders hunched. She looked like she was really struggling to decide, weighing up the costs of being wrong with the costs of inaction. It was almost exactly how Jane felt, she knew that her powers could potentially do a lot of good, but she just kept seeing that cactus explode and imagining it being someone's head. Jane was used to a lot of responsibility being placed on her shoulders, she had felt it every time she strapped a gun to her hip, but this felt too big.

Jane saw Maura sigh in resignation, and was unsure what decision she had reached. Maura turned back to look at Jane, her face set in determined concentration.

Abruptly, Jane felt her panic and worry recede, to be replaced by warmth and calm. She closed her eyes to revel in the sensation, and with her energy vision saw tendrils of energy flowing from Maura into her. Jane smiled genuinely, feeling the resolution and surety in her friend's projected feelings. Jane compared the sensation to those she had felt in the past, and the specificity of the positive emotions clued her in to the significance of the moment. Maura was using Jasper's power, not the Volturi's, which meant she had successfully accessed other overwritten abilities. There was no sensation of panic or pain, and Jane could see for herself that Maura's energy was strong and bright. It seemed as if Betty had been telling them the truth, at least about this. Maura could tap into all the powers she had copied, and not hurt herself.

Maura was smiling when Jane opened her eyes. "I don't know if I trust anyone else, Jane, but I do trust you. I think I'll be okay, but if not I know you'll be there for me, as will I for you."

Jane nodded in reply. "I promise if something goes wrong, I'll do my best to repair any damage, if you let me."

Maura winced at the reminder of Jane's powers and their effect on her, but she finally nodded at Jane with a small smile, giving her unspoken consent concerning any future need for Jane's help. Jane felt a weight lift off her heart, as her conscience took the tacit approval as a sign of forgiveness.

When Maura turned back to Betty however, she quickly asked another serious question. "Before I trust you, I need to understand what you want from us. You've gone to a lot of trouble to make sure we got to this point, and I want to know why."

Betty nodded in resignation before glancing in the direction they'd been running. "Okay, I guess I can understand that. I'll explain, but we need to keep moving."

Without waiting for a response, Betty burst into motion. Jane and Maura followed immediately, both anxious to find out why their strange companion had spent all this time and effort helping two complete strangers.

And what she expected in return.